Buttons: A Wealthy CEO Marriage-in-Crisis Romance

by Audrey Halliwell

He made a list of her flaws. She made a life without him.

Julian Plaza thought he had made the logical choice when he married Elowen. She might not be stunning like Carmella Ruiz, but she was safe. He never thought she’d find out about the list. The one that brutally commented on her button nose.

After discovering her husband mocked her appearance and settled for her, Elowen takes their children and leaves. Now, as she builds a stray cat sanctuary, Julian realizes that “safe” was the only thing holding him together. He wants a second chance, but she just wants to be herself.

No cheating.


📝Middle-Aged Characters
📝Neurodivergent Hero
📝Marriage in Crisis
📝Uncovered
📝OW Drama
📝Betrayal & Grovel
📝Second Chance
📝Redemption

Genres: Second Chance, Contemporary, Romance, Contemporary Romance, Second Chance Romance, Billionaire Romance, Closed Door Romance

364 pages, Hardcover

Published July 28, 2026

About the author

Audrey Halliwell writes messy, twisty, can’t-look-away romance.

The kind where the other woman has secrets, the ex-fiancé still lingers, and the plot twists slap you like a betrayal at brunch. If you’ve ever screamed at your Kindle, rewritten endings in your head, or fallen in love with a character who absolutely should’ve known better, you’re in the right place.

Audrey blames her obsession with dramatic romance on her mother—she was watching soap operas in elementary school and devouring V.C. Andrews and Gossip Girl by middle school. Armed with a college degree and an unapologetic love for emotional chaos, Audrey writes stories where women stumble through heartbreak, betrayal, and obsession before reclaiming their power.

Her heroines might be messy, but they always find their glow-up.

When she’s not plotting angsty love triangles or crafting emotionally ruined men with great hair, you’ll find her designing something on Canva or rereading her favorite tropes like it’s self-care.

Reviews

[Irene · Rating 1 out of 5]

i am going to shoot him with a gun, he treats her and their kids terrible for 10+ years (turns out he didn't even pick her in the disgusting pros and cons list), keeps the OW around from the said pros and cons list (he even admits he was emotionally cheating during) takes the OW for plus one during their separation to a gala (to give her a lesson), but all is forgiven after some dumbass sentences

[dropitlikeitshotx · Rating 2 out of 5]

This is like 2.5 -3 stars max. I just didn’t like him. I couldn’t remember why I started this on Patreon but was never interested in finishing it. Then I realized it’s because he’s so dull I was begging her to go out and meet someone else. He might be on the spectrum or something but he legit has the Romantic appeal of a decaying brick 💀. Major spoilers ahead.

They’ve been married 8 years and dating longer. Elowyn (h) works as his executive assistant and literally keeps his entire professional and private life together. This man, Julian (H), literally cannot function without her 🙄. And he, well I guess, he “provides” for his family, while treating them like shit.

While out for drinks with his old college friends, one of them drops the bomb that H made a pro con list about the woman he should choose. So between h and OW (Carmella) and OW came out on top by 15 POINTS 🤡. Notably for her looks and h having a weird button nose — which her kids also have. He MADE JOKES ABOUT HIS KIDS NEEDING PLASTIC SURGERY 🤢🤡. The only reason he ended up with h is because he accidentally texted her instead of OW when asking them out. He didn’t have their numbers saved at the time, then decided to go with h because she was the “sensible” choice 🥴. To make matters worse he’s maintained a professional relationship with OW ALL THIS TIME, so she’s been floating around 👋🏽💥.

So she’s pissed and instantly packs her shit and leaves with the kids in the middle of the night. He tells her she’s over reacting 🥹. She quits her job as his EA. He genuinely believes she’ll be running back any second for his warm personality and endless love 🫪. Like he didn’t criticize the kids projects like they were his underlings. He critiques his wife’s appearance and clothes for their entire relationship. Choosing her clothes and forcing her to straighten her naturally curly hair, so she would compliment his image 🤯🤬. She starts finding herself and volunteering at an animal shelter.

What does he do? He’s like yeah I’ll show my wife. He takes OW to a charity gala as his date 🤬. Then tries to backtrack and make it seem like this is all professional when h also shows up looking for funding for the animal shelter 😳. Like damn he was shameless as fuck. Plus the tabloids all publish headlines about the new happy power couple and the “ex wife” trying to cope, and he doesn’t do anything per usual 🤬🤬. Makes no statements, just nothing. The kids see the pictures of him with OW and this doesn’t even occur to him 😤. Nor does h ever confront him for this 😤😤.

So anyways H decides to deal with his wife leaving him by calling his college friend and blaming him for dropping the bomb. Only for Trey to be like yeah I fucked up but seriously why did you keep OW around? Like even dumb frat bro friend understands how it looks keeping your backup plan nearby when your wife wasn’t the original apple of your eye 🫣. H is like ok yeah I fucked up, I’m gonna fix this.

He decides he’s gonna make it clear to OW he has no interest in her and their professional relationship as well. How does he go about this? He invites OW to dinner 🤯. Why this conversation necessitates more than a coffee? I’ll never know. I don’t want you, stay away from family bitch! 🙅‍♀️ There you go. Instead he invites her to a super romantic dinner and lets her hang all over him. Until he realizes his wife’s friend is taking pictures of them and starts behaving. Like how hard is it to tell her to fuck off forever if you’re gonna end the professional relationship too 😒.

Yeah so after this he starts making an effort and showing he’s changed. He calls the kids more and spends time volunteering at the shelter with them. She talks about divorce and he tries not to piss her off, even though he doesn’t want a divorce. I mean who would hold his life together? 😒 this is basically his grovel, until she takes him back. I was not convinced he loved her for a second, he just loved what she did for him. Genuinely there was no romance between them 🙂‍↔️.

No physical cheating.

[SC Girlie · Rating 2 out of 5]

Misses the mark

This is a 2 1/2 star book. And let me explain why. The writing is quality just like her other works so she automatically gets the 2 1/2 stars I give any author who writes a good story. But let me explain why she loses the other 2 1/2.

Writing different or neurodivergent characters is fine. It seems to be a growing trend, even though it proves to be difficult for some authors to carry out. And when I say Cari out, it’s not that you didn’t get to know Julian it was that he did not become a character you liked. I am married to an atypical husband who is neurodivergent and is in the science field and struggles to share his emotions and has OCD and many other different traits, but he is still likable and I still know he loves me.

This was not a romance at all. This wasn’t even a marriage in my opinion. This was two business associates who chose to have kids basically even though I understand her job came later, but there was absolutely no connection between these people whatsoever. Less outline what he actually did and there are spoilers coming, so be aware.

First off, he publicly humiliate his wife in front of a group of friends because he talked horribly about her when he was younger and didn’t stop his drunk friend from continuing which he could have. Secondly, rather than apologizing immediately, he sits quietly and pretends like nothing happened while all of his friends who feel very awkward other than the drunk one leave and he brushes it off like it’s nothing. Then when his wife is clearly upset rather than addressing it, then he says OK leave. Then if that’s not enough, he decides it’s a great idea a couple weeks later to take the woman that he almost chose over his wife or actually did choose over his wife to a public event on his arm. Not a let’s meet at the event, but a let’s go together. And after all of these ridiculous instances where it is very clear, he does not love or respect his wife we are too then assume that he does in fact love her because he showed up in an animal shelter and overcame his OCD. People overcome lots of their quirks every day and it has nothing to do with love. This was a man who wanted his secretary back. I don’t care what the ending of the book said he wanted his organized system back. He wanted his kids back where they belonged to his wife back where she belonged in the same little box and I don’t care what she wrote. That is the only way to interpret what he did. He does not love his wife, and I will stand back by that till I go blue in the face.

