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The Wests #3
What the Bride Didn't Know
Trig Sinclair heeft zijn ogen niet in zijn zak zitten. Hij ziet heus wel dat Lena West is uitgegroeid tot een meer dan aantrekkelijke vrouw. Toch is en blijft ze het jongere zusje van zijn beste vriend en dus verboden terrein. Bovendien is hij er puur en alleen om haar te beschermen, nu ze het in haar hoofd heeft gehaald naar Istanboel af te reizen. Handjes thuis dus! Dat lukt hem best aardig, tot hij alleen met haar in hun gedeelde hotelkamer staat...
Dit verhaal is ook verkrijgbaar in een 2-in-1 bundel.
Dit verhaal is ook verkrijgbaar in een 2-in-1 bundel.
217 pages, Mass Market Paperback
Published October 22, 2013
28 people are currently reading
851 people want to read
About the author
Kelly Hunter
287 books422 followersAustralian born Kelly Hunter is a three time Romance Writers of America Rita finalist, a USA Today Bestselling author and loves writing to the demands of the short category romance form.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 93 reviews
February 24, 2014
Rating 3.5 stars
The mark of a good book is often when an author is able to create enough interest in a reader to go back and read the books that came previously and What the Bride Didn't Know did just that. I am familiar with Kelly Hunter and count her Bennett series amongst my favourites but somehow missed out on the West family.
First off I am a sucker for friends to lovers story especially when it is the guy who has had the bulk of feelings and does the chasing. Trig is an extremely likable hero who follows Lena on her quest to find her MIA elder brother. Lena worked together with Trig and her brother in special ops, when she was injured badly, limiting her physically. I loved the fact that Lena was a heroine who had been involved in a physical career and her struggle to adjust to a new reality was depicted well. What happened with her, made her brother go off seeking revenge and worried about him Lena's tries to find him and Trig comes along, much to her chagrin.
Lena and Trig have always had less than familial feelings towards each other but Trig never acted on them out of respect for her brother, but what happened to her, changed all of that. To me it was frustrating and funny to see Trig try to unsucessfully bring about a change in their relationship and when Lena lost her memories, seeing Trig struggle not to grasp something he has wanted forever.
For me this book was all about Trig because Lena was a tougher character and I wanted to tell her to snap out of it and never let go off Trig.I loved Trig and the whole setting of the book and cannot wait to read about the last missing West sibling.
ARC provided by Netgalley.
The mark of a good book is often when an author is able to create enough interest in a reader to go back and read the books that came previously and What the Bride Didn't Know did just that. I am familiar with Kelly Hunter and count her Bennett series amongst my favourites but somehow missed out on the West family.
First off I am a sucker for friends to lovers story especially when it is the guy who has had the bulk of feelings and does the chasing. Trig is an extremely likable hero who follows Lena on her quest to find her MIA elder brother. Lena worked together with Trig and her brother in special ops, when she was injured badly, limiting her physically. I loved the fact that Lena was a heroine who had been involved in a physical career and her struggle to adjust to a new reality was depicted well. What happened with her, made her brother go off seeking revenge and worried about him Lena's tries to find him and Trig comes along, much to her chagrin.
Lena and Trig have always had less than familial feelings towards each other but Trig never acted on them out of respect for her brother, but what happened to her, changed all of that. To me it was frustrating and funny to see Trig try to unsucessfully bring about a change in their relationship and when Lena lost her memories, seeing Trig struggle not to grasp something he has wanted forever.
For me this book was all about Trig because Lena was a tougher character and I wanted to tell her to snap out of it and never let go off Trig.I loved Trig and the whole setting of the book and cannot wait to read about the last missing West sibling.
ARC provided by Netgalley.
April 16, 2018
This is third in a series and it's probably best if you read them in order. I know there were times when I wished I had known more about the intrusions and backstory.
This is short, which is fortunate as it doesn't withstand scrutiny, even a little. I mean, the whole plot is one contrivance after another starting with their self-assigned "mission" and continuing through the plot-bearing amnesia and eventual resolution. Trig is kinda nice, though. And Lena had just enough weight in her Tragic Past™ for it to feel like an actual emotional hangup she needed to work through. So I enjoyed their relationship development (with the exception of the final blowup that everyone can see coming and still failed to avoid) and was fine to be along.
So this ends up a weak three stars because at least the author didn't try to drag it out and I even laughed out loud a time or two. Plus, the underlying relationship felt honest enough despite the shallow trappings to make up for the less-substantial bits. At least partially.
A note about Steamy: There's a single explicit sex scene. The story is short enough that it still felt like the middle of my steam tolerance even though that's probably a bit high if I'm being honest.
This is short, which is fortunate as it doesn't withstand scrutiny, even a little. I mean, the whole plot is one contrivance after another starting with their self-assigned "mission" and continuing through the plot-bearing amnesia and eventual resolution. Trig is kinda nice, though. And Lena had just enough weight in her Tragic Past™ for it to feel like an actual emotional hangup she needed to work through. So I enjoyed their relationship development (with the exception of the final blowup that everyone can see coming and still failed to avoid) and was fine to be along.
So this ends up a weak three stars because at least the author didn't try to drag it out and I even laughed out loud a time or two. Plus, the underlying relationship felt honest enough despite the shallow trappings to make up for the less-substantial bits. At least partially.
A note about Steamy: There's a single explicit sex scene. The story is short enough that it still felt like the middle of my steam tolerance even though that's probably a bit high if I'm being honest.
March 3, 2014
Another enjoyable Kelly Hunter. As I've said before this is an author who needs to move on to longer contemporary romances and out of genre. I haven't read the other books in the series, and how did I miss them? I will be going back and reading them though. This one was cute while also have serious themes. The heroine is recovering from a very serious gunshot wound and her life is very dfferent from the extremely active one that she's always lived.
The hero, Trig, has loved her practically all their lives but couldn't pursue it because she was his best friend's little sister. Finally though he gets up the nerve to ask her for a relationship right before she gets a bump on the head that gives her partial amnesia. She ends up thinking they are married. I loved seeing him trying so hard to be honorable but still being so tempted to take what he's always wanted from her.
Great writing and believable amnesia, believable plotting (not always the case in Harlequin land).
The hero, Trig, has loved her practically all their lives but couldn't pursue it because she was his best friend's little sister. Finally though he gets up the nerve to ask her for a relationship right before she gets a bump on the head that gives her partial amnesia. She ends up thinking they are married. I loved seeing him trying so hard to be honorable but still being so tempted to take what he's always wanted from her.
Great writing and believable amnesia, believable plotting (not always the case in Harlequin land).
December 5, 2014
This was not a good story for me. I also had problems with the audiobook narrator.
HERE’S THE SETUP:
Lena is traveling with Trig. She is mugged. They take her wallet. She is unconscious. Trig tells the hospital that she is his wife so they will quickly treat her and talk to him about it. She is not his wife. They are friends.
MOST OF THE STORY (with sort of Spoilers, but they are predictable due to the romance formula):
Lena has selective amnesia and asks Trig all kinds of questions about their marriage and relationship. Trig tries to do the honorable thing and not have sex with her until she regains her memory. But Lena insists on kissing and seducing him. She also makes him buy wedding rings saying it will help her memory. She insists that he get down on his knees and give her the proposal speech again. She asks questions like: Do you love me? Did we often have fights? What was sex like for us? She talks about the kind of house they should buy and their future kids. Then there is the predictable-big-separation-conflict when she regains her memory. She is angry with Trig saying you lied to me, you let me make a fool of myself. So she leaves him. Then she grieves and misses him and is lonely.
THERE IS NO PLOT OUTSIDE THE ABOVE:
The book blurb mentioned special ops and a secret mission to Istanbul, so I thought romantic suspense. But it’s not. The plot was supposed to be about finding Lena’s missing brother Jared. There was no action or development of that. It was solved with phone calls.
MY OPINION:
Most of the book was during her amnesia. It was not interesting. The conflicts were predictable. You knew there would be conflict when her memory returned. You need to suspend disbelief because Trig should have told her they were not married early on, but he didn’t. She was not in a precarious medical situation. She could have handled the truth because she was so pushy with so many other things. No fragility there.
AUDIOBOOK NARRATOR:
I had two problems with India Plum. 1. She spoke in a bland-dull-flat-tone, like she was bored. 2. She has a heavy Australian accent. It’s interesting to hear, but I often found myself thinking about how she said things instead of what she said. The accent was hard for me, but it might be ok for others.
