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Infidelity #3
Absolution
The Wife
We had our ups and downs, sure. But we held on. Even after losing a child.
Even through the long nights in hospitals with our sick son.
Even while raising two beautiful girls who made it all worth it.
We weren’t perfect. But we were happy. Or so I thought. Then I found out the truth.
About the lies. The betrayal.
And suddenly, everything I believed in shattered.
The Husband
I had it all. A loving wife. Three incredible kids. A life most men only dream about.
And I threw it away.
I didn’t realize what I had until it was gone, until she found out the truth.
About the lies. About the betrayals.
Now she’s gone, and I’ll do anything to get her back.
I’ll give up the house, the money, even the man I used to be.
All I want is a second chance. Not just to win her back...
But to become the kind of man she never should have had to live without.
We had our ups and downs, sure. But we held on. Even after losing a child.
Even through the long nights in hospitals with our sick son.
Even while raising two beautiful girls who made it all worth it.
We weren’t perfect. But we were happy. Or so I thought. Then I found out the truth.
About the lies. The betrayal.
And suddenly, everything I believed in shattered.
The Husband
I had it all. A loving wife. Three incredible kids. A life most men only dream about.
And I threw it away.
I didn’t realize what I had until it was gone, until she found out the truth.
About the lies. About the betrayals.
Now she’s gone, and I’ll do anything to get her back.
I’ll give up the house, the money, even the man I used to be.
All I want is a second chance. Not just to win her back...
But to become the kind of man she never should have had to live without.
359 pages, Kindle Edition
Published July 20, 2025
398 people are currently reading
180 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 61 reviews
August 4, 2025
Long review ahead... I'm honestly not understanding the high reviews for this. 🤔 I was told on FB that by the end the dick head I mean hero Kyle was redeemed. I must have read a different book, because oh hell no he wasn't. Anyone who follows me knows I read a lot of books with marriage in trouble/infidelity. I'm all for forgiveness and actions... Not words. This man cheated the day his wife went into labor. She was high risk and because the H was butt hurt he wasn't the center of his wife's attention anymore. What with the very difficult pregnancy etc. He decides he deserves to cheat. Not even kidding. So he misses the birth of his children. She had IVF and was pregnant with 4. Loses one on the way to the hospital because asshole wasn't there. He was fucking some red head. Excuse my language. So he's hurt and says he'll do better. Wife is TDTL and doesn't suspect anything. Forgives him. Moves on. Fast forward to the pandemic. h loses both her parents. Is distraught. Walks out on fam later. Yeah, not a good mother, but she had zero support. Everyone should have been rallying behind her because it takes a village. Comes back three months later or something like that. Could have been shorter. Should have gone straight to therapy. Asshole Kyle's fed up. Feels he has complete access now to cheat because he thinks his marriage is over and yet again deserves to cheat. He's cold. Nothing reassuring in his POV. Nothing! h decides she's going to try. She flies to surprise him at his "work" trip. Sees him banging the hotel housekeeping over a balcony. Doesn't say anything and leaves. She has a family meeting with her bro and sis calling him a good father and maybe she should forgive him. Bro and sis look at her like she's got two heads. Bro confesses he knows Kyle cheated when h went into labor twelve year's ago. She's pissed. Decides to lawyer up secretly. Decides to get revenge giving Kyle estrogen pills secretly from relative or friend. Can't remember. He tries to cheat with his secretary, but can't get it up. That's the only reason he stopped cheating. Erectile dysfunction. He doesn't get any points! His pov is still poor me I deserve to cheat. h finally divorces him. He can't move on. Finally get's therapy and author blames everything on his mom and dad. But of course. Not taking any responsibility here. I wasn't buying his I'm doing better and I know now what I did was wrong. She tries to date, but of course one relationship doesn't work out and the author kills off another one. 🤷 Leaving room for Kyle. The end. Will he cheat again? Who knows. He's getting older so maybe not. But hey maybe next time h will finally poison him. Overall not a good redemption in my eyes because there were no actions of him trying besides therapy and sending her flowers. Oh, and helping with the kids. This all happens in the last 85% of the book. So it was rushed. There's just better marriage in trouble books out there that actually have a believable redemption if that's what you're looking for. Sorry for the rant and low review. Wish I could rate it higher, but I can't.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
August 11, 2025
Sorry, but I’m actually going too rate this low. For one reason only.
The MMC cheated during the pregnancy and then hid the fact he was out cheating when he could’ve spent the time with his wife and possibly save their child from dying.
I get it! It’s for that “WOW” factor. But it’s revolting how he made the FMC think it was her fault for years only to find out through her brother of all people.
He promised himself in his inner dialogue he’d never cheat again but when things get tough he goes out and cheat with a lot of ladies whenever he has his business trips. And get this, he blames her for him stepping out… again!
This story would’ve benefited more if the FMC moved on as the angst was already spectacular.
I just cannot get past the fact he made her believe the death of their child was her fault solely because she was wasting time trying to call him while he was fucking some random chick for YEARS! He was a coward and probably one of the worst MMC I have ever come across.
Thats unforgivable. The fact she took him back as well. It was like this author made me great breakfast and then looked me in the eye and took a big fat shit in it with that ending.
Anyways I did enjoy her other books
The MMC cheated during the pregnancy and then hid the fact he was out cheating when he could’ve spent the time with his wife and possibly save their child from dying.
I get it! It’s for that “WOW” factor. But it’s revolting how he made the FMC think it was her fault for years only to find out through her brother of all people.
He promised himself in his inner dialogue he’d never cheat again but when things get tough he goes out and cheat with a lot of ladies whenever he has his business trips. And get this, he blames her for him stepping out… again!
This story would’ve benefited more if the FMC moved on as the angst was already spectacular.
I just cannot get past the fact he made her believe the death of their child was her fault solely because she was wasting time trying to call him while he was fucking some random chick for YEARS! He was a coward and probably one of the worst MMC I have ever come across.
