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Marriage & Mockery
He turned his wife’s quirks into the punchline of America’s favorite sitcom.
172 pages, Kindle Edition
Published August 14, 2026
About the author
Wren Shaw
10 books89 followersRomance author of love stories with heroes who mess up & heroines who make them beg.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 125 reviews
August 14, 2026
The whole problem with this story is that the heroine NEVER watched the sitcom until the end. If your husband supposedly makes a show mocking your quirky personality, why would you not watch it? Makes no sense.
The betrayal is weak. Sure, it was hurtful; I just had a hard time because the heroine NEVER watched it. How can you be mad at somebody if you don’t have the full story?
Then around 83% she finally watches the show and realizes it is not really her, but a very unrealistic version of her. OKAY so the problem is solved and she forgives her husband. HEA
Ugh WHY DIDN’T SHE WATCH THE SHOW? She could have avoided all this.
The conflict ended up being about nothing.
Now the preview for the next one seems like a dumpster fire.
The betrayal is weak. Sure, it was hurtful; I just had a hard time because the heroine NEVER watched it. How can you be mad at somebody if you don’t have the full story?
Then around 83% she finally watches the show and realizes it is not really her, but a very unrealistic version of her. OKAY so the problem is solved and she forgives her husband. HEA
Ugh WHY DIDN’T SHE WATCH THE SHOW? She could have avoided all this.
The conflict ended up being about nothing.
Now the preview for the next one seems like a dumpster fire.
August 14, 2026
⭐⭐⭐.25
This series keeps getting me with the blurbs. Every single time I read one, I think, oh, this is going to HURT. And then I read the actual book and somehow the emotional math is just a little off.
This one had such a good setup. Laina and Bennett have been married for more than fourteen years, they’re genuinely still madly in love, and she supported him financially while he chased his dream of becoming a successful comedy writer. Then, during an acceptance speech, Bennett reveals that Laina was the inspiration for Sally—a ridiculous sitcom character the public has spent years mercilessly mocking.
The problem? The actual betrayal wasn’t nearly as devastating as the premise made it sound.
When Laina finally watches the show, she realizes Sally really isn’t her. Bennett did what writers do: he took tiny pieces of someone he knew and turned them into something wildly exaggerated and fictional. Laina sings off-key because she enjoys singing; Sally sings terribly and waits for applause like she’s just performed at Carnegie Hall. Laina tries to repair things before throwing them away; Sally thinks broken appliances might be sad and could start working again when they feel better. You’d have to know Laina incredibly well to even recognize the inspiration.
The real mistake was Bennett publicly connecting Laina to Sally without warning her. The audience and internet immediately turned that into OMG, Bennett’s wife IS Sally, and suddenly Laina herself was the punchline. Worse, Bennett took far too long to realize that his team needed to be protecting her reputation, not just his.
That’s enough for hurt feelings. It’s enough for a marital conflict. But for the level of separation and grovel this story wanted? I needed the original offense to be worse.
Give me Bennett getting carried away during that speech. Let him tell one recognizable story about Laina for a laugh. Let the audience laugh at her. Better yet, let Laina confront him afterward and have Bennett initially minimize it because he genuinely doesn’t understand why she’s hurt. Give me one moment where this otherwise wonderful husband spectacularly fails his wife.
Then make him realize what he’s done.
THAT could have taken this from 3.25 stars to four or even five.
Instead, Bennett is almost too good at understanding her feelings afterward. One of my favorite scenes was actually him explaining to their daughter Lucy that it didn’t matter whether Lucy thought Mom’s reaction was proportional. Laina was hurting, and when someone you love is hurting, you don’t have to agree with their feelings to support them. It was genuinely lovely—and also made it harder to believe this one mistake required quite so much groveling.
I think that’s been my recurring problem with this series. The blurbs are fantastic, but the emotional payoff rarely matches them. Sometimes the wife holds him accountable forever for something relatively minor; sometimes something genuinely awful gets forgiven too quickly; sometimes the story simply overstays its welcome. There’s always something keeping an excellent premise in the three-star neighborhood.
This one lands around #3 out of the first five books for me. I enjoyed it, I liked Bennett and Laina together, and I’m glad their marriage was genuinely loving rather than secretly terrible all along. I just kept waiting for the gut punch the premise promised, and it never quite came.
3.25 stars.
And yes, I’m reading Book 6 because apparently I have learned absolutely nothing. The blurb sounds SO GOOD. 😂
This series keeps getting me with the blurbs. Every single time I read one, I think, oh, this is going to HURT. And then I read the actual book and somehow the emotional math is just a little off.
This one had such a good setup. Laina and Bennett have been married for more than fourteen years, they’re genuinely still madly in love, and she supported him financially while he chased his dream of becoming a successful comedy writer. Then, during an acceptance speech, Bennett reveals that Laina was the inspiration for Sally—a ridiculous sitcom character the public has spent years mercilessly mocking.
The problem? The actual betrayal wasn’t nearly as devastating as the premise made it sound.
When Laina finally watches the show, she realizes Sally really isn’t her. Bennett did what writers do: he took tiny pieces of someone he knew and turned them into something wildly exaggerated and fictional. Laina sings off-key because she enjoys singing; Sally sings terribly and waits for applause like she’s just performed at Carnegie Hall. Laina tries to repair things before throwing them away; Sally thinks broken appliances might be sad and could start working again when they feel better. You’d have to know Laina incredibly well to even recognize the inspiration.
The real mistake was Bennett publicly connecting Laina to Sally without warning her. The audience and internet immediately turned that into OMG, Bennett’s wife IS Sally, and suddenly Laina herself was the punchline. Worse, Bennett took far too long to realize that his team needed to be protecting her reputation, not just his.
That’s enough for hurt feelings. It’s enough for a marital conflict. But for the level of separation and grovel this story wanted? I needed the original offense to be worse.
Give me Bennett getting carried away during that speech. Let him tell one recognizable story about Laina for a laugh. Let the audience laugh at her. Better yet, let Laina confront him afterward and have Bennett initially minimize it because he genuinely doesn’t understand why she’s hurt. Give me one moment where this otherwise wonderful husband spectacularly fails his wife.
Then make him realize what he’s done.
THAT could have taken this from 3.25 stars to four or even five.
Instead, Bennett is almost too good at understanding her feelings afterward. One of my favorite scenes was actually him explaining to their daughter Lucy that it didn’t matter whether Lucy thought Mom’s reaction was proportional. Laina was hurting, and when someone you love is hurting, you don’t have to agree with their feelings to support them. It was genuinely lovely—and also made it harder to believe this one mistake required quite so much groveling.
I think that’s been my recurring problem with this series. The blurbs are fantastic, but the emotional payoff rarely matches them. Sometimes the wife holds him accountable forever for something relatively minor; sometimes something genuinely awful gets forgiven too quickly; sometimes the story simply overstays its welcome. There’s always something keeping an excellent premise in the three-star neighborhood.
This one lands around #3 out of the first five books for me. I enjoyed it, I liked Bennett and Laina together, and I’m glad their marriage was genuinely loving rather than secretly terrible all along. I just kept waiting for the gut punch the premise promised, and it never quite came.
3.25 stars.
And yes, I’m reading Book 6 because apparently I have learned absolutely nothing. The blurb sounds SO GOOD. 😂
August 17, 2026
Is this why Americans have such high divorce rates?
My biggest problem with this was that I literally didn't think the husband did anything wrong...except an awkward joke. Which could have been cleared up with an adult conversation. Artists get inspiration from their world...that's all it was...
My biggest problem with this was that I literally didn't think the husband did anything wrong...except an awkward joke. Which could have been cleared up with an adult conversation. Artists get inspiration from their world...that's all it was...
August 15, 2026
This one just did not hit for me. I know novellas are always tough but it just felt like nothing really got fleshed out on any side
August 15, 2026
I’m sorry but this was boring,
Lost interest and this was one of my fav tropes
Lost interest and this was one of my fav tropes
August 14, 2026
“When you find out your husband has been mocking you for years…”
Overall Opinion:
This is the 5th book in the Betray Me Once Series and it’s probably my least favorite. I’m not a huge fan of miscommunication which causes massive drama and that’s what this felt like to me. Very anti-climatic.
