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The Dotted Line
A Tangled Gentry Romance
Bennett has perfected the art of staying off his father's radar. Until the elder Aldsley issues an ultimatum: either Benn agrees to wed Leopold Ravensworth to save the family from destitution or his younger sister will be forced into marriage. But when Benn signs the marriage contract, he loses much more than he expects. Trapped on the Ravensworth estate, he becomes isolated and lonely with little to distract him from the painful memories of his past. Until Leo.
Leo has long since given up on inheriting, throwing his energy into becoming a successful entrepreneur. When a new law changes things, his father comes up with a plan to see him married before his twenty-fifth birthday. Once the contracts are signed, Leo thinks nothing more about his husband on paper until illness forces him to return to the family home to convalesce. He's surprised to find Benn there, even more so to see he is a shadow of the gorgeous man he met at their wedding.
He makes it his mission to connect with the skittish, fragile Benn. And the more he unravels the events of Benn's past and present, the closer they become. Until husband on paper starts to look like something more...
The Dotted Line is a 36,000 word romance novella with some angst, a happy ending and no cliffhangers. It contains some scenes unsuitable for readers under the age of eighteen.
Bennett has perfected the art of staying off his father's radar. Until the elder Aldsley issues an ultimatum: either Benn agrees to wed Leopold Ravensworth to save the family from destitution or his younger sister will be forced into marriage. But when Benn signs the marriage contract, he loses much more than he expects. Trapped on the Ravensworth estate, he becomes isolated and lonely with little to distract him from the painful memories of his past. Until Leo.
Leo has long since given up on inheriting, throwing his energy into becoming a successful entrepreneur. When a new law changes things, his father comes up with a plan to see him married before his twenty-fifth birthday. Once the contracts are signed, Leo thinks nothing more about his husband on paper until illness forces him to return to the family home to convalesce. He's surprised to find Benn there, even more so to see he is a shadow of the gorgeous man he met at their wedding.
He makes it his mission to connect with the skittish, fragile Benn. And the more he unravels the events of Benn's past and present, the closer they become. Until husband on paper starts to look like something more...
The Dotted Line is a 36,000 word romance novella with some angst, a happy ending and no cliffhangers. It contains some scenes unsuitable for readers under the age of eighteen.
123 pages, Kindle Edition
First published March 28, 2017
100 people are currently reading
266 people want to read
About the author
Claire Cullen
63 books644 followersClaire Cullen is an author and aspiring baker. Since she was a toddler, she has loved making up stories. Getting them down on paper proved a challenge in the early years when her preferred medium was finger puppets. She moved on to pen and paper, and later to keyboards, and hasn't looked back since, except for occasional bouts of nostalgia.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 65 reviews
August 14, 2018
I've read this 3 times now, because I keep remembering there is some lovely hurt/comfort in this. But I also keep forgetting it is just not that good. There were so many inconsistencies, and just overall ridiculous events...
3.5 stars because of the hurt/comfort then. But a note to self: stop re-reading this.
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3.5 stars
Nice hurt/comfort story that started out great but ended up having a couple of loose ends that bothered me.
Bennet is a shy 22 year old art student who is roped into an arranged marriage by his father. The only reason he agrees is because with the money his sister can go to an expensive ballet school.
He meets 24 year old Leo on their wedding day, but after that they're supposed to lead separate lives if only they stay married for 2 years.
After the wedding Leo goes back to his business and doesn't think about his cute husband anymore.
That cannot be said for Benn, since he is whisked away to his new husband's estate. It is there that he finds out he signed a contract that says he needs to stay at the estate for 2 years and cannot leave without his husband or his new father in law.
Benn finds himself locked up with no one to talk to and no way to escape, since it means breaching the marriage contract.
After 2 months Leo comes home to the estate to recover from a minor stroke. He finds Benn severely malnourished and with a high fever...
I really loved the hurt/comfort in this. Benn was such a sweet, traumatized character and Leo took charge immediately when he found out what was going on.