But then let’s also pretend none of that’s true. Let’s pretend he does love her. Let’s focus on the fact that she still has no spine. She was publicly humiliated found out that her husband basically wasn’t even attracted to her clearly was lusting after a different woman kept the woman he was lusting after in his life. Four years was having secret friendship, conversations, and meetings with her that he did not tell his wife about was guilty about it, which means that he knew neurodivergent or not that it was Wrong. Then he publicly took this woman out to ““ make his wife recognize what she lost out on. So then publicly humiliating her again. And then all of this because he shows up at a couple benefits for a cat charity and calls her darling. She takes them back. I wanna shake women like this because she literally is gaslighting herself. She’s saying what she wants to see which is basically that he’s changed in all of this. No he’s just doing minor things to get a secretary back. This guy doesn’t love this woman. There’s nothing to indicate that at all and it is just a story about a woman who is lying to herself.

After all of that is said, we still haven’t addressed the fact that those kids and the wife were emotionally and vocally abused so it just wasn’t a love story that you can stand behind. She needed a new man in her life who that she could grow with now that she’s figured out who she is and Julian isn’t it. Some men really aren’t meant to be husbands and I think he’s one of them and she needed love not to lie to herself and say oh look, he got cat hair on himself and kneeled on the ground, he must love me. No he just wants a secretary back. And I won’t even talk about how disappointed I am and Beatrix for even encouraging it at all. She was a no nonsense woman who should’ve seen through all of that and the fact that the wife wasn’t even brave enough to actually file separation and divorce papers blows my mind.

[Snafuzled · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5 rounding up because I liked the writing. I haven’t read much from this author, but she’s definitely on my radar now. This one delivers a couple of pretty good gut punches. Bonus points given if you’re a cat person.

Story time…I had a cat once. She spitefully pissed all over my house for the entirety of her long, long life. When she got bored of that, she decided to get creative with poop. Her preferred dumping spot, you ask? My pillow. WHILE I WAS SLEEPING ON IT!!!!

After spilling her secrets, I’m guessing my Gigi is now looking up and flipping me the double bird while lounging on Satan’s lap, who I’m sure loves her to bits. Give him hell, Gigi. Love you baby girl! (And yes, I spent THOUSANDS of dollars trying to find a reason for this behavior. Diagnosis: She’s an asshole)

ANYWAY. I am NOT necessarily a cat person, but this was sweet and cat lovers will rejoice.

Spoilery thoughts….

On a drunken night it’s discovered that MMC made a list of pros and cons for our FMC before marriage. One of the cons was her nose. 🤥 It was all quite hurtful. There’s some fun OW drama, and man, it was fun to hate her!

She leaves his sorry ass and works at/starts up a cat rescue. He eventually removes the stick out of his ass and wins back the FMC. HEA.

I’m actually close to a couple of guys who are very similar to this MMC. They are extremely successful and they are absolutely on the spectrum. This MMC came across as quite neurodivergent to me, so I kind of understood his eccentricities. I can absolutely see the guys I know making lists like this MMC did. I guess it kind of made me feel like I understood his character. I don’t think he was necessarily nefarious, his brain just works differently. I’m glad he learned coping skills though, because he was headed towards disaster with the way he was raising his kids.

Overall a good read. I’m now going to have nightmares of waking up next to a pile of cat 💩 on my pillow.

RIP Gigi, you little devil 😈

[Raffaella · Rating 2 out of 5]

Heroine has been married to hero for ten years.
They have two kids, she’s his wife and his pa, he’s a control freak, imo he has a ocd because he’s afraid of everything that is not perfectly clean, tidy and precise.
Poor heroine has to be his nanny.
She finds out accidentally that he dated her by mistake since he wanted to date another woman but dialed her number instead, and after a couple of dates he wrote a file with the pros and cons of both women, with the heroine turning out to score lower in looks and social connections.
He especially made nasty remarks about her looks especially her button nose, worried that his children would have her nose and would require surgery.
Btw, I always thought that a button nose was cute and pretty, not ugly looking, especially in women. Upturned, small noses should be very attractive so what’s his issue?
This was what I didn’t understand.
So he married her but kept comparing her to ow that btw stayed friends with him and he tried to mold her to ow, telling her to straighten her hair, to dress conservatively and whatever.
When she finds out she takes the kids and leaves him.
And then, well, instead of panicking and trying to win her back he takes ow as his date at a public party where basically ow is regarded as an upgrade of the heroine since she’s more attractive.
The heroine meanwhile doesn’t file for divorce, which I would have done promptly, but starts working at a local shelter and reverts to her original looks, with her curly hair and natural appearance.
And now, why are curly hair considered unattractive?
IMO a woman with a button nose and curly hair is very attractive but apparently the hero has mental issues and didn’t like them.
So, after some weeks he understands he loves the heroine very much and misses both her and the kids, and starts volunteering at the shelter where he can be with his family.
I admit the heroine was quite nice, in Italy if a woman found out her husband compared her to another woman and found her lacking for years it would end in blood.
Eventually he rewrites the list with everything he loves about her, and her nose is one of the first things, I mean, how is a button nose ugly?
The hero to me had severe issues, as need to control everything, ocd, and some kind of spectrum, since he couldn’t understand what was in front of his eyes.
He really lacked in social skills, and couldn’t see that ow was rude and manipulative.
But he changed.
There’s no intimacy so we don’t actually know what was like between them.
Was there chemistry? I don’t need a lot of sex scenes but at least I need to know if he found her attractive, if sex was good and if he felt something for her besides feelings safe and organized.
I couldn’t see much of it, so imo it was ow that he liked most, until he saw what a mean person she was.
The heroine found herself and imo she was better without the hero. The kids were cute and buttons is a cat with a button nose of course, which I loved.

[Wendy Darling · Rating 3 out of 5]

This husband was abusive. I'm surprised as hell that this didn't come up before publication?

He's not abusive in a physical or sexual sense, but he is controlling, verbally harsh/critical, and dismissive of his wife and kids. The harm that comes from this type of verbal abuse is way more common than is recognized and I kinda can't believe in this day and age that this isn't acknowledged. I think it's possible to redeem such a character and his actions if he learns from them (with the portrayal, I think of his possible neurodivergence), but not without acknowledging that that's what it was.

The pacing and writing just kind of felt off to me, too. The set-up is pure catnip (I've been looking forward to this one for months), but I just didn't feel the level of hurt and disappointment and betrayal I expected, and his redemption just wasn't plotted and emotionally paced well. Sometimes stories go overboard with the grovel and therapy, but this one needed more of both. And way less cat sanctuary.

Overall, this ended up being more serious than I expected (I thought it was going to be a Ross and Rachel type list or at most, an Elise Camden-style betrayal) but since it went the outright abusive route, it ended up not taking its content quite seriously enough.

[JillyB · Rating 4 out of 5]

It is refreshing when the betrayal trope gets shaken up a bit. Now I am not saying this idea is totally original as romance books have been written for hundreds of years and certain ideas get revisited. The author put her own spin on it with the neurodivergent hero and marriage in crisis. IF you have ever watched the Friend’s episode where Ross makes a list to choose between Rachel and Julie, then you have an idea how a pro/con list can be destructive. In this case the list uncovered doesn’t happen until Julian(H) and Elowen (h) have been married for 8 years and have 2 children. The story starts with a glimpse into their life and how Elowen has made their marriage work like clockwork. But cracks have formed….and when she finds out about the list she leaves, with the kids, immediately. And, I know readers will like this she stays strong. Her years of making herself small and making concessions is over!!! Julian believes she will crawl back….but come to find out he needs her a lot more than she needs him. Julian loves his wife and realizes if he wants a second chance with her he needs to make drastic changes not only to himself, but with who he keeps company with. He puts in the work. Elowen notices and gives him a second chance. This book is safe from steamy scenes and cheating! The ow drama is an added bonus but at no time do I feel that Julian sees Carmella as anything but a long ago ex and current business associate. He is very clinical and logical in his thoughts. Which means he doesn’t always pick up on social cues, like Carmella making the moves on him. When he realizes this, he gets rid of her from his life. I really enjoyed this story and watching how both the hero and heroine changed and came back together better! I left more details on Goodreads.

