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Second Chance in Indigo Falls #2
Convincing Carrie
She's spent years trying to be enough for his world.
She never once questioned if he was enough for hers.
Carrie always knew marrying Thatcher Caldwell meant marrying into his world — old Atlanta money, impossible standards, and a family who made no secret of the fact that they had someone else in mind for him. She learned to hold her head up anyway. To smile through the dinners. To be exactly what was needed.
And she told herself it was worth it, because Thatcher loved her.
Then the late nights started. The unanswered texts. The distracted silences where her husband used to be.
Carrie almost talked herself out of her suspicions — until a birthday party in Atlanta unravels everything at once. His family drops a name she's never heard. A woman from his past. An ex-fiancée he never mentioned, a broken engagement he never explained, and a marketing campaign that required him to spend a great deal of time with her.
When Carrie goes to his office to demand the truth, she gets more than she bargained for.
What she overhears breaks something in her she doesn't know how to fix.
She's ready to leave. She has every reason to. And then two pink lines on a pregnancy test make the decision infinitely more complicated.
Some betrayals you walk away from. Some you have to survive first.
💔 Marriage in Crisis
💔 Gut Punch Betrayal
💔 Plenty of Groveling
💔 Infidelity
💔 Other Woman Drama
💔 High Angst
💔 Surprise Baby
💔 Steamy Scenes
💔 HEA
Carrie always knew marrying Thatcher Caldwell meant marrying into his world — old Atlanta money, impossible standards, and a family who made no secret of the fact that they had someone else in mind for him. She learned to hold her head up anyway. To smile through the dinners. To be exactly what was needed.
And she told herself it was worth it, because Thatcher loved her.
Then the late nights started. The unanswered texts. The distracted silences where her husband used to be.
Carrie almost talked herself out of her suspicions — until a birthday party in Atlanta unravels everything at once. His family drops a name she's never heard. A woman from his past. An ex-fiancée he never mentioned, a broken engagement he never explained, and a marketing campaign that required him to spend a great deal of time with her.
When Carrie goes to his office to demand the truth, she gets more than she bargained for.
What she overhears breaks something in her she doesn't know how to fix.
She's ready to leave. She has every reason to. And then two pink lines on a pregnancy test make the decision infinitely more complicated.
Some betrayals you walk away from. Some you have to survive first.
💔 Marriage in Crisis
💔 Gut Punch Betrayal
💔 Plenty of Groveling
💔 Infidelity
💔 Other Woman Drama
💔 High Angst
💔 Surprise Baby
💔 Steamy Scenes
💔 HEA
231 pages, Kindle Edition
Published May 14, 2026
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 98 reviews
May 17, 2026
Before I get into the spoilers and my full emotional breakdown, here’s the short version:
⭐️⭐️⭐️ — If you enjoy affair books that make you want to throw the MMC directly into oncoming traffic while simultaneously refusing to stop reading, this one will absolutely do the job. The angst was GOOD. The tension was painful. And Thatcher spent this entire book making decisions so catastrophically stupid that I started viewing him less as a billionaire and more as a raccoon repeatedly trying to eat electrical wires.
I actually really liked Carrie. For the most part she was smart, observant, emotionally grounded, and once she realized the full extent of the betrayal she handled things WAY better than I expected. She held the line, she moved on with her life, and she made Thatcher suffer for a while instead of folding immediately because he looked sad and whispered “sorry” in billionaire. Unfortunately… the ending didn’t hit as hard as I wanted it to. I needed MORE from Thatcher. Still though? I was wildly entertained and emotionally stressed the entire time.
This is one of those books where I was fully entertained while also wanting to square up with every single person in the Caldwell family at one point or another. I was stressed. I was furious. I was muttering at my Kindle like someone’s exhausted aunt at Thanksgiving. Anyway…
IF YOU DO NOT WANT IT SPOILED.... GO READ THE BOOK AND NOT THE REST OF THIS REVIEW... YOU HAVE BEEN WARNED!!!
⭐️⭐️⭐️ — this man spent six months emotionally cheating on his wife and then acted shocked when she served him divorce papers.
Listen.
I need everyone to understand that this book made me MAD mad.
Not:
“Oh no fictional drama 😔”
No.
I mean pacing-around-my-house muttering:
“THATCHER CALDWELL YOU ABSOLUTE WALNUT.”
Because this man had SO MANY opportunities to stop ruining his own life and instead chose the worst possible decision every single time.
And honestly?
That part was kind of impressive.
So Carrie and Thatcher have been married for five years and from the outside they seem genuinely happy. They’re obsessed with each other physically, they have routines together, they’re established, stable, successful.
But Thatcher comes from old-money billionaire Atlanta society where everyone — including his own family — thinks Carrie was never “good enough” for him.
And by “not good enough,” I mean:
* her father is the mayor
* her mother is on the school board
* they live in a mansion
So apparently she’s basically a peasant.
Rich people are exhausting.
The emotional setup for this was actually REALLY strong because from the very beginning you can feel that Carrie has spent years trying to fit herself into Thatcher’s world while his family constantly compares her to Madison — the ex-fiancée who left him three weeks before their wedding years earlier.
And here’s where the problems begin:
THATCHER NEVER TOLD CARRIE ABOUT ANY OF THIS.
Sir.
WHY.
Not only did he never tell her about Madison…
he never told her they were ENGAGED.
Which is already insane behavior before the cheating even starts.
Then Thatcher’s mother hires Madison as the new face of the family company without asking anyone, and the SECOND Thatcher sees her again his internal monologue basically becomes:
“Oh no I’m still in love with her.”
EXCUSE ME?????????
YOU ARE MARRIED.
And from there this man begins the slowest, most frustrating descent into emotional affair hell I have read in a WHILE.
Lunches.
Private dinners.
Constant texting.
Late nights.
Lying.
Changing his phone password.
Gaslighting Carrie into thinking she’s overreacting.
At one point Carrie is literally worried sick because he’s hours late coming home in bad weather and instead of reassuring his wife like a normal human being he acts annoyed she was concerned at all.
Meanwhile this man is out having romantic dinners with his ex-fiancée at the restaurant his wife has BEEN BEGGING HIM TO TAKE HER TO.
I almost ascended into the astral plane from irritation.
And the worst part?
He KNOWS what he’s doing.
There are entire internal monologues where he admits:
* he’s giving Madison attention that belongs to his wife
* he’s emotionally cheating
* he’s lying constantly
* he’s building a double life
But because they haven’t technically had sex yet, he keeps telling himself he’s not that bad.
SIR YOU ARE IN THE OLYMPICS OF EMOTIONAL AFFAIRS.
At one point Madison is literally groping him in the backseat of a car while he halfheartedly protests and this man STILL mentally categorizes himself as faithful.
The DELUSION.
And then comes the birthday party scene.
OH MY GOD.
This was probably the strongest section of the whole book.
Carrie walks into this party not realizing:
* Madison is there
* everyone knows Thatcher’s history with her
* everyone knows Carrie DOESN’T know
* everyone has apparently decided to let her be publicly humiliated in real time
The level of betrayal there genuinely hurt to read.
Especially because Thatcher’s siblings — who Carrie thought genuinely cared about her — also stay silent and let it happen.
And from there the spiral gets WORSE because Thatcher still refuses to fully choose.
That’s my biggest issue with this book and the reason it never rose above 3 stars for me.
The problem is NOT that he cheated.
I read cheating books.
I LIKE cheating books.
The problem is WHY he finally stops.
Because Thatcher does NOT end things with Madison because he suddenly realizes Carrie is the love of his life.
No.
Absolutely not.
He stops because:
* Madison starts showing red flags
* he realizes she manipulated him
* he discovers she was cheating on HIM too
* she tries to scam him financially
* she turns out not to be his fantasy girl after all
THAT is what breaks the illusion.
Not Carrie.
And that distinction matters SO MUCH.
Because if Madison had stayed perfect?
If she hadn’t exposed herself?
If Thatcher had never overheard those phone calls?
If he never knew the truth about her cheating?
Would he have still left Carrie?
Honestly?
I think yes.
And THAT is why the reconciliation never fully worked for me.
Because even during the almost-cheating scene in the office bedroom — the moment where he finally stops before fully sleeping with Madison — he doesn’t stop because he loves Carrie.
He stops because he realizes the condoms belong to his dead father and suddenly sees himself becoming exactly like him.
Which is SYMBOLIC.
Sure.
Fine.
But I needed:
“I can’t do this because I love my wife.”
And instead we got:
“Oh no these are my dad’s condoms.”
Sir please 😭
That said…
I actually REALLY respected Carrie.
This woman held the line.
Once she knew the full truth?
DONE.
Divorce papers.
Packed bags.
Gone.
And I appreciated that the book allowed her anger to exist for YEARS instead of magically forgiving him in two chapters because he cried a little.
Also:
the fact that she dated other men afterward while Thatcher babysat their child and suffered emotionally on the sidelines?
Delicious.
Cinema.
Excellent work everyone.
I especially loved that she genuinely moved forward with her life instead of sitting frozen waiting for him.
Because frankly?
He deserved to sweat.
Now unfortunately…
yes.
They do eventually reconcile.
Did I fully buy it?
Not really.
Did Thatcher grovel?
Sure.
Technically.
And he was celibate and miserable and obsessed with her for years.
But again:
the core issue for me never went away.
He did not choose Carrie first.
He chose her after Madison stopped being the fantasy.
And those are NOT the same thing.
Still though — I was wildly entertained.
The angst was angsty.
The humiliation scenes HIT.
The emotional affair felt ugly and realistic in a way that genuinely got under my skin.
And honestly?