What bothered me the most about this was that it is never explained why the contract was setup that way. It is said to secure the marriage and to make sure Benn would uphold their agreement. But even though they finally find out who locked Benn up and treated him so badly , the contract terms were still created/approved by Leo's father, who was supposed to be a good guy. I wanted someone to punished for this, but all we got were a few words at 75% or so saying who was the culprit and that he was fired. I just wanted more, but it is never discussed again.
The same with the reason Leo had that stroke. There was someone else to blame, but Leo never seemed mad about it. I would have hit the person responsible!
But the relationship was sweet and the comfort parts made up for a lot. It is a bit of a slow burn, since they get together pretty late in the book. But I was never bored, since the rest was filled with them learning about each other and both overcoming their issues. It felt natural this way.
3.5 stars because of the hurt/comfort then. But a note to self: stop re-reading this.
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3.5 stars
Nice hurt/comfort story that started out great but ended up having a couple of loose ends that bothered me.
Bennet is a shy 22 year old art student who is roped into an arranged marriage by his father. The only reason he agrees is because with the money his sister can go to an expensive ballet school.
He meets 24 year old Leo on their wedding day, but after that they're supposed to lead separate lives if only they stay married for 2 years.
After the wedding Leo goes back to his business and doesn't think about his cute husband anymore.
That cannot be said for Benn, since he is whisked away to his new husband's estate. It is there that he finds out he signed a contract that says he needs to stay at the estate for 2 years and cannot leave without his husband or his new father in law.
Benn finds himself locked up with no one to talk to and no way to escape, since it means breaching the marriage contract.
After 2 months Leo comes home to the estate to recover from a minor stroke. He finds Benn severely malnourished and with a high fever...
I really loved the hurt/comfort in this. Benn was such a sweet, traumatized character and Leo took charge immediately when he found out what was going on.
What bothered me the most about this was that it is never explained why the contract was setup that way. It is said to secure the marriage and to make sure Benn would uphold their agreement. But even though they finally find out who locked Benn up and treated him so badly , the contract terms were still created/approved by Leo's father, who was supposed to be a good guy. I wanted someone to punished for this, but all we got were a few words at 75% or so saying who was the culprit and that he was fired. I just wanted more, but it is never discussed again.
The same with the reason Leo had that stroke. There was someone else to blame, but Leo never seemed mad about it. I would have hit the person responsible!
But the relationship was sweet and the comfort parts made up for a lot. It is a bit of a slow burn, since they get together pretty late in the book. But I was never bored, since the rest was filled with them learning about each other and both overcoming their issues. It felt natural this way.
June 2, 2021
This week has been a little bit busy so I´ve found myself looking for short reads, they don´t always work for me but I still gave a few books a try. This one was one of those and while I enjoyed it, it didn´t wow me. 😧😧
What I Liked:
- Bennet was a really sweet character, I really liked being in his pov when he wasn´t having a bad time.
- Some of the side characters were fun, not the butler, fuck him!
- Arranged marriage, period.
What I didn´t like:
- I know this is a short story but I felt that the author didn´t manage it well, a lot of stuff was confusing because we were lacking information and a lot of the reactions where WTF, Leo married a man for convenience and never asked about him in 8 weeks or so? That seems absurd and other stuff like that kept happening.
- I didn´t understand why Bennet didn´t run for the hills, yes he loves his sister but what happened to him at the beginning was bad, real bad.
- And because of the other two reasons I just listed, I couldn´t connect. 😑😑
So yeah it´s short, I should have known but I have read some short stories that work, this was so-so in my scale. 😌😌❤
What I Liked:
- Bennet was a really sweet character, I really liked being in his pov when he wasn´t having a bad time.
- Some of the side characters were fun, not the butler, fuck him!
- Arranged marriage, period.
What I didn´t like:
- I know this is a short story but I felt that the author didn´t manage it well, a lot of stuff was confusing because we were lacking information and a lot of the reactions where WTF, Leo married a man for convenience and never asked about him in 8 weeks or so? That seems absurd and other stuff like that kept happening.
