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The Volakis Vow #2
Bride for Real
Their vows have been broken, yet neither is prepared for what this tempestuous reunion will bring...
Tally Spencer is an ordinary girl with no experience of relationships; Sander Volakis is an impossibly rich and handsome Greek entrepreneur. What could they have in common? Little — except an overwhelming sexual attraction. But within weeks, Sander finds himself betrayed into exchanging vows with Tally.
Just when they think their hasty marriage is finished, Tally and Sander are drawn back together, and the passion between them is just as strong. However, Sander has dark reasons for wanting his wife in his bed again — and Tally also has a terrible secret...
Don't miss part one of Spencer and Tally's story. Read The Marriage Betrayal, available now!
192 pages, Mass Market Paperback
First published July 1, 2011
76 people are currently reading
381 people want to read
About the author
Lynne Graham
1,780 books1,452 followersLibrarian Note: There is more than one author in the GoodReads database with this name. See this thread for more information.
Lynne Graham was born on July 30, 1956 of Irish-Scottish parentage. She has livedin Northern Ireland all her life. She grew up in a seaside village with herbrother. She learnt to read at the age of 3, and haven't stopped since then.
Lynne first met her husband when she was 14. At 15, she wrote her firstbook, but it was rejected everywhere. Lynne married after she completed adegree at Edinburgh University. She started writing again when she was athome with her first child. It took several attempts before she sold herfirst book in 1987 and the delight of seeing that first book for sale in thelocal newsagents has never been forgotten. Now, there are over 10 million ofher books in print worldwide.
Lynne always wanted a large family and has five children. Her eldest and heronly natural child is 19 and currently at university. Her other fourchildren, who are every bit as dear to her heart, are adopted. She has two9-year-olds adopted from Sri Lanka and a 5- and a 3-year-old adopted fromGuatemala. In Lynne's home, there is a rich and diverse cultural mix, whichadds a whole extra dimension of interest and discovery to family life. Thefamily lives in a country house surrounded by a woodland garden, which iswonderfully private. The family has two pets. Thomas, a very large andaffectionate black cat, bosses the dog and hunts rabbits. The dog is Daisy,an adorable but not very bright white West Highland terrier, who loves beingchased by the cat. At night, dog and cat sleep together in front of thekitchen stove. Lynne loves gardening, cooking, collects everything from oldtoys to rock specimens and is crazy about every aspect of Christmas.
Lynne Graham was born on July 30, 1956 of Irish-Scottish parentage. She has livedin Northern Ireland all her life. She grew up in a seaside village with herbrother. She learnt to read at the age of 3, and haven't stopped since then.
Lynne first met her husband when she was 14. At 15, she wrote her firstbook, but it was rejected everywhere. Lynne married after she completed adegree at Edinburgh University. She started writing again when she was athome with her first child. It took several attempts before she sold herfirst book in 1987 and the delight of seeing that first book for sale in thelocal newsagents has never been forgotten. Now, there are over 10 million ofher books in print worldwide.
Lynne always wanted a large family and has five children. Her eldest and heronly natural child is 19 and currently at university. Her other fourchildren, who are every bit as dear to her heart, are adopted. She has two9-year-olds adopted from Sri Lanka and a 5- and a 3-year-old adopted fromGuatemala. In Lynne's home, there is a rich and diverse cultural mix, whichadds a whole extra dimension of interest and discovery to family life. Thefamily lives in a country house surrounded by a woodland garden, which iswonderfully private. The family has two pets. Thomas, a very large andaffectionate black cat, bosses the dog and hunts rabbits. The dog is Daisy,an adorable but not very bright white West Highland terrier, who loves beingchased by the cat. At night, dog and cat sleep together in front of thekitchen stove. Lynne loves gardening, cooking, collects everything from oldtoys to rock specimens and is crazy about every aspect of Christmas.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 90 reviews
July 28, 2017
Someone should kill the hero. Really.
May 31, 2013
Okay--part two!
If you don't want spoilers and the lengthy SNARK, leave now.......
18 months have past. We find Tally and Sander are separated and just months from signing divorce papers. We also find out their child, a son, was stillborn--its the absolute worse thing that can happen to an expecting couple!
Tally withdraws into depression, closes herself off and Sander throws himself into work. I get this. I also can see how a marriage based on an unplanned pregnancy and glued together with *HER* I-love-you-but-I-shouldn't-you-don't-love-me-shag-me-again AND *HIS* you're-the-best-shag-evvvver-I-don't-do-love-but-you're-HOT-&-I'm-jumping-you-if-you-just-cough,made their situation pretty hopeless. So she leaves him. Okeedokee sounds like what the old Tally would do. And she gets on with her life. Decorating houses.
What I don't get is what follows...
One day, all these months later he sees her in the newspaper wrapped in the arms of Robert Miller, a former admirer. The green-eyed devil rises and he can't stand it. Hey if his pants remained zipped I totally understand his objection. They're still married right?!
All-righty then.
He decides he wants her back. Gets her on a flimsy excuse to their old home in France and they have crazy-smashing-pottery-on-the-sidetable-up-the-stairs-then-in-the-bed-this-way-and-that-way sex.
Then they talk. Guess what! Yep, that zipper saw some action. So much for reunions. Tally hikes it back to London and waiting is her mother heading to prison unless Tally saves the day with loads of cash.
Enter AWOL daddy. The money is all hers if she gives her marriage a second chance. Sure, she says, I can do that. I don't love him anymore and it's all about the shagging now and maybe some babies. Sounds good to her. Her daddy did her such a favor last time.
At this point I would have thrown my ereader against the wall but I'm not clueless like Tally.
After an impromptu honeymoon Tally thinks she might be pregnant.
Ring, ring.
Sander gets a call from this strange lawyer guy in France. Apparently his youthful love Oiela suddenly died and in her will left him a cadeaux.
A baby girl. Quelle surprise!
Sander thinking... How can I tell Tally I did the horizontal with my old flame soon after our son died. HORRiBLE, Terrible, very bad, bad, not good, maybe not so good, but... she had already left me, yes? I must tell her right away before someone else! But first I need a mind-blowing shag.
I don't know where no-guff-first-book Tally went because this Tally had to be an imposter. Here goes..
Tally thinking...how can I pretend it didn't happen, did it have to be his old love, now I am a zombie, what if I'm preggers, don't want to be single momma like mother dearest, AWOL daddy touched me with his hand today, he might actually care for me, hubby brings baby home, I can't stand it, do I hear the baby crying, must ignore, hubby has stepped out for a few days on important business,must be really important to leave me while I'm in crisis, baby crying, just a quick peek, nanny doesn't know what to do with crying baby, I must help, poor kid you can't help how you came into this world, daddy doesn't have a clue about birth control,hey I know all about that, you and me kiddo we're like family now, we'll just have to forgive your daddy because just today he tells me he LUV'S me and darn it you're so cute and boy can he shag.
Add one baby boy to epilogue and viola - the happy family.
I usually enjoy, even love Graham's books (ck reviews) BUT seriously folks this did not work for me.
My take
If you don't want spoilers and the lengthy SNARK, leave now.......
