**Actually a 3.5-rating**
Eeesh, this one is a toughie.
While, my gawd did I like the underlying premise, it was the execution of the unfolding that went sideways and a little wonky for me.
We got a little bit of an "insight" into these two MCs in Bk 1 as this whole series is based around 4 BFs from University.
This book's female and male MC dated back in those days and it was highly passionate [lots of sex] and tumultuous [lots of arguing/fights]; granted each gave as good as the other, kind of like War of the Roses-esque, but man, were they seriously toxic to each other.
Basically, let's say loosely Wuthering Heights-based...like so loosely but yet there is plenty of WH-book w/tiny Heathcliffe/Catherine mentions all over this story.
She is a Rich Girl...
He is a Poor Boy...
And where she is rather open and less bothered by her money-status, he feels poor, useless [less man-ly] and inadequate.
It was made worse by him seeing her be frivolous about her money as she splurges, like rich people do and he finds flaws in this.
And certainly when she buys expensive gifts for him…I find this doggedly displeasing because if this was gender-bent… guy buying girl gifts? yeah, he would be talking different but still probably complaining something different about her.
7yrs ago, he had told her he was always going to love her, forever, but then turned around - with a paltry engagement ring in his pocket - and left her - well, he let one of their other friends tell her he was leaving and then he was gone.
This spurns her into not one but two failed, very short marriages, leaving her twice divorced.
They meet again at the first book's couple's wedding...and already they have two different agendas, because they have had 7yrs of waiting to achieve superior hatred and loathing for the other person.
They strike up a 2-week deal...she works for her family's Book Publishing house and...ah! he is a Novelist, who has had 2 successful books published and is looking for someone to take on his 3rd novel.
What is truly interesting, and what I found interesting and likable about this story is this idea that he has written 2 scathing bestsellers loosely-based on her, on their failed relationship or her terrible, unhappy marriages.
Either way, this 3rd book is supposed to be HIS COLD-HEARTED DIABOLICAL WH-re-telling where he actually "kills off" or considers ending his female MC’s life rather idiotically.
But once they have the MC’s first night of sex, he's feeling guilty and repentant, realizing what a crap piece of fiction he's written and HOW DARE! he try to sleep with her, not only to get her out of his system, but also figure out a more perfect, poetic ending to his book.
Here is what I didn't appreciate... just because she grew up with money and is from a rich family, born-ready to get an inheritance...he treats her deplorably 7yrs ago, then comes up with this truly stupid "plan" after confessing devotion and undying love.
He will leave her to go make some of his own damn money so he can one day return to her as equally rich as she is...uh, wha-?
Not only did he treat her deplorably in the past [leaving & breaking her heart unnecessarily], making so many assumptions about her except her greatness in bed...but now, all he wants is SEX for 2wks.
Then, suddenly, he’s going to realize he's still in love, never stopped...whatever, but HE IS STILL just speaking to her as if she hasn't been heartbroken by what he did or that she isn't, yet again, nothing but a piece of flesh for him to f*ck whenever he wants.
And their SEX scenes? My gawd the number of times it was described how rough he had been and that she woke the morning after with all these bruises and such...it's as if they HATE-F*cked more than truly had sex because of love.
He was too toxic which then pissed and angered her to the point she became enraged enough to be toxic as well.
So, yeah...they got a dumb HEA that happened way-too quickly and man, did she get so fucking shit-kicked by ALL OF HIS PETTINESS writing those 2 prior best-selling books and then this 3rd one, which she read the original manuscript of.
What a way to treat the woman you swear is "mi vida" and whom you love forever.