Unsaintly Solution:

by Clover Hamilton

307 pages, Paperback

Published July 8, 2026

Reviews

[J Bortu]

I received an advanced copy of this book from the author and agreed to complete an honest review. This does not influence my opinion of the work.

Unsaintly Solution by Clover Hamilton is a spicy romance about a casino owner who catches an ex-nun (who grew up in witness protection) cheating at a card table in his casino. She very quickly tells him that she is an ex-nun and pregnant and makes a bargain to be his wife (in all ways) for a year so her child can have his last name. He decides that's a good idea so that he can change his reputation to a family man and get to have sex on the regular. It sounded really fun and I was super excited to dive in but soon realized that it just wasn't for me. I read about a quarter of it and stopped.

I personally need a little more build up and character development before the main characters, who are strangers, start trusting each other with very personal details. Both characters spilled personal details very early without earning each other's trust or favor so it felt pretend and I was not able to connect with the characters. Within the first day of meeting the casino owner, the FMC sees a halo over his head and says, he is her "holy grail" and then essentially asks to marry him. Upon the first meeting, the MMC told the FMC that he uses his meat grinder to get rid of people. I also couldn't buy-in to the whole splash pregnancy theory. I understand that the author was trying to establish the setting and give a little background info in the couple chapters, but it felt rushed.

Most of the pieces I read were inner thoughts and verbal dialogue. Since I couldn't connect with the characters, living completely in their heads didn't work for me. If the story slowed down a bit and worked up to this arranged marriage, the characters would have been more believable for me. Maybe if they had known each other as children and just reconnected, or if he had caught her cheating at the card tables a few times before, then the proposition would have felt more real.

While this book wasn't for me, it would be great for someone that wants a fun, spicy read. If you like a more doe-eyed FMC that also seems very knowledgeable in the bedroom, and a macho dangerous MMC, then this book could be a great fit. If you don't have the problem of needing a contemporary fiction book to feel more realistic and just want to get lost in a spicy story, then this could be the book for you.

I really wanted to love this book but I think it just wasn't what I expected. It could be perfect for you though.

[ALYSA HORSMAN · Rating 4 out of 5]

When an ex-nun shows up pregnant at a casino, what's the boss to do?

Rae has lived her life until now, sheltered and hidden away. Never did she know that she soon would be in an "Unsaintly Solution" with the casino boss.

They are polar opposites yet they make a perfect pair in every way. Follow them on their journey from their initial meeting to years in the making.

[Cheyenne]

I made it about 15% of the way before DNF'ing. The book has a great premise, but I wish there was more to the couple than just an instantaneous deal that's made. The writing style wasn't for me, but it could be for someone else!

[Heather Normand · Rating 5 out of 5]

Loved it.

[Saira · Rating 5 out of 5]

✨️ ARC Review ✨️
📘 Unsaintly Solution
✍️ Clover Hamilton
📆 17th July

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Fake marriage ☑️
Romance ☑️
Grumpy x Sunshine ☑️
Mafia ☑️

Just finished this astonishing book and I have to say this book had me hooked since the beginning. I’ve literally never read a story like this. I loved all the characters, even the side characters.

I really enjoyed the book and I have to say it has a fair amount of spice if someone’s looking for it. It also shows how people who are completely different from each other both as a person and in their business, can still work together and build something beautiful if they want to.

It’s always about how much you’re willing to do in order to receive what you want and I guess this book is a great example of that, if you want something then you need to bring something to the table, be it as simple as consistency, then look how your partner shows up for you whenever you need him/her.

Also sometimes the moments which we are trying so hard to avoid, are the ones that actually land us something so beautiful that we cherish them all our lives. So never fear the situations you’re trying to avoid and rather go with the mindset that I’ll learn something beautiful from this situation.

I love how the FMC is so confident and is the one who proposes the contract of the fake marriage on her own terms and this ain’t the only deal she makes with him. She is really someone who would go for whatever she wants no matter the circumstances and without any overthinking.