18 months have past. We find Tally and Sander are separated and just months from signing divorce papers. We also find out their child, a son, was stillborn--its the absolute worse thing that can happen to an expecting couple!
Tally withdraws into depression, closes herself off and Sander throws himself into work. I get this. I also can see how a marriage based on an unplanned pregnancy and glued together with *HER* I-love-you-but-I-shouldn't-you-don't-love-me-shag-me-again AND *HIS* you're-the-best-shag-evvvver-I-don't-do-love-but-you're-HOT-&-I'm-jumping-you-if-you-just-cough,made their situation pretty hopeless. So she leaves him. Okeedokee sounds like what the old Tally would do. And she gets on with her life. Decorating houses.
What I don't get is what follows...
One day, all these months later he sees her in the newspaper wrapped in the arms of Robert Miller, a former admirer. The green-eyed devil rises and he can't stand it. Hey if his pants remained zipped I totally understand his objection. They're still married right?!
All-righty then.
He decides he wants her back. Gets her on a flimsy excuse to their old home in France and they have crazy-smashing-pottery-on-the-sidetable-up-the-stairs-then-in-the-bed-this-way-and-that-way sex.
Then they talk. Guess what! Yep, that zipper saw some action. So much for reunions. Tally hikes it back to London and waiting is her mother heading to prison unless Tally saves the day with loads of cash.
Enter AWOL daddy. The money is all hers if she gives her marriage a second chance. Sure, she says, I can do that. I don't love him anymore and it's all about the shagging now and maybe some babies. Sounds good to her. Her daddy did her such a favor last time.
At this point I would have thrown my ereader against the wall but I'm not clueless like Tally.
After an impromptu honeymoon Tally thinks she might be pregnant.
Ring, ring.
Sander gets a call from this strange lawyer guy in France. Apparently his youthful love Oiela suddenly died and in her will left him a cadeaux.
A baby girl. Quelle surprise!
Sander thinking... How can I tell Tally I did the horizontal with my old flame soon after our son died. HORRiBLE, Terrible, very bad, bad, not good, maybe not so good, but... she had already left me, yes? I must tell her right away before someone else! But first I need a mind-blowing shag.
I don't know where no-guff-first-book Tally went because this Tally had to be an imposter. Here goes..
Tally thinking...how can I pretend it didn't happen, did it have to be his old love, now I am a zombie, what if I'm preggers, don't want to be single momma like mother dearest, AWOL daddy touched me with his hand today, he might actually care for me, hubby brings baby home, I can't stand it, do I hear the baby crying, must ignore, hubby has stepped out for a few days on important business,must be really important to leave me while I'm in crisis, baby crying, just a quick peek, nanny doesn't know what to do with crying baby, I must help, poor kid you can't help how you came into this world, daddy doesn't have a clue about birth control,hey I know all about that, you and me kiddo we're like family now, we'll just have to forgive your daddy because just today he tells me he LUV'S me and darn it you're so cute and boy can he shag.
Add one baby boy to epilogue and viola - the happy family.
I usually enjoy, even love Graham's books (ck reviews) BUT seriously folks this did not work for me.
My take
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
September 16, 2014
I find this book an affront to any self-respecting woman. Actually, this book is an insult to all women, full stop.
March 20, 2018
And now for another episode starring these Jerry Springer characters. LG has passed on describing the angst of the H/h's stillborn child, the heroine's depression, the hero's immersion in work and drinking. Instead we get an opening with the career-gal heroine talking with her business partner (who wants a romantic relationship with the h) seemingly just fine with the divorce coming up.
It's the hero who is seething. The hero who wants her back and the hero who engineers a reconciliation. That the reconciliation is based on sex is nothing new with these two. But the heroine is still not sure until her father blackmails her into staying married to the hero.
And that's why I couldn't feel anything for the heroine when she finds out the hero had a one night stand with his ex while they were separated. LG just did't set it up well enough for me to be outraged - but she did establish the hero's character well enough that I wasn't surprised in the least that he acted out. The naive, virgin heroine has turned into a cool customer and she has proved that she can move on without the hero.
It's the hero who can't move on without the heroine and that's what starts his redemption arc.
And don't shoot me, but I really liked the story twist with the poor eczema-riddled baby who has lost her mother at four months. I really liked that she wasn't perfect (which kept her grandparents from claiming custody) and which made her more lovable to the heroine. And it's a metaphor - yo! The hero wasn't perfect (and his parents never loved him) but the heroine does anyway.
I can see why this story is hated, but I thought it was better than the first of the pair. The characters actually have an arc and both the H/h have something to learn. I liked the epilogue with the heroine being happy with her daughter and son - that part felt the most emotionally true part of the story. That the focus was on the children and not the hero was telling. The H/h aren't soul mates - but they are committed to making a family. Not the most romantic thing in the world, but I don't see any other realistic HEA for these two.
It's the hero who is seething. The hero who wants her back and the hero who engineers a reconciliation. That the reconciliation is based on sex is nothing new with these two. But the heroine is still not sure until her father blackmails her into staying married to the hero.
And that's why I couldn't feel anything for the heroine when she finds out the hero had a one night stand with his ex while they were separated. LG just did't set it up well enough for me to be outraged - but she did establish the hero's character well enough that I wasn't surprised in the least that he acted out. The naive, virgin heroine has turned into a cool customer and she has proved that she can move on without the hero.
It's the hero who can't move on without the heroine and that's what starts his redemption arc.
And don't shoot me, but I really liked the story twist with the poor eczema-riddled baby who has lost her mother at four months. I really liked that she wasn't perfect (which kept her grandparents from claiming custody) and which made her more lovable to the heroine. And it's a metaphor - yo! The hero wasn't perfect (and his parents never loved him) but the heroine does anyway.
I can see why this story is hated, but I thought it was better than the first of the pair. The characters actually have an arc and both the H/h have something to learn. I liked the epilogue with the heroine being happy with her daughter and son - that part felt the most emotionally true part of the story. That the focus was on the children and not the hero was telling. The H/h aren't soul mates - but they are committed to making a family. Not the most romantic thing in the world, but I don't see any other realistic HEA for these two.
July 1, 2011
I enjoyed Bride for Real I think, still confused about it . I didn't read the first part of the story when they met, married, lost their child and separated but I plan to go back and read it now.
They are on the verge of divorce Tally and Sander but Sander is not happy about it and making things difficult. When she goes back for her stuff, they end up in bed together, he asks for a reconciliation, she asks if in the past eighteen months he's been with someone else when he can't say no, she walks away. Then because of a situation with her mother she agrees to go back to Sander.
Sander is just happy to have her back and wait for her. He shows her how he has changed and is willing to put their marriage first and not work. They even decide to try for a child again when a bombshell drops. Sander has a child. One day missing her and very drunk he fell in bed with his ex-girlfriend. He doesn't remember any of it but she is dead now and he is left with a baby. The only thought he has is Tally won't forgive him.
I didn't like this part, I would have felt better if he was not the father. Tally almost left him and threw the reason she came back to him on his face. But then she sees that she was at fault as well, she left him, shut him out, refused to talk him, and re-built her life, so she was responsible for what happened and the kid was not guilty.
I don't know I didn't feel like the cheating part, I prefer heroes remain celibate during separation and even if they don't atleast they shouldn't go and have a child, that is hard to ignore.
