Just One Look

Forever #1

by Lucy Darling

I was bought and paid for but nothing is as it seems. My prison is a mansion filled with luxuries I’ve never seen.

That’s nothing compared to the master of the estate. Especially now that he’s my husband. He’s made it clear he’ll never let me go. Till death does us part.

But Roman is nothing like the beast everyone claims he is. In fact, underneath all his gruffness, there is another side to my husband. A side I could love.

Each night he holds me close making me want so much more. Can he turn this marriage into the real thing, into the true love I’ve always dreamed of? Or will I lose the only thing that still belongs to me, my heart?

Genres: Romance, Novella, Contemporary, Marriage Of Convenience, Contemporary Romance, Adult, Smut

101 pages, Kindle Edition

First published April 11, 2021

Reviews

[Lolina ⋆ · Rating 2 out of 5]

I'm acc cackling because it turns out I already read this book and I genuinely had no clue 😭. If that doesn't say something about the book, I don't know what does (still enjoyed it tho 😔💀).

-=-(first read)-=-
This wasn't amazing, but it was still pretty cute (at times 🥸).

[*CJ* · Rating 3 out of 5]

"Just One Look" is the story of Fawn and Roman.

A sweet and sexy "Beauty and the Beast" retelling, in which the hero coerces the heroine to be his bride. His intentions- a mother for a half brother he never knew existed..and his obsession for the heroine. She is a waitress whisked into his world of books, romance and his possession.

There is stalking, brooding, sweet lovemaking and HEA.

Enjoyed it!

Safe
3.5/5

[Viv “BookVixen” Gutierrez · Rating 5 out of 5]

Scorching hawwwwtttttt♥️🔥♥️🔥

Lucy Darling has been a one click author for me for a while now! She never lets me down in delivering a steamy, swoony, safe and sweet insta love romance that has all the feelzzzz!!

This story is a beauty and the beast trope and it was delicious! I loved the hero in this one. He was possessive and obsessed with the heroine from the start, finagling the situation so she ends up married to him. Hes grouchy and broody and not used to charming women, so there are a few bumps until the HEA.

Heroes past isn’t mentioned but it’s implied that he’s NOT a manwhore. Heroine is a virgin and belongs only to the hero. No ow/om drama. No cheating or abuse of any kind. HEA with epilogue years out

[Sarah♡books · Rating 4 out of 5]

4/5 🌟

✔️Sweet virgin heroine
✔️No manwhore
✔️Single parent trope (he is his brother)
✔️Insta Love

Loved this novella 🙌
He was SO hot and possessive 👀🔥
And she was just super cute
Loved them 🤍

[Fanny · Rating 2 out of 5]

La historia es bastante exagerada, la trama esta llevada al extremo y aun asi, no puedo decir que no fuera un romance bonito, si le quitas algunos detalles desproporcionados, es una historia de amor linda, fantasiosa e irreal pero linda.

En resumen, un relato ligero y facil, no es un Best Seller ni tampoco te quitara el sueño mientras lo recuerdas pero es entretenida y se lee muy bien.

2.5 Estrellas!

[Elizabeth Neal]

Enjoyed it, but something was left hanging.

H never told her why he gave his business card to women only when she offered to help, etc. (Logic says it's because he didn't want men contacting her, yet that's never stated and it's something that had upset her. So, why not resolve it?)

[mira · Rating 2 out of 5]

2⭐️

the beginning was very confusing but overall for a 120 page novella this was really boring and the smut was eh bad.

[Chalice · Rating 4 out of 5]

The couple: Roman and Fawn

Romance genre: insta-love
Length: 121 pages

Plot: This is a sort of Beauty and the Beast re-telling. Fawn's dad was caught dipping into company funds at work, and so the owner, Roman, coerces his daughter to marry him so that he can provide a mother for his new ward (nephew). And also, he just kinda fell in love as soon as he saw her picture. Fawn is swept away into his life of luxury, but what she really wants is a true marriage - and love, always love.

