The Spare

Belvedere #2

by Elodie Hart

I've spent my entire life engaged to one man. But it's his brother I've always yearned for.
Now, four days before our wedding, Xavier has thrown me over—and Benedict has stepped in instead. The spare. The playboy. The heartbreaker whose reputation stretches across the Mediterranean.

Benedict de Vere is everything his brother isn't: reckless, restless, and seemingly unbothered that this match is a transaction. He's marrying me to save my reputation. My reasons for wedding him are... more complicated.

I'm going to be his duchess.

I'm going to share his life.

His bed.

I should be up to the challenge. After all, they call me the ice queen for a reason. I've had years to perfect my mask.

But I've longed for him since I was eighteen years old. And Benedict doesn't do serious. He doesn't do forever. The trail of broken hearts he's left behind is evidence of that.

Being one of those broken hearts would be devastating enough. Knowing him that intimately, then being cast aside?

Now imagine that happening in our marital bed.

It's a loneliness I wouldn't survive.

Tropes:
👑 Arranged marriage
👑 Modern duke and duchess
👑 Billionaire
👑 Opposites attract
👑 Reformed playboy MMC
👑 Ice queen FMC
👑 She marries her fiancé's brother

Genres: Marriage Of Convenience, Romance, Friends To Lovers, Contemporary, Contemporary Romance, Forced Proximity, Billionaire Romance

356 pages, Kindle Edition

First published June 25, 2026

About the author

I write super spicy contemporary romance, usually set in London, my home of twenty-five years. My characters are smart, fabulous, wealthy and competent, their lifestyles disgustingly luxurious. I love, among other things, an age gap, an alpha guy, a hell of a growth arc, and a sprinkling of priest kink (hello convent education). When I'm not happily dissociating on my laptop or dreaming up swoony special editions, I enjoy hanging out in London with my amazing, long-suffering husband and two kids.

Reviews

[Fiona]

2 ⭐

My toxic trait is believing arranged marriage can fix almost anything.

I've seen it cure emotional repression, communication issues, mutual pining and chronic bachelorism with remarkable success.

So imagine my surprise when a premise featuring a reformed playboy, an arranged marriage, secret pining and a modern duke somehow became the first exception.

I fear I may have finally found the limit.

What worked for me
(aka: the reasons this didn't become a full-blown hate read)

Selena deserved so much better

Selena is composed, intelligent, ambitious and painfully insecure in a way that felt incredibly believable. Every interaction is filtered through years of conditioning that have taught her her value lies in what she can provide rather than who she is and watching that manifest through overthinking, people-pleasing and constant self-comparison genuinely hurt.

Some of the quieter conversations around anxiety, intimacy and feeling "not enough" were the strongest parts of the book and I found myself rooting for Selena long before I found myself rooting for the romance.

The female friendships

Ironically, some of the most emotionally satisfying scenes in the book weren't between the romance leads at all.

The women listen to Selena. They validate her. They encourage her. They make space for her feelings without immediately trying to explain them away. Those moments felt warm, supportive and authentic and ended up providing more emotional payoff than much of the central relationship.

The premise sold me a dream

I will never not be sat for an arranged marriage that happens within the first few chapters.

Get these people legally bound. Lock them in a house. Force proximity should solve all problems.

Unfortunately...

Where it lost me
(aka: where my eye started twitching)

The aristocracy felt like an accessory

Selena is an impeccably educated future duchess. Benedict is an Eton-educated aristocrat who's spent his life navigating high society.

Yet both of them often sounded like contemporary billionaires dropped into a title they happened to inherit.

I never fully bought their voices which made it difficult to believe the world they inhabited or connect with their chemistry.

Reformed playboy? I hardly know him

I never doubted that Benedict loved Selena. I constantly doubted that he understood her.

There's a huge difference.

The book keeps insisting he's secretly obsessed while repeatedly showing him behaving in ways that reinforce every single one of Selena's insecurities. Every time I thought we were about to get Husband Benedict, we somehow circled back to Playboy Benedict.

I kept waiting for the Wife Guy update to install.

Character development sponsored by Selena

The emotional growth is astonishingly one-sided.

Selena examines her insecurities. Selena extends grace. Selena gets to know people she initially resents. Selena reflects. Selena forgives. Selena grows.