They are on the verge of divorce Tally and Sander but Sander is not happy about it and making things difficult. When she goes back for her stuff, they end up in bed together, he asks for a reconciliation, she asks if in the past eighteen months he's been with someone else when he can't say no, she walks away. Then because of a situation with her mother she agrees to go back to Sander.
Sander is just happy to have her back and wait for her. He shows her how he has changed and is willing to put their marriage first and not work. They even decide to try for a child again when a bombshell drops. Sander has a child. One day missing her and very drunk he fell in bed with his ex-girlfriend. He doesn't remember any of it but she is dead now and he is left with a baby. The only thought he has is Tally won't forgive him.
I didn't like this part, I would have felt better if he was not the father. Tally almost left him and threw the reason she came back to him on his face. But then she sees that she was at fault as well, she left him, shut him out, refused to talk him, and re-built her life, so she was responsible for what happened and the kid was not guilty.
I don't know I didn't feel like the cheating part, I prefer heroes remain celibate during separation and even if they don't atleast they shouldn't go and have a child, that is hard to ignore.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
August 9, 2020
What a downer! The title of this book should have been changed to The Marriage Betrayal which is actually the title to book #1, the prequel and far more romantic book which introduced us to Tally and Sander.
Grief-stricken by the death of a loved one Tally pushed Sander away during their marriage, while Sander caved in to weakness which caused them even more grief later on. Their realistic behaviors generated all of the angst and conflict, but I just hate it when authors use cheating as a plot device. It's soooo not romantic and paints the supposed love the h/H feel for each other as weak and cheap. And in this case, it also negated much of the character development achieved in the first book. This is why I think ongoing series featuring the same couple are a bad—very bad—idea.
If sad tales of a marriage gone wrong are to your tastes, then dig right in. I only wished I had stopped after the first book.
Grief-stricken by the death of a loved one Tally pushed Sander away during their marriage, while Sander caved in to weakness which caused them even more grief later on. Their realistic behaviors generated all of the angst and conflict, but I just hate it when authors use cheating as a plot device. It's soooo not romantic and paints the supposed love the h/H feel for each other as weak and cheap. And in this case, it also negated much of the character development achieved in the first book. This is why I think ongoing series featuring the same couple are a bad—very bad—idea.
If sad tales of a marriage gone wrong are to your tastes, then dig right in. I only wished I had stopped after the first book.
July 13, 2019
I am definitely in the minority on this one, but I really liked it. I felt LG managed to infuse some Real World behaviors and adjustments and gave us an HEA that was way better than what the first book of this duology would have indicated.
I am also giving Sander a pass on the cheating label. Technically, he was married when he had a drunken hook up with his ex. However since Tally had definitively filed for divorce, as far as Sander knew, their relationship was over.
Plus, I also felt that since Tally was the dumper and the divorce filer, her demand that Sander stay celibate was unfair and unrealistic. As a long term HP Voyager, I KNOW that the H and h are going to get back together. But Tally ended things with an exclamation point, so she has no room to complain.
Also in the immediate reality of the story, the characters don't know that they are destined to be reunited, (in this instance by Tally's father's blackmail,) and so Sander's actions were entirely understandable. He was broken up about the death of his child and his marriage and he looked for some human comfort and his ex was all about taking advantage of that.
I felt sorry for Sander and wanted to slap Tally for being so snarky. However when the baby finally makes her appearance, I REALLY liked how both Sander and Tally pulled up their adulting shorts and got on with things to sort the baby care out.
(Honestly, if someone showed up at my house with an infant that was mr. booge's and obviously needed help, I would be jumping in to care for the baby, tho mr. booge would probably get a skillet whack or 5000.)
I liked how Tally's and Sander's relationship became more of a partnership in this one and I really liked how both of them adjusted their expectations to make the marriage work.
I also think that the h accepting the H's child from another woman HPlandia subtrope is very hard to pull off and almost never works believably. Mainly because the trope relies on the HP Bedrock Rule that all HP h's are maternalistic Madonna's who will do anything in the name of protecting a child. In fact the standard assumption in HPlandia is that if an h is not maternal and a momma bear about kids, she is the OW.
So most times this trope forces the h into inner mental guilt for not liking the H's OW baby bonus and that brings about the acceptance of the child and forces the HEA.
LG twists that up a bit here. Tally does have the standard HP maternal instincts, but LG gives it a twist by having the HP standard Secondary Pimp Out Characters TELL Tally to dump Sander because of his baby.
Tally is an HP rebel tho and defies the demands of her Pimp Daddy father to realize that a baby, especially a sick baby, needs comfort and stability, no matter who the parents are. LG cements that baby acceptance by killing the birth mother off, so with the OW threat removed forever, there is no reason not go ahead with the marriage.
But now Tally realizes that she has no baby access rights without Sander, so she has to compromise her worldview to keep the baby and since Sander is equally dedicated to the baby, but has no clue on childcare by himself, the decision to stay together and make things works becomes way more believable.
Now the focus becomes the baby and Tally's new pregnancy and we watch the two of them negotiate a new relationship, with the happy outcome that Tally and Sander can forgive each other for their past actions and dedicate themselves to building a happy family.
Fairytale romance this one is NOT, but it was a very nice study of what it takes to build a solid marriage and a family when BOTH of the marital partners have seemingly insurmountable flaws, which makes this one an excellent HP outing.
I am also giving Sander a pass on the cheating label. Technically, he was married when he had a drunken hook up with his ex. However since Tally had definitively filed for divorce, as far as Sander knew, their relationship was over.
Plus, I also felt that since Tally was the dumper and the divorce filer, her demand that Sander stay celibate was unfair and unrealistic. As a long term HP Voyager, I KNOW that the H and h are going to get back together. But Tally ended things with an exclamation point, so she has no room to complain.
Also in the immediate reality of the story, the characters don't know that they are destined to be reunited, (in this instance by Tally's father's blackmail,) and so Sander's actions were entirely understandable. He was broken up about the death of his child and his marriage and he looked for some human comfort and his ex was all about taking advantage of that.
I felt sorry for Sander and wanted to slap Tally for being so snarky. However when the baby finally makes her appearance, I REALLY liked how both Sander and Tally pulled up their adulting shorts and got on with things to sort the baby care out.
(Honestly, if someone showed up at my house with an infant that was mr. booge's and obviously needed help, I would be jumping in to care for the baby, tho mr. booge would probably get a skillet whack or 5000.)
I liked how Tally's and Sander's relationship became more of a partnership in this one and I really liked how both of them adjusted their expectations to make the marriage work.
I also think that the h accepting the H's child from another woman HPlandia subtrope is very hard to pull off and almost never works believably. Mainly because the trope relies on the HP Bedrock Rule that all HP h's are maternalistic Madonna's who will do anything in the name of protecting a child. In fact the standard assumption in HPlandia is that if an h is not maternal and a momma bear about kids, she is the OW.
So most times this trope forces the h into inner mental guilt for not liking the H's OW baby bonus and that brings about the acceptance of the child and forces the HEA.