Commentary: I like the coerced marriage plot, especially when the heroine thinks the hero is just a grumpy jerk but he truly (secretly) loves her. I read Ace's story first (Beauty and the Gentleman), so it was nice to get his back story, and it was especially sweet to see how he and Fawn became a family (and how Roman seemed a little jealous of the ease with which those two bonded. I mean, I guess if you blackmail your bride into marriage, she might be a little wary of you!).

Related books: Just One Look; Beauty and the Gentleman; Beauty and the Outcast

[Alba M. · Rating 3 out of 5]

La vida de Fawn está a punto de cambiar. Su padre adicto al juego le ha robado a la persona equivocada y ella acaba siendo la moneda de cambio que salde sus deudas. Así que termina casada con Roman, un hombre al que todos consideran una bestia mala y gruñona. Pero aunque su primera impresión no fue buena, cuanto más tiempo pasa con él más descubre que no es tan malo como la gente dice... Y puede que se esté enamorando perdidamente de él.

Obviamente no tengo quejas. Son tramas e historias absurdamente inverosímiles y rápidas? Por supuesto, pero eso no quita que no sean de lo mejorcito para pasar el rato. Nada de comerse la cabeza, muy poco drama y siempre un final ultra feliz!

[Leslee · Rating 5 out of 5]

Let me just say, if you do anything resembling a retelling of Beauty and the Beast, I am your girl! I will snap it up and devour it like its about to be made illegal. Roman is focused, he gets fixated on things. Then he sees Fawn and all that focus is on her and making her his wife. Fawn isn't sure about this whole arrangement. She crosses the threshold of her new home and suddenly she is getting married. Fawn is sweetness personified and Roman's fixation quickly morphs into total obsession. This was an adorable read, loved it!!

[A-reader · Rating 5 out of 5]

Cute modern retelling of Beauty and the Beast. Roman is a very wealthy recluse, when he finds an employee stealing money from him to support his gambling habit he makes his move. He offers to forgive the theft if he will give him his daughter, Fawn. The man readily agrees. Fawn has been working two jobs to support her elderly grandmother and herself. She’s upset when her father basically sells her to Roman. When she arrives at his mansion he is very gruff with her. He immediately gets them married, he is taking no chances on her leaving him. She meets Ace, Roman’s young nephew, he lives with him since his parents died. Fawn and Ace have such a great relationship, he later starts to call her mommy. Fawn and Roman don’t have such a great relationship, at first. Both are very attracted to the other and have great chemistry. But Roman doesn’t know how to be gentle and when after a steamy encounter with Fawn he thinks he upset her and leaves her alone for a week. She fills her time with Ace and her grandmother, who Roman has moved into the mansion from her nursing home. She’s mad at him about his silent treatment but they eventually work it out. He apologizes and they have their first time together. Loved seeing him try for her, it was great seeing him learn how to love from her and his feelings. Just when everything is going well her father strikes, he and another man kidnap her, thankfully Ace was with her and tells Roman who took her. He has a tracking device in her jewelry and with his security give chase. He saves her from the bad guys. Lots of I love yous and sexy times. Epilogue ten years later with four kids, and Roman giving her the wedding she didn’t get when they first met.

[Jen ♥ · Rating 3 out of 5]

Freaking cheesefest and swoony. When Roman saw Fawn's picture and found out that she was the daughter of the man who embezzled from his company, he went above and beyond to make sure she will be his.

It was said he was a tyrant towards other people but not with Fawn. He was such an attentive, caring, and loving husband to her. He was a good uncle too to Ace, for someone who doesn't like people very much he sure as crap is the best in protection and caring when it comes to Fawn and Ace.

As for Fawn she wanted to hate him first for forcing her in an arranged marriage. She was a hopeless romantic and wanted to get married for love, but at the beginning she thought Roman ruined that chance for her. It was adorable reading how she slowly opened and saw Roman for what he actually was.

It was enjoyable reading when the two of them finally realized how much they felt for one another. The love and openness they both tried learning and applied to their marriage were just some proof of how they developed as an individual and a couple. They were so good, sweet, and hot together if I'm being honest.