Rae Romero, the female main character, is strong, kind , fierce and a stubborn nun. Who is hiding in convent because she belongs to a mafia family.

Marsh, the male main character, is cold, grumpy, strong and smart. He is owner of the casino. And when it comes to her, he would do anything to see a smile on her face. If you love what I’ve said about the book so far then go and start reading this gem because I’m sure you won’t stop till you finish it either.

Thank you so much, Clover Hamilton and Candace for choosing me as ARC reviewer of this amazing book. I truly enjoyed reading this book.

[Gabriela · Rating 3 out of 5]

Another ARC review ✨️😌

I won't lie, things happen fast in this book. But since there is a lot going on at the moment in my life, it was perfect: fun and entertaining to pass the time. ✨️🌶 An ex-nun, virgin BUT pregnant... interesting premise? Yes. A little strange? Also yes. Impossible? Not at all, though quite unlikely.🫢
I found the first encounter between the two main characters somewhat rough, but what surprised me most was that our FMC sees a heavenly halo over our MMC's head, as if he had been sent directly by God to save her. 😇That detail struck me as curious and different. It was also quite clever of her to propose a marriage of convenience with someone like him, thus securing a future and a last name for her child.
From that first encounter, the tension and desire between them are undeniable (yes, even on her part despite being a virgin), and the relationship progresses much faster than some readers might like.😅 It's a VERY spicy story🌶🌶, with quite a few scenes that I mostly enjoyed, although I did feel that certain important themes were left a bit up in the air and could have been developed further.

Even so, it was a read I enjoyed. It has that grumpy x sunshine trope that I LOVE, and the dynamic between the main characters is fun, chaotic, and very addictive. It's not a book to take too seriously, but rather one to let yourself get swept up in the drama, intensity, and fast-paced romance.
✨ In summary: a fast, spicy story, perfect if you're looking for something light, entertaining, and full of tension.

[Jill Elza · Rating 5 out of 5]

Unsaintly Solution was hilarious, spicy, and completely addictive!
Rae Romero has spent most of her life hidden away in a convent because of her ties to the mafia. Now she is homeless, pregnant, and playing poker in a casino owned by the morally gray Marsh Samarus.
Rae needs protection and a name for her unborn baby. Marsh needs to improve his casino’s reputation. Naturally, their solution is a fake marriage.
Rae absolutely made this book for me. She was clever, bold, unpredictable, and so funny. The banter between Rae and Marsh was some of the best I have ever read. Their chemistry came through in every conversation.
The poker table “Daddy” scene had me trying not to wake my husband because I was laughing so hard at one in the morning!
My favorite quote was:
“Time to find out if my little thief is truly serious about her not-so-saintly proposal.”
This story had humor, mafia connections, pregnancy, fake marriage, plenty of spice, and a morally gray casino owner who was the perfect match for Rae.
I also loved knowing there would be a guaranteed HEA with no cliffhanger and no third-act breakup.
🌶🌶🌶🌶

[Jaimie M · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book was another one I received as part of the Indie Author Insider Influencer group. I give it 4 stars and 3 chili peppers.

The story is faced paced and kept me engrossed in the characters. Marsh and Rae have this undeniable chemistry and the banter is perfect. There are a lot of great side characters too.

Rae, an ex nun, homeless, pregnant card shark is holed up in the basement of Marsh's casino trying to get a handle on her life that has taken a drastic turn. When she is caught cheater at a poker table in his casino Marsh intends to take care of the problem himself. But when he sees her all bets are off. He needs to protect her. He needs to own her. He needs to marry her. And well Rae is just along for the ride.

This is the perfect amount of dark romance and rom com all mixed into one.

[Hannah · Rating 4 out of 5]

If your book vibe is…

💋 Sizzling Chemistry
❤️‍🔥 Grumpy x Sunshine
🎰 Casino Setting
💘 Opposites Attract
🥰 Palyful Banter

Then Unsaintly Solution by Clover Hamilton is for you!