- I didn´t understand why Bennet didn´t run for the hills, yes he loves his sister but what happened to him at the beginning was bad, real bad.
- And because of the other two reasons I just listed, I couldn´t connect. 😑😑
So yeah it´s short, I should have known but I have read some short stories that work, this was so-so in my scale. 😌😌❤
March 4, 2022
This was my first and last book by Claire Cullen.
The blurb did not set realistic expectations of the content and tone of the book in my opinion. I would not write a negative review, just read, rate and move on, but I feel like there should be a detailed list of content and potential trigger warnings. I included my full list at the end of the review that might be considered a potential spoiler (not that I think so but ok).
The first 50% of the book I enjoyed. It had a nice and angsty Hurt/Comfort trope going on. Heavy on the hurt and very “suspend your disbelief”. The last 50% fell flat for me. The characters were so wholesome and supportive, which made them feel cardboard-y to me. It has a friends-to-lovers dynamic, but I was not a fan of the execution.
One star for the feels I had while reading the first 50%. The other star because I did finish it, it was just not what I expected.
CWs and potential triggers:
Torture.
Nonconsensual drugging.
Conversion therapy.
Emotional blackmail, physical and other forms of parental abuse.
Homophobia (including parental homophobia).
Grief.
Depression.
The blurb did not set realistic expectations of the content and tone of the book in my opinion. I would not write a negative review, just read, rate and move on, but I feel like there should be a detailed list of content and potential trigger warnings. I included my full list at the end of the review that might be considered a potential spoiler (not that I think so but ok).
The first 50% of the book I enjoyed. It had a nice and angsty Hurt/Comfort trope going on. Heavy on the hurt and very “suspend your disbelief”. The last 50% fell flat for me. The characters were so wholesome and supportive, which made them feel cardboard-y to me. It has a friends-to-lovers dynamic, but I was not a fan of the execution.
One star for the feels I had while reading the first 50%. The other star because I did finish it, it was just not what I expected.
CWs and potential triggers:
Torture.
Nonconsensual drugging.
Conversion therapy.
Emotional blackmail, physical and other forms of parental abuse.
Homophobia (including parental homophobia).
Grief.
Depression.
November 15, 2019
I really liked this. There's some cruelty, but there is love, hope and romance as well. The cruelty was written in an almost subtle way (to me), but it got across the point and made the rest much sweeter. I especially liked the almost historical feel although this is clearly modern day romance. I hope this is the first in line for a new series.
February 26, 2022
This was an above average take on a modern arranged marriage. The romance believably evolves from caring into true love and the world building and reasons for the marriage were solid enough. It does need a content warning though for .
November 27, 2022
This book failed to deliver on several levels for me, and solidified my feeling that Claire Cullen's writing just doesn't work for me. The plot is full of questionable holes that require a very high suspension of disbelief, and where the book was supposed to deliver lots of emotions, angst and hurt/comfort it all just fell flat to me. There was very little chemistry between the main characters, to the point where their first kiss shocked me because I'd genuinely forgotten they were supposed to end up in a romantic relationship. As in other Cullen books the physical descriptions of the characters are very sparse too, which didn't help me either visualize them or feel any sort of physical attraction between them.
November 23, 2019
I’m a huge sucker for angst and hurt/comfort (provided it comes with an HEA of course), and this book provided. While not a full-length novel, I actually find I prefer more moderate-length novellas quite often these days, so that aspect didn’t bother me in the least. I do wish the story had felt more ‘complete’ (in that it built up a couple of potentially great antagonists, one from the past and one in the present) but never really dealt with them in a way that felt final and/or cathartic, especially given the amount of both physical and emotional pain they inflict on one of the main MCs. It was still a satisfying read though and overall, I found it pretty enjoyable.
October 27, 2022
Oh my tears and drama. The beginning of this story was hard. The suffering Benn endured made my chest ache. When Leo finally got to the house after having his own struggles I thought the magic between them would finally begin. But what I got was a lot more hardship. And details. There were so many of them. Too many. They slowed the story down. At 90% of the book the MCs were still taking things slow. Their relationship built and flew through the last 15% of the book, which made it feel rushed, even though the book as a whole was slow.