LG twists that up a bit here. Tally does have the standard HP maternal instincts, but LG gives it a twist by having the HP standard Secondary Pimp Out Characters TELL Tally to dump Sander because of his baby.
Tally is an HP rebel tho and defies the demands of her Pimp Daddy father to realize that a baby, especially a sick baby, needs comfort and stability, no matter who the parents are. LG cements that baby acceptance by killing the birth mother off, so with the OW threat removed forever, there is no reason not go ahead with the marriage.
But now Tally realizes that she has no baby access rights without Sander, so she has to compromise her worldview to keep the baby and since Sander is equally dedicated to the baby, but has no clue on childcare by himself, the decision to stay together and make things works becomes way more believable.
Now the focus becomes the baby and Tally's new pregnancy and we watch the two of them negotiate a new relationship, with the happy outcome that Tally and Sander can forgive each other for their past actions and dedicate themselves to building a happy family.
Fairytale romance this one is NOT, but it was a very nice study of what it takes to build a solid marriage and a family when BOTH of the marital partners have seemingly insurmountable flaws, which makes this one an excellent HP outing.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
May 27, 2014
The betrayal in this book made me feel sick I hated this book with a passion and deleted it from my kindle!
October 28, 2015
After I read this book in 2011, I decided to have a break of Lynne Graham stories. For a few years, I tolerated her heros with manwhore behavior and not celibate during separation, but a hero who got drunk and have one night stand with an ex aka "villain-other-woman" from first book! I remembered couldn't forgive that to this author (T_T)
P.S. I forgot to mention, as a result of that one night stand, the ow got pregnant, had the baby and died. That was "so convenient" *roll eyes*
The one night stand wasn't detailed, it was mentioned.
P.S. I forgot to mention, as a result of that one night stand, the ow got pregnant, had the baby and died. That was "so convenient" *roll eyes*
The one night stand wasn't detailed, it was mentioned.
November 27, 2016
Better than the first book but still depressing that hero had a child with another woman! But he definitely matured!
April 17, 2016
Es mi primer reseña de un libro de Lynne Graham al que, si pudiera, le daría menos de una estrella. Yeah, I know, it's amazing, but true...
Tally y Sander ya no están juntos, después de dieciocho meses de separación, porque el bebé nació muerto y eso trajo mucha tristeza y alejamiento de parte de ambos. Tally pasa el luto sufriendo y Sander se enfrasca en el trabajo, así que ella lo deja de un día para el otro y comienza con su carrera como diseñadora de interiores.
Sander ve una foto de ella y su socio y lo carcome (?) la necesidad, así que valiéndose del chantaje hace que ella regrese a una villa en Francia para reconquistarla y darle una oportunidad al matrimonio.
Hasta ahí, veníamos bien. La determinación de Tally por permanecer indiferente a semejante dios griego no prospera demasiado y a los veinte minutos de pasar por la puerta ya cogi3ron sin protección, y todo hearts and flowers.
Él le pide que le de una esperanza al matrimonio, y ella dice que lo reconsiderará sólo si sabe que él fue célibe -como ella- durante el tiempo separados, pero él muy sincero le dice que no lo fue.
Ella asume que siendo tan sexual como es él, no hay motivo para reclamarle nada. Así que ese día se va, pero en su corazón sigue queriendo darle una oportunidad.
A ver, yo no tengo ningún drama con la infidelidad en libros. O pensaba que no lo tenía hasta que leí esta novela. Leí otros de LG donde el prota, aunque casado, no fue célibe y no me chocó porque eran relaciones esporádicas y sin significado.
Pero acá, Sander Volakis es infiel con una mujer de la que estuvo enamorado y tuvo todas las intenciones de casarse, pero lo dejó por otro tipo más rentable. No sólo tuvo un polv* de una noche SIN USAR PRESERVATIVO,laputamadrequeloremilparió con una antigua novia estando casado y de luto por perder un hijo, sino que la dejó embarazada.
Sí, sí, ya no es suficiente para una heroína perder un hijo sino que también su marido aparece con la hija que tuvo con otra en el lapso de unos meses.
Esto para mí, es inadmisible. Para colmo, cuando él decide decírselo, al ver que ella reacciona terriblemente, le argumenta que lo hizo "PORQUE ELLA LO DEJÓ". ¡AH, bueno!
El resto del libro pasa entre escenas fogosas, polv*s inmundos de un tipo que se chupa un whisky y cog3 con cualquiera, una ex muerta que logró todo lo que quería, una protagonista estúpida e infeliz que se hace cargo de hijos extramatrimoniales. ME ENFERMÓ.
Si Sander hubiera tirado una cañita al aire con una desconocida, no me habría molestado tanto. Aunque este protagonista es el peor que leí hasta ahora, junto con Aitor de Florencia Bonelli. Cero carisma, no me convenció en ninguna parte. Un bastardo infeliz que no merecía que su historia y su matrimonio acabaran bien.
Un asco de novelita.
Tally y Sander ya no están juntos, después de dieciocho meses de separación, porque el bebé nació muerto y eso trajo mucha tristeza y alejamiento de parte de ambos. Tally pasa el luto sufriendo y Sander se enfrasca en el trabajo, así que ella lo deja de un día para el otro y comienza con su carrera como diseñadora de interiores.
Sander ve una foto de ella y su socio y lo carcome (?) la necesidad, así que valiéndose del chantaje hace que ella regrese a una villa en Francia para reconquistarla y darle una oportunidad al matrimonio.
Hasta ahí, veníamos bien. La determinación de Tally por permanecer indiferente a semejante dios griego no prospera demasiado y a los veinte minutos de pasar por la puerta ya cogi3ron sin protección, y todo hearts and flowers.
Él le pide que le de una esperanza al matrimonio, y ella dice que lo reconsiderará sólo si sabe que él fue célibe -como ella- durante el tiempo separados, pero él muy sincero le dice que no lo fue.
Ella asume que siendo tan sexual como es él, no hay motivo para reclamarle nada. Así que ese día se va, pero en su corazón sigue queriendo darle una oportunidad.
A ver, yo no tengo ningún drama con la infidelidad en libros. O pensaba que no lo tenía hasta que leí esta novela. Leí otros de LG donde el prota, aunque casado, no fue célibe y no me chocó porque eran relaciones esporádicas y sin significado.
Pero acá, Sander Volakis es infiel con una mujer de la que estuvo enamorado y tuvo todas las intenciones de casarse, pero lo dejó por otro tipo más rentable. No sólo tuvo un polv* de una noche SIN USAR PRESERVATIVO,
Sí, sí, ya no es suficiente para una heroína perder un hijo sino que también su marido aparece con la hija que tuvo con otra en el lapso de unos meses.
Esto para mí, es inadmisible. Para colmo, cuando él decide decírselo, al ver que ella reacciona terriblemente, le argumenta que lo hizo "PORQUE ELLA LO DEJÓ". ¡AH, bueno!
El resto del libro pasa entre escenas fogosas, polv*s inmundos de un tipo que se chupa un whisky y cog3 con cualquiera, una ex muerta que logró todo lo que quería, una protagonista estúpida e infeliz que se hace cargo de hijos extramatrimoniales. ME ENFERMÓ.
