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What do you do when you’re rich one minute and poor the next?
Everyone seems to think I should find a rich boyfriend and marry him.
But not me.
All I want is to become an independent woman. A doctor even. There’s no need to rely on a man when you’re making all your own money. I certainly can’t rely on my parents or my ex-boyfriend … He was a creep.
My new friend Talon is always there. Showing me the ropes. Getting his mother to teach me to cook. He’d be perfect, if he didn’t have one thing on his mind … marrying me.
How can I be an independent woman when all I can think about is him?


This is a slow burn clean romance. Temperance will get her happily ever after ... eventually.

287 pages, Kindle Edition

First published October 30, 2021

90 people are currently reading
397 people want to read

About the author

Aurora Darklight

34 books57 followers
I’m Dark. She’s Light. We both write books about strong women that deal with all the problems the world throws at them.

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5 stars
56 (39%)
4 stars
49 (34%)
3 stars
26 (18%)
2 stars
10 (6%)
1 star
2 (1%)
Displaying 1 - 15 of 15 reviews
Profile Image for Rachel Luke Parker.
287 reviews416 followers
July 7, 2024
I haven't ever read a mafia book so I was so excited when I found one that had zero swearing and closed door!

Most romance books I read take place over a few weeks or months, but this one covers years.

I love that we get to start with Temperance and Talon as seniors in high school and that we get to follow their lives.

I love that Talon is the ultimate protective hero who just wants to do all he can to keep Temperance safe. He is always there at a drop of a hat and willing to do anything for her. I love that he loves his ma and his big Italian family.

I love that Temperance is strong willed and stubborn but that throughout the book her priorities shift and she sees what truly brings people joy. I love that she learns that she can still be independent while at the same time leaning to others for support.

I love the idea of found family and that Temperance was truly welcomed into Talon's family fully.

I loved the thread of Mafia, danger and mystery, where you know there is more than what you read, and are on the journey of figuring it out with Temperance.

However!!! This one does totally end in a Cliffhanger so be sure to have book 2 ready to go because it's a doozy!

Physical Intimacy Level 2
Zero Swearing
Single 1st Person POV (Temperance)
Profile Image for egypt.
88 reviews3 followers
November 12, 2025
Wait cause I ate this up! I love a FMC who sticks up for herself and isn’t a gullible character. She was a bit naive but that was due to her upbringing!

The MMC was chefs kiss, he was a little too much at times but he was walked like a dog still lol.

THE FOUND FAMILY😭😭😭 ANTONIO I need him … like wow I need to know everything about him. I loveeeeeee her bestie !!!!

Ummmm after that ending I’ll be starting the next one ….now!

4⭐️😋
Profile Image for Janell Madison.
363 reviews19 followers
December 21, 2021
“Great book! Quick read. I thought Talon was a bit overbearing a few times, but Tempe was ok with it, and as I kept reading, I understood his reasons. Things aren’t always as they seem.
I’m looking forward to book 2!” -Books and Pens on Green Gables


Not Ready by Aurora DARKlight

About Not Ready by Aurora DARKlight-A wealthy family with everything. Temperance is a teen girl ready to start her senior year at her private high school, with her quarterback boyfriend on her arm. As she’s getting ready to go shopping for new clothes for her senior year, she gets the news. Her dad lost his job months ago, and they’re moving. No more maid or driver. No more private school and no new clothes. And, when she tells him, no more popular boyfriend either.

Shocked, Tempe soon finds herself in a small apartment, given the tasks of grocery shopping and cooking, buying alcohol for her parents (even though she’s underage!), and starting at her new school.

When a cute boy sits by her at lunch, she quickly finds out she made a new friend with amazing connections! He teaches her how to buy groceries-she’d never even been in a grocery store! He even has a way to buy the liquor her mom demanded she gets. He walks her home, helping with the groceries, and when Tempe introduces him to her mom, she can’t believe how rude her mom is!

Tempe and Talon continue their friendship, despite her mom's rude objection, which develops into more. He watches out for her, makes her feel safe. His mom even starts teaching Tempe to cook. His family is enormous and lovingly welcomes her. Tempe relies on Talon and his family, they love her, and she loves them.

Time goes quickly, and Tempe’s parents soon throw her a lavish graduation party in their new home. Her dad has a job now, and her parents have quickly gone back to their old lifestyle. When Tempe and Talon are at the party together, her mother erupts in anger, lashing out. Devastating consequences come about after the party.

Tempe moves forward with going to medical school and soon has a new best friend, Liliana, who will be a part of Talon’s large family soon. Even as Talon keeps watch that Tempe is always safe, she seems to see a man on the fringe often, and he makes her uncomfortable. Who is he? And, can Talon keep her safe from everyone?
Profile Image for Narci.
374 reviews
January 24, 2023
This is a cute story of young love, life struggles, abandonment and determination; and most of all everlasting love. Temperance is a young, spoiled teenager whose life is turned upside down when her parents inform her, they lost it all and are moving, they are rich one minute and poor the next. Temperance is determined to make sure she don't have to depend on anyone but herself after her parents threw that bomb at her, moving into a small apt is a huge adjustment. Live has a way of closing one door but opening others, so when Talon enters her life, she can't help but fall hard. This is a cute, sad and very dramatic story of first true everlasting love, and how to overcome the hardships dealt your way. I absolutely adore Talon, he is such a wonderful, supportive, confident, sexy, sweet, caring, determined and hard-working young man who is determined to marry Temperance one day. He is also a bit overbearing, protective and controlling at time, but give her space when she needs it. I must warn you that the book does end in a scary cliffy, but I did love the book.
Profile Image for Courtnie ~ courtniemustreads.
253 reviews6 followers
November 1, 2024
Wow! I don’t even know where to start! I loved this story. It is so refreshing to watch a romance blossom overtime. Temperance’s story starts with her first meeting Talon. Talon knows she is the one, but waits for her to be ready.