Any book that makes me this furious clearly did something right 😭
⭐️⭐️⭐️ — If you enjoy affair books that make you want to throw the MMC directly into oncoming traffic while simultaneously refusing to stop reading, this one will absolutely do the job. The angst was GOOD. The tension was painful. And Thatcher spent this entire book making decisions so catastrophically stupid that I started viewing him less as a billionaire and more as a raccoon repeatedly trying to eat electrical wires.
I actually really liked Carrie. For the most part she was smart, observant, emotionally grounded, and once she realized the full extent of the betrayal she handled things WAY better than I expected. She held the line, she moved on with her life, and she made Thatcher suffer for a while instead of folding immediately because he looked sad and whispered “sorry” in billionaire. Unfortunately… the ending didn’t hit as hard as I wanted it to. I needed MORE from Thatcher. Still though? I was wildly entertained and emotionally stressed the entire time.
This is one of those books where I was fully entertained while also wanting to square up with every single person in the Caldwell family at one point or another. I was stressed. I was furious. I was muttering at my Kindle like someone’s exhausted aunt at Thanksgiving. Anyway…
IF YOU DO NOT WANT IT SPOILED.... GO READ THE BOOK AND NOT THE REST OF THIS REVIEW... YOU HAVE BEEN WARNED!!!
⭐️⭐️⭐️ — this man spent six months emotionally cheating on his wife and then acted shocked when she served him divorce papers.
Listen.
I need everyone to understand that this book made me MAD mad.
Not:
“Oh no fictional drama 😔”
No.
I mean pacing-around-my-house muttering:
“THATCHER CALDWELL YOU ABSOLUTE WALNUT.”
Because this man had SO MANY opportunities to stop ruining his own life and instead chose the worst possible decision every single time.
And honestly?
That part was kind of impressive.
So Carrie and Thatcher have been married for five years and from the outside they seem genuinely happy. They’re obsessed with each other physically, they have routines together, they’re established, stable, successful.
But Thatcher comes from old-money billionaire Atlanta society where everyone — including his own family — thinks Carrie was never “good enough” for him.
And by “not good enough,” I mean:
* her father is the mayor
* her mother is on the school board
* they live in a mansion
So apparently she’s basically a peasant.
Rich people are exhausting.
The emotional setup for this was actually REALLY strong because from the very beginning you can feel that Carrie has spent years trying to fit herself into Thatcher’s world while his family constantly compares her to Madison — the ex-fiancée who left him three weeks before their wedding years earlier.
And here’s where the problems begin:
THATCHER NEVER TOLD CARRIE ABOUT ANY OF THIS.
Sir.
WHY.
Not only did he never tell her about Madison…
he never told her they were ENGAGED.
Which is already insane behavior before the cheating even starts.
Then Thatcher’s mother hires Madison as the new face of the family company without asking anyone, and the SECOND Thatcher sees her again his internal monologue basically becomes:
“Oh no I’m still in love with her.”
EXCUSE ME?????????
YOU ARE MARRIED.
And from there this man begins the slowest, most frustrating descent into emotional affair hell I have read in a WHILE.
Lunches.
Private dinners.
Constant texting.
Late nights.
Lying.
Changing his phone password.
Gaslighting Carrie into thinking she’s overreacting.
At one point Carrie is literally worried sick because he’s hours late coming home in bad weather and instead of reassuring his wife like a normal human being he acts annoyed she was concerned at all.
Meanwhile this man is out having romantic dinners with his ex-fiancée at the restaurant his wife has BEEN BEGGING HIM TO TAKE HER TO.
I almost ascended into the astral plane from irritation.
And the worst part?
He KNOWS what he’s doing.
There are entire internal monologues where he admits:
* he’s giving Madison attention that belongs to his wife
* he’s emotionally cheating
* he’s lying constantly
* he’s building a double life
But because they haven’t technically had sex yet, he keeps telling himself he’s not that bad.
SIR YOU ARE IN THE OLYMPICS OF EMOTIONAL AFFAIRS.
At one point Madison is literally groping him in the backseat of a car while he halfheartedly protests and this man STILL mentally categorizes himself as faithful.
The DELUSION.
And then comes the birthday party scene.
OH MY GOD.
This was probably the strongest section of the whole book.
Carrie walks into this party not realizing:
* Madison is there
* everyone knows Thatcher’s history with her
* everyone knows Carrie DOESN’T know
* everyone has apparently decided to let her be publicly humiliated in real time
The level of betrayal there genuinely hurt to read.
Especially because Thatcher’s siblings — who Carrie thought genuinely cared about her — also stay silent and let it happen.
And from there the spiral gets WORSE because Thatcher still refuses to fully choose.
That’s my biggest issue with this book and the reason it never rose above 3 stars for me.
The problem is NOT that he cheated.
I read cheating books.
I LIKE cheating books.
The problem is WHY he finally stops.
Because Thatcher does NOT end things with Madison because he suddenly realizes Carrie is the love of his life.
No.
Absolutely not.
He stops because:
* Madison starts showing red flags
* he realizes she manipulated him
* he discovers she was cheating on HIM too
* she tries to scam him financially
* she turns out not to be his fantasy girl after all
THAT is what breaks the illusion.
Not Carrie.
And that distinction matters SO MUCH.
Because if Madison had stayed perfect?
If she hadn’t exposed herself?
If Thatcher had never overheard those phone calls?
If he never knew the truth about her cheating?
Would he have still left Carrie?
Honestly?
I think yes.
And THAT is why the reconciliation never fully worked for me.
Because even during the almost-cheating scene in the office bedroom — the moment where he finally stops before fully sleeping with Madison — he doesn’t stop because he loves Carrie.
He stops because he realizes the condoms belong to his dead father and suddenly sees himself becoming exactly like him.
Which is SYMBOLIC.
Sure.
Fine.
But I needed:
“I can’t do this because I love my wife.”
And instead we got:
“Oh no these are my dad’s condoms.”
Sir please 😭
That said…
I actually REALLY respected Carrie.
This woman held the line.
Once she knew the full truth?
DONE.
Divorce papers.
Packed bags.
Gone.
And I appreciated that the book allowed her anger to exist for YEARS instead of magically forgiving him in two chapters because he cried a little.
Also:
the fact that she dated other men afterward while Thatcher babysat their child and suffered emotionally on the sidelines?
Delicious.
Cinema.
Excellent work everyone.
I especially loved that she genuinely moved forward with her life instead of sitting frozen waiting for him.
Because frankly?
He deserved to sweat.
Now unfortunately…
yes.
They do eventually reconcile.
Did I fully buy it?
Not really.
Did Thatcher grovel?
Sure.
Technically.
And he was celibate and miserable and obsessed with her for years.
But again:
the core issue for me never went away.
He did not choose Carrie first.
He chose her after Madison stopped being the fantasy.
And those are NOT the same thing.
Still though — I was wildly entertained.
The angst was angsty.
The humiliation scenes HIT.
The emotional affair felt ugly and realistic in a way that genuinely got under my skin.
And honestly?
Any book that makes me this furious clearly did something right 😭
May 30, 2026
Well, butter my backside and call me a biscuit, ‘cause I am plumb tired of readin’ the same hot mess express on every other dang page. Why in the ever-lovin’ hell do these skanky-ass mistresses always gotta be evil connivin’ bunny-boiler bitches? For once, I am beggin’ on my kneecaps, just take the goddamn cockroach of an MMC with ya. Scoop that limp-dicked, sorry-excuse-for-a-man, polyester-suited, gas-station-rose-buyin’ waste of oxygen and ride off into whatever gutter ya crawled out of. ‘Cause that is the only way our precious little doormat of an FMC is gonna get rescued. The authors sure as shit won’t let her kick the loser out herself. She’ll just sit there with her quiverin’ lip and a single tear, waitin’ for the “other woman” to be a cartoon villain so his cheating ass can come crawlin’ back like the sentimental hemorrhoid he is.
Nah, honey. I want the OW to look at this bald-tired, broke-dick, brain-damaged possum of a man who couldn't find his own ass with both hands and a flashlight, and just say, “Yep, I’ll take ‘im.” And then vanish. No schemes. No plots. Just two pieces of garbage driftin’ off on a greasy tide so our girl can finally breathe without that useless anchor draggin’ her soul through a drainage ditch. I want them to move to a whole different state, get a double-wide trailer, and breed a whole new generation of fleas together while our FMC finally goes to therapy and learns what a spine is!!!
But nooo. We can’t have backbone. We gotta have the mistress boil a bunny just so this floppy-headed excuse of a husband can look less like a pile of horse shit. Lord, pass the bourbon. ⭐ (and that’s bein’ generous)
Nah, honey. I want the OW to look at this bald-tired, broke-dick, brain-damaged possum of a man who couldn't find his own ass with both hands and a flashlight, and just say, “Yep, I’ll take ‘im.” And then vanish. No schemes. No plots. Just two pieces of garbage driftin’ off on a greasy tide so our girl can finally breathe without that useless anchor draggin’ her soul through a drainage ditch. I want them to move to a whole different state, get a double-wide trailer, and breed a whole new generation of fleas together while our FMC finally goes to therapy and learns what a spine is!!!
But nooo. We can’t have backbone. We gotta have the mistress boil a bunny just so this floppy-headed excuse of a husband can look less like a pile of horse shit. Lord, pass the bourbon. ⭐ (and that’s bein’ generous)
Did Not Finish
May 14, 2026carrie is an idiot for taking this tool back.
DNF
DNF
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
May 17, 2026
He’s a weak, milquetoast idiot. She has no idea she’s been in a love triangle for their entire relationship. He’s still in love with the evil OW.
Story pacing sucks, I don’t want to get to the epilogue 5 years later to see them back together. She should have moved on.
Story pacing sucks, I don’t want to get to the epilogue 5 years later to see them back together. She should have moved on.
