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Nuptials & Neglect
She left her husband because love shouldn't feel like loneliness.
Callie Prescott had enough of being invisible. Of competing with endless boardrooms, a manipulative mother-in-law who treated her like an outsider, and the ambitious assistant who wanted Ethan all to herself.
When betrayal sends his wife walking out the door, Ethan finally wakes up. He'll burn every bridge to prove he's the husband she deserved from the start. But earning back her trust requires more than apologies. It demands sacrifice.
As old wounds reopen and new life sparks hope in the darkest moment, Callie must decide if the man who broke her heart can grovel hard enough to put it back together.
Callie Prescott had enough of being invisible. Of competing with endless boardrooms, a manipulative mother-in-law who treated her like an outsider, and the ambitious assistant who wanted Ethan all to herself.
When betrayal sends his wife walking out the door, Ethan finally wakes up. He'll burn every bridge to prove he's the husband she deserved from the start. But earning back her trust requires more than apologies. It demands sacrifice.
As old wounds reopen and new life sparks hope in the darkest moment, Callie must decide if the man who broke her heart can grovel hard enough to put it back together.
186 pages, Kindle Edition
Published December 30, 2025
295 people are currently reading
71 people want to read
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January 4, 2026This story doesn't have that gut-punching, soul-wrecking angst. It's probably because it's just too short, and we didn't really dive into their backgrounds enough to see how we'll connect with the MCs??? It might also be due to the way the story is told. It was definitely something else and could've been improved moving forward.
Also, this is another story where I wish the pregnancy wasn't used to force the MCs to do things together despite the issues going on in their personal lives. Sometimes I think it's lazy writing because if they found themselves in this situation, most likely they'll prioritize the baby's needs over discussing their personal problems. So much so that one day they'd just wake up being comfortable with each other again without really addressing the problems between them. Like there wasn't a shitshow that ruined things for them.
Anyway, I'm just mostly uninterested when I read this. Might work for others though.
Also, this is another story where I wish the pregnancy wasn't used to force the MCs to do things together despite the issues going on in their personal lives. Sometimes I think it's lazy writing because if they found themselves in this situation, most likely they'll prioritize the baby's needs over discussing their personal problems. So much so that one day they'd just wake up being comfortable with each other again without really addressing the problems between them. Like there wasn't a shitshow that ruined things for them.
Anyway, I'm just mostly uninterested when I read this. Might work for others though.
January 14, 2026
FMC: Callie
MMC: Ethan
One of my favorite tropes is marriage in trouble with no cheating. Every time I discover a new book with this story line I gobble it up. Unfortunately this one just didn’t do it for me.
The writing was pretty good. I spotted a few errors but nothing that really took away from the story. It’s a short book, only 180 pages on my iPad so I wasn’t expecting a deep dive into world building or character development. Having said that, the author did a pretty decent job of using her words wisely. There wasn’t a lot of unnecessary filler or annoying internal monologues. Every scene was used to push the story forward, so in that regard, I appreciate the writing.
Where it kind of lost me was the emotional aspect. I just didn’t really feel any gut punch or have any big emotions. I kind of even felt like the Callie was overreacting a bit. Not that she didn’t have a reason to be upset, she did and I feel like her leaving was the right move to send a message. Gage was being an oblivious idiot, putting his job and his mother before her. But she had never communicated her feelings to him until she got to the point of being completely done. Once she told him how she felt and what had been going on with his mother, he immediately started making changes to prioritize her. Then she overheard him with the OW and took something he said completely out of context and was ready to end her marriage…again with no communication which would have cleared things up immediately. She just came off a bit hysterical and immature.
They’ve been married for a year, shit is going to be bumpy as you figure out how to navigate life together. Gage needed to realize that he couldn’t have the same priorities that he did before being married and Callie needed to learn how to express her feelings to him…which by the way was never addressed. All the blame was put on Gage and while he does hold the biggest responsibility, Callie was not blameless.
Anyway, they were separated for a while but got back together fairly quickly because of course…she’s pregnant. 🙄 One of the laziest ways to facilitate a reconciliation. Everything was wrapped up pretty quickly and they live HEA.
Ok, now this is a nitpicky complaint but if you’ve read any of my other reviews you know I just can’t resist bitching about little things that bother me. 😂 I had a problem with the fact that Callie left and went to stay in a cheap budget motel while they were separated. My problem is that Gage is rich but even after seeing where she was staying, he didn’t offer to put her up in a better hotel, rent an apartment or even offer to leave the penthouse so she could be more comfortable. He knew she was pregnant at this point but was ok just leaving her in a fleabag motel. Then when she moves back to the penthouse, she stays in the guest room. Again, he never offers to let her have the master bedroom. It’s not a big deal in the grand scheme of things, it’s probably just a me thing to even notice. It just bothered me because it was not in line with Gage’s actions. It seemed like it would have been an easy way to show him prioritizing her comfort and wellbeing. But what do I know? 🤷♀️
I recommend this if you’re looking for something quick and not too emotionally harrowing. Maybe just something to pass the time or as a palette cleanser. I probably will check out the authors other books because the writing was pretty good and I didn’t hate it, just didn’t love it.
Safety: Totally safe. There is a bit of OW drama but Gage is not at all interested and shuts it down completely as soon as the OW expresses her feelings.
MMC: Ethan
One of my favorite tropes is marriage in trouble with no cheating. Every time I discover a new book with this story line I gobble it up. Unfortunately this one just didn’t do it for me.
The writing was pretty good. I spotted a few errors but nothing that really took away from the story. It’s a short book, only 180 pages on my iPad so I wasn’t expecting a deep dive into world building or character development. Having said that, the author did a pretty decent job of using her words wisely. There wasn’t a lot of unnecessary filler or annoying internal monologues. Every scene was used to push the story forward, so in that regard, I appreciate the writing.
Where it kind of lost me was the emotional aspect. I just didn’t really feel any gut punch or have any big emotions. I kind of even felt like the Callie was overreacting a bit. Not that she didn’t have a reason to be upset, she did and I feel like her leaving was the right move to send a message. Gage was being an oblivious idiot, putting his job and his mother before her. But she had never communicated her feelings to him until she got to the point of being completely done. Once she told him how she felt and what had been going on with his mother, he immediately started making changes to prioritize her. Then she overheard him with the OW and took something he said completely out of context and was ready to end her marriage…again with no communication which would have cleared things up immediately. She just came off a bit hysterical and immature.