Meanwhile Benedict mostly discovers that his wife is upset when she's on the verge of leaving him.

That isn't a character arc. That's delayed processing.

Love is not accountability

This is the biggest reason the book fell apart for me.

Every time Selena expresses genuine hurt, the response isn't meaningful accountability or sustained behavioural change. Instead, I felt like the story kept saying "But he LOVES her!"

I know.

That was never the issue.

Love doesn't magically erase humiliation. Love doesn't undo thoughtlessness. Love doesn't replace apology. Love doesn't automatically rebuild trust.

I kept waiting for a grovel and instead got a series of increasingly elaborate explanations for why Benedict's intentions were good. Intentions and impact are not the same thing.

The women did all the emotional heavy lifting

By the end, one thing became impossible to ignore.

Whenever Selena needed emotional support, another woman appeared to provide it. Whenever Benedict needed understanding, another woman explained him. Whenever conflict arose, someone else helped smooth it over.

I wanted the romance to do that work.

Instead I watched Selena process her pain while everyone else assured her everything was fine.

The pacing was fighting for its life

The opening absolutely hooks you.

Then we spend what felt like an entire geological era walking down an aisle. The middle drifts through extended descriptions and internal monologues before finally finding emotional momentum...only for the last twenty percent to completely lose me.

By the end I wasn't waiting for the grand declaration.

I was waiting for accountability.

Final thoughts

This book had every trope I adore and somehow still managed to leave me emotionally disconnected.

Selena is incredibly layered and vulnerable but Benedict never evolved enough for me to believe he'd truly earned her trust. The story kept asking me to accept his love as proof of his growth and for me those are two completely different things.

I wanted a reformed playboy who quietly dismantled his wife's insecurities through consistent actions.

Instead I got a man who loved her deeply but remained astonishingly cavalier while she carried almost all of the emotional labour.

Final verdict

2 ⭐️ - The strongest relationship in this book was between Selena and the women who actually listened to her.

Accountability walked so "I love you" could run.

Fortunately, I refuse to let this book damage my arranged marriage propaganda.


Tropes and Vibes:
• Arranged marriage
• Fiancé's brother
• Modern duke & duchess
• Ice queen FMC with compelling vulnerability
• Reformed playboy MMC (allegedly)
• Secret pining
• Business girlie FMC
• Female friendships > central romance
• Lots of talking about feelings, not enough owning them
• Beautiful premise, frustrating execution
• Wife Guy stocks: permanently suspended from trading

☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆

Pre-read:
My toxic trait is believing every reformed playboy is exactly one arranged wife away from becoming the most devoted man alive....let's test the hypothesis 🤞🏻✨️

[Christina]

2 ⭐️”s. I absolutely LOVED The Heir and I was so excited to read about playboy Ben. But, I really didn’t get to know him much at all. I basically read about the FMC over analyzing absolutely everything. I know more about the color of absolutely every setting she was in and what everyone was wearing more than I know of the couple together. I wanted more from Ben. I wanted them together more and her not doubting every single thing. It was very hard to read. I skimmed most of it at about 75%. And the spicy scenes were so blah. Aside from the one where he showed somewhat of his true self, we got hardly anything. I wanted to see what all the hype was about. And I didn’t see it. This is definitely my least favorite of all this authors books and I’ve read just about all of them. I will still read Flora’s story, tho, and I’m looking forward to it.

[Alex]

Don't be fooled by all of these 5 star arc reviews. Like honestly...

I liked Selena and I really felt for her. But Ben is a complete ass and I never felt he truly understood her or loved her. Lust? Yes, after all he was a womanizer but his emotional intelligence is equal to zero.

He never understood what his actions meant and bow she felt after the revelations of how he brought Ivy and his brother together.. And the excuse is : "it worked out in the end right?"

[Bri]

Get it here:
Amazon US * Amazon UK

[Danielle]

I loved this story of Ben and Slinks…..such a sweet and adorable connection that they kind of built over time….it was there all along, they just had to trust and be vulnerable and find their truth, and I am so glad that they did! There was not a ton of spice, but this book still very much kept my attention with a great set of characters & a good plot! Love that there is always a HEA! Thank you so much Elodie Hart for allowing me on your ARC team….I love your books and always look forward to the next one!