Si Sander hubiera tirado una cañita al aire con una desconocida, no me habría molestado tanto. Aunque este protagonista es el peor que leí hasta ahora, junto con Aitor de Florencia Bonelli. Cero carisma, no me convenció en ninguna parte. Un bastardo infeliz que no merecía que su historia y su matrimonio acabaran bien.
Un asco de novelita.
October 1, 2011
I didn't read this book nor do I intend to read it. My review is based on spoilers provided on different message boards.
According to the reviews the hero betrays the heroine when she needs him the most. Hate that! He turns to another woman, with whom he used to be very much in love and fathers a child with her. The other woman conveniently dies He then expects the heroine to accept that child as if nothing happened.
I can sometimes forgive or ignore a cheating hero but not when he betrays the heroine in her time of need. Maybe, I might have been more forgiving had he cheated with some unknown woman and had there not been a baby.
LG's writing just hasn't been the same since 2003. Not memorable for me. This book is memorable, even though I haven't read it, but it is memorable for all the wrong reasons.
She has made me afraid to buy her books without first looking for spoilers.
According to the reviews the hero betrays the heroine when she needs him the most. Hate that! He turns to another woman, with whom he used to be very much in love and fathers a child with her. The other woman conveniently dies He then expects the heroine to accept that child as if nothing happened.
I can sometimes forgive or ignore a cheating hero but not when he betrays the heroine in her time of need. Maybe, I might have been more forgiving had he cheated with some unknown woman and had there not been a baby.
LG's writing just hasn't been the same since 2003. Not memorable for me. This book is memorable, even though I haven't read it, but it is memorable for all the wrong reasons.
She has made me afraid to buy her books without first looking for spoilers.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
June 8, 2016
Just when I thought Ms Graham couldn't do worse, she saddens me with this crap.
There was:
A cheating husband (hero)
Illegitimate child (hero's)
Bad parents (of the hero's)
Shopaholic mother (heroine's)
And Post Traumatic Stress (heroine's after the death of her child, also the reason hero cheated in the first place).
Heroine should have kicked him to the curb. But this being an LG book, of course she lost her backbone and turned into a door mat.
There was:
A cheating husband (hero)
Illegitimate child (hero's)
Bad parents (of the hero's)
Shopaholic mother (heroine's)
And Post Traumatic Stress (heroine's after the death of her child, also the reason hero cheated in the first place).
Heroine should have kicked him to the curb. But this being an LG book, of course she lost her backbone and turned into a door mat.
June 1, 2018
oh dear Tallulah...
don't you have a shred of dignity and sense? who the hell accepted back her cheating husband with a baby! oh well I'm sorry that my heart is so little but I will never able to forgive a man who do that to me. I probably will cut him into pieces and fed it to the fishes!!
hero cheat with his ex first love after the separation. it's a big NO NO
don't you have a shred of dignity and sense? who the hell accepted back her cheating husband with a baby! oh well I'm sorry that my heart is so little but I will never able to forgive a man who do that to me. I probably will cut him into pieces and fed it to the fishes!!
hero cheat with his ex first love after the separation. it's a big NO NO
February 11, 2023
I have to agree with another reviewer that said the book is an insult to all women. The worst Harlequin present I have ever read.
March 18, 2013
What an awful husband, I wish this wasn't an HP novel, and the wife left his in the end!
March 23, 2024
I’ve been reading basically most of Lg books and I must admit there has been a gradual change from her first books and her style to the most recents ones.
I particularly love and admire her first works, written between the 80s and the 90s. I think that in that period of time both hp and m&b had a very different policy than what there is now. Celibate, virgin heroines vs experienced older heroes, a very strict and chauvinistic pov, a very blatant use of double standard. The first LG had a lot of angst in her books and sometimes even a dark streak that she gradually lost and blended with passing years.
Bond of hatred, a Bittersweet passion, A vengeful passion, unfaithful wife, are some of the most angsty, emotional titles, with misunderstood or misjudged heroines, cruel and vengeful heroes, and sometimes dealing with painful themes as rape, emotional abuse, death of a loved one. Then LG style became lighter and less dark, able to have some really painful realities but her heroines are anyway able to act very no nonsense and sensible, I would say very British, even in angsty and difficult situations. We have some nice and very interesting title as The Italian inexperienced mistress, the petrakos bride, the contaxis baby, where the theme of poor, naive and really destitute heroine vs emotionally dumb, insensitive and insecure hero is dealt with some deep humor and a good dose of aplomb. Those are also books I liked and loved, with some exceptions where the hero is really awful as in the Greek chosen wife and the secret his mistress carried. But even then, even when the hero does some very unforgivable things as cheating for years on his wife or marry another woman after his mistress disappeared, even then in the end it’s only always ever the hero and the heroine that forms a family with their own children. I’m not against heroes or heroines who are previously married and then have children if this happens before they meet, but the fact that they have children with op after they’ve been together it’s really a no go for me. This one is the second of a series and actually LG gives her best in the usual 198 pages hp books standalone so I hated the first but I loathed the second.
The heroine has depression after she lost her child and leaves the hero who btw only married her after blackmail. He has an unprotected ONS with one of his ex gf and gets her pregnant. He finds out after the woman is dead, he’s just reconciled with the heroine and he’s just so awful, cold, unrepentant that I wanted to puke on my kindle.
This hero also tries to gaslight the heroine telling her that if she hadn’t left him he wouldn’t have the child.
I so wish she dumped him and divorce his sorry ass.
He was still married so it’s cheating.
The woman was a junkie and a drunk so who knows what kind of std she had, why didn’t she pass anything to him? I so wanted him to be ridden with siphilyd and epathitis. I hated him, I hated the trope I hated the heroine that apologized, she actually apologized because she left him, the idiot, cold, nasty man child who didn’t want responsibility but was so ready to take the child of a ONS with him.
I love LG, her usual ability to find the most angsty misunderstandings, the most clever plots to avoid that the characters are involved in something from where there is no return, as a child with op, even if they are married to op. This was a definitely fiasco on every level.
And the hero is cold, unable to make me believe that he loves the heroine, and simply unsexy. It’s as if someone wrote under the LG name but it’s clearly so far from what she is that I couldn’t believe it was one of her books.
I just reread the petrakos bride, with the emotionally stunted hero who tries in every way to understand how the heroines brain works, and I loved every second of it because it was so fun and in the end it was very clear that he was besotted with the heroine since the start, while here I can’t really feel anything except two people who decides to go on with a marriage that obviously is an arrangement and not ever a love choice, not even in the end. So no, to me it’s -100000 stars.
I particularly love and admire her first works, written between the 80s and the 90s. I think that in that period of time both hp and m&b had a very different policy than what there is now. Celibate, virgin heroines vs experienced older heroes, a very strict and chauvinistic pov, a very blatant use of double standard. The first LG had a lot of angst in her books and sometimes even a dark streak that she gradually lost and blended with passing years.