Thats unforgivable. The fact she took him back as well. It was like this author made me great breakfast and then looked me in the eye and took a big fat shit in it with that ending.
Anyways I did enjoy her other books
July 26, 2025
This book is about Jackie and Kyle, and it seriously pulled me through the wringer. They’ve been together for nearly 10 years, and everything starts off dreamy – they meet at an airport (super meet-cute), fall in love fast, and get married. Then Jackie gets pregnant… with quadruplets. Total shock. During the pregnancy, there’s a health scare and the doctor suggests terminating one or more babies might be safer. She doesn’t do it – just thinks about it – and Kyle never lets it go. That moment kind of poisons everything.
While she’s on bed rest, he grows distant, resents not getting attention, and then comes the moment. Jackie goes into emergency labor, calls him over and over – and he doesn’t answer. Because he’s in a hotel room with another woman. One of the babies dies, another is very sick, and Jackie lives with the guilt of thinking she waited too long to call 911. But really, she waited because she was trying to reach him. He let her carry that pain, and never said a word.
He feels guilty and promises to do better — and for a while, he doesn’t cheat again. But time passes, life gets messy. COVID, sick parents, work, pressure — she’s burnt out, and he’s emotionally checked out. She has a breakdown and walks out for a few months. When she returns, he’s done emotionally, but still living with her for the kids. And yeah, he cheats again.
Here’s where it gets real. Jackie finds out he’s been traveling to Boston a lot. She follows him, shows up at his hotel — and catches him mid-act with another woman. He doesn’t even notice she saw. She knows she can’t just divorce him because of a prenup that would leave her with nothing, so she starts planning. She gives him menopause meds (yes, seriously) that mess with his libido.
And this leads to one of the most interesting turning points: he tries to cheat again with his assistant, but can’t perform. Then, he ends up spending the day with the kids, really seeing how exhausting and nonstop it all is. When he gets home, Jackie is doing laundry, cooking dinner, and just holding everything together. That’s the moment it finally hits him – how much he’s taken her for granted. That’s when he starts to change.
Eventually, she finds out the full truth: he cheated the night she gave birth, and she’s crushed. She finally confronts him and asks for a divorce. He’s already been in therapy by this point, trying to break the toxic cycle he grew up in (his dad was a chronic cheater too). He begs, says he loves her, swears he’ll change. She walks away.
They co-parent. She starts dating. He keeps working on himself. There’s a cabin trip, a near-death situation, they reconnect, go to therapy. Things start looking hopeful, but she’s still haunted by what he did. On a date, he tries to kiss her, and she pulls away. She admits that every time he touches her, she thinks of the other women.
That’s when he tells her the full truth – he never kissed them, never got their names, never kept in touch. It was purely about selfishness and frustration. He even says she can date other men, sleep with whoever she wants – he’ll wait for her. He just wants her in his life. And still… she walks away.
But in the end, she comes back. They decide to try again. Carefully. Slowly.
I liked this book. It’s messy, raw, emotional — very realistic in a way that hurts. The cheating absolutely crushed me, and I don’t think I could’ve forgiven him if it were real life. But for a book? It worked. My main gripe was the “I’m like this because of how I was raised” angle. That excuse doesn’t always land for me. I also really wanted her to meet someone new who adored her and gave her everything she missed. Still, this was the strongest book of the series for me. The writing is solid, and even when I was screaming at the characters, I was fully hooked.
August 30, 2025
DNF at 22%
Time jumps didn’t work for me at all.
Time jumps didn’t work for me at all.
July 23, 2025
Raw and Gritty
T. B. Violet has done it again with Absoltion. It starts off in the past and we get every raw and emotional connection. Then we get to the entitled emotions of being owed. All the while ignoring everything that's real and present.
Kyle meets Jackie all through happenstance, and they fall for each other, get married. Gets pregnant right away but its quadruplets and its overwhelming for Jackie, she's only 21-22. But Kyle takes it as not wanting their babies and emotionally disconnects.
From there the cycle continues. Kyle feels he's owed this because of some a grievance that he feels Jackie did him.
When Jackie finds out about all the cheating, she finally discovers how strong she can be, and Kyle never stood a chance. After all he still very much loves Jackie, it was just sex for him. And then many more more things happen before they both get their act together and have a go for a second chance. Mostly Kyle proving himself.
I really enjoyed this story, it was gut-wrenching and angst filled drama! I do love a Marriage in Trouble and this was definitely in trouble. Great series!
T. B. Violet has done it again with Absoltion. It starts off in the past and we get every raw and emotional connection. Then we get to the entitled emotions of being owed. All the while ignoring everything that's real and present.
Kyle meets Jackie all through happenstance, and they fall for each other, get married. Gets pregnant right away but its quadruplets and its overwhelming for Jackie, she's only 21-22. But Kyle takes it as not wanting their babies and emotionally disconnects.
From there the cycle continues. Kyle feels he's owed this because of some a grievance that he feels Jackie did him.
When Jackie finds out about all the cheating, she finally discovers how strong she can be, and Kyle never stood a chance. After all he still very much loves Jackie, it was just sex for him. And then many more more things happen before they both get their act together and have a go for a second chance. Mostly Kyle proving himself.
I really enjoyed this story, it was gut-wrenching and angst filled drama! I do love a Marriage in Trouble and this was definitely in trouble. Great series!
July 25, 2025
excellent
I love a cheating marriage in trouble book. This book lived up to my expectations and totally lived up to its title.
I love a cheating marriage in trouble book. This book lived up to my expectations and totally lived up to its title.
July 24, 2025
Emotional
I would have to say that Jackie is a better person than I am. After the "Duke situation", I'm just not sure if I could do what she did in forgiveness.
Some mine error and a chapter with the wrong name, but it didn't take away from the story. It was a very good emotional read.
I would have to say that Jackie is a better person than I am. After the "Duke situation", I'm just not sure if I could do what she did in forgiveness.
Some mine error and a chapter with the wrong name, but it didn't take away from the story. It was a very good emotional read.