DATA:
Narrative mode: 3rd person. Unabridged audiobook length: 4 hrs and 57 mins. Swearing language: mild but not often used. Sexual language: none. Number of sex scenes: one with no details shown. Setting: current day Australia and Turkey. Book copyright: 2013. Genre: contemporary romance, amnesia.
HERE’S THE SETUP:
Lena is traveling with Trig. She is mugged. They take her wallet. She is unconscious. Trig tells the hospital that she is his wife so they will quickly treat her and talk to him about it. She is not his wife. They are friends.
MOST OF THE STORY (with sort of Spoilers, but they are predictable due to the romance formula):
Lena has selective amnesia and asks Trig all kinds of questions about their marriage and relationship. Trig tries to do the honorable thing and not have sex with her until she regains her memory. But Lena insists on kissing and seducing him. She also makes him buy wedding rings saying it will help her memory. She insists that he get down on his knees and give her the proposal speech again. She asks questions like: Do you love me? Did we often have fights? What was sex like for us? She talks about the kind of house they should buy and their future kids. Then there is the predictable-big-separation-conflict when she regains her memory. She is angry with Trig saying you lied to me, you let me make a fool of myself. So she leaves him. Then she grieves and misses him and is lonely.
THERE IS NO PLOT OUTSIDE THE ABOVE:
The book blurb mentioned special ops and a secret mission to Istanbul, so I thought romantic suspense. But it’s not. The plot was supposed to be about finding Lena’s missing brother Jared. There was no action or development of that. It was solved with phone calls.
MY OPINION:
Most of the book was during her amnesia. It was not interesting. The conflicts were predictable. You knew there would be conflict when her memory returned. You need to suspend disbelief because Trig should have told her they were not married early on, but he didn’t. She was not in a precarious medical situation. She could have handled the truth because she was so pushy with so many other things. No fragility there.
AUDIOBOOK NARRATOR:
I had two problems with India Plum. 1. She spoke in a bland-dull-flat-tone, like she was bored. 2. She has a heavy Australian accent. It’s interesting to hear, but I often found myself thinking about how she said things instead of what she said. The accent was hard for me, but it might be ok for others.
DATA:
Narrative mode: 3rd person. Unabridged audiobook length: 4 hrs and 57 mins. Swearing language: mild but not often used. Sexual language: none. Number of sex scenes: one with no details shown. Setting: current day Australia and Turkey. Book copyright: 2013. Genre: contemporary romance, amnesia.
January 28, 2022
Los australianos Lena y Adrian llevan años enamorados, pero sin decírselo. Sería un amigos a amantes con ella amnésica, en Estambul y él haciéndose pasar por su marido, y algo de intriga, ¡no hay quien de más en un formato tan breve! La cogí con ganas, porque otras cosas que había leído de Kelly Hunter me habían gustado. Pero a esta, la verdad, nada le encontré de especial.
Reseña algo más extensa, en mi blog.
Reseña algo más extensa, en mi blog.
October 13, 2019
Good couple. Lots of plot holes.
September 15, 2013
Leaning on others for strength is not something everyone is able to do, for some they feel as if their weakness and inability to perform a certain task or act in a certain manner is their downfall simply because it means they are not normal. They tend to build up walls of defence to insure no one intrudes until such time they have sorted through it all, but some of them never fully emerge from behind those walls ever again.
Instead they come out stronger and more determined than ever before to get back out there and tackle life but a part of them still holds onto their former self, wishing they could go back and change the past.
Their determination does have the positive outcome of them pushing hard to gain balance again in life but unfortunately for some it also means that they are only willing to push forward on their own and never with the help from anyone else no matter how much that person loves them.
In the new read from Kelly Hunter the story of Lena and Trig is one that plays out the "lean on me" line perfectly. Lena has always been a tomboy, wanting to play it hard with the big boys and she does so with perfect skill, always chasing the adrenalin of the world gunning down bad guys one bullet at a time, and right by her side is her brother Jared and his best friend Adrian or better known as Trig. Trig has always wanted Lena but Jared made it clear from day one that Trig is not to even so much as think about touching his sister unless it is to save her from harm.
So when Lena and Trig find themselves undercover in Istanbul hunting down Jared and Lena takes a fall what other choice does Trig have but to take care of her and protect her from further harm, that is until she finds out he is the harm and his lies will be worse than any physical pain Lena has ever had to endure, but all is fair in love and war and Trig intends to win this war one way or the other.
The character of Lena was absolutely terrific! I loved her spunk and "what a man can do so can I "attitude. It is not every woman that takes that approach instead most back down and admits that she cannot do everything a man can do, but Lena took no prisoners and fought every bit has hard as any man would when action is required. But this attitude is not always a good thing as the author showed when Lena goes down and needs to lean on someone to get back up, it is her determined attitude that prevents her from letting anyone in. I adored how the author transformed Lena to be a softer and more feminine heroine one outfit at a time and in the end I was more than happy with the results as it reminded me that when we hit a roadblock that requires chance in life it is not only the inside that needs to be examined.
The character of Trig was oh so very yummy and just plain to die for hero material. Honourable, loyal, strong, courages, sexy and just everything a woman could ask for. I adored his little moments where he finds himself knowing he should not touch but goes for it anyway and then afterwards he feels the guilt. But what made him really unique was that even though he feels guilty he at the same time knows how much he loves Lena, has always loved her, and this balances out the guilt of betrayal to his promise to her brother , showing him in the light of "I know what I did was wrong but it was such a good wrong because the good that can come from it is so worth it".
The backdrop settings were exquisitely gorgeous and so stunning described by the author I felt as if I were wrapped up in the silk and could touch the colours being described, feel the warmth of the Turkish baths and hear the music flowing through me.
The dialogue was all sweet, sensual, sexy heat and left me breathless, entranced and begging for more! I felt every kind of emotion I want from a romance read, a little adrenalin, passion, sadness and joy.
I am taking away a message of when you are down, don't try to get back up on your own, leaning on someone for support does not show you as weak it merely shows you are human and not invincible or capable of always remaining upright, let go and let someone in, you give a little and the rest can come from a stronger person, the trick is to find the balance. And when you love someone always do everything you can to let them know, but do it the honesty way, for if you don't they might never be back in your arms.
I highly recommend this read for all romance fans looking for a hot, sexy, passionate fun and flirty read with a powerful and very memorable message of life and what can be if you let go. A definite must read from one of today's best selling authors!
5/5 star review
"She's down and he's there to pick her right back up and into his bed"
Instead they come out stronger and more determined than ever before to get back out there and tackle life but a part of them still holds onto their former self, wishing they could go back and change the past.
Their determination does have the positive outcome of them pushing hard to gain balance again in life but unfortunately for some it also means that they are only willing to push forward on their own and never with the help from anyone else no matter how much that person loves them.
In the new read from Kelly Hunter the story of Lena and Trig is one that plays out the "lean on me" line perfectly. Lena has always been a tomboy, wanting to play it hard with the big boys and she does so with perfect skill, always chasing the adrenalin of the world gunning down bad guys one bullet at a time, and right by her side is her brother Jared and his best friend Adrian or better known as Trig. Trig has always wanted Lena but Jared made it clear from day one that Trig is not to even so much as think about touching his sister unless it is to save her from harm.
So when Lena and Trig find themselves undercover in Istanbul hunting down Jared and Lena takes a fall what other choice does Trig have but to take care of her and protect her from further harm, that is until she finds out he is the harm and his lies will be worse than any physical pain Lena has ever had to endure, but all is fair in love and war and Trig intends to win this war one way or the other.
The character of Lena was absolutely terrific! I loved her spunk and "what a man can do so can I "attitude. It is not every woman that takes that approach instead most back down and admits that she cannot do everything a man can do, but Lena took no prisoners and fought every bit has hard as any man would when action is required. But this attitude is not always a good thing as the author showed when Lena goes down and needs to lean on someone to get back up, it is her determined attitude that prevents her from letting anyone in. I adored how the author transformed Lena to be a softer and more feminine heroine one outfit at a time and in the end I was more than happy with the results as it reminded me that when we hit a roadblock that requires chance in life it is not only the inside that needs to be examined.
The character of Trig was oh so very yummy and just plain to die for hero material. Honourable, loyal, strong, courages, sexy and just everything a woman could ask for. I adored his little moments where he finds himself knowing he should not touch but goes for it anyway and then afterwards he feels the guilt. But what made him really unique was that even though he feels guilty he at the same time knows how much he loves Lena, has always loved her, and this balances out the guilt of betrayal to his promise to her brother , showing him in the light of "I know what I did was wrong but it was such a good wrong because the good that can come from it is so worth it".