Features: based on the blurb for the book I expanded the author’s points SOME LIGHT SPOILERS

Middle-Aged Characters-Hero is 42, heroine is 38/39…
Neurodivergent Hero-Julian is very logical and mathematically inclined. He has ocd tendencies and is a neat freak. Things need to be orderly and sterile. Over the years, Elowen has learned to anticipate what things would bother him and intercepted them before they could be an issue. She has managed his life to a tee. Their son Leo has some of these same tendencies but not quite to his father’s level.

Marriage in Crisis-Julian and Elowen have been married 8 years. They have 2 children…6 and 4. They met at a grocery store and exchanged numbers. When he texted her to meet for coffee, it was the start of their relationship. He dates her then hires her to be his assistant…then they married! Along the way Elowen loses herself in the marriage. Before the big “reveal”, she was starting to feel frustrated and unsatisfied.

Uncovered-At dinner with his college friends and ex girlfriend or almost girlfriend, it is revealed that he made a list between the two women with the pro’s and cons…he also disparaged his wife’s button nose, and even made note that he hoped future children would not get it(but they did!)

OW Drama-Carmella lost to Elowen but was ahead in points on his list….well there is a reason she did not become the Mrs. And it had to do with a wrong text …Honestly I am not sure why Carmella wants Julian, except for the fact that he is wildly successful. He is not an easy man to live with, but I suppose she would have others take care of is neurodivergent needs and she obviously wasn’t looking for a love connection, but more of an alliance to be a power couple. It doesn’t help that Julian has remained in contact with her over the years as they are in the same type of business. He is not having an emotional affair with her and basically it sounds like they are only together socially when the college gang gets together. When Elowen leaves, Carmella decides to change tactics and go after Julian more aggressively, but our man Julian doesn’t pick up on this. He goes along with some of her suggestions and it backfires miraculously

Betrayal & Grovel-He betrayed her by basically marrying her under false pretenses and disparaging her looks. The one thing she was assured of was Julian’s love and loyalty(and yes he does love her) but after finding this secret out and all the work she put into the marriage, she is gobsmacked! Julian does
a do a great job groveling, He puts in the time and effort. He blows off a multi million dollar deal, and makes sure that Carmella is history! NOW here is the thing, not all parts of him can change. He is neurodivergent so there are parts of him that are ingrained within him, but there are other things he has come to terms with and could change, and he did!

Second Chance-She leaves him, begins a second career. He thinks she will come back, but when it is obvious she is thriving with less money, status, and gala…he realizes that it is he that needs to do the changing, She will not go back to being the woman who dresses for his benefit and who irons her natural curly hair. She will not be the woman that has the perfect looking unlived in house. She will no longer stand by his side and fade into the background so he takes center stage. However, Julian will take her anyway he can get her as he truly loves her and starts seeing her for the first time…he also realizes that he likes what he sees button nose and all!

Redemption-I felt satisfied with the redemption. He is always going to have certain “ways” about him, but he has also learned to embrace a little bit of the chaos, even enjoying it. His relationship not only changed with his wife, but he was able to change his relationship with his children as well. Instead of expecting Christmas card perfect children, he learned to enjoy his children as they are.



I enjoyed this story in part because I really needed a break from the betrayal due to cheating trope. I like my originals together so that was another reason I enjoyed this one. You will rage at Julian for a bit, but at the same time you will also realize that some of his problems are out of his control…not all of them and that is what he has to work on to redeem himself. You will wonder why did Elowen put up with his behavior for so long, but when you are in love it is very easy to fall into a certain dynamic. This is a love marriage! She probably took pride in keeping his schedules and anticipating issues. But as time moved on she started to experience dissatisfaction as many of us do. She realized that she didn’t want to be ornamental, she was intelligent and wanted to spread her wings. He clipped those wings, and she allowed it. That part is on her, but again when we are stupid in love we sometimes fall into these things and realize too late that it isn’t working anymore. The list is what pushed her to change and take back her life. And due to her change, Julian had to make a decision to make changes himself or lose her forever!

On a final note, if you are a cat lover, animal supporter like myself you will enjoy the addition of these furry characters. The author shines a light on the many cats who find themselves in need of shelters. It is obvious she has cats based on how the cats were portrayed in the book. Being a long time cat owner who has either adopted cats from shelters or a friend of a friend, it warms my heart that they get their page time. In fact my current cat actually comes from the The Humane Society of West Michigan, one of the shelters mentioned in the afterward of the book!

[VoraciousReader · Rating 1 out of 5]

1. It seemed to me that the author totally cherry-picked what Julian was and wasn’t able to understand.
a. He obviously understood the betrayal involved in the pro/con list or else he wouldn’t have tried to stop Trey from telling the story. Yet, he expected his wife to be ok with being humiliated in front of all his friends and was annoyed by her reaction.
b. He knew that seeing and spending time with Carmella was wrong and would hurt his wife or else he wouldn’t have kept it a secret. Yet, he apparently thought it was ok to take Carmella to a business function as his date after his wife left.
c. He was rigidly anal about how everything should be done and how everything should look but was massively disorganized and relied on his wife to keep everything running smoothly.
d. He was able to network extensively and maintain complex relationships with all of his many business acquaintances but couldn’t understand even the most basic details of how to raise his own children.
DNF

[Jetscarbie · Rating 3 out of 5]

The book was fine. The writing was good, and it didn’t sound robotic.

The husband does grovel, but geez, I really didn’t like him. I think he’s neurodivergent, but that still doesn’t excuse his horrible ways; not just to his wife but also to his children.

So imagine you go with your husband to hang out with his drunk friends and his ex. The annoying, obnoxious friend (I think every guy has a buddy like this) drinks way too much and blurts out that before your husband married you, he made a pros/cons list between you and his ex on who he should marry. The ex was 15 points higher, and the cons listed under your name listed he didn’t like your nose and was worried any kids would also have the nose. 😱 (which BOTH your kids now have your nose)

And…not only that, but you also find out that he accidentally texted you to meet him instead of his ex. Which means he made a mistake and was actually going to pick her.

Clearly, most people would say BYE 👋 and the heroine did. She left with the kids.

Mr Wonderful then decides a couple of weeks later he’s gonna show up at a gala with ex as his date. Clearly, every single person thought he left his wife for OW and was now with her. 🤡🤡

His thoughts about this:
————-

“By next week, with Carmella on my arm at the gala, Elowen will see exactly what she’s giving up, and she’ll come running back.”

“I guide Carmella toward the red carpet with my hand barely touching the small of her back. We look exactly like what everyone expects. No one would guess I haven’t slept in days.”

“I’m hoping seeing Carmella with me at this gala will be the wake-up call she needs.”

“Meanwhile, Carmella moves with elegance beside me. Her black gown hugs every curve, strategically revealing just enough skin to be noticed without crossing into inappropriate”
———————

Umm SIR! YOU’RE MARRIED!
Who in their right mind would think this is the way to go about anything? Then…that last quote. Ummm, HE NOTICED CARMELLA’S BODY, so he was at least aware of her. 🙃🙃

Also, his buddy brings up later on that the hero has basically been sneaking behind the heroine’s back FOR YEARS, still talking with Carmella. Never once does the hero tell the heroine this. The buddy rightfully calls out the hero for these actions.
The buddy’s whole statement then made me super suss about the hero after that. Ugh.


Now the kids. This hero was AWFUL to his kids. The fact that the heroine never stepped in and stopped this made me dislike her. It’s hard for me to rate a book when I don’t like either MC.