They’ve been married for a year, shit is going to be bumpy as you figure out how to navigate life together. Gage needed to realize that he couldn’t have the same priorities that he did before being married and Callie needed to learn how to express her feelings to him…which by the way was never addressed. All the blame was put on Gage and while he does hold the biggest responsibility, Callie was not blameless.
Anyway, they were separated for a while but got back together fairly quickly because of course…she’s pregnant. 🙄 One of the laziest ways to facilitate a reconciliation. Everything was wrapped up pretty quickly and they live HEA.
Ok, now this is a nitpicky complaint but if you’ve read any of my other reviews you know I just can’t resist bitching about little things that bother me. 😂 I had a problem with the fact that Callie left and went to stay in a cheap budget motel while they were separated. My problem is that Gage is rich but even after seeing where she was staying, he didn’t offer to put her up in a better hotel, rent an apartment or even offer to leave the penthouse so she could be more comfortable. He knew she was pregnant at this point but was ok just leaving her in a fleabag motel. Then when she moves back to the penthouse, she stays in the guest room. Again, he never offers to let her have the master bedroom. It’s not a big deal in the grand scheme of things, it’s probably just a me thing to even notice. It just bothered me because it was not in line with Gage’s actions. It seemed like it would have been an easy way to show him prioritizing her comfort and wellbeing. But what do I know? 🤷♀️
I recommend this if you’re looking for something quick and not too emotionally harrowing. Maybe just something to pass the time or as a palette cleanser. I probably will check out the authors other books because the writing was pretty good and I didn’t hate it, just didn’t love it.
Safety: Totally safe. There is a bit of OW drama but Gage is not at all interested and shuts it down completely as soon as the OW expresses her feelings.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
January 3, 2026
Loved the hero
He really loved his wife. His mother was beyond evil and had another woman already lined up for him who.deleted his personal appts. He missed a lot of things due to this. The heroine.just gave up. She felt he chose his Mother over her and he kind of did. He didn't realize how his mom treated his wife but once he did he fought her. He picked the heroine over her. I really liked how much he was sorry he hadn't realized. I liked the story and the epilogue was so cute!
He really loved his wife. His mother was beyond evil and had another woman already lined up for him who.deleted his personal appts. He missed a lot of things due to this. The heroine.just gave up. She felt he chose his Mother over her and he kind of did. He didn't realize how his mom treated his wife but once he did he fought her. He picked the heroine over her. I really liked how much he was sorry he hadn't realized. I liked the story and the epilogue was so cute!
January 14, 2026
Betrayal lite is what I’d call this book. It had good bones but it goes so fast that I just didn’t connect with the characters. I also felt annoyed by the FMC. I found her whiny. She had good reasons to be but I felt like she was needy in ways that she shouldn’t have been. If she has a needle phobia then fine but it didn’t come off like that. She needed her husband for basically every part of her life. She didn’t come off as strong or independent at all. But again that’s just my interpretation of the material. I really do feel like it’s just me and not the book itself.
Either way, this book just didn’t work for me. And it has the “BONUS” epilogue you have to chase down on the author’s website to get. I didn’t like this book enough to even want to do that. And this is my problem with this process. If an author wants to keep her audience, making them work for that attention isn’t the way to go. However, did get it and I’m here to say it wasn’t worth the effort to do that let alone read it. Nothing is revealed or answered. It’s just five minutes of a renewal of vows that was cringey to me. The FMC talked about how the MMC groveled to get her back. Eww.
Anyway, it’s a lite fast read. Boring to me. Somewhat decent sex scenes. It’s completely forgettable and I will never read this book again. I will give this author one more chance with her next book but if I feel the same way with that book as I did with this book, uninterested and bored, then that will be the last I buy let alone read from this author. This superficial story might work for someone, just not me. Short stories don’t cause me issues as Jessa Kane, Jenika Snow, Ella Goode, and others like these can pack a punch with just a few pages. This author didn’t even come close to a love tap or even a finger poke’s worth for me. Good luck.
Either way, this book just didn’t work for me. And it has the “BONUS” epilogue you have to chase down on the author’s website to get. I didn’t like this book enough to even want to do that. And this is my problem with this process. If an author wants to keep her audience, making them work for that attention isn’t the way to go. However, did get it and I’m here to say it wasn’t worth the effort to do that let alone read it. Nothing is revealed or answered. It’s just five minutes of a renewal of vows that was cringey to me. The FMC talked about how the MMC groveled to get her back. Eww.
Anyway, it’s a lite fast read. Boring to me. Somewhat decent sex scenes. It’s completely forgettable and I will never read this book again. I will give this author one more chance with her next book but if I feel the same way with that book as I did with this book, uninterested and bored, then that will be the last I buy let alone read from this author. This superficial story might work for someone, just not me. Short stories don’t cause me issues as Jessa Kane, Jenika Snow, Ella Goode, and others like these can pack a punch with just a few pages. This author didn’t even come close to a love tap or even a finger poke’s worth for me. Good luck.
Want to read
January 5, 2026Looking forward to supporting this new author
January 10, 2026
Very low angst with a pretty sweet husband who's all in.
January 1, 2026
Get This Man An Umbilical Cord Cutter…
Ethan and Callie’s marriage is on the rocks, and it’s easy to see why. Ethan is far too devoted to his CFO career and his manipulative, meddling mother. While he claims to crave Callie "every minute of every day," his actions tell a different story. Between missed dinners for "ER emergencies" and taking work calls when he's supposed to be spending quality time with Callie, he constantly lets her down.
The drama is high in this one! My only gripe was Callie’s behavior regarding her pregnancy reveal; blaming Ethan for not being there when she found out, when she was the one who walked out and asked for space felt a bit petty.
That was the ONLY part of this story that made me pause. It was a really good short read, with a small amount of gut punch and OW drama. This definitely falls in the category of Mother drama for sure though. I was so happy to see BOTH of them got their comeuppance!
