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After the Billionaire's Wedding Vows...
Can this Greek marriage go the distance? Find out in this passionate and dramatic romance by
USA TODAY
bestselling author Lucy Monroe!
First came passion, then came vows…
What comes after “I do”?
Greek tycoon Andros Kristalakis knew that his white-hot whirlwind romance with Polly could end only one way—with her wearing his ring! He offered her his world of unbelievable luxury while he ruled his family’s business empire. But that was all he could give.
Now pregnant Polly has revealed that for the past five years she’s secretly craved more! With his marriage on the line, Andros must choose—because closing the distance between himself and Polly will mean destroying the protective barriers he’s long fought to keep intact…
From Harlequin Presents: Escape to exotic locations where passion knows no bounds.
First came passion, then came vows…
What comes after “I do”?
Greek tycoon Andros Kristalakis knew that his white-hot whirlwind romance with Polly could end only one way—with her wearing his ring! He offered her his world of unbelievable luxury while he ruled his family’s business empire. But that was all he could give.
Now pregnant Polly has revealed that for the past five years she’s secretly craved more! With his marriage on the line, Andros must choose—because closing the distance between himself and Polly will mean destroying the protective barriers he’s long fought to keep intact…
From Harlequin Presents: Escape to exotic locations where passion knows no bounds.
224 pages, Mass Market Paperback
First published January 1, 2021
216 people are currently reading
794 people want to read
About the author
Lucy Monroe
605 books1,567 followersI write spicy romance books that end in an HEA. Contemporary romance, historical romance, paranormal romance…I write it all. The two things my books all have in common is lots of emotion and spice. Last year, I fell in love with a new subgenre: mafia romance. Since I write what I love to read, I started a new standalone series, Syndicate Rules where you’ll meet over the top alpha heroes in the Italian and Greek mafias as well as the Irish mob. There are arranged marriages, forced marriages, enemies to lovers, stalkers, forced proximity and lots of mafia intrigue. Morally gray is my new favorite color.
Follow me on BookBub for alerts on my next release: https://www.bookbub.com/authors/lucy-...
I’ve been published a while and most of my 90+ books have hit the Nielson Bookscan bestseller list, a few ended up on the USA Today bestseller list and some even hit national bestseller lists in the UK and Australia. My books have been translated into numerous languages and are for sale in dozens of countries around the world. I’ve won awards and been published with most of the big houses in New York, but my greatest achievement is touching readers’ hearts. When I hear from a reader who got caught up in one of my books, I know I’m doing what I’m meant to do.
I love writing emotionally deep stories with snappy dialogue and solid plots. I’m more grateful than I’ll ever be able to express that so many readers have taken my stories into their hearts and put my books on their reread and keeper shelves.
Follow me on BookBub for alerts on my next release: https://www.bookbub.com/authors/lucy-...
I’ve been published a while and most of my 90+ books have hit the Nielson Bookscan bestseller list, a few ended up on the USA Today bestseller list and some even hit national bestseller lists in the UK and Australia. My books have been translated into numerous languages and are for sale in dozens of countries around the world. I’ve won awards and been published with most of the big houses in New York, but my greatest achievement is touching readers’ hearts. When I hear from a reader who got caught up in one of my books, I know I’m doing what I’m meant to do.
I love writing emotionally deep stories with snappy dialogue and solid plots. I’m more grateful than I’ll ever be able to express that so many readers have taken my stories into their hearts and put my books on their reread and keeper shelves.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 216 reviews
January 6, 2021
2.5 stars.
Lucy Monroe explores the marriage in peril trope in this novel. It's her first novel, written after a hiatus, from HPlandia, of 2-3 years.
I'd been eagerly anticipating this book but, even though it's well written and the MC's are nice, it failed to live up to my expectations.
The novel just didn't pack the right emotional punch, for me. My brain wanted to care but my emotions couldn't engage.
A marriage in peril story works, for me, if the author makes me feel emotionally invested in the MC's. Although I liked, and sympathized with, both MC's, they didn't strike me as one of those memorable HPlandia super-couples, who jump out of the page and are larger than life. They just seemed so ordinary...
The strangest thing, is that I can appreciate, from a cerebral perspective, what the author's trying to do in this novel. However, my emotions were never quite engaged, because:
1. The novel was bogged down by surplus dialogue, especially in the early, foundation stages. I suppose this is a plus for some readers but it didn't work for me because it made it difficult for me to settle down and follow the story.
2. I felt like I'd been channel surfing and started watching a strange telenovela right in the middle of an important storyline, that deals with a golden couple's marital problems caused by troublesome, meddling relatives. The characters kept going back and forth, discussing a variety of issues and I started to lose interest because it's not what I want in a romance novel.
3. I empathized with the MC's and their marital troubles but just couldn't forge any connection to them or care much, to be honest. That's because the author's storytelling and style of writing just lacked that strong emotional punch - to me, at least.
On the plus side, the H was a good guy, even though he'd never make my top 20 list of hot heroes for 2021 and I can predict that categorically, despite this being the first month of the year. He's not exactly the type of H I'd go for, because he seemed too much of a Beta male and he's sooooo bland when compared to Heidi Rice's super-hot, hunkalicious H in Innocent's Desert Wedding Contract. And, for the life of me, I have no idea what he looks like because my concentration wasn't always consistent.
And it's unheard of, for me, not to recall what a hero looks like 🤦. That's how I know for sure, that I must've really been bored and out of it, for chunks of this novel. I admit that I really skimmed through lots of the dialogue. However, he's decent, hardworking, loyal, protective, honest, understanding, a good dad and he loves his wife and child.
The final quarter of the novel, was the best, though. It was at that point where I did start to get into the story a lot, especially when the H broke down and revealed his vulnerability to the heroine. But then that's where it ended. Lol. Maybe the author could've written these MC's story in two parts, in a duology ? Whatever... I'm no expert...
I still feel a bit awful to be writing this review, because it's not nice to pan a book after an author's been on hiatus. I honestly wish I could rate this higher because this is a trope that should be done more often. I'd written a review on Sunday night and deleted it, because it seemed too harsh. I've thought it through and decided that this review will have to do, because I'm not gonna pretend that I loved a book, when I couldn't stop myself from skimming through sections of it.
And in case any HPlandia editors are reading this, I'd love to see Lynne Graham or Jennie Lucas write a marriage in peril trope. JL, especially, writes the type of *fairytail-ish* romantic escapism, with beautiful intense storytelling, that I adore, so it will be wonderful if she could try her hand at this trope.
It's a nice book and I can understand why lots of readers might totally love it. But I'm a Pisces female with my head in the clouds. I prefer escapism and romance with fairytale undertones, instead of a story that's just about a married couple working through their problems without a professional therapist.
If she was a new author, I'd probably be reluctant to try her next book. Obviously, writers can't please everyone at the same time. But Lucy Monroe has written some wonderful, romantic stories in the past and, based on that alone, I'm willing to give her a couple more chances...
Safety: No OW, no OM, no cheating and I don't recall reading anything about the MC's sexual history, prior to their marriage.
Lucy Monroe explores the marriage in peril trope in this novel. It's her first novel, written after a hiatus, from HPlandia, of 2-3 years.
I'd been eagerly anticipating this book but, even though it's well written and the MC's are nice, it failed to live up to my expectations.
The novel just didn't pack the right emotional punch, for me. My brain wanted to care but my emotions couldn't engage.
A marriage in peril story works, for me, if the author makes me feel emotionally invested in the MC's. Although I liked, and sympathized with, both MC's, they didn't strike me as one of those memorable HPlandia super-couples, who jump out of the page and are larger than life. They just seemed so ordinary...
The strangest thing, is that I can appreciate, from a cerebral perspective, what the author's trying to do in this novel. However, my emotions were never quite engaged, because:
1. The novel was bogged down by surplus dialogue, especially in the early, foundation stages. I suppose this is a plus for some readers but it didn't work for me because it made it difficult for me to settle down and follow the story.
2. I felt like I'd been channel surfing and started watching a strange telenovela right in the middle of an important storyline, that deals with a golden couple's marital problems caused by troublesome, meddling relatives. The characters kept going back and forth, discussing a variety of issues and I started to lose interest because it's not what I want in a romance novel.