[gaby lopez]

I’m a bit disappointed in this. I felt I was skipping so much, especially at the end. It just didn’t flow for me, I feel we never saw their love grow but we saw their lust. I just I’ll forget about this book by tomorrow and I loved the heir.

[Jetscarbie]

I forgot this author is the one behind the Alchemy smex club series or the Duplicity book. The book Duplicity had one of my most hated MMCs ever.
At least the MMC in this book wasn’t that bad. 🫣 (the bar is set low)

(Possible spoilers ahead)

I didn’t read book 1 “The Heir” and the MCs from that book are tied into this book. It’s easy enough to figure out the background though. Xavier (Book 1 MMC) is arranged to marry Selena (Book 2 FMC) but he meets the beautiful smex worker, Ivy, and falls in love. He burns his world to the ground for her. This book is the fallout.

So this book starts with our FMC, Serena. It’s a week until her big wedding with Xavier. All of society is watching because I guess they are as important as William and Kate (royalty)
Xavier tells Serena that he can’t marry her because he fell in love with Ivy. She is devastated…not because she loves Xavier, but because of her reputation and society standings. 🤷‍♀️Xavier told her he is no longer heir, and his brother Ben is now the heir. (Ben is actually Benedict but I’ll call him Ben)

Ben (MMC of this book) comes to Serena and proposes that they get married instead. A groom swap. 😂

Now it’s very clear from the beginning that Serena and Ben have some smexual tension. So she agrees to marry him. They were not enemies and they already seemed to be friends, for the most part. Ben has always been a massive manho. He spends A LOT of time at alchemy. He’s into kink.
Serena is considered an ice queen bytxh. Ben mentions many times she needs to remove the stick from her arse.

Ben may be a manho, but he is likable for the most part. He’s one of those easy going, flirty guys. He’s friends with everybody. I personally believed he had more “connection” with Ivy, though. This guy basically bent over backwards for his new sister-in-law.

I feel like for 75% of this book, you’re inside Serena’s head. She overthinks everything. (Later on, she does get diagnosed by a therapist)
A lot of her POV is about Ivy. Ivy was the heroine in book 1, but I felt like she was the heroine in this book, too.
Look 👀 I don’t need to be in somebody’s head that much. Idk much about ADHD or how exhausting that must be for some people. Maybe the author was trying to show the readers how a person’s brain can overthink stuff. Idk I just didn’t enjoy it. I started to skim so much of her POV.

I thought there would be OW drama with Ben, but there is very little. Ben actually turned out to be a decent guy who loved Serena. I thought he came off as immature at times.

Ben just seemed to be in the book to provide the smut. Actually, every character just seemed to be background.
This book is clearly Serena’s book and Serena’s innermost thoughts.

Naturally, Ben and Serena go to alchemy. They meet the heroines from those books. Those heroines are actually the ones who bring Serena around to getting therapy. They also used to be smex workers until they meet their billionaire husbands.

I think this author is trying to empower women but sometimes I feel like it’s a little much. It’s hard to feel empowered when the heroine did very little except bag a billionaire. In this case, Serena was already a billionaire without the MMC.

The big conflict didn’t really end up being much of a conflict. Past Background: basically at Xavier’s 30th birthday party- that he went to with Serena (as his fiancee) was the night he meet Ivy. Ivy was paid money from BEN to boink Xavier. Ben thought his brother needed a good shag before he married Serena. 🙇‍♀️ When Serena finds this out…..nothing happens except she spirals in her head.

If you’re somebody who has read a lot of this author’s books, then you’ll probably enjoy this one. It brings back characters from her other series. It gives updates on how fantastic their lives are now that the billionaire saved them.
It’s funny how having lots of money makes life fantastic. 🙃

[Katie]

*The Spare* by Elodie Hart
Belvedere #2

Spice Level: 🌶🌶🌶
3-4 scenes, but they were long and descriptive and brought some more unique spice!

We learn at the end of book one that Benedict will be stepping in and taking his brother's place as Selena’s husband and also will become the Duke since his brother has to relinquish his title.