I will definitely be reading another story by this author. I cannot wait for Gage’s book next 🤍
Ethan and Callie’s marriage is on the rocks, and it’s easy to see why. Ethan is far too devoted to his CFO career and his manipulative, meddling mother. While he claims to crave Callie "every minute of every day," his actions tell a different story. Between missed dinners for "ER emergencies" and taking work calls when he's supposed to be spending quality time with Callie, he constantly lets her down.
The drama is high in this one! My only gripe was Callie’s behavior regarding her pregnancy reveal; blaming Ethan for not being there when she found out, when she was the one who walked out and asked for space felt a bit petty.
That was the ONLY part of this story that made me pause. It was a really good short read, with a small amount of gut punch and OW drama. This definitely falls in the category of Mother drama for sure though. I was so happy to see BOTH of them got their comeuppance!
I will definitely be reading another story by this author. I cannot wait for Gage’s book next 🤍
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
January 1, 2026
3 1/2 stars. Neglected wife is a favorite trope of mine. In this story, the H needs to be hit in the face a few times with his evidence of neglect before he does anything to change the situation. The story begins with the h having to attend a doctor's appointment by herself to find out what's happening with their six month efforts to conceive. The H misses the appointment and is having lunch with his manipulative mom instead. The h is very afraid of needles and really needed his support.
The mom is trying to put a wedge between them through the H's temporary secretary who has access to his calendar. The h gives the H another chance after the missed appointment but then overhears his secretary admitting her feelings for the H. He tells her that he's glad she told him. The h leaves before hearing more. This time she moves out. The H feels like he's had blinders on when it comes to his mother's treatment of the h but finally reflects back on the pattern of behavior. Close to a case of TSTL.
The mom is trying to put a wedge between them through the H's temporary secretary who has access to his calendar. The h gives the H another chance after the missed appointment but then overhears his secretary admitting her feelings for the H. He tells her that he's glad she told him. The h leaves before hearing more. This time she moves out. The H feels like he's had blinders on when it comes to his mother's treatment of the h but finally reflects back on the pattern of behavior. Close to a case of TSTL.
January 7, 2026
Not a fan
Ended up not liking the lead female character. The author did not do a good job convincing me of the over dramatic exit she took from her marriage. I get there was out of books moments that led up to the meltdown of the marriage but it was stuff she could have talked to him about. Having her leave in the mist of overhearing part of the conversation was disappointing. The author makes him jump through all these hoops to save the marriage and doesn't have her take responsibility or to let her husband know she hurts for him about his mother.
Was curious about Gage and hoping his book would have been about him and...a twist in authors choices ...Vanessa. that maybe there was something more to her. But looks like the author missed an opportunity.
Ended up not liking the lead female character. The author did not do a good job convincing me of the over dramatic exit she took from her marriage. I get there was out of books moments that led up to the meltdown of the marriage but it was stuff she could have talked to him about. Having her leave in the mist of overhearing part of the conversation was disappointing. The author makes him jump through all these hoops to save the marriage and doesn't have her take responsibility or to let her husband know she hurts for him about his mother.
Was curious about Gage and hoping his book would have been about him and...a twist in authors choices ...Vanessa. that maybe there was something more to her. But looks like the author missed an opportunity.
January 9, 2026
DNF @ 51%
Look, I’m all for ruining a MMC’s life in the name of a good grovel but this poor guy did not deserve his wife leaving him. Yes, he had been neglecting her a bit but he was actively working to fix his mistakes at this point in the book. She overhears the OW shooting her shot & then just walks away without properly listening to the MMC’s response… If I was him I’d have been making her grovel a bit (though I didn’t finish so maybe she gets her shit together & apologises for overreacting).
Look, I’m all for ruining a MMC’s life in the name of a good grovel but this poor guy did not deserve his wife leaving him. Yes, he had been neglecting her a bit but he was actively working to fix his mistakes at this point in the book. She overhears the OW shooting her shot & then just walks away without properly listening to the MMC’s response… If I was him I’d have been making her grovel a bit (though I didn’t finish so maybe she gets her shit together & apologises for overreacting).
January 6, 2026
DNF at 48%. He is the opposite of neglectful and she’s anxious and anti social.
January 8, 2026
yummy
A new author for me and I loved the story!
The characters were awesome and I liked and rooted for them.
Definitely a book about learning and growing. A romance with angst, steam, comeuppance and a MMC who would do anything for his bride!
A new author for me and I loved the story!
The characters were awesome and I liked and rooted for them.
Definitely a book about learning and growing. A romance with angst, steam, comeuppance and a MMC who would do anything for his bride!
January 7, 2026
3.5 Stars but went to 4 for a debut novel
Callie and Ethan are newly married and very much in love—or at least they should be. Ethan is a high-powered CFO, Callie an adjunct professor, and while they’re trying to start a family, their marriage begins to crack under the weight of Ethan’s job, his manipulative mother, and a temporary secretary with her own agenda. The neglected-wife trope is a favorite of mine, so this story immediately had my attention. There's no real betrayal and the neglect is absolutely not intentional.
Callie’s loneliness, hurt and frustration is palpable, especially early on when she attends a fertility appointment alone because Ethan chooses to have lunch with his mother instead (his secretary removed the appointment/he forgot without the reminder). Knowing Callie is terrified of needles makes the moment hit harder, even if the scene itself felt a bit over-the-top and could have benefited from more nuance and communication between them. Ethan isn’t cruel—he clearly loves his wife—but he does have his head firmly up his ass for a good portion of the story.
After he misses this appointment, Callie unloads on Ethan full force. The story does lack depth and background though. I believe the marriage is only about a year old and apparently there's been a lot happening before the story picks up which I wish was more fleshed out especially when it concerns Ethan's mother. Several past instances are alluded to and brought up but Callie admits she simply NEVER told Ethan what was happening so when she kind of unloads on him, it seems a bit unfair. She has all this pent up hurt but admits she never told him about almost any of it.