Yes, the hero gets “better” and starts to act like a decent human. I just didn’t care at this point.
I thought they both should have just divorced, worked on co-parenting, and moved on. 🤷‍♀️

I bet if the heroine didn’t forgive him, he would’ve hooked up with Carmella within 3 months. Married probably within a month of the divorce with heroine being finalized, and a baby within 2 years. Then his other two kids would then *maybe* see him once or twice a year. By the time they hit teens, they would’ve quit going over there at all because they hate Carmella and dad treats his kids with her better than them.

I liked the kids, the cats, and the cranky co-characters. I even liked the drunk loud-mouth friend when he called out the hero. Yessss!

[Carrie Dozier]

I was wanting to read this but absolutely not touching it now!! Thank you to all the reviewers who saved me from this deplorable H😡

[Pinky · Rating 1 out of 5]

Trigger Warnings: Death of parent recounted, neurodivergent MMC, controlling husband, rude comments about appearance, mentions of sick kids with cancer, side character’s husband passed away recounted, cyberbullying (rude articles about FMC)

“The blue dress would be better,” I’d said, not really looking at her face, instead focused on the overall image. “And straighten your hair tonight. My biggest clients will be there, and you know how brutal they can be.”


“I spent two hours at the salon yesterday,” Elowen had replied. At the time I took it for soft, but now I wonder if it was hurt. “My hair is straight.”
I’d frowned, reaching out to touch a slight wave near her temple. “Not here. It’s already curling again. Can you fix it before we leave? Maybe use extra hairspray”


Ain’t no way you could pay me to be with a guy like the MMC Julian. I started this hoping for another good grovel and was disappointed. I think Julian is on the spectrum, but it doesn’t excuse him treating his family like shit. And the FMC, Elowen? I’ll never understand why she stayed for so long. She signed up to work full time for Julian. She was his secretary during the day and full-time housewife at night. Julian couldn’t function without Elowen. And I couldn’t buy the love between the characters. Elowen was forced to change how she looked, her food preferences, and the way she dressed to fit Julian’s public image. Elowen would be like, “This was why I loved Julian,” but the stuff she mentioned was THE BARE MINIMUM. And Julian treated his kids like shit. The fact that Elowen felt free the second she left Julian showed that she’s better off alone. I’m so disappointed since the betrayal was so interesting. But even after the betrayal, Julian fucked up even more. He kept OW around despite her being part of the betrayal with Elowen. We have a side plot that I didn’t care for, which took up most of the story. Julian’s grovel will never be enough for me since he never truly loved Elowen for who she was. And Elowen was desperate to change herself to be loved by Julian. It’s honestly sad and pathetic. I’m probably gonna get stuff wrong, so correct me cuz I got bored while reading.


Julian and Elowen are married with two kids. When they go out to a get-together, Elowen finds out that Julian did not mean to marry her. He accidentally texted her instead of the woman he wanted to be with. Elowen feels betrayed, so she decides to leave, and Julian wants her back.

Now for spoilers


Julian and Elowen have been married for 8 years and have known each other for longer. They have two kids: Leo, who is 9, and Meredith, who is 7. When Leo was working on a project and showed Julian, this was his reaction:
“The color-coding works,” Julian says after a pause. He points a manicured finger at the page. “But this graph is off by a few millimeters. It looks sloppy.”
Leo’s shoulders slump. “I’ll fix it.”
“See that you do.”

I do believe that both Julian and Leo are on the spectrum, but it’s never explicitly discussed, so we don’t know what they are diagnosed with. Regardless, I don’t think it is acceptable to expect people to change who they are for you. Elowen has always been attentive to their needs, but in doing so, she never took care of her own. At an event, Julian tells Elowen how to act or to be ready for business partners. Julian would guide Elowen with his hand on the small of her back. He was controlling, and he needed Elowen to prep him for business deals. The morning after was stressful. Elowen would have to get up, make breakfast, take care of the kids, and prepare everything for Julian. She would need to make his food the way he wanted, get his dry cleaning, and get to work in time to have everything on his desk. None of her life seemed appealing, especially since she didn’t have time to relax. I genuinely couldn’t understand what she loved about him. Elowen naturally had curly hair, but because Julian told her to straighten it for professionalism, she would straighten it. The fact that Elowen had to change and mould herself into what Julian wanted was just sad.

At work, Elowen is Julian’s secretary, and she works closely with Virginia. She prints files for Julian since he prefers them over digital copies. She needs to keep track of Julian’s calendar, and Julian just goes with whatever Elowen says since she takes care of everything. Julian has a get-together with his close friends, set up by his friend Trey. When they go, Elowen wants to order a specific drink, but Julian picks out another drink for her instead, saying it’s better. Like what the fuck? I’m sorry, but if this woman can’t even enjoy a drink she likes after all the labour she pulls, what is the point? Julian thinks that because he provides for the family, he is doing enough. Another girl named Carmella is there; she is the OW. When Trey is drunk, he tells Elowen that Julian was never supposed to marry her. Julian was conflicted about marrying Elowen or Carmella. So he made a list of pros and cons. In the list, Carmella ended up winning. But he accidentally texted Elowen for coffee when he planned to propose; he didn’t have their numbers saved. Since he made the mistake, he felt bad and went through with it. Now he’s stuck in the marriage since he found that Elowen is efficient. Imagine hearing all that. He kept thinking that Elowen was good mom material, so he stayed out of comfort.

“Carmella was the clear winner on paper,” Trey continues, swirling his drink like he’s at a tasting rather than dismantling my life. “Wealthy family, killer connections, stunning looks.” He raises his glass toward Carmella, who accepts the compliment with a slight tilt of her perfect chin. “And then there’s Ellie…with her ‘weird button nose.’”

To make matters worse, Julian hated Elowen’s nose, to the point where he wanted his kids to get plastic surgery if they got it (and they do have her nose).
“That was Julian’s biggest concern back then! Remember, Jules? You were so worried any kids would inherit Ellie’s piggy nose and need plastic surgery!”


What’s messed up is Carmella has been part of Julian’s life this whole time. Even if it was professionally, he never let her go. So Elowen and Julian go home, and Elowen calls Julian out.
“Our entire marriage, our children, exist because you made a logistics error you were too cowardly to correct.”

And Julian deflects while trying to be controlling
“You’re blowing this out of proportion. Yes, the coffee date was a mistake initially, but I saw something in you.”
“Organizational skills,” I snap. “Efficiency. A decent incubator for your children, despite my defective nose.”
He winces. “I never said defective.”

He even tries to use sex to solve things, but Elowen turns him down. Elowen decides to pack her bags and take the kids with her. And Julian says that Elowen cannot take the kids. Elowen asks if he’s even capable of taking care of the kids on his own. And he KNEW he wasn’t able to do that. Can you imagine being married to someone who isn’t capable of taking care of their own children on their own? Like what’s the point of their marriage if it’s not a proper partnership? I know there are some stay-at-home moms, but this isn’t the same since Elowen works for Julian full-time. Julian doesn’t know how to cook since Elowen does everything. But what’s weird is Elowen memorized everything Julian liked after meeting him to please him. So in a way, she wanted this life with Julian? Elowen wakes Leo and Meredith up, telling them to pack up. Julian explains to the kids that they need some space from each other. Elowen finds a place in an apartment building and feels free for the first time.

Wanna know how Julian and Elowen first met? Julian wanted to get groceries, but there was a mess, so he was hesitant. Elowen noticed, so she picked it up for him and sanitized her hands afterwards. Julian found this amusing, and this was how they started talking. Their meet-cute was not cute. Anyway, Elowen cuts her hair and lets her curls out for the first time in years. She takes a selfie and names her profile after her maiden name rather than “Plaza,” her last name with Julian. She makes motivational posts and women find it inspiring. Julian thinks that Elowen is coming back. So when he gets to work, he is surprised that nothing is ready on his desk. Then, Virginia tells him that Elowen is resigning. Julian says that it can’t be true. But Virginia says that Elowen already set everything up with HR. Virginia is now the new secretary, and Julian is frustrated since she can’t seem to get his needs right. He doesn’t even know how to run his business without Elowen. He fucks up meetings and schedules, and gets pissed with Virginia. He seems like a very exhausting boss to work for. Then Carmella visits and Julian has the audacity to complain about Elowen to her. She offers to help Julian with business. Julian says he needs to go to a gala, and Carmella offers to go with him. Then she tells Julian that it will send Elowen back into his arms since she knows what she is missing out on. Ew.