This book was a little out of my comfort zone and normal genre of books but I really enjoyed it!

Our FMC is strong willed, loves to speak her mind and knows what she wants! Our MMC is so sweet to her and really turns on the charms!

I’m always a sucker for a Found Family trope and I love how rooted in family all the characters were. I really enjoyed seeing Rae find that family she always wanted and end up with the happily ever after!

And the spice…WOW. Need I saw more?!

I received a free copy of this book from the author and am voluntarily leaving a review.

[Kaylee Renn · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was such a fun fast paced romance
Honestly thought it was going to be darker but i am not upset it wasn’t
It did have some familia mafia ties but everything was very happy ending
I never worried about the fmc or her baby because she was very clearly protected and loved and safe
The concept of this a pregnant ex nun making a “fake marriage” with a casino owner was insane and while i didn’t get nun vibes the verbage she used during spice made me laugh out loud
The spice was amazingly well written and there was quite a-lot of it
I loved Marsh’s the MMC character arc and had no doubt in my mind from the beginning that he was the man of Raes dreams
The plot was more spice heavy and not so much storyline but it was good none the less!

[Ramandeep Kaur · Rating 4 out of 5]

Unsaintly Solution is such a fun, easy read. Fake marriage, grumpy × sunshine, and honestly zero drama -no big fights, no breakup in the middle, nothing stressing you out. Just a warm, happy story from start to finish.
The banter between the two leads is the best part. You can literally feel him going soft for her page by page, and it's so cute to watch. The spice is open door and fits right in, nothing is too much😜
I started this thinking I'll read a bit and stop, ended up finishing it in two days. That's how easy it is to get hooked.
If you want something light and feel-good, just pick this one up. 🤍

[Jessica Bazan · Rating 5 out of 5]

An amazing quick read! It’s the perfect mix of grumpy/sunshine characters with slight mafia ties. It’s closer to a cozy vibe than a dark mafia vibe but it’s done so well that I have no complaints.

Rae is such a fun character and so insanely trusting of the world. It’s amazing how her instincts are correct with the people she meets. Marsh is so well written as this serious man who has to protect everyone always. They blend together so well and I loved every minute of this book.

You know a book is good when it’s hard to put down and you finish it in less than 24 hours.

[Sam Henry · Rating 4 out of 5]

The book itself isn’t bad, it is very spice heavy and I feel like the plot was a bit rushed. I will say I think that’s the main reason it wasn’t a 5 ⭐️ for me. Along side that, I was super intrigued when I was met with the concept for the book an ex-nun doing lots of unholy things was quite entertaining. I will also say, it did take me a little be to get into reading the way the dialog was set only because as a nun she does not converse the way I or another common person would. Overall it was a good read!

[Christina Blanco · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was such a fun quick read. It has grumpy sunshine vibes. Cute banter. Unusual plot but written in a way that a great afternoon escape will have you falling into this book and enjoying the ride. Lots of 🌶️🌶️🌶️🌶️‼️ But aside from the spice, the character interaction drew me in from beginning to end. It’s a feel good hea book that is a great pick me up if you need a break from emotional rollercoaster reads 🥰

[Phish_Monkey · Rating 4 out of 5]

Unsaintly Solution by Clover Hamilton is a fun, fast paced read that focuses on Rae, apregnant ex- nun and Marsh, a Casino owner. Hamilton manages to provide such entertaining banter and quirky antics despite the darker tones that are highlighted in the book.

I enjoyed watching the relationship between the main characters develop emotionally and physically. Be warned, this book does have open door spice! I mean, honestly who doesn't love a good fake marriage trope with spice?

Overall read: Four stars
Spice: 3 🌶

[Kimberly S45 · Rating 4 out of 5]

A casino owner and ex pregnant nun!

This was a super fun read. Rae the FMC gets caught scamming a few gamblers at a casino and is caught by Marsh the stunning owner of said casino.