It was such a sweet, clean love story! I love how the furthest it went was passionate kissing and I loved how Temperance wanted to wait till she was married to give herself to someone.

I love the strong family relationships! I love how Talon’s family views Temperance as one of their own and will do everything to protect her. I love how the story promotes strong women while also showing that even a strong independent woman can have a man in her life that supports and protects her.

If you love strong familia ties and sweet romances with a little suspense, I would definitely recommend this book. Be warned that it does end with a cliffhanger so you will want to have the next book ready!
8 reviews
October 20, 2025
I don’t want to sound rude, I read this series only because I needed to know what ended up happening in the end, but honestly the writing was terrible and grammar was bad. The story line really wasn’t that great. I am also writing this review months later, but if my memory serves me, there were times where the story would just jump and there was not pause or break just the next paragraph was however far in the story away. Anyways, not great. I had originally downloaded the whole series which was like 9 books, but once I figured out the end with the first couple was I just couldn’t continue. My stupid curious brain is the only this that kept me reading or else I would have DNF’d this book and the 2 that I read after it.
Now go be totally transparent, I have to finish a plot in a book or else I dream about books and my brain makes up the story in my dream until I’ve figured it out. So that’s fun.
Profile Image for Sabrina Maddox.
50 reviews40 followers
October 8, 2024
I’ve got a lot of thoughts. What the actual h*ck, who names their kid Temperance. And so from page 1 we knew her parents hated her.

Talon is entering red flag controlling territory. Nay. He LIVES there. “Don’t leave your apartment without me.” “Don’t walk without me at night.” “Don’t go out to a slam poetry reading with your girlfriends unless I’m there.” “Don’t have any other friends besides me or I’m going to threaten to murder them.” BRO. CHILL.

The ending of this book made me so angry I knocked it down a whole star. Girl doesn’t even give her husband a CHANCE to have a rational reaction to warring mafia head’s threats. WELL NOW I UNDERSTAND WHY TALON HAS ABANDONMENT ISSUES/WON’T LET ANYONE GO ANYWHERE WITHOUT HIM. He gets left behind a lot.

I liked the middle. That was about it. So now I’m reading book two and I’m already mad. But I’ll wait to give my full thoughts until I’ve finished the book.

One thing I want to point out that was both bizarre and disgusting was that when she found out she was pregnant, Talon introduced abortion causally “in case she didn’t want it”. This pissed me off. That’s your freaking child that you conceived in a loving, stable environment. Don’t act like you can just murder your child and it’s a caring consideration toward your spouse.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
Profile Image for Konrie Angel.
241 reviews1 follower
September 4, 2025
holy cow!

Oh my goodness, cliffhanger. This has the sweet, smart, over protective, and driven MMC and a FMC that went from rich to poor but is willing to work to make her dreams happen. There is action, love, and danger, and it does well at skipping to the important stuff. There is found family, abandonment, hard questions and choices, and so much goodness! Wow it is a little bit more hallmark than rory noir’s books but I am loving seeing how some of those side characters came to be.
5 reviews
December 17, 2024
Good

It was good but didn’t get really good until the end. I feel like there wasn’t much character development. It was a good and easy read. I like that the end is keeping me wanting to read more.
Profile Image for Isabella Runne.
44 reviews
March 2, 2025
loved it

I couldn’t put it down, I loved most of the story. I could do without the last 40 pages the whole Don Lucian thing was kinda out of nowhere also I wish she would have let talon know.
11 reviews
May 29, 2025
I honestly loved it! This book was such a sweet romance, and I love that Talon knew he loved Temperance and wanted to marry her from the first time he saw her. The only downfall to this book to me was the ending and honestly it kind of ruined the vibe for me. It was really great though!
Profile Image for Cissie Breland.
332 reviews2 followers
April 22, 2023
exciting

I love the excitement in this book. The way the family loves and protects each other is wonderful. I love that they still have Sunday dinners as a family.
Profile Image for MsT.
70 reviews1 follower
August 11, 2025
Seeing the origins of the Vinceti family, absolutely loved it! What a man was Talon’s favourite uncle and what types of parents were Temperance’s 😡 Loved this intro to the older generation after reading Dark Love. Yes there are some editorial errors but not enough to distract from the story!
Profile Image for Readingmytbrlist.
13 reviews2 followers
May 7, 2025
Everything you'd want in a mafia romance but without the violence, swearing, or spice. Talon is the ultimate protector, willing to do anything for her, swoony manly man. Temperance is a determined, kind, willing to do anything for him kinda woman.

You get the privilege of seeing these two grow up in an unconventional way and follow Temperance's story to the end. It's told from her POV so you're seeing every obstacle she's facing and just how far she's willing to go to protect her family.

Found family
Protective MMC
Determined FMC
Fast paced
A million wonderful supporting characters

I don't know how you'd read this series and not love it!!
Displaying 1 - 15 of 15 reviews

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