“That sent her running for the hills? Seems like an overreaction to me.”
“Exactly.”


“It’s actually rather manipulative: creating this situation where you’re suddenly helpless without her, waiting for you to come begging.”
I hadn’t considered that angle. “You think she planned this?”
“I think she saw an opportunity and took it. It’s a power play, Julian. And judging by your appearance, it’s working.”

Elowen tells the kids they have freedom to put pictures on the walls. They’ve always kept things neat for Julian. Elowen finds an animal shelter, run by Beatrix. She offers to volunteer, and this whole side plot did not catch my interest at all. I get that it was a way to show Elowen’s growth as an individual, but I was honestly bored. Beatrix comes off as gruff; she doesn’t believe Elowen will last, but Elowen wins her over. Then she meets Sarah, who is her new bestie. Sarah is a teacher who volunteers at the shelter. Julian had to figure out how to cook and function without Elowen. It was clear he took Elowen for granted. What makes it worse is how easily he tries to replace her with Carmella. Sure, in his mind he never thought of it this way. But inviting Carmella to a gala right after his wife left him in relation to a betrayal related to Carmella is crazy. Sarah and Beatrix realize that Elowen is “Elowen Plaza”. They ask Elowen to go to the gala to use her connections for funding while Sarah babysits the kids. At the gala, Julian and Carmella have people take their pictures. They look like a couple, and people make articles that Julian found a new partner after Elowen left him. Even though the articles shit on Elowen, he makes no moves to tell them off. Julian usually has Elowen book his seats in the back. So he is surprised when Carmella booked their seats in the front; he hates it. When Elowen shows up, she has no idea that Julian is there with Carmella. People are giving her pity stares, and she finally sees them. She starts to make rounds about her charity. Then she goes to Julian, and Julian panics; he says it isn’t what it looks like. Elowen doesn’t wanna talk to Julian, and Carmella starts to act coupley with him. Julian has to remove her hands over and over again, but Elowen doesn’t care. The next day, Leo tells Elowen that kids made fun of him since they noticed his dad was with another woman. Luckily, Elowen got some charity connections. Julian asks to talk to the kids, so Elowen lets him. Any time he tries to talk to her, she ends it.

It starts hitting Julian that Elowen is done with him. He complains to Trey about exposing him, but Trey says it’s his fault for keeping in touch with Carmella. Julian asks to visit, and Elowen lets him come over to see her apartment. He hates the building and makes comments about safety. He offers to buy a better place, but Elowen shuts him down. When Meredith runs to him, he picks her up and is excited to talk to his kids. They show him their rooms, and their lives are different compared to how it was when they lived with him. Meredith and Leo talk to Julian about the shelter and the cats. When Julian finds out that Carmella is overdoing things, he wants to end things with her. Instead of doing it in a professional setting, he asks to meet over dinner, makes no sense. While he is there, Sarah sees him and takes pictures to show Elowen. So Julian tries to explain himself to Elowen. Elowen’s full focus was the shelter since they are low on funds. The kids work on getting to know the cats better. I didn’t care for any of this; I’m sorry, but it was too boring. Especially since I wasn’t interested in Julian and Elowen reconciling.

Eventually, Julian starts to change after realizing he was a shitty husband. He learned to cook, made more of an effort to see the kids, and later started helping with the shelter. Elowen lets Julian stay over for dinner. When Leo shows him a project he is working on, he encourages Leo. Normally, he tells Leo everything wrong with his projects, and Elowen does nothing. So Leo is always on edge with Julian, wanting to impress his father. Julian gives Meredith an equal amount of attention. It's pathetic that it took him this long to make an effort. Elowen thinks this is the Julian she fell for; like she was tryna justify why she stayed for so long. It doesn’t add up; he’s always been ignorant. Leo put his project on the dinner table, and Meredith accidentally spills stuff on it. Everyone tenses up since Julian usually scolds everyone. But everyone is surprised when Julian says that accidents happen. Julian and Elowen help fix the project. Julian says that he was in love with a stranger since he never truly knew Elowen. But how do you love someone you don’t truly know? He doesn’t even know her favourite wine. Julian admits to the kids that he messed up with Elowen. He says his honest feelings about their button noses, and the kids are upset, but Elowen appreciates the honesty. Julian says he plans to make it up to everyone while apologizing. Then Julian visits the shelter; he is wary about getting cat hair on himself. Leo gives him advice on what he does since they are similar, and Julian listens. He would get on the floor by putting his jacket down. But then he is too disgusted to touch his jacket, so Elowen picks it up for him. Stuff like this was just unattractive to me. Like what would he do if Elowen wasn’t around? So he offers to help out at the shelter and meets some kittens; one is named Buttons. Julian meets Balthazar, a cat that Meredith and Leo love. Leo is a cat whisperer and teaches Julian his tricks. Julian opens up the pros and cons list he made of Elowen and is embarrassed. I don’t remember the details, but it was stupid. So he makes a list of all the things he loves about Elowen, including her button nose.

“And it doesn’t bother you that Leo isn’t perfectly clean?”
“I can’t control what other people do.”
I tilt my head, searching his face for a hint of the old Julian. “You never thought that before.”
“My wife hadn’t left me before.”

Then Elowen proposes an idea to Beatrix to submit an application for more funding and create an extra shelter since they can’t handle the capacity. Her proposal ends up being selected, but she needs to secure funds. She uses her connections and secures some funding. She is still missing a chunk, so she visits Julian in his office with a proposal. Virginia says Julian patiently trained her, and Elowen knows that the past Julian would never do that. Everything he does is the bare minimum, and Elowen finds it swoonworthy. So she makes the proposal to Julian, and he agrees to fund way more than necessary. Elowen says she doesn’t want a crazy amount of money. Then Elowen is cleaning up the building with some volunteers, and Julian shows up. Elowen is surprised, and Julian helps clean. He is a very big germaphobe, but he doesn’t complain. He even got the workers sandwiches. Then he asks to eat with Elowen separately. He got her wine she doesn’t like and apologizes for not being considerate. He admits he wanted to control her hair since it was wild. He says some bullshit about how he likes it the way it is or something; I don’t care, honestly. Julian asks for another chance, and Elowen says yes, and they seem close to kissing; I forgot if they do. When they have a surprise inspection, Balthazar goes missing. Julian is in the middle of an important deal. When he gets a text from Beatrix saying it’s an emergency related to a shelter, he leaves. The partner threatens to end their partnership, and Julian doesn’t care. I know this is supposed to be a big sacrifice since it is a million-dollar deal, but he didn’t do much for his family in the past, so I didn’t care. I’m not gonna praise him for something he should’ve done ages ago. Elowen was stuck in traffic since Meredith wanted to get Balthazar’s toy. So Julian sweet-talks the inspector and finds Balthazar. He cat-whispers to Balthazar using Leo’s tricks. Elowen is thankful to Julian and kisses him (I think). Carmella says she fixed the deal that Julian messed up, and Julian says that she needs to back off. I can’t believe it took him this long to cut her out properly. Later, we see Elowen giving a speech since she is opening her shelter, which she named Buttons; Beatrix gave her full control. Julian surprises Elowen with dinner with the help of her friends. This time he gets her the wine she likes, and it’s supposed to be a big deal. Like damn bruh the bar is so low. They kiss and get back together. A year later, they’ve adopted Buttons, Balthazar, and I forgot if there was another one. They’ve moved to a new place that the family loves. Julian cooks for the family, but when he messes up, Elowen is there to help him. She tells him her ideas for the shelter, and he gives her pointers. She says she loves him, and he says it back. This just felt like a book where the husband finally realized what it took to be a husband and father.