August 13, 2025
Could you forgive a serial cheater who cheats for attention but puts on a face as a loving devoted husband and a father of three? Could you forgive your husband if you found out a decade later that the loss of one of your children happened as he was with another woman and not your side?
Could you 100 percent with absolution forgive? That's the theme explored in thos book. I thought the author did a great job at balancing out the characters inner thoughts with their actions.
I feel like marriage reconciliation / marriage in trouble books go one of two ways. The reader either sympathize with the character that was cheated on amd understands the process of the reconciliation or the cheater comes off as completely unforgivable and unrefermable. I think the author managed to pull off the former scenario in this case.
I hated the actions and reasons for cheating. I couldnt reall feel bad for the mmc but I did feel like the fmc wasnt a doormat and there was sufficient work and processing of emotions put in place.
Could you 100 percent with absolution forgive? That's the theme explored in thos book. I thought the author did a great job at balancing out the characters inner thoughts with their actions.
I feel like marriage reconciliation / marriage in trouble books go one of two ways. The reader either sympathize with the character that was cheated on amd understands the process of the reconciliation or the cheater comes off as completely unforgivable and unrefermable. I think the author managed to pull off the former scenario in this case.
I hated the actions and reasons for cheating. I couldnt reall feel bad for the mmc but I did feel like the fmc wasnt a doormat and there was sufficient work and processing of emotions put in place.
July 24, 2025
The book should have ended at 96%.
July 24, 2025
Ok read
This book was ok. It is the whole journey. It doesn't start at the point of cheating which was nice. Dragged in some places but still good. I do not care for having the revenge/affirmation sex of the hurt spouse in books like this. Sometimes people need to draw the line of jumping into bed with someone when they're in the mist of chaos. I was extremely glad that it was glossed over and not good. Also, I am someone who needs closure. The epilogue doesn't really give it. I wanted more.
This book was ok. It is the whole journey. It doesn't start at the point of cheating which was nice. Dragged in some places but still good. I do not care for having the revenge/affirmation sex of the hurt spouse in books like this. Sometimes people need to draw the line of jumping into bed with someone when they're in the mist of chaos. I was extremely glad that it was glossed over and not good. Also, I am someone who needs closure. The epilogue doesn't really give it. I wanted more.
July 26, 2025
Absolution…
This is an unbelievably intense and emotional story. And the plot line leads the reader through years of this couple’s life. We already know there’s cheating and divorce because the title tells us.
The journey begins with how they meet, which is definitely a meet-cute. They get married and want to start a family, and boy does that happen! She gets pregnant with quadruplets. And that’s the first time he cheats…
No other spoilers, because the consequences of his behavior are far flung.
I like the cheating trope because I like to see the cheater come to the realization that they have crossed over a major boundary, breaking their marriage vows and destroying trust. I’m not sure why I find it satisfying because, to my knowledge, I’ve only been cheated on once. It was a boyfriend, not a husband, so slightly different than this story, but the emotional responses seem the same. It’s the trust being broken that really destroys you…
Anyway, the journey ends up being somewhat surprising and different. I’m enjoying this author a lot, and this is a really good addition to this series. I’ll be happy to read more if she writes more.
KU read currently, but I’ll likely buy this one too. This is a really good series.
This is an unbelievably intense and emotional story. And the plot line leads the reader through years of this couple’s life. We already know there’s cheating and divorce because the title tells us.
The journey begins with how they meet, which is definitely a meet-cute. They get married and want to start a family, and boy does that happen! She gets pregnant with quadruplets. And that’s the first time he cheats…
No other spoilers, because the consequences of his behavior are far flung.
I like the cheating trope because I like to see the cheater come to the realization that they have crossed over a major boundary, breaking their marriage vows and destroying trust. I’m not sure why I find it satisfying because, to my knowledge, I’ve only been cheated on once. It was a boyfriend, not a husband, so slightly different than this story, but the emotional responses seem the same. It’s the trust being broken that really destroys you…
Anyway, the journey ends up being somewhat surprising and different. I’m enjoying this author a lot, and this is a really good addition to this series. I’ll be happy to read more if she writes more.
KU read currently, but I’ll likely buy this one too. This is a really good series.
September 21, 2025
I have very mixed feelings here. I felt so deeply for our fmc Jackie because I've experienced some of the same things. The neglect and the gaslighting were especially hard to read about. While I'm glad Jackie and Kyle were able to reconcile, I really needed more to believe it would last. Kyle had a track record of only doing the right thing during the "big" events of their lives, then backsliding when he felt wronged. That last big event triggered his realization, but I'm not convinced it was going to stick. If you're looking for angst and the gut-punch of emotional turmoil, this fits.
July 25, 2025
I honestly wasn't sure how to rate this. I'm somewhere between 3 and 4..
Yes, it's a very emotional journey, but there wasn't a lot of going through this journey together, imo at least. I do love that we got to see our mmc evolve, and he was doing a lot of self-reflection... He is still a giant douche.
Yes, it's a very emotional journey, but there wasn't a lot of going through this journey together, imo at least. I do love that we got to see our mmc evolve, and he was doing a lot of self-reflection... He is still a giant douche.
August 5, 2025
I read a lot cheating second chance romance books. A LOT. So, when this came across my feed, I figured I would check it out. I skimmed and DNF’d the first two books bc they were boring.
The first book had a great “caught in the act” moment, but the H was in no way redeemable, and I found both MCs very boring. I had the same issue for the second book. The MCs in all three books lack any chemistry, so as a reader I am not even rooting for them to get back together.
This third book, though, was entertaining bc there is a lot of drama. Again, the MCs themselves are very boring, but the drama in the book kept me fairly engaged. Once the h founds out about the infidelity on the night she went into labor, then the ball really starts rolling.
But…I also DNF’d this book at about 75%. I believe they got back together, but the chemistry between the leads was poor, I didn’t care if they got back together or not.