May 15, 2026
Not at all convincing, and I was going back and forth if I wanted to rate this or not. I'm guessing cheating books are going to be this author's m.o. and I'm not going to be gentle because I think the author needs constructive criticism. Number one? There is zero depth in this author's books with her characters. Everything is focused on the physical, sexual aspect that the author leaves only room for shallowness. The H here wasn't redeemable, but it wasn't because of the plot. It was because of the writing and the author being unable to convince me that Thatcher wasn't a nepo spoiled brat that only held women to status because of their bodies. If your wife having bigger tits than the lady you want to cheat with pulls her points to take a slight lead in you choosing if you want to divorce you're going lose me. Redeeming the H is definitely this author's weakness. She spent so much time on the cheating and angst and left no room for the redemption and reconciliation. You can't leave only 20% in the book for a betrayal and grovel. It's just not plausible or believable. The first book was even worse than this one.
May 16, 2026
This is a cheating / betrayal / grovel story, where the heroine ends up back with the husband who cheated on her. I sometimes like stories like this for the angst. And, I like to see if the author is able to get me onboard with the HEA, since obviously it’s hard to root for the HEA in this situation.
Carrie and Thatcher have been married for 5 years. He’s from an old money prestigious Atlanta family. She’s from a rich family too, but they’re from a small town, so his family acts like she doesn’t fit in. The way his family acts, you would think she grew up in a trailer park. That didn’t really make sense.
He never told her that he used to be engaged. His ex comes back, he spends months cheating on Carrie with the OW (no sex, but it’s still cheating). Carrie finds out, and leaves him. She discovers she’s pregnant in the middle of their divorce. Luckily she doesn’t let him use that as an excuse to halt the divorce. They’re apart for 5 years, co-parenting their kid, and during that time, he is celibate and she is not. That’s what I’m always looking for, in these types of books! Since so many books do it the other way around -- where the woman is celibate and pining, during the separation, and the man is sleeping around -- and I’m sick of that. So, this book gets major props for that. Eventually during that 5 year period, he shows her he changed, and she takes him back.
This was just okay. It did deliver some good gut punch moments that make your stomach hurt. That’s what I’m in the mood for when I read this type of book. So, this understood the assignment. Carrie also stuck to her guns and wasn’t a doormat. All of this is good.
Why 3 stars, then? The pacing was off. Over half the book is spent on Thatcher having his affair. Then, their split, his grovel, and their eventual reconciliation 5 years later feels rushed. A book like this also needs to convince me that this guy is worth being with. Too often, a betrayal / grovel book forgets to give the hero a personality, outside of his betrayal and grovel. Thatcher wasn't a completely shallow character, but he could have had more depth. This book went too hard on Thatcher thinking he was in love with the OW and never really liked Carrie. By the time he realized he did love Carrie, it wasn't totally convincing. His grovel was fine, but underwhelming, it was too much "showering her with gifts."
This didn't feel written by AI, the way a lot of stories in this genre feel, lately. It does feel like the human author wrote it, herself. But it has that "written in 2 weeks" feel. It's kind of bare-bones speeding through the story, without pausing to give it a lot of depth and development. It doesn't have the level of psychological depth of a better cheating romance I read recently, Silent Flames.
If you’re in the mood for a betrayal / grovel / cheating story with some gut punch moments and a heroine who isn’t a pushover, this isn’t a bad one. It was just meh. But, I may try the next one the author releases.
Carrie and Thatcher have been married for 5 years. He’s from an old money prestigious Atlanta family. She’s from a rich family too, but they’re from a small town, so his family acts like she doesn’t fit in. The way his family acts, you would think she grew up in a trailer park. That didn’t really make sense.
He never told her that he used to be engaged. His ex comes back, he spends months cheating on Carrie with the OW (no sex, but it’s still cheating). Carrie finds out, and leaves him. She discovers she’s pregnant in the middle of their divorce. Luckily she doesn’t let him use that as an excuse to halt the divorce. They’re apart for 5 years, co-parenting their kid, and during that time, he is celibate and she is not. That’s what I’m always looking for, in these types of books! Since so many books do it the other way around -- where the woman is celibate and pining, during the separation, and the man is sleeping around -- and I’m sick of that. So, this book gets major props for that. Eventually during that 5 year period, he shows her he changed, and she takes him back.
This was just okay. It did deliver some good gut punch moments that make your stomach hurt. That’s what I’m in the mood for when I read this type of book. So, this understood the assignment. Carrie also stuck to her guns and wasn’t a doormat. All of this is good.
Why 3 stars, then? The pacing was off. Over half the book is spent on Thatcher having his affair. Then, their split, his grovel, and their eventual reconciliation 5 years later feels rushed. A book like this also needs to convince me that this guy is worth being with. Too often, a betrayal / grovel book forgets to give the hero a personality, outside of his betrayal and grovel. Thatcher wasn't a completely shallow character, but he could have had more depth. This book went too hard on Thatcher thinking he was in love with the OW and never really liked Carrie. By the time he realized he did love Carrie, it wasn't totally convincing. His grovel was fine, but underwhelming, it was too much "showering her with gifts."
This didn't feel written by AI, the way a lot of stories in this genre feel, lately. It does feel like the human author wrote it, herself. But it has that "written in 2 weeks" feel. It's kind of bare-bones speeding through the story, without pausing to give it a lot of depth and development. It doesn't have the level of psychological depth of a better cheating romance I read recently, Silent Flames.
If you’re in the mood for a betrayal / grovel / cheating story with some gut punch moments and a heroine who isn’t a pushover, this isn’t a bad one. It was just meh. But, I may try the next one the author releases.
Read
May 2, 2026I got a stomach ache just by reading the description of the book. Why do they always have to be cheaters anymore. I like a good marriage in crisis, maybe ow drama, emotional but no cheating. They can maybe think about it or it can be perceived cheating but once it crosses the line I just can't do it. I don't know if he is the hero, but hopefully she finds a better man. I need a review,first.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
June 6, 2026
Its Really Sick Reading Him Enjoying His Wife Gagging On Him, While A Sentence Before, He Was With Madison. I Really Hate Women Who Make The OW Cartoonishly Evil, To Save Him From The Reality Of His Toxicity
I really think the authors hate women when they let the man escape with scapegoating the women in his life.
Toxic.
One Of The Most Misogynistic And Internally Misogynistic POVs I Have Ever Read And Came Away Believing The Hyoermasculine Author, Hates Women
This man is an abuser.
Just because rich women don't believe social abuse is a thing, well, it is.
Hes walking through the streets with Madison's hand, constantly feeling narcissistically sorry for himself that shes offering him blowjobs.
I love reading the excuzes hateful misogynistic women will give abusive men.
Such pathetic doormats.
No ego death?
The remorse isn't real.
In TOTALLY unrelated news, even the Conservative Supreme Court re-approved telemedicine for abortion, how come Carrie hates kids more then conservatives? She has thousands of Oocytes, take a pill.
Being born at a time my parents marriage was struggling, fucked me up. Unfortunately they reconclied for me and abused me more with their social abuse and communal abuse.
Poor kid is about to have a lifetime of avoidant abuse from Thatcher.
He only ended it with Madison because she turned out to be the cheater that he was.
Imagine thats the authors ending, the OW is evil for being like the MMC.
Hes a cheater.
Madison didnt make him cheat.
She just hurt his ego.
Pathetic Carrie, letting her future be decided by the fact Madison cheated like Thatcher.
Take that pill.
Women who think what he done is "almost cheating" then you are toxic.
You are why Male Supremacy still happens.
They never have to change when you save them.
Ugh.
NB: I cant wait to hate Tim too. Because theres nothing worse than only being seen by a cunt when other people get involved.
I really think the authors hate women when they let the man escape with scapegoating the women in his life.
Toxic.
One Of The Most Misogynistic And Internally Misogynistic POVs I Have Ever Read And Came Away Believing The Hyoermasculine Author, Hates Women
This man is an abuser.
Just because rich women don't believe social abuse is a thing, well, it is.
Hes walking through the streets with Madison's hand, constantly feeling narcissistically sorry for himself that shes offering him blowjobs.
I love reading the excuzes hateful misogynistic women will give abusive men.
Such pathetic doormats.
No ego death?
The remorse isn't real.
In TOTALLY unrelated news, even the Conservative Supreme Court re-approved telemedicine for abortion, how come Carrie hates kids more then conservatives? She has thousands of Oocytes, take a pill.
Being born at a time my parents marriage was struggling, fucked me up. Unfortunately they reconclied for me and abused me more with their social abuse and communal abuse.
Poor kid is about to have a lifetime of avoidant abuse from Thatcher.
He only ended it with Madison because she turned out to be the cheater that he was.
Imagine thats the authors ending, the OW is evil for being like the MMC.
Hes a cheater.
Madison didnt make him cheat.
She just hurt his ego.
Pathetic Carrie, letting her future be decided by the fact Madison cheated like Thatcher.
Take that pill.
Women who think what he done is "almost cheating" then you are toxic.
You are why Male Supremacy still happens.
They never have to change when you save them.
Ugh.
NB: I cant wait to hate Tim too. Because theres nothing worse than only being seen by a cunt when other people get involved.
May 15, 2026
The first half of this book should’ve been labeled horror instead of romance.
I won’t lie, I am a sensitive reader, but every once in a while I’ll read a cheating book for that angsty feeling but boy was this a hate read.
