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Engaged To Win
Are Rainbow Wedding Bells In The Air For Washington’s Widowed Congressman?
That’s the headline that runs on a small gossip site after a chance meeting is photographed between U.S. Congressman Dillon Cross and Matt Mitchell, a successful, openly gay screenwriter who Dillon had known briefly in college.Fifteen years ago, Dillon’s father convinced him that coming out as gay would mean the end of his political ambitions. When he was faced with the choice, Dill walked away from Matt and straight into the closet. He married a woman and achieved everything he set out to in his career, but he never forgot the man he’d once loved.
Now, Dillon is confident the rumors will die down on their own… he’s just not sure he wants them to.
“To be honest, Dill, I’m tempted not to quash the rumors. You know we could never in good conscience start a story like this, but the attention from the gay community is significant.”
When his campaign manager lets him know the story is actually helping his campaign for re-election, Dill jumps on the chance to finally come out, convincing Matt to fake their engagement and use the publicity to help both their careers.
Dill knows Matt has never forgiven him for choosing politics over love, but he’s hoping that if he campaigns hard enough, he’ll be able to win back Matt’s trust… and his heart.
(Engaged To Win is a standalone m/m contemporary gay romance of approximately 55,000 words containing profanity, mature adult content, two men who deserve a second chance at love, and a happily ever after ending.)
190 pages, Kindle Edition
First published December 23, 2015
17 people are currently reading
121 people want to read
About the author
Aubrey Cullens
6 books68 followersAubrey Cullens has loved to read for as long as she can remember. She spent her early twenties sitting behind a desk, playing with numbers, until one day she realized that she’d much rather play with words. After a brief stint writing ad copy which bored her to tears, she decided to take a stab at her first love: writing about love... most definitely including the steamy bits.
Aubrey is married to a stand up comedian, and at some point along the way she gave birth to two glorious human beings who inherited their father’s funny bone and their mother’s love of story telling. They are intensely disappointed that all of Aubrey’s books seem to be about the same thing — two men who fall in love — and are constantly campaigning for more princesses, demons, and talking cats.
Aubrey is married to a stand up comedian, and at some point along the way she gave birth to two glorious human beings who inherited their father’s funny bone and their mother’s love of story telling. They are intensely disappointed that all of Aubrey’s books seem to be about the same thing — two men who fall in love — and are constantly campaigning for more princesses, demons, and talking cats.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 30 reviews
August 17, 2024
I'm surprised by how much I enjoyed this! The characters were all great (including the side characters), the second chance romance aspect was done very well, the characterization of Dillon's deceased wife was wonderful and even though the story was fairly predictable, I liked how everything played out. The only reason I'm not giving it 5 stars is because some aspects of the fake engagement plotline made the characters look bad and I don't think that was the author's intent so I wish more thought had been put into that.
First I want to mention two little things I loved. One - it made me very happy that the story takes place in Washington (the boys attended Western Washington University and they live in Olympia in the present timeline) so that the author incorporated Washington's close proximity to BC (Canada) very often. Matt had spent years living in Vancouver as a screenwriter and he and Dillon had made frequent trips across the border while at university to take advantage of Canada's lower drinking age. Vancouver's my hometown so it was wonderful to have Vancouver and BC and also Canadian stuff feature in the story so much. Two - the MCs first relationship took place in 2001 and it was wonderful that the author went all in with portraying the technology from that time period during those flashbacks (ex. Dillon asking to check his email on Matt's computer since he hadn't had time to get to the computer labs recently and Matt telling him to log in via AOL). In particular, I loved that the scenes after the flashbacks seemed to deliberately feature technology from 2015 (ex. Dillon using bluetooth to use his hands-free phone in his car) to provide a wonderful contrast. I miss the 90s and early 2000s so it's always delightful when I come across stories that make a point to portray what life was like back then.