Bond of hatred, a Bittersweet passion, A vengeful passion, unfaithful wife, are some of the most angsty, emotional titles, with misunderstood or misjudged heroines, cruel and vengeful heroes, and sometimes dealing with painful themes as rape, emotional abuse, death of a loved one. Then LG style became lighter and less dark, able to have some really painful realities but her heroines are anyway able to act very no nonsense and sensible, I would say very British, even in angsty and difficult situations. We have some nice and very interesting title as The Italian inexperienced mistress, the petrakos bride, the contaxis baby, where the theme of poor, naive and really destitute heroine vs emotionally dumb, insensitive and insecure hero is dealt with some deep humor and a good dose of aplomb. Those are also books I liked and loved, with some exceptions where the hero is really awful as in the Greek chosen wife and the secret his mistress carried. But even then, even when the hero does some very unforgivable things as cheating for years on his wife or marry another woman after his mistress disappeared, even then in the end it’s only always ever the hero and the heroine that forms a family with their own children. I’m not against heroes or heroines who are previously married and then have children if this happens before they meet, but the fact that they have children with op after they’ve been together it’s really a no go for me. This one is the second of a series and actually LG gives her best in the usual 198 pages hp books standalone so I hated the first but I loathed the second.
The heroine has depression after she lost her child and leaves the hero who btw only married her after blackmail. He has an unprotected ONS with one of his ex gf and gets her pregnant. He finds out after the woman is dead, he’s just reconciled with the heroine and he’s just so awful, cold, unrepentant that I wanted to puke on my kindle.
This hero also tries to gaslight the heroine telling her that if she hadn’t left him he wouldn’t have the child.
I so wish she dumped him and divorce his sorry ass.
He was still married so it’s cheating.
The woman was a junkie and a drunk so who knows what kind of std she had, why didn’t she pass anything to him? I so wanted him to be ridden with siphilyd and epathitis. I hated him, I hated the trope I hated the heroine that apologized, she actually apologized because she left him, the idiot, cold, nasty man child who didn’t want responsibility but was so ready to take the child of a ONS with him.
I love LG, her usual ability to find the most angsty misunderstandings, the most clever plots to avoid that the characters are involved in something from where there is no return, as a child with op, even if they are married to op. This was a definitely fiasco on every level.
And the hero is cold, unable to make me believe that he loves the heroine, and simply unsexy. It’s as if someone wrote under the LG name but it’s clearly so far from what she is that I couldn’t believe it was one of her books.
I just reread the petrakos bride, with the emotionally stunted hero who tries in every way to understand how the heroines brain works, and I loved every second of it because it was so fun and in the end it was very clear that he was besotted with the heroine since the start, while here I can’t really feel anything except two people who decides to go on with a marriage that obviously is an arrangement and not ever a love choice, not even in the end. So no, to me it’s -100000 stars.
July 2, 2011
I am a huge Lynne Graham fan. I have collected and still read every book she has ever written but This book was pretty bad.
September 5, 2018
As someone who has had a stillborn child I can tell you right now if my hubby went and screwed his ex and got her pregnant I wouldn't have run back to him no matter what!!
I can also understand the whole shutting him out and going into depression. But luckily for me I have my real life hero who literally was by my side the whole time and didn't let me shut him out. Even though he was going through his own grief he made sure I was his priority. So this book just rubbed it raw for me.
But In saying that. I'm glad he took responsibility for the child. Because at the end of the day it wasn't the baby's fault that she is here she didn't ask for any of this
I can also understand the whole shutting him out and going into depression. But luckily for me I have my real life hero who literally was by my side the whole time and didn't let me shut him out. Even though he was going through his own grief he made sure I was his priority. So this book just rubbed it raw for me.
But In saying that. I'm glad he took responsibility for the child. Because at the end of the day it wasn't the baby's fault that she is here she didn't ask for any of this
September 26, 2021
Why did it need two books to tell their story? Why was the extra word count not used to develop real, fleshed out, empathetic characters. Dreadful, just utterly dreadful. This wasn’t a romance, it was a melodramatic train wreck with awful, stupid characters.
What on earth is romantic about the hero getting another woman pregnant and expecting the heroine to bring her up?
The heroine was equally flawed and unsympathetic. Tally was a selfish and insensitive young woman and I disliked her intensely. . I hate books based on stupid mis-communication where people treat each other so cruelly. So very disappointing.
What on earth is romantic about the hero getting another woman pregnant and expecting the heroine to bring her up?
The heroine was equally flawed and unsympathetic. Tally was a selfish and insensitive young woman and I disliked her intensely. . I hate books based on stupid mis-communication where people treat each other so cruelly. So very disappointing.
October 28, 2014
All I have to say is, so much for love Sander.
And Tally....
And Tally....
August 30, 2011
The hero Sander and the heroine Tally are on the verge of a divorce. Their marriage broke down after the devastating stillbirth of their son. Tally and Sander had both struggled with their grief in their own way, causing them to grow apart and eventually Tally had left. Now, eighteen months later, Sander realises that he doesn't want to let Tally go, he goes to see her when she is at their former home collecting some of her belongings, and they have an explosive reunion. But it's not enough for the still suffering Tally and she tells Sander that she won't give their marriage another go. Tally later learns that her rather irresponsible mother has gotten into financial trouble so she is forced to go to her father for help. He agrees to help on the condition that Tally reconsiders a reconciliation with Sander. She reluctantly agrees and lets Sander know she has changed her mind, although she doesn't tell him why. Sander is really pleased and promises to try harder and make Tally happy. Things go well between them and they begin to re build a very strong marriage as well as the hope for a second child, Tally knows she never stopped loving Sander. But, once again, their happiness is destroyed when the consequences of Sander's drunken one-night stand during their separation are revealed.
I must admit, I am very confused about this book. On one hand I really liked it and on the other I didn't. I liked that this book didn't immediately follow on from the first book, instead there has been a lot of time and events in the characters lives. Reading about their stillborn son was heartbreaking and the grief they felt, especially Tally's, was handled really well. I could really see how the different reactions from the hero and heroine caused their marriage to slowly breakdown, this is a major plus for this book.
I didn't, however, like the hero's one night stand and the consequences of it. I found it very difficult to stomach and I was hoping that it would would turn out to be a mistake. Sadly it didn't, however I think that it is because of the strength of Lynne Graham's writing that made me accept this in the end. I do think that the character of Tally lost some of the sparkle that she had in the first book, but perhaps that is to be expected after what she had gone through. The HEA is wonderful and not at all rushed, which really helps to balance out some of the unsavoury elements of this book.
This is a flawed, but overall enjoyable book.
Originally posted at http://everyday-is-the-same.blogspot....
I must admit, I am very confused about this book. On one hand I really liked it and on the other I didn't. I liked that this book didn't immediately follow on from the first book, instead there has been a lot of time and events in the characters lives. Reading about their stillborn son was heartbreaking and the grief they felt, especially Tally's, was handled really well. I could really see how the different reactions from the hero and heroine caused their marriage to slowly breakdown, this is a major plus for this book.
I didn't, however, like the hero's one night stand and the consequences of it. I found it very difficult to stomach and I was hoping that it would would turn out to be a mistake. Sadly it didn't, however I think that it is because of the strength of Lynne Graham's writing that made me accept this in the end. I do think that the character of Tally lost some of the sparkle that she had in the first book, but perhaps that is to be expected after what she had gone through. The HEA is wonderful and not at all rushed, which really helps to balance out some of the unsavoury elements of this book.
This is a flawed, but overall enjoyable book.