Stay safe folks!

[jaedin · Rating 2 out of 5]

after having semi high hopes for this book, i can now report that i was throughly disappointed.

what worked for me:
- the authors writing style
- the cute moment with the kids
- sarah being that one friend that we need

what didn’t work:
- it felt like there was no depth when it came to julian
- the chemistry was nowhere to be found
- they mcs barley had in depth conversations

[Bev · Rating 2 out of 5]

I'm at a loss as to why she took him back after the way he treated their children. I'm at even more of a loss as to why she let this abusive behaviour continue for so long that it caused such distress and anxiety for their son Leo. That's pure abuse and is abhorrent in any language

[Beeg Panda · Rating 2 out of 5]

At 22 he was too “dumb to realise his privilege”.
At 42 he still thinks he shits ice cream.

That unchecked privilege and arrogance affected his kids as well, and that’s why I’m not inclined to forgive him right now.

[Tmstprc · Rating 2 out of 5]

Too low key for the marriage-in-trouble trope.

[Van · Rating 4 out of 5]

The betrayal is harsh and that scene is wow, but somehow looked like a high school drama

I didn’t like that there were many elements left behind and never talked about between them:

The friend who explained her in front of his friends everything is disgustingly evil and I don’t believe for a second he didn’t do that on purpose still the hero talked to him weeks later and say it was all his own fault and not his? For not explained all this to his wife ? Who would have explained anything like this to their partners? Really?

Hero thinks the best way to make his wife come back is going to a public event with press with another woman, his wife attended too but the worst part is that their children saw the photos online and other children said things to them! This is traumatic and it’s never addressed at all

Hero didn’t say sorry, not once
He didn’t grovel, he changes his behavior
No sex scenes,

Still it’s a good betrayal book without cheating. The OW is so ridiculous that he isn’t even interesting
I loved that she left the house with the children that very night and started a new life!

[Hillary · Rating 3 out of 5]

Good story but a ton of timeline errors

I loved Julian and Elowyn, and it was great getting a neurodivergent hero. The kids were amazing too.

The betrayal? Top notch. I hurt so much for Elowyn. Julian’s redemption was so good too. It took him a bit to get there, but I loved the effort he made once he realized he was wrong.

My only real complaint is all the errors in the timeline towards the beginning of the book. Elowyn and the kids leave after dinner, but she promises them breakfast once they get to where they’re going. Then it’s that they arrive in the middle of the night but she’s had time to have an apartment furnished and called the office to speak to an assistant who was working…in the middle of the night? Then there’s the gala they attended that initially said it took place a week after they left but was two months after they left by the time the gala chapter arrived. Just tiny things that I hate because they’re easily fixable but really do a lot to take me out of the story.

[Birty · Rating 5 out of 5]

Rescue romance

He is a rigid investor who has to control his wife and kids. She’s a trad wife who conforms to his desires. She’s lost in her marriage. She finds out the she was his second choice for a wife and leaves. Now she’s free to pursue her own interests and desires and her kids can learn to be themselves and not perfect robots.

This is a rich family marriage problems. She doesn’t have to work because of alimony and child support. A bit privileged.

[Danielle · Rating 2 out of 5]

Insufficient grovel

[Michala Sheranko · Rating 3 out of 5]

I feel like he only got back together with his wife because of the children, not really cause he loved her. Kinda why I don’t like reading the marriage in trouble trope when it involves kids.

[Dee Haddrill · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very enjoyable.

[Chalice · Rating 3 out of 5]

The couple: Julian and Elowen

Romance trope: marriage in trouble
Series: Vows
Length: 366 pages

Plot: Julian isn't the typical flower-and-chocolate type of romantic, but he does his best to take care of his family, and Elowen is a competent partner in his mind, since she does take direction. He doesn't seem to understand, though, that he's smothering her with his expectations and is doing much of the same to his kids. Everything comes to a head one night when the couple is out with some of Julian's friends, and Elowen finds out that she was chosen as his wife based on a pros and cons comparison list with the ow. Not only that, she was chosen by mistake, and Julian just rolled with it. She finally takes the children and leaves and starts the life she has always wanted. Julian is shocked and has to figure out how to get his wife back, because he does, in fact, really love her.

Commentary: Julian was pretty vile. He seemed not to care about anybody else. I know that it's meant to show someone who's neurodivergent, and when it was highlighted, it did make a difference for me, but I think that a lot of his behavior was not because of his OCD (?) but rather him just being an entitled jerk. I think I was supposed to feel sorry for him and triumph in his growth, but I think this would have been been better with a new hero.

[Mariana Ponce · Rating 3.5 out of 5]

Solo puedo decir que me encanta Elowen, esa mujer tuvo la dignidad para dejar al hombre que no la valoraba, la daba por sentado, me encantó como progreso el libro.



El libro comienza con Elowen y su esposo Julián en una reunión de trabajo, ella es su secretaria y prácticamente la que pone orden a toda la vida de ellos, tienen dos hijos: Leo y Meredith. Ella sabe que Julián no es expresivo y todo cambia cuando Trey, el mejor amigo de la universidad de él, los invita a salir y van. También están otros amigos como Gabe y la ex de Julián, Carmella. Es incómodo pero Elowen sabe que ella fue la elegida. Su mundo se derrumba cuando escucha a Trey decir que Julián la eligió por error, hizo una lista de pros y contras de ella y Carmella, Elowen tiene inseguridad con su nariz y la destroza saber que Julián lo usó como algo negativo contra ella. Carmella ganó por 15 puntos, pero al llamar se confundió de teléfonos y decidió irse a lo práctico: Elowen. Ella está rota, llegan a casa y le dice que se irá, agarra sus cosas, a los niños y bye. Renuncia como secretaria, Julián piensa que exagera y que volverá después del "berrinche". Elowen empieza a ir de voluntaria a un refugio de animales, necesitan inversores, así que como hay un evento de Julián, ella va, no esperaba encontrarlo del brazo de Carmella. Julián dice que solo es para que Elowen vea lo que está perdiendo pero sale pero porque Elo lo ve como que siguió adelante y restriegan a esa bruja, la mejor opción, la de nariz bonita contra ella, aún así, ella actúa como si no doliera. Las fotos de esa gala se filtran, Elowen llora en casa y tiene que escuchar como niños se burlan de sus hijos y de ella. Julián se da cuenta que la cagó y le dice a Carmella que no imagine cosas, ella insiste que están bien juntos él dice que nunca reemplazará a Elowen. Julián visita a los niños y está vuelto loco porque la casa no está como él quisiese, necesita el control pero Elowen le pone un alto. Julián habla con Trey y Trey le dice que es un idiota por mantener cerca a Carmella después de la lista, así que la cita para decirle que esa "amistad" terminó, quiere recuperar a sus hijos y conocer a Elowen. Carmella busca a Elowen y trata de hacerla sentir menos pero ella la pone en su lugar. Julián cena con Carmella y ella no entiende razón, dice que son perfectos juntos y por fin Julián comprende lo idiota que fue con Elowen. Sarah (amiga y voluntaria del refugio donde trabaja Elowen) los ve y toma fotos. Le cuenta a Elowen, pero ya ni le duele aunque lo ama. Aprendió a que dejaba de ser ella por él, incluso sus rizos los alaciaba porque el de lo decía. Julián va al refugio y ella lo deja por los niños. Así se la llevan, él se da cuenta de como la afectaba, les pide disculpas a los 3. Elowen consigue donaciones para el refugio, incluido Julián. Él sigue de voluntario, se acercan y ella pregunta el porque de eso, él dice que porque la ama. Elowen le dice que si no la amaba antes, como es que ahora si. Él le explica que desde que la vió no pude dejar de pensar en ella y la lista solo fue para convencerse de que Carmella era mejor superficialmente. Ve las listas que hizo antes y la rehace para darle una con las cosas que ama de Elowen, sabe que fue un estupido y ahora valora. Va a cenar con ellos. Luego queda con ella y le explica y pide perdón por como era. Sigue ayudando con el refugio, le acaricia la mejilla y la besa. Otro día, ella Lee la lista de cosas que él ama de ella. Salen como a una cita, hablan, se besan y se reconcilian. Pasa la inauguración del refugio, Julián le prepara una sorpresa y se la pasa diciéndole cuánto la ama. Se besan. 1 año después, viven juntos y comparten tareas como cocinar. 2 años después, son felices juntos como familia.