I love second chance romances and I have high standards when I read them so was thrilled that the author hit the mark with both sets of criteria I always have for these romances: demonstrate how much the MCs still love each other and make their first break up realistic without villainizing either MC. From the moment Dillon and Matt come back into contact, the chemistry between them is explosive and the way they pine for each other was amazing. The author added in plenty of other wonderful things, such as flashbacks, lots of reminiscing about the past and having the MCs automatically default to familiar behaviors when they're around each other and having them demonstrate how well they know the other person through simple references. All of these things combined to make me love them as a couple from the very beginning and I was instantly rooting for them to get back together.
I also loved that the author created a plausible reason for their first break up. My favorite second chance romances tend to be ones where the MCs were together in their early 20s (and thus, they had the time to develop a true relationship and it wasn't just a teenage fling) and they reunite when they're in their 30s. Like many of my favorite romances featuring this trope, Dillon and Matt broke up because Dillon was a 20-something year old college boy who lacked the life experience and courage to stand up for his relationship with Matt and to know what he was leaving behind. At the same time, I loved that the boys reunited in their mid 30s when they were both more mature and had settled into their adult lives so this time, Dillon knows exactly what he wants and he's no longer willing to listen to people like his father who attempt to steer his life in a certain direction.
Speaking of Dillon's dad, I was surprised at how much I loved each of the side characters. All of them played important roles in the story and helped guide the plot forward without ever taking the attention away from the MCs. In particular, I appreciated that Dillon's two young children were characters with distinct personalities and were present throughout the story but their on-page time was limited so they didn't detract from the romance.
Also, I adored what the author did with Dillon's former wife. I'm very tired of MM romances that villainize an MC's former wife in an attempt to make the MM couple shine brighter. It's unnecessary, it's misogynistic and it demonstrates a lack of writing ability on the author's part. In this story, Jenn was an integral part of the story but the author made the wise decision to have her pass away two years before the book starts, which means none of the characters are still grieving heavily. In addition, . Because of these choices, it was easy to like Jenn and the role she continued to play in Dillon and the children's lives while also rooting for Matt and Dillon's new relationship. This is exactly how I want deceased/ex-wives written in MM romances.
Another side character I really liked was Dillon's dad. He was a wonderfully flawed character who perfectly represented his age group in terms of his ability to adapt to some changing social norms but not others. Throughout the story, it was interesting to see Dillon's relationship with his father change and improve as they both learned how to adapt to Dillon deciding to take more control of his life. I also appreciated that like with Jenn, the author didn't portray Dillon's dad as a one-dimensional cartoon villain.
Another thing I loved is that the author doesn't manufacture a lot of OTT, ridiculous conflict to keep the story interesting (the climax was kind of dumb but that was only one plotline). Instead, the author uses realistic scenarios that make sense for the lives of two guys in their mid-30s. They both have very hectic schedules and their careers often require them to be apart , Dillon has two children and they both have friends and responsibilities that sometimes don't align well with their relationship. The way they navigated all of these difficult situations was realistic and emphasized how much stronger their second relationship was compared to the one they had in college. They were dealing with a lot more stress and conflict this time around but they were even more devoted to making their relationship work during this round, which perfectly fit their ages and the second chance romance trope.
My only issues with the story were related to the handling of the fake engagement situation. I loved the idea of using the fake engagement to boost Dillon's support among the LGBT-supporting voters, and having the fake engagement be between characters who used to be together for real was fantastic. My main problem with this was that Dillon (a Democrat) put a huge emphasis on being an honest guy. It's literally his defining characteristic (I lost count how many times Matt commented on Dillon always being honest) and it's what his campaign is based on. He never lies to get ahead and he's known as being an honest politician and this is something that's used to emphasize the difference between him and his Republican rivals. But here's the problem.... I wish the author had gone in a different direction with that whole thing because it felt half baked.
My other issue was that the temporary break up at 80% was based on manufactured conflict that hinged on one thing and one thing alone: . Since the author had done such a good job keeping the rest of the conflict realistic, I was disappointed that they had gone with such a ridiculous manufactured drama for the main break up.
But asides from those minor issues, I really enjoyed this. It was well written and all the important aspects of it were done very well and I highly recommend it if you're a fan of second chance romances.