January 22, 2022
The Dotted Line
With a old fashioned feel to it, I'll be honest, it felt to me almost like an old harelquin romance novel-only mm genre.
An arranged marriage between strangers. One more innocent and one more worldly.
I liked both Bennett and Leopold and their besties.
I was glad that Leo's father turned out to be a decent guy.
A light fluffy story with a bit of angst and a sweet hea.
With a old fashioned feel to it, I'll be honest, it felt to me almost like an old harelquin romance novel-only mm genre.
An arranged marriage between strangers. One more innocent and one more worldly.
I liked both Bennett and Leopold and their besties.
I was glad that Leo's father turned out to be a decent guy.
A light fluffy story with a bit of angst and a sweet hea.
April 23, 2019
Quick read
I did enjoy this book but a few things niggled me. One being the butler, Davies, he half starved Benn and kept him prisoner. And don't get me started Benn's father. Their behaviour was awful and they seemed to have got away with it. I think I just needed some kind of punishment. Loved Benn and Leo together, glad they found their HEA
I did enjoy this book but a few things niggled me. One being the butler, Davies, he half starved Benn and kept him prisoner. And don't get me started Benn's father. Their behaviour was awful and they seemed to have got away with it. I think I just needed some kind of punishment. Loved Benn and Leo together, glad they found their HEA
April 26, 2024
Poor, poor Benn
Nothing like a bit of angst to make a story intriguing--as long as it isn't because the MCs have their heads up their butts. Poor Benn had a rough life with a miserable father. Leo had a better life and a much better father, but his choice in boyfriends is lacking. I enjoyed seeing his ire at how Benn was treated by Leo's servants, although I would have liked to see the confrontation between Leo's dad and Davis, the head servant.
So, all in all, an enjoyable read.
Nothing like a bit of angst to make a story intriguing--as long as it isn't because the MCs have their heads up their butts. Poor Benn had a rough life with a miserable father. Leo had a better life and a much better father, but his choice in boyfriends is lacking. I enjoyed seeing his ire at how Benn was treated by Leo's servants, although I would have liked to see the confrontation between Leo's dad and Davis, the head servant.
So, all in all, an enjoyable read.
January 5, 2022
Typically, I wouldn’t read a Claire Cullen book, as I find what plot there is tends to be rather full of holes. But, I saw someone discus this and the blurb sounded rather interesting, so I gave it a go.
In the end, I should have stuck with not reading it, as it glossed over far too many things. At least it was a short read.
In the end, I should have stuck with not reading it, as it glossed over far too many things. At least it was a short read.
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September 11, 2022Jane Austin-esque
This is very Austin-ish, and I am here for it. I was mad at Leo for a goid part of the time, because I thought that part of what happened to Benn as partially his fault. Leo was overly focused on other things, and just never checked.
This is very Austin-ish, and I am here for it. I was mad at Leo for a goid part of the time, because I thought that part of what happened to Benn as partially his fault. Leo was overly focused on other things, and just never checked.
April 29, 2022
3.5 stars - This is a sweet hurt/comfort novella about an arranged marriage between members of the aristocracy. Since it seemed so steeped in fairytales with a sprinkle of Austen references on top, I let my disbeliefs be suspended for the most part.
October 15, 2023
3.75 stars
Loved the concept and the story itself was pretty good. Benn agrees to marry Leo to save his sister from being married off to a horrible man. Unfortunately Benn didn’t bother to read the contract he signed.
Unbeknownst to Leo, Benn ends up being locked away in Leo’s family’s estate. Unable to leave his ‘wing’ and only allowed to go outside for a couple of hours a day but not able to leave the grounds unless Leo or his father accompany him.
Leo ends up injured and goes to the family estate to convalesce. There he discovers a very ill Benn. Leo calls a doctor and discovers the horrible way Benn had been treated and vowed to find out what happened and why.
