Book Blurb:
An Italian billionaire.
His little sister’s best friend.
An arranged marriage neither of them wanted.
One secret that could ruin everything.
Marco Deluca has spent his life being used as a pawn in his father’s empire. But when an ironclad stipulation in the will threatens his shot at becoming CEO, Marco is forced into one role he never wanted.
Future husband.
Even worse? His intended bride is Brooklyn his younger sister’s best friend, a reckless temptation wrapped in high society trouble, and the last woman he should want.
There’s just one problem.
She’s pregnant.
And the baby isn’t his.
Their engagement is supposed to be nothing more than obligation. A business arrangement. Marco needs leverage to take back control of his family’s empire, and Brooklyn needs protection from the mess her father made.
Neither of them expects the attraction. Or the jealousy.
But once Marco decides Brooklyn is his, he’ll burn every rule, every secret, and every legacy standing in their way.
Tropes:
*Hambright PR ALC *Arranged Marriage *Surprise pregnancy *not his baby *dislike --> love
*Little Sister's best friend *forced proximity *meddling families *Billionaire romance
*powerful family *deception *Family drama *lies *Spice *State Challenge New York (Repeat)
Thoughts:
Brooklyn is from a wealthy family her father wanting to save his business makes a deal with another powerful family... in trade he offers Brooklyn's hand in marriage without even asking her she is now betrothed to one of her best friends brothers... she's not entirely sure which one at first since there are a lot of brothers (I think 8?). While she doesn't want to get married this way she wants to please her parents.
Marco is loyal to his family and has so far done what he has to in order to please his strict father he works for him but never felt like his father gives him the respect he should have... now he's told he is to marry... what is this the 1800's? An arranged marriage and to his little sisters best friend of all people... that's going to be a no from him, he's just got to figure out a way to get out of this he's tired of being a pawn to his father and it's time to make his own moves on the board.
Brooklyn is stubborn and fierce but she's also young and it shows with some of her actions throughout the book she's used to being a high society girly girl and it comes out with the talks of how much she loves jewelry and fashion. She doesn't want to get married to anyone if it isn't for love and she just found out she has a big secret... she's pregnant and when she confronts the father of her baby it's a less than ideal scenario and basically tells her he wants nothing to do with her or the baby... but what is she going to do? Her father is going to be mad if she doesn't go through with this marriage, and she highly doubts Marco will want to go through with it knowing it's another mans baby... he doesn't want to marry her now what is to stop him from calling off the whole thing?
They both are stubborn and both want the right to choose their own destiny, neither want to be in an arranged marriage and they are tired of their father's deciding for them, maybe they could work together after all?
I liked the tropes for this book and love a good frienemies to more, best friends brother story but felt the pacing was kind of all over the place it was slow in places and then parts of the story felt so fast that I wondered if I missed part of the progression of their relationship like they weren't even spending all that much time together as a couple and Marco is kind of a jerk towards her but then all of a sudden they were both were all in? what??
I liked that Marco stepped up for Brooklyn but just wish there would have been more focus on how their relationship got there, I think part of this might have been that I wasn't sure of the timeline and there were time jumps.
Some of the plots that were bigger throughout the story (like the situation between their father's and the horses, and another situation with Marco not going into that right here but if you've read it you know what I'm talking about) were just dropped towards the end also which kind of threw me off the story... like why was this such a big part of the story only to be dropped at the end?
I listened to this as an ALC and felt the narrators did a good job with the story
I am interested to find out other members stories, this was a lower stakes powerful family drama and it kept me interested throughout and I did like how Brooklyn & Marco grew closer together creating their own little family even if I did feel that I was missing some of the story at times.
Have you read this one? What did you think?
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