This book picks up with all of that going down and Selena being broken up with by the brother and Benedict stepping in to save her so she’s not completely ruined. It was fun to see the week before the wedding and how all this transpired. Because Benedict and Selena have to be really savvy with the whole switcheroo thing to make sure the press and public buy their story. Thankfully, they are both already into each other, so it’s not that hard to sell.

So now they are married, living together, and Selena is a bit worried because Benedict was known as a playboy and she’s not sure what to expect in that department. But Benedict, being the stand-up guy he is, is like, “I’m yours. You’re mine. We will be married in every way a man and wife are.” AKA… spice it up, baby, haha.

I loved watching these two fall for each other, and Selena become more than just the society wife we assumed she was in book 1. She’s got more to her than people think, and I was just obsessed with Benedict. That man loves so hard and was so freaking good to her. Plus the spice? I know it’s only 3-4 scenes, but they are fun and descriptive, and we also get a little bit of Alchemy and the girls from Seraph!

Want to know where all the spice takes place?
Find me on Instagram Whereisthespice
Or visit my website! Whereisthespice.com

[Amy]

I love Elodie Hart, but I disliked The Heir so much that I didn't even bother to leave a review. I had high hopes for this book because Benedict, the MMC, is the fun brother, but honestly, it falls flat and it's really boring. It reads like a Regency novel and I am so not into that genre.

The FMC, Selena, is awful. She's so judgmental and so extremely naive ... this is the girl who has been groomed to be a Duchess her entire life? Honestly, she just comes off as the worst kind of snob. Her insecurities? Rich people problems ... and I find it hard to believe that she doesn't seek therapy until after her marriage. The girl should've been in therapy since the day she was born. For me, there was nothing redeeming about her character.

The declarations of love between Benedict and Selena are also hard to believe. It's lust ... we see no relationship development between these two. Even when Ben doesn't know how to handle her, he calls Athena and Sophia. It's dumb.

Lastly, the thing that I really didn't like about this book, much like it is described in the first, is that our beloved Alchemy is described as more of a whorehouse than the upscale sex club that it is.

I have zero interest in royal families, so that could be part of the reason I didn't like this book, but ultimately, it comes down to it being extremely bland.

We get a sneak peek into the Alchemy New York book series at the end of this ... it seems promising, but once again, the snippet is focused on an entitled, rich prick who thinks he's an alpha male.

I don't like this Belvedere series at all, and honestly, I don't recommend it.

[Nichola Gofford]

Wow, what can I say? I thought The Heir was good, but The Spare? Benedict, Benedict, Benedict! How did Elodie manage to take an absolute player and renowned heartbreaker and turn him into such a heart-wrenching hero?

This book was incredible, although I suppose that's no surprise as all of Elodie's books are. What really stood out to me was Selena and the emotional journey she goes on throughout the story. The struggles she faces resonated so deeply. As women, so many of us spend our lives wearing a mask, putting on a brave face and presenting a polished version of ourselves, all while secretly wondering if we're accepted, liked, or enough just as we are.

This story beautifully reinforces the message that we are enough. Watching Benedict help Selena navigate those insecurities and discover her own worth was written so thoughtfully and with such care. Elodie has an amazing ability to make her characters feel real, and if any of Selena's traits hit close to home for you—as they certainly did for me—you can't help but feel completely immersed in her journey.

And once again, the backdrop of Belvedere was beautifully captured. Elodie writes the setting so vividly that you feel as though you're walking the grounds, smelling the rhododendrons and living alongside these characters.

Now, let's talk about Benedict and Slinky together. The chemistry between them was absolutely off the charts. Their relationship was full of tension, longing, vulnerability and passion, making every interaction impossible to put down.

What I also loved was Selena's resilience. The way she ultimately found peace with Ivy and Xavier showed incredible growth and strength of character. It would have been easy for her to remain bitter, but instead she found a way to move forward, and I admired her all the more for it.

For me, one of the strongest themes in this book was the reminder that the grass isn't always greener on the other side. We often look at wealth, status and privilege and assume they bring happiness, but this story shows that everyone carries their own burdens and insecurities, regardless of their title or bank balance.

The message I took away was simple: be yourself and don't spend your life chasing the acceptance of others. Elodie brought that lesson home beautifully through Slinky's story.