[Mariasha DiBenedetto · Rating 5 out of 5]

Hit every single button I had ❤️

As a mood reader, about 3 times a year I find myself absolutely feral for a good betrayal and grovel romance, and tbh they can be unexpectedly hard to find! Buttons scratched the itch in ways not many others can!

One of the reason I love the Betrayal and Grovel trope is because it’s often centers around an FMC who has dimmed her light for the sake of others comfort, and this couldn’t describe our FMC Elowyn better. She’s been married to our MMC Julian for 8 years and has been both molded by him, and molded herself for him, into the perfect corporate wife and mother. She straightens her curly hair because he told her it looks better, she contours her features to better fit the mold that he expects, she effortlessly directs any and all attention back to him and his interests when they’re out and about. And at home, she manages her children’s behaviors to be acceptable to their father’s standards. My heart broke for all of them over and over, because while Julian certainly wasn’t abusive, you could see the effect his rigidity had on all of them and it hurt.

When Julian’s betrayal is revealed (he made a pros and cons list concerning who he was going to marry/continue a relationship with, either Elowyn or his perfect (read horrible but hot) ex college girlfriend), I was literally crying for Elowyn because to know you dimmed your light and changed your very essence for someone who basically had to force himself to choose you is the worst kind of hurt. I was so proud of her for standing up for herself and actually leaving. Julian’s initial reaction was excellent too, in that he did all the things I love from a newly scorned MMC: assumed she was over reacting, dismissed her as “having a tantrum”, threw money at the problem, and even mistakenly tried to make her jealous. I was literally YELLING at my kindle, which is exactly the vibe I want from these types of books.

As the story progresses, I absolutely loved the way the dual POV allowed us to see both of their personal developments and the way they processed the separation. I thought it was actually really well handled, especially how even though they were both struggling they managed to never allow their personal problems to affect the children. It’s exactly what you’d want to see from a real life co-parenting relationship and it was super refreshing to see how their love for their children allowed them to also begin to soften their love for each other.

Julian’s grovel was excellent, in my opinion. Sometimes the grovel falls flat, but I think seeing him struggle for literal months while taking actionable steps (actually supporting his new secretary, learning to cook, setting and keeping boundaries with the toxic ex), all on top of supporting Elowyn’s new endeavors and acknowledging his own issues while doing his best to work through them, really hit the mark for me grovel wise.

Overall, this was exactly what I wanted and needed from a Betrayal and Grovel Romance and if you’re looking for something that makes your heart both hurt and soar, this is the one for you.

[Shannon Lee · Rating 5 out of 5]

Main trope: This is a second chance romance.

Additional tropes:
✅Other woman drama
✅Found family

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: Elowen and Julian are married with two children. Julian is a successful businessman and Elowen works as his administrative assistant, managing his work and personal life with skilled efficiency. Julian’s neurodivergence wouldn’t allow anything less, and the FMC has excelled at being what he needs. But that has come at a cost. A lot to her comfort. But mostly when it comes to his interactions with their children.

One night they are out with his friends and one of them discloses that the MMC had created a pros and cons type spreadsheet when he and the FMC started dating, which highlighted certain aspects of the FMC versus one of the MMC’s current friend/ex/other woman in the story. The spreadsheet was meant to help the MMC choose who to be with and marry. The friend also discloses the MMC made a mistake when texting the FMC after the list was completed, because he thought he was texting the other woman.

Elowen is shocked at this revelation. The ride home gives her time to know she cannot stay in this marriage anymore, immediately packing her bags and taking the kids. It doesn’t take long for Julian to realize his mistakes and set to do whatever it takes to earn his second chance.

Meanwhile Elowen has moved on in all aspects, embracing any quality deemed undesirable by Julian and doing whatever she wants as long as it makes her happy. When Julian starts showing up in ways she didn’t expect, she thinks a lot about the possibility of a second chance but knows it’s going to take lots of time.

⚠️SPOILERS/SPICE/DETAILED TRIGGERS⚠️

✋
✋
✋

🌶️:1/5

Final thoughts: Honestly, there are not enough words to describe how much I loved this book. First and foremost, it is by far, my favorite by this author. Let’s start with the FMC. I loved that when she made the decision to be done she was done and at that point, she began living her life for herself and for her children to be the best that she could be. And she did it unapologetically.

There was a lot of changing and growing that the MMC did, which I could certainly appreciate. But one of my favorite things about this book was how the animal shelter was brought into the story to not only serve as a healing place for the FMC and her kids, but ultimately the thing that really brought her and her husband back together. If I’m being honest, anything including animals and I am such a sucker for it. This book was well written, it was great grovel and second chance, and there’s just so much about it that’s good. I loved the other woman drama in the story. I just can’t say enough about this book. It’s a must read.

[Corynn · Rating 3 out of 5]

Overall Opinion: The writing style is really good. The gut punch is chefs kiss. And the h finally finally stands up for herself. It just really slowed down for me around the 1/2 way which is why the 3 stars.

Brief Summary of the Storyline: H & h (Julian & Elowen) have been married for about 8 years. It starts with them at a work function and at first I thought he was just a controlling
A$$hole but later realized he’s probably neurodivergent (not that that’s an excuse for being a jerk off to your family). When they meet friends for drinks she finds out that Julian made a comparison list between her and another woman and that he actually picked the other woman but got the phone numbers mixed up and just went with it 🙄. She leaves him that night and takes the kids. We find out through the story that she changed who she was, how she looked, how she acted for this man. When she left she started finding herself again. Wife her hair the way she wanted, dressed the way she wanted and stopped working for her husband and started working at an animal shelter.

POV: Told in both his and hers POV.

Overall Pace of Story: it started out really strong but I got bored around the 65% mark. I didn’t like Julian and I don’t really see this as a love story per se.

Instalove: No

H rating: 2/5 I’m trying to keep in mind that he is neurodivergent and therefore thinks and acts differently than I do. I believe his grovel was on point, but I just couldn’t relate to him, which made me not like or not really care about him.

h rating: 4/5 I can’t believe she lived that way for 8 years! But when she found out the betrayal she was gone. Than she started living for herself and her children. She started doing things that made her happy. I loved that for her

Sadness level: 1/5 No tissues

Push/Pull: nope. When she was done she was done. When he realized she wasn’t just throwing a tantrum and actually left him he got on the grovel quick.

Heat level: I only made it to 75% but no heat level or descriptive sex scenes.

OW/OM drama: OW drama. So not only did he compare his wife and another woman when they met but he kept in touch with the other women through work and social events. The other woman was even there the night she found out about the list which of course made the humiliation even worse. The ow tried to cause major issues when she found out the wife left but he shut it down quickly.

Cheating: No

Separation: Yes

Closure: I skimmed the rest so I could see how it ended and they do get their HEA.

3rd Act Breakup: No

⁃ Does Not have cheating
⁃ Does Not have a descriptive sex scene with OW/OM
⁃ Does 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

[Storm · Rating 5 out of 5]

I read this book despite having read a particularly negative, ranting review and its corresponding low rating. I'm so glad I did, because that review was so factually wrong.