First I want to mention two little things I loved. One - it made me very happy that the story takes place in Washington (the boys attended Western Washington University and they live in Olympia in the present timeline) so that the author incorporated Washington's close proximity to BC (Canada) very often. Matt had spent years living in Vancouver as a screenwriter and he and Dillon had made frequent trips across the border while at university to take advantage of Canada's lower drinking age. Vancouver's my hometown so it was wonderful to have Vancouver and BC and also Canadian stuff feature in the story so much. Two - the MCs first relationship took place in 2001 and it was wonderful that the author went all in with portraying the technology from that time period during those flashbacks (ex. Dillon asking to check his email on Matt's computer since he hadn't had time to get to the computer labs recently and Matt telling him to log in via AOL). In particular, I loved that the scenes after the flashbacks seemed to deliberately feature technology from 2015 (ex. Dillon using bluetooth to use his hands-free phone in his car) to provide a wonderful contrast. I miss the 90s and early 2000s so it's always delightful when I come across stories that make a point to portray what life was like back then.
I love second chance romances and I have high standards when I read them so was thrilled that the author hit the mark with both sets of criteria I always have for these romances: demonstrate how much the MCs still love each other and make their first break up realistic without villainizing either MC. From the moment Dillon and Matt come back into contact, the chemistry between them is explosive and the way they pine for each other was amazing. The author added in plenty of other wonderful things, such as flashbacks, lots of reminiscing about the past and having the MCs automatically default to familiar behaviors when they're around each other and having them demonstrate how well they know the other person through simple references. All of these things combined to make me love them as a couple from the very beginning and I was instantly rooting for them to get back together.
I also loved that the author created a plausible reason for their first break up. My favorite second chance romances tend to be ones where the MCs were together in their early 20s (and thus, they had the time to develop a true relationship and it wasn't just a teenage fling) and they reunite when they're in their 30s. Like many of my favorite romances featuring this trope, Dillon and Matt broke up because Dillon was a 20-something year old college boy who lacked the life experience and courage to stand up for his relationship with Matt and to know what he was leaving behind. At the same time, I loved that the boys reunited in their mid 30s when they were both more mature and had settled into their adult lives so this time, Dillon knows exactly what he wants and he's no longer willing to listen to people like his father who attempt to steer his life in a certain direction.
Speaking of Dillon's dad, I was surprised at how much I loved each of the side characters. All of them played important roles in the story and helped guide the plot forward without ever taking the attention away from the MCs. In particular, I appreciated that Dillon's two young children were characters with distinct personalities and were present throughout the story but their on-page time was limited so they didn't detract from the romance.
Also, I adored what the author did with Dillon's former wife. I'm very tired of MM romances that villainize an MC's former wife in an attempt to make the MM couple shine brighter. It's unnecessary, it's misogynistic and it demonstrates a lack of writing ability on the author's part. In this story, Jenn was an integral part of the story but the author made the wise decision to have her pass away two years before the book starts, which means none of the characters are still grieving heavily. In addition, . Because of these choices, it was easy to like Jenn and the role she continued to play in Dillon and the children's lives while also rooting for Matt and Dillon's new relationship. This is exactly how I want deceased/ex-wives written in MM romances.
Another side character I really liked was Dillon's dad. He was a wonderfully flawed character who perfectly represented his age group in terms of his ability to adapt to some changing social norms but not others. Throughout the story, it was interesting to see Dillon's relationship with his father change and improve as they both learned how to adapt to Dillon deciding to take more control of his life. I also appreciated that like with Jenn, the author didn't portray Dillon's dad as a one-dimensional cartoon villain.
Another thing I loved is that the author doesn't manufacture a lot of OTT, ridiculous conflict to keep the story interesting (the climax was kind of dumb but that was only one plotline). Instead, the author uses realistic scenarios that make sense for the lives of two guys in their mid-30s. They both have very hectic schedules and their careers often require them to be apart , Dillon has two children and they both have friends and responsibilities that sometimes don't align well with their relationship. The way they navigated all of these difficult situations was realistic and emphasized how much stronger their second relationship was compared to the one they had in college. They were dealing with a lot more stress and conflict this time around but they were even more devoted to making their relationship work during this round, which perfectly fit their ages and the second chance romance trope.