A brilliant read, another fantastic addition to the Belvedere series, and I already can't wait for the next book.

[Renee (aredheadwithbedhead)]

"A real marriage. With Benedict de Vere: breaker of hearts, destroyer of virtue, and patron saint of fuckboys everywhere, his skills between the sheets the stuff of legend. And I’m supposed to decide right now: total social annihilation or the risk of laying bare my every vulnerability to the most dangerous man I know. Oh my fucking God."

⭐⭐⭐⭐.5 🌶️🌶️🌶️

Elodie Hart is a must-read author for me and The Spare was such an anticipated release that delivered in spades! What more could you want the premise of a notorious playboy, spare to a dukedom, that enters into a marriage of convenience with his brother's frosty ex-bethrothed to save their families from societal ruin? I ATE IT UP and left no crumbs! 🙌🏻

After first meeting Benedict in The Heir, I knew I would be WEAK for him. There was just something about his charm and confidence right from the start and all those qualities translated straight into this book! I couldn't wait to see how he would white-knight them out of the precarious position his brother put them in at the end of Book 1 and it did not disappoint.

The bigger surprise was Selena – who completely stole my heart in this book! In The Heir, she came across as rigid, duty-bound, and the complete opposite of carefree, hedonistic Benedict. But this book really peels back her layers, and it quickly becomes clear just how relatable she is. While she's spent much of her life trying to meet the expectations of her family, she's also fiercely ambitious and holds herself to impossibly high standards. I loved how Elodie explored the many layers of successful, high-achieving women. Selena struggles to quiet parts of her brain, worrying about how she's perceived by others and that was even translated into how she struggled with intimacy.

As per usual, the spice in Elodie's book was SO GOOD, but it was incredibly refreshing to read the story of a woman who isn't all sultry, sex goddess at the snap of her fingers. Benedict has to put in the work of reassuring her insecurities, making sure she's in the right headspace and THEN these two are FIRE together!! I loved the journey they go on to figuring each other out and the personal growth they both have throughout this story.

🌿 Billionaire Duke x Fashion Brand Heiress
🩵 Inexperienced FMC x Reformed Playboy MMC
🌿 Marriage of Convenience
🩵 Mental Health Rep
🌿 Shower Spice & K!nky Exploration

I can't wait to be back in this world again soon for Flora's book. Thank you so much Elodie for the arc 🫶🏻

[Hannah the Emotional Support Editor]

Am I an extremely wealthy aristocrat? No. Am I in a marriage of convenience with my ex-fiancé’s brother? Also no. But did this FMC make me feel seen, validated, and understood as a woman with ADHD in a way I didn’t even know I needed? ABSOLUTELY.

I wasn’t sure what to expect with this book, because Selena was so unlikeable in The Heir. She seemed manipulative and arrogant. But getting into her brain and seeing the inner turmoil was a masterclass in making this reader regret judging a book (character) by the cover. The face Selena shows the world is so different to who she really is, and I loved seeing the real her! She was without a doubt the best representation I’ve ever read of an FMC with ADHD (especially undiagnosed ADHD), and I feel so much less alone after reading her story.

Our MMC Benedict was also a perfect example of there being more to him than what we saw on the outside. If I have any complaints about this book, it’s that I wish we got more time inside Ben’s brain - but I still wouldn’t sacrifice a minute of what we saw with Selena! The way he shows up for her, listens, and validates her feelings was nothing short of beautiful.

While still open door, I’d say this is on the tamer side for Elodie Hart. Somehow, that helped the reality of Selena’s brain be even more present, and I think it worked perfectly!

With that final setup for The Muse, I also can’t wait for the third book in this series!

I read an advanced copy by this author and all opinions are my own.

[Katja]

The FMC Selena has had a cradle betrothal to a noble toddler, arranged by their parents, and she was all set to become the most stone-cold duchess that ever duchessed. However, her fiance Xav jilts her days before the wedding for his one true love. Selena wasn't in love with him, but she's devastated because it is about to be a public humiliation. But Xav's brother Ben comes up with a proposal of his own. If she agrees to switch bridegrooms they can spin it as a great love triangle, as in, Ben has always been pining for his brother's fiancee.