The backdrop settings were exquisitely gorgeous and so stunning described by the author I felt as if I were wrapped up in the silk and could touch the colours being described, feel the warmth of the Turkish baths and hear the music flowing through me.
The dialogue was all sweet, sensual, sexy heat and left me breathless, entranced and begging for more! I felt every kind of emotion I want from a romance read, a little adrenalin, passion, sadness and joy.
I am taking away a message of when you are down, don't try to get back up on your own, leaning on someone for support does not show you as weak it merely shows you are human and not invincible or capable of always remaining upright, let go and let someone in, you give a little and the rest can come from a stronger person, the trick is to find the balance. And when you love someone always do everything you can to let them know, but do it the honesty way, for if you don't they might never be back in your arms.
I highly recommend this read for all romance fans looking for a hot, sexy, passionate fun and flirty read with a powerful and very memorable message of life and what can be if you let go. A definite must read from one of today's best selling authors!
5/5 star review
"She's down and he's there to pick her right back up and into his bed"
November 8, 2013
This book was pure fun!
Our couple, Trig and Lena, have known each other since forever. They're as close as family and openly share that love. However, the thing that's never spoken about by either of them, is that they are also completely in love with each other in a very non-familial way. The obstacle to that love? Lena's older brother, who put a kibosh on any attempts Trig made with his younger sister as a teen, which he has never revoked.
We rejoin Lena and Trig some 15 years later - and after all three of them ended up training together in a special ops task force - as they jet off to Istanbul to try and track down her now missing brother. You see, 19 months ago Lena got gut shot in the line of duty, and her brother, in his guilt, threw himself deeper into his undercover operation. So deep, in fact, no one has seen or heard from him since. Furious, Lena's determined to find him now that she's back on her feet, mostly. And what kind of "friend" would Trig be if her let her go alone?
Now, there's a twist to the story at this point that makes the title suddenly make a whole heap more sense! Since it doesn't reveal it in the blurb, I won't either, but it's fun and made me smile. A lot!
Both Lena and Trig were totally lovable as main characters, with some great dialogue and scorching steamy scenes. I particularly loved Lena's spreadsheet at the end, lol. Too cute!
Of course, being a Harlequin KISS title, WHAT THE BRIDE DIDN'T KNOW was fairly short and sweet, and although it was wrapped up regarding her brother et all, it was super-brief and the main focus is almost completely on the relationship between Lena And Trig. Which actually worked for me and was just what I was in the mood for.
In sum, I enjoyed WHAT THE BRIDE DIDN'T KNOW a lot and would recommend it as a great, quick read that will put a grin on your face. Give it a try, you won't regret it.
4 Stars ★★★★
ARC provided by the publisher in exchange for an honest review.
Our couple, Trig and Lena, have known each other since forever. They're as close as family and openly share that love. However, the thing that's never spoken about by either of them, is that they are also completely in love with each other in a very non-familial way. The obstacle to that love? Lena's older brother, who put a kibosh on any attempts Trig made with his younger sister as a teen, which he has never revoked.
We rejoin Lena and Trig some 15 years later - and after all three of them ended up training together in a special ops task force - as they jet off to Istanbul to try and track down her now missing brother. You see, 19 months ago Lena got gut shot in the line of duty, and her brother, in his guilt, threw himself deeper into his undercover operation. So deep, in fact, no one has seen or heard from him since. Furious, Lena's determined to find him now that she's back on her feet, mostly. And what kind of "friend" would Trig be if her let her go alone?
Now, there's a twist to the story at this point that makes the title suddenly make a whole heap more sense! Since it doesn't reveal it in the blurb, I won't either, but it's fun and made me smile. A lot!
Both Lena and Trig were totally lovable as main characters, with some great dialogue and scorching steamy scenes. I particularly loved Lena's spreadsheet at the end, lol. Too cute!
Of course, being a Harlequin KISS title, WHAT THE BRIDE DIDN'T KNOW was fairly short and sweet, and although it was wrapped up regarding her brother et all, it was super-brief and the main focus is almost completely on the relationship between Lena And Trig. Which actually worked for me and was just what I was in the mood for.
In sum, I enjoyed WHAT THE BRIDE DIDN'T KNOW a lot and would recommend it as a great, quick read that will put a grin on your face. Give it a try, you won't regret it.
4 Stars ★★★★
ARC provided by the publisher in exchange for an honest review.
January 12, 2014
I didn't really enjoy this book and I think this was due mainly to the misleading synopsis. I thought this would be a romance with the two protagonists posing as newly weds to further a covert-ops type mystery sub-plot. Rather than an intentional ruse, the pretend honeymoon is because Lena, our likeable heroine, hits her head, suffers amnesia, and ends up believing she's married to Trig, our even more likeable hero. I know that there's a certain amount of suspension of disbelief that goes with this genre. Okay, I'll buy that everyone is wealthy, preternaturally attractive (though a key plot point is that Lena's recovering from a devastating shooting that's left her scarred physically and emotionally), and has somehow managed to harbor a crush for nearly a decade without ever acting on it, but I'm not willing to eschew basics rules of science. The amnesia was just too contrived and unrealistic for me. On top of that, there was no actual action, as you might expect from a book where both main characters work for the secret service and are in Turkey on a "mission" (finding Lena's brother who went off-the-grid for revenge after Lena was shot).
The two stars are for what I did like: the description of Turkey and its food and culture, the far-from perfect heroine, and the moments of tension as Trig tried to resist Lena who was eager to enjoy their honeymoon.
Two stars = Didn't like it
The two stars are for what I did like: the description of Turkey and its food and culture, the far-from perfect heroine, and the moments of tension as Trig tried to resist Lena who was eager to enjoy their honeymoon.
Two stars = Didn't like it
February 22, 2014
Lena haven’t heard from her brother for some time now. He is on a secret assignment but being away without any contact, she worried he may be in trouble and wanted to search for him. Trig is her brother’s best friend, decided to go along with her. When Lena was injured due to an accident, she lost her memory and she thought that Trig and she is married and is on honeymoon. She tried so hard to recall their wedding and moments of them together. She doesn’t want her injury to hinder them from enjoying their honeymoon. However, this is a pure torture for Trig as he have always wanted her but because she is his best friend’s sister, he didn’t pursue her further.
I like the losing of memory and the subsequent events plot very much. Find it very refreshing and funny when Trig struggle to withstand Lena’s advances. I like Trig more than Lena in this book (which rarely happened) as I find him caring and loyal. Overall, it is suspense romance read with an interesting plot with a twist for me.
I like the losing of memory and the subsequent events plot very much. Find it very refreshing and funny when Trig struggle to withstand Lena’s advances. I like Trig more than Lena in this book (which rarely happened) as I find him caring and loyal. Overall, it is suspense romance read with an interesting plot with a twist for me.
October 21, 2013
ARC Review: What the Bride Didn't Know by Kelly Hunter
Rating = 4.25/5
Caliber SEAL: AWESOME READ!
Final Verdict: Loved the snazzy humor and the sizzle! No wonder Trig and Lena makes for such a fantastic duo.
Review goes live at 00:00 hours MVT, October 22, 2013!
Rating = 4.25/5
Caliber SEAL: AWESOME READ!
Final Verdict: Loved the snazzy humor and the sizzle! No wonder Trig and Lena makes for such a fantastic duo.
Review goes live at 00:00 hours MVT, October 22, 2013!
October 26, 2013
This is the first book I've read by Ms. Hunter. I enjoyed it so much that I'm gonna track down the first two West siblings books. And I hope you got another one planned for Jared.
Loved Trig. Such a good man and had loved her for forever. Lena I wanted to smack. Really was it so hard to believe in him and his love. Shame.
Loved Trig. Such a good man and had loved her for forever. Lena I wanted to smack. Really was it so hard to believe in him and his love. Shame.
February 21, 2015
Nothing about this book should have worked, but I found it charming and delightful nonetheless and I really want to stay at that hotel.
And I want Jared's book. RIGHT NOW.
And I want Jared's book. RIGHT NOW.