I was optimistic that the cheating would be a fleeting nostalgia thing, but Thatcher’s pov is nauseating and he’s obsessed with the ow for half the book. He says he would’ve married the ow Madison if she came back even on the day of his wedding, she was the love of his life, he’s always hard for her and imagining sex with her, he ignores Carrie and misses her big events. And then he “almost” cheats aka he sucks her breasts, would’ve gone down on her if she didn’t protest, but suddenly realizes he doesn’t want to be like his cheating father. Clap for him for stopping. 🙄
The worst thing is after all this he still thinks he can get Carrie back. He’s definitely delusional for a long time. Of course the ow turns out to be bad and manipulative and all that and I wonder if she wasn’t if he would’ve stayed obsessed with her. (Probably)
The only good part was that Carrie firmly wants a divorce and didn’t waver on that.
I wish she didn’t find out she’s pregnant. If she wasn’t, I think she would’ve left him behind and been free but of course we needed them to still be in orbit of each other.
As it was, thankfully, it skips years and she does date, have boyfriends, get a job, and is a great mom. They actually coparent well and she’s seemingly thriving. I do believe Thatcher regretted it but oh well, your fault. (He’s celibate btw)
If the book ended there, I would’ve been fine with it! But of course she gives in and they get back together.
I just think she could’ve thrived without him and that’s probably not a good sign that I wasn’t rooting for the couple. 🤷🏻♀️
I won’t lie, I am a sensitive reader, but every once in a while I’ll read a cheating book for that angsty feeling but boy was this a hate read.
I was optimistic that the cheating would be a fleeting nostalgia thing, but Thatcher’s pov is nauseating and he’s obsessed with the ow for half the book. He says he would’ve married the ow Madison if she came back even on the day of his wedding, she was the love of his life, he’s always hard for her and imagining sex with her, he ignores Carrie and misses her big events. And then he “almost” cheats aka he sucks her breasts, would’ve gone down on her if she didn’t protest, but suddenly realizes he doesn’t want to be like his cheating father. Clap for him for stopping. 🙄
The worst thing is after all this he still thinks he can get Carrie back. He’s definitely delusional for a long time. Of course the ow turns out to be bad and manipulative and all that and I wonder if she wasn’t if he would’ve stayed obsessed with her. (Probably)
The only good part was that Carrie firmly wants a divorce and didn’t waver on that.
I wish she didn’t find out she’s pregnant. If she wasn’t, I think she would’ve left him behind and been free but of course we needed them to still be in orbit of each other.
As it was, thankfully, it skips years and she does date, have boyfriends, get a job, and is a great mom. They actually coparent well and she’s seemingly thriving. I do believe Thatcher regretted it but oh well, your fault. (He’s celibate btw)
If the book ended there, I would’ve been fine with it! But of course she gives in and they get back together.
I just think she could’ve thrived without him and that’s probably not a good sign that I wasn’t rooting for the couple. 🤷🏻♀️
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
May 14, 2026
Angst was on point
This author knows how to write ANGST like genuinely some of the best angst I’ve read in awhile. The emotional destruction, the obsession, the humiliation, the constant betrayal…all of it was done perfectly. Every bad decision Thatcher made felt believable because from the SECOND the ex Madison came back into his life it stopped being about his wife Carrie and became about HER. Everyday he made the choice to prioritize his ex over his marriage.
And that’s why the downfall of the marriage worked for me so well.
The problem is the grovel and redemption was absolutely abysmal 😭
I’m sorry but I never believed this man truly redeemed himself because I honestly think if Madison was good in bed and hadn’t cheated on HIM he would’ve left his wife and stayed with her. I fully believe that.
By the office scene he had already emotionally left his marriage. He already made the decision to physically cheat. He literally brought her back to the office to sleep with her. The ONLY reason he stopped was because he realized the condoms he was about to use belonged to his father.. the same father who cheated on his mother and kept a hidden 🍆 pad in the office for his mistresses.
That realization is what stopped him.
Not love for his wife. Not respect for his wife. Not guilt over humiliating her repeatedly. Not because he suddenly realized his marriage mattered.
It was because he didn’t wanna become his dad.
Those are VERY different things to me.
And that’s why the redemption never hit for me because technically he didn’t stop because he chose his wife. He stopped because reality finally punched him in the face. If the OW was everything he fantasized she was and if she didn’t turn out to be manipulative and trifling I genuinely think he would’ve went through with it all the way.
The author absolutely nailed the angst and destruction of the marriage but the healing part felt rushed and unbelievable to me. It basically turned into “a few years later they became friends again 🥰” and I’m sorry after THAT level of emotional devastation I needed suffering, accountability, groveling, therapy, YEARS of rebuilding trust…something... I would give this 2 and half stars but I rounded up because it really was some good angst.
This author knows how to write ANGST like genuinely some of the best angst I’ve read in awhile. The emotional destruction, the obsession, the humiliation, the constant betrayal…all of it was done perfectly. Every bad decision Thatcher made felt believable because from the SECOND the ex Madison came back into his life it stopped being about his wife Carrie and became about HER. Everyday he made the choice to prioritize his ex over his marriage.
And that’s why the downfall of the marriage worked for me so well.
The problem is the grovel and redemption was absolutely abysmal 😭
I’m sorry but I never believed this man truly redeemed himself because I honestly think if Madison was good in bed and hadn’t cheated on HIM he would’ve left his wife and stayed with her. I fully believe that.
By the office scene he had already emotionally left his marriage. He already made the decision to physically cheat. He literally brought her back to the office to sleep with her. The ONLY reason he stopped was because he realized the condoms he was about to use belonged to his father.. the same father who cheated on his mother and kept a hidden 🍆 pad in the office for his mistresses.
That realization is what stopped him.
Not love for his wife. Not respect for his wife. Not guilt over humiliating her repeatedly. Not because he suddenly realized his marriage mattered.
It was because he didn’t wanna become his dad.
Those are VERY different things to me.
And that’s why the redemption never hit for me because technically he didn’t stop because he chose his wife. He stopped because reality finally punched him in the face. If the OW was everything he fantasized she was and if she didn’t turn out to be manipulative and trifling I genuinely think he would’ve went through with it all the way.
The author absolutely nailed the angst and destruction of the marriage but the healing part felt rushed and unbelievable to me. It basically turned into “a few years later they became friends again 🥰” and I’m sorry after THAT level of emotional devastation I needed suffering, accountability, groveling, therapy, YEARS of rebuilding trust…something... I would give this 2 and half stars but I rounded up because it really was some good angst.
May 14, 2026
I’ve not been this angry in a long time but it kept me entertained and if not for the actual divorce and long separation where he was celebrate and she dated it would have been a lower rating.
OMG I actually hated Thatcher at one stage well for a good 50% of the book 😂.
He was a total douche but grew up and I believed he loved Carrie
I’m really liking this author
OMG I actually hated Thatcher at one stage well for a good 50% of the book 😂.
He was a total douche but grew up and I believed he loved Carrie
I’m really liking this author
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
May 14, 2026
Juvenile romance
The characters in this story seemed juvenile and immature, especially Thatcher. You can’t decide between a woman who broke your heart and someone who always supports you? He has the backbone of a noodle. And though he made not, but got close, to physical cheating, he did emotionally and mentally cheat on his wife Carrie. And to use a pregnancy to mend this marriage was just a cheap way to write the story.
The characters in this story seemed juvenile and immature, especially Thatcher. You can’t decide between a woman who broke your heart and someone who always supports you? He has the backbone of a noodle. And though he made not, but got close, to physical cheating, he did emotionally and mentally cheat on his wife Carrie. And to use a pregnancy to mend this marriage was just a cheap way to write the story.
May 16, 2026
One of the worst stories
Don’t read this if you want a good person as your mmc. This man does not love the fmc. If the other woman hasn’t shown her true colors he never would have gone back to the fmc. It’s so sad when you have an author with talent for writing but not for what can make a forgivable mmc. The biggest rage read of the year and i find it the most disappointing that when she writes her content warnings she puts emotional infidelity like it wasn’t physical too. A true disservice. Was listed as the biggest rage read in two Facebook reading groups if that tells you anything…
Don’t read this if you want a good person as your mmc. This man does not love the fmc. If the other woman hasn’t shown her true colors he never would have gone back to the fmc. It’s so sad when you have an author with talent for writing but not for what can make a forgivable mmc. The biggest rage read of the year and i find it the most disappointing that when she writes her content warnings she puts emotional infidelity like it wasn’t physical too. A true disservice. Was listed as the biggest rage read in two Facebook reading groups if that tells you anything…
May 17, 2026
The angst and build up to the ultimate betrayal? 10/10 would recommend!
When I was reading this book I said there is not a thing this man can do to make me believe he actually loves Carrie and I was right!
The grovel was lackluster bordering on nonexistent. It felt like he bought back Carrie’s affection and love. In comparison to his obsession with Madison and the lengths he went to for her, what he did as recompense for Carrie felt lukewarm. I mean my goodness he was still hyper fixated on Madison ON HIS WEDDING DAY, and nothing he did afterwards made me believe he even liked Carrie 🤷🏽♀️
Don’t get me wrong, this was a good read but I just didn’t believe he loved Carrie. It felt more like he settled for her because his “one” wasn’t what he thought she was 😕
When I was reading this book I said there is not a thing this man can do to make me believe he actually loves Carrie and I was right!
The grovel was lackluster bordering on nonexistent. It felt like he bought back Carrie’s affection and love. In comparison to his obsession with Madison and the lengths he went to for her, what he did as recompense for Carrie felt lukewarm. I mean my goodness he was still hyper fixated on Madison ON HIS WEDDING DAY, and nothing he did afterwards made me believe he even liked Carrie 🤷🏽♀️
Don’t get me wrong, this was a good read but I just didn’t believe he loved Carrie. It felt more like he settled for her because his “one” wasn’t what he thought she was 😕
May 14, 2026
I really just wanna know if the mom cheated with the lawyer 😂 otherwise the fuck was her dramatic gasping and obvious sneaky call to the lawyer
May 17, 2026
Too much time was spent on Thatcher being a heartless ass, and not enough was spent on his redemption.