Sure, you get arranged marriages with hunky lords ALL the time. But in historicals. And this is a contemporary romance. So it is pretty hard to identify with Selena to begin with, the way she was about to commit to a man she didn't care the first bit for, for the sake of some dynastic folderol the parents cooked up. (If I ever meet those parents I'll have a few choice words for them, before their butlers have a horde of liveried footmen throw me into the moat.)

So this set-up is pretty wild. But this is Elodie Hart so she'll make it work somehow. It helps that both Ben and Selena fancy each other madly (so you know it will be hot). But will she be able to trust him?

I received an ARC from the author, who is my go-to for sexy, smart reads with great characters who have other things going on besides the spice.

[BookishLatinaJenn (Jennifer)]

ALC Review: The Spare by Elodie Hart
Narrated by Shane East & Zara Hampton-Brown
ALC courtesy of Must Love Audio

There is something about years of forbidden yearning + an arranged marriage + a reformed playboy that gets me every single time, and Elodie Hart absolutely delivered with Benedict and Selena.

I loved the contrast between these two. Selena is the polished, controlled “Ice Queen” who has spent years carrying expectations and keeping her emotions tucked away, while Benedict is charming, playful, and seemingly incapable of taking anything seriously. But underneath all that confidence is a man who has been quietly drawn to Selena for years. Watching that attraction finally have a chance to become something real was SO satisfying.

What really gave this story depth for me was getting inside Selena’s head and seeing the weight she carries beneath that composed exterior. Her struggles with expectations, self-worth, and emotional overwhelm made her feel much more layered than the typical ice queen heroine. And Benedict? Watching this notorious playboy fall completely and unapologetically for her was EVERYTHING. 🥹

And the narration was chef’s kiss. Shane East and Zara Hampton-Brown are phenomenal together. Shane brought so much warmth, charm, depth, yearning, and confidence to Benedict, while Zara captured Selena’s restraint, vulnerability, need, and emotional intensity beautifully. Their duet performances made the chemistry and tension feel incredibly natural and added another layer of depth to the story.

Tropes & Vibes:
💍 Arranged Marriage
🔥 Brother’s Ex-Fiancee
❄️ Prim/Proper FMC
☀️ Playboy MMC
💕 Opposites Attract
🥹 Years of Yearning
💘 He Falls Hard

Thank you Elodie Hart and Must Love Audio for the ALC!

[Megan Willetts]

I have loved all of Elodie's books and The Spare absolutely lived up to expectations. As you can expect from her other work, it's spicy, heartfelt, emotional and also has a lot of depth and character development.

Benedict was as fun and charming as I imagined he'd be. He's very hot but also I enjoyed his journey of learning how to be a husband and understand his wife. And I was obsessed with him calling her Slinks.

However, the weight of this story is on Selena's shoulders. I found her absolutely fascinating. Initally, she's very typical eldest daughter, high achiever and chronic over thinker. As the story progresses and she becomes more open and vulnerable, you really start to understand her and I enjoyed the ADHD/RSD representation and learning more about this, it felt very relatable. It was really interesting to break through those walls of the 'ice queen' persona. Also on a lighter note, her internal monologue is absolutely hilarious. There are so many fantastic one liners, it was such a good time.

I adored the pop culture references throughout especially the fact Selena is a massive Swiftie! And of course like with all of Elodie's books the found family and support from other women is 🤌

My one small criticism would be I personally would have liked a little bit more chemistry/tension, but I understand the story stretches far beyond the romance aspect. I would definitely recommend at least reading at least The Heir first. There are lots of other cameos from characters from other series but you really need The Heir for the context of the plot.

Overall this is a character driven romance with so much depth and an FMC who completely stole the show.

[Chey]

I am so obsessed with the way Elodie writes growth and personal development. The complexities of each individual character is always so eloquently written and so easy to interpret and empathise with.

Selena’s brain is so fascinating but even more was how perfectly Athena and Sophie can bring her out of herself.
On that note, I LOVED seeing all the crossovers in this story with every part of Eloise’s universe 🥰

Ben on the other hand is so well adjusted and truly the most thoughtful, caring soul. Not the mention that man can throw down!!

