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Nothing's fair in Love & Marriage (Fostered H
392 pages, Kindle Edition
Published April 29, 2026
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Displaying 1 - 4 of 4 reviews
Review of advance copy received from Author
Rating: 4.5/5
Thank you Lena for the ARC read:
This novel is a deeply emotional exploration of forbidden love, personal sacrifice, and the quiet heartbreak of wanting something you can’t have.
At its core, the story follows Luka, a man caught in an agonizing emotional bind. He forms a genuine friendship with Nora, a married woman whose life is far from the picture-perfect image it appears to be. Nora is trapped in a draining marriage with her husband Rick, an absentee partner who leaves her to shoulder the weight of their family alone—including caring for their son, Dec, who has autism. Through Dec, Luka enters their lives, and what begins as kindness and connection slowly transforms into something far more complicated.
The strongest aspect of this story is its emotional honesty. Luka’s internal struggle—loving Nora while refusing to act on it out of respect for her and her circumstances—is both noble and heartbreaking. His pain is not dramatic or exaggerated; instead, it simmers beneath the surface, showing up in sleepless nights, quiet restraint, and the agony of standing by while someone he loves suffers.
Nora’s journey is equally compelling. She represents the many people who stay in broken relationships out of hope, obligation, or fear of change. Her attempt to make things work with Rick feels painfully real, especially as his neglect becomes impossible to ignore. The eventual breakdown of their marriage is not sudden, but inevitable.
The novel also handles sensitive themes—autism, emotional neglect, and family responsibility—with care. Dec is more than a side character; he is a bridge between Luka and Nora, and a source of light in an otherwise heavy narrative.
Where the book truly succeeds is in its portrayal of timing. Love, in this story, is not enough on its own. It has to wait, endure, and sometimes suffer in silence. Luka’s decision to put Nora first—even at the cost of his own happiness—adds depth to his character and elevates the story beyond a simple romance.
If there is a weakness, it may lie in the pacing of the middle section, where Nora’s attempts to salvage her marriage can feel repetitive. However, this repetition mirrors the “hamster wheel” of her life, reinforcing the emotional weight of her situation.
By the time Nora and Luka finally come together it feels earned rather than convenient. Their relationship is not a fantasy—it is the result of patience, growth, and difficult choices.
Overall, this is a poignant and bittersweet story about love that arrives at the wrong time, the courage it takes to walk away, and the hope that sometimes, life gives you a second chance.
Thank you Lena for the ARC read:
This novel is a deeply emotional exploration of forbidden love, personal sacrifice, and the quiet heartbreak of wanting something you can’t have.
At its core, the story follows Luka, a man caught in an agonizing emotional bind. He forms a genuine friendship with Nora, a married woman whose life is far from the picture-perfect image it appears to be. Nora is trapped in a draining marriage with her husband Rick, an absentee partner who leaves her to shoulder the weight of their family alone—including caring for their son, Dec, who has autism. Through Dec, Luka enters their lives, and what begins as kindness and connection slowly transforms into something far more complicated.
The strongest aspect of this story is its emotional honesty. Luka’s internal struggle—loving Nora while refusing to act on it out of respect for her and her circumstances—is both noble and heartbreaking. His pain is not dramatic or exaggerated; instead, it simmers beneath the surface, showing up in sleepless nights, quiet restraint, and the agony of standing by while someone he loves suffers.
Nora’s journey is equally compelling. She represents the many people who stay in broken relationships out of hope, obligation, or fear of change. Her attempt to make things work with Rick feels painfully real, especially as his neglect becomes impossible to ignore. The eventual breakdown of their marriage is not sudden, but inevitable.
The novel also handles sensitive themes—autism, emotional neglect, and family responsibility—with care. Dec is more than a side character; he is a bridge between Luka and Nora, and a source of light in an otherwise heavy narrative.
Where the book truly succeeds is in its portrayal of timing. Love, in this story, is not enough on its own. It has to wait, endure, and sometimes suffer in silence. Luka’s decision to put Nora first—even at the cost of his own happiness—adds depth to his character and elevates the story beyond a simple romance.
If there is a weakness, it may lie in the pacing of the middle section, where Nora’s attempts to salvage her marriage can feel repetitive. However, this repetition mirrors the “hamster wheel” of her life, reinforcing the emotional weight of her situation.
By the time Nora and Luka finally come together it feels earned rather than convenient. Their relationship is not a fantasy—it is the result of patience, growth, and difficult choices.
Overall, this is a poignant and bittersweet story about love that arrives at the wrong time, the courage it takes to walk away, and the hope that sometimes, life gives you a second chance.
Review of advance copy
Throughout the book Nora attempts to work with Rick on their marriage and discuss hard topics with him while he continues to make no changes, it's so sad to read about but felt very real as many people deal with these very real changes to their relationships where they grow apart and no longer fit like they used to.
Don't worry if you don't like a cheating trope there is no actual cheating in this book Nora and Rick's marriage comes to a natural end as that's the way it was heading and Nora allows herself time for just herself and her son. Nora has given herself time to basically find herself again and in that way it makes the point in the story when she finally goes after what she wants (Luka) so much better!
I did wish that the book didn't focus so much on the crumbling marriage aspect since it was clear from the start that Nora needed to ditch Rick and get her life back even if it was hard (since she was worried about losing his families support which is all she had). Once Luka and Nora finally got together there was not much left of the book for our main couple to actually "be together" but it did feel more natural and not just she left Rick and now she's with another man the next day I appreciated that she left herself time to grow and find herself.