Also, what was that weird moment with Carrie’s mom and Ellis Malloy? Brought up one time then never again. It feels like lazy editing.
Also, what was that weird moment with Carrie’s mom and Ellis Malloy? Brought up one time then never again. It feels like lazy editing.
May 17, 2026
There are certain zeroes that I really root to NOT get a second chance or a HEA, and Thatcher is at the top of that list.
I read cheating books because I want the gut punch, the angst, the rage read ... you get my drift. But he was so callous and cruel and went so far that IMO anything he did to *try* and redeem himself was, for me, too little and far too late.
This was one book where I would've been happy with him disappearing into the ether never to be heard from again and Carrie going on to live her best life either on her own or with other H that deserved her.
3 stars for the rage read
I read cheating books because I want the gut punch, the angst, the rage read ... you get my drift. But he was so callous and cruel and went so far that IMO anything he did to *try* and redeem himself was, for me, too little and far too late.
This was one book where I would've been happy with him disappearing into the ether never to be heard from again and Carrie going on to live her best life either on her own or with other H that deserved her.
3 stars for the rage read
May 16, 2026
Reading this book in the middle of the night, I had to quickly read through and scan the chapters where H was obsessed with the OW, which delivered much angst - just to get to the part where the h had had enough.
It wasn't a bad read. There was a lot of focus on the H betrayal and the lead up to it. His feelings and his confusion. I'm glad he went to therapy to understand his actions, but as usual in these types of tropes it was after the fact.
The reconciliation towards the end of the book seemed a little rushed. The h had boyfriends during the time they were apart, but the lead up to their reconciliation I was wanting a little more. Maybe another time jump to another 5 years?
The h support group was awesome though, her family and her posse of friends were great. So the h wasn't left unsupported during the angst and post divorce experience.
There were a couple of things that would have been good to flesh out:
1. The H mothers obsession with the OW - even bailing her out of her debt
2. The h mothers response to the initial lawyer she hired and why that lawyer ended up dropping her due to "conflict of interest"
3. What happened to OW - there were updates as to where she ended up, but would have been good to get a glimpse of why she came back, had a another man on the side etc.
It wasn't a bad read. There was a lot of focus on the H betrayal and the lead up to it. His feelings and his confusion. I'm glad he went to therapy to understand his actions, but as usual in these types of tropes it was after the fact.
The reconciliation towards the end of the book seemed a little rushed. The h had boyfriends during the time they were apart, but the lead up to their reconciliation I was wanting a little more. Maybe another time jump to another 5 years?
The h support group was awesome though, her family and her posse of friends were great. So the h wasn't left unsupported during the angst and post divorce experience.
There were a couple of things that would have been good to flesh out:
1. The H mothers obsession with the OW - even bailing her out of her debt
2. The h mothers response to the initial lawyer she hired and why that lawyer ended up dropping her due to "conflict of interest"
3. What happened to OW - there were updates as to where she ended up, but would have been good to get a glimpse of why she came back, had a another man on the side etc.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
May 16, 2026
⚠️ WARNING ⚠️
You will want to throw your couch across the living room when reading this because you WILL want to commit arson lol
Rayna! Babes! How do you punch me in the gut, break my gat dang heart and then piece it back together?!? HOW?!? I swear when I started reading, I had to take a break with how angry I was at the mmc and so sad for the fmc! I didn’t think you could’ve outdone your last book but you fudgin did! You are a gay dang artist!
I can’t wait for the next book! Literally saved it so I can be ready for when it comes out! The grovel is chefs kiss 💋! I LOVE how you wrote the fmc as a strong woman and I loved how amazing she was and THANK YOU for writing a fmc that doesn’t just sit around all sad waiting, I’m glad she went out and explored. Can’t stand a fmc that’s celibate and can’t move on, those books are such a drag!
You’re amazing your writting is amazing and pls keep writing!!!
You will want to throw your couch across the living room when reading this because you WILL want to commit arson lol
Rayna! Babes! How do you punch me in the gut, break my gat dang heart and then piece it back together?!? HOW?!? I swear when I started reading, I had to take a break with how angry I was at the mmc and so sad for the fmc! I didn’t think you could’ve outdone your last book but you fudgin did! You are a gay dang artist!
I can’t wait for the next book! Literally saved it so I can be ready for when it comes out! The grovel is chefs kiss 💋! I LOVE how you wrote the fmc as a strong woman and I loved how amazing she was and THANK YOU for writing a fmc that doesn’t just sit around all sad waiting, I’m glad she went out and explored. Can’t stand a fmc that’s celibate and can’t move on, those books are such a drag!
You’re amazing your writting is amazing and pls keep writing!!!
May 15, 2026
okay
Just felt the betrayal story line dragged on for too long. Would have liked more of the redemption than how much of the book was spent on his emotional affair and her not leaving. Didn’t like that Thatcher seemed like such a weak MMC
I’m not a fan of the prolonged time apart. 6 years is a long time. I didn’t think he could be redeemed after such a lengthy betrayal and his inner thoughts were also unforgiving if I’m completely honest. May have been better to end it with them finding other people especially since he didn’t even seem to appreciate what he had even from the wedding day. Sad really
Just felt the betrayal story line dragged on for too long. Would have liked more of the redemption than how much of the book was spent on his emotional affair and her not leaving. Didn’t like that Thatcher seemed like such a weak MMC
I’m not a fan of the prolonged time apart. 6 years is a long time. I didn’t think he could be redeemed after such a lengthy betrayal and his inner thoughts were also unforgiving if I’m completely honest. May have been better to end it with them finding other people especially since he didn’t even seem to appreciate what he had even from the wedding day. Sad really
May 16, 2026
All in all, I did not love this book. I enjoyed Karen's birthday party. I don't understand why Carrie let Thatcher and his siblings back in her life. I feel that if the dating pool in Indigo Falls was better, she never would have considered taking Thatcher back.
At 62% - Carrie's attorney doesn't go to mediation with her? Thatcher's in there.
At 69% - Carrie's attorney decided to show up for the second mediation. About time. Carrie isn't paying the fees for nothing.
At 62% - Carrie's attorney doesn't go to mediation with her? Thatcher's in there.
At 69% - Carrie's attorney decided to show up for the second mediation. About time. Carrie isn't paying the fees for nothing.
May 26, 2026
5* only because it was a rage read
May 15, 2026
I didn’t love this as much as the first one. The MMC was soooo dumb. And I hated that they skipped so much time and didn’t show the progress of him.
May 18, 2026
2.5⭐️
Thatcher was a douche
Thatcher was a douche
Did Not Finish
June 3, 2026This book has like three different gut-punch moments and somehow they were all flaccid. I think part of it is that no one talks like a real person, and the male lead doesn't even think like one. He'll realize in one paragraph how awful he's been and what he's done to his marriage, and in the next wonder how his wife could leave him.
For an example of the dialogue, here's a phone conversation overheard that reveals the other woman's motivations:
"Believe me-- I'll get him to fuck me today, and it will be without a condom. In a few weeks, I'll tell him I'm pregnant. He'll think the baby is his, we'll get married, I'll wait a year or so, then divorce him. No big deal. Then you and I will be together, I'll get tons of money in the divorce, and I'll let him have full custody of the baby."
Madison skipped the chapter in her Scheming Other Woman textbook that mentioned not giving a SparkNotes summary of her nefarious plan while sitting in her target's office.
For an example of the dialogue, here's a phone conversation overheard that reveals the other woman's motivations:
"Believe me-- I'll get him to fuck me today, and it will be without a condom. In a few weeks, I'll tell him I'm pregnant. He'll think the baby is his, we'll get married, I'll wait a year or so, then divorce him. No big deal. Then you and I will be together, I'll get tons of money in the divorce, and I'll let him have full custody of the baby."
Madison skipped the chapter in her Scheming Other Woman textbook that mentioned not giving a SparkNotes summary of her nefarious plan while sitting in her target's office.
June 9, 2026
I have very mixed feelings about this book, which is probably the highest compliment and biggest criticism I can give it at the same time.
Let’s start with what this author does exceptionally well because she really does.
She writes betrayal better than almost anyone I’ve read.
Spoilers ahead:
The emotional affair in this book isn’t a sudden mistake or a random lapse in judgment. It is built brick by brick from the very beginning. In fact, I would argue that Thatcher’s betrayal starts long before Madison re-enters his life. It starts the moment he marries Carrie while still carrying unresolved feelings for another woman.
On their wedding day, Thatcher already knows that if Madison hadn’t left him, he wouldn’t be marrying Carrie. He knows Madison is the love of his life. He knows part of him is settling. That, to me, is where the betrayal begins.
Everything that follows feels believable because the groundwork was already there.
When Madison comes back, Thatcher doesn’t suddenly become someone else. He becomes exactly who he has always been. He prioritizes her. He chooses her company over his wife’s. He allows emotional intimacy to develop. He allows her to belittle Carrie. He allows his family to continue treating Carrie as less than. At one point, he even admits that after hearing for years that Carrie wasn’t good enough for him, he started believing it himself.
That is painful. That is messy. That is real.
And for the first 70-75% of the book, I thought the author was building something genuinely special.
Then we get to the part where this author consistently loses me. This is the second book I’ve read by her, and I’m noticing a very clear pattern.
She writes betrayal brilliantly. She writes the aftermath far less convincingly.
The problem is that once the betrayal happens, the narrative starts working overtime to protect the MMC.
Instead of allowing Thatcher’s choices to stand on their own, we gradually learn that Madison is manipulative, selfish, scheming, pregnant by another man, willing to pass the child off as Thatcher’s, and ultimately never truly loved him in the first place.
Then we discover Thatcher’s mother helped engineer Madison’s return because she never accepted Carrie and always wanted Madison back in Thatcher’s life.