My only issues with the story were related to the handling of the fake engagement situation. I loved the idea of using the fake engagement to boost Dillon's support among the LGBT-supporting voters, and having the fake engagement be between characters who used to be together for real was fantastic. My main problem with this was that Dillon (a Democrat) put a huge emphasis on being an honest guy. It's literally his defining characteristic (I lost count how many times Matt commented on Dillon always being honest) and it's what his campaign is based on. He never lies to get ahead and he's known as being an honest politician and this is something that's used to emphasize the difference between him and his Republican rivals. But here's the problem.... I wish the author had gone in a different direction with that whole thing because it felt half baked.
My other issue was that the temporary break up at 80% was based on manufactured conflict that hinged on one thing and one thing alone: . Since the author had done such a good job keeping the rest of the conflict realistic, I was disappointed that they had gone with such a ridiculous manufactured drama for the main break up.
But asides from those minor issues, I really enjoyed this. It was well written and all the important aspects of it were done very well and I highly recommend it if you're a fan of second chance romances.
January 1, 2016
A solid second chance romance that plodded along steadily without pause.The one character was open to love despite having sealed himself in a cage of conformity for over a decade to appease his homophobic father & to advance his career while the other became a virtual tortoise with a shell impenetrable to hurt.
Be patient though while reading this book because the cracking of Mathew took awhile.If you liked the tale of The hare & the tortoise than you gong to like this book.
Be patient though while reading this book because the cracking of Mathew took awhile.If you liked the tale of The hare & the tortoise than you gong to like this book.
January 18, 2016
This was a really good book that I didn't want to end. Dillon Cross is a Congressman who is up for reelection while at a ribbon cutting ceremony he sees someone he hasn't seen in 15 years Matt Mitchell. Dillon and Matt went to college together Dill was friends with Matt's roommate and cousin. Matt thought that Dill was straight and so did he Matt has always been attracted to Dill. These two start having sex in secret when Dill tells his father that he is gay his father convinces him that being gay and a public figure is not right and he convinces to marry a woman so he marries Jen although they didn't love each other they have two kids and she dies in a car accident. When a story in the paper about him being engaged to Matt he sees this as his chance to get close to him again. Matt who moved from Canada to Washington to be with a lover who he broke up with six months ago he is a screenwriter. Dillon convinces Matt to go along with the engagement story and he does because he could help his career as well. This book was well written with no errors in grammar or spelling. This was my first time reading this author and I am looking forward to reading more of her work.
March 20, 2017
3.5 stars
February 12, 2017
3.5 solid stars. Nothing over the top special. Pretty predictable but a sweet story of second chances and what folks will do to get them.
March 15, 2016
This book was filled with miscommunication and past hurt feelings. Dillon and Matt were secret lovers in college and we enter 15 years later after Dillon has lost his wife and his running for his second term in Congress. The times have changed a whole lot since then and now he's ready to be out and proud but only with Matt. A chance meeting and a second chance in born. There were quite a few times where the book skipped ahead a few weeks or months and I feel like we missed most of their relationship. I was entertained but didn't have any 'feels' for the couple.
October 26, 2018
Good story, great characters, and really well written -- this author is definitely a keeper!
September 21, 2020
Let it be known that I only read this because it takes place in my home town and I was curious
July 28, 2018
I bring myself to finish this book somehow but wasn't easy. I really wanted like this but was impossible.
March 10, 2017
A real heart felt story
Wow! I was surprised by how much I e joyed this heart felt story. I laughed and cried. The sex scenes were hot. Everything you hope to get out of a fun read.
Wow! I was surprised by how much I e joyed this heart felt story. I laughed and cried. The sex scenes were hot. Everything you hope to get out of a fun read.
January 12, 2016
This was a quick light read about friendship, love, forgiveness, and second chances.