3. I empathized with the MC's and their marital troubles but just couldn't forge any connection to them or care much, to be honest. That's because the author's storytelling and style of writing just lacked that strong emotional punch - to me, at least.
On the plus side, the H was a good guy, even though he'd never make my top 20 list of hot heroes for 2021 and I can predict that categorically, despite this being the first month of the year. He's not exactly the type of H I'd go for, because he seemed too much of a Beta male and he's sooooo bland when compared to Heidi Rice's super-hot, hunkalicious H in Innocent's Desert Wedding Contract. And, for the life of me, I have no idea what he looks like because my concentration wasn't always consistent.
And it's unheard of, for me, not to recall what a hero looks like 🤦. That's how I know for sure, that I must've really been bored and out of it, for chunks of this novel. I admit that I really skimmed through lots of the dialogue. However, he's decent, hardworking, loyal, protective, honest, understanding, a good dad and he loves his wife and child.
The final quarter of the novel, was the best, though. It was at that point where I did start to get into the story a lot, especially when the H broke down and revealed his vulnerability to the heroine. But then that's where it ended. Lol. Maybe the author could've written these MC's story in two parts, in a duology ? Whatever... I'm no expert...
I still feel a bit awful to be writing this review, because it's not nice to pan a book after an author's been on hiatus. I honestly wish I could rate this higher because this is a trope that should be done more often. I'd written a review on Sunday night and deleted it, because it seemed too harsh. I've thought it through and decided that this review will have to do, because I'm not gonna pretend that I loved a book, when I couldn't stop myself from skimming through sections of it.
And in case any HPlandia editors are reading this, I'd love to see Lynne Graham or Jennie Lucas write a marriage in peril trope. JL, especially, writes the type of *fairytail-ish* romantic escapism, with beautiful intense storytelling, that I adore, so it will be wonderful if she could try her hand at this trope.
It's a nice book and I can understand why lots of readers might totally love it. But I'm a Pisces female with my head in the clouds. I prefer escapism and romance with fairytale undertones, instead of a story that's just about a married couple working through their problems without a professional therapist.
If she was a new author, I'd probably be reluctant to try her next book. Obviously, writers can't please everyone at the same time. But Lucy Monroe has written some wonderful, romantic stories in the past and, based on that alone, I'm willing to give her a couple more chances...
Safety: No OW, no OM, no cheating and I don't recall reading anything about the MC's sexual history, prior to their marriage.
March 4, 2021
A marriage in peril story! One of my favorite tropes and one that HP doesn’t offer too much.
As soon as I started reading about the pregnant American heroine stuck in a Greek billionaire’s family with a husband who thinks life is fine if he works a million hours a week and can come home every night for hot sex, I was reminded ofThe Greek's Christmas Baby. That Lucy Monroe hero treated his wife the same way and it was his bout of amnesia that woke him up to what was wrong in his life.
It’s a similar peril in this marriage after five years. Heroine has shut down emotionally and is only staying so that her kids will have stability. Hero is selfish with his time and generous with his money. He takes his shrewish mother and sister’s side over the heroine’s every time and heroine is tired of it.
It’s not amnesia or a car accident that wakes this hero. No, this story doesn’t bring that kind of drama. The wake-up call comes when the heroine agrees that hero’s younger brother is indeed more attentive to his wife than hubby is to her.
Hero is flabbergasted. He thinks his wife is great (she is) and he thinks he also great in the relationship stakes since they have sex a lot.
Our delusional hero has to learn a lot and do a lot to make up for his neglect. And he succeeds by the end for an HEA.
This is a slow-paced story without a lot of drama or big, operatic scenes. In my own mind, I was picturing this as part two of The Greek's Christmas Babyafter that hero’s amnesia is cured. It’s really one long grovel.
Not a story for everyone – but certainly for me! 😊
As soon as I started reading about the pregnant American heroine stuck in a Greek billionaire’s family with a husband who thinks life is fine if he works a million hours a week and can come home every night for hot sex, I was reminded ofThe Greek's Christmas Baby. That Lucy Monroe hero treated his wife the same way and it was his bout of amnesia that woke him up to what was wrong in his life.
It’s a similar peril in this marriage after five years. Heroine has shut down emotionally and is only staying so that her kids will have stability. Hero is selfish with his time and generous with his money. He takes his shrewish mother and sister’s side over the heroine’s every time and heroine is tired of it.
It’s not amnesia or a car accident that wakes this hero. No, this story doesn’t bring that kind of drama. The wake-up call comes when the heroine agrees that hero’s younger brother is indeed more attentive to his wife than hubby is to her.
Hero is flabbergasted. He thinks his wife is great (she is) and he thinks he also great in the relationship stakes since they have sex a lot.
Our delusional hero has to learn a lot and do a lot to make up for his neglect. And he succeeds by the end for an HEA.
This is a slow-paced story without a lot of drama or big, operatic scenes. In my own mind, I was picturing this as part two of The Greek's Christmas Babyafter that hero’s amnesia is cured. It’s really one long grovel.
Not a story for everyone – but certainly for me! 😊
March 27, 2022
this book is ENTIRELY CONSTRUCTED of groveling. And I enjoyed that immensely.
December 31, 2020
I found this a very refreshing read. I haven't had the time to read many Harlequin Presents books lately, and I realized how much I miss reading them. Having said that, this book is on the surface a standard HP type book, but deep down, it's a book about marriage and keeping the love and the emotional intimacy alive in a relationship that is challenged by external factors such as overbearing family, over-full schedules, and workaholic spouses. I loved the fact that it is quite dialogue heavy. It was crucial with this kind of novel. Both characters are human and have the accompanying flaws, but both are likable. They both had to commit to changing what was wrong and striving to make their marriage what they wanted it to be.
I liked this book a lot, and it was a quick, enjoyable read.
Reviewed for Affaire de Coeur Magazine. http://affairedecoeur.com.
I liked this book a lot, and it was a quick, enjoyable read.
Reviewed for Affaire de Coeur Magazine. http://affairedecoeur.com.
April 29, 2024
This story of a husband who doesn't stand up for his wife against his toxic family hit too close to home. Minus the Greek billionaire part, this story is exactly like my mom’s life.
Imho, the husband did not atone for his sins, it was too little too late, and as for the in-laws, FORGET IT. Those shit-for-brains donkey faces got off scott free for behavior that is borderline criminal.
The story starts five years into a terrible marriage where the workaholic husband has been emotionally neglecting his wife, leaving the field free for his mother and sister, two vipers sent to earth from the deepest recesses of Hades, to wreak havoc on his wife, poisoning bit by bit her soul, heart, and mind until she becomes an X-ray of her former self, which used to be a vivacious, sunny girl with dreams and aspirations.
The so-called hero only acknowledges the mistreatment of his wife not just by his family but by his own emotional neglect, when his brother calls him out on it. His brother just got married and the way he treats his new bride with so much affection and respect, while protecting her from the disrespectful jibes of his monster mother and sister is the trigger for the hero to wake up to the reality of his own marriage.
Despite the fact that his wife tried time and time again to point out to him, at least in the beginning of their marriage, how unhappy the in laws from hell were making her, he ignored that totally. He only got a eureka moment when his own flesh and blood, his brother, told him a few home truths. To the bitter end, he had no respect for his wife’s credible concerns, he only takes action because his brother points out the truth to him.
After that, despite the belated efforts he made to right the situation between himself and his wife, I still felt that he fought her at every step and was still defending his monster mother. The guy was so much in De Nile he should have drowned! Just kept making excuses for his mom that nothing she cruelly said or did was intentional, it was meant to help, or it was the Old Skool way, or his wife took it the wrong way, or even shifting the blame on the wife why she didn’t stand up for herself or leave him if it was that bad. He was outraged when she suggested she did not want to see his toxic mom and sister for six months. Yes, he caved to it but his initial reaction, his first impulse is always to take the side of his blood, not the wife who is and always will remain in his mind as the outsider. SIX MONTHS OF RESPITE AFTER FIVE YEARS OF TORTURE IS TOO MICH TO ASK? Especially when she is undergoing another stressful pregnancy and those bitches don’t relent for one second in their below the belt attacks against her?