Then Madison receives her karma. Then her life falls apart. Then she’s miserable. And suddenly the story stops being about Thatcher’s choices and starts becoming about how awful Madison was.
This is where the emotional complexity starts slipping away. Because the question the book never truly answers is:
If Madison had actually been who Thatcher thought she was, would he have chosen her?
For me, the answer feels like yes. And that’s the problem.
The story repeatedly shows Thatcher falling in love with Madison again, prioritizing her over Carrie, contemplating ending his marriage, and intending to sleep with her. The only thing that ultimately stops him is realizing Madison isn’t the fantasy he built in his head and that they don’t have sexual chemistry and that madison is a bad lay.
That is not the same thing as choosing Carrie. It’s choosing against Madison. And those are very different emotional conclusions.
What frustrates me is that the author doesn’t need these excuses. The betrayal was already compelling.
The emotional affair was already believable. The story was already strong enough. Madison didn’t need to become a villain for Thatcher’s redemption to work. In fact, I think it would have been stronger if she hadn’t.
One thing I will give the author credit for is that she didn’t rush the reconciliation. This wasn’t a situation where Carrie gets pregnant and suddenly forgives everything three months later.
Years pass. A lot of years. They divorce. They build separate lives. They co-parent. They slowly rebuild trust.
The actual process of them finding their way back to each other was surprisingly well done. By the end, I still wasn’t convinced they should have ended up together, but I did believe why they did. And that’s an important distinction.
In fact, my biggest issue with the book isn’t that the ending was poorly executed. It’s that I think the story accidentally convinced me that Carrie’s happiest ending wasn’t Thatcher.
The betrayal was written with such depth and consistency that I found myself rooting for Carrie to move forward rather than backward.
I wanted a version of the story where Thatcher genuinely changed, genuinely grew, genuinely became a better man and Carrie still chose herself.
Not because his growth wasn’t real. But because the damage he caused felt that significant.
Another small thing that bothered me was how selective the author is with information when it comes to protecting her MMCs.
Carrie’s dating life after the divorce is discussed. We know she had relationships. We know she moved on.
But what about Thatcher? Seven years is a long time.
Did he date? Did he have hookups? Did he stay celibate?
The book never tells us.
And it feels suspiciously convenient because any answer would complicate the image of Thatcher as the man who never stopped loving Carrie.
It’s another example of the narrative choosing not to ask questions that might make the MMC look less sympathetic.
Overall, I enjoyed this book.
I was invested. I was frustrated. I had strong opinions the entire time.
And honestly, that’s more than I can say for many books.
This author has a rare talent for writing emotional betrayal. Few authors make me feel the slow collapse of a relationship the way she does.
But after reading two books by her, I’m starting to notice a recurring flaw: the betrayal feels honest, while the redemption feels protected.
The other woman becomes a villain. The MMC becomes a victim of circumstances. The karma lands disproportionately on everyone except the person who made the choices.
And as a result, the aftermath never hits quite as hard as the betrayal itself.
Still, if you’re looking for a messy, emotional, infuriating cheating romance that will have you arguing with fictional characters for hours, this one absolutely delivers.
Let’s start with what this author does exceptionally well because she really does.
She writes betrayal better than almost anyone I’ve read.
Spoilers ahead:
The emotional affair in this book isn’t a sudden mistake or a random lapse in judgment. It is built brick by brick from the very beginning. In fact, I would argue that Thatcher’s betrayal starts long before Madison re-enters his life. It starts the moment he marries Carrie while still carrying unresolved feelings for another woman.
On their wedding day, Thatcher already knows that if Madison hadn’t left him, he wouldn’t be marrying Carrie. He knows Madison is the love of his life. He knows part of him is settling. That, to me, is where the betrayal begins.
Everything that follows feels believable because the groundwork was already there.
When Madison comes back, Thatcher doesn’t suddenly become someone else. He becomes exactly who he has always been. He prioritizes her. He chooses her company over his wife’s. He allows emotional intimacy to develop. He allows her to belittle Carrie. He allows his family to continue treating Carrie as less than. At one point, he even admits that after hearing for years that Carrie wasn’t good enough for him, he started believing it himself.
That is painful. That is messy. That is real.
And for the first 70-75% of the book, I thought the author was building something genuinely special.
Then we get to the part where this author consistently loses me. This is the second book I’ve read by her, and I’m noticing a very clear pattern.
She writes betrayal brilliantly. She writes the aftermath far less convincingly.
The problem is that once the betrayal happens, the narrative starts working overtime to protect the MMC.
Instead of allowing Thatcher’s choices to stand on their own, we gradually learn that Madison is manipulative, selfish, scheming, pregnant by another man, willing to pass the child off as Thatcher’s, and ultimately never truly loved him in the first place.
Then we discover Thatcher’s mother helped engineer Madison’s return because she never accepted Carrie and always wanted Madison back in Thatcher’s life.
Then Madison receives her karma. Then her life falls apart. Then she’s miserable. And suddenly the story stops being about Thatcher’s choices and starts becoming about how awful Madison was.
This is where the emotional complexity starts slipping away. Because the question the book never truly answers is:
If Madison had actually been who Thatcher thought she was, would he have chosen her?
For me, the answer feels like yes. And that’s the problem.
The story repeatedly shows Thatcher falling in love with Madison again, prioritizing her over Carrie, contemplating ending his marriage, and intending to sleep with her. The only thing that ultimately stops him is realizing Madison isn’t the fantasy he built in his head and that they don’t have sexual chemistry and that madison is a bad lay.
That is not the same thing as choosing Carrie. It’s choosing against Madison. And those are very different emotional conclusions.
What frustrates me is that the author doesn’t need these excuses. The betrayal was already compelling.
The emotional affair was already believable. The story was already strong enough. Madison didn’t need to become a villain for Thatcher’s redemption to work. In fact, I think it would have been stronger if she hadn’t.
One thing I will give the author credit for is that she didn’t rush the reconciliation. This wasn’t a situation where Carrie gets pregnant and suddenly forgives everything three months later.
Years pass. A lot of years. They divorce. They build separate lives. They co-parent. They slowly rebuild trust.
The actual process of them finding their way back to each other was surprisingly well done. By the end, I still wasn’t convinced they should have ended up together, but I did believe why they did. And that’s an important distinction.
In fact, my biggest issue with the book isn’t that the ending was poorly executed. It’s that I think the story accidentally convinced me that Carrie’s happiest ending wasn’t Thatcher.
The betrayal was written with such depth and consistency that I found myself rooting for Carrie to move forward rather than backward.
I wanted a version of the story where Thatcher genuinely changed, genuinely grew, genuinely became a better man and Carrie still chose herself.
Not because his growth wasn’t real. But because the damage he caused felt that significant.
Another small thing that bothered me was how selective the author is with information when it comes to protecting her MMCs.
Carrie’s dating life after the divorce is discussed. We know she had relationships. We know she moved on.
But what about Thatcher? Seven years is a long time.
Did he date? Did he have hookups? Did he stay celibate?
The book never tells us.
And it feels suspiciously convenient because any answer would complicate the image of Thatcher as the man who never stopped loving Carrie.
It’s another example of the narrative choosing not to ask questions that might make the MMC look less sympathetic.
Overall, I enjoyed this book.
I was invested. I was frustrated. I had strong opinions the entire time.
And honestly, that’s more than I can say for many books.
This author has a rare talent for writing emotional betrayal. Few authors make me feel the slow collapse of a relationship the way she does.
But after reading two books by her, I’m starting to notice a recurring flaw: the betrayal feels honest, while the redemption feels protected.
The other woman becomes a villain. The MMC becomes a victim of circumstances. The karma lands disproportionately on everyone except the person who made the choices.
And as a result, the aftermath never hits quite as hard as the betrayal itself.
Still, if you’re looking for a messy, emotional, infuriating cheating romance that will have you arguing with fictional characters for hours, this one absolutely delivers.
June 13, 2026
Main trope: This is a second chance romance.
Additional tropes:
✅Cheating
✅Marriage in trouble
✅Other woman drama
✅Overheard
✅Surprise pregnancy
Detailed spoilers/trigger warnings (if any) and final thoughts can be found below. There is a warning right before the spoiler and trigger section so you have the choice to proceed or stop reading.
Summary: This story follows Carrie and Thatcher. They’ve been married for five years. The book begins with a past scene from their wedding, where we learn that his parents did not want him to marry her and that he never got over his first love, whom he had been engaged with, and she broke that engagement off just a few weeks before their wedding was supposed to take place.
Back in the current timeline, the MMC‘s father has passed away, and now he must move into the role of the head of their family business. Thatcher’s mom is a horrible woman and has been so mean and spiteful to the FMC over the years. The company has an ad campaign that they are trying to work on and Thatcher’s mom ends up hiring Madison, the other woman in the story who happens to be Thatcher’s ex.
Immediately we see Thatcher becoming obsessed with Madison and his attitude toward his wife changes and she notices. Through her inner monologue, we are able to see just how distant he has become, and the things that he’s doing that has her concerned like the unexplained late nights, the way he’s distracted when he does eventually come home from work, it’s all starting to add up to her that something is very off.
She’s planning an important event for her town and it’s something she’s very excited about. The night of the event comes and Thatcher doesn’t show up and she is beyond hurt and angry. When the event is over, she goes home planning to confront him, except he’s not there. She assumes he is still at work, so she heads to his office where she catches him with the other woman. After some videos and pictures are taken, as well as overhearing him say some things that are hurtful, she leaves, armed with the evidence she’ll need to end her marriage.