I had to lower my rating because there were too many editing mistakes for my liking. Don’t get me wrong, I’ve read worse but, there were a few too many errors.
TW for depression, childhood trauma, homophobia, and a form of PTSD.
*****
POV… third person
Standalone or series… standalone
Hangover… no
Recommend… sure
Reread… maybe
Loved the concept and the story itself was pretty good. Benn agrees to marry Leo to save his sister from being married off to a horrible man. Unfortunately Benn didn’t bother to read the contract he signed.
Unbeknownst to Leo, Benn ends up being locked away in Leo’s family’s estate. Unable to leave his ‘wing’ and only allowed to go outside for a couple of hours a day but not able to leave the grounds unless Leo or his father accompany him.
Leo ends up injured and goes to the family estate to convalesce. There he discovers a very ill Benn. Leo calls a doctor and discovers the horrible way Benn had been treated and vowed to find out what happened and why.
I had to lower my rating because there were too many editing mistakes for my liking. Don’t get me wrong, I’ve read worse but, there were a few too many errors.
TW for depression, childhood trauma, homophobia, and a form of PTSD.
*****
POV… third person
Standalone or series… standalone
Hangover… no
Recommend… sure
Reread… maybe
January 20, 2022
Compelling, but clunky at points
So one of our main characters is trapped between manipulation at the hands of his father and then locked in to an unused portion of the estate by the servants. This goes in for a bit until MC2 comes home and fees him.
The person behind locking up MC1 is identified and fired, but off page. There's no real closure. From there it's mostly angst free (although MC1 was once sent to, basically, conversion therapy and that's revealed through stories and back flashes).
If feels like it was originally going to be a heavier no, but then...wasn't. Unlike most of Claire's work, this isn't mpreg, but in a nod to her audience, the possibility of a surrogate is offered at the end.
So one of our main characters is trapped between manipulation at the hands of his father and then locked in to an unused portion of the estate by the servants. This goes in for a bit until MC2 comes home and fees him.
The person behind locking up MC1 is identified and fired, but off page. There's no real closure. From there it's mostly angst free (although MC1 was once sent to, basically, conversion therapy and that's revealed through stories and back flashes).
If feels like it was originally going to be a heavier no, but then...wasn't. Unlike most of Claire's work, this isn't mpreg, but in a nod to her audience, the possibility of a surrogate is offered at the end.
July 5, 2017
The setting is confusing as hell. Finally, I just settled on it being some little European country that still had a monarchy. Love the hurt/comfort and the fact that both boys needed it - which I honestly wasn't expecting. And was super nice. Could have stood for a few more descriptions - seemed like a lot was just dialogue.
Would've given it four stars with how sweet both boys were, except for the fact that I'm pretty sure they were at least inebriated (if not drunk) the first time they had sex and that's just a no go for me.
Would've given it four stars with how sweet both boys were, except for the fact that I'm pretty sure they were at least inebriated (if not drunk) the first time they had sex and that's just a no go for me.
May 12, 2017
Can't wait for the next one
A sweet romance with a veil of darkness overlaying it. Up for some lovable characters; some tears jeers and cheers? How about heartbreak and healing love? Or even some good ol love triumphs hate? This book is an illustration of all that and more even. I hope Daed and Harry get a chance to share with us their story next maybe with some cameos of Leo and Benn!
A sweet romance with a veil of darkness overlaying it. Up for some lovable characters; some tears jeers and cheers? How about heartbreak and healing love? Or even some good ol love triumphs hate? This book is an illustration of all that and more even. I hope Daed and Harry get a chance to share with us their story next maybe with some cameos of Leo and Benn!
June 27, 2021
A very painful read as we see how badly Benn is treated, locked away, no visitors allowed, slowly declining, mentally and physically. The forced marriage is of little importance to Leo, he's too busy working on his Start Up, but for Benn it's a nightmare, shy and nervous he is dragged through the process, doing it only because it helps his younger sister. A gorgeous read with a very meaty plot, great stuff.