January 17, 2014
Reviewed for THC Reviews
"3.5 stars" I requested a review copy of What the Bride Didn't Know, because it sounded like a fun premise and I wanted to try out the new Harlequin Kiss imprint. The story certainly fits with the line's description as being fun and flirty. It also had some decent entertainment value, but ultimately, I didn't really feel the emotional connection between the hero and heroine in the way I would have liked. Trig and Lena have supposedly been in love with one another since their teens. They spent a whole lot of years dancing around their feelings, but when Trig finally revealed his affections for the first time, he just sort of blurts it out with no warning and no buildup to the moment. He supposedly did it that way, because he knows Lena doesn't do romance very well, but since the story is a romance, I couldn't help thinking there should be some in it.:-) For two people who've loved each other from afar and had the hots for each other for years, their relationship just didn't express the intense passion and sexual chemistry I would have expected. It all came off in a more matter of fact way. I also didn't see any particularly compelling reason why they couldn't have been together years ago. The cover blurb mentions Trig following the bro code of his best friend's younger sister being off limits, but other than one unspoken exchange between the two in the prologue when they were teenagers, this wasn't brought out as a major source of conflict.
The primary conflict ended up being Lena's temporary memory loss following a bonk on the head which led to Trig allowing her to believe they were married. The initial ruse made sense given that Lena's ID had been stolen. Trig pretending to be her husband helped to expedite her medical care and allowed him to communicate with the doctors, both giving and receiving information about her medical condition. However, once they returned to the hotel, his reasoning for continuing the charade seemed rather weak. I think maybe a part of him wanted it all to be true, but in my opinion, it resulted in what little romance occurred between them during that time being built on a lie, even though everything Trig said to Lena with regards to his feelings was true. Since Lena couldn't remember recent developments in her relationship with Trig and thinks they're married, she's more free with expressing her attraction for Trig than she might have been had she not lost part of her memory, but at the same time, it's impossible for her to fully comprehend the ramifications of what she's asking him for when she requests that he make love to her. Granted, Trig did put forth quite a bit of effort to avoid that, at least for a while, but in the end, he succumbed, making the one love scene feel somewhat tainted. Because of this, I fully agreed with Lena being so upset with him when she finally did regain her memory.
There were a few other general story weaknesses too. Only minimal background information was given on Trig and Lena's work for ASIS (Australia's version of the CIA) or how and why Lena got shot while on a mission for them. I was also a bit confused as to why Lena's brother, Jared, was in Turkey, tracking down leads on an operation gone bad in East Timor which is thousands of miles away. The nude co-ed Turkish bath appeared to be largely a figment of the author's imagination. Given that Turkey is a Muslim country (ie prudish), I was highly skeptical of this scene from the start. Out of curiosity, I did some quick Internet searching of my own and turned up only one co-ed bath in Istanbul, operated primarily for tourists, but they don't go in nude. Ultimately, I think this sequence was meant to build a little sexual tension, but it was merely a fantasy that in my opinion, lacked credibility. I also thought it fell somewhat flat in its purpose too, because despite an obvious attraction, Trig and Lena only minimally peruse each other's bodies during the experience. Instead, they spend most of their time at the bath just talking. As an aside, and I know this isn't the author's fault, but the female model on the cover doesn't match the description of the heroine. The model has blonde hair while Lena's is black. It's a small thing, I know, but a little disconcerting for me when I'm trying to imagine Lena as she's described and kept seeing someone who looks completely different. Also, the blurb isn't a particularly accurate representation of the story which was a bit misleading since it doesn't even mention the amnesia which was a major plot point.
The upside to the book and the reason I didn't give it a lower rating is that the author did give both Trig and Lena some internal issues that made them relatable and sympathetic. Lena has a bit of an inferiority complex due to her siblings being geniuses while she's more on the normal side of smart. She considers herself to be the ordinary one in a family of extraordinary people. Her extensive physical scarring from being shot only added to her self-consciousness and made her feel like she wasn't good enough for a perfectly gorgeous guy like Trig. For his part, Trig harbors a certain sense of responsibility for Lena getting shot. I wish these insecurities had been brought out a little more though. I think they could have added to that all important emotional connection, but at least, they served to give each of them a little more depth in characterization.
I didn't find out until after reading it that What the Bride Didn't Know is the third book in the West Family series. I did wonder, because Lena's siblings are a fairly significant part of the story, with her brother Damon happily married and her sister, Poppy, in a serious relationship. Apparently, both of them had their stories told in a pair of Harlequin Presents books that preceded this one. According to the author's note at the beginning of the book, there is also a prequel novella that was just recently released entitled The Night Before Christmas in which Trig and Lena have supporting roles and it apparently shows more of their relationship as teenagers. Lena's older brother, Jared, although barely seen, is a strong influence in the background of the story. I have no idea if Ms. Hunter has a book planned for him, but if she does, it has the potential to be an interesting one. Overall, What the Bride Didn't Know may have had some weaknesses but I would still call it a worthwhile read, especially for readers who enjoy lighter romances.
Note: I received a copy of this book from the publisher via GoodReads FirstReads in exchange for an honest review.
"3.5 stars" I requested a review copy of What the Bride Didn't Know, because it sounded like a fun premise and I wanted to try out the new Harlequin Kiss imprint. The story certainly fits with the line's description as being fun and flirty. It also had some decent entertainment value, but ultimately, I didn't really feel the emotional connection between the hero and heroine in the way I would have liked. Trig and Lena have supposedly been in love with one another since their teens. They spent a whole lot of years dancing around their feelings, but when Trig finally revealed his affections for the first time, he just sort of blurts it out with no warning and no buildup to the moment. He supposedly did it that way, because he knows Lena doesn't do romance very well, but since the story is a romance, I couldn't help thinking there should be some in it.:-) For two people who've loved each other from afar and had the hots for each other for years, their relationship just didn't express the intense passion and sexual chemistry I would have expected. It all came off in a more matter of fact way. I also didn't see any particularly compelling reason why they couldn't have been together years ago. The cover blurb mentions Trig following the bro code of his best friend's younger sister being off limits, but other than one unspoken exchange between the two in the prologue when they were teenagers, this wasn't brought out as a major source of conflict.
The primary conflict ended up being Lena's temporary memory loss following a bonk on the head which led to Trig allowing her to believe they were married. The initial ruse made sense given that Lena's ID had been stolen. Trig pretending to be her husband helped to expedite her medical care and allowed him to communicate with the doctors, both giving and receiving information about her medical condition. However, once they returned to the hotel, his reasoning for continuing the charade seemed rather weak. I think maybe a part of him wanted it all to be true, but in my opinion, it resulted in what little romance occurred between them during that time being built on a lie, even though everything Trig said to Lena with regards to his feelings was true. Since Lena couldn't remember recent developments in her relationship with Trig and thinks they're married, she's more free with expressing her attraction for Trig than she might have been had she not lost part of her memory, but at the same time, it's impossible for her to fully comprehend the ramifications of what she's asking him for when she requests that he make love to her. Granted, Trig did put forth quite a bit of effort to avoid that, at least for a while, but in the end, he succumbed, making the one love scene feel somewhat tainted. Because of this, I fully agreed with Lena being so upset with him when she finally did regain her memory.
There were a few other general story weaknesses too. Only minimal background information was given on Trig and Lena's work for ASIS (Australia's version of the CIA) or how and why Lena got shot while on a mission for them. I was also a bit confused as to why Lena's brother, Jared, was in Turkey, tracking down leads on an operation gone bad in East Timor which is thousands of miles away. The nude co-ed Turkish bath appeared to be largely a figment of the author's imagination. Given that Turkey is a Muslim country (ie prudish), I was highly skeptical of this scene from the start. Out of curiosity, I did some quick Internet searching of my own and turned up only one co-ed bath in Istanbul, operated primarily for tourists, but they don't go in nude. Ultimately, I think this sequence was meant to build a little sexual tension, but it was merely a fantasy that in my opinion, lacked credibility. I also thought it fell somewhat flat in its purpose too, because despite an obvious attraction, Trig and Lena only minimally peruse each other's bodies during the experience. Instead, they spend most of their time at the bath just talking. As an aside, and I know this isn't the author's fault, but the female model on the cover doesn't match the description of the heroine. The model has blonde hair while Lena's is black. It's a small thing, I know, but a little disconcerting for me when I'm trying to imagine Lena as she's described and kept seeing someone who looks completely different. Also, the blurb isn't a particularly accurate representation of the story which was a bit misleading since it doesn't even mention the amnesia which was a major plot point.
The upside to the book and the reason I didn't give it a lower rating is that the author did give both Trig and Lena some internal issues that made them relatable and sympathetic. Lena has a bit of an inferiority complex due to her siblings being geniuses while she's more on the normal side of smart. She considers herself to be the ordinary one in a family of extraordinary people. Her extensive physical scarring from being shot only added to her self-consciousness and made her feel like she wasn't good enough for a perfectly gorgeous guy like Trig. For his part, Trig harbors a certain sense of responsibility for Lena getting shot. I wish these insecurities had been brought out a little more though. I think they could have added to that all important emotional connection, but at least, they served to give each of them a little more depth in characterization.