Brief Summary of the Storyline:
The H (Bennett) is a writer/creator for a huge comedy tv show. During his acceptance speech he thanks his wife for the inspiration for his main character.
“I wouldn’t have been able to write Sally’s character without knowing all your quirks so well.” The character from his show who people made fun of had been inspired by his wife, Laina (the h) and she had been in the dark the whole time. She leaves the awards show without her husband and when she gets home her 13 year old daughter tells her what her dad did wasn’t cool but he was right. Laina packs her bags and leaves for about a week. Then she moves back home. He makes changes and there’s an HEA between OC. She also ends up watching the show (which she hadn’t done before) and realizes sally wasn’t so bad. She actually found the show funny.
POV: Bennett & Laina
Overall Pace of Story: it’s about 124 pages and moves fairly quickly. The “betrayal” is in the very beginning.
Instalove: No
H rating: 3.5/5 Bennett is hard to rate. I don’t think he was malicious he just didn’t think things through. He’s clueless. When he saw the stir his speech caused “Bennett, you told everyone the most mocked character on television right now was based on your wife.” I opened my mouth, then closed it again, at a loss for words, which was unheard of for me. Later it’s said that his speech was taken the completely wrong way. He also changed Sally so nothing of his wife remained, he didn’t care if the show lost ratings or not.
h rating: 4/5 I liked Laina. I liked that she held both her husband and daughter accountable for their hurtful words. She took time for herself and laid down ground rules for when his work affected their marriage.
Sadness level: 0
Push/Pull: no
Heat level: 🌶️
Descriptive sex: yes
OW/OM drama: no
Sex scene with OW or OM: no
Cheating: no
Separation: she took some time and stayed at a hotel for about a week.
Possible Triggers: maybe public humiliation?
Closure: yes
3rd Act Breakup: no
⁃ Does Not have cheating
⁃ Does Not have a descriptive sex scene with OW/OM
⁃ Does Not have both the h and H pushing away
⁃ Does have a separation between the h and H
⁃ Does Not have OTT sad parts
⁃ Does have a HEA ending
Overall Opinion:
This is the 5th book in the Betray Me Once Series and it’s probably my least favorite. I’m not a huge fan of miscommunication which causes massive drama and that’s what this felt like to me. Very anti-climatic.
Brief Summary of the Storyline:
The H (Bennett) is a writer/creator for a huge comedy tv show. During his acceptance speech he thanks his wife for the inspiration for his main character.
“I wouldn’t have been able to write Sally’s character without knowing all your quirks so well.” The character from his show who people made fun of had been inspired by his wife, Laina (the h) and she had been in the dark the whole time. She leaves the awards show without her husband and when she gets home her 13 year old daughter tells her what her dad did wasn’t cool but he was right. Laina packs her bags and leaves for about a week. Then she moves back home. He makes changes and there’s an HEA between OC. She also ends up watching the show (which she hadn’t done before) and realizes sally wasn’t so bad. She actually found the show funny.
POV: Bennett & Laina
Overall Pace of Story: it’s about 124 pages and moves fairly quickly. The “betrayal” is in the very beginning.
Instalove: No
H rating: 3.5/5 Bennett is hard to rate. I don’t think he was malicious he just didn’t think things through. He’s clueless. When he saw the stir his speech caused “Bennett, you told everyone the most mocked character on television right now was based on your wife.” I opened my mouth, then closed it again, at a loss for words, which was unheard of for me. Later it’s said that his speech was taken the completely wrong way. He also changed Sally so nothing of his wife remained, he didn’t care if the show lost ratings or not.
h rating: 4/5 I liked Laina. I liked that she held both her husband and daughter accountable for their hurtful words. She took time for herself and laid down ground rules for when his work affected their marriage.
Sadness level: 0
Push/Pull: no
Heat level: 🌶️
Descriptive sex: yes
OW/OM drama: no
Sex scene with OW or OM: no
Cheating: no
Separation: she took some time and stayed at a hotel for about a week.
Possible Triggers: maybe public humiliation?
Closure: yes
3rd Act Breakup: no
⁃ Does Not have cheating
⁃ Does Not have a descriptive sex scene with OW/OM
⁃ Does Not have both the h and H pushing away
⁃ Does have a separation between the h and H
⁃ Does Not have OTT sad parts
⁃ Does have a HEA ending
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
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August 30, 2026Si yo estuviera en el lugar de Laina, lo habría dejado. Una cosa es que se inspirara para crear un personaje y otra totalmente diferente es que utilizara cosas que L hacía en su día a día y las pusiera en el guion y que justamente esas escenas fueran las graciosas y tontas. Y lo peor es que no veía qué tenía de malo hasta que L lo dejó.
No hay arrepentimiento real por parte de Bennett. De verdad, no hizo nada para ganarse su perdón. Las acciones que tomó fueron consejos de su abogado, nada fue idea suya. Bueno, solo hubo una cosa que hizo por iniciativa propia, aunque era lo mínimo: dejar de utilizar lo que hacía L y para guion. Eso fue todo.
Ah, y aparte es un mentiroso porque dice que no veía lo malo en lo que estaba haciendo, pero antes de que saliera al aire su programa le dijo que no quería que lo viera y le dio una excusa. Entonces, si no era algo malo, ¿por qué hizo esto? Porque sabía que estaba mal.
No hay arrepentimiento real por parte de Bennett. De verdad, no hizo nada para ganarse su perdón. Las acciones que tomó fueron consejos de su abogado, nada fue idea suya. Bueno, solo hubo una cosa que hizo por iniciativa propia, aunque era lo mínimo: dejar de utilizar lo que hacía L y para guion. Eso fue todo.
Ah, y aparte es un mentiroso porque dice que no veía lo malo en lo que estaba haciendo, pero antes de que saliera al aire su programa le dijo que no quería que lo viera y le dio una excusa. Entonces, si no era algo malo, ¿por qué hizo esto? Porque sabía que estaba mal.
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August 15, 2026Thinking before I review…
August 14, 2026
I hated this. The drama did not work for me. I was hoping for something more dramatic. This is definitely my least favorite of the series.
The FMC becomes the laughing stock of Hollywood when her husband announces that she inspired his quirky sitcom character that everyone loves to laugh at. First off, this was a hard one to get mad about because it seems so obvious that writers would take their real lives and exaggerate it for laughs. I guess the whole issue is that the MMC did it without consent or consideration. So, okay, that’s fine I’ll hang out for the drama. Buuuut the drama was so minimal. The wife is upset and stays in a hotel for a few days then comes home, gives her husband the cold shoulder for a bit then they are back together. Bing bang boom. I mean come on. Let’s show how quirky this woman can be. Let her act a little crazy. Let her make rash decisions. Have her be so offended that she files for divorce because she doesn’t feel comfortable being herself in her own home. Let the MMC feel so horrible that he gets his show cancelled. Something. Anything. Alas, there was none of that. There wasn’t even a grovel. The MMC apologizes and that’s it. He still has his show that was built at his wife’s expense. No repercussions for him at all besides him working from home sometimes. 🙄. For me it was just boring.
The FMC becomes the laughing stock of Hollywood when her husband announces that she inspired his quirky sitcom character that everyone loves to laugh at. First off, this was a hard one to get mad about because it seems so obvious that writers would take their real lives and exaggerate it for laughs. I guess the whole issue is that the MMC did it without consent or consideration. So, okay, that’s fine I’ll hang out for the drama. Buuuut the drama was so minimal. The wife is upset and stays in a hotel for a few days then comes home, gives her husband the cold shoulder for a bit then they are back together. Bing bang boom. I mean come on. Let’s show how quirky this woman can be. Let her act a little crazy. Let her make rash decisions. Have her be so offended that she files for divorce because she doesn’t feel comfortable being herself in her own home. Let the MMC feel so horrible that he gets his show cancelled. Something. Anything. Alas, there was none of that. There wasn’t even a grovel. The MMC apologizes and that’s it. He still has his show that was built at his wife’s expense. No repercussions for him at all besides him working from home sometimes. 🙄. For me it was just boring.
