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On The Dotted Line
Dani Sanders is more than just down on her luck. She's in serious danger of peddling for spare change on the street corner. After losing her parents in a car accident years earlier, she's deeply in debt with no way to pay herself out. Now she's lost her job and watched her apartment go down in flames.
Desperate times call for desperate measures.
Enter the successful and drool-worthy real estate mogul Ronan Wells who has a way to solve all her financial problems, but it comes with the price of marrying him.
When feelings start to develop and cracks form in their platonic roommate agreement, will she have the courage to go all in, or will she shy away from love because of demons in her past? When trust is broken and secrets are revealed, will she choose forgiveness or give in to fear?
Desperate times call for desperate measures.
Enter the successful and drool-worthy real estate mogul Ronan Wells who has a way to solve all her financial problems, but it comes with the price of marrying him.
When feelings start to develop and cracks form in their platonic roommate agreement, will she have the courage to go all in, or will she shy away from love because of demons in her past? When trust is broken and secrets are revealed, will she choose forgiveness or give in to fear?
347 pages, Paperback
First published March 17, 2022
4 people are currently reading
30 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 9 of 9 reviews
February 15, 2023
3 😔😔😔🌟s
I am certain most readers have been thrilled with the beginning of a story and then disappointed because it went downhill...
I was so excited while reading OTDL. The writing style and the characters had absorbed me.
The first half had me crazy happy dancing!!! Later though my excitement was shortened.
I fell in love with Ronan and Dani! The impassive, reticent and reserved type next to the sunshine, full-of-life, voluble one!!
Both of them had so many baggage that, while they broke my heart, they made them so relatable and appealing!
It was so heartwarming to watch Ronan’s character changing and becoming more accepting to feelings and emotions.
Let me just say that Dani’s baggage was like a container!
Dani’s fear, hesitance and wavering of Ronan’s violent issues were long winded and dragging. Up to the point of exhaustion.
For me, Ronan’s issues weren’t that great as Dani believed. But her fear had consumed her entirely.
I didn’t like the drama of the last 25% of the story. It could have ended at that point and saved me the disappointment.
I am certain most readers have been thrilled with the beginning of a story and then disappointed because it went downhill...
I was so excited while reading OTDL. The writing style and the characters had absorbed me.
The first half had me crazy happy dancing!!! Later though my excitement was shortened.
I fell in love with Ronan and Dani! The impassive, reticent and reserved type next to the sunshine, full-of-life, voluble one!!
Both of them had so many baggage that, while they broke my heart, they made them so relatable and appealing!
It was so heartwarming to watch Ronan’s character changing and becoming more accepting to feelings and emotions.
Let me just say that Dani’s baggage was like a container!
Dani’s fear, hesitance and wavering of Ronan’s violent issues were long winded and dragging. Up to the point of exhaustion.
For me, Ronan’s issues weren’t that great as Dani believed. But her fear had consumed her entirely.
I didn’t like the drama of the last 25% of the story. It could have ended at that point and saved me the disappointment.
May 29, 2025
This is one of the hardest books I've ever had to review and rate. Because I loved 70% of it I was sure this was going to be a 5 star rate from me.
Then the last 30% happened and the On The Dotted Line took a massive dive in my eyes. I couldn't believe how much I was turned off. I struggled to continue because I really disliked where the author took the story.
WHAT I LIKED
- The reasons why Dani and Ronin get married was very reasonable. He needs to marry before he's 30 for his inheritance... she's down on her luck and needs help with her medical debt. Lawyer Lance who knows them both sets them up and the rest is history.
- Dani standing up to her best friend and sticking to her guns about her decision to marry Ronin.
- Ronin and Dani's relationship development was so well done. Their contract dates, his birthday surprises, Harry Potter marathons, Chicago trip, snuggles in bed. I wish we could have had more.
WHAT I DIDN'T LIKE
- Dani always talked the big talk of supporting Ronin. Like on their wedding day she says she'll be his friend and later when feelings come into the mix... most of their relationship is Dani saying she wants to be there for Ronin. To be a partner to him. But she NEVER is. When not just Ronin but his staff, Lance... warns her about his toxic mother and asshole brother she doesn't listen. Instead of being on her husband's side... she believes his evil mother and creepy brother. Any lies they spew about Ronin... Dani eats it up and lets it go to her head and changes how she sees him. It's like she wanted to find fault in Ronin. In fact she's so desperate to hear bad things about Ronin... she nearly lets herself get raped hearing her rapist speak awfully about him. I was absolutely appalled that Dani always chose to believe them over her own husband who bent over backwards to be so good to her. Who supported her. Who was there for her. Who insisted she takes 50 million of his inheritance. I know she has trauma but Ronin wasn't the cause. Dani's lack of faith or trust in her husband was completely unwarranted, unfair and it really diminished Dani's character in my eyes. She became so naive and pathetic to believe them over Ronin, Carla, Laurie, Lance.