At times, Ethan’s blindness to his mother’s behavior and the impact of his neglect comes close to TSTL territory. It takes multiple wake-up calls (and Callie walking away) before he finally reflects on the pattern of prioritizing his mother and job over his marriage. While I appreciated his realizations and the effort he puts into fixing things, the redemption sometimes felt a little superficial. I would have loved more depth—especially when it came to their therapy sessions, which happen mostly off-page and could have added much-needed emotional weight.
That said, I do enjoy stories where both characters grow after betrayal, and this delivers on that front. Ethan’s groveling is solid and action-based, and the eventual comeuppance for his mother and the secretary is satisfying, even if the “other woman” drama isn’t really OW drama so much as meddling and entitlement. It's very betrayal light.
I actually wasn't that big of a fan of the FMC, Callie. She doesn't communicate with her husband well, expects him to read her mind, feels uncomfortable about situations but won't say so and her way of handling conflict is to run away, twice. It felt immature. Especially for a college professor whose desperate to be a mom. Ethan to his credit seems to immediately want to fix his marriage the minute he *truly* realizes what's going on.
The epilogue was cute but felt a little cliche. He fires OW, goes no contact and shuts down his mother financially and gives up almost full control of his job. That's great just feels like every other story out there.
The book is short and very easy to read, which may explain why the angst didn’t go as deep as it could have.
Overall, this was an enjoyable, quick read with emotional moments, a marriage-in-trouble storyline, and satisfying resolution, even if it didn’t dig as deeply as I wanted.
Not perfect, but if you enjoy neglected-wife tropes, realizations, and decent grovel, it’s worth picking up. I'll definitely check out the next one for a fast easy read.
Callie and Ethan are newly married and very much in love—or at least they should be. Ethan is a high-powered CFO, Callie an adjunct professor, and while they’re trying to start a family, their marriage begins to crack under the weight of Ethan’s job, his manipulative mother, and a temporary secretary with her own agenda. The neglected-wife trope is a favorite of mine, so this story immediately had my attention. There's no real betrayal and the neglect is absolutely not intentional.
Callie’s loneliness, hurt and frustration is palpable, especially early on when she attends a fertility appointment alone because Ethan chooses to have lunch with his mother instead (his secretary removed the appointment/he forgot without the reminder). Knowing Callie is terrified of needles makes the moment hit harder, even if the scene itself felt a bit over-the-top and could have benefited from more nuance and communication between them. Ethan isn’t cruel—he clearly loves his wife—but he does have his head firmly up his ass for a good portion of the story.
After he misses this appointment, Callie unloads on Ethan full force. The story does lack depth and background though. I believe the marriage is only about a year old and apparently there's been a lot happening before the story picks up which I wish was more fleshed out especially when it concerns Ethan's mother. Several past instances are alluded to and brought up but Callie admits she simply NEVER told Ethan what was happening so when she kind of unloads on him, it seems a bit unfair. She has all this pent up hurt but admits she never told him about almost any of it.
At times, Ethan’s blindness to his mother’s behavior and the impact of his neglect comes close to TSTL territory. It takes multiple wake-up calls (and Callie walking away) before he finally reflects on the pattern of prioritizing his mother and job over his marriage. While I appreciated his realizations and the effort he puts into fixing things, the redemption sometimes felt a little superficial. I would have loved more depth—especially when it came to their therapy sessions, which happen mostly off-page and could have added much-needed emotional weight.
That said, I do enjoy stories where both characters grow after betrayal, and this delivers on that front. Ethan’s groveling is solid and action-based, and the eventual comeuppance for his mother and the secretary is satisfying, even if the “other woman” drama isn’t really OW drama so much as meddling and entitlement. It's very betrayal light.
I actually wasn't that big of a fan of the FMC, Callie. She doesn't communicate with her husband well, expects him to read her mind, feels uncomfortable about situations but won't say so and her way of handling conflict is to run away, twice. It felt immature. Especially for a college professor whose desperate to be a mom. Ethan to his credit seems to immediately want to fix his marriage the minute he *truly* realizes what's going on.
The epilogue was cute but felt a little cliche. He fires OW, goes no contact and shuts down his mother financially and gives up almost full control of his job. That's great just feels like every other story out there.
The book is short and very easy to read, which may explain why the angst didn’t go as deep as it could have.
Overall, this was an enjoyable, quick read with emotional moments, a marriage-in-trouble storyline, and satisfying resolution, even if it didn’t dig as deeply as I wanted.
Not perfect, but if you enjoy neglected-wife tropes, realizations, and decent grovel, it’s worth picking up. I'll definitely check out the next one for a fast easy read.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
January 12, 2026
Ethan and Callie have been married for a year. Her MIL has never liked her. Ethan is the dutiful son who always cancels plans with Callie to help his mother.
Recently, he hired a temp assistant that his mother suggested, Sophie, while his regular PA is on maternity leave.
One day, Ethan's mother has a heart attack. He cancels dinner with Callie to go to the hospital with his mother. But he notices she doesn't look very sick. The doctor says it could have just been a panic attack. (Or maybe she's just lying.) But his mom invites Sophie to her hospital room. Obviously she wants Ethan and Sophie to get together.
Later, Ethan, Callie, JNMIL, and Sophie are all at the same charity gala, and Callie overhears Sophie confessing her feelings for Ethan. She hears him say, "I'm glad you told me." Then she leaves the gala, goes home, packs a bag and goes to a hotel. When Ethan realizes she left, his mother says a bunch of shit about how "Callie can't handle these events," and stuff like that, and Ethan finally stand up to her. He goes home to find Callie gone, and she has her phone turned off.
He gets a new temp assistant assigned to him. He recently missed an appointment with Callie because he didn't get a notification. He asks his new assistant to find out if the calendar was changed during the time Sophie worked there.
IT department at his office figures out that Sophie had turned off his notifications for all of his personal appointments. When he confronts Sophie about it, (she still works there, she was just reassigned to someone else), she says his mother told her to do it, to "help" him, because he was so busy. And that his mother planned the "heart attack" on a day he had dinner with Callie on his calendar. So now they fire her.
Callie takes a pregnancy test and it's positive. Then she runs into the mother of Ethan's BFF, who tells her about Sophie being fired.