I cannot wait to see Flora and her naughty professor in the next book!
10/10 - HIGHLY recommend

[thatbeccagirl_reads]

I love an arranged marriage trope and I also love an ex’s brother trope so this book was a match made in heaven.
Benedict and Serena went into this arrangement thinking they could keep feelings out of it, but fate had other plans because they were perfect for each other.

Narration: ok is there anything better than a dirty talking Shane East? Good Gravy!
The chemistry between Shane and Zara was unreal.
Definitely recommend the audio!

I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

[Rein]

Woe is me

The entire book is literally Selena whining about what ifs and fears. This could’ve been a much shorter read that I would’ve been grateful for. This read more like a diary of thoughts that overshadowed the actual story. Then there was the constant repetition of “she ruined my life” and the drawn out language of irrelevant mutterings.

One thing I did enjoy was the “recap” chapters in the beginning that reminded me of the going’s on in the first book.

[Emerald Morhous]

"Benedict: the spare to Xavier's Heir."

I have to admit that this book was a little lackluster for me. I liked Selina and Benedict's characters, but there really wasn't much happening here to make either of them very memorable. Overall, the book was heavily dialogue driven and a bit anti climactic. I rated 3 stars for narration as I love both the narrators, Zara Hampton Brown and Shane East
⭐️⭐️.5
🌶🌶

What you can expect:

Brothers ex fiance
Arranged marriage
Opposites attract
British royalty

[Lauren D.]

This is my first ARC. I’m a big fan of Elodie Hart.

First let me say, I really enjoyed The Heir, so I was eagerly anticipating The Spare and Elodie Hart delivered. I loved this book. It’s witty, it’s emotional, it’s girl power, it gave me all the feels.

Selena and Ben are both layered and I enjoyed getting to see beyond their public perception. And, if you’re an Elodie Hart fan, you’ll recognize some character names from her universe which was fun. And, who doesn’t love love?

[Chris]

OMG. This was so fucking hot. Benedict has been on the fringes of a few of this author's books and it was very satisfying (ahem) to see him get his HEA. He and Selena are my favorite kind of paring - one partner up in their head and the other determined to make them feel good. I loved this story!

The set up for Flora's book sounds fantastic! It's going to be a long wait until January!

[Shan]

✨Audio Rec✨
Romance
The Spare by Elodie Hart
Can be stand-alone

1st person dual POV
Spice: 3/5🔥

Elodie Hart can do no wrong when it comes to audiobooks. Yet again this was cast to perfection and ugh I just love this story so much!!! I was sucked in from chapter one.

What you’ll find:
- arranged marriage
- billionaire romance
- reformed playboy
- opposites attract
- amazing banter

[Jackie]

DNF 51%

I hate Selena, she's awful. But I was out 100% when the dialog amongst the charecters in the book referenced American Queen which is a terrible book, and a terrible example to use when trying to figure out what you want during sex.

[Nai]

4 ⭐️

I had the best time with this, Benedict and Selena were complete opposites, but they could not be more perfect for one another. Elodie really brought all the emotion and heat with their story.

I was so curious about Selena, especially after how things had gone down in The Heir. Ben was an absolute dreamboat, who had it so bad for Selena, and I loved how patient and attentive he was towards her, too, as she worked through her own issues.

I'm really looking forward to The Muse, I love a forbidden romance, and these two, from what was teased about them, have so much tension between them, I can't wait!

Thank you kindly to Sara and her team for the e-ARC in exchange for an honest review.

[Kaity]

hot damnnnn ;P

[Marisa Jennings]

I’m struggling with this series. I’m a sucker for Elodie Hart books but this series just isn’t it for me. 😐 I found myself skimming the pages. The main characters didn’t grasp like prior ones have so it was a DNF.

[Gina]

2,5 can‘t pinpoint when they fell in love with each other, main focus on mental health of fmc. Lacked on the part of interaction between the mcs.

[Nene Niall]

Who's giving this book 5 stars??? Are you guys forced to rate this 5 stars? Bcs this was absolutely stupid book!! Both of the book were written soo poorly I skipped most pages and read the last few pages..

[Justadele]

DNF I couldn’t get on with the writing style felt like a regency book also didn’t like the FMC

[Eva Raney]

I read book 1 a while back but must not have rated it on here. This is pretty smutty, but I did enjoy the storyline, I guess.