- I don't condone what Ronin did in pushing Dani when he was fighting his brother Bodie. But my god... she got involved. She put herself in the situation to get hurt. She knew he wasn't in his right mind and tried to grab him while he was in a rage. One thing I've always been taught is NEVER EVER get in the middle of a fight because you are guaranteed to get hurt in the crossfire. I understand Dani wanted Ronin to stop but get security, call the police... keep screaming at him. I hated how she turned on him because of that moment. A moment that had been set up from the beginning. She knew Bodie might try something that night... but she let him get to her. and somehow Ronin became the bad guy in her eyes just like her abusive ex Spencer and his wannabe rapist brother Bodie. She just lumped him in with those two sickos and that made me sick. He was a good man and he was good to her and for her to be more upset at him that the man who nearly killed her and the man who wanted to rape her just left a bitter taste in my mouth.
- I thought Ronin's moments of anger were completely justified. Who wouldn't go mad if they caught their pregnant fiancé fucking his own brother in his bed while hearing they were trying to take him for all he was worth? Who wouldn't be furious seeing his wife's abuser? Who wouldn't see red when walking into a room seeing your own brother is trying to rape your wife to hurt you? Ronin wasn't a violent man until he was pushed to the fucking edge and reacted. Meanwhile Dani just let them get away with it all. her response to everything was just to run away.
- Why on earth did Ronin have to go to anger management and counselling but no one was encouraging Dani to get help from her trauma? Girl should have been in loads of therapy years ago. She'd been abused twice and not one person in her life was telling her to get help. I'm glad they got couples counselling but I would have liked to see Dani come to understand her reactive, unfair behaviour sooner than the last two pages.
- The constant references to their dead parents. I've never lost a parent and I can't imagine how much it hurts and changes your life. But Ronin and Dani both lived their lives in the hopes of pleasing them. They thought and talked about it constantly. It was a bit boring to read because it was talked about ad nauseam how much their lives revolved around living up to their parents.
- I think the author was much more focused on Dani's trauma and making her a victim than on Ronin's pain and it really bothered me. He's going through hell too. He's lost his only loving parent. His mother is emotionally vindictive. His brother is out to completely destroy him. He's been lied to his whole life about his paternity. He's in a job he hates. Dani wasn't the only one who's been hurt. I wish the author acknowledged that more. But I felt she was more interested in creating unnecessary conflict in their marriage you could see coming a mile wide than having them be together in order to face their obstacles. I thought the author took the predictable route and painted a neon sign overhead that it was coming so I wasn't surprised when things unfolded as they did.
Then the last 30% happened and the On The Dotted Line took a massive dive in my eyes. I couldn't believe how much I was turned off. I struggled to continue because I really disliked where the author took the story.
WHAT I LIKED
- The reasons why Dani and Ronin get married was very reasonable. He needs to marry before he's 30 for his inheritance... she's down on her luck and needs help with her medical debt. Lawyer Lance who knows them both sets them up and the rest is history.
- Dani standing up to her best friend and sticking to her guns about her decision to marry Ronin.
- Ronin and Dani's relationship development was so well done. Their contract dates, his birthday surprises, Harry Potter marathons, Chicago trip, snuggles in bed. I wish we could have had more.
WHAT I DIDN'T LIKE
- Dani always talked the big talk of supporting Ronin. Like on their wedding day she says she'll be his friend and later when feelings come into the mix... most of their relationship is Dani saying she wants to be there for Ronin. To be a partner to him. But she NEVER is. When not just Ronin but his staff, Lance... warns her about his toxic mother and asshole brother she doesn't listen. Instead of being on her husband's side... she believes his evil mother and creepy brother. Any lies they spew about Ronin... Dani eats it up and lets it go to her head and changes how she sees him. It's like she wanted to find fault in Ronin. In fact she's so desperate to hear bad things about Ronin... she nearly lets herself get raped hearing her rapist speak awfully about him. I was absolutely appalled that Dani always chose to believe them over her own husband who bent over backwards to be so good to her. Who supported her. Who was there for her. Who insisted she takes 50 million of his inheritance. I know she has trauma but Ronin wasn't the cause. Dani's lack of faith or trust in her husband was completely unwarranted, unfair and it really diminished Dani's character in my eyes. She became so naive and pathetic to believe them over Ronin, Carla, Laurie, Lance.
