If you're looking for a story about a manipulative, abusive Dude Bro intent on strong-arming a woman into a relationship after she was sexually assaulted by his own brother, have I got the book for you! Oh, wait, did I forget to mention that, instead of believing his fiancee when she told him his brother tried to rape her, he believed his brother's story that she just regretted sleeping with him and was making up the whole rape thing. Because, of course! Everyone knows women lie about being raped all the time (says no stat anywhere)! So he's pissed at her for being "unfaithful" and sends her packing HOURS after she was nearly raped.
Have I mentioned when he decides he wants her back, he actually "forgives" her for "cheating" on him? To her face. Yeah.
To my everlasting shame, I succumbed to the lure of the train wreck when I should have looked away. This book is not worth a minute of your time. Authors, take note - guys like Dude Bro are NOT the hero. They're the villain, and even a meek, spineless girl deserves better than a steaming pile of shit like Dude Bro.
UPDATE: A day later to process, and I'm even more angry than yesterday. Seriously, why didn't this woman have any friends? She'd been in college, living... somewhere, and waitressing in the city only two months before they got engaged. How did she have no friends to turn to? Is it because of Dude Bro, whose every action in this book is literally on the list of warning signs for domestic violence? Did he isolate her from her friends? We get one tiny non conversation with her mother, and that's supposed to explain why this supposedly awesome person doesn't have friends?
Bonus: Some charming thoughts/moves from Dude Bro to hone your gag reflex:
- He doesn't know why she'd want to go back to college when he can be her everything, but, you know, he's totally supportive and shit.
- He breaks into her home after hiring a PI to find her (not stalkery or creepy AT ALL) and ignores the twenty-five times she says no. Because obviously she doesn't know what's good for her. Parallels to rape-y times, anyone?
- She'd tried to make up this story about his brother, but clearly she was lying, so he's gotta find out why she cheated. It's super important for him so they can "move forward."
- Thirty-something man and he's literally just now figuring out his mom is willing to incite criminal activity to get her way. (She's not even sly about it - he's just THAT dense)
- Every other thought is about taking control of her. She shouldn't have to even think for herself because he's gonna do it for her, damnit!
Here, I'll fix the story: Woman nearly gets raped by Dude Bro's brother. Dude Bro doesn't believe her but writes her a big damn check to get rid of her (yes, this happens in the original story). So she goes to cops and presses charges against the brother for the assault (including them taking a ton of photos of those bruises she apparently had). She proceeds to cash the big damn check and hires herself the best attorney money can buy. Everything come out in court, brother goes to jail, and Dude Bro finally sees he was wrong. She laughs in his face when he comes to get her back, calls the cops on him when he breaks in to her apartment, and her lawyer (who is her new and awesome boyfriend now), gets a restraining order and ensures Dude Bro never has an ounce of paternity rights. She finishes college and gets a good job, raising her baby with her lawyer boyfriend/husband. She makes tons of friends, which her BF/hubs encourages, and they live HEA.
FIXED IT.