Thatcher seems regretful, but based on his actions so far, it’s difficult to say if it’s genuine. It isn’t until he finds out that the other woman has been using him that he seems to fully grasp how much he messed up and that it was for nothing. At this point, the FMC has already done what she needed to do, and when Thatcher realizes this, he’s devastated.
Several years pass, and we find the couple coparenting their son, the child that the FMC found out she was pregnant with while she was ending her marriage. Things are amicable, and Thatcher has never given up on getting Carrie back, despite having watched her move on to other relationships over the years. But he’s patient, and one day she finally notices and starts to consider a life where she gives him a second chance if she is ready for that.
⚠️SPOILERS/SPICE/DETAILED TRIGGERS⚠️
✋
✋
✋
*The other woman drama was pretty good in this one, as well as the drama from the MMC’s mother.
🌶️:1/5
Final thoughts: As much as I love cheating and other woman drama in my books, it needs to be done right and this wasn’t it. I absolutely despised the MMC in this book. He treated his wife like crap and let people in his life treat her like crap and the FMC was a doormat in the moments where she could have stuck up for herself or put people in their place. It was also very frustrating that it seemed he was only regretful over what happened when he knew the true intent of the other woman. The book was written in a way that made me feel like had he not known how the other woman felt, that he would’ve been fine with continuing to do what he was doing.
In my opinion, the FMC put up with things for too long and that was also frustrating. I was happy when she finally decided to confront him and in the end, she stood her ground but at that point it just felt like too much time had passed.
This book was also very repetitive. The MMC repeated the same thoughts over and over. It also dragged as a poor attempt was made to provide us with a timeline of events by stating things like more time passed, nothing has changed, etc. I also thought there were too many secondary characters. All the names of her friends and the names of his friends and it was just like trying to keep up with who was who and I hated that.
The most enjoyable part for me was when the MMC overheard the other woman on the phone and was actually able to see how despicable she is. The second best part was the FMC‘s decision to move forward with what she wanted to do and how she stood her ground with that.
Unfortunately, there was too much frustration with the story that even the two things that I really enjoyed about the book, couldn’t make up for.
Additional tropes:
✅Cheating
✅Marriage in trouble
✅Other woman drama
✅Overheard
✅Surprise pregnancy
Detailed spoilers/trigger warnings (if any) and final thoughts can be found below. There is a warning right before the spoiler and trigger section so you have the choice to proceed or stop reading.
Summary: This story follows Carrie and Thatcher. They’ve been married for five years. The book begins with a past scene from their wedding, where we learn that his parents did not want him to marry her and that he never got over his first love, whom he had been engaged with, and she broke that engagement off just a few weeks before their wedding was supposed to take place.
Back in the current timeline, the MMC‘s father has passed away, and now he must move into the role of the head of their family business. Thatcher’s mom is a horrible woman and has been so mean and spiteful to the FMC over the years. The company has an ad campaign that they are trying to work on and Thatcher’s mom ends up hiring Madison, the other woman in the story who happens to be Thatcher’s ex.
Immediately we see Thatcher becoming obsessed with Madison and his attitude toward his wife changes and she notices. Through her inner monologue, we are able to see just how distant he has become, and the things that he’s doing that has her concerned like the unexplained late nights, the way he’s distracted when he does eventually come home from work, it’s all starting to add up to her that something is very off.
She’s planning an important event for her town and it’s something she’s very excited about. The night of the event comes and Thatcher doesn’t show up and she is beyond hurt and angry. When the event is over, she goes home planning to confront him, except he’s not there. She assumes he is still at work, so she heads to his office where she catches him with the other woman. After some videos and pictures are taken, as well as overhearing him say some things that are hurtful, she leaves, armed with the evidence she’ll need to end her marriage.
Thatcher seems regretful, but based on his actions so far, it’s difficult to say if it’s genuine. It isn’t until he finds out that the other woman has been using him that he seems to fully grasp how much he messed up and that it was for nothing. At this point, the FMC has already done what she needed to do, and when Thatcher realizes this, he’s devastated.
Several years pass, and we find the couple coparenting their son, the child that the FMC found out she was pregnant with while she was ending her marriage. Things are amicable, and Thatcher has never given up on getting Carrie back, despite having watched her move on to other relationships over the years. But he’s patient, and one day she finally notices and starts to consider a life where she gives him a second chance if she is ready for that.
⚠️SPOILERS/SPICE/DETAILED TRIGGERS⚠️
✋
✋
✋
*The other woman drama was pretty good in this one, as well as the drama from the MMC’s mother.
🌶️:1/5
Final thoughts: As much as I love cheating and other woman drama in my books, it needs to be done right and this wasn’t it. I absolutely despised the MMC in this book. He treated his wife like crap and let people in his life treat her like crap and the FMC was a doormat in the moments where she could have stuck up for herself or put people in their place. It was also very frustrating that it seemed he was only regretful over what happened when he knew the true intent of the other woman. The book was written in a way that made me feel like had he not known how the other woman felt, that he would’ve been fine with continuing to do what he was doing.
In my opinion, the FMC put up with things for too long and that was also frustrating. I was happy when she finally decided to confront him and in the end, she stood her ground but at that point it just felt like too much time had passed.
This book was also very repetitive. The MMC repeated the same thoughts over and over. It also dragged as a poor attempt was made to provide us with a timeline of events by stating things like more time passed, nothing has changed, etc. I also thought there were too many secondary characters. All the names of her friends and the names of his friends and it was just like trying to keep up with who was who and I hated that.
The most enjoyable part for me was when the MMC overheard the other woman on the phone and was actually able to see how despicable she is. The second best part was the FMC‘s decision to move forward with what she wanted to do and how she stood her ground with that.
Unfortunately, there was too much frustration with the story that even the two things that I really enjoyed about the book, couldn’t make up for.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
June 4, 2026
Cheating = H's ex-fiancée comes back and he spends all his time, lunches, dinners, etc. with her or obsessing over her. H lets the ex/OW touch him and exclude the h when out. H is emotionally cheating hardcore and when he decides that he will leave the h, he intends to have sex with the OW. H and OW are heavily petting, get naked and just about to have penetration when H reaches for a condom and he suddenly stops. The condom was from H's dad stash and it smacks H in the face he was about to become his dad....um, sir. You became your dad when you knowingly and intentionally gave everything to the OW while completely ghosting your own wife/h.
h sees H with OW = h had to watch the H with OW at an event where OW kept touching H and where H was showcasing the OW while ignoring the h. h also saw the H with a naked OW after the near sex.
OW drama = H's mom intentionally brings the OW back into the H's life because she never liked or accepted the h. H's mom was always insulting the h (H never stepped in) as was one of the H's sisters. Comeuppance? H ends up cutting contact with his mother and it took years before there was even limited access; the sister worked hard to be a better person and ended up with a limited role in their lives. The ex/OW took full advantage of the H and his obsession with her. OW manipulated the H with ease. OW played H up until the h left the H and H had his eyes opened. Comeuppance? OW cuts her losses and just leaves aided by the H's mom so she has no consequences. OW fades off into background.
Grovel = In addition to the cheating that h finds out about, she also gets to overhear the H talk about how the h is a rebound and other hurtful things. After the near penetration incident mentioned above, H goes home to either confess or just leave the h, but the h did an uno reverse and had already left the H (she had gone to talk with H and saw him with naked OW talking about the h in a shitty way). h stood strong and wanted nothing to do with the H, even had to reiterate to him that she did not even want to speak to him while at mediation and directed him to only speak to her attorney. H realized that the OW was a POS and his mom had orchestrated it all to get rid of h...she succeeded. H tries everything he can think of to grovel and h never wavers from not wanting anything from him...UNTIL...she finds out she is pregnant (*sigh*). Suddenly H has a way back in and he works hard to get back in...spoiler alert...it takes him YEARS before she will even contemplate anything beyond a co-parenting relationship. H has to watch her with other men while he just marinates in his own misery of his won making, so do not feel sorry for him! Eventually, h cracks and lets him back in and they get a HEA.
H is very beta but he thinks he is an alpha...the h is the real alpha here!! I do not think the h would have ever gotten back with the H if it were not for their child. She would have gone on to live a good life and the H would have rotted away in misery and regret, but this is fiction and gotta have a plot point to pivot on to bring them back together.
h sees H with OW = h had to watch the H with OW at an event where OW kept touching H and where H was showcasing the OW while ignoring the h. h also saw the H with a naked OW after the near sex.
OW drama = H's mom intentionally brings the OW back into the H's life because she never liked or accepted the h. H's mom was always insulting the h (H never stepped in) as was one of the H's sisters. Comeuppance? H ends up cutting contact with his mother and it took years before there was even limited access; the sister worked hard to be a better person and ended up with a limited role in their lives. The ex/OW took full advantage of the H and his obsession with her. OW manipulated the H with ease. OW played H up until the h left the H and H had his eyes opened. Comeuppance? OW cuts her losses and just leaves aided by the H's mom so she has no consequences. OW fades off into background.
Grovel = In addition to the cheating that h finds out about, she also gets to overhear the H talk about how the h is a rebound and other hurtful things. After the near penetration incident mentioned above, H goes home to either confess or just leave the h, but the h did an uno reverse and had already left the H (she had gone to talk with H and saw him with naked OW talking about the h in a shitty way). h stood strong and wanted nothing to do with the H, even had to reiterate to him that she did not even want to speak to him while at mediation and directed him to only speak to her attorney. H realized that the OW was a POS and his mom had orchestrated it all to get rid of h...she succeeded. H tries everything he can think of to grovel and h never wavers from not wanting anything from him...UNTIL...she finds out she is pregnant (*sigh*). Suddenly H has a way back in and he works hard to get back in...spoiler alert...it takes him YEARS before she will even contemplate anything beyond a co-parenting relationship. H has to watch her with other men while he just marinates in his own misery of his won making, so do not feel sorry for him! Eventually, h cracks and lets him back in and they get a HEA.