She sends a text to Ethan about how she's pregnant and they couldn't find out together because he's never there for her.
She agrees to meet with him in the hotel lobby and they talk about this conspiracy between Sophie and his mother. He agrees to go to marriage counseling. She moves back home but in separate bedrooms.
He makes an announcement at work that he's going to delegate more and work less.
His mother comes to their apartment to confront them because Ethan had cut her off financially. She threatens to use her contacts at the university to have Callie fired. Callie freaks out and runs out of the apartment. This is the dumbest thing ever, IMO, since Ethan is the one who runs the family company, Ethan holds all the purse strings, and I don't think anyone would fire Callie if Ethan told them he was against it. But, in the moment, Callie thinks the thing to do is run out of her home and make her pregnant self homeless. But Ethan runs after her and convinces her to stay. Then he kicks his mother out and tells security not to let her back up to the apartment. Callie likes that he didn't take his mother's side.
Epilogue when their child is a few years old.
I think the problem with this is that it just ticked off boxes of scenes you'd expect to find in a betrayal/second chance romance. But it wasn't very deep. The betrayal isn't the worst thing he could have done, since Callie didn't stick around long enough to hear the conversation about Sophie's feelings.
Recently, he hired a temp assistant that his mother suggested, Sophie, while his regular PA is on maternity leave.
One day, Ethan's mother has a heart attack. He cancels dinner with Callie to go to the hospital with his mother. But he notices she doesn't look very sick. The doctor says it could have just been a panic attack. (Or maybe she's just lying.) But his mom invites Sophie to her hospital room. Obviously she wants Ethan and Sophie to get together.
Later, Ethan, Callie, JNMIL, and Sophie are all at the same charity gala, and Callie overhears Sophie confessing her feelings for Ethan. She hears him say, "I'm glad you told me." Then she leaves the gala, goes home, packs a bag and goes to a hotel. When Ethan realizes she left, his mother says a bunch of shit about how "Callie can't handle these events," and stuff like that, and Ethan finally stand up to her. He goes home to find Callie gone, and she has her phone turned off.
He gets a new temp assistant assigned to him. He recently missed an appointment with Callie because he didn't get a notification. He asks his new assistant to find out if the calendar was changed during the time Sophie worked there.
IT department at his office figures out that Sophie had turned off his notifications for all of his personal appointments. When he confronts Sophie about it, (she still works there, she was just reassigned to someone else), she says his mother told her to do it, to "help" him, because he was so busy. And that his mother planned the "heart attack" on a day he had dinner with Callie on his calendar. So now they fire her.
Callie takes a pregnancy test and it's positive. Then she runs into the mother of Ethan's BFF, who tells her about Sophie being fired.
She sends a text to Ethan about how she's pregnant and they couldn't find out together because he's never there for her.
She agrees to meet with him in the hotel lobby and they talk about this conspiracy between Sophie and his mother. He agrees to go to marriage counseling. She moves back home but in separate bedrooms.
He makes an announcement at work that he's going to delegate more and work less.
His mother comes to their apartment to confront them because Ethan had cut her off financially. She threatens to use her contacts at the university to have Callie fired. Callie freaks out and runs out of the apartment. This is the dumbest thing ever, IMO, since Ethan is the one who runs the family company, Ethan holds all the purse strings, and I don't think anyone would fire Callie if Ethan told them he was against it. But, in the moment, Callie thinks the thing to do is run out of her home and make her pregnant self homeless. But Ethan runs after her and convinces her to stay. Then he kicks his mother out and tells security not to let her back up to the apartment. Callie likes that he didn't take his mother's side.
Epilogue when their child is a few years old.
I think the problem with this is that it just ticked off boxes of scenes you'd expect to find in a betrayal/second chance romance. But it wasn't very deep. The betrayal isn't the worst thing he could have done, since Callie didn't stick around long enough to hear the conversation about Sophie's feelings.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
January 9, 2026
Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐
Rating System (as of 8/14/2025):
⭐: It was a struggle to read. I almost DNF
⭐⭐: This could have been so much better.
⭐⭐⭐: Good/Average
⭐⭐⭐⭐: Great book. I will probably reread it.
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐: I absolutely loved this book.
***********************************************************************
Tropes:
💕MF Romance
💕OW Drama
💕Overheard
💕Marriage in Trouble
💕Surprise Pregnancy
💕Betrayal to Grovel
Spice Level: 🔥🔥🔥
Spice Level Rating System (as of 9/4/25)
🔥: Clean. Handholding. Kissing.
🔥🔥: Non-Descriptive/Implied on Page Sex
🔥🔥🔥: Hot-Descriptive on Page Sex
🔥🔥🔥🔥: So Hot—Do Not Read in Public
🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥: Oh My-BDSM. Blood Play. Smut.
************************************************************************
Quote:
"The little digs, the comments she makes when you're not listening?" My throat tightened, but I pushed the words out anyway. "I've smiled through them all. I've let her call me lucky, as if she didn't mean for it to sound like I'm unworthy to be a Prescott. And I kept my opinions to myself every time she reminded me, she decorated this place, like I'm a guest in my own home."
Summary:
FMC and MMC are married and he is oblivious to the fact that he has not been paying attention to her. This all comes to a head one evening when the FMC overhears a conversation between the MMC and his secretary. This causes the FMC to leave the MMC. There is OW drama from both the secretary and the MMCs mother. There is no cheating.
Review:
I enjoyed this book. It was a quick and easy read that kept me engaged. The characters came to life and they didn't bore me. I liked how the MMC really realized how he had been treating the FMC. I liked how the FMC was not a push over. She stood for what she wanted.
I would read more books by this author.
*****************************************************************************
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JOIN MY VIRTUAL BOOKCLUB: BOUNDLESS WOMEN BOUNDLESS BOOKS (GOODREADS GROUP)
Rating System (as of 8/14/2025):
⭐: It was a struggle to read. I almost DNF
⭐⭐: This could have been so much better.
⭐⭐⭐: Good/Average
⭐⭐⭐⭐: Great book. I will probably reread it.
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐: I absolutely loved this book.