He’s a no holds barred takes no prisoner kinda guy, but when he discovers Rae is pregnant and a former nun

What a crazy ride. Lots of fun witty banter, very funny especially with Rae’s inner dialogue.
Lots of spicy scenes too🥵

Fast paced and will leave you wanting more!

Thanks Clover Hamilton and The Indie Author Insider for the ARC

[Rachel Brennan · Rating 5 out of 5]

Okay….if you want a quick mafia romance read with spice, found family and banter I recommend you add this book to your shelf. The FMC is free spirited and strong and the MMC is a golden retriever. They were both easy to love and their story was well written. I don’t want to say too much because I don’t want to ruin it, but I could not put this book down and I definitely recommend it!

[Heather Deffley · Rating 4 out of 5]

I enjoyed this book, a little different and the writing was done differently too but I found I didn't dislike it and more that I enjoyed it page by page.

I loved the FMC and how fiercely protective the MMC is. They were the perfect match and I loved reading their story and how things developed between them.

It is definitely a book I would recommend reading.

[Kelsey Blanton · Rating 3 out of 5]

Love the concept of an ex nun getting with a grumpy casino owner, plus I’m a sucker for “found family.”

[Oriana Pantoja · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was such a bizarre concept that I fell down the rabbit hole that was this book. A virgin ex-nun who’s pregnant finds herself in a “fake” marriage with the casino owner, where she’s been hiding after leaving the convent in secret. I did not expect to learn about “splash pregnancy” this year. Consider me mind-blown.

It took me a moment to adjust to the interesting inner monologue style of the characters, because it felt like the author wanted the characters to be talking to the reader as an observer of their situation. It was inconsistent and thankfully tapered off fairly early in the novel, and when done again, it was minimal and quirky. There was one scene that if it was completely cut out, nothing in the story would change, so it felt unnecessary. But otherwise I really enjoyed the novel from beginning to end.

Going in, I was given a list of the novel's tropes, and I’ll be honest, I wasn’t expecting the ex-nun to be the one to propose the fake marriage for some reason. That ended up being a huge selling point for me because it seemed so outlandish in her holy visions (from lack of eating) that I can almost understand the halo that poor Rae is hallucinating on Marsh.

There are some grammatical errors that, with some basic editing, can be cleaned up, like words being out of order or typos, that broke up the flow for me at times, but I expected that from an early version that might still have some final edits to go through before publication day.

I truly can’t get over the fact that I read the whole thing in 24 hours 🙏🏽🙏🏽 Bravo to the author for creating a sensational tale 🤣

[Skyllar Branch · Rating 5 out of 5]

I had the lovely opportunity to read this through ARC. I want to thank Clover for the chance to read this book

I love this book. Its not your traditional "Mafia" type Book - It has more mafia ties being that she is the daughter of two mafia families, It has Nuns, Casino Owner, Open Door Spice.
This love story starts out with a Nun on the run turned into a fake marriage and then it gets better from there. If you love a book with a bunch of build up then this book isn't for you. I personally liked that there wasn't a cat and mouse chase. Sometimes a author can take that and drag it out. I loved that this was a simple story about a man who is a hard A** and he gets swept off his feat by a ex nun of all things. I love that Rae (which is also my middle name) just owns who she is and doesn't let being a Ex nun stop her from exploring life. This was my first book like this and at first I wasn't sure if it was going to be for me but then I read it in less than a day and I was on the edge of my seat wanting more.

[Lynnmarie542_books · Rating 5 out of 5]

Full disclosure: I had the privilege of being the alpha reader for this book, so I experienced the story long before its release. That said, this review reflects my honest thoughts.

This book was absolutely fanfuckingtastic.

Rae and Marsh completely stole my heart. They were funny, sassy, sexy, and an absolute hoot to follow. Their chemistry felt effortless from the very beginning, and watching their relationship naturally grow into something deeper was incredibly satisfying.

The story itself was entertaining, well-paced, and beautifully written. I was hooked from the first chapter and completely invested until the very end. The emotional highs and lows had me laughing, swooning, and completely wrapped up in the journey.