Spoilers:

The H is neurodivergent and has OCD. One way this manifests is that, besides being a control freak, he expects everything and everyone to conform to his idea of perfection. His long-suffering wife discovers that, eight years earlier, he had used a pros and cons list to decide whether he should marry her or the OW. Devastated, she leaves him and takes their two children.

It doesn't take the H long to realise that his life is nothing without her. Contrary to the review mentioned above, he never loved the OW. As soon as he realises that her involvement in his life is hindering his attempts to win back his wife, he quickly cuts all contact with her, apart from one bad decision to take the OW to a gala in place of his absent wife. Yes, she's one of those people who refuses to accept rejection, but at no point afterwards does he mislead her. He's clear that he loves his wife. He learns to manage his behaviours in ways that no longer encroach on or hinder his family, and he comes to realise that all the things he wanted to change about them were, in fact, the very traits he loved.

The wife rediscovers herself, develops her independence, and grows in confidence. In fact, the family thrives in ways they never did when they were living under his need for control. This only further motivates him to change.

Contrary to the negative review, the wife was not a doormat. She genuinely loved her husband but chose to leave the marriage rather than lose herself. Yes, she eventually took him back, but her forgiveness felt understandable and his redemption was earned.

Apart from a couple of negligible inconsistencies, the book is well written. I really liked both MCs, and their children were adorable.

I totally understand that the ranting review came from someone with a neurodivergent partner, so they were clearly judging the book through the lens of their own experience. I can see why it struck such a personal chord. But not all neurodivergent people are the same, and it follows that experiences will differ. Personally, I thought the author portrayed the husband well. After his initial bad behaviour, I couldn't help but like him and found myself rooting for him from the moment he acknowledged his faults and genuinely committed to changing.

If you like a book with a gut punch betrayal, a strong FMC, a worthy path to redemption, but with no unnecessary angst to fill pages and string out the story, you'll like this book.

[Carole Anderson · Rating 3 out of 5]

The Arrogant CEO and the Cat Lady

Rounding up to 3.5⭐️ This tale is the first in the Vows series and was a relatively mild second chance story that ended in a HEA for the main couple. There are themes of marriage in crisis, uncovered betrayal, other woman drama, lack of care to children, second chance with grovel and emotional damage.

Julian is an arrogant CEO with control issues and marches his family and wife of eight years to the beat of his drum. He is negligent in the care of his children, treats his wife purely as his executive assistant (which she is) and places his business above his family’s priority. He has an ‘other woman’ who he keeps around to stir the pot and in the past, compiled a spreadsheet detailing women’s attributes, how he would change them (her button nose) and what benefit they are to him. Once his wife finds out about the pro/con list, she hightails it out of the house with the children and Julian’s semblance of control crashes and burns.

Elowen has been with Julian for ten years and runs his business and home life with precision and care. She has made herself small to fit in with his overbearing expectations and runs interference with their children to allay Julian’s control issues, but hearing about the pro/con list for the first tie is the last time she bows down to his apparent superiority. She leaves with the children and in the process of finding herself, sets up a homeless cat sanctuary that becomes a shining beacon in their newly made family. Will Julian grovel in time before he loses his wife and children for good?

This was a mild tale in that nothing much is said about the ten years the couple has been together, her frustrations and unhappiness, his overbearing countenance etc. All of a sudden the list is revealed, the split occurs and suddenly Julian has a change of heart and regrets how he has treated his family? There is not much talk to be had between Julian and Elowen, not on the emotional damage caused to his children, no holding him accountable for actions he takes with the other woman - he grovels in helping her with the cat sanctuary and then it’s all good. Both Julian and Elowen seemed to make a half-hearted effort to fix their mistakes and then the book ends.

I did enjoy the story, questions aside, and relished the hours of respite this reading has gifted me. I thank the author for giving me the opportunity to enjoy the arc and provide my voluntary review.

[Tiffany · Rating 5 out of 5]

I seen this book advertised CONSTANTLY while scrolling on FB and IG the last couple weeks. I had never heard of the author but decided to give the book a shot. I loved it and I will definitely read more from her.

The first thing to understand about mmc Julian is he obviously VERY neurodivergent. He has an extreme germ phobia and strives for perfection both from himself and those he surrounds himself with. These are likely excellent traits for a successful CEO, but unfortunately he doesn't turn those traits off for his wife, fmc Elowen or his children Meredith and Leo. The book starts out with Julian telling Elowen her hair looks more professional straight instead of her natural curly hair. The way Julian’s mind works, feels like the military but for the corporate world. He didn't seem malicious about it but being married to a man like that would be EXHAUSTING.

Obviously Julian’s issues would feel stifling for most women and children. The issue with Elowen though is that she ALWAYS went along with it. During their 8 year marriage, it seems she NEVER stood up to Julian and drew the line about what he could or could not dictate. She admits she made herself perfect for him. So I feel some responsibility falls on her for not voicing her concerns earlier. The final straw, as mentioned in the blurb, is when she finds out about a list that Julian made before they started officially dating, that compared her with another woman. She finally takes the children and leaves. A long time coming, but honestly the list felt in line with his personality. Of course he would compare pros and cons and being organized would in fact, rank extremely high for Julian.

As Elowen grew into her own person, I absolutely loved her. I jave a soft spot for cats and would LOVE to run my own cat sanctuary. I have several rescues of my own I took off the street, even a bottle baby who is now almost 7. So Elowen was a character that I could easily connect with on that trait. I also really liked the new friends Elowen made at the rescue.

The OW drama was well done, in my opinion. Julian makes a mistake with the gala, that blows up in his face, but as a reader I never got the feeling he wanted Carmella. Trying to make her jealous was just a bad strategy. When Julian steps WAY out of his comfort zone to try and win Elowen back, it felt genuine.

The writing was excellent and I really did not want the book to end.

[Traci · Rating 4 out of 5]

Self note

Julian -

Elowen - life revolves around Julian’s world. She changes whatever he doesn’t like such as her curly hair.

Married 8 years, 2 children. Drinks with his college friends. Trey gets obnoxious talking about Julian making a list comparing Elowen and Carmella to choose which one he wanted to pursue. Carmella won by 15 points but he accidentally texted Elowen for coffee. Couldn’t tell her she was the wrong person when she showed up. Her pros she’s organized and would make a decent mom. Cons her button nose. He was so worried their kids would get it. They both did. Carmella just sits there looking pleased saying so if she knew his coffee order it would have been her.

Elowen packs the children and leaves. Says she needs to find out who she’d be if he had texted the right person. He kind of panics.

Next day is out of control at the office. Elowen has formally resigned. Carmella calls for lunch. He gratefully accepts. Carmella says Elowen is creating drama and he doesn’t deserve it. He soaks it up. Mentions a gala and she offers to go and also help him at work. He leaves feeling much more in control. Elowen will see him with Carmella, realize what she’s giving up and come running back. Famous last words. He sends her a cold text saying he got her resignation, please coordinate outstanding projects with HR and she can pick up her personal effects as planned.

Elowen attends the gala to represent the rescue. Julian realizes Carmella was a bad idea. Next day the press is having a field day saying they are back together. Carmella keeps coming around.

He confronts Trey who was too drunk to remember. He says you should have told her and why would he keep
Carmella around all these years even if just for business?! Julian admits to himself he tried to turn Elowen into Carmella copy because on paper she looks like the perfect partner. He also kept her around for a backup even though he had no romantic feelings toward her.

Julian has Carmella meet him for dinner. He breaks off the friendship but Elowen’s co worker gets pictures of them looking intimate. Carmella says Elowen will never take him back.

Julian volunteers with her at the rescue and starts treating her as an equal. The blurb calls him neurodivergent and I found that to be true. He didn’t have ill intent he just has to keep life in spreadsheets and orderly.