Overall, I liked this story. Loved the added suspense caused by Fawn's dipshit father. This was stinkingly sweet and made me giggle for most of the book. Definitely worth reading.

[Lissa Smith Reads'~A Bookaholics Bookshelf · Rating 4 out of 5]

Rated
4 Stars: ⭐⭐⭐⭐
Kindle Unlimited Read

[Ꭿຖᥲ·♡ ྀི · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.25✯

°Virgin heroine
°Hero's past wasn't mentioned but he didn't seem to be a manwhore
°Switching POVs
°Possessive obsessed OTT alpha hero
°Sweet likeable heroine
°Free of OW/OM drama
°No separation
°No cheating
°Slight push/pull from both
°No intimate scenes with OP
°Epilogue: almost 10 years later married with 4 children

[Jami · Rating 5 out of 5]

Just a Picture

One look at her picture and Roman was done for. Now just a little blackmail and she is all his!! What could possibly go wrong??

Safe read
h virgin
No talk of H past
No om/ow drama
Epilogue 10 years

This is a single dad story but it’s his nephew.

[help · Rating 3 out of 5]

tw: gun violence, kidnapping

lucy darling speaks my language- boy obsessed from seeing a picture? spoils her rotten? has a decadent book collection? library with spiral staircase?- I'm sold, albeit it had some miscommunication between the MCs (I ignored that for most of the part), nonetheless, it was a good revival read - I was showing withdrawl symptoms

ALSOOO
This is Ace's dad?? LMAOOOOO
I didn't know this was the first gen
I thinks its time for a family tree re-read

__________________________

A FOREVER COLLECTION

1. Just One Look (Fawn & Roman) 3/5
2. You Are Mine (Kennedy (Fawn's best friend) & Dane)
3. Beauty and the Outcast (Whiteny & Knox (Kennedy & Dane's son))
4. Beauty and the Gentleman (Faith (Kennedy & Dane's daughter) & Ace (Fawn & Roman's son))
5. Beauty and the Billionaire (Remi & Grant(Kennedy & Dane's son))

[hottie men · Rating 4 out of 5]

Just One Look is the story of Fawn and Roman.

Insta love for him, surprise marriage, sweet, shy, and confident heroine, possessive dirty talking alpha who isn’t afraid of getting what he wants without knowing the consequences. Her father is a gambler and her grams is sick. She applies for a job as a nanny but Roman has different plans. He marries her on the spot cuz the man is obsessed since he saw a picture of her. He’s a rich man who got custody of his brothers little boy that he didn’t know about let alone knowing he had a brother. She takes care of Ace and helps him with his riding lessons and at night sleeps with Roman. That is all. Sleep. He starts getting freaky but they don’t go all the way. She’s frustrated and horny and wants him. He moves her Grams in for her satisfaction and she falls. She falls for him. And so does he without hesitation when she asks if he loves her. Her father tries to get her but instead nearly experiences Romans rage. Roman gets so jealous and possessive in front of Reno and George like bro hold up. Ace considers her his mom and they have 3 other kids. Their marriage was so quick and shocking that they renewed their marriage with their kids.

Solid 4/5

[Natalia · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 ⭐
No sabía que en un libro tan corto podían entrar tanto clichés.
Lindo para pasar el rato y leer algo ligero. Literalmente perdí la noción del tiempo leyendo, simplemente lo terminé sin darme cuenta.
No es de lo mejorcito que he leído pero como dije antes, es una buena opción para una lectura rápida y entretenida.
No me voy a detener en lo que no me cerro y en lo que no me gustó porque mucho no puedo pedirle a una simple historia que únicamente apunta a lo seguro para zafar y gustar. Capaz soy un poco más rebuscada e intento que todo siempre tenga sentido. Solamente voy a decir que la base es buena y quizás, con un par de caps más y un poquito de drama, la historia me hubiese atrapado más. Sinceramente no es algo que después de leer vayas a recordar como WOW, PEDAZO DE LIBRO!

[Teresa · Rating 1 out of 5]

Ooof. This was a tough one for me. Yeah, I didn't like it at all.