H is very beta but he thinks he is an alpha...the h is the real alpha here!! I do not think the h would have ever gotten back with the H if it were not for their child. She would have gone on to live a good life and the H would have rotted away in misery and regret, but this is fiction and gotta have a plot point to pivot on to bring them back together.
May 17, 2026
⭐️⭐️
This is not going to be pretty, because as a reader I feel a bit betrayed by this story. Spoilers ahead. You’ve been warned.
I’m going to start out by saying that I’m a HUGE lover of cheating/betrayal/grovel stories, so my reaction to this book is not because I’m one of those readers (you know who they are) who reads a book about cheating and rates it badly because she’s mad the hero cheated. I dislike those reviewers, and I promise you that’s not how I roll.
It breaks my heart to be honest in this review because I loved the first book in this series, Sorry, Sadie.
Convincing Carrie had so much potential, but there are such major developmental issues that it feels like the author forgot she was writing a ROMANCE. From scene one, the MMC is overwhelmed with his lingering LOVE of the OW, his ex-fiancée, who left him just before their planned wedding to pursue modeling (how original😏).
Then we are subjected to an FMC who is the perfect wife, but the MMC’s feelings for her and the 5 year life they built evaporated the very second his ex comes back. At no point in this story did the MMC’s internal dialogue reveal more than a convenient “in-like” level of feelings for his wife. So then he carries on a months long affair that does turn physical at the end—which the FMC witnesses. He stops it before penetration happens and then acts like he should get a gold star. But here is where the author really lost me: he didn’t stop it because he loved the FMC. He stopped it because he didn’t want to be like his philandering father who he hated…. So….. as he tries to repent and stop his inevitable divorce he is still in love with the OW, but sorta fighting for his wife because shes such a nice gal.
💡Authors: if your MMC does not love the FMC, THERE👏🏼 IS 👏🏼NOTHING 👏🏼TO👏🏼 REDEEM👏🏼.
THEN, the cardinal sin of authors who don’t know who to write a redemption: the OW is discovered to be an evil, conniving villain and ONLY AFTER this is discovered does the MMC change his tune. Suddenly we get a case of “I loved her with my whole soul the entire time, I just never had a single thought or consideration cross my mind for her.” WOW, wild how that happened without a moment of character development or even a single scene to back up these deep feelings of love he had for her…. I’m sorry, but if this is the direction you choose as an author then there has to be a second hero who has the HEA with the FMC.
I kept reading because the author has to have a plan to fix these issues, right? Nope. At about 80% we just get a time jump of 5 years where they’re co-parenting and the FMC is dating but all the piece of 💩 MMC has to do is buy her some flowers and nice birthday presents and she’s falling on his dick like it’s an oopsie and everyone is happy. Yay, what a sweet HEA. 🤮
This is not going to be pretty, because as a reader I feel a bit betrayed by this story. Spoilers ahead. You’ve been warned.
I’m going to start out by saying that I’m a HUGE lover of cheating/betrayal/grovel stories, so my reaction to this book is not because I’m one of those readers (you know who they are) who reads a book about cheating and rates it badly because she’s mad the hero cheated. I dislike those reviewers, and I promise you that’s not how I roll.
It breaks my heart to be honest in this review because I loved the first book in this series, Sorry, Sadie.
Convincing Carrie had so much potential, but there are such major developmental issues that it feels like the author forgot she was writing a ROMANCE. From scene one, the MMC is overwhelmed with his lingering LOVE of the OW, his ex-fiancée, who left him just before their planned wedding to pursue modeling (how original😏).
Then we are subjected to an FMC who is the perfect wife, but the MMC’s feelings for her and the 5 year life they built evaporated the very second his ex comes back. At no point in this story did the MMC’s internal dialogue reveal more than a convenient “in-like” level of feelings for his wife. So then he carries on a months long affair that does turn physical at the end—which the FMC witnesses. He stops it before penetration happens and then acts like he should get a gold star. But here is where the author really lost me: he didn’t stop it because he loved the FMC. He stopped it because he didn’t want to be like his philandering father who he hated…. So….. as he tries to repent and stop his inevitable divorce he is still in love with the OW, but sorta fighting for his wife because shes such a nice gal.
💡Authors: if your MMC does not love the FMC, THERE👏🏼 IS 👏🏼NOTHING 👏🏼TO👏🏼 REDEEM👏🏼.
THEN, the cardinal sin of authors who don’t know who to write a redemption: the OW is discovered to be an evil, conniving villain and ONLY AFTER this is discovered does the MMC change his tune. Suddenly we get a case of “I loved her with my whole soul the entire time, I just never had a single thought or consideration cross my mind for her.” WOW, wild how that happened without a moment of character development or even a single scene to back up these deep feelings of love he had for her…. I’m sorry, but if this is the direction you choose as an author then there has to be a second hero who has the HEA with the FMC.
I kept reading because the author has to have a plan to fix these issues, right? Nope. At about 80% we just get a time jump of 5 years where they’re co-parenting and the FMC is dating but all the piece of 💩 MMC has to do is buy her some flowers and nice birthday presents and she’s falling on his dick like it’s an oopsie and everyone is happy. Yay, what a sweet HEA. 🤮
June 20, 2026
Second Chance/Almost Cheating/Dual PoV
SYNOPSIS: The FC, Carrie, married the MC, Thatcher, straight after university where they met. Whilst she comes from a wealthy family Thatcher comes from a top billionaire Atlanta family and his family have always looked down on Carrie as not good enough. The story starts when the FC and MC have been happily married for 5 years, Thatcher‘s father has just died and he has taken over as CEO and is kicking off a big advertising campaign. The face for the Campaign is Maddie, Thatcher‘s ex fiancé. It transpires that for whatever reason Thatcher never told Carrie that he was engaged and that he never got over his fiancé dumping him 3 weeks before the wedding. As the campaign moves forward Thatcher gets sucked back into his old feelings for Maddie egged on by his mother. Over the months he starts missing dinners and ignoring Carrie until they become almost strangers. Things come to a head when Thatcher almost (but doen‘t) sleep with Maddie and he misses a critical dinner with Carrie. Carrie files for divorce only to find herself pregnant but still moves forward with the divorce.
HEAT LEVEL 🍆🍆🍆/🌶️🌶️🌶️ There‘s plenty of steam and heat through the book between the FC and MC and, whilst the MC comes close to physically cheating he does not cross that line. There is definitely emotional cheating though.
In summary this is an enjoyable second chance, redemption arc, grovel romance. It is a quick, enjoyable read without too much depth but the FC was likeable and strong and the strong supporting cast gave depth to the story and there is a good emotional thread where the author delves into Carrie‘s reactions and Thatcher‘s behaviour. There is definitely some drama and a little bit of angst.
There is some good world building with a solid cast of supporting characters who add depth and breadth to the story. The FC is strong and doesn‘t allow herself to be walked over and, whilst the MC comes across as weak for allowing the OW to draw him in and become besotted with her, he does make up for much of his behaviour with his redemption and grovel. I confess that I was a little annoyed at how much time it took for Carrie to actually question how Thatcher was drawing away from her and how she allowed herself to be treated like an afterthought for so long. I also found it hard to really believe how Thatcher was able to treat Carrie how he did. However, that all lead up to a great showdown when Carrie finally stands up for herself and Thatcher realises how wrong he was. I would have like to see a bit more of Thatcher‘s mother being put in her place and the OW being made to pay for what she did but overall this was a fun, well written, enjoyable read.
SYNOPSIS: The FC, Carrie, married the MC, Thatcher, straight after university where they met. Whilst she comes from a wealthy family Thatcher comes from a top billionaire Atlanta family and his family have always looked down on Carrie as not good enough. The story starts when the FC and MC have been happily married for 5 years, Thatcher‘s father has just died and he has taken over as CEO and is kicking off a big advertising campaign. The face for the Campaign is Maddie, Thatcher‘s ex fiancé. It transpires that for whatever reason Thatcher never told Carrie that he was engaged and that he never got over his fiancé dumping him 3 weeks before the wedding. As the campaign moves forward Thatcher gets sucked back into his old feelings for Maddie egged on by his mother. Over the months he starts missing dinners and ignoring Carrie until they become almost strangers. Things come to a head when Thatcher almost (but doen‘t) sleep with Maddie and he misses a critical dinner with Carrie. Carrie files for divorce only to find herself pregnant but still moves forward with the divorce.
HEAT LEVEL 🍆🍆🍆/🌶️🌶️🌶️ There‘s plenty of steam and heat through the book between the FC and MC and, whilst the MC comes close to physically cheating he does not cross that line. There is definitely emotional cheating though.
In summary this is an enjoyable second chance, redemption arc, grovel romance. It is a quick, enjoyable read without too much depth but the FC was likeable and strong and the strong supporting cast gave depth to the story and there is a good emotional thread where the author delves into Carrie‘s reactions and Thatcher‘s behaviour. There is definitely some drama and a little bit of angst.
There is some good world building with a solid cast of supporting characters who add depth and breadth to the story. The FC is strong and doesn‘t allow herself to be walked over and, whilst the MC comes across as weak for allowing the OW to draw him in and become besotted with her, he does make up for much of his behaviour with his redemption and grovel. I confess that I was a little annoyed at how much time it took for Carrie to actually question how Thatcher was drawing away from her and how she allowed herself to be treated like an afterthought for so long. I also found it hard to really believe how Thatcher was able to treat Carrie how he did. However, that all lead up to a great showdown when Carrie finally stands up for herself and Thatcher realises how wrong he was. I would have like to see a bit more of Thatcher‘s mother being put in her place and the OW being made to pay for what she did but overall this was a fun, well written, enjoyable read.
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