I didn't find out until after reading it that What the Bride Didn't Know is the third book in the West Family series. I did wonder, because Lena's siblings are a fairly significant part of the story, with her brother Damon happily married and her sister, Poppy, in a serious relationship. Apparently, both of them had their stories told in a pair of Harlequin Presents books that preceded this one. According to the author's note at the beginning of the book, there is also a prequel novella that was just recently released entitled The Night Before Christmas in which Trig and Lena have supporting roles and it apparently shows more of their relationship as teenagers. Lena's older brother, Jared, although barely seen, is a strong influence in the background of the story. I have no idea if Ms. Hunter has a book planned for him, but if she does, it has the potential to be an interesting one. Overall, What the Bride Didn't Know may have had some weaknesses but I would still call it a worthwhile read, especially for readers who enjoy lighter romances.
Note: I received a copy of this book from the publisher via GoodReads FirstReads in exchange for an honest review.
February 13, 2021
"Quédate conmigo, Lena, por favor. No te atrevas a irte donde no puedo seguirte."
Trig ha estado enamorado de Lena desde la primera vez en que sus ojos se cruzaron. Desafortunadamente es la hermanita de su mejor amigo, quién es bastante sobreprotector y al parecer ha intuido sus sentimientos puesto que le ha dejado en claro que hay ciertos códigos que no se pueden romper... Cómo: "el salir como la hermana de tu amigo".
Así que a pesar de que pasan los años y él salga con mujeres, no puede borrar los sentimientos que tiene por esa mujer. Mucho menos ahora que trabajan juntos como agentes encubiertos.
Por otro lado, Lena siempre ha querido estar a la par de sus hermanos, por ello es que es temeraria y les sigue los pasos de cerca. Ahora que su trabajo es de alto riesgo ha tenido que lidiar con el peligro tan de cerca que incluso ha recibido uno que otro disparo.
Ahora que su hermano ha desaparecido, no puedo quedarse de brazos cruzados y por ello es que se lanza en una búsqueda en la que la acompañará su compañero del alma de quién ha estado enamorada. Sin embargo, no puede permitirse esos sentimientos, ya que se siente rota e inestable como para compartir su vida con un hombre que es prácticamente perfecto.
No obstante, luego de un accidente bastante peculiar, Lena pierde la memoria por lo que comenzarán una serie de mentiras en las que incluye que ella piense que Trig es su marido.
¿Será está la oportunidad para estos dos de confesar sus sentimientos el uno por el otro?
¿O será justo lo que se necesitaba para separarlos de una vez por todas?
Trig ha estado enamorado de Lena desde la primera vez en que sus ojos se cruzaron. Desafortunadamente es la hermanita de su mejor amigo, quién es bastante sobreprotector y al parecer ha intuido sus sentimientos puesto que le ha dejado en claro que hay ciertos códigos que no se pueden romper... Cómo: "el salir como la hermana de tu amigo".
Así que a pesar de que pasan los años y él salga con mujeres, no puede borrar los sentimientos que tiene por esa mujer. Mucho menos ahora que trabajan juntos como agentes encubiertos.
Por otro lado, Lena siempre ha querido estar a la par de sus hermanos, por ello es que es temeraria y les sigue los pasos de cerca. Ahora que su trabajo es de alto riesgo ha tenido que lidiar con el peligro tan de cerca que incluso ha recibido uno que otro disparo.
Ahora que su hermano ha desaparecido, no puedo quedarse de brazos cruzados y por ello es que se lanza en una búsqueda en la que la acompañará su compañero del alma de quién ha estado enamorada. Sin embargo, no puede permitirse esos sentimientos, ya que se siente rota e inestable como para compartir su vida con un hombre que es prácticamente perfecto.
No obstante, luego de un accidente bastante peculiar, Lena pierde la memoria por lo que comenzarán una serie de mentiras en las que incluye que ella piense que Trig es su marido.
¿Será está la oportunidad para estos dos de confesar sus sentimientos el uno por el otro?
¿O será justo lo que se necesitaba para separarlos de una vez por todas?
November 20, 2022
Me ha gustado mucho esta historia corta con el cliché friend to lovers que no me gusta mucho, aunque en este caso me ha gustado.
Me ha gustado mucho los personajes secundarios y me he quedado con saber las historias de los hermanos de Lena. Es genial poder ver la fuerza y determinación de ella y después del problema en Turquía esa parte más sensible de ella. También me gustó que el fuera el cortado y vergonzoso, aunque me pareció de cobarde no luchar por lo que quería a pesar de su amistad con Jared aunque lo entiendo. Es genial el salseo del libro y que no decaiga en ningún momento.
Me ha faltado un comienzo más explicito, donde se vea más esa amistad y se presenten más despacio los personajes.
Me ha gustado mucho los personajes secundarios y me he quedado con saber las historias de los hermanos de Lena. Es genial poder ver la fuerza y determinación de ella y después del problema en Turquía esa parte más sensible de ella. También me gustó que el fuera el cortado y vergonzoso, aunque me pareció de cobarde no luchar por lo que quería a pesar de su amistad con Jared aunque lo entiendo. Es genial el salseo del libro y que no decaiga en ningún momento.
Me ha faltado un comienzo más explicito, donde se vea más esa amistad y se presenten más despacio los personajes.
August 24, 2017
A bit too much of a stretch, I found the storyline to be, even if it is a romance novel... Trig wouldn't have gotten off so easy if I was Lena...
Also, I really didn't appreciate the whole "I am not woman enough for my husband because I can't bear children and am not as smart as my siblings" thing, nor the parts about Trig and all the family trying to convince Lena in the end that he had absolutely no choice at all in deceiving her and that she should just forgive him because they love each other.
TL;DR: the fake married trope is more effective when all parties are in on it... otherwise, it's creepy and gross.
Also, I really didn't appreciate the whole "I am not woman enough for my husband because I can't bear children and am not as smart as my siblings" thing, nor the parts about Trig and all the family trying to convince Lena in the end that he had absolutely no choice at all in deceiving her and that she should just forgive him because they love each other.
TL;DR: the fake married trope is more effective when all parties are in on it... otherwise, it's creepy and gross.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
November 4, 2013
Lena West has always been trying to keep up with her brainy and capable siblings as well as her older brother’s best friend Adrian, better known as Trig. In fact she’s wanted to keep up with them so much that she followed her older brother Jared and Trig into the special intelligence service as a field operative. Well over a year ago, Lena was shot in the abdomen during a mission and it’s been an incredibly long hard road of rehab. Considering her prognosis was a wheelchair for life, the fact that Lena is up and walking around is a show of her determination.
Now that shes mostly fixed herself, Lena is on a mission to find Jared, who disappeared 18 months ago either on a secret mission of his own, or perhaps not by choice. Lena can’t handle not knowing if Jared is okay and she’s gotten word that someone in Istanbul might be able to help her track him down. At the airport ready to leave, she is accosted by Trig, who, when she refuses to change her mind about the trip, declares that he’s going with her.
Lena has been in love with Trig for years and Trig has always wanted Lena too but Jared made it clear that his sister is off limits. But Jared isn’t around at the moment and when Lena is injured in Istanbul and believes that she and Trig are married, Trig finds it harder and harder to play to the boundaries of propriety when what he wants so much is right in front of him for the taking. But sooner or later Lena is going to remember that they’re not married and that Trig has been going along with her belief that they are – and that betrayal could mean that she’ll never talk to him again. And everything will be lost.
I originally requested this one because I thought it was an undercover pretending to be married story, which I have to admit, is one of my secret guilty pleasures. It wasn’t until I was reading it that I realised it was actually an amnesia story which leads to a pretend marriage and I was excited. I love amnesia stories – they’re even more of a guilty pleasure! And while I really enjoyed parts of this story, overall I don’t feel like it really satisfied me.
I loved that this was a friends to lovers story that involved both of them having wanted each other and had strong feelings for each other over the years but the older-brother-as-the-obstacle is my least favourite thing to keep two people apart. I think that it might work while the female is a mid-teen but as adults, it always seems petty and overbearing. Trig had basically quit his job and been reassigned away from field work to desk work to help Lena rehab after her shooting and I really appreciated his obvious commitment to her and her wellbeing especially as Jared was missing and wasn’t around to fill a role in Lena’s life taking care of her. He also lay his feelings for her on the line before she hits her head and she was ‘thinking about it’ which I found really sort of weird as it didn’t match up with pretty much everything else she’d said about Trig. It was obvious she had feelings for him but when he told her point blank he had feelings for her, she seemed frightened.