***********************************************************************
Tropes:
💕MF Romance
💕OW Drama
💕Overheard
💕Marriage in Trouble
💕Surprise Pregnancy
💕Betrayal to Grovel
Spice Level: 🔥🔥🔥
Spice Level Rating System (as of 9/4/25)
🔥: Clean. Handholding. Kissing.
🔥🔥: Non-Descriptive/Implied on Page Sex
🔥🔥🔥: Hot-Descriptive on Page Sex
🔥🔥🔥🔥: So Hot—Do Not Read in Public
🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥: Oh My-BDSM. Blood Play. Smut.
************************************************************************
Quote:
"The little digs, the comments she makes when you're not listening?" My throat tightened, but I pushed the words out anyway. "I've smiled through them all. I've let her call me lucky, as if she didn't mean for it to sound like I'm unworthy to be a Prescott. And I kept my opinions to myself every time she reminded me, she decorated this place, like I'm a guest in my own home."
Summary:
FMC and MMC are married and he is oblivious to the fact that he has not been paying attention to her. This all comes to a head one evening when the FMC overhears a conversation between the MMC and his secretary. This causes the FMC to leave the MMC. There is OW drama from both the secretary and the MMCs mother. There is no cheating.
Review:
I enjoyed this book. It was a quick and easy read that kept me engaged. The characters came to life and they didn't bore me. I liked how the MMC really realized how he had been treating the FMC. I liked how the FMC was not a push over. She stood for what she wanted.
I would read more books by this author.
*****************************************************************************
FOLLOW ME ON:
INSTAGRAM📢
https://www.instagram.com/bibliodarling/
SUBSTACK📢 https://open.substack.com/pub/mterron...
TIKTOK📢
https://www.tiktok.com/@bibliodarling...
WATTPAD📢
BiblioDarling (@BiblioDarling) - Wattpad
JOIN MY VIRTUAL BOOKCLUB: BOUNDLESS WOMEN BOUNDLESS BOOKS (GOODREADS GROUP)
January 13, 2026
2.5 stars
The couple: Ethan and Callie
Romance trope: marriage in trouble
Series: Betray Me Once
Length: 186 pages
Plot: Callie is feeling neglected in her marriage, and then Ethan misses one more important appointment. After that she's ready to give up but he convinces her that he loves her and will show up for her. Then she overhears something that sends her running, just when she needs him the most. Can he make it up to her? Will she be willing to take him back?
Commentary: Both characters (everyone, really) were extremely melodramatic. I get it - nobody likes feeling neglected. But my goodness! Every reaction was an overreaction. The missed appointment at the beginning, that led to all of this? I assumed that it was an important sonogram or prenatal test, until I read further. It was a quick gyn. appointment to sort of check in and make sure everything was going okay because she had had her IUD out for 6 whole months and wasn't pregnant yet. She had to have him there because she's a little scared of needles (and I don't think it rose to the level of a phobia - she was just bothered by them) and when he didn't make it, it was the worst betrayal ever (that's actually what he said:"I’d failed my wife on the day she needed me most."). I kept waiting for the gut-wrenching betrayal, but it never really came. He listened to his mom too much, he spent too much time at work, but those are things that could be fixed easily with a little more communication (and maybe a secret recorder to tattle on his mom - she was horrible). But between her depression over the gutwrenching betrayal of her husband (eyeroll) and his depression over his overwhelming mistakes (another eyeroll), these two were sad sacks indeed.
Next book in the series: Cake & Consequences
The couple: Ethan and Callie
Romance trope: marriage in trouble
Series: Betray Me Once
Length: 186 pages
Plot: Callie is feeling neglected in her marriage, and then Ethan misses one more important appointment. After that she's ready to give up but he convinces her that he loves her and will show up for her. Then she overhears something that sends her running, just when she needs him the most. Can he make it up to her? Will she be willing to take him back?
Commentary: Both characters (everyone, really) were extremely melodramatic. I get it - nobody likes feeling neglected. But my goodness! Every reaction was an overreaction. The missed appointment at the beginning, that led to all of this? I assumed that it was an important sonogram or prenatal test, until I read further. It was a quick gyn. appointment to sort of check in and make sure everything was going okay because she had had her IUD out for 6 whole months and wasn't pregnant yet. She had to have him there because she's a little scared of needles (and I don't think it rose to the level of a phobia - she was just bothered by them) and when he didn't make it, it was the worst betrayal ever (that's actually what he said:"I’d failed my wife on the day she needed me most."). I kept waiting for the gut-wrenching betrayal, but it never really came. He listened to his mom too much, he spent too much time at work, but those are things that could be fixed easily with a little more communication (and maybe a secret recorder to tattle on his mom - she was horrible). But between her depression over the gutwrenching betrayal of her husband (eyeroll) and his depression over his overwhelming mistakes (another eyeroll), these two were sad sacks indeed.
Next book in the series: Cake & Consequences
January 4, 2026
it was ok.. wasn't as angsty as it could have been, didnt really feel bad for the fmc at all if I'm honest. its a shorter book maybe thats why, the husband clearly loved his wife and had his head up his ass, he fixes things but it felt a little, I don't know, superficial. the opening scene, where the fmc is at the appointment alone felt a little ott and dramatic, maybe thats a me thing, it felt a little blown out of proportion and then she blew up on the mmc and he was just a little blindsided, so there was a clear lack of communication by the fmc, the fmc runs away after hearing something questionable, tries to run away again later on but is stopped, and we don't get to read any about how there therapy was going, sometimes that makes the angst and redemption more believable. the ow drama was not really ow drama as it came in the form of the meddling MIL and a younger secretary who was dumb, anyways, quick and easy to read, felt ai assisted, some things sounded so similar, like i've read them before, and like a lot of newer books lately, these all sound the same, same style of writing... lots of flowery words and em dashes a few inconsistencies. so well 🤷♀️.. might check out the next one as long as their's no cheating in the second chance romance.
December 31, 2025
OW drama that is a surprise.
I really really liked this book.
It is not a long read and I inhaled it.
Many grovel stories, take a while for the MMC to realise what he has done and actually apologise.
In this book, Ethan knows from the start that he has screwed up and starts grovelling.