Originally posted at http://everyday-is-the-same.blogspot....
August 2, 2011
I really didnt like this book, having read the first one and thought not bad i was impatiently awaiting this one!
Thought it started off ok ish, hero turns all green eyed monster when he spots his estranged wife wrapped around another guy (mentioned in first book) and annoys me by not telling is prat of a father where to stick his opinions!
Enter tally she has her own business now, own place and a platonic friendship with afore montioned guy although he is waiting on her say so until the divorce to get her into bed
Well anyway tally and sandor meet again sleep together he says he wants her back she asks if he has been faithful he doesnt answer so she walks out again, Tally's mum turns up in trouble she has to go cap in hand to Daddy to save her Daddy says he will on the condition she goes back to hubby who couldnt keep it in his trousers she agrees (come on Tally grow a back bone) she goes back, they have an inpromtu honeymoon for a month in which she thinks she is preggers again, they come home he gets phone call from from some french dude claiming he is sole beneficiary or a poison dwarfs will but needs to go to Paris to talk, he does finds out he got said poison dwarf preggers when the door had barley closed after Tally had walked out on him and he couldnt have been that drunk because surely he wouldnt have been able to 'perform',
All he thinks about is Tally wont forgive him but atleast he takres the child back with him is all I have to say!
Cut a long story short (I skimmed to rest of the book after that revelation was hoping it wasnt his does that make me horrible?) he gets his end away before telling her she goes ballistic but in the end forgives him because she is a 'good' person epiloque throughs in they have their own little boy, she formally adopts the baby girl too and they live happily ever after.
What i wanted was a big dose of karma to come into this story for her family (mum, dad, step mum, and sister that doped her drink in first book) and his famly (mum and dad) i dont think they got it IMO.
I normally am a fan of lynne grahams but am dissapointed with this one and where as you could read the first one as a stand alone i dont feel you can this one as it refers alot to the other book without explanations sometimes.
Thought it started off ok ish, hero turns all green eyed monster when he spots his estranged wife wrapped around another guy (mentioned in first book) and annoys me by not telling is prat of a father where to stick his opinions!
Enter tally she has her own business now, own place and a platonic friendship with afore montioned guy although he is waiting on her say so until the divorce to get her into bed
Well anyway tally and sandor meet again sleep together he says he wants her back she asks if he has been faithful he doesnt answer so she walks out again, Tally's mum turns up in trouble she has to go cap in hand to Daddy to save her Daddy says he will on the condition she goes back to hubby who couldnt keep it in his trousers she agrees (come on Tally grow a back bone) she goes back, they have an inpromtu honeymoon for a month in which she thinks she is preggers again, they come home he gets phone call from from some french dude claiming he is sole beneficiary or a poison dwarfs will but needs to go to Paris to talk, he does finds out he got said poison dwarf preggers when the door had barley closed after Tally had walked out on him and he couldnt have been that drunk because surely he wouldnt have been able to 'perform',
All he thinks about is Tally wont forgive him but atleast he takres the child back with him is all I have to say!
Cut a long story short (I skimmed to rest of the book after that revelation was hoping it wasnt his does that make me horrible?) he gets his end away before telling her she goes ballistic but in the end forgives him because she is a 'good' person epiloque throughs in they have their own little boy, she formally adopts the baby girl too and they live happily ever after.
What i wanted was a big dose of karma to come into this story for her family (mum, dad, step mum, and sister that doped her drink in first book) and his famly (mum and dad) i dont think they got it IMO.
I normally am a fan of lynne grahams but am dissapointed with this one and where as you could read the first one as a stand alone i dont feel you can this one as it refers alot to the other book without explanations sometimes.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
July 21, 2020
wtf i’m so mad i read this. he literally was married to the h and went and had a baby with someone else. what the actual eff. how could LG write something like this. i feel gross reading it. i’m literally so disgusted and angry I read this, should come with a massive trigger warning!!
February 4, 2014
CONTAINS SPOILERS READ AT OWN RISK
Sander is and ahole plain and simple and Tally went from a somewhat determined strong girl to a total pushover.
So book 1 was bearable, and they get a sort-of happy ending with Sander convincing Tally to stay and they move to France where Tally awaits the arrival of her baby and Sander is like "eh, I guess I have no choice".
Book 2 starts 18 months after said baby is still born. As is common in situations like that, Tally falls into a severe depression, she's having nightmares, cries a lot, doesn't want anything physical with Sander.
Sander is an arrogant douche that decides if his wife doesn't want him physically he will focus on work and completely ignore his wife. Tally takes that as he doesn't wanna be married I'm going to leave him and so she does.
Sander is all depressed/pissed off that his wife left him and is on a bender, on one of his benders he bangs his ex-highschool sweetheart AND "HE IS TILL MARRIED TO TALLY". [oh and his banging his ex is like right after Tally left him]
Now starts the book, its 18 months and Tally was photographed at an even with another guy, Sander sees this and he is jealous and decides he wants to get back together with his WIFE. He sets up a little reunion and seeing as the only thing they had right in their marriage was screwing they do it on a table, a bed, a shower, a bed again and in the morning Sander drops his lets give it another go.
Tally asks him if he's screwed anyone else while they're apart and Sander say yes. Tally leaves and goes home back to London. SURPRISE her shitty mother needs money, Tally decides to ask her dad and just like he blackmailed Sander to marry Tally in book 1, he now blackmails Tally into giving Sander another shot, and SO SHE DOES.
SKIP SKIP SKIP
Impromptu honeymoon and they screw like rabbits with SHOCKER no protection.
SKIP SKIP SKIP
Back in London Sander gets called by a weird lawyer from France because his ex died and Sander has to go to France, and SURPRISE AGAIN Sander's ex had his baby because they guy obviously doesn't know how to either keep in his pants or atleast wear a glove. Now Sander's all shit Tally's not gonna like this, especially because you're mommy's my ex and they did not like each other.
Sander is back and he decide let me screw Tally one last time just in case she decides to leave me for good. He drops his bomb and Tally is pissed Sander is actually all it's not a big deal don't get like that, why are you leaving again, if you hadn't left the first time this wouldn't have happened.
IF THAT IS NOT A WAKE UP AND GET OUT OF DODGE SIGN I DON'T KNOW WHAT IS
SKIP SKIP SKIP
Sander has to go to Athens and leaves Tally in charge of the baby and the nanny and THE BIGGEST IDIOT THAT Tally is bonds with the baby.
SKIP SKIP SKIP
Tally is pregnant she finally tells Sander everything she feels and Sanders says I love you.
2 years later they have their baby and Tally is the official adoptive mother of Sander's ex's baby.
_______________________________________________________________________
First off this marriage was doomed from the start, and secondly how much of a doormat do you have to be to get over your husband banging his ex right after you separate and then to actually start doubting yourself when the guys says if I banged my ex and got her pregnant its your fault because you left. REALLY LIKE REALLY Sander only wanted her back because someone else now had his shinny toy.
Sander is and ahole plain and simple and Tally went from a somewhat determined strong girl to a total pushover.
So book 1 was bearable, and they get a sort-of happy ending with Sander convincing Tally to stay and they move to France where Tally awaits the arrival of her baby and Sander is like "eh, I guess I have no choice".