His mother, his sister, and he himself turned his wife from a happy, sunny woman into a fembot Stepford wife and he thinks all this happened by accident? As if all of that wasn’t dehumanizing enough, the mother in law from hell actually changed heroine’s name because she found it too vulgar and the hero just went along with it no big deal. MY GOD WHEN I ADOPTED A DOG I WOULD NOT CHANGE HIS NAME BECAUSE IT WOULD BE TRAUMATIC TO HIS IDENTITY and these pieces of shit weren’t content in crushing and dominating every aspect of her life, they literally stole her very identity from her?! Six months is nothing, I would ban them for life and that includes this zero hero.
Sorry but I loathed the man, and I loathed the conclusion where the heroine ONCE AGAIN has to be the bigger person and invite the fang-toothed viper mother in law back into her life because... GET THIS...She finally apologized... to her son! Off page so we have to rely on the hero’s word alone that such apology was made. She never apologized to her daughter in law on the page where the reader could judge for themselves if the atonement was at least a good start and if the husband would stand by his wife while his mother humbled herself.
This whole debacle made me 😤🤬and 🤮.
Imho, the husband did not atone for his sins, it was too little too late, and as for the in-laws, FORGET IT. Those shit-for-brains donkey faces got off scott free for behavior that is borderline criminal.
The story starts five years into a terrible marriage where the workaholic husband has been emotionally neglecting his wife, leaving the field free for his mother and sister, two vipers sent to earth from the deepest recesses of Hades, to wreak havoc on his wife, poisoning bit by bit her soul, heart, and mind until she becomes an X-ray of her former self, which used to be a vivacious, sunny girl with dreams and aspirations.
The so-called hero only acknowledges the mistreatment of his wife not just by his family but by his own emotional neglect, when his brother calls him out on it. His brother just got married and the way he treats his new bride with so much affection and respect, while protecting her from the disrespectful jibes of his monster mother and sister is the trigger for the hero to wake up to the reality of his own marriage.
Despite the fact that his wife tried time and time again to point out to him, at least in the beginning of their marriage, how unhappy the in laws from hell were making her, he ignored that totally. He only got a eureka moment when his own flesh and blood, his brother, told him a few home truths. To the bitter end, he had no respect for his wife’s credible concerns, he only takes action because his brother points out the truth to him.
After that, despite the belated efforts he made to right the situation between himself and his wife, I still felt that he fought her at every step and was still defending his monster mother. The guy was so much in De Nile he should have drowned! Just kept making excuses for his mom that nothing she cruelly said or did was intentional, it was meant to help, or it was the Old Skool way, or his wife took it the wrong way, or even shifting the blame on the wife why she didn’t stand up for herself or leave him if it was that bad. He was outraged when she suggested she did not want to see his toxic mom and sister for six months. Yes, he caved to it but his initial reaction, his first impulse is always to take the side of his blood, not the wife who is and always will remain in his mind as the outsider. SIX MONTHS OF RESPITE AFTER FIVE YEARS OF TORTURE IS TOO MICH TO ASK? Especially when she is undergoing another stressful pregnancy and those bitches don’t relent for one second in their below the belt attacks against her?
His mother, his sister, and he himself turned his wife from a happy, sunny woman into a fembot Stepford wife and he thinks all this happened by accident? As if all of that wasn’t dehumanizing enough, the mother in law from hell actually changed heroine’s name because she found it too vulgar and the hero just went along with it no big deal. MY GOD WHEN I ADOPTED A DOG I WOULD NOT CHANGE HIS NAME BECAUSE IT WOULD BE TRAUMATIC TO HIS IDENTITY and these pieces of shit weren’t content in crushing and dominating every aspect of her life, they literally stole her very identity from her?! Six months is nothing, I would ban them for life and that includes this zero hero.
Sorry but I loathed the man, and I loathed the conclusion where the heroine ONCE AGAIN has to be the bigger person and invite the fang-toothed viper mother in law back into her life because... GET THIS...She finally apologized... to her son! Off page so we have to rely on the hero’s word alone that such apology was made. She never apologized to her daughter in law on the page where the reader could judge for themselves if the atonement was at least a good start and if the husband would stand by his wife while his mother humbled herself.
This whole debacle made me 😤🤬and 🤮.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
March 5, 2021
So many great reviews already, so just my two cents for now.
I love Lucy Monroe and her heroes especially. Very few HP heroes have much emotional depth on a real level, but LM’s do. They take the regular arrogance and cluelessness of the typical HP hero with a sweet determination to fix things and then do their worst which us what makes them so entertaining.
Andros is no different. His wife Polly has endured five years of a dominating and snide MIL and SIL from hell, and he hasn’t had a clue what was going on. Among a slew of other sabotaging tactics, they’ve changed her name from Polly to Anna, a sure means of psychological annihilation.
The book covers the H and h’s attempts to save their marriage. As always with Lucy Monroe there is lots of talking. Lots and lots of talking.
So, not much for romance, but very enjoyable for me to read a female character that has had it and lays out the truth and consequences to her clueless but beloved husband. There is romance, but it's not the ansgty, arm twisting kind, it's a confused husband trying to read between the lines and woo and win his wife back.
4 stars for story and a heroine with a spine
3 stars for angsty romance
I love Lucy Monroe and her heroes especially. Very few HP heroes have much emotional depth on a real level, but LM’s do. They take the regular arrogance and cluelessness of the typical HP hero with a sweet determination to fix things and then do their worst which us what makes them so entertaining.
Andros is no different. His wife Polly has endured five years of a dominating and snide MIL and SIL from hell, and he hasn’t had a clue what was going on. Among a slew of other sabotaging tactics, they’ve changed her name from Polly to Anna, a sure means of psychological annihilation.
The book covers the H and h’s attempts to save their marriage. As always with Lucy Monroe there is lots of talking. Lots and lots of talking.
So, not much for romance, but very enjoyable for me to read a female character that has had it and lays out the truth and consequences to her clueless but beloved husband. There is romance, but it's not the ansgty, arm twisting kind, it's a confused husband trying to read between the lines and woo and win his wife back.
4 stars for story and a heroine with a spine
3 stars for angsty romance
May 29, 2021
I adore this author and some of her works are my very most favorite stories, so I'm really sad that I didn't care for this story all that much. It started out strong. Polly was mistreated horribly by her mother in law and her sister in law, and her husband Andros didn't take her serious when she voiced her concerns about her mistreatment. He always took the side of his family members over his wife, so she ends up giving up the fight and closing down completely. This is how the story starts out and it was delicious, but after Andros realizes his wife had shut down and given up completely and he was this close to losing her as a wife, he tries harder to fight for Polly, putting his mother and sister in their places and making up for lost time. Unfortunately, this is when Polly comes out striking with her claws and starts acting bitchier. I felt terrible for her husband once he finally pulled his head out of his butt and started fighting for his marriage again, he couldn't win, no matter what he did. It made this story exhausting and frustrating, and very unenjoyable.
February 9, 2023
This is a good book. Better than I expected. It was a bit slow paced throughout but it was a good, serious read.
October 25, 2022
A second chance romance where hero relentlessly fought for his love after suddenly realizing the peril his marriage was at and earned my respect.
I loved that heroine was brutally honest with her husband all the time and they both wanted the marriage to succeed. She was so hurt by his unintentional indifference but still stayed married to him. Their reconcilation scene was powerful and heartfelt.
Safe and recommended.
I loved that heroine was brutally honest with her husband all the time and they both wanted the marriage to succeed. She was so hurt by his unintentional indifference but still stayed married to him. Their reconcilation scene was powerful and heartfelt.
Safe and recommended.
January 6, 2021
I really liked the book and loved the angst when H's eyes were opened for the first time in their marriage life and realized how he sucked!