- I don't condone what Ronin did in pushing Dani when he was fighting his brother Bodie. But my god... she got involved. She put herself in the situation to get hurt. She knew he wasn't in his right mind and tried to grab him while he was in a rage. One thing I've always been taught is NEVER EVER get in the middle of a fight because you are guaranteed to get hurt in the crossfire. I understand Dani wanted Ronin to stop but get security, call the police... keep screaming at him. I hated how she turned on him because of that moment. A moment that had been set up from the beginning. She knew Bodie might try something that night... but she let him get to her. and somehow Ronin became the bad guy in her eyes just like her abusive ex Spencer and his wannabe rapist brother Bodie. She just lumped him in with those two sickos and that made me sick. He was a good man and he was good to her and for her to be more upset at him that the man who nearly killed her and the man who wanted to rape her just left a bitter taste in my mouth.
- I thought Ronin's moments of anger were completely justified. Who wouldn't go mad if they caught their pregnant fiancé fucking his own brother in his bed while hearing they were trying to take him for all he was worth? Who wouldn't be furious seeing his wife's abuser? Who wouldn't see red when walking into a room seeing your own brother is trying to rape your wife to hurt you? Ronin wasn't a violent man until he was pushed to the fucking edge and reacted. Meanwhile Dani just let them get away with it all. her response to everything was just to run away.
- Why on earth did Ronin have to go to anger management and counselling but no one was encouraging Dani to get help from her trauma? Girl should have been in loads of therapy years ago. She'd been abused twice and not one person in her life was telling her to get help. I'm glad they got couples counselling but I would have liked to see Dani come to understand her reactive, unfair behaviour sooner than the last two pages.
- The constant references to their dead parents. I've never lost a parent and I can't imagine how much it hurts and changes your life. But Ronin and Dani both lived their lives in the hopes of pleasing them. They thought and talked about it constantly. It was a bit boring to read because it was talked about ad nauseam how much their lives revolved around living up to their parents.
- I think the author was much more focused on Dani's trauma and making her a victim than on Ronin's pain and it really bothered me. He's going through hell too. He's lost his only loving parent. His mother is emotionally vindictive. His brother is out to completely destroy him. He's been lied to his whole life about his paternity. He's in a job he hates. Dani wasn't the only one who's been hurt. I wish the author acknowledged that more. But I felt she was more interested in creating unnecessary conflict in their marriage you could see coming a mile wide than having them be together in order to face their obstacles. I thought the author took the predictable route and painted a neon sign overhead that it was coming so I wasn't surprised when things unfolded as they did.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
April 15, 2022
Excellent!
Excellent is the only word I can use to describe this book. I don’t normally read this type of book but the title caught me and once I started reading I could not stop. Keep writing Ms. Stearns, I am looking forward to the next one!
Excellent is the only word I can use to describe this book. I don’t normally read this type of book but the title caught me and once I started reading I could not stop. Keep writing Ms. Stearns, I am looking forward to the next one!
March 24, 2023
DNF
A guardian like figure, who has promised to protect you and guide you, offer you a way out via arranged marriage to someone else, because they couldn’t care less about helping you build yourself up again?
Nope.
A guardian like figure, who has promised to protect you and guide you, offer you a way out via arranged marriage to someone else, because they couldn’t care less about helping you build yourself up again?
Nope.
April 21, 2024
Katie wastes no time in getting right into the story. I was hooked right away. Initially, I thought the story would be like a Hallmark movie, but I was pleasantly surprised. The characters are phenomenal and definitely had me tearing up at times.
May 22, 2022
Great storyline. Kept me turning the pages to the end! Loved the surprise twist - never saw it coming! Would highly recommend reading this one!
February 13, 2023
H 3
h 2
Story 2.5
Writing 2.5
h 2
Story 2.5
Writing 2.5
July 14, 2023
Wonderful story
March 24, 2024
Great read, good blizzard weather book. Fun to read an author close to home.
Displaying 1 - 9 of 9 reviews