***** spoilers *****
Sadly, the OW drama gets worse, as there are 2. His mother and the woman she wants him to be with instead of his wife. Mother is out to hurt Callie (our MFC) and succeeds. Spoilers over as i won't give away anything else.
*************
Callie is sweet and lovely. She finds her strength and takes back her power and her sense of self.
Unlike a lot of Billionaire Alpha Male grovel stories, Ethan is not a cold, ruthless and hard man. From the start, you can see how much he loves her and is determined to change, to win his woman back.
This is a short, sweet but angsty read, that I extremely enjoyed.
I really really liked this book.
It is not a long read and I inhaled it.
Many grovel stories, take a while for the MMC to realise what he has done and actually apologise.
In this book, Ethan knows from the start that he has screwed up and starts grovelling.
***** spoilers *****
Sadly, the OW drama gets worse, as there are 2. His mother and the woman she wants him to be with instead of his wife. Mother is out to hurt Callie (our MFC) and succeeds. Spoilers over as i won't give away anything else.
*************
Callie is sweet and lovely. She finds her strength and takes back her power and her sense of self.
Unlike a lot of Billionaire Alpha Male grovel stories, Ethan is not a cold, ruthless and hard man. From the start, you can see how much he loves her and is determined to change, to win his woman back.
This is a short, sweet but angsty read, that I extremely enjoyed.
January 1, 2026
Callie and Ethan are newly married. He’s a high powered CFO and she’s an adjunct professor. They’re very much in love and trying to start a family, but a scheming mother (his) and another woman in the form of his assistant have made it their mission to end their marriage.
This story touched me more than I thought it would when I began reading it. The love Callie and Ethan have for one another is palpable, Callie’s devastation is heart wrenching, Ethan’s realizations hope-filled, and the comeuppance for his mother and assistant are completely satisfying.
I love stories where both characters grow after a betrayal and the work they each put in to righting wrongs and becoming better people leads them back to each other, stronger than ever. I found all of that in this story and I can honestly say it will be one I re-read more than once!
This story touched me more than I thought it would when I began reading it. The love Callie and Ethan have for one another is palpable, Callie’s devastation is heart wrenching, Ethan’s realizations hope-filled, and the comeuppance for his mother and assistant are completely satisfying.
I love stories where both characters grow after a betrayal and the work they each put in to righting wrongs and becoming better people leads them back to each other, stronger than ever. I found all of that in this story and I can honestly say it will be one I re-read more than once!
January 3, 2026
A beautiful story by a first time author!
Callie and Ethan are newly married. He’s a high powered CFO and she’s an adjunct professor. They’re very much in love and trying to start a family, but a scheming mother (his) and another woman in the form of his assistant have made it their mission to end their marriage.
This story touched me more than I thought it would when I began reading it. The love Callie and Ethan have for one another is palpable, Callie’s devastation is heart wrenching, Ethan’s realizations hope-filled, and the comeuppance for his mother and assistant are completely satisfying.
I love stories where both characters grow after a betrayal and the work they each put in to righting wrongs and becoming better people leads them back to each other, stronger than ever. I found all of that in this story and I can honestly say it will be one I re-read more than once!
Callie and Ethan are newly married. He’s a high powered CFO and she’s an adjunct professor. They’re very much in love and trying to start a family, but a scheming mother (his) and another woman in the form of his assistant have made it their mission to end their marriage.
This story touched me more than I thought it would when I began reading it. The love Callie and Ethan have for one another is palpable, Callie’s devastation is heart wrenching, Ethan’s realizations hope-filled, and the comeuppance for his mother and assistant are completely satisfying.
I love stories where both characters grow after a betrayal and the work they each put in to righting wrongs and becoming better people leads them back to each other, stronger than ever. I found all of that in this story and I can honestly say it will be one I re-read more than once!
January 7, 2026
Short read, so some elements are sped up and not too detailed, but you get the gist.
Grovel = H has been prioritizing his mother and his work over his wife, the h. H was fairly clueless on how nasty and demeaning his mother was to the h until the h had to point it out. H lost his blinders when the h left him. H had to reorganize and re-establish his priorities. H groveled through word and deed.
OW drama = the mother was OW1 and the H's assistant, who was placed with him at the recommendation of his mother so you know what that means, was OW2. OW1 as stated above was condescending to the h, manipulative with the H and scheming to get OW2 with the H. OW2 confessed feelings for the H which the h overheard. Comeuppance? OW1 was restricted severely financially and H went no contact with her; OW2 was moved away from the H at work and ultimately fired.
Grovel = H has been prioritizing his mother and his work over his wife, the h. H was fairly clueless on how nasty and demeaning his mother was to the h until the h had to point it out. H lost his blinders when the h left him. H had to reorganize and re-establish his priorities. H groveled through word and deed.
OW drama = the mother was OW1 and the H's assistant, who was placed with him at the recommendation of his mother so you know what that means, was OW2. OW1 as stated above was condescending to the h, manipulative with the H and scheming to get OW2 with the H. OW2 confessed feelings for the H which the h overheard. Comeuppance? OW1 was restricted severely financially and H went no contact with her; OW2 was moved away from the H at work and ultimately fired.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
December 31, 2025
A very good debut novel about a marriage in trouble. Ethan is clueless how his mother is manipulating him and being passive-aggressive towards his wife, Callie. His mother even recommends an assistant, Sophie, for Ethan, whom she feels is up to her standards, to sabotage his personal calendar meetings. Once Ethan gets a clue, he sets out to make it right with his wife. I like how he lets his actions, rather than groveling, speak to his commitment to change and make his wife his #1 priority. He also respects all boundaries Callie puts in place so that she feels safe and can heal. Comeuppance is perfect for his mother and Sophie.
January 1, 2026
Great book
I loved this book! Callie is so in love with her husband she shrinks herself and does everything she can to fit into his world and try to get the awful MIL to approve of her. MIL is a piece of work. Ethan is a TSTL negligent husband. He genuinely loves his wife but epically fails to show it. He chooses everything but her and isn't shocked when his choices come back and bite him. Ethan does work really hard thru actions to prove he's changed knowing words won't work this time. His words mean very little at this point. Betrayal, Angst, Grovel, redemption. This is a new to me author. I am excited to read more from them.