April 29, 2021
The bones of this book are my catnip: an emotionally dense Greek billionaire marries a middle-class American, dumps her on the (in-law populated) family estate, and proceeds to ruin his marriage by taking his mother's side in every argument and ignoring his wife in favor of work. The specifics of his awfulness are delightfully outrageous:
• He not only allows his mother to address his wife (Pollyanna) by the "classier" Anna, HE also uses that version of her name exclusively outside of bed, where he occasionally calls her by her preferred name, Polly. This, despite the fact that his wife has told him directly that she does not like to be called Anna. (more on this later)
• He insists that his wife give up her career as a pastry chef to participate on charity committees, to be the perfect corporate asset, as his mother had been for his father. He apparently gave "performance reviews" of her charity work, suggesting areas in which she could improve.
• He purchases a home and (on his mother's advice) has it decorated by an exclusive but apparently soulless interior designer without consulting his wife.
• He devotes himself to work during his wife's difficult first pregnancy, expecting her to take the advice of his mother (which appears to be "all women suffer in childbearing; stop being a wimp") and only shows up during the last stages of her labor.
His justifications for this behavior, irritatingly presented mostly through early internal monologue rather than as explanations and apologies to the heroine, are
• A year before he met and married the heroine, his mother had a breakdown after his beloved father's death. As a result, he has become overly indulgent to the women in his birth family, and is paying his wife the "compliment" of believing she is strong enough to endure anything/fight her own corner.
• He believed she needed to be inculcated into her new Greek billionaire lifestyle so she would feel more comfortable in her new life.
• His corporation was threatened with a hostile takeover during her first pregnancy, and he had to give it all his time and attention not only to protect his father's legacy but also because he knew his wife would want him to protect the hundreds (thousands?) of employees who would be impacted.
Seriously, I eat this dense hero nonsense up with a spoon.
The problem is, Lucy Monroe decided to experiment with the formula. The book doesn't give us these angsty conflicts and arguments; they're all in the past. Instead, we're five years into the marriage, the wife has withdrawn from her husband and his mother by adopting the sophisticated "Anna" persona as a coping mechanism, and it is the hero -- surprised to learn during a family dinner at the start of the book that his again-pregnant wife doesn't view him as the perfect husband -- who is now putting in all the emotional labor to rescue the marriage. (Not that the marriage needs rescuing. The wife isn't going anywhere as long as he isn't unfaithful or abusive. But their relationship has been deeply damaged by his actions over the years.) Sadly, it turns out that having the man do all the work to repair a relationship is still not a guarantee of a good grovel. We see him make changes in his life to prioritize his wife at last, but "hey, look, I'm awesome now" is not the same thing as apologizing for being truly awful for five long years.
I'm going to focus on the name issue as an example of how watered-down this narrative is. We know that the hero's mother, sister, and the hero himself call the heroine Anna instead of Polly. Except Monroe backs away from the last by having the hero call Polly "my wife" when talking about her or use Greek endearments (yineka mou, agape mou) when talking to her at the start of the book, before he switches back to her real name. So we're not really exposed to this egregious misbehavior from him, we're just told about it. Nor do we see how the situation developed in the first place. (We know the cosseted m-i-l instigated it, but did Polly protest at the time or give way, thinking it was a harmless concession to make?) Nor do we see the protagonists' past argument where the heroine specifically told the hero she doesn't want him addressing her as Anna (which he disregarded because he "slipped once too often and realized [he] needed to use it all the time, for consistency"). And that's it. No apology, just an explanation that confirms he did indeed ignore his wife's express wishes in favor of his mother's. Never an apology for stripping her of something so inherent to her sense of self as her own name. And the kicker is the hero's brother and the brother's wife BOTH exclusively call the heroine Polly in front of the mother without ever once being corrected. Polly's brother-in-law is a better husband to her than her husband is.
So I feel intellectual outrage instead of emotional angst over the husband's many trespasses, including his continuing to argue that his mother's motivations were/are benign even as he tries to reconcile with his emotionally estranged wife. But the real ratings-killer for me, dropping the book from a "meh" 3 stars to an "ugh" 2 stars, is the heroine. Unlike other Lucy Monroe heroines whose low self-esteem (driven by unloving birth parents, obscure medical conditions, and/or unwed pregnancies) contributes to their misery, Polly is a beautiful, confident woman raised in a loving family. So why did she allow her husband to treat her badly for the two years before her pregnancy "trapped" her in the marriage for the sake of her daughter? Well, the sex, of course. (Frankly, daughter or no, I think she would be out of there like a shot if the sex were dull.) I gave up on this heroine early on, when she drops the bombshell at the family dinner that her husband has never been a "protective and considerate husband" and then acts as if she doesn't understand why that statement would hurt and offend him. I've never seen a heroine so out of touch with basic human understanding. If she were supposed to be neurodiverse, this could be interesting. But she's not. She's just smug in her passive-aggressive self-righteousness.
• He not only allows his mother to address his wife (Pollyanna) by the "classier" Anna, HE also uses that version of her name exclusively outside of bed, where he occasionally calls her by her preferred name, Polly. This, despite the fact that his wife has told him directly that she does not like to be called Anna. (more on this later)
• He insists that his wife give up her career as a pastry chef to participate on charity committees, to be the perfect corporate asset, as his mother had been for his father. He apparently gave "performance reviews" of her charity work, suggesting areas in which she could improve.
• He purchases a home and (on his mother's advice) has it decorated by an exclusive but apparently soulless interior designer without consulting his wife.
• He devotes himself to work during his wife's difficult first pregnancy, expecting her to take the advice of his mother (which appears to be "all women suffer in childbearing; stop being a wimp") and only shows up during the last stages of her labor.
His justifications for this behavior, irritatingly presented mostly through early internal monologue rather than as explanations and apologies to the heroine, are
• A year before he met and married the heroine, his mother had a breakdown after his beloved father's death. As a result, he has become overly indulgent to the women in his birth family, and is paying his wife the "compliment" of believing she is strong enough to endure anything/fight her own corner.
• He believed she needed to be inculcated into her new Greek billionaire lifestyle so she would feel more comfortable in her new life.
• His corporation was threatened with a hostile takeover during her first pregnancy, and he had to give it all his time and attention not only to protect his father's legacy but also because he knew his wife would want him to protect the hundreds (thousands?) of employees who would be impacted.
Seriously, I eat this dense hero nonsense up with a spoon.
The problem is, Lucy Monroe decided to experiment with the formula. The book doesn't give us these angsty conflicts and arguments; they're all in the past. Instead, we're five years into the marriage, the wife has withdrawn from her husband and his mother by adopting the sophisticated "Anna" persona as a coping mechanism, and it is the hero -- surprised to learn during a family dinner at the start of the book that his again-pregnant wife doesn't view him as the perfect husband -- who is now putting in all the emotional labor to rescue the marriage. (Not that the marriage needs rescuing. The wife isn't going anywhere as long as he isn't unfaithful or abusive. But their relationship has been deeply damaged by his actions over the years.) Sadly, it turns out that having the man do all the work to repair a relationship is still not a guarantee of a good grovel. We see him make changes in his life to prioritize his wife at last, but "hey, look, I'm awesome now" is not the same thing as apologizing for being truly awful for five long years.
I'm going to focus on the name issue as an example of how watered-down this narrative is. We know that the hero's mother, sister, and the hero himself call the heroine Anna instead of Polly. Except Monroe backs away from the last by having the hero call Polly "my wife" when talking about her or use Greek endearments (yineka mou, agape mou) when talking to her at the start of the book, before he switches back to her real name. So we're not really exposed to this egregious misbehavior from him, we're just told about it. Nor do we see how the situation developed in the first place. (We know the cosseted m-i-l instigated it, but did Polly protest at the time or give way, thinking it was a harmless concession to make?) Nor do we see the protagonists' past argument where the heroine specifically told the hero she doesn't want him addressing her as Anna (which he disregarded because he "slipped once too often and realized [he] needed to use it all the time, for consistency"). And that's it. No apology, just an explanation that confirms he did indeed ignore his wife's express wishes in favor of his mother's. Never an apology for stripping her of something so inherent to her sense of self as her own name. And the kicker is the hero's brother and the brother's wife BOTH exclusively call the heroine Polly in front of the mother without ever once being corrected. Polly's brother-in-law is a better husband to her than her husband is.