The amnesia story was interesting in that most of the amnesia stories I’ve read involve a character forgetting a marriage/spouse. In this Lena remembered Trig but she assumed they were married because of something that she overheard. She made things so difficult for Trig but I really don’t know why he didn’t just tell her that they weren’t married. He assumes she’ll wake up the next morning with her memory but she doesn’t and he ends up making life more difficult for himself by just carrying on with the lie. She asks him questions and he makes up all of this romantic stuff which makes her feel like they’re the perfect couple but then he won’t touch her or go near her in bed (because obviously he doesn’t want to take advantage of her in her delusion) but instead it makes her feel like he is disgusted by the scarring from her shooting and injuries. It’s a delicate balance of playing this out and at times I felt like Trig did some really really unnecessary things. Lying only made things worse when if he’d just explained to her in the beginning, he would’ve avoided a lot of awkward moments for them both and embarrassment for Lena.
Despite the fact that I feel like the lying was clumsily executed as the only way to advance the plot in the way in which the author wanted to do, I enjoyed the writing and the fact that the reader is always privy to Trig’s thoughts and feelings. Romance novels can often be a one sided affair and the male is sort of ignored or things are made enigmatic as the reader attempts to puzzle it out along with the heroine. This was refreshing in a way, to know how deeply Trig felt and how concerned he was for Lena.
I’ve tried to find out if this is part of a series and it doesn’t seem to be (at least Goodreads doesn’t tell me it is and the other books I’ve looked at by Kelly Hunter don’t seem to fit with it) but I can’t help feeling as though I was missing something with Lena’s family. Two of her siblings are partnered and they were introduced in ways where I felt like I should know them and their partners but I didn’t. I may need to investigate further to see if there are more books concerning this family or if the over-familiar way was just the way it was written.
Overall, this was an entertaining read but I do feel as though the amnesia hindered things a little too much.
Now that shes mostly fixed herself, Lena is on a mission to find Jared, who disappeared 18 months ago either on a secret mission of his own, or perhaps not by choice. Lena can’t handle not knowing if Jared is okay and she’s gotten word that someone in Istanbul might be able to help her track him down. At the airport ready to leave, she is accosted by Trig, who, when she refuses to change her mind about the trip, declares that he’s going with her.
Lena has been in love with Trig for years and Trig has always wanted Lena too but Jared made it clear that his sister is off limits. But Jared isn’t around at the moment and when Lena is injured in Istanbul and believes that she and Trig are married, Trig finds it harder and harder to play to the boundaries of propriety when what he wants so much is right in front of him for the taking. But sooner or later Lena is going to remember that they’re not married and that Trig has been going along with her belief that they are – and that betrayal could mean that she’ll never talk to him again. And everything will be lost.
I originally requested this one because I thought it was an undercover pretending to be married story, which I have to admit, is one of my secret guilty pleasures. It wasn’t until I was reading it that I realised it was actually an amnesia story which leads to a pretend marriage and I was excited. I love amnesia stories – they’re even more of a guilty pleasure! And while I really enjoyed parts of this story, overall I don’t feel like it really satisfied me.
I loved that this was a friends to lovers story that involved both of them having wanted each other and had strong feelings for each other over the years but the older-brother-as-the-obstacle is my least favourite thing to keep two people apart. I think that it might work while the female is a mid-teen but as adults, it always seems petty and overbearing. Trig had basically quit his job and been reassigned away from field work to desk work to help Lena rehab after her shooting and I really appreciated his obvious commitment to her and her wellbeing especially as Jared was missing and wasn’t around to fill a role in Lena’s life taking care of her. He also lay his feelings for her on the line before she hits her head and she was ‘thinking about it’ which I found really sort of weird as it didn’t match up with pretty much everything else she’d said about Trig. It was obvious she had feelings for him but when he told her point blank he had feelings for her, she seemed frightened.
The amnesia story was interesting in that most of the amnesia stories I’ve read involve a character forgetting a marriage/spouse. In this Lena remembered Trig but she assumed they were married because of something that she overheard. She made things so difficult for Trig but I really don’t know why he didn’t just tell her that they weren’t married. He assumes she’ll wake up the next morning with her memory but she doesn’t and he ends up making life more difficult for himself by just carrying on with the lie. She asks him questions and he makes up all of this romantic stuff which makes her feel like they’re the perfect couple but then he won’t touch her or go near her in bed (because obviously he doesn’t want to take advantage of her in her delusion) but instead it makes her feel like he is disgusted by the scarring from her shooting and injuries. It’s a delicate balance of playing this out and at times I felt like Trig did some really really unnecessary things. Lying only made things worse when if he’d just explained to her in the beginning, he would’ve avoided a lot of awkward moments for them both and embarrassment for Lena.
Despite the fact that I feel like the lying was clumsily executed as the only way to advance the plot in the way in which the author wanted to do, I enjoyed the writing and the fact that the reader is always privy to Trig’s thoughts and feelings. Romance novels can often be a one sided affair and the male is sort of ignored or things are made enigmatic as the reader attempts to puzzle it out along with the heroine. This was refreshing in a way, to know how deeply Trig felt and how concerned he was for Lena.
I’ve tried to find out if this is part of a series and it doesn’t seem to be (at least Goodreads doesn’t tell me it is and the other books I’ve looked at by Kelly Hunter don’t seem to fit with it) but I can’t help feeling as though I was missing something with Lena’s family. Two of her siblings are partnered and they were introduced in ways where I felt like I should know them and their partners but I didn’t. I may need to investigate further to see if there are more books concerning this family or if the over-familiar way was just the way it was written.
Overall, this was an entertaining read but I do feel as though the amnesia hindered things a little too much.
June 4, 2021
2.5 stars
A short, good story but not what I was expecting. The story reads a bit cliched with some steam and the ever-popular amnesia element and a friends to lovers trope. The writing was good, but I think this story would have benefited from more content. I hardly recognized the connection between Trig and Lena. They were friends, then faked being married and then they ended up together, yet I didn't get a sense of them being deeply connected to pursue a romance. In any case, this made for a quick read in between ARCs.
A short, good story but not what I was expecting. The story reads a bit cliched with some steam and the ever-popular amnesia element and a friends to lovers trope. The writing was good, but I think this story would have benefited from more content. I hardly recognized the connection between Trig and Lena. They were friends, then faked being married and then they ended up together, yet I didn't get a sense of them being deeply connected to pursue a romance. In any case, this made for a quick read in between ARCs.
November 19, 2018
Started out as a fun friends-to-lovers book: he's super hot and has been in love with her for ages, she's angsty and traumatized after a serious injury. Then it goes totally off the rails with a random amnesia plotline. Unfortunate.
April 20, 2021
This was a very cute story. I loved how the hero treated the heroine when she didn’t remember. It was so cute because he was trying very hard to avoid the heroine and the heroine kept on being oblivious.
February 9, 2025
I Read this first, will read others now!
I've completely read this one out of order but if this is book 3, then I'm going to love the others!Wow, had me hooked from page 1... I loved it, I loved the characters, and I cried at the end!I now need to know about the other West brothers!
September 13, 2017
Really enjoyed this. I was glad the hero was the one smittened with her. It was so cute and I actually believed they are in love.
June 18, 2023
Para mi gusto es bastante malo...
September 14, 2025
No hay mucho que decir, es el típico libro romántico que ya sabes lo que pasará al final pero aún así disfrutas el proceso
August 30, 2020
Quite good.
June 18, 2014
“Who are you?”—Lena to Trig
Trig has loved Lena since they were kids, so there was no way he was going to let her go alone to Istanbul to chase after a lead for her missing brother. When an accident causes Lena to have a temporary bit of memory loss and mistakenly believe Trig is her husband, Trig has a chance to see what his future could be like. And he wants it. As for stubborn and insecure Lena? Despite her denials and doubts, she may find that she does, too…
“For the first time since waking up on the floor of Istanbul’s Grand Bazaar, she wondered if her husband was lying to her.”—Lena’s thoughts
Oooh…I wanted to love this book—I really did! I absolutely love the whole best friends who secretly love each other but are afraid to say anything trope! Unfortunately, this book just didn’t do it for me, which is a huge bummer since like I said, I so wanted to love it! First off, from the cover and blurb, I had expected a fun light-hearted story with our hero and heroine pretending to be married and getting caught up in the moment. Instead, It felt a bit more serious, and I actually was cringing in spots at some of the decisions that our two leads made.