August 20, 2026
Marriage & Mockery, Book 5 of the Betray Me Once series, was about 40-year-old Laina Parker, a stay-at-home mother, and 40-plus-year-old Bennett Parker, a producer and screenwriter.
Laina and Bennett had been married for 18 years and had a 14-year-old daughter named Lucy. When they attended an awards ceremony at which Bennett's sitcom was up for the Best Comedy Series award, Laina was publicly humiliated to learn that he had based the sitcom's female character on her quirks. To her, he had made her the joke of Hollywood, and she wasn't pleased with it. She returned home without Bennett in a state of stunned shock, only to hear that their daughter agreed with her dad and said that the world had already started creating memes mocking Laina. Laina couldn't take it anymore, so she packed a bag and left.
There was only a small amount of angst, a touch of drama, and a teensy tiny emotional rollercoaster. The conflict was...okay, but the push-pull between the two main characters needed a bit more life to it before it really packed a punch. With what the MMC did, the resolution was taken care of way too fast, and there wasn't a lot of character building or growth due to the fact that the story was too short. He didn't do much groveling, and the FMC forgave him way too quickly.
Inconsistency: Chapter 13 opened with it being Sunday. However, the daughter "came down, already dressed and carrying her backpack"...for school?
I gave it a two-and-a-half-star rating, rounded up to three. It needed some work, but it was still good.
Laina and Bennett had been married for 18 years and had a 14-year-old daughter named Lucy. When they attended an awards ceremony at which Bennett's sitcom was up for the Best Comedy Series award, Laina was publicly humiliated to learn that he had based the sitcom's female character on her quirks. To her, he had made her the joke of Hollywood, and she wasn't pleased with it. She returned home without Bennett in a state of stunned shock, only to hear that their daughter agreed with her dad and said that the world had already started creating memes mocking Laina. Laina couldn't take it anymore, so she packed a bag and left.
There was only a small amount of angst, a touch of drama, and a teensy tiny emotional rollercoaster. The conflict was...okay, but the push-pull between the two main characters needed a bit more life to it before it really packed a punch. With what the MMC did, the resolution was taken care of way too fast, and there wasn't a lot of character building or growth due to the fact that the story was too short. He didn't do much groveling, and the FMC forgave him way too quickly.
Inconsistency: Chapter 13 opened with it being Sunday. However, the daughter "came down, already dressed and carrying her backpack"...for school?
I gave it a two-and-a-half-star rating, rounded up to three. It needed some work, but it was still good.
September 29, 2026
I wasn't going to read this book. I didn't want to read this book, because the previous books I've read in this series just didn't do it for me. But Amazon wouldn't leave me alone about it. Every single time I went into my Kindle app, this book was staring me in the face. So I said fine, I'll read it. I should have stuck to my guns.
This book is even worse than the other ones as far as feeling very surface level and boring. There is no angst even though there should be. Once again, the FMC comes off as a hysterical woman having an over-reaction to something that could have been solved with one discussion. Yes, he made it sound like his wife was a bumbling idiot in his speech but it was clear from his POV, that was not at all his intention. He spoke so nicely of her to everyone else, it was dumb that he didn't say those same things in his acceptance speech when he was trying to say how much she supported him. Afterwards, there is this supposed big blow up of the public's reactions, making fun of the wife and being cruel. Now, I know this is a thing in real life. The internet can be brutal. I just find it hard to believe there would be such a big reaction from the public towards the unknown wife of a relatively unknown...I think he was a writer? Maybe a producer? I don't know, I can't remember if it was actually stated what his job title was. Anyway, he was someone who worked behind the scenes of a successful tv show. He's not Steven Spielberg or James Cameron. It would be like a writer for SNL getting an award and saying something about his wife in the acceptance speech and everyone blowing up over it. It wouldn't happen, nobody cares. Maybe there would be a little blip of it being talked about but not like this. So right off the bat, the whole setup was dumb.
To top it off, the wife has never even seen the show. The show has been running for 4 years and she's never even seen an episode. Because he wanted to keep work separate from his home life or.....something? I don't even understand what his reasoning was. Either way, if your husband was part of a successful tv show that earned you millions and a lavish lifestyle, you're telling me you wouldn't even be a little curious to watch it? She's supposedly so supportive of him and his career but she doesn't even watch the creation that made him a success? Not even watching it when he's not home? I'm not buying it. It's built up later that he didn't want her to watch it because he was using her quirks as inspiration to write this ridiculous character that everyone made fun of. But it turns out, he used her quirks as an initial inspiration but then he would edit it into something that didn't even really resemble anything about the wife. So what was he trying to hide? When she finally watched an episode, even she could see that the final product was so far away from the original inspiration that it didn't resemble her at all. So why was it such a big deal that he now needed to not use anything about her as inspiration anymore? This is a common thing writers do. You hear all the time how a really popular scene from a tv show or movie was inspired by something that happened in the writer's real life. I can see if he had been revealing extremely private details about her, but that's not what it was at all.
Anyway, needless to say I was not impressed. I had hopes for this author in the beginning. I thought as she wrote more books, they would get better, but it seems that won't be happening. She has good plot ideas but the execution is lacking. I feel like AI was involved in writing this one, though I don't know for sure so I don't want to make an accusation. I wish Amazon would give us an option to block authors or tropes that we don't want to see in our feed anymore.
Safety: Totally safe, no OW or OM drama.
This book is even worse than the other ones as far as feeling very surface level and boring. There is no angst even though there should be. Once again, the FMC comes off as a hysterical woman having an over-reaction to something that could have been solved with one discussion. Yes, he made it sound like his wife was a bumbling idiot in his speech but it was clear from his POV, that was not at all his intention. He spoke so nicely of her to everyone else, it was dumb that he didn't say those same things in his acceptance speech when he was trying to say how much she supported him. Afterwards, there is this supposed big blow up of the public's reactions, making fun of the wife and being cruel. Now, I know this is a thing in real life. The internet can be brutal. I just find it hard to believe there would be such a big reaction from the public towards the unknown wife of a relatively unknown...I think he was a writer? Maybe a producer? I don't know, I can't remember if it was actually stated what his job title was. Anyway, he was someone who worked behind the scenes of a successful tv show. He's not Steven Spielberg or James Cameron. It would be like a writer for SNL getting an award and saying something about his wife in the acceptance speech and everyone blowing up over it. It wouldn't happen, nobody cares. Maybe there would be a little blip of it being talked about but not like this. So right off the bat, the whole setup was dumb.
To top it off, the wife has never even seen the show. The show has been running for 4 years and she's never even seen an episode. Because he wanted to keep work separate from his home life or.....something? I don't even understand what his reasoning was. Either way, if your husband was part of a successful tv show that earned you millions and a lavish lifestyle, you're telling me you wouldn't even be a little curious to watch it? She's supposedly so supportive of him and his career but she doesn't even watch the creation that made him a success? Not even watching it when he's not home? I'm not buying it. It's built up later that he didn't want her to watch it because he was using her quirks as inspiration to write this ridiculous character that everyone made fun of. But it turns out, he used her quirks as an initial inspiration but then he would edit it into something that didn't even really resemble anything about the wife. So what was he trying to hide? When she finally watched an episode, even she could see that the final product was so far away from the original inspiration that it didn't resemble her at all. So why was it such a big deal that he now needed to not use anything about her as inspiration anymore? This is a common thing writers do. You hear all the time how a really popular scene from a tv show or movie was inspired by something that happened in the writer's real life. I can see if he had been revealing extremely private details about her, but that's not what it was at all.
Anyway, needless to say I was not impressed. I had hopes for this author in the beginning. I thought as she wrote more books, they would get better, but it seems that won't be happening. She has good plot ideas but the execution is lacking. I feel like AI was involved in writing this one, though I don't know for sure so I don't want to make an accusation. I wish Amazon would give us an option to block authors or tropes that we don't want to see in our feed anymore.
Safety: Totally safe, no OW or OM drama.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
August 15, 2026
I've read all the books in this series and it feels more like a novella and miscommunication than anything.