So I feel intellectual outrage instead of emotional angst over the husband's many trespasses, including his continuing to argue that his mother's motivations were/are benign even as he tries to reconcile with his emotionally estranged wife. But the real ratings-killer for me, dropping the book from a "meh" 3 stars to an "ugh" 2 stars, is the heroine. Unlike other Lucy Monroe heroines whose low self-esteem (driven by unloving birth parents, obscure medical conditions, and/or unwed pregnancies) contributes to their misery, Polly is a beautiful, confident woman raised in a loving family. So why did she allow her husband to treat her badly for the two years before her pregnancy "trapped" her in the marriage for the sake of her daughter? Well, the sex, of course. (Frankly, daughter or no, I think she would be out of there like a shot if the sex were dull.) I gave up on this heroine early on, when she drops the bombshell at the family dinner that her husband has never been a "protective and considerate husband" and then acts as if she doesn't understand why that statement would hurt and offend him. I've never seen a heroine so out of touch with basic human understanding. If she were supposed to be neurodiverse, this could be interesting. But she's not. She's just smug in her passive-aggressive self-righteousness.
March 28, 2023
4 ⭐⭐⭐⭐ - Liked it!
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♥♥♥♥Rereading in 2023♥♥♥♥♥
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The reading surprised me positively. I liked it.
Mother-in-law and sister-in-law from hell!
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♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥
♥♥♥♥Rereading in 2023♥♥♥♥♥
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The reading surprised me positively. I liked it.
Mother-in-law and sister-in-law from hell!
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Never late anymore, but neither was she spontaneous. Exuberant expressions of affection had disappeared along with her spontaneity.
Six months pregnant with their second child, the leggy brunette was more beautiful than the day they married.
“But Alexandros has never been the protective and considerate husband to me that Petros is to Corrina.”
Stacia managed to look both offended and satisfied at the same time. His mother’s expression showed offence and concern, but it was Corrina’s reaction that struck him like a blow to his ego. She looked at Pollyanna with undisguised pity. And his brother?
“This is family. You should be able to speak your mind.” The scoffing sound that came from his wife’s direction was surprising only in that she’d stopped making commentary on his family a long time ago.
“Maybe. Being considerate means noticing how the decisions you make affect others, and I think you’re really bad at that.”
“Of course you didn’t, and if you had? You would not have cared. Never once, in our entire five years of marriage, have you ever made a decision with my happiness, or even my well-being at the forefront of your mind. A bad husband? No, you’re not a bad husband. You’re a terrible husband.”
“Why don’t you call me Andros anymore?” “Andros was the man I fell in love with,” she said in a voice that sounded more asleep than awake. “And who is Alexandros?” “The man I married.”
Besides the nursery, it was the only room that had any stamp of Polly’s personality and preference for comfort and warm colors in it. The rest of the mansion they called a home looked like a high-end modern hotel.
“Or how much she enjoyed my discomfort.” He frowned. “I’m sure that is not true.”
She and her daughter Stacia had done their best to make Polly feel like the outsider she was, making sure those in their circle treated her with the same disdain they did.
Because she kept expecting him to treat her like he loved her. She didn’t have those expectations any longer.
Her husband, she had learned not to trust. “Yes, you do.” “Yes, I do,” she admitted. “I call you Anna.” “Yes.” “You do not like it.” “It is not my name.” “It is a nickname.” “That your mother finds more acceptable than my real name. Yes, I know.”
But then, when had Polly’s wants, or even needs, ever trumped his mother’s? Never, that was when.
No man who loved her would treat her the way that Alexandros had since their marriage and her move to Greece. The very fact he’d insisted on moving into his family home, one they had had to share with the two wicked witches, showed just how little her feelings had mattered to him.
“I don’t know why everyone has to rub in the fact that my husband doesn’t care enough about me to take even the most rudimentary care! Don’t you think I know that? I’m doing the best I can.”
“Why are you being so nice to me? I just don’t understand.”
Sitting up straight, her body rigid with stress, she accused, “You’ve taken a pillow friend. That’s what you Greek tycoons call them, isn’t it? You’ve got a mistress and you don’t want me to divorce you when I find out!”
“Your sister warned me, but I thought she was talking nonsense. Trying to hurt me like she found such sport back when I used to let her get to me.”
“A man does not treat a woman the way you’ve treated me when he’s in love with her.” Pollyanna sounded so certain in her own mind, so sure of her interpretation of the years of their marriage he knew denial would be useless.
He never broke his word on purpose. She didn’t trust him, not because she thought he lied to get what he wanted but because he lied without meaning to, and that was in her view even more dangerous.
It had taken a while for both Polly and Athena to realize that Athena’s attempt at excluding Polly from her social circle had backfired on her.
“You never cared before. I don’t understand why you’re acting like the fact your wife and I don’t like each other matters to you now.” Stacia’s petulant attitude wasn’t going to do her any favors with the man who was already angry.
“Do you like the charity work?” he asked for the first time ever. “You mean my job as your wife?” Because that’s what it was.
“Is that how you see it?” “What else? You even give performance reviews,” she teased.
She’d withheld her naturally affectionate nature because she had no longer been sure of him.
“I’m pretty sure that if you loved me, you wouldn’t have been so content to be away from me so much. You wouldn’t have expected me to do whatever your mother wanted, no matter how miserable it made me.”
“When you love someone, you consider their needs, their wants, their comfort. You want to protect them and make their life better for them.”
“I love you now.” “Perhaps you do, but you are no longer in love with me. The stars…” He stopped, swallowed, then continued. “They are gone.”
May 22, 2021
This book was very dialogue heavy, and some might find the pace a bit slow. But this book struck something in me that responded to the plot and the characters. I really liked the marriage in peril trope and the H slowly had the scales fall from his eyes to his uncaring behavior toward his wife of 5 years. He finally starts to listen and then he does something about it. The book is one long grovel, but not in the angsty sense.(It won't satisfy the hard-core grovel fans, he doesn't crawl on his knees through broken glass, but he does acknowledge his part in their problems and takes steps to fix things, he humbles himself enough to change. ) The H recognizes that he has lost his wife's trust and possibly her love. These characters begin to communicate and are very honest with each other and they open up and find those things that they have to change about themselves and their marriage.
There were a few moments when I thought the h was being overly harsh or blowing things out of proportion but she had 5 years of building walls and also tons of pregnancy hormones so I was willing to cut her a break. And I loved that the author took her time having the H/h come to full forgiveness. It took 5 years for things to fall apart so badly, they needed a lot of time to fix them.
I thought this book was romantic. I was cheering them on and I believed in their HEA.
Safety
There were a few moments when I thought the h was being overly harsh or blowing things out of proportion but she had 5 years of building walls and also tons of pregnancy hormones so I was willing to cut her a break. And I loved that the author took her time having the H/h come to full forgiveness. It took 5 years for things to fall apart so badly, they needed a lot of time to fix them.
I thought this book was romantic. I was cheering them on and I believed in their HEA.
Safety
December 21, 2022
if lucy monroe writes a groveling romance, i'll read it
March 27, 2021
I love stories like this
But it just dragged on. I loved the hero and how he fought for his marriage. The heroine annoyed me a little but I do understand why she felt the way she did but it was just a little boring! I love love love Lucy Monroe and this hero was faithful and totally in love with his wife and I should have loved it but there were parts in the middle that were so repetitive. It was like enough already. But it was a good story and showed me that faithful heroes are still wonderful. And that marriages can be strong. I really hated his sister and his Mom was a terrible person to. I couldn't have forgiven her at all. But it's la la land. I'll go along with it. Just an average book but I did like when the husband finally wised up. That was the best part.
But it just dragged on. I loved the hero and how he fought for his marriage. The heroine annoyed me a little but I do understand why she felt the way she did but it was just a little boring! I love love love Lucy Monroe and this hero was faithful and totally in love with his wife and I should have loved it but there were parts in the middle that were so repetitive. It was like enough already. But it was a good story and showed me that faithful heroes are still wonderful. And that marriages can be strong. I really hated his sister and his Mom was a terrible person to. I couldn't have forgiven her at all. But it's la la land. I'll go along with it. Just an average book but I did like when the husband finally wised up. That was the best part.