There were several hang-ups in the story that I couldn’t get over—even though they were important for the story to happen and the relationship to unfold. First, the two leads are in special ops—training and all. It completely blows my mind that Lena would go to Istanbul to try to see her special ops brother. You’d think that she’d realize that would be a bad idea and super risky for her and her brother—not to mention that she’s still recovering from a serious life-threatening injury. Second, Lena, once again special training and all, gets knocked over by pick-pocketers and gets temporary amnesia from the concussion. This one really makes me grimace—wouldn’t special training have helped her avoid situations like these? At least some kind of training reflex? And oh dear, I really hate amnesia stories and wished that would have been in the blurb. Third—and this is the major kicker—builds off of the second one. Trig lets Lena believe they’re husband and wife. Again and again. Even though he feels guilty and sentenced to hell for doing so. Gaaaaaaaaaaaaaah—then why do it, Trig?!
Aside from those hang-ups, there are some very cute moments and touching scenes, particularly when you realized how much Trig is willing to give up for her. At the same time, you feel bad for Lena, because she has really low self-esteem and needs Trig to be her support as she recovers from her injuries. I could easily see why anyone would fall for Trig in a heart beat, so I couldn’t see why Lena was so hesitant. As for Lena, since we see her at her lowest low, it’s hard to see why Trig is so in love with her except being told he’s loved her forever.
Overall, the romance is OK (about medium-heat level), but I was a bit turned off by Trig’s deception, especially since he could have easily told her the truth and pursued Lena honestly instead of letting Lena think they were married. Because of that, the intimacy almost tilted towards creepy for me, and even Trig realized how wrong it was. Still, there were enough entertaining/sweetly romantic parts in the book to keep me reading, all the way to the tension-filled ending that seemed kinda weird and needing more explanation (this story reads stand-alone, but I’m guessing it’s a lead-way for another book?). This is a 2.5 out of 5 for me.
(Originally posted on my blog; I received a NetGalley copy in exchange for an honest and unbiased review.)
Trig has loved Lena since they were kids, so there was no way he was going to let her go alone to Istanbul to chase after a lead for her missing brother. When an accident causes Lena to have a temporary bit of memory loss and mistakenly believe Trig is her husband, Trig has a chance to see what his future could be like. And he wants it. As for stubborn and insecure Lena? Despite her denials and doubts, she may find that she does, too…
“For the first time since waking up on the floor of Istanbul’s Grand Bazaar, she wondered if her husband was lying to her.”—Lena’s thoughts
Oooh…I wanted to love this book—I really did! I absolutely love the whole best friends who secretly love each other but are afraid to say anything trope! Unfortunately, this book just didn’t do it for me, which is a huge bummer since like I said, I so wanted to love it! First off, from the cover and blurb, I had expected a fun light-hearted story with our hero and heroine pretending to be married and getting caught up in the moment. Instead, It felt a bit more serious, and I actually was cringing in spots at some of the decisions that our two leads made.
There were several hang-ups in the story that I couldn’t get over—even though they were important for the story to happen and the relationship to unfold. First, the two leads are in special ops—training and all. It completely blows my mind that Lena would go to Istanbul to try to see her special ops brother. You’d think that she’d realize that would be a bad idea and super risky for her and her brother—not to mention that she’s still recovering from a serious life-threatening injury. Second, Lena, once again special training and all, gets knocked over by pick-pocketers and gets temporary amnesia from the concussion. This one really makes me grimace—wouldn’t special training have helped her avoid situations like these? At least some kind of training reflex? And oh dear, I really hate amnesia stories and wished that would have been in the blurb. Third—and this is the major kicker—builds off of the second one. Trig lets Lena believe they’re husband and wife. Again and again. Even though he feels guilty and sentenced to hell for doing so. Gaaaaaaaaaaaaaah—then why do it, Trig?!
Aside from those hang-ups, there are some very cute moments and touching scenes, particularly when you realized how much Trig is willing to give up for her. At the same time, you feel bad for Lena, because she has really low self-esteem and needs Trig to be her support as she recovers from her injuries. I could easily see why anyone would fall for Trig in a heart beat, so I couldn’t see why Lena was so hesitant. As for Lena, since we see her at her lowest low, it’s hard to see why Trig is so in love with her except being told he’s loved her forever.
Overall, the romance is OK (about medium-heat level), but I was a bit turned off by Trig’s deception, especially since he could have easily told her the truth and pursued Lena honestly instead of letting Lena think they were married. Because of that, the intimacy almost tilted towards creepy for me, and even Trig realized how wrong it was. Still, there were enough entertaining/sweetly romantic parts in the book to keep me reading, all the way to the tension-filled ending that seemed kinda weird and needing more explanation (this story reads stand-alone, but I’m guessing it’s a lead-way for another book?). This is a 2.5 out of 5 for me.
(Originally posted on my blog; I received a NetGalley copy in exchange for an honest and unbiased review.)
February 26, 2015
I don’t read a lot of contemporary so I wasn’t sure how I was going to like this one but it turned out to be pretty good.
Lena has always struggled in her own mind to be as smart and great as her genius siblings. She has always been in love with her brother Jared’s best friend Adrian aka Trig. She followed them everywhere doing all sorts of daring things and even entered the Australian Intelligence Service with them.
Nineteen months ago she was shot and almost killed and now she can verily walk. She feels weak and doesn’t know how to stop pushing herself. Now she wants to go find her brother Jared who has been missing for the past nineteen months because he is determined to find out who shot her. Trig can’t let her go on her own. So he suggest that they go together and once she lays eyes on Jared and he sees her they can go home.
Trig has been in love with Lena since they were kids but he had to respect the bro code. Now they are adults and he has decided to lay it all on the line but then Lena gets mugged by pickpockets and loses her memory. She doesn’t lose all of her memory and she can remember a lot of it but she can’t remember why they are in Instanbul. She over heard him telling the doctor that she was his wife, so she thinks they are married.
Trig should have corrected her but he didn’t know how to go about telling her the truth and then once it gets going it becomes harder to tell her. He thought she would get her memory back quick but that doesn’t happen. This can only lead to disaster and makes for some fun moments.
I loved Trig so much, he was so sweet and he really was such a gentleman through out the whole thing. I really felt sorry for him because here is a woman he loves who really thinks they are married and he won’t take advantage of that fact and has her trying to seduce him all the time. He was my favorite character.
Lena is a tough cookie she grew always trying to be as good as her brother and Trig. After getting hit in the head she was different when it came to her injuries it seemed she was more apt to accept what happened. Trig likes that part of the new Lena but he wanted the old Lena back. I can’t really say that I got to attached to Lena because you don’t really get to know the real Lena that much because through most of the book she has memory loss. This is really a book more about the hero than heroine to me.
I totally loved the ending to this one as it was just super cute to me. :)
It was a cute, fun contemporary and if you like these types then you will probably enjoy it. I am a little bit tempted to check out others in the series cause this is like book three which is why I sort of put it on the back burner for so long cause I hate diving into the middle of a series.
Lena has always struggled in her own mind to be as smart and great as her genius siblings. She has always been in love with her brother Jared’s best friend Adrian aka Trig. She followed them everywhere doing all sorts of daring things and even entered the Australian Intelligence Service with them.
Nineteen months ago she was shot and almost killed and now she can verily walk. She feels weak and doesn’t know how to stop pushing herself. Now she wants to go find her brother Jared who has been missing for the past nineteen months because he is determined to find out who shot her. Trig can’t let her go on her own. So he suggest that they go together and once she lays eyes on Jared and he sees her they can go home.
Trig has been in love with Lena since they were kids but he had to respect the bro code. Now they are adults and he has decided to lay it all on the line but then Lena gets mugged by pickpockets and loses her memory. She doesn’t lose all of her memory and she can remember a lot of it but she can’t remember why they are in Instanbul. She over heard him telling the doctor that she was his wife, so she thinks they are married.
Trig should have corrected her but he didn’t know how to go about telling her the truth and then once it gets going it becomes harder to tell her. He thought she would get her memory back quick but that doesn’t happen. This can only lead to disaster and makes for some fun moments.
I loved Trig so much, he was so sweet and he really was such a gentleman through out the whole thing. I really felt sorry for him because here is a woman he loves who really thinks they are married and he won’t take advantage of that fact and has her trying to seduce him all the time. He was my favorite character.