2.5 stars
The first book had a great “caught in the act” moment, but the H was in no way redeemable, and I found both MCs very boring. I had the same issue for the second book. The MCs in all three books lack any chemistry, so as a reader I am not even rooting for them to get back together.
This third book, though, was entertaining bc there is a lot of drama. Again, the MCs themselves are very boring, but the drama in the book kept me fairly engaged. Once the h founds out about the infidelity on the night she went into labor, then the ball really starts rolling.
But…I also DNF’d this book at about 75%. I believe they got back together, but the chemistry between the leads was poor, I didn’t care if they got back together or not.
2.5 stars
August 18, 2025
it’s okay but not okay
Spoilers ahead*** sort of.
The majority of the book had so much emotional turmoil in it, that it was easy to lose sight of there ever having been any love between the two main characters. We spent so much time, unpacking betrayal and anger that once you reach the end, you realize you didn’t really even know either one of them apart from the trauma. There’s no time spent on their likes and their dislikes, the character build-out was minimal at best. Her relationship with her family was really centered around her trauma in her marriage. His relationship with his family unfolds, and he learns more about his parents because of the trauma in his own marriage. You never got to really know who they were as people.
We all suffer at some point in our lives, our marriages suffer, our relationships suffer, and so on. But we are not defined by that suffering-typically. This book basically showed everybody being defined by the suffering with only tiny glimpses of other things amidst it all.
Separately, while the setting is in the US, the writer is clearly not a US based writer. The author uses the Queen’s English, so defense with a C, behavior with an IOU, center with RE—you get the point. It was a little distracting because it’s not how we would write here, so why not base the story in a place that would use the Queen‘s English? Or on the other side of it just use US based English spelling. It didn’t make or break the story, however, it was very distracting. She also needs an editor-there are chapters marked as on characters point of view incorrectly. There are dropped words, unfinished sentences, run-ons, etc…
By the time I got to the last few chapters I had to speed read. I like books with grovel, I like books where there was some sort of a betrayal, where are you are excited for a reconciliation because you feel like these characters deserve it. I didn’t feel that here. In fact, by the time I got to the end, I actually didn’t care what happened to either one of them.
This is the first time I had that kind of an experience reading. I gobble books. Upwards of 500 a year. I’ve written my own books. Can’t remember the last time I regretted reading one. This book left me with that regret.
I’m not sure how other reviewers came back with positive reviews. One reviewer said that they really loved him, I guess, to each their own. I really just don’t see it.
Separately I honestly hate leaving this review, but I felt like there needed to be a different voice here since nobody seems to be talking about this book’s opportunities—and as a reader, I wish I would’ve had somebody tell me before I started it.
Spoilers ahead*** sort of.
The majority of the book had so much emotional turmoil in it, that it was easy to lose sight of there ever having been any love between the two main characters. We spent so much time, unpacking betrayal and anger that once you reach the end, you realize you didn’t really even know either one of them apart from the trauma. There’s no time spent on their likes and their dislikes, the character build-out was minimal at best. Her relationship with her family was really centered around her trauma in her marriage. His relationship with his family unfolds, and he learns more about his parents because of the trauma in his own marriage. You never got to really know who they were as people.
We all suffer at some point in our lives, our marriages suffer, our relationships suffer, and so on. But we are not defined by that suffering-typically. This book basically showed everybody being defined by the suffering with only tiny glimpses of other things amidst it all.
Separately, while the setting is in the US, the writer is clearly not a US based writer. The author uses the Queen’s English, so defense with a C, behavior with an IOU, center with RE—you get the point. It was a little distracting because it’s not how we would write here, so why not base the story in a place that would use the Queen‘s English? Or on the other side of it just use US based English spelling. It didn’t make or break the story, however, it was very distracting. She also needs an editor-there are chapters marked as on characters point of view incorrectly. There are dropped words, unfinished sentences, run-ons, etc…
By the time I got to the last few chapters I had to speed read. I like books with grovel, I like books where there was some sort of a betrayal, where are you are excited for a reconciliation because you feel like these characters deserve it. I didn’t feel that here. In fact, by the time I got to the end, I actually didn’t care what happened to either one of them.
This is the first time I had that kind of an experience reading. I gobble books. Upwards of 500 a year. I’ve written my own books. Can’t remember the last time I regretted reading one. This book left me with that regret.
I’m not sure how other reviewers came back with positive reviews. One reviewer said that they really loved him, I guess, to each their own. I really just don’t see it.
Separately I honestly hate leaving this review, but I felt like there needed to be a different voice here since nobody seems to be talking about this book’s opportunities—and as a reader, I wish I would’ve had somebody tell me before I started it.
July 29, 2025
He ain’t drunk, he didn’t cheat once and regrets, he cheats with multiple women and did it just cause he wanted validation.
FMC appeared to be a strong one, until she took the guy back, so she wasn’t. MC wasn’t redeemable.
2 stars cause I kinda enjoyed the grovelling.
FMC appeared to be a strong one, until she took the guy back, so she wasn’t. MC wasn’t redeemable.
2 stars cause I kinda enjoyed the grovelling.
July 22, 2025
This was a tough one for me to rate. I'd read the previous book in the series and wanted to give this one a shot. I was really relieved that the author let this heroine move on and not stay celibate, but Jackie's other men are so cursed lol. The first one, she ditches after the first time they have sex since there weren't "fireworks." The second one literally gets washed away in a flood. I'm not joking.
I thought there was some asymmetry to the other woman/other man scenes, with Kyle's being way more explicit. Compare Jackie's first other man, Lucas:
At some point, he lifts his arm onto the back of the couch. Not a move. Just... an opening. And I let myself lean into it.
His fingers slide through my hair, gentle and unhurried.
I turn slightly, my cheek pressed to his chest, and for the first time in what feels like forever, I let someone other than my husband hold me.
When the credits roll, neither of us moves.
I lift my face to his, and for a long moment, we just look at each other. No tension. No guilt. Just space to feel.