October 30, 2025
this was so boring.
⭐️⭐️.5/5
.5/5
Spoilers ahead.
I had wanted to read this so bad. ugh. anyway. there are a lot of plot points in this that I normally like but in this book they were all a chore to read. the abuse was so underwhelming to read. not because it was anything short of horrible, but because it was SO glossed over. whatever. I don't even have the energy for a lengthy review. I need a palate cleanser.
⭐️⭐️.5/5
.5/5
Spoilers ahead.
I had wanted to read this so bad. ugh. anyway. there are a lot of plot points in this that I normally like but in this book they were all a chore to read. the abuse was so underwhelming to read. not because it was anything short of horrible, but because it was SO glossed over. whatever. I don't even have the energy for a lengthy review. I need a palate cleanser.
May 29, 2021
Lovely
It may be a lame way to describe a book but this book really was lovely. Although it had hints of angst and dark subjects it was so well written and the characters so amazing that it really made my heart happy and lovely just can’t to mind. I can’t wait to read another book but this author x
It may be a lame way to describe a book but this book really was lovely. Although it had hints of angst and dark subjects it was so well written and the characters so amazing that it really made my heart happy and lovely just can’t to mind. I can’t wait to read another book but this author x
March 18, 2024
Powered through this one. Marriage of convenience. Benn's father hated that he was gay but wanted to take advantage of another prominent family that needed a gay Marriage for inheritance purposes, Leo. Benn's father took care of the arrangement and all Benn did was sign on the Dotted Line, unknowing that he would be taken to an estate and spend 2 years basically like a prisoner.
March 25, 2018
Almost a Gothic Romance
Such a tangled web! Several villains. A contract not read. A distant spouse. Abuse. Health concerns. An isolated estate. This reminded me of all those romances I loved as a young adult...but with some real action in the bedroom!
Such a tangled web! Several villains. A contract not read. A distant spouse. Abuse. Health concerns. An isolated estate. This reminded me of all those romances I loved as a young adult...but with some real action in the bedroom!
May 31, 2018
In need of a good editor
Or at the very least a good Beta team. There were too many things that should have been caught by either.
The story was ok. I mean not book hangover worthy but still had some nice plot ideas going for it.
Or at the very least a good Beta team. There were too many things that should have been caught by either.
The story was ok. I mean not book hangover worthy but still had some nice plot ideas going for it.
April 24, 2019
Solid 2.5 stars.
I really wanted this to be set in ye olden times. I think it would have worked better. Also, a little difficult to understand the character changes as it happened with not much warning.
I really wanted this to be set in ye olden times. I think it would have worked better. Also, a little difficult to understand the character changes as it happened with not much warning.
August 12, 2019
This was an intense ride but I was in it almost right from the get go. I really love Benn and was wrapped up in his predicament and what was going on with him. While the story itself lacks a bit of depth, the characters, what they go through, and how they eventually fall in love was really lovely.
August 25, 2020
Really enjoyed reading this book. The emotions were pretty high but love made it more sweet at the end. The levels of cruelty really made me too emotional but it was a joyride. I hope to get the story on Harry and Daed.. :)
May 29, 2021
Heartwarming
The Dotted Line was so sweet. I adored Leo and Benn, and the sweet, slowly building romance. While the story was exactly how long of a read I was looking for, I wish it hadn't ended. 😂
The Dotted Line was so sweet. I adored Leo and Benn, and the sweet, slowly building romance. While the story was exactly how long of a read I was looking for, I wish it hadn't ended. 😂
August 12, 2021
Unsatisfying read. There's a lot left untold I know it's a short story but you can do better. I'm nearing the end but there's no justice for the way that butler treated him. It's like a halfbaked bread. No chemistry on characters. I'm sorry it's not for me.
January 4, 2022
I needed this book after reading too many eh novellas. It made me cry and I loved every bit of it. This is how you do a novella. Finally, thank you! You've restored my faith in the novella! It can be done and done right! I'm left with that warm, satisfactory feeling and I f*cking love it.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 65 reviews