April 9, 2022
I wanted grovel, and grovel I got. But I do not think I'll be able to recall a single thing about this in about a month's time
December 29, 2021
I just reread this one based on a recommendation in a "Good Grovel" FB reader group. I loved it. It's got lots of juicy marriage-in-trouble angst, but what really fascinates me about this one is the set-up.
The story begins when the heroine is so tired from her rocky second pregnancy that she replies with blunt honesty to a comment at a family dinner and observes that her brother-in-law is a much better husband to his wife than her husband is to her. (It's #facts.)
This really gets under the hero's skin and inspires him toward introspection for the first time in his life. Add swimming in a pool at a Mediterranean villa, helicopter rides, and consuming kisses and you eventually get the usual Harlequin HEA. It's delicious. Treat yourself. Yadda yadda.
But that SET-UP. A romance that begins with a moment of unguarded honesty that changes everything. How cool is that as an inciting incident? There are so many possibilities...
The story begins when the heroine is so tired from her rocky second pregnancy that she replies with blunt honesty to a comment at a family dinner and observes that her brother-in-law is a much better husband to his wife than her husband is to her. (It's #facts.)
This really gets under the hero's skin and inspires him toward introspection for the first time in his life. Add swimming in a pool at a Mediterranean villa, helicopter rides, and consuming kisses and you eventually get the usual Harlequin HEA. It's delicious. Treat yourself. Yadda yadda.
But that SET-UP. A romance that begins with a moment of unguarded honesty that changes everything. How cool is that as an inciting incident? There are so many possibilities...
March 1, 2021
I love marriage in trouble tropes ... and LM is one of my favorite authors ... excited doesn't begin to describe my feelings when I started this one ...
H and h are married with a child and another on the way ... they are distant in their dealings with each other, except for the bedroom where matters are business as usual (great business actually)
H believes matters are going great while h does not like or respect H all that much as he changed so much after marriage, giving into his mother and sister all the time ...
He has started to get some clues as he recalls that his wife is not spontaneous anymore but appreciates the effort she has made in order to present herself as per his expectations ...
to be clear, H is clear he loves his wife ... she is also clear she loves H but she doesn't believe he loves her and I agree with her as he was remarkably dense where her needs are concerned ...
So H sees his brother and his wife and then h, very easily, makes a remark that H is nowhere near as good a husband as his brother and he receives a jolt
So H embarks on a crusade to see and acknowledge h's needs and fulfill them .. and to put her first
well executed but a bit rushed and I had to suspend belief that H could be so clueless for so long rushed as h was remarkably happy to see his efforts; just for being so inconsiderate, H deserved to grovel more
and at the same time, educated and mature h (she was no young thing barely out of her teens when they married) should have spoken up much earlier but I can appreciate that she felt that once they had a child, she put the child's needs and stability first
All in all, a thoroughly enjoyable read
H and h are married with a child and another on the way ... they are distant in their dealings with each other, except for the bedroom where matters are business as usual (great business actually)
H believes matters are going great while h does not like or respect H all that much as he changed so much after marriage, giving into his mother and sister all the time ...
He has started to get some clues as he recalls that his wife is not spontaneous anymore but appreciates the effort she has made in order to present herself as per his expectations ...
to be clear, H is clear he loves his wife ... she is also clear she loves H but she doesn't believe he loves her and I agree with her as he was remarkably dense where her needs are concerned ...
So H sees his brother and his wife and then h, very easily, makes a remark that H is nowhere near as good a husband as his brother and he receives a jolt
So H embarks on a crusade to see and acknowledge h's needs and fulfill them .. and to put her first
well executed but a bit rushed and I had to suspend belief that H could be so clueless for so long rushed as h was remarkably happy to see his efforts; just for being so inconsiderate, H deserved to grovel more
and at the same time, educated and mature h (she was no young thing barely out of her teens when they married) should have spoken up much earlier but I can appreciate that she felt that once they had a child, she put the child's needs and stability first
All in all, a thoroughly enjoyable read
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
December 3, 2021
Highly rated book that didn't do it for me. 2.75*
It's about a marriage gone cold. Not in the bedroom, no but emotionally it's the tundra and he wakes up almost too late.
And the revival comes after a thunderclap realization by the H that while he's let his marriage be held hostage to duty and family (namely the nasty mother and sister's demands and expectations), his newly married brother is not have any of it. The brother lays it down upfront that his wife and marriage are supreme in his life and family can go take a hike.
Very un-Greek but there you have it.
And so, the H does what he's known best for - he gets competitive.
They have been married for 5 years, have a daughter and another kid is coming up but the communication lines have completely snapped. He didn't realize or care that she may need more than just being a society wife and a place at the family dinners, unpleasant as they usually are.
And so, after a ranty, angry phase early on in their marriage, she has become cool and withdrawn, and has her passive aggressive moves down to a pat. I can understand her growing distant after the many hurts, and not except or hope for any help from him but some things sound ott and cringey. Like when he asks why did she not tell him she's in pain she replies, “But why would I tell you?” Martyr much, wouldn't you say?
And this when she has supposedly suppressed all her rage and 'waspishness'. But of course, unless a person is in a truly abusive relationship, I don't think her snark would really vanish. It comes out in a comment now or then.
“He’d gone from stone dense to insightful literally overnight, and Polly didn’t know how she felt about that.”
So, after the Eureka moment, he sets out to change drastically - in words and in action. She resists as trust is difficult and she doesn't want to go down the same road twice.
It takes time but slowly they get there. He grovels well or let's say he tries long and hard to make amends - the book is one long grovel. The in-laws do receive a reality check. The MIL comes around a bit, the SIL not so much by the end and thus gets the boot from him. That in itself is satisfying.
But still, the whole family thing and the h's unforgiving routine gets tedious. And her hard stance on the MIL even after she changes doesn't sit well. Her wishing to not meet the woman for six months is understandable but not allowing her to see the newborn and moreover asking the H to not see his mother for six months as well, is way too excessive. We later learn that it doesn't come to pass but by then I was bored with the whole back and forth of pettiness.
And conversations that sound more like negotiations than talk between a couple.
It's about a marriage gone cold. Not in the bedroom, no but emotionally it's the tundra and he wakes up almost too late.
And the revival comes after a thunderclap realization by the H that while he's let his marriage be held hostage to duty and family (namely the nasty mother and sister's demands and expectations), his newly married brother is not have any of it. The brother lays it down upfront that his wife and marriage are supreme in his life and family can go take a hike.
Very un-Greek but there you have it.
And so, the H does what he's known best for - he gets competitive.
They have been married for 5 years, have a daughter and another kid is coming up but the communication lines have completely snapped. He didn't realize or care that she may need more than just being a society wife and a place at the family dinners, unpleasant as they usually are.
And so, after a ranty, angry phase early on in their marriage, she has become cool and withdrawn, and has her passive aggressive moves down to a pat. I can understand her growing distant after the many hurts, and not except or hope for any help from him but some things sound ott and cringey. Like when he asks why did she not tell him she's in pain she replies, “But why would I tell you?” Martyr much, wouldn't you say?
And this when she has supposedly suppressed all her rage and 'waspishness'. But of course, unless a person is in a truly abusive relationship, I don't think her snark would really vanish. It comes out in a comment now or then.
“He’d gone from stone dense to insightful literally overnight, and Polly didn’t know how she felt about that.”
So, after the Eureka moment, he sets out to change drastically - in words and in action. She resists as trust is difficult and she doesn't want to go down the same road twice.
It takes time but slowly they get there. He grovels well or let's say he tries long and hard to make amends - the book is one long grovel. The in-laws do receive a reality check. The MIL comes around a bit, the SIL not so much by the end and thus gets the boot from him. That in itself is satisfying.
But still, the whole family thing and the h's unforgiving routine gets tedious. And her hard stance on the MIL even after she changes doesn't sit well. Her wishing to not meet the woman for six months is understandable but not allowing her to see the newborn and moreover asking the H to not see his mother for six months as well, is way too excessive. We later learn that it doesn't come to pass but by then I was bored with the whole back and forth of pettiness.
And conversations that sound more like negotiations than talk between a couple.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
December 23, 2020
“Why don’t you call me Andros anymore?”
“Andros was the man I fell in love with.”