Dillon and Matt met and fell in love 15yrs earlier when they were in college. Their young relationship ended when Dillion decided he couldn't come out as a guy man and follow his heart to become the next political figure from his family. So he broke Matts hearts, found a nice women to marry and got the wife, 2 kids, with white picket fence to enhance his carrier. Present day, Dillion has now been a widow for 2 yrs after his wife's tragic death from a car accident by a drunk driver. Dillon runs back into Matt, after 15yr from their breakup, at one of his campaign stops, where a gossip blogger captures an intimate, private moment and writes a false article implying the men are engaged. Which begins the ball rolling of Dillon coming out publicly about his true sexuality. The men reconnect and try to rebuild what they lost.
This was a sweet story, however Zero angst...i would have liked to have seen some backlash from Dillon's coming out, but everyone around him completely accepted it without hesitation. Although sweet, sometimes a little drama doesn't hurt.
So if your looking for a light read to warm your heart...get this no doubt!!!
Dillon and Matt met and fell in love 15yrs earlier when they were in college. Their young relationship ended when Dillion decided he couldn't come out as a guy man and follow his heart to become the next political figure from his family. So he broke Matts hearts, found a nice women to marry and got the wife, 2 kids, with white picket fence to enhance his carrier. Present day, Dillion has now been a widow for 2 yrs after his wife's tragic death from a car accident by a drunk driver. Dillon runs back into Matt, after 15yr from their breakup, at one of his campaign stops, where a gossip blogger captures an intimate, private moment and writes a false article implying the men are engaged. Which begins the ball rolling of Dillon coming out publicly about his true sexuality. The men reconnect and try to rebuild what they lost.
This was a sweet story, however Zero angst...i would have liked to have seen some backlash from Dillon's coming out, but everyone around him completely accepted it without hesitation. Although sweet, sometimes a little drama doesn't hurt.
So if your looking for a light read to warm your heart...get this no doubt!!!
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
February 9, 2017
Okay book
I was expecting more. I wanted a resolution for the mess Matt's ex brought on. I wanted to see how they handled being apart, after they got back together. I wanted to see how the actual wedding ceremony went. So this was an okay book for me.
I was expecting more. I wanted a resolution for the mess Matt's ex brought on. I wanted to see how they handled being apart, after they got back together. I wanted to see how the actual wedding ceremony went. So this was an okay book for me.
December 24, 2016
I like their relationship, it was romantic! I know how Matt is top and Dill bottom but I was hoping Dill would become top too if you know what I mean. ;) Also even if Dillon and Jen never loved each other before she died and before she gave birth to 2 kids, did they slept with each other or did they decided to use vitro fertilization even though Dill was still gay while he was still married with her and that's what was bothering me. It's like Dill was forced to have children as well. That's why I gave 4 stars.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
March 31, 2017
I'm being generous
It wasn't a terrible story but the premise was terrible. It was a tired tropes of miscommunication, the never-got-over-my-first-love, and in the end it's all rainbow-farting unicorns. No hesitation or discussion over the accepting their dad is gay. I mean NONE. Using the fake engagement that way was absurd, as was the whole campaign and results. Just too much that was too silly. Sappy, unrealistic.
It wasn't a terrible story but the premise was terrible. It was a tired tropes of miscommunication, the never-got-over-my-first-love, and in the end it's all rainbow-farting unicorns. No hesitation or discussion over the accepting their dad is gay. I mean NONE. Using the fake engagement that way was absurd, as was the whole campaign and results. Just too much that was too silly. Sappy, unrealistic.
January 5, 2016
I love second chance at love books; to see how they will change it the next time around to have a happy ever after.
Dill was a joy to read, I loved his open honesty and how he couldn't hide what he felt for Matt.
I understood why Matt acted the way he did; sometimes you hold onto the past when the future is right in front of you.
I wish we got more of Tim though, I loved him as a secondary character and would have loved to see him more.
Dill was a joy to read, I loved his open honesty and how he couldn't hide what he felt for Matt.
I understood why Matt acted the way he did; sometimes you hold onto the past when the future is right in front of you.