Declan was a huge part of the book and you could see how much Nora loved him throughout, it's always nice if there is a kid in the book and they arn't just "taking a nap" and never in the book.
I loved that Nora and Luka were able to find each other they were each other's missing pieces and finally becoming whole once together and they both deserved so much love after all they had both been through.
Another great read from this author and I'm looking forward to the next in the series! Thank you to Lena and BookSirens for this early copy.
Book Blog: https://elbyslibrary.blogspot.com/202...
Tropes:
*forbidden love *personal struggle *Autism representation (FMC son) *single mom while married
*Toxic relationship *Blue Collar MMC *Teddy Bear MMC *MMC and FMC with difficult childhoods
*Love triangle *Marriage in trouble *Found Family *he falls first *some spice *no cheating
*Right person wrong time
*friends --> more *State Challenge Mass (duplicate state) *Indie Author *ARC read *Book Sirens
Don't worry if you don't like a cheating trope there is no actual cheating in this book Nora and Rick's marriage comes to a natural end as that's the way it was heading and Nora allows herself time for just herself and her son. Nora has given herself time to basically find herself again and in that way it makes the point in the story when she finally goes after what she wants (Luka) so much better!
I did wish that the book didn't focus so much on the crumbling marriage aspect since it was clear from the start that Nora needed to ditch Rick and get her life back even if it was hard (since she was worried about losing his families support which is all she had). Once Luka and Nora finally got together there was not much left of the book for our main couple to actually "be together" but it did feel more natural and not just she left Rick and now she's with another man the next day I appreciated that she left herself time to grow and find herself.
Declan was a huge part of the book and you could see how much Nora loved him throughout, it's always nice if there is a kid in the book and they arn't just "taking a nap" and never in the book.
I loved that Nora and Luka were able to find each other they were each other's missing pieces and finally becoming whole once together and they both deserved so much love after all they had both been through.
Another great read from this author and I'm looking forward to the next in the series! Thank you to Lena and BookSirens for this early copy.
Book Blog: https://elbyslibrary.blogspot.com/202...
Tropes:
*forbidden love *personal struggle *Autism representation (FMC son) *single mom while married
*Toxic relationship *Blue Collar MMC *Teddy Bear MMC *MMC and FMC with difficult childhoods
*Love triangle *Marriage in trouble *Found Family *he falls first *some spice *no cheating
*Right person wrong time
*friends --> more *State Challenge Mass (duplicate state) *Indie Author *ARC read *Book Sirens
April 11, 2026
First of all, thank you so much to the author for the ARC 🤍 I always appreciate the opportunity to read and support indie authors.
This was a bit of a mixed experience for me, but overall I’m glad I read it. I think it’s important to say that this isn’t really a traditional love story — it’s more the story of a woman in an abusive relationship learning to choose herself, which I found meaningful and, at times, quite emotional and even wholesome.
That said, I did struggle with parts of the journey. For a large portion of the book (around 70%), the FMC is still in denial about her situation, which was difficult to read at times. Even after meeting Luka, who is clearly a much healthier presence, she remains emotionally attached to her abusive husband, which created some frustration for me as a reader.
I also found the pacing of the romance a bit uneven. After everything, there’s a period of separation and growth, but when they reconnect, things move very quickly between them. Personally, I would have loved to see more emotional build-up (even something as simple as a date or a slower reconnection) before the physical relationship progressed.
Despite these points, I did find the story engaging, and there were moments that genuinely touched me. The emotional core is there, and I can see how this book could resonate strongly with readers who enjoy character-driven stories about healing and self-worth.
Overall, I’d rate this around 3.5–3.75 stars for me — a meaningful story with elements I appreciated, even if some aspects didn’t fully work for my personal taste.
This was a bit of a mixed experience for me, but overall I’m glad I read it. I think it’s important to say that this isn’t really a traditional love story — it’s more the story of a woman in an abusive relationship learning to choose herself, which I found meaningful and, at times, quite emotional and even wholesome.
That said, I did struggle with parts of the journey. For a large portion of the book (around 70%), the FMC is still in denial about her situation, which was difficult to read at times. Even after meeting Luka, who is clearly a much healthier presence, she remains emotionally attached to her abusive husband, which created some frustration for me as a reader.
I also found the pacing of the romance a bit uneven. After everything, there’s a period of separation and growth, but when they reconnect, things move very quickly between them. Personally, I would have loved to see more emotional build-up (even something as simple as a date or a slower reconnection) before the physical relationship progressed.
Despite these points, I did find the story engaging, and there were moments that genuinely touched me. The emotional core is there, and I can see how this book could resonate strongly with readers who enjoy character-driven stories about healing and self-worth.
Overall, I’d rate this around 3.5–3.75 stars for me — a meaningful story with elements I appreciated, even if some aspects didn’t fully work for my personal taste.
Review of advance copy received from Author
a truly heartbreaking read. This book is an absolute masterpiece of emotion. Lena Knight crafts a story that feels incredibly real and raw. Seeing Nora navigate a marriage to a narcissist was heartbreaking; I felt every bit of her struggle as she tried to be everything for her son, Declan.
Then comes Luka. He is everything a hero should be—patient, kind, and protective. Watching him form a bond with Declan (who is just the most precious character) while helping Nora realize she deserves to shine again was beautiful. It’s a "right person, wrong time" story that will keep you up all night. Highly recommend!
Then comes Luka. He is everything a hero should be—patient, kind, and protective. Watching him form a bond with Declan (who is just the most precious character) while helping Nora realize she deserves to shine again was beautiful. It’s a "right person, wrong time" story that will keep you up all night. Highly recommend!
Displaying 1 - 4 of 4 reviews