“And who is Alexandros?”
“The man I married.”
Pollyanna fell in love and married Greek billionaire Alexandros Kristalakis. Little did she know that loving Alexandros would come with a price…one that will leave her feeling out of place and always coming in second to his family and his business. Five years after saying “I do”, Polly has accepted her lot in life, and clings to the early memories of their romance. Her beloved Andros is no more, and in his place is the powerful head of the Kristalakis Family. How can she possibly compete?
Alexandros Kristalakis loves his wife more than anything, so when he overhears an offhanded comment about him not considering Polly’s feelings, he is struck with the truth that perhaps he has taken his beautiful bride for granted. Carefully, he begins observing how his manipulative mother treats his bride as well as how his sister is constantly criticizing her. Alexandros begins to realize that he’s allowed Polly to feel less than what she is…his beloved wife and mother of his children. Alexandros is now on a mission to reclaim his love and show Polly that she will always come first in his life…but is it too little too late?
Billionaire troupes are not usually my genre of choice, but there is just something about this story. Set aside the powerful tycoon and money and get to the heart of the plot…two lovers that took vows to love and cherish each other regardless, and like a lot of relationships, over time, a pattern emerges of going through the motions of how “happy” couples are supposed to behave. The author reminds us that after the wedding vows are said, it takes work and an open and honest dialogue on behalf of both sides to keep the romance alive. After the Billionaire’s Wedding Vows is thought provoking and well written, would recommend!
**I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book I received via Affaire de Coeur. All thoughts and opinions are my own. **
“Andros was the man I fell in love with.”
“And who is Alexandros?”
“The man I married.”
Pollyanna fell in love and married Greek billionaire Alexandros Kristalakis. Little did she know that loving Alexandros would come with a price…one that will leave her feeling out of place and always coming in second to his family and his business. Five years after saying “I do”, Polly has accepted her lot in life, and clings to the early memories of their romance. Her beloved Andros is no more, and in his place is the powerful head of the Kristalakis Family. How can she possibly compete?
Alexandros Kristalakis loves his wife more than anything, so when he overhears an offhanded comment about him not considering Polly’s feelings, he is struck with the truth that perhaps he has taken his beautiful bride for granted. Carefully, he begins observing how his manipulative mother treats his bride as well as how his sister is constantly criticizing her. Alexandros begins to realize that he’s allowed Polly to feel less than what she is…his beloved wife and mother of his children. Alexandros is now on a mission to reclaim his love and show Polly that she will always come first in his life…but is it too little too late?
Billionaire troupes are not usually my genre of choice, but there is just something about this story. Set aside the powerful tycoon and money and get to the heart of the plot…two lovers that took vows to love and cherish each other regardless, and like a lot of relationships, over time, a pattern emerges of going through the motions of how “happy” couples are supposed to behave. The author reminds us that after the wedding vows are said, it takes work and an open and honest dialogue on behalf of both sides to keep the romance alive. After the Billionaire’s Wedding Vows is thought provoking and well written, would recommend!
**I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book I received via Affaire de Coeur. All thoughts and opinions are my own. **
January 1, 2022
I'm really, really not a fan of billionaire stories, that said this is a marriage in trouble story which I love.
Early on the Hero realises that his marriage is not as good as he thought, although providing financially for his family his wife does not think of him as a good husband.
He really gets it both barrels, bless him and he takes it on board and makes changes.
No intimate scenes other than the Hero and heroine.
No other woman or man drama, though his sister had suggested it.
Heroine is pregnant and they already have a small child.
HEA.
Epilogue.
Early on the Hero realises that his marriage is not as good as he thought, although providing financially for his family his wife does not think of him as a good husband.
He really gets it both barrels, bless him and he takes it on board and makes changes.
No intimate scenes other than the Hero and heroine.
No other woman or man drama, though his sister had suggested it.
Heroine is pregnant and they already have a small child.
HEA.
Epilogue.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
November 16, 2023
Reread: this works so well because it’s the after the HEA story.
Good with a but... I loved the concept and the execution isn’t bad, but it bogs down in the middle. 3.5 rounded up.
Good with a but... I loved the concept and the execution isn’t bad, but it bogs down in the middle. 3.5 rounded up.
January 24, 2021
This book was interesting take on what happens after the HEA. While it was interesting to read, it did fall a bit short on the romance aspect.
December 19, 2021
Andros the blind and Polly the resigned...
I love how Lucy Monroe can dissect the emotions beneath a relationship without a ton of angst, but just enough to keep it yummy.
This is a marriage in trouble story and the schtick is that Andros didn't even realize it was in trouble.
But when he does, he doesn't try to blame others and steps right up to makes things right.
Polly is pretty disbelieving that he's truly turning over a new leaf and by 2/3 in I got a little tired of her disbelief. But LM keeps things real between them. They both stay honest with each other and say exactly what they are thinking.
The biggest problem in their marriage is his toxic mother and spoiled sister. From the moment they go back to Greece after their marriage those 2 were sharpening their claws and doing their best to drive them apart. Andros would just ignore it and LM does make it plausible that he could be so blind.
My only complaint is that I wanted a conversation between Polly and her mother in law but that was all said off page.
I was satisfied that both the Mom and sister got their comeuppance. Although the sister may never improve.
Safety is fine
I love how Lucy Monroe can dissect the emotions beneath a relationship without a ton of angst, but just enough to keep it yummy.
This is a marriage in trouble story and the schtick is that Andros didn't even realize it was in trouble.
But when he does, he doesn't try to blame others and steps right up to makes things right.
Polly is pretty disbelieving that he's truly turning over a new leaf and by 2/3 in I got a little tired of her disbelief. But LM keeps things real between them. They both stay honest with each other and say exactly what they are thinking.
The biggest problem in their marriage is his toxic mother and spoiled sister. From the moment they go back to Greece after their marriage those 2 were sharpening their claws and doing their best to drive them apart. Andros would just ignore it and LM does make it plausible that he could be so blind.
My only complaint is that I wanted a conversation between Polly and her mother in law but that was all said off page.
I was satisfied that both the Mom and sister got their comeuppance. Although the sister may never improve.
Safety is fine
March 24, 2024
Reread 3/23/24
Lowered so 4 stars, this time it bothered me how there was No comeuppance to awful sister and mom.
Again I do better when the betrayals are off page I find it easier to forgive them haha so that helps with this one AND the betrayals although repeated so not involve cheating. More neglect and making her fit the mold his awful mom and sister make. Making her last place in his life and miserable.
It’s still an amazing grovel with actions and words.
strong>surprising in a good way
Now THIS is a good grovel! I fell in love with Andros and truly believed in his love for his wife. I am glad the cruel treatment was off page (before books start) or I may have been less forgiving if I had to read about him letting his wife being treated that way. But I loved that the h stood up for herself and didn’t just give in. This is how a grovel is done!!
Lowered so 4 stars, this time it bothered me how there was No comeuppance to awful sister and mom.
Again I do better when the betrayals are off page I find it easier to forgive them haha so that helps with this one AND the betrayals although repeated so not involve cheating. More neglect and making her fit the mold his awful mom and sister make. Making her last place in his life and miserable.
It’s still an amazing grovel with actions and words.
strong>surprising in a good way
Now THIS is a good grovel! I fell in love with Andros and truly believed in his love for his wife. I am glad the cruel treatment was off page (before books start) or I may have been less forgiving if I had to read about him letting his wife being treated that way. But I loved that the h stood up for herself and didn’t just give in. This is how a grovel is done!!
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
October 19, 2022
4.5 Stars
First off, I love this edition cover. (Mills & Boon Modern)
'He loved her madly, deeply and forever.'
Le sigh.
Well, that was just...lovely. ❤️ Someone in the reviews said this book is, quote: "ENTIRELY CONSTRUCTED of groveling." So naturally, I said--I'M IN.
Check out reviews by: StMargarets, and Vintage
First off, I love this edition cover. (Mills & Boon Modern)
'He loved her madly, deeply and forever.'
Le sigh.
Well, that was just...lovely. ❤️ Someone in the reviews said this book is, quote: "ENTIRELY CONSTRUCTED of groveling." So naturally, I said--I'M IN.