And then I kiss him. Softly. Slowly. Like I'm stepping into a place I didn't think I'd ever reach again.
It doesn't spiral into urgency. It doesn't rush.
I leave before he wakes up. No note, no lingering. Just the soft click of the door behind me and the morning air on my skin.
to Kyle's second other woman, the hotel room service lady:
Her gaze drops for a second, deliberate. "Is there anything else I can get you, sir?"
Her tone leaves no doubt what she's offering. Like this is routine. Like we've done this before.
Because we have.
... I'm leaving tomorrow and won't see her again. Probably for the best. I don't want strings. And a divorce? Not worth the fight, not yet.
"Get on the bed," I say, my tone even. Detached.
When I turn around, she's waiting, sprawled across the center of the bed, her eyes locked on me. Everything about her is an invitation.
She's lying on the bed like she belongs there. Long legs stretched out, hair fanned across the pillows. The only thing on her is her heels, the rest is completely and shamelessly bare.
... Her eyes track over me like she knows exactly how this night ends. Her feels dig harder into the bed as she spreads her legs, and moves her hand down, between her breasts, over her stomach, landing on her perfectly pink pussy.
... She thrusts two fingers inside her pussy, arching her back. Done with waiting, I finish the glass in my hands in one gulp and walk toward her. Dropping the towel, I pause to grab the box of condoms and lube from the cabinet. About a few months ago, I took a long trip and got a vasectomy. Last thing I need is a woman showing up with a kid in tow.
I crawl onto the bed from the bottom, stopping when my face is between her legs. Ripping her hands away from her pussy I flip her over until she on her knees, with her ass up.
Kneeling behind her, I wrap her hair around my fist, using it as leverage to raise her until her back is plastered to my front, "Is this what you came for?"
"Please." She begs in a breathy voice.
Well, who am I to say no?
I guess it's supposed to be a trade-off, where Jackie has more intimacy with this man (which by the book's standard is kissing him and knowing his name lol. Neither other man gets much introduction, which makes the second one, Charlie (who drowns in a flood) even more awkward cause it's like, he gets a very surface-level introduction a few pages before he's just dead) and Kyle gets the more explicit scene since all he has with these women is sex. I would've accepted this trade-off more if Jackie's other men got more page-time and I as a reader was given the chance to get emotionally invested in them.
It honestly would've added some tension, considering that with Kyle's thoughts and actions I still was not sure if Jackie was even gonna end up with him.
At a third of the way into the book but over nine years into the timeline, Kyle's thinking things like this:
What my father doesn't know is that my marriage ended long before I ever thought about walking away. Jackie left first, not for good, but enough to hollow the whole thing out. And when there's nothing left to betray, can it be called cheating?
Sure, I could have said something. Made it official. But why rock the boat? Why blow up the only structure holding our lives together?
It's been weeks since we touched each other. She must know what that means.
And even if she wanted out, what would she take with her? The prenup's ironclad. And after her little breakdown, any lawyer would tell you the same things: she'd be lucky to get visitation.
So, she won't leave and neither will I.
We're stuck.
This isn't hero monologue, this is evil-other-man monologue. I read this chapter and was like "oh, Jackie moves on then, right?... Right?" But what's the most insane about all this is that Kyle is already on his second chance that Jackie doesn't even know she gave him. His first betrayal was him having sex with some rando from a bar to take the edge off the resentment he was feeling towards his heavily pregnant wife for having a difficult pregnancy, what with being pregnant with quadruplets and all... oh, and she goes into pre-term labor while he's having sex with said rando and loses one of the babies in the ambulance ride to the hospital... you know, the ambulance she had to wait for since she couldn't get a hold of her husband. It's a hell of a way to blow your first chance, you know?
When I first started the book I thought that would be the betrayal that Jackie finds out about and Kyle has to atone for, but no. No, he adds more betrayal on top. Nine years into his second chance, he goes back to cheating because he starts to feel resentful again. I thought this choice and the pacing overall was a little odd. Same with the flood that kills Charlie, it just kinda comes out of nowhere. Considering the book spans over a decade with them in the same area, there could've been earlier references to flood seasons and things, rather than Charlie and the flood being introduced at the 80% mark.
With the second bout of cheating at least, I think it's in line with how this author approaches resolving the cheating. They treat it like a psychological issue in the cheater, which it is, and so since that was never addressed in Kyle, his guilt isn't enough of a deterrent and the mindset that let him cheat in the first place lets him cheat again. It just leads to a kind of awkwardly-paced story in my opinion.
So, do I think Kyle redeemed himself? Well I laughed at this part, so I guess that's my answer:
"Jackie, wait-" He grabs my hand before I can turn. And then, he drops to his knees. Right there, in the middle of the parking lot.
On his knees.
"Please," he says, voice trembling. "Please don't leave me. I'll do anything."
My breath catches.
People nearby glance over. One couple pauses mid-conversation. A car door slams in the distance. But I can't hear any of it, just the sound of Kyle's voice, breaking right in front of me.
He clutches my hand, but not tight. When I tug, it slips free like he's already given up.
I stare at him, his head bowed like he's praying for a version of us that doesn't exist anymore. My heart twists, but I can't stay here. Not like this.
I take a step back. Then another.
He looks up, eyes red, face wrecked. "Please, Jackie," he begs, louder this time, desperation flooding every word. "I'll do anything. You want to see other people? Fine. I'll stay home. I won't ask questions. You want to have boyfriends? I won't stop you. I won't say anything. I'll wait. Just please, please don't walk away."
His voice shatters. His words crumble into sobs that follow behind me as I turn and walk faster, past the restaurant, past the strangers staring. I hear murmurs soft whispers, someone asking if I'm okay. But I don't stop.
I can't do this.
I'm not a total psychopath though, I wasn't laughing at Kyle's suffering. I was laughing at the "please don't walk away" followed immediately by "I turn and walk faster" lmao. At this point I was still like... do they get back together? I truly couldn't get past his first betrayal so I would've been happy with Jackie moving on. Charlie was a silver fox, it could've been him if he wasn't under the Curse of the Other Man.