We find the FMC being the butt of the joke at a night out and runs away. Meanwhile, the MMC and teenage daughter only realize their actions were too mean and cruel after FMC runs away, doesn't really apologize, and FMC thanks them for their lukewarm apology. The MMC has to be given an explanation that due to the FMC not being a public figure, the laws are on her side, and that he should changes publicists ASAP, which he does. That's the only grovel we see him make in the book.
The teenage daughter on the other hand, doesn't do anything. She shows the FMC the clip making its rounds on social media and only after the MMC explains why that's wrong and cruel do they both realize they hurt the FMC. Teenage daughter also doesn't apologize for anything - she's literally in the first half of the book to show the FMC the social media clip and why it's wrong, and then disappears.
We find the FMC being the butt of the joke at a night out and runs away. Meanwhile, the MMC and teenage daughter only realize their actions were too mean and cruel after FMC runs away, doesn't really apologize, and FMC thanks them for their lukewarm apology. The MMC has to be given an explanation that due to the FMC not being a public figure, the laws are on her side, and that he should changes publicists ASAP, which he does. That's the only grovel we see him make in the book.
The teenage daughter on the other hand, doesn't do anything. She shows the FMC the clip making its rounds on social media and only after the MMC explains why that's wrong and cruel do they both realize they hurt the FMC. Teenage daughter also doesn't apologize for anything - she's literally in the first half of the book to show the FMC the social media clip and why it's wrong, and then disappears.
September 7, 2026
Bennett is a writer and his show has just won best comedy. While making his speech he tells the world Laina his wife is inspiration for the main character from the show. The same character the whole world thinks is over the top and ridiculous.
Laina's is completely blindsided and her reaction goes viral. Laina cannot believe that Bennett thinks she is ridiculous and when their daughter backs that up she packs a bag and leaves.
Bennett loves his wife that is never in question what is in question is the fact that he used some of his wife quirks that he loved the most to build his character. He quickly realizes his mistake and he is all in to fix it. The award he is fighting for now is his wife’s trust.
This is a refreshing take on the betrayal troupe. I loved it
Laina's is completely blindsided and her reaction goes viral. Laina cannot believe that Bennett thinks she is ridiculous and when their daughter backs that up she packs a bag and leaves.
Bennett loves his wife that is never in question what is in question is the fact that he used some of his wife quirks that he loved the most to build his character. He quickly realizes his mistake and he is all in to fix it. The award he is fighting for now is his wife’s trust.
This is a refreshing take on the betrayal troupe. I loved it
August 14, 2026
Notes for me
Have been impatiently waiting for this book!
Bennett - writer for a popular comedy show.
Laina - amazing wife and mom
Night of awards show getting ready Bennett thinks how much he loves Laina and how amazing she is in all the ways.
He wins and his acceptance speech thanks Laina saying he couldn’t had written Sally’s character without her.
The entire atmosphere shifts. He won’t watch the show at home but she knows the internet brutally mocks Sally’s quirks. People won’t make eye contact with her.
Laina leaves him and he has to figure out to make it right.
Have been impatiently waiting for this book!
Bennett - writer for a popular comedy show.
Laina - amazing wife and mom
Night of awards show getting ready Bennett thinks how much he loves Laina and how amazing she is in all the ways.
He wins and his acceptance speech thanks Laina saying he couldn’t had written Sally’s character without her.
The entire atmosphere shifts. He won’t watch the show at home but she knows the internet brutally mocks Sally’s quirks. People won’t make eye contact with her.
Laina leaves him and he has to figure out to make it right.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
August 15, 2026
1. The blurb for this book was misleading; there was no “grovel”. The H issued a press release, stopped using his wife’s “quirks” for material and then just waited until she forgave him.
2. Am I the only one that sees the obvious similarities between this book and “The Humiliated Wife” by Elise Camden right down to his wife finding out she’s being used as “content” at his awards show?
2.5 stars
2. Am I the only one that sees the obvious similarities between this book and “The Humiliated Wife” by Elise Camden right down to his wife finding out she’s being used as “content” at his awards show?
2.5 stars
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
August 15, 2026
I don't understand how she didn't immediately binge watch the TV show once she arrived at the hotel.
Did Not Finish
August 23, 2026The literal meaning of "overreaction."
September 13, 2026
this is a textbook case of bad booktok
August 15, 2026
The couple: Bennett and Laina
Romance trope: betrayal
Series: Betray Me Once
Length: 172 pages
Plot: Bennett is the creator of and writer for a popular TV show. When he accepts a bog award for the show, he indicates in his speech that one of the main characters is based on his wife. That would be sweet, except that it's a character that is universally mocked because they are so ridiculous. Now the whole country believes that she is the inspiration for a character that everyone makes fun of. Feeling betrayed, Laina leaves to decide what her next step is. But Bennett loves his wife and wants her to come back. Can he convince her that he isn't making fun of her?
Commentary: All of this series is the same. There's a BIG betrayal...except there's not. There's something that the hero has done wrong, definitely. There is something that needs to be resolved, fixed, or adjusted. There is someone outside of the marriage who needs to butt out. But there's not a betrayal to end all betrayals. It was the same thing here. While Bennett could have kept his inspiration to himself, he really did chance the character enough that he wasn't doing a direct transcription. And Laina had never even watched the show; once she did, she realized he wasn't making fun of her. Problem solved, just with a tiny bit of thinking and communicating.
The daughter was a brat though, in the typical way that teenagers are.
Previous book in the series: Desk & Deception
Next book in the series: Golf & Guilt
Romance trope: betrayal
Series: Betray Me Once
Length: 172 pages
Plot: Bennett is the creator of and writer for a popular TV show. When he accepts a bog award for the show, he indicates in his speech that one of the main characters is based on his wife. That would be sweet, except that it's a character that is universally mocked because they are so ridiculous. Now the whole country believes that she is the inspiration for a character that everyone makes fun of. Feeling betrayed, Laina leaves to decide what her next step is. But Bennett loves his wife and wants her to come back. Can he convince her that he isn't making fun of her?
Commentary: All of this series is the same. There's a BIG betrayal...except there's not. There's something that the hero has done wrong, definitely. There is something that needs to be resolved, fixed, or adjusted. There is someone outside of the marriage who needs to butt out. But there's not a betrayal to end all betrayals. It was the same thing here. While Bennett could have kept his inspiration to himself, he really did chance the character enough that he wasn't doing a direct transcription. And Laina had never even watched the show; once she did, she realized he wasn't making fun of her. Problem solved, just with a tiny bit of thinking and communicating.
The daughter was a brat though, in the typical way that teenagers are.
Previous book in the series: Desk & Deception
Next book in the series: Golf & Guilt
August 14, 2026
Romance Reader Report Card
❤️ Chemistry: 3/5
🔥 Tension: 3/5
🌶️ Spice: 3/5
😭 Emotional Impact: 3/5
👨 Book Boyfriend Status: Reconsidered
📚 Reread Worthy? Probably Not
Tropes
* Betrayal / Grovel
* Marriage in Trouble
* No Cheating
* No Other Woman Drama
* Celebrity/Entertainment Industry
* Husband in the Wrong
* Marriage Repair
* Redemption
What I Loved
I love a betrayal/grovel romance where the MMC actually screws up without cheating, and this one delivers on that front.
There is ZERO other woman drama, and I appreciated the hell out of that. Bennett’s mistake isn’t another woman. It’s his inability to recognize that something he considered harmless inspiration crossed a very personal boundary with his wife.
Bennett is a successful sitcom writer, and one of the show’s most popular characters is based heavily on Laina’s personality and quirks. During an award acceptance speech, he publicly credits his wife as the inspiration for the character.
Except Laina isn’t flattered.
She’s horrified.
Because the things Bennett thought were cute and funny about her were private pieces of their marriage that he turned into entertainment. He took things that belonged to their relationship and made them public property.
And once Bennett realizes what he’s done, I did appreciate that he didn’t spend the entire book trying to convince her she was overreacting.
He changes the show.