Lena is a tough cookie she grew always trying to be as good as her brother and Trig. After getting hit in the head she was different when it came to her injuries it seemed she was more apt to accept what happened. Trig likes that part of the new Lena but he wanted the old Lena back. I can’t really say that I got to attached to Lena because you don’t really get to know the real Lena that much because through most of the book she has memory loss. This is really a book more about the hero than heroine to me.
I totally loved the ending to this one as it was just super cute to me. :)
It was a cute, fun contemporary and if you like these types then you will probably enjoy it. I am a little bit tempted to check out others in the series cause this is like book three which is why I sort of put it on the back burner for so long cause I hate diving into the middle of a series.
December 16, 2013
3.5 stars
Sometimes I come across a book whose enjoyment mainly is due to the charisma of a character. This book wouldn’t have been as enjoyable for me if it weren’t to its leading man, Adrian “Trig” Sinclair. If it wasn’t for him, I don’t know if I would’ve liked the book. He took center stage from the start and didn’t falter throughout the book.
Trig was a great mixture of the strong, take charge male, with wry humor and endearing shyness when it came to dealing with situation involving Lena West who happens to be the woman he’s been in love with for most of his life. Many of those endearing qualities that I liked about him really came out during the situation with Lena believing Trig to be her husband when she lost her memory. I just enjoyed reading his reactions to dealing with her. They were very humorous and more than once I found myself laughing at his expense. And at the heart of it all, is that he’s trying to do the right thing. I couldn’t help but sympathize with his plight while at same time finding amusement in it.
I think the writing really helped in his characterization. It was light and fun. It didn’t take itself too seriously. The writing could’ve turned to a more serious tone in regards to Trig’s and Lena’s situation which would’ve changed how Trig is illustrated. Fortunately, Hunter did a good job of conveying the Trig’s turmoil while still maintaining a lighthearted and fun tone.
Lena was a good counterpart to Trig. You were able to sympathize with her attempts to deal with her disability without being smothered by her self-pity. I can even see readers relating to her insecurities regarding not only her physical disability but the ones relating to her family. She is a good combination of strength and vulnerability.
I did find one aspect of the book a little lacking regarding Lena’s brother Jared. Considering he was the reason why everything happened in the first place plus it was written that he didn’t like the idea of his best friend Trig hooking up with his younger sister Lena, I figured some more time would be devoted to wrapping up these issues. I felt it was quick and unsubstantial. There was potential there for more hilarity, so I was disappointed it didn’t turn out that way.
Overall, this was a cute and funny read. I think my opinion mostly stem from my high regard for Trig. I thought he was the best part of this book. For me, he was the heart of the book and if it weren’t for him I don’t believe it would’ve worked out as well as it did.
The book’s writing maintained it’s lighthearted and humorous tone. It didn’t set out to be anything other than a romantic comedy. I wanted a easy and fun read and this book definitely fit that category.
*Received copy from Goodreads First Reads giveaway
Sometimes I come across a book whose enjoyment mainly is due to the charisma of a character. This book wouldn’t have been as enjoyable for me if it weren’t to its leading man, Adrian “Trig” Sinclair. If it wasn’t for him, I don’t know if I would’ve liked the book. He took center stage from the start and didn’t falter throughout the book.
Trig was a great mixture of the strong, take charge male, with wry humor and endearing shyness when it came to dealing with situation involving Lena West who happens to be the woman he’s been in love with for most of his life. Many of those endearing qualities that I liked about him really came out during the situation with Lena believing Trig to be her husband when she lost her memory. I just enjoyed reading his reactions to dealing with her. They were very humorous and more than once I found myself laughing at his expense. And at the heart of it all, is that he’s trying to do the right thing. I couldn’t help but sympathize with his plight while at same time finding amusement in it.
I think the writing really helped in his characterization. It was light and fun. It didn’t take itself too seriously. The writing could’ve turned to a more serious tone in regards to Trig’s and Lena’s situation which would’ve changed how Trig is illustrated. Fortunately, Hunter did a good job of conveying the Trig’s turmoil while still maintaining a lighthearted and fun tone.
Lena was a good counterpart to Trig. You were able to sympathize with her attempts to deal with her disability without being smothered by her self-pity. I can even see readers relating to her insecurities regarding not only her physical disability but the ones relating to her family. She is a good combination of strength and vulnerability.
I did find one aspect of the book a little lacking regarding Lena’s brother Jared. Considering he was the reason why everything happened in the first place plus it was written that he didn’t like the idea of his best friend Trig hooking up with his younger sister Lena, I figured some more time would be devoted to wrapping up these issues. I felt it was quick and unsubstantial. There was potential there for more hilarity, so I was disappointed it didn’t turn out that way.
Overall, this was a cute and funny read. I think my opinion mostly stem from my high regard for Trig. I thought he was the best part of this book. For me, he was the heart of the book and if it weren’t for him I don’t believe it would’ve worked out as well as it did.
The book’s writing maintained it’s lighthearted and humorous tone. It didn’t set out to be anything other than a romantic comedy. I wanted a easy and fun read and this book definitely fit that category.
*Received copy from Goodreads First Reads giveaway
October 8, 2013
Slick‘s review posted on Guilty Pleasures Book Reviews
Review copy provided for an honest review
4 STARS
This book had such an interesting take on the tried and true friends to lovers angle and well as the brother’s best friend angle, yes they are both present in this story but with a twist. A twist that turns out to be intriguing, entertaining, frustrating, and sexy as hell. What The Bride Didn’t Know is a title that some might misinterpret, but rest assured the bride is no slouch and her “groom” finds that out the hard way.
Lena has been in love with Adrian (Trig) since high school but what she’s never been truly aware of was that he felt the same way. He’s tried to do the right thing by staying hands off because that’s what her brothers want, but following her almost fatal accident and her long recovery he’s finding it harder to maintain distance. When Lena insists on finding her brother who has been missing for 18 months, he decides to accompany her to make sure she stays safe, unfortunately he can’t prevent an accident from happening leaving her with memory loss and believing they are married and on their honeymoon.
I found this story to be so fresh and I absolutely loved Trig and the struggle he had maintaining his distance with Lena. He really is a stand up guy and tried to do the right thing by her which wasn’t easy. He’s one of those heroes that every woman would want; he wants to protect and he wants to be there for the love of his life in any way.
I admire Lena for what she’s been through and the disruption to her life. At times she struggled with accepting help which I understand but I also found it frustrating especially when she needed it. I couldn’t help but respect her strength and her need to make contact with her brother even when it put her and Trig in danger.
I very much enjoyed the travel and danger elements of this story as well as the ongoing romance between Lena and Trig. They got into many interesting situations both in finding Lena’s brother and in finding their way through their unique situation.
There is no doubt this is more of a romantic suspense filled with a lot of sexual tension that does come to a satisfying ending. I enjoyed What The Bride Didn’t Know and hope the author writes stories for some of the secondary characters as I’d love to see Lena and Trig again.
Review copy provided for an honest review
4 STARS
This book had such an interesting take on the tried and true friends to lovers angle and well as the brother’s best friend angle, yes they are both present in this story but with a twist. A twist that turns out to be intriguing, entertaining, frustrating, and sexy as hell. What The Bride Didn’t Know is a title that some might misinterpret, but rest assured the bride is no slouch and her “groom” finds that out the hard way.
Lena has been in love with Adrian (Trig) since high school but what she’s never been truly aware of was that he felt the same way. He’s tried to do the right thing by staying hands off because that’s what her brothers want, but following her almost fatal accident and her long recovery he’s finding it harder to maintain distance. When Lena insists on finding her brother who has been missing for 18 months, he decides to accompany her to make sure she stays safe, unfortunately he can’t prevent an accident from happening leaving her with memory loss and believing they are married and on their honeymoon.
I found this story to be so fresh and I absolutely loved Trig and the struggle he had maintaining his distance with Lena. He really is a stand up guy and tried to do the right thing by her which wasn’t easy. He’s one of those heroes that every woman would want; he wants to protect and he wants to be there for the love of his life in any way.
I admire Lena for what she’s been through and the disruption to her life. At times she struggled with accepting help which I understand but I also found it frustrating especially when she needed it. I couldn’t help but respect her strength and her need to make contact with her brother even when it put her and Trig in danger.
I very much enjoyed the travel and danger elements of this story as well as the ongoing romance between Lena and Trig. They got into many interesting situations both in finding Lena’s brother and in finding their way through their unique situation.
There is no doubt this is more of a romantic suspense filled with a lot of sexual tension that does come to a satisfying ending. I enjoyed What The Bride Didn’t Know and hope the author writes stories for some of the secondary characters as I’d love to see Lena and Trig again.
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