I loved this book! Callie is so in love with her husband she shrinks herself and does everything she can to fit into his world and try to get the awful MIL to approve of her. MIL is a piece of work. Ethan is a TSTL negligent husband. He genuinely loves his wife but epically fails to show it. He chooses everything but her and isn't shocked when his choices come back and bite him. Ethan does work really hard thru actions to prove he's changed knowing words won't work this time. His words mean very little at this point. Betrayal, Angst, Grovel, redemption. This is a new to me author. I am excited to read more from them.
January 1, 2026
So good and a h with a backbone.
Callie and Ethan are married, but Ethan doesn’t see Callie anymore. For their whole marriage and before, Ethan’s mother is trying to undermine their marriage. His mother has no problems being “very nasty” in a nice way to let Callie know that she is not good enough. Callie didn’t want to come between Ethan and his mother, so she took it. Then you have a EA that wants to replace Callie. It all comes to a head and Callie is done. Ethan realizes everything he let slide in their relationship. Callie finally confesses how his mother treats her behind his back. This is a great read, loved Gage and can’t wait to read his story.
Callie and Ethan are married, but Ethan doesn’t see Callie anymore. For their whole marriage and before, Ethan’s mother is trying to undermine their marriage. His mother has no problems being “very nasty” in a nice way to let Callie know that she is not good enough. Callie didn’t want to come between Ethan and his mother, so she took it. Then you have a EA that wants to replace Callie. It all comes to a head and Callie is done. Ethan realizes everything he let slide in their relationship. Callie finally confesses how his mother treats her behind his back. This is a great read, loved Gage and can’t wait to read his story.
January 1, 2026
this was the perfect read to end 2025
he knew something felt off but he was too blind to see it until it was right in his face. she could only put up with his neglect and mother for so long before she has to put herself first. one event after another begin the downward spiral but when he misses a seriously important appointment and dinner for his mom and overhears a part of a conversation she walks away. even though he was beginning to see the problems when they are slammed in his face he makes some serious changes because no one and nothing is more important to him then her
he knew something felt off but he was too blind to see it until it was right in his face. she could only put up with his neglect and mother for so long before she has to put herself first. one event after another begin the downward spiral but when he misses a seriously important appointment and dinner for his mom and overhears a part of a conversation she walks away. even though he was beginning to see the problems when they are slammed in his face he makes some serious changes because no one and nothing is more important to him then her
January 1, 2026
3.75⭐️
This was a fun new marriage-in-trouble novella with lots of drama with an insufferable mil. Callie and Ethan have a deep love that begins to fracture as Ethan’s neglect reaches an untenable breaking point. Ethan really has to put the work into actionable way to regain Callie’s trust.
This was a first time author for me and I had an enjoyable time. I do think the brevity of this story kept it from being more deeply impactful. We don’t get enough time and space to more through the muck with our characters. That being said, I’ll happily give Gage’s story a chance.
This was a fun new marriage-in-trouble novella with lots of drama with an insufferable mil. Callie and Ethan have a deep love that begins to fracture as Ethan’s neglect reaches an untenable breaking point. Ethan really has to put the work into actionable way to regain Callie’s trust.
This was a first time author for me and I had an enjoyable time. I do think the brevity of this story kept it from being more deeply impactful. We don’t get enough time and space to more through the muck with our characters. That being said, I’ll happily give Gage’s story a chance.
January 2, 2026
If you are looking for a quick, second chance romance, then this is your book! This is fast paced to me which I loved. There is no cheating. It is about a couple who are trying to have a baby. The husband misses a doctor’s appointment, and this opens the can of worms if you will. I absolutely wanted to slap the mother in law. She is crazy! I loved how Ethan picks up rather quickly all the wrong things that have been ball and he works on himself immediately to become better. I can not wait for the next book!
January 4, 2026
The book was really good. First time reading this author and I liked it.
The story is a sweet short read.
The male lead has insight about how he messed up and that's something I liked about it. Respectful behaviour for the groveling part. Not like some ml who showcase their power.
The hero very well knew when to create boundaries after knowing the root cause.
And cheers to the couple for actually going to couple counseling for their marriage.
It's a sweet book with minimal drama and no cheating.
The story is a sweet short read.
The male lead has insight about how he messed up and that's something I liked about it. Respectful behaviour for the groveling part. Not like some ml who showcase their power.
The hero very well knew when to create boundaries after knowing the root cause.
And cheers to the couple for actually going to couple counseling for their marriage.
It's a sweet book with minimal drama and no cheating.
January 4, 2026
Ethan and Callie
I enjoyed this ready a lot.
Is a marriage in trouble troupe and great grovelling from Ethan.
Ethan abd Callie have only been married for a year but there is already trouble in paradise compounded by his mother's treatment of Callie.
Too late, Ethan realised that he prioritised his mother and his job before his wife and now that she walked away he can see it all so clearly.
So he did the only thing he could and started showing her with actions that she will be from then on his priority. Highly recommended
I enjoyed this ready a lot.
Is a marriage in trouble troupe and great grovelling from Ethan.
Ethan abd Callie have only been married for a year but there is already trouble in paradise compounded by his mother's treatment of Callie.
Too late, Ethan realised that he prioritised his mother and his job before his wife and now that she walked away he can see it all so clearly.
So he did the only thing he could and started showing her with actions that she will be from then on his priority. Highly recommended
January 11, 2026
short read but worth it.
It was shorter than I thought but it keeps you hooked and entertained do wish the potential other woman drama stretched out more but what did happen was still good. I loved how the ML shut down any potential of him cheating. I don’t want to give too much away I will say I liked it even though it was a short read it kept end me hooked and waiting to see how things would turn out. I love a good HEA with the main couples of the story I’m all for second chances when the work is put in.
It was shorter than I thought but it keeps you hooked and entertained do wish the potential other woman drama stretched out more but what did happen was still good. I loved how the ML shut down any potential of him cheating. I don’t want to give too much away I will say I liked it even though it was a short read it kept end me hooked and waiting to see how things would turn out. I love a good HEA with the main couples of the story I’m all for second chances when the work is put in.
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