He stops using her as inspiration.
He works toward earning back her trust.
It’s not a traditional grovel where the MMC spends 200 pages on his knees, but there is an actual effort to repair the damage, and I liked that.
What Didn’t Work for Me
This is where the book lost me.
I don’t think the story did enough work to establish the betrayal.
We’re told that Bennett has been using Laina’s quirks as material for years, but we’re given very little evidence of what that actually means.
We get essentially two examples:
Laina sings loudly and badly.
Laina likes fixing appliances instead of replacing them.
…That’s it?
Because I’m sorry, but I needed MORE.
If this character is supposedly an exaggerated, internet-famous version of Laina, show me the pieces of Laina that Bennett turned into the character. Give me the weird habits, private jokes, embarrassing stories, little mannerisms, and intimate things that made Laina realize, Oh my God. He took THAT from me.
Instead, I’m being told this is a huge betrayal without being given enough examples to understand the magnitude of it.
And that’s a problem because the marriage before the award speech was good.
Bennett appreciated Laina.
He respected her.
He openly acknowledged how much she supported him.
Laina felt appreciated by him.
There wasn’t some underlying marital resentment that made this feel like the final straw.
So when the award speech happens, I’m sitting here thinking…
What straw?
There wasn’t really a camel.
The camel was apparently just minding its own business and then Bennett showed up with a very specific piece of hay. 😂
I completely understand why Laina is hurt. I just didn’t understand why this particular revelation was enough to completely blow up an otherwise happy marriage because the book didn’t give me enough context for the emotional weight of it.
Favorite Moment
Bennett realizing that apologizing isn’t enough and actually changing the show.
I appreciated that his redemption involved action.
He doesn’t simply tell Laina that he’ll never do it again while continuing to profit from the very thing that hurt her. He makes a tangible change to his work and stops using her as material.
That’s the kind of accountability I want in a grovel romance.
Final Thoughts
This was a perfectly fine betrayal/grovel romance, but unfortunately, the betrayal itself didn’t land for me as strongly as I think the author intended.
The premise is actually fantastic: a husband takes the private quirks and intimate moments of his wife and turns them into a wildly successful fictional character without fully considering what that means for her.
I just needed the book to show me more.
Show me the moments he stole.
Show me the character and then show me Laina recognizing herself in it.
Make me understand why she feels exposed.
Make me feel the violation alongside her.
Instead, we’re mostly told that this has been happening, while the actual examples are so mundane that I struggled to understand why the fictional character was such a massive representation of Laina.
And that’s a shame because the other elements worked for me. No cheating. No other woman. Bennett genuinely loves his wife. He recognizes that he was wrong. He doesn’t gaslight her. He works toward forgiveness and makes meaningful changes.
I just needed the emotional foundation of the betrayal to be stronger.
Three stars from me.
Not bad.
Not offensive.
Just a book where I could see what it was trying to do, but I never quite felt what it wanted me to feel.
If You Like…
* Betrayal/Grovel Without Cheating
* Marriage in Trouble
* No Other Woman Drama
* MMCs Who Actually Take Responsibility
* Marriage Repair
* Redemption Through Actions
* Entertainment Industry Romance
Recommended For
Readers who enjoy low-angst betrayal romances where the MMC makes a genuine mistake, recognizes the damage he’s caused, and works to rebuild the relationship without cheating or another woman muddying the waters.
Just don’t expect a devastating, soul-crushing grovel.
This one is more “I fucked up and I’m going to fix it” than “I have destroyed the love of my life and must crawl through broken glass to earn her back.”
❤️ Chemistry: 3/5
🔥 Tension: 3/5
🌶️ Spice: 3/5
😭 Emotional Impact: 3/5
👨 Book Boyfriend Status: Reconsidered
📚 Reread Worthy? Probably Not
Tropes
* Betrayal / Grovel
* Marriage in Trouble
* No Cheating
* No Other Woman Drama
* Celebrity/Entertainment Industry
* Husband in the Wrong
* Marriage Repair
* Redemption
What I Loved
I love a betrayal/grovel romance where the MMC actually screws up without cheating, and this one delivers on that front.
There is ZERO other woman drama, and I appreciated the hell out of that. Bennett’s mistake isn’t another woman. It’s his inability to recognize that something he considered harmless inspiration crossed a very personal boundary with his wife.
Bennett is a successful sitcom writer, and one of the show’s most popular characters is based heavily on Laina’s personality and quirks. During an award acceptance speech, he publicly credits his wife as the inspiration for the character.
Except Laina isn’t flattered.
She’s horrified.
Because the things Bennett thought were cute and funny about her were private pieces of their marriage that he turned into entertainment. He took things that belonged to their relationship and made them public property.
And once Bennett realizes what he’s done, I did appreciate that he didn’t spend the entire book trying to convince her she was overreacting.
He changes the show.
He stops using her as inspiration.
He works toward earning back her trust.
It’s not a traditional grovel where the MMC spends 200 pages on his knees, but there is an actual effort to repair the damage, and I liked that.
What Didn’t Work for Me
This is where the book lost me.
I don’t think the story did enough work to establish the betrayal.
We’re told that Bennett has been using Laina’s quirks as material for years, but we’re given very little evidence of what that actually means.
We get essentially two examples:
Laina sings loudly and badly.
Laina likes fixing appliances instead of replacing them.
…That’s it?
Because I’m sorry, but I needed MORE.
If this character is supposedly an exaggerated, internet-famous version of Laina, show me the pieces of Laina that Bennett turned into the character. Give me the weird habits, private jokes, embarrassing stories, little mannerisms, and intimate things that made Laina realize, Oh my God. He took THAT from me.
Instead, I’m being told this is a huge betrayal without being given enough examples to understand the magnitude of it.
And that’s a problem because the marriage before the award speech was good.
Bennett appreciated Laina.
He respected her.
He openly acknowledged how much she supported him.
Laina felt appreciated by him.
There wasn’t some underlying marital resentment that made this feel like the final straw.
So when the award speech happens, I’m sitting here thinking…
What straw?
There wasn’t really a camel.
The camel was apparently just minding its own business and then Bennett showed up with a very specific piece of hay. 😂
I completely understand why Laina is hurt. I just didn’t understand why this particular revelation was enough to completely blow up an otherwise happy marriage because the book didn’t give me enough context for the emotional weight of it.
Favorite Moment
Bennett realizing that apologizing isn’t enough and actually changing the show.
I appreciated that his redemption involved action.
He doesn’t simply tell Laina that he’ll never do it again while continuing to profit from the very thing that hurt her. He makes a tangible change to his work and stops using her as material.
That’s the kind of accountability I want in a grovel romance.
Final Thoughts
This was a perfectly fine betrayal/grovel romance, but unfortunately, the betrayal itself didn’t land for me as strongly as I think the author intended.
The premise is actually fantastic: a husband takes the private quirks and intimate moments of his wife and turns them into a wildly successful fictional character without fully considering what that means for her.
I just needed the book to show me more.
Show me the moments he stole.
Show me the character and then show me Laina recognizing herself in it.
Make me understand why she feels exposed.
Make me feel the violation alongside her.
Instead, we’re mostly told that this has been happening, while the actual examples are so mundane that I struggled to understand why the fictional character was such a massive representation of Laina.
And that’s a shame because the other elements worked for me. No cheating. No other woman. Bennett genuinely loves his wife. He recognizes that he was wrong. He doesn’t gaslight her. He works toward forgiveness and makes meaningful changes.
I just needed the emotional foundation of the betrayal to be stronger.
Three stars from me.
Not bad.
Not offensive.
Just a book where I could see what it was trying to do, but I never quite felt what it wanted me to feel.
If You Like…
* Betrayal/Grovel Without Cheating
* Marriage in Trouble
* No Other Woman Drama
* MMCs Who Actually Take Responsibility
* Marriage Repair
* Redemption Through Actions
* Entertainment Industry Romance
Recommended For
Readers who enjoy low-angst betrayal romances where the MMC makes a genuine mistake, recognizes the damage he’s caused, and works to rebuild the relationship without cheating or another woman muddying the waters.