This was a kindle unlimited find and a new author to me so I wanted to give it a try. But, I struggled from the first chapter. It didn't bother me that there was the Beauty and the Beast trope in this story. I've read that type of book before and enjoyed the theme and how the author handled it. I didn't feel that here with this story. The hero stalked the heroine from the get-go and used his influence with the heroine's father to get her to come live with him and marry him.

It was just weird for me. I almost DNF'd it, but it was short and for my reading challenge. Honestly, I was hoping it would get better but boo- no luck.

2022 Reading Challenge
Month: May Letters I, J

[Paige · Rating 3 out of 5]

This one was alright. I wasn’t the biggest fan of Roman. I liked his obsession with Fawn but he was an asshole a lot of the time and she had BBS which made it worse. Like how are you so angry with him but can’t help but get wet when he’s near? I just don’t get that.

Also I wish we had more info on stuff. Like their ages, what he actually does for a living. And I’m not sure if I missed it but what does Roman even look like aside from the scar? And I felt like there were too many sex scenes for a book this short.

Anyway my favorite character was Ace. He was so cute.

No cheating, no op drama or sharing and no break up.

[alina boop · Rating 4 out of 5]

“Is that so?” I nip her neck. She’s not wrong. “But I’m your jerk.”

I haven’t slept but this is what I read at 4 am to keep me up. How entertaining.

Roman is averagely possessive… he tracks her… he won’t let her leave the house alone. All average possessive book boyfriends do.

Fawn was sweet, yet I really didn’t see her emotions…feelings. This kind of more so felt like his book than hers, he was the controlling one.

Points for ace and grams. Love a good wholesome smut book. Family oriented. Just amazing.

[Alison · Rating 4 out of 5]

Some wasted potential.

I was sooo angry at the beginning of this book. This man blackmails her into marrying him and she’s just like “okay. Wow he’s pretty”. I mean, really? She didn’t make him work for it AT ALL. She’s basically rewarded him for being a bad person. She also had a super charged case of body betrayal syndrome. Can we please stop giving heroines that?

So once I got past all that it was alright. The writing was good, the steamy scenes were hot, and I liked how much Roman loved her even if he got off way too easy.

[Amyb1975 · Rating 4 out of 5]

She’s my everything. I wouldn’t survive without her.

This author is good at writing the OTT, possessive and obsessed man and this story is no different. I didn't really warm up to this H until halfway through the book though. He was still a good H and once he got his head out of his rear, he was even better. Virgin h, I'm guessing celibate H, no cheating, no abuse, epilogue about 10 years later.

[Sandy · Rating 4 out of 5]

Growly Roman

Roman goes to any means necessary to have Fawn. Fawn is a pawn for her father. Although Roman’s methods for getting Fawn to him are nefarious, his love for her is genuine. Fawn takes an immediate liking to Ace. That relationship helps bring Fawn and Roman together. Sweet coming together, HEA.

[Kait · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.5⭐️

I won't lie, I wanted to smack the crap out of Roman a few times but he really proves himself worthy of Fawn. I love how obsessed and possessive he is of her even if he doesn't show it too well. His relationship with Ace is so sweet but Fawn's relationship with Ace is the cutest thing ever!!

[Kai · Rating 3 out of 5]

Safe, I flip flopped on rating this. When the H had in internal dialog going I was like, swoon. Then he spoke to the h and I was like, eeeeeeee not good. He wasn't all bad but enough to set my teeth on edge.

[Melinda · Rating 5 out of 5]

Perfect book to cuddle up with! There’s is definitely a Beauty and Beast feel complete with a library! Roman is scarred and I wished we would have known more of his backstory, but he is kind and loving with his nephew Ace. Ro just hasn’t been loved in a while and doesn’t know how to express his feelings. Fawn is easily accepts Ace and quickly falls in love with her Beast.

[Liz [reads books] · Rating 5 out of 5]

Very enjoyable. 4½ stars

[SansaReads · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5

[Andrea · Rating 3 out of 5]

Another Beauty and the Beast vibes, it was an okay read.