I wish we got more of Tim though, I loved him as a secondary character and would have loved to see him more.
January 17, 2017
Best love story ever!
This is the kind of happily ever after everyone dreams of. I cried through the last part of the book, not from sadness but from a joy that jumped right off the page and into your heart. A love like this does not come along every day and even if it's in a book we read, this is the kind of love everyone dreams of having. I would tell ANYONE who wants a HEA book THIS book is it!!!
This is the kind of happily ever after everyone dreams of. I cried through the last part of the book, not from sadness but from a joy that jumped right off the page and into your heart. A love like this does not come along every day and even if it's in a book we read, this is the kind of love everyone dreams of having. I would tell ANYONE who wants a HEA book THIS book is it!!!
January 5, 2016
Such a Sweet Love Story!
I stumbled across this story and author from one of my many FB M/M groups and I am so happy I did! This was a sweet second chances love story between Matt and Dillon and I fell in love with both of them! There was a touch of romance, some angst, some steamy loving, and some family. A quick but very emotionally satisfying love story!
I stumbled across this story and author from one of my many FB M/M groups and I am so happy I did! This was a sweet second chances love story between Matt and Dillon and I fell in love with both of them! There was a touch of romance, some angst, some steamy loving, and some family. A quick but very emotionally satisfying love story!
January 29, 2016
Love conquers all
A remarkable love story. I knew how it would end but was never sure how it would get there. A tightly written work sure to warm your heart. The children are very believable. The live broadcast not so much, but it'll make you cry. Looking forward to reading more from this author.
A remarkable love story. I knew how it would end but was never sure how it would get there. A tightly written work sure to warm your heart. The children are very believable. The live broadcast not so much, but it'll make you cry. Looking forward to reading more from this author.
January 10, 2017
LOVED this story! I loved the flow of the story, the characters and how well put it was. Each character- Matt and Dill, grew throughout the story, and while I ached I also laughed and was super excited by the end! I had trouble putting it down, and practically read it straight through wanting more!
December 31, 2015
So sweet
Matt and Dill are two of the sweetest characters ever. They felt completely realistic, I totally fell for them and their love story. This was a great m/m romance. Loved it! I will definitely look up more books by this author.
Matt and Dill are two of the sweetest characters ever. They felt completely realistic, I totally fell for them and their love story. This was a great m/m romance. Loved it! I will definitely look up more books by this author.
February 13, 2016
Wonderful story of second chances
I really enjoy reading Aubrey's stories. They are filled of course love, but she includes the challenges couples encounter to finally get their so deserved happily ever after. It's just feel good reading.
I really enjoy reading Aubrey's stories. They are filled of course love, but she includes the challenges couples encounter to finally get their so deserved happily ever after. It's just feel good reading.
December 29, 2015
3.5 **
December 29, 2015
Second chances
Loved this book, like how their love shone through with the way they just looked at each. If you're a romantic you will love this book.
Loved this book, like how their love shone through with the way they just looked at each. If you're a romantic you will love this book.
January 12, 2016
A sweet and quick story. Would recommend for a light reading. There is never a wrong time for a HEA.
January 13, 2016
The only thing this book was lacking in was humor… Outside of that, it had it all! A truly enjoyable read!
Read:
January 12-13, 2016 - Kindle Unlimited
Read:
January 12-13, 2016 - Kindle Unlimited
January 26, 2016
Just the beginning!
Wonderful love story no matter if you are gay or straight you will. Fall in love with these modern day lovers.
Wonderful love story no matter if you are gay or straight you will. Fall in love with these modern day lovers.
January 28, 2016
Wow
5 stars. Excellent storyline which was superbly written. The chemistry between the main characters was palpable and intense. I highly recommend.
Charo
5 stars. Excellent storyline which was superbly written. The chemistry between the main characters was palpable and intense. I highly recommend.
Charo
April 26, 2016
Didn't do it for me.
November 8, 2016
3.5 stars
August 12, 2016
It was really good. I was sad for it to end.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 30 reviews