Just don’t expect a devastating, soul-crushing grovel.
This one is more “I fucked up and I’m going to fix it” than “I have destroyed the love of my life and must crawl through broken glass to earn her back.”
August 20, 2026
⭐️: 3.5
Main trope: This is a marriage in trouble story.
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 Bennett and Laina. Married for almost twenty years, things have not always been easy as the MMC was trying to make it in the entertainment industry. The FMC worked hard to support their family and thankfully, that work paid off as Bennett is now a writer for a very popular comedy TV show, a role for which he has just received a nomination for an important award. When he wins the award, and during his acceptance speech, he thanks his wife for being the inspiration for one of the characters on the show. Some might look at that as a compliment, however, the character that he claims his wife was the inspiration for happens to be someone with quirky mannerisms that are often mocked and made fun of. The moment becomes very awkward as Laina sits amongst the stars of the show so she decides to leave the ceremony before the MMC returns to the table.
When she gets home and is clearly upset, she runs into their daughter who saw the award ceremony and her dad’s speech. At that point she tells the FMC she agrees with her dad. This double betrayal is devastating to the FMC and she decides to pack a bag and leave for night. When the MMC returns to the table at the ceremony and finds the FMC gone, he leaves to head home, only to realize she isn’t there either and now he knows he really messed up.
Overnight, the FMC becomes the subject of online ridicule and memes made with the intention of making fun of her. She now realizes many private moments shared between her and the MMC were turned into scenes on the show for the world to see, which causes her to seriously consider the trust that exists in her marriage.
While she is trying to avoid social media and the internet in general, the MMC is working hard to fix things. His first step is changing the way that some of the show is written. He also hires a different publicist to combat some of the things that are happening online. It gets back to Laina all Bennett has done and she decides to go back home and see if this situation is something they can work through or if the hurt is just too great for her to overcome.
⚠️SPOILERS/SPICE/DETAILED TRIGGERS⚠️
✋
✋
✋
🌶️:1.5/5
Final thoughts: This wasn’t my favorite in the series but it was still enjoyable. You could really feel the hurt of the FMC. Thankfully the MMC wasted no time trying to fix what he had done and was prepared to do whatever it took, no matter the cost.
I missed some of the drama and angst seen in the other books in the series but think the betrayal still packed a punch and the grovel fit the crime. I’m looking forward to the next book set to be released soon.
Main trope: This is a marriage in trouble story.
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 Bennett and Laina. Married for almost twenty years, things have not always been easy as the MMC was trying to make it in the entertainment industry. The FMC worked hard to support their family and thankfully, that work paid off as Bennett is now a writer for a very popular comedy TV show, a role for which he has just received a nomination for an important award. When he wins the award, and during his acceptance speech, he thanks his wife for being the inspiration for one of the characters on the show. Some might look at that as a compliment, however, the character that he claims his wife was the inspiration for happens to be someone with quirky mannerisms that are often mocked and made fun of. The moment becomes very awkward as Laina sits amongst the stars of the show so she decides to leave the ceremony before the MMC returns to the table.
When she gets home and is clearly upset, she runs into their daughter who saw the award ceremony and her dad’s speech. At that point she tells the FMC she agrees with her dad. This double betrayal is devastating to the FMC and she decides to pack a bag and leave for night. When the MMC returns to the table at the ceremony and finds the FMC gone, he leaves to head home, only to realize she isn’t there either and now he knows he really messed up.
Overnight, the FMC becomes the subject of online ridicule and memes made with the intention of making fun of her. She now realizes many private moments shared between her and the MMC were turned into scenes on the show for the world to see, which causes her to seriously consider the trust that exists in her marriage.
While she is trying to avoid social media and the internet in general, the MMC is working hard to fix things. His first step is changing the way that some of the show is written. He also hires a different publicist to combat some of the things that are happening online. It gets back to Laina all Bennett has done and she decides to go back home and see if this situation is something they can work through or if the hurt is just too great for her to overcome.
⚠️SPOILERS/SPICE/DETAILED TRIGGERS⚠️
✋
✋
✋
🌶️:1.5/5
Final thoughts: This wasn’t my favorite in the series but it was still enjoyable. You could really feel the hurt of the FMC. Thankfully the MMC wasted no time trying to fix what he had done and was prepared to do whatever it took, no matter the cost.
I missed some of the drama and angst seen in the other books in the series but think the betrayal still packed a punch and the grovel fit the crime. I’m looking forward to the next book set to be released soon.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
August 15, 2026
Bennett and Laina have been together for 18 years and have a 14-year-old daughter, Lucy.
When they were younger, Bennett was a struggling script writer, and Laina was his only supporter. He really appreciates that, and loves her very much. Four years ago, he hit it big with a show called The Wrong Side of Right. It's a comedy with a character named Sally, who gets mocked by fans of the show for being so quirky and weird.
Bennett and Laina don't actually watch the show at home, but it's the number 1 show, so of course she is aware of the character, but she's never watched it.
Bennett wins a TV award and in his acceptance speech, he says that he could have never written the character of Sally if his wife didn't have all these quirks. Laina never realized it till that moment.
He's taken backstage for interviews and stuff, and by the time he comes back to his seat, Laina has left the building and gone home alone.
She gets home, and her daughter acts like it's no big deal, and "dad was right." So now Laina is completely destroyed and packs a bag and goes to a hotel.
The way he writes the show is to take something Laina says (I was a painter in a past life), and changes it so it's not actually what Laina said (I was a pirate who died in a shipwreck). Except now, when they are filming the line about Sally losing her ship, Bennett feels kind of bad.
After about a week, Laina comes home. She talks to her daughter, who explains that she said "Dad is right" because dad usually knows what to say and so the speech must have been ok, because mom is kind of quirky IRL. Laina tells Bennett she's sleeping in the guest room from now on and just taking it one day at a time.
Bennett decides after the pirate ship episode they are working on this week, all future episodes will not have any inspiration from Laina's real life. He also hires a new publicist because the old one wasn't really doing anything about how his wife was being cyber bullied by fans. Laina even does an interview.
Then she binge watches the show. And she realizes that Sally isn't really her because the original "inspiration" is different from the final version. And she forgives Bennett. (So if she had been watching the show all along, none of this would have happened?)
When they were younger, Bennett was a struggling script writer, and Laina was his only supporter. He really appreciates that, and loves her very much. Four years ago, he hit it big with a show called The Wrong Side of Right. It's a comedy with a character named Sally, who gets mocked by fans of the show for being so quirky and weird.
Bennett and Laina don't actually watch the show at home, but it's the number 1 show, so of course she is aware of the character, but she's never watched it.
Bennett wins a TV award and in his acceptance speech, he says that he could have never written the character of Sally if his wife didn't have all these quirks. Laina never realized it till that moment.
He's taken backstage for interviews and stuff, and by the time he comes back to his seat, Laina has left the building and gone home alone.
She gets home, and her daughter acts like it's no big deal, and "dad was right." So now Laina is completely destroyed and packs a bag and goes to a hotel.
The way he writes the show is to take something Laina says (I was a painter in a past life), and changes it so it's not actually what Laina said (I was a pirate who died in a shipwreck). Except now, when they are filming the line about Sally losing her ship, Bennett feels kind of bad.
After about a week, Laina comes home. She talks to her daughter, who explains that she said "Dad is right" because dad usually knows what to say and so the speech must have been ok, because mom is kind of quirky IRL. Laina tells Bennett she's sleeping in the guest room from now on and just taking it one day at a time.
Bennett decides after the pirate ship episode they are working on this week, all future episodes will not have any inspiration from Laina's real life. He also hires a new publicist because the old one wasn't really doing anything about how his wife was being cyber bullied by fans. Laina even does an interview.
Then she binge watches the show. And she realizes that Sally isn't really her because the original "inspiration" is different from the final version. And she forgives Bennett. (So if she had been watching the show all along, none of this would have happened?)
September 9, 2026
This was exactly the kind of marriage-in-crisis romance I wanted.