But the book ends in a HFN with them still divorced, but dating. Like I mentioned earlier, there were some awkward aspects to the pacing, but it was overall a really engaging story, and Kyle's colossal fuck-ups were entertaining to read about.
I thought there was some asymmetry to the other woman/other man scenes, with Kyle's being way more explicit. Compare Jackie's first other man, Lucas:
At some point, he lifts his arm onto the back of the couch. Not a move. Just... an opening. And I let myself lean into it.
His fingers slide through my hair, gentle and unhurried.
I turn slightly, my cheek pressed to his chest, and for the first time in what feels like forever, I let someone other than my husband hold me.
When the credits roll, neither of us moves.
I lift my face to his, and for a long moment, we just look at each other. No tension. No guilt. Just space to feel.
And then I kiss him. Softly. Slowly. Like I'm stepping into a place I didn't think I'd ever reach again.
It doesn't spiral into urgency. It doesn't rush.
I leave before he wakes up. No note, no lingering. Just the soft click of the door behind me and the morning air on my skin.
to Kyle's second other woman, the hotel room service lady:
Her gaze drops for a second, deliberate. "Is there anything else I can get you, sir?"
Her tone leaves no doubt what she's offering. Like this is routine. Like we've done this before.
Because we have.
... I'm leaving tomorrow and won't see her again. Probably for the best. I don't want strings. And a divorce? Not worth the fight, not yet.
"Get on the bed," I say, my tone even. Detached.
When I turn around, she's waiting, sprawled across the center of the bed, her eyes locked on me. Everything about her is an invitation.
She's lying on the bed like she belongs there. Long legs stretched out, hair fanned across the pillows. The only thing on her is her heels, the rest is completely and shamelessly bare.
... Her eyes track over me like she knows exactly how this night ends. Her feels dig harder into the bed as she spreads her legs, and moves her hand down, between her breasts, over her stomach, landing on her perfectly pink pussy.
... She thrusts two fingers inside her pussy, arching her back. Done with waiting, I finish the glass in my hands in one gulp and walk toward her. Dropping the towel, I pause to grab the box of condoms and lube from the cabinet. About a few months ago, I took a long trip and got a vasectomy. Last thing I need is a woman showing up with a kid in tow.
I crawl onto the bed from the bottom, stopping when my face is between her legs. Ripping her hands away from her pussy I flip her over until she on her knees, with her ass up.
Kneeling behind her, I wrap her hair around my fist, using it as leverage to raise her until her back is plastered to my front, "Is this what you came for?"
"Please." She begs in a breathy voice.
Well, who am I to say no?
I guess it's supposed to be a trade-off, where Jackie has more intimacy with this man (which by the book's standard is kissing him and knowing his name lol. Neither other man gets much introduction, which makes the second one, Charlie (who drowns in a flood) even more awkward cause it's like, he gets a very surface-level introduction a few pages before he's just dead) and Kyle gets the more explicit scene since all he has with these women is sex. I would've accepted this trade-off more if Jackie's other men got more page-time and I as a reader was given the chance to get emotionally invested in them.
It honestly would've added some tension, considering that with Kyle's thoughts and actions I still was not sure if Jackie was even gonna end up with him.
At a third of the way into the book but over nine years into the timeline, Kyle's thinking things like this:
What my father doesn't know is that my marriage ended long before I ever thought about walking away. Jackie left first, not for good, but enough to hollow the whole thing out. And when there's nothing left to betray, can it be called cheating?
Sure, I could have said something. Made it official. But why rock the boat? Why blow up the only structure holding our lives together?
It's been weeks since we touched each other. She must know what that means.
And even if she wanted out, what would she take with her? The prenup's ironclad. And after her little breakdown, any lawyer would tell you the same things: she'd be lucky to get visitation.
So, she won't leave and neither will I.
We're stuck.
This isn't hero monologue, this is evil-other-man monologue. I read this chapter and was like "oh, Jackie moves on then, right?... Right?" But what's the most insane about all this is that Kyle is already on his second chance that Jackie doesn't even know she gave him. His first betrayal was him having sex with some rando from a bar to take the edge off the resentment he was feeling towards his heavily pregnant wife for having a difficult pregnancy, what with being pregnant with quadruplets and all... oh, and she goes into pre-term labor while he's having sex with said rando and loses one of the babies in the ambulance ride to the hospital... you know, the ambulance she had to wait for since she couldn't get a hold of her husband. It's a hell of a way to blow your first chance, you know?
When I first started the book I thought that would be the betrayal that Jackie finds out about and Kyle has to atone for, but no. No, he adds more betrayal on top. Nine years into his second chance, he goes back to cheating because he starts to feel resentful again. I thought this choice and the pacing overall was a little odd. Same with the flood that kills Charlie, it just kinda comes out of nowhere. Considering the book spans over a decade with them in the same area, there could've been earlier references to flood seasons and things, rather than Charlie and the flood being introduced at the 80% mark.
With the second bout of cheating at least, I think it's in line with how this author approaches resolving the cheating. They treat it like a psychological issue in the cheater, which it is, and so since that was never addressed in Kyle, his guilt isn't enough of a deterrent and the mindset that let him cheat in the first place lets him cheat again. It just leads to a kind of awkwardly-paced story in my opinion.
So, do I think Kyle redeemed himself? Well I laughed at this part, so I guess that's my answer:
"Jackie, wait-" He grabs my hand before I can turn. And then, he drops to his knees. Right there, in the middle of the parking lot.
On his knees.
"Please," he says, voice trembling. "Please don't leave me. I'll do anything."
My breath catches.
People nearby glance over. One couple pauses mid-conversation. A car door slams in the distance. But I can't hear any of it, just the sound of Kyle's voice, breaking right in front of me.
He clutches my hand, but not tight. When I tug, it slips free like he's already given up.