This was such a fun, heartfelt read, and I can’t wait for everyone else to experience it.

[Chelsea · Rating 4 out of 5]

I thought this was a good book. The story is a contemporary romance that follows Rae, a pregnant ex-nun with mafia ties who ends up hiding out at a casino, and Marsh, the morally grey casino owner. They decide to get into a fake marriage because she needs a name for her baby and he needs to fix his business's reputation.

I really liked how Clover mixed the unique background of a pregnant ex-nun with a standard grumpy-meets-sunshine trope. The connection between Rae and Marsh felt realistic, and their playful banter was fun to read. Clover does a nice job balancing the lighter comedy moments with the more serious suspense elements from Rae's past. It is a solid, entertaining read with a good amount of romance and drama. I recommend checking it out.

I was lucky enough to get an early copy from the author for an honest review.

[Natalie Schiferl · Rating 3 out of 5]

What happens when a casino owner finds an ex bun cheating at the poker table? He gets personally involved. But that isn’t the only think about Rae, as Marsh soon finds out. She’s homeless, pregnant, and has been living in his casino for a month. They two make a deal and Marsh become’s Rae’s unsaintly solution to all her problems- they fake marry, but truly fall for each other. Rae’s history comes out when her dad enters the picture, but this budding family has plans all their own on how to cope with it all.

Fair warning- this book is explicit and highly steamy— it has more sex scenes than what I typically read.

[Shylou Totaram · Rating 3 out of 5]

Thank you to the author and Indie Author Insider for providing me with an ARC.

This book isn't bad by any means, it was a quick easy read. I will say though I feel like it was very spice forward rather than having a strong plot. Everything moved rather quickly, and personally I would have liked to see more depth in the characters. Rae is an ex nun who's also pregnant. Given that statement I don't feel like she was portrayed as an ex nun, just based off the way she spoke and acted. But all things aside, if you're looking for a fast paced, spicy dark romance then look no further.

[Chrissy Smith · Rating 5 out of 5]

As a dark romance girl, this was such a fun, it wasn’t as dark as i expected going in partially blind, but i loved it. It was amazing, easy to read, and had me smiling so much.

Marsh was literally down bad from the beginning and I loved every second of it. The fake marriage was so fun, the banter was too tier, and I was so happy there wasn’t a random breakup. I finished it way faster than I expected.

♡ Fake marriage
♡ Grumpy x sunshine
♡ AGE GAPPPP
♡ Pregnant ex-nun
♡ Open-door spice
♡ No third-act breakup
♡ HEA

[Jessica Penley · Rating 4 out of 5]

Unsainity Solution shifts from chaos to clarity in this tone less feral, more haunting.
Clover Hamilton crafts a story that feels like walking through fog with a heartbeat at your back: unsettling, magnetic, and strangely tender in the cracks. It’s not loud; it’s the quiet kind of dark, the kind that lingers in your chest long after you close the book. A slow, eerie unraveling of obsession and identity that feels more like a whisper than a scream.

[Sarah Redetzke · Rating 4 out of 5]

A spicy quick read that incorporates mafia ties and a grumpy x sunshine theme. The plot was great and the writing flowed really well throughout the book. This is my first time reading a book by Clover Hamilton and it was great. If you like fake marriage, grumpy x sunshine with hints of mafia, this book is definitely for you.

[Alicia Bradley · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a interesting face paced dark romance mixed with romcom. The connection between MMC & FMC felt real and all consuming. The mix of banter and spice was excellent. Very unusual story line but that made it ultimately more intriguing. I mean come on a ex- nun and a casino mafia boss - how wild!
Ultimately enjoyed this one.

[ImSuddenlySue · Rating 3 out of 5]

The plot, the storyline, and the banter were great, but there was just something about the way the story read that I couldn't get into.
The premise was amazing, and I may have thoroughly enjoyed the book were it not for that awkwardness I can't really describe.