Check out reviews by: StMargarets, and Vintage
April 19, 2021
The story begins when h and H are already married. They’ve been married for 5 years and the h is pregnant. During a family dinner the H learns that h is not so satisfied of their marriage. He is surprised and can’t understand what’s wrong. When they married the h was left by herself and very often left with her sister in law and mother in law who despise her and never miss a chance to vilify her and make her feel beneath them. The hero being a billionaire was always far from home and considered his mother’s and sister’s will more important than his wife. He really thought that his mother could help the heroine to fit in her new role of billionaire’s wife. He didn’t understand that they tried to change her personality so that she was not herself anymore. The only thing working well is sex. The heroine is tired, suffering from her pregnancy and the H doesn’t even realize it. When he understands what a lousy husband he’s been he immediately try to remedy at the situation, because even if he is always busy he is really in love with his wife. I loved this hero, he was a little passive in the beginning but when he understands his mistakes he really fights for his marriage and for his wife’s love. I loved the heroine, she was not aggressive but assertive, she never accused but pointed out what were the things that didn’t work in their marriage. She never stopped loving her husband and caring for their marriage. In the end the hero was so sweet, when he understands that maybe he’s lost his wife’s love forever he is really desperate and forlorn. I recommend this book, it is really nice. A safe reading without ow/om, only a lot of miscommunication.
April 11, 2021
I love books about troubled marriage, so angsty , it's so interesting reading after the HEA .
But I just couldn't connect with the MC , so much talking and a lot of conversions that left me quite bored and uninterested.
This book lacked in the emotional aspect and didn't deliver what I was hoping for .
Lucy monroe wrote some great books with the same trope.
But I just couldn't connect with the MC , so much talking and a lot of conversions that left me quite bored and uninterested.
This book lacked in the emotional aspect and didn't deliver what I was hoping for .
Lucy monroe wrote some great books with the same trope.
January 4, 2022
The couple: Alexandros and Pollyanna
Romance genre: Redemption story
Series:
Length: 186 pages
Plot: The story opens with our married couple going to the weekly family dinner (hero's family). Alexandros and Pollyanna had a passionate start to their relationship, and while they are still passionate in the bedroom, the fire has died everywhere else. Alexandros is clueless until Polly makes a comment about how he doesn't care about her the way his brother cares about his wife. He takes great affront to that and sets about finding out what has gone wrong in their marriage.
Commentary: So much of went wrong in their marriage was down to two things: the hero's arrogance and his family. His mother and sister were awful people. His mother had no business interfering, but of course, Alexandros allowed it to happen. His mom had him trained and fooled. His sister was just mimicking what she saw with an added helping of spoiled brat. Things that his family did to her:
*his mother changed her name (everyone called her Polly but his mother thought Anna sounded better)
*his mother and sister told her that he bought the house in the country because he was tired of her
*his mother tried to convince him to no longer have sex with her "for her health"
*his mother is mean to their daughter
*both mother and sister look down on her because of where she's from, her socioeconomic status, her clothes/looks, and her choice of charity work
That doesn't include all the little jibes they're always making her way. Alexandros never once notices. He believes that his mother is so wrapped up in her grief that he just lets her do/say whatever makes her happy and he always gives in to his sister. He thinks he's taking care of his family like his dad would want him too, but he's forgotten that his wife and daughter (and the baby his wife is pregnant with) are his family. It takes his wife very clearly saying that he's not a good husband to wake him up.
“If you wanted to be attentive, you would be. If you wanted to be protective, you would be. If you wanted to be considerate, you would be.” She stopped, thought. “Maybe. Being considerate means noticing how the decisions you make affect others, and I think you’re really bad at that.”
And then he's mostly mad and competitive with his brother. He's so clueless. So clueless. He can't understand why his wife is upset with him. He never spends any time with her, doesn't ask her what she wants in any regard, and allows his mother and sister to abuse her.
He finally made it up to her, I think. It just took a while. And I was disappointed that he wasn't more adamant with his mom. He was still talking to her, asking for advice, when he knew (or should have known) that Polly wouldn't want that. I wanted to see a final scene with the mother duly chastened, calling her Polly and apologizing up and down. Nothing else would have given this another star for me.
Still, as far as grovels go, it wasn't bad.
Romance genre: Redemption story
Series:
Length: 186 pages
Plot: The story opens with our married couple going to the weekly family dinner (hero's family). Alexandros and Pollyanna had a passionate start to their relationship, and while they are still passionate in the bedroom, the fire has died everywhere else. Alexandros is clueless until Polly makes a comment about how he doesn't care about her the way his brother cares about his wife. He takes great affront to that and sets about finding out what has gone wrong in their marriage.
Commentary: So much of went wrong in their marriage was down to two things: the hero's arrogance and his family. His mother and sister were awful people. His mother had no business interfering, but of course, Alexandros allowed it to happen. His mom had him trained and fooled. His sister was just mimicking what she saw with an added helping of spoiled brat. Things that his family did to her:
*his mother changed her name (everyone called her Polly but his mother thought Anna sounded better)
*his mother and sister told her that he bought the house in the country because he was tired of her
*his mother tried to convince him to no longer have sex with her "for her health"
*his mother is mean to their daughter
*both mother and sister look down on her because of where she's from, her socioeconomic status, her clothes/looks, and her choice of charity work
That doesn't include all the little jibes they're always making her way. Alexandros never once notices. He believes that his mother is so wrapped up in her grief that he just lets her do/say whatever makes her happy and he always gives in to his sister. He thinks he's taking care of his family like his dad would want him too, but he's forgotten that his wife and daughter (and the baby his wife is pregnant with) are his family. It takes his wife very clearly saying that he's not a good husband to wake him up.
“But Alexandros has never been the protective and considerate husband to me that Petros is to Corrina.”
A bad husband? No, you’re not a bad husband. You’re a terrible husband.”
“If you wanted to be attentive, you would be. If you wanted to be protective, you would be. If you wanted to be considerate, you would be.” She stopped, thought. “Maybe. Being considerate means noticing how the decisions you make affect others, and I think you’re really bad at that.”
And then he's mostly mad and competitive with his brother. He's so clueless. So clueless. He can't understand why his wife is upset with him. He never spends any time with her, doesn't ask her what she wants in any regard, and allows his mother and sister to abuse her.
But then, when had Polly’s wants, or even needs, ever trumped his mother’s? Never, that was when.
“When you love someone, you consider their needs, their wants, their comfort. You want to protect them and make their life better for them.”
“You do not think I feel any of these things for you, harbor any of these desires?”
“So long as you are not inconvenienced, maybe.”
He finally made it up to her, I think. It just took a while. And I was disappointed that he wasn't more adamant with his mom. He was still talking to her, asking for advice, when he knew (or should have known) that Polly wouldn't want that. I wanted to see a final scene with the mother duly chastened, calling her Polly and apologizing up and down. Nothing else would have given this another star for me.
Still, as far as grovels go, it wasn't bad.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
March 19, 2025
4.5 stars
A marriage-in-trouble romance, the Greek billionaire edition, with basically all grovel!
I loved this. I usually go into a Harlequin romance expecting soapy angst, an asshole MMC and somewhat unsatisfying grovel, but this was actually great on all fronts. The main conflict was even quite believable for a Greek tycoon romance (she’s been emotionally withdrawing, he didn’t realise he was being a neglectful husband, and now he’s got to figure out how to make things right). Also, each time he “swept her into his arms” really hit the spot. ☺️
I’m gonna add more Lucy Monroe books to my TBR, because this is the type of Harlequin romance I crave every once in a while.
A marriage-in-trouble romance, the Greek billionaire edition, with basically all grovel!
I loved this. I usually go into a Harlequin romance expecting soapy angst, an asshole MMC and somewhat unsatisfying grovel, but this was actually great on all fronts. The main conflict was even quite believable for a Greek tycoon romance (she’s been emotionally withdrawing, he didn’t realise he was being a neglectful husband, and now he’s got to figure out how to make things right). Also, each time he “swept her into his arms” really hit the spot. ☺️
I’m gonna add more Lucy Monroe books to my TBR, because this is the type of Harlequin romance I crave every once in a while.
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