The premise hooked me immediately: Bennett has spent years using his wife’s quirks as inspiration for one of the most mocked characters on his hit sitcom—and Laina finds out when he casually reveals it during an acceptance speech. In front of everyone. The humiliation that follows was genuinely painful to read, especially because Bennett truly loves his wife and somehow never understood the damage he was doing until it was far too late.
And then came the grovel.
What I loved most was that Bennett didn’t just apologize and expect Laina to forgive him. He had to actually understand why what he did was such a betrayal. He took responsibility, tried to protect her from the fallout he created, respected her need for space, and slowly started changing his behavior. I also really appreciated that Laina didn’t forgive him immediately just because he loved her. She was hurt, angry, and allowed to stay that way.
Their relationship felt especially emotional because this wasn’t about two people falling in love—it was about two people who had loved each other for years figuring out whether that love could survive a huge betrayal of trust.
I also loved seeing the family dynamic with Lucy and watching that relationship heal alongside the marriage.
Emotional, satisfying, and full of the kind of grovel I read marriage-in-trouble romances for. Bennett messed up spectacularly, but watching him work to earn his wife back made the payoff so worth it.
Definitely one of my favorite kinds of second-chance stories: the couple never stopped loving each other. They just had to find their way back to each other.
Thank you to the author for providing me with an ARC. All opinions are my own.
The premise hooked me immediately: Bennett has spent years using his wife’s quirks as inspiration for one of the most mocked characters on his hit sitcom—and Laina finds out when he casually reveals it during an acceptance speech. In front of everyone. The humiliation that follows was genuinely painful to read, especially because Bennett truly loves his wife and somehow never understood the damage he was doing until it was far too late.
And then came the grovel.
What I loved most was that Bennett didn’t just apologize and expect Laina to forgive him. He had to actually understand why what he did was such a betrayal. He took responsibility, tried to protect her from the fallout he created, respected her need for space, and slowly started changing his behavior. I also really appreciated that Laina didn’t forgive him immediately just because he loved her. She was hurt, angry, and allowed to stay that way.
Their relationship felt especially emotional because this wasn’t about two people falling in love—it was about two people who had loved each other for years figuring out whether that love could survive a huge betrayal of trust.
I also loved seeing the family dynamic with Lucy and watching that relationship heal alongside the marriage.
Emotional, satisfying, and full of the kind of grovel I read marriage-in-trouble romances for. Bennett messed up spectacularly, but watching him work to earn his wife back made the payoff so worth it.
Definitely one of my favorite kinds of second-chance stories: the couple never stopped loving each other. They just had to find their way back to each other.
Thank you to the author for providing me with an ARC. All opinions are my own.
Review of advance copy received from Author
* Short story
* Marriage misstep
* Husband grovel
Every marriage has its ups and downs, but when Laina finds out her husband, Bennett, used her as inspiration for a silly character in his comedy sitcom, she’s devastated. Especially since they were at a national awards show and she was caught completely off balance with the cameras rolling. Add to this Laina’s daughter agreed with her dad about the connection, and Laina feels she has no choice but to leave. It didn’t help that she’d never seen the show because Bennett wanted a separation between their real lives and the show. Laina realizes she is now the blunt of online comments, memes, and trolls who only want to cause pain. Her night of humiliation just grew. Leaving her home for some distance is her solution until she can wrap her mind around what happened. And, Bennett realizes that he used the silly, unique things what he loved about his wife to gain ratings and left her open for pain and misunderstanding.
Though Laina was the household supporter early in her marriage, she doesn’t seem to have a career or personal achievement to fall back on for strength or personal support. I felt this could have made her a bit of a weak character. She does seem to stand her ground about how she feels violated by her husband’s actions and does not let him minimize her anger and sense of betrayal. Also, the moment Bennett has with his daughter about respecting other’s feelings is a great lesson for both of them about seeing and acknowledging how Alaina would be upset. Overall, a good read though the ending felt a bit rushed. Part of a series about marriage and relationship betrayal. Is a stand-alone.
* Marriage misstep
* Husband grovel
Every marriage has its ups and downs, but when Laina finds out her husband, Bennett, used her as inspiration for a silly character in his comedy sitcom, she’s devastated. Especially since they were at a national awards show and she was caught completely off balance with the cameras rolling. Add to this Laina’s daughter agreed with her dad about the connection, and Laina feels she has no choice but to leave. It didn’t help that she’d never seen the show because Bennett wanted a separation between their real lives and the show. Laina realizes she is now the blunt of online comments, memes, and trolls who only want to cause pain. Her night of humiliation just grew. Leaving her home for some distance is her solution until she can wrap her mind around what happened. And, Bennett realizes that he used the silly, unique things what he loved about his wife to gain ratings and left her open for pain and misunderstanding.
Though Laina was the household supporter early in her marriage, she doesn’t seem to have a career or personal achievement to fall back on for strength or personal support. I felt this could have made her a bit of a weak character. She does seem to stand her ground about how she feels violated by her husband’s actions and does not let him minimize her anger and sense of betrayal. Also, the moment Bennett has with his daughter about respecting other’s feelings is a great lesson for both of them about seeing and acknowledging how Alaina would be upset. Overall, a good read though the ending felt a bit rushed. Part of a series about marriage and relationship betrayal. Is a stand-alone.
August 16, 2026
I think this is by far the best book in the series. All of the elements feel balanced. The MMC did something hurtful, but not irredeemable. The FMC responds appropriately, without minimizing the effect on her feelings. And even though I usually hate the "bratty teenage girl" trope, I feel it was handled well here. Responding flippantly because you're sensing a seismic shift in your parents' marriage and acting out of fear makes total sense. I also love that the FMC felt no need to be a martyr. She took time away from her family instead of staying in a hurtful situation. In any other book, she would stay for her daughter and suffer in silence.
There are some negatives, of course. This is probably too short to really do justice to the story. Some of the developments are jarringly brisk, and I just wanted to see it developed a little more. I'm also not sure how well this works as a romance.
I've decided to rate this 3 stars, which is probably generous. Maybe because I was pleasantly surprised? Like I said, this is miles better than anything else I've read by this author. Looking back on this series, I think the thing I most enjoyed in Marriage & Mockery was the absence of a scheming woman trying to keep the couple apart. I don't know why authors insist on using these tired misogynistic tropes as a crutch, but I'm so over it.
One more note: The MMC's show sounds abso-fucking-lutely dreadful. Like something that's on the Disney Channel or Nickelodeon, like it's literally made for children. And even the kids would say "idk this is kinda corny, I feel patronized." I can't imagine it winning any awards.
There are some negatives, of course. This is probably too short to really do justice to the story. Some of the developments are jarringly brisk, and I just wanted to see it developed a little more. I'm also not sure how well this works as a romance.
I've decided to rate this 3 stars, which is probably generous. Maybe because I was pleasantly surprised? Like I said, this is miles better than anything else I've read by this author. Looking back on this series, I think the thing I most enjoyed in Marriage & Mockery was the absence of a scheming woman trying to keep the couple apart. I don't know why authors insist on using these tired misogynistic tropes as a crutch, but I'm so over it.
One more note: The MMC's show sounds abso-fucking-lutely dreadful. Like something that's on the Disney Channel or Nickelodeon, like it's literally made for children. And even the kids would say "idk this is kinda corny, I feel patronized." I can't imagine it winning any awards.
August 29, 2026
No cheating betrayal
The perfect wife turns out to be the perfect fodder for his punchline in Marriage and Mockery.
Laina’s husband Bennett is about to receive an award for writing a highly successful sitcom. It only makes sense that he acknowledges her role in its creation. But when he announces that his wife’s quirks were the inspiration for the most ridiculous character in the show, the rug is pulled out from under her feet.
Bennett adores his wife and would never do anything to hurt her - or so he thinks. After he returns home from the awards and discovers Laina has left to take time for herself, he is hit by the realisation he has betrayed her trust. Now he must do what he can to apologise and win her back.
I loved this short and sweet novella and I read it in one sitting. Laina’s emotional journey brought me to tears, and I was genuinely happy for them when they reunited. I really loved reading about a mature couple working through their problems.