I stare at him, his head bowed like he's praying for a version of us that doesn't exist anymore. My heart twists, but I can't stay here. Not like this.
I take a step back. Then another.
He looks up, eyes red, face wrecked. "Please, Jackie," he begs, louder this time, desperation flooding every word. "I'll do anything. You want to see other people? Fine. I'll stay home. I won't ask questions. You want to have boyfriends? I won't stop you. I won't say anything. I'll wait. Just please, please don't walk away."
His voice shatters. His words crumble into sobs that follow behind me as I turn and walk faster, past the restaurant, past the strangers staring. I hear murmurs soft whispers, someone asking if I'm okay. But I don't stop.
I can't do this.
I'm not a total psychopath though, I wasn't laughing at Kyle's suffering. I was laughing at the "please don't walk away" followed immediately by "I turn and walk faster" lmao. At this point I was still like... do they get back together? I truly couldn't get past his first betrayal so I would've been happy with Jackie moving on. Charlie was a silver fox, it could've been him if he wasn't under the Curse of the Other Man.
But the book ends in a HFN with them still divorced, but dating. Like I mentioned earlier, there were some awkward aspects to the pacing, but it was overall a really engaging story, and Kyle's colossal fuck-ups were entertaining to read about.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
July 28, 2025
I knew going into this book that the hero cheats on the heroine, and they get a HEA together. So, my low star rating is not for that, I think it’s lame when people are like, “1 star for this vampire book, I can’t believe this vampire book had vampires in it, how dare it!” I like reading cheating books sometimes for the angst, and sometimes to see how the author can pull off the HEA.
This takes place over many years – he cheats with 2 different women in like 9 years married to the heroine (1 OW is implied to be once time, the other OW is implied to be several times). But outside of the cheating, he also neglects her a lot more.
I’ll hand it to this book, it does do a good job of showing him put in the work to become a better man for her, even before she confronts him. I do believe he changed as a person. But his crimes were just too huge for the HEA to work. And the way this story jumped ahead in time, everything felt surface level, it didn’t really feel like we got to really linger in the emotions or the angst from any given scene, before it quickly moved on and jumped ahead in time.
So, this could have been a good cheating read if it took the time to linger in-scene more, and did less jumping in time. And, if his cheating crimes were less OTT extreme. But, they were too extreme to make the HEA believable.
The main problem with this book was it couldn’t seem to decide if it wanted to be grounded, or High Drama. He cheats twice, and one of the situations was when she was giving birth after being pregnant with quadrouplets, leading to 1 of the babies dying (it’s said that the baby may have survived if she got to the hospital sooner, and she called her husband before the ambulance, so it was his fault).
That’s so extreme! That just doesn’t work for a HEA. It makes no sense for her to be willing to try again with him.
I would have bought their eventual HEA more if he cheated in a normal way, but not in a way that lead to the DEATH of a baby. That part made it Too Much for this story to work.
Also, that situation is so extreme, but most of the rest of the book isn’t dialed up drama, most of it is more grounded. But then, occasionally, the drama flares up – like after she discovers his cheating, she secretly doses him with some kind of estrogen medicine so that he can’t get hard and cheat more, or make a move on her. First of all, him cheating is despicable, but secretly giving someone meds is ALSO despicable! It’s also brushed off and not really treated seriously in the story. And dosing him with meds is a weird soap opera revenge thing to do. But the rest of the story is not soapy in tone, really. She even says she doesn’t want revenge. So, similar to the baby dying, that level of drama didn’t fit the rest of the more grounded plot.
There’s also some weird anti-choice stuff that’s never addressed. When they first learn she’s pregnant with quadrouplets, the doctor suggests that terminating 1 in the womb will give the mom and babies a better chance. She seems into it, but he shuts it down and acts horrified. So, she carries all 4 to term, then 1 baby dies and she’s traumatized for life. So, that’s his fault, for not allowing her to have choice in her health. That was so enraging, and although his inner monologue did seem to recognize he was a shitty husband, again, THIS level of shitty is just too extreme.
I would be willing to try more from this author, since so few authors write cheating. And like I said, his redemption would have worked if his crimes were more normal – like, cheating once, in a way that DIDN’T lead to any kind of death -- but this book was kind of a mess.
This takes place over many years – he cheats with 2 different women in like 9 years married to the heroine (1 OW is implied to be once time, the other OW is implied to be several times). But outside of the cheating, he also neglects her a lot more.
I’ll hand it to this book, it does do a good job of showing him put in the work to become a better man for her, even before she confronts him. I do believe he changed as a person. But his crimes were just too huge for the HEA to work. And the way this story jumped ahead in time, everything felt surface level, it didn’t really feel like we got to really linger in the emotions or the angst from any given scene, before it quickly moved on and jumped ahead in time.
So, this could have been a good cheating read if it took the time to linger in-scene more, and did less jumping in time. And, if his cheating crimes were less OTT extreme. But, they were too extreme to make the HEA believable.
The main problem with this book was it couldn’t seem to decide if it wanted to be grounded, or High Drama. He cheats twice, and one of the situations was when she was giving birth after being pregnant with quadrouplets, leading to 1 of the babies dying (it’s said that the baby may have survived if she got to the hospital sooner, and she called her husband before the ambulance, so it was his fault).
That’s so extreme! That just doesn’t work for a HEA. It makes no sense for her to be willing to try again with him.
I would have bought their eventual HEA more if he cheated in a normal way, but not in a way that lead to the DEATH of a baby. That part made it Too Much for this story to work.
Also, that situation is so extreme, but most of the rest of the book isn’t dialed up drama, most of it is more grounded. But then, occasionally, the drama flares up – like after she discovers his cheating, she secretly doses him with some kind of estrogen medicine so that he can’t get hard and cheat more, or make a move on her. First of all, him cheating is despicable, but secretly giving someone meds is ALSO despicable! It’s also brushed off and not really treated seriously in the story. And dosing him with meds is a weird soap opera revenge thing to do. But the rest of the story is not soapy in tone, really. She even says she doesn’t want revenge. So, similar to the baby dying, that level of drama didn’t fit the rest of the more grounded plot.