Book 2 starts 18 months after said baby is still born. As is common in situations like that, Tally falls into a severe depression, she's having nightmares, cries a lot, doesn't want anything physical with Sander.
Sander is an arrogant douche that decides if his wife doesn't want him physically he will focus on work and completely ignore his wife. Tally takes that as he doesn't wanna be married I'm going to leave him and so she does.
Sander is all depressed/pissed off that his wife left him and is on a bender, on one of his benders he bangs his ex-highschool sweetheart AND "HE IS TILL MARRIED TO TALLY". [oh and his banging his ex is like right after Tally left him]
Now starts the book, its 18 months and Tally was photographed at an even with another guy, Sander sees this and he is jealous and decides he wants to get back together with his WIFE. He sets up a little reunion and seeing as the only thing they had right in their marriage was screwing they do it on a table, a bed, a shower, a bed again and in the morning Sander drops his lets give it another go.
Tally asks him if he's screwed anyone else while they're apart and Sander say yes. Tally leaves and goes home back to London. SURPRISE her shitty mother needs money, Tally decides to ask her dad and just like he blackmailed Sander to marry Tally in book 1, he now blackmails Tally into giving Sander another shot, and SO SHE DOES.
SKIP SKIP SKIP
Impromptu honeymoon and they screw like rabbits with SHOCKER no protection.
SKIP SKIP SKIP
Back in London Sander gets called by a weird lawyer from France because his ex died and Sander has to go to France, and SURPRISE AGAIN Sander's ex had his baby because they guy obviously doesn't know how to either keep in his pants or atleast wear a glove. Now Sander's all shit Tally's not gonna like this, especially because you're mommy's my ex and they did not like each other.
Sander is back and he decide let me screw Tally one last time just in case she decides to leave me for good. He drops his bomb and Tally is pissed Sander is actually all it's not a big deal don't get like that, why are you leaving again, if you hadn't left the first time this wouldn't have happened.
IF THAT IS NOT A WAKE UP AND GET OUT OF DODGE SIGN I DON'T KNOW WHAT IS
SKIP SKIP SKIP
Sander has to go to Athens and leaves Tally in charge of the baby and the nanny and THE BIGGEST IDIOT THAT Tally is bonds with the baby.
SKIP SKIP SKIP
Tally is pregnant she finally tells Sander everything she feels and Sanders says I love you.
2 years later they have their baby and Tally is the official adoptive mother of Sander's ex's baby.
_______________________________________________________________________
First off this marriage was doomed from the start, and secondly how much of a doormat do you have to be to get over your husband banging his ex right after you separate and then to actually start doubting yourself when the guys says if I banged my ex and got her pregnant its your fault because you left. REALLY LIKE REALLY Sander only wanted her back because someone else now had his shinny toy.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
February 18, 2017
oh my god! what a disaster! I can't believe LG wrote this.the hero is not only a cheater but also had a child with his previous girlfriend! what a waste of time..
April 3, 2020
Hmm, read the other reviews, you’ll either like it or hate it, there’s no real in between. I’m a little indifferent to the storyline, but it’s Lynne Graham and she makes it work?
November 24, 2018
disappointed with the hero.....
September 9, 2011
Both books THE MARRIAGE BETRAYAL & BRIDE FOR REAL i found O.K. However, few facts still nagged me raw. Sander and Tally's relationship to me seemed more based on their sexual chemistry than emotional one. At least, more on Sander's part. Maybe i felt that because Lynne Graham tended to concentrate a little more on diagnosing Tally's feeling than Sander's to her readers. Their marriage from the beginning established on lie and blackmail. Not to mention Sander's resentment believing that Tally had deliberately conceived a baby to trap him into marriage. Then her having given birth to a still born son put a strain on their already rocky tie. The result, they were on the brink of a divorce after a year of separation. But one day in a newspaper Sander saw his wife in the arms of another man and he wants her back. He even goes so far as to stage circumstances which would bring them together. However yet again they shared more physically intimate moments than emotional. Or kept arguing about one problem or the other that arose in the plot down the way. Sander was presented as a very guarded and wary man, but who had potential to be caring and loving. He did show tenderness and fatherly traits nearing the end but somehow he fell short for me in his regard for Tally. The author, Lynne Graham, failed to give me a in the end a satisfactory Hero who i could believe would disintegrate did he not get the Heroine to enrich his life forever. Sander, i thought though would have been somewhat heart broken if Tally had not stayed with him, but it would not have taken much for him to bounce back on his feet after some time. Oh, and i kept expecting more from him on the account that the writer kept bringing up the line that he possessed a very volatile temperament - in both parts of the book - but he did absolutely non to confirm that !! What a bummer !! I waited and waited for something big and VOLATILE to come from him. But sadly, Tally showed more temperament in the story than him ! Oh he did get angery once in a while, even hit Roger, whom he believed was having an affair with his wife, yet i found him more milder than Tally, 'cause that hitting scene wasn't much to reckon either.
March 7, 2013
Main characters:
Tally
Sander
Why I added the book: It's the sequel of The Marriage Betrayal.
About the book:The 2nd novel starts about 1 year and a half from where the either one left of. Evidently things went south and now Tally and Sander are in the process of divorce. They managed to f*uck things up and now Sander is trying to reconcile.
I can't begin to tell you how much Tally got on my nerves. She's judgmental, has double standards and keeps making stupid decisions. She accuses Sander of keeping her out and ignoring her, but, actually, she's the one to blame. She's convinced that she's always right and can't accept responsibility. I didn't say that Sander is perfect, far from it, but at least he is trying and he's honest... All in all I can't see what he finds in her.
The writing was good and the story had some funny moments. The secondary characters got a little better: Tally's mom is becoming self reliant(who would have thought?!) and her dad is finally fixing their relationship(not that she deserves it).
Would I recommend the book: In a way it was better then the 1st, but it's also worse. Anyway, to read this one you definitely have to start with book 1. Having said that, I don't believe in the character's HEA and on their marriage on the long term...
Final rating: 2.5-3*
PS:This review was a good way to relax for me :D
Tally
Sander
Why I added the book: It's the sequel of The Marriage Betrayal.
About the book:The 2nd novel starts about 1 year and a half from where the either one left of. Evidently things went south and now Tally and Sander are in the process of divorce. They managed to f*uck things up and now Sander is trying to reconcile.
I can't begin to tell you how much Tally got on my nerves. She's judgmental, has double standards and keeps making stupid decisions. She accuses Sander of keeping her out and ignoring her, but, actually, she's the one to blame. She's convinced that she's always right and can't accept responsibility. I didn't say that Sander is perfect, far from it, but at least he is trying and he's honest... All in all I can't see what he finds in her.
The writing was good and the story had some funny moments. The secondary characters got a little better: Tally's mom is becoming self reliant(who would have thought?!) and her dad is finally fixing their relationship(not that she deserves it).
Would I recommend the book: In a way it was better then the 1st, but it's also worse. Anyway, to read this one you definitely have to start with book 1. Having said that, I don't believe in the character's HEA and on their marriage on the long term...
Final rating: 2.5-3*
PS:This review was a good way to relax for me :D
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