It’s also great to read about a non-cheating betrayal - Laina and Bennett are deeply in love and never stray from each other. The spice is spicy and open door. The book is a great exploration of how fame and social media can impact a marriage.
This is part of a series and I will be adding the other books to my TBR. If you want a good betrayal and grovel novella where the fix is not just a simple apology, give Marriage and Mockery a read.
The perfect wife turns out to be the perfect fodder for his punchline in Marriage and Mockery.
Laina’s husband Bennett is about to receive an award for writing a highly successful sitcom. It only makes sense that he acknowledges her role in its creation. But when he announces that his wife’s quirks were the inspiration for the most ridiculous character in the show, the rug is pulled out from under her feet.
Bennett adores his wife and would never do anything to hurt her - or so he thinks. After he returns home from the awards and discovers Laina has left to take time for herself, he is hit by the realisation he has betrayed her trust. Now he must do what he can to apologise and win her back.
I loved this short and sweet novella and I read it in one sitting. Laina’s emotional journey brought me to tears, and I was genuinely happy for them when they reunited. I really loved reading about a mature couple working through their problems.
It’s also great to read about a non-cheating betrayal - Laina and Bennett are deeply in love and never stray from each other. The spice is spicy and open door. The book is a great exploration of how fame and social media can impact a marriage.
This is part of a series and I will be adding the other books to my TBR. If you want a good betrayal and grovel novella where the fix is not just a simple apology, give Marriage and Mockery a read.
September 1, 2026
I decided to continue the series and read Bennett and Laina’s story, and while it wasn’t my favorite book in the series, I still enjoyed some parts of it. It was another short read, so I was able to finish it quickly.
Laina was hurt when Bennett publicly used her quirks and personality as inspiration for the main character of his show, especially after realizing that even their daughter believed some of the things he had said about her. I understood why she chose to leave and take some space from him, and I liked seeing Bennett realize how badly he had hurt her.
I enjoyed the angst between them and how Bennett tried to prove to Laina that he loved her for who she was, including the things he had turned into jokes. It was nice to read them working through their problems instead of giving up on their marriage, and I liked seeing them slowly rebuild their relationship.
At the same time, the story didn’t captivate me as much as some of the previous books. Since it was so short, I felt like some parts could have been explored more, especially their relationship and the consequences of what happened between them.
Overall, this was a three-star read for me. I enjoyed the emotional moments and the focus on repairing their marriage, even if I didn’t connect with their story as much as I had hoped.
I'm still excited to read Felicity and Weston's story, and also about Julian's.
Laina was hurt when Bennett publicly used her quirks and personality as inspiration for the main character of his show, especially after realizing that even their daughter believed some of the things he had said about her. I understood why she chose to leave and take some space from him, and I liked seeing Bennett realize how badly he had hurt her.
I enjoyed the angst between them and how Bennett tried to prove to Laina that he loved her for who she was, including the things he had turned into jokes. It was nice to read them working through their problems instead of giving up on their marriage, and I liked seeing them slowly rebuild their relationship.
At the same time, the story didn’t captivate me as much as some of the previous books. Since it was so short, I felt like some parts could have been explored more, especially their relationship and the consequences of what happened between them.
Overall, this was a three-star read for me. I enjoyed the emotional moments and the focus on repairing their marriage, even if I didn’t connect with their story as much as I had hoped.
I'm still excited to read Felicity and Weston's story, and also about Julian's.
August 13, 2026
4.5 rounded to 5
This book picks up at the end of Desk and Deception. Bennett just won best comedy and makes a comment about the inspiration for his show that he thinks is a compliment to his wife, Laina. Nobody takes it that way including his wife. Laina's shocked face at the comment quickly becomes memes and gifs. She leaves Bennett and he's devastated. Even her daughter didn't see what the big deal was. I have a 14 year old. They don't have any situational awareness, but I understood Laina's hurt over that too.
I loved that Bennett didn't push Laina into coming home. He understood her need for space once he realized the damage he'd done. He changes the show's character that the fuss was all about, makes his daughter apologize and mean it, and stands behind Laina while she works this out for herself.
That was the only angst. There was no OW drama or anything like that. I wished it had that. His PR woman was the closest thing because instead of protecting Laina's name in the fallout, she was only worried about Bennett's image. She's fired and replaced with no fanfare. There could have been a story there where she was flirty with Bennett or something like in the other books.
Thank you to the author for the ARC!
This book picks up at the end of Desk and Deception. Bennett just won best comedy and makes a comment about the inspiration for his show that he thinks is a compliment to his wife, Laina. Nobody takes it that way including his wife. Laina's shocked face at the comment quickly becomes memes and gifs. She leaves Bennett and he's devastated. Even her daughter didn't see what the big deal was. I have a 14 year old. They don't have any situational awareness, but I understood Laina's hurt over that too.
I loved that Bennett didn't push Laina into coming home. He understood her need for space once he realized the damage he'd done. He changes the show's character that the fuss was all about, makes his daughter apologize and mean it, and stands behind Laina while she works this out for herself.
That was the only angst. There was no OW drama or anything like that. I wished it had that. His PR woman was the closest thing because instead of protecting Laina's name in the fallout, she was only worried about Bennett's image. She's fired and replaced with no fanfare. There could have been a story there where she was flirty with Bennett or something like in the other books.
Thank you to the author for the ARC!
Review of advance copy received from Author
I absolutely love the story. Bennett and Laina are married . Throughout the book we see Bennett loves Laina. And she loves him too. When Bennett won an award for his best writing for a successful comedy show, he wanted to give credit to his wife Laina. Laina is quirky and Bennett loves those quirks. He wrote his most mocked character based on his wife’s quirks but in reallly exaggerated form where the written character and his wife have really no any real similarities. But Bennett’s words from his speech were construed differently by everyone than what they meant. And in the process Laina felt betrayed, humiliated and mocked. Their daughter, Lucy hurt Laina’s feelings even more by agreeing about her quirks. Bennett needed to convince Laina that words came out wrong, using her as inspiration without her knowledge was wrong but feelings behind those actions were not. They were genuine and came from the place of love and adoration. He groveled a lot. He took actions to stop the public mockery and to save her reputation and was ready to sacrifice his own in the process. He also realized how he was taking her wife for granted and made changes accordingly. I loved their happy ending. It is really an awesome read.
August 18, 2026
So far, I’ve read every one of these books and they’re just meh. There’s no THERE there. The betrayal is always super light and then there’s practically no groveling.
This story follows a husband who’s a successful writer for a hit TV show and his quirky wife, whose odd behavior/sayings have been made into a major character on his TV show. He wins an award and says something along the lines of without her antics the show wouldn’t be a hit. She doesn’t know he’s taken private moments that make her who she is and used it for the show. The character is some over the top idiot and she had no idea. None. K.
Maybe it’s a me thing and maybe I’ve read too many betrayal books but there wasn’t a gut punch. Some embarrassment for sure but she never even watched his show. For four years?! This is his money maker and she’s never once been curious? Doesn’t jive. If she’s so supportive then how has she pulled that off without even watching the pilot that put them into another tax bracket?
As someone else said, some of these have a resemblance to another authors work. Now I can’t unsee it. Those were good. Those were emotional. This wasn’t. None in the series has been. It’s all fluff that could be resolved with a serious conversation.
This story follows a husband who’s a successful writer for a hit TV show and his quirky wife, whose odd behavior/sayings have been made into a major character on his TV show. He wins an award and says something along the lines of without her antics the show wouldn’t be a hit. She doesn’t know he’s taken private moments that make her who she is and used it for the show. The character is some over the top idiot and she had no idea. None. K.
Maybe it’s a me thing and maybe I’ve read too many betrayal books but there wasn’t a gut punch. Some embarrassment for sure but she never even watched his show. For four years?! This is his money maker and she’s never once been curious? Doesn’t jive. If she’s so supportive then how has she pulled that off without even watching the pilot that put them into another tax bracket?
As someone else said, some of these have a resemblance to another authors work. Now I can’t unsee it. Those were good. Those were emotional. This wasn’t. None in the series has been. It’s all fluff that could be resolved with a serious conversation.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
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