There’s also some weird anti-choice stuff that’s never addressed. When they first learn she’s pregnant with quadrouplets, the doctor suggests that terminating 1 in the womb will give the mom and babies a better chance. She seems into it, but he shuts it down and acts horrified. So, she carries all 4 to term, then 1 baby dies and she’s traumatized for life. So, that’s his fault, for not allowing her to have choice in her health. That was so enraging, and although his inner monologue did seem to recognize he was a shitty husband, again, THIS level of shitty is just too extreme.
I would be willing to try more from this author, since so few authors write cheating. And like I said, his redemption would have worked if his crimes were more normal – like, cheating once, in a way that DIDN’T lead to any kind of death -- but this book was kind of a mess.
July 27, 2025
Cheating = H feels neglected by his bed-ridden wife who is pregnant with quads, so turns off his ringer and indulges in some recreational time to get himself some strange while the h goes into labor, of course, and cannot get a hold of the H until the next day...later, H is feeling like the h is too checked out of the marriage (after both her parents have recently died, COVID, and dealing with a seriously ill child, h had a bit of an empty tank herself and got NOTHING from the H) so he decides that since she isn't invested in the marriage, neither is he and it's not cheating if he gets himself some while away on business trips and STILL sleeping with the h when he's at home like nothing...also the sneaky little shit went and got a vasectomy to make sure he sis not get any other woman pregnant. What a saint.
Angst = when h went into labor, she spent so long trying to get the h on the phone, she delayed calling 911 and ended up delivering on e of the quads before getting to the hospital, ya know the place with all the life saving equipment. The baby did not make it and the H was so very generous to let the h think for almost 12 years that it was her fault that the baby did not survive. Not because he chose to turn off his ringer and step out of the marriage while she was in agony and having premature labor.
h sees H with OW = h went to hotel where H was at on his business trip to surprise him and try and reconnect/get their marriage back on track. h was gifted with watching her husband rail the OW over a balcony which to her meant that there was some trust between the H and OW and could not have been the first time he had done this. h left without the H noticing.
Grovel = h could not just leave, so she planned and executed her plan which took a long time...maybe 6 months to a year? to execute. h dropped her truth bombs on H of what she knew up to and including the H stepping out when she went into labor and letting her shoulder the blame for the baby dying. Then h asks for and gets her divorce. Time goes by, H gets himself to therapy (h had already been in therapy and a support group), H works to change himself and works on his relationships with everyone (kids, his mother and tries really hard with the h). There is a natural disaster and that brings the H and h back to each other and they start dating again (only lame thing in the book is using a traumatic event to get them to reconcile).
That was a lot to forgive and it is fiction, so it was good. Real life? Nope. Nope. Nope.
Angst = when h went into labor, she spent so long trying to get the h on the phone, she delayed calling 911 and ended up delivering on e of the quads before getting to the hospital, ya know the place with all the life saving equipment. The baby did not make it and the H was so very generous to let the h think for almost 12 years that it was her fault that the baby did not survive. Not because he chose to turn off his ringer and step out of the marriage while she was in agony and having premature labor.
h sees H with OW = h went to hotel where H was at on his business trip to surprise him and try and reconnect/get their marriage back on track. h was gifted with watching her husband rail the OW over a balcony which to her meant that there was some trust between the H and OW and could not have been the first time he had done this. h left without the H noticing.
Grovel = h could not just leave, so she planned and executed her plan which took a long time...maybe 6 months to a year? to execute. h dropped her truth bombs on H of what she knew up to and including the H stepping out when she went into labor and letting her shoulder the blame for the baby dying. Then h asks for and gets her divorce. Time goes by, H gets himself to therapy (h had already been in therapy and a support group), H works to change himself and works on his relationships with everyone (kids, his mother and tries really hard with the h). There is a natural disaster and that brings the H and h back to each other and they start dating again (only lame thing in the book is using a traumatic event to get them to reconcile).
That was a lot to forgive and it is fiction, so it was good. Real life? Nope. Nope. Nope.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
August 17, 2025
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ for Jackie
"For the woman who finally knows her own worth, and still chooses love."
*Jackie married for 12 years went to surprise her husband Kyle on his business trip! She found the surprise of her life !
She left broken hearted,called her siblings, reached a help group, finally approached for legal advice!
****A very sane advice on how to move after betrayal!
...Start documenting. While you still have access. Go back, look through old messages, emails, anything with dates. Find proof. Find patterns. If he missedschool events, doctor appointments, if there’s a paper trail that shows he’s checked out... collect it. Quietly. Build your case now, not after you leave.”
I nod slowly, absorbing it all.
Trish’s voice softens. “You don’t have to fight dirty. But youdoneed to fight smart.”
⭐⭐👏👏👏Golden words
"I’ve seen a lot of women, and men, go through this. And I’ll tell you, the ones who come out on top? They don’t let their emotions drive the train. Doesn’t mean you don’tfeelthem. But when it comes to planning, to protecting yourself and your kids, you have to think like a lawyer, not a heartbroken wife.”
* Kyle who couldn't geat it heard because Jackie gave him medicine of menopause ,so was not able to fuck even his secretary....
Later had a breakdown, when his father took him to Fuck young waitress 😡...
After that he started taking therapy.....
👏👏👏👏👏For Jackie for standing up for herself giving divorce to his sorry ass...
After a lot of grovelling by Kyle 🥹😭 and a near miss incident of death where Kyle , tried everything to rescue Jackie....
Jackie accepted to go to his therapist Nina !
She asked very sane questions! Without giving a fuck about his excuses for fucking hookers ,whores 😱
She shakes her head like the thought itself makes her sick.
“So how? How can you love me and still cheat on me?”
I open my mouth, but she continues.
“Don’t,” she warns, voice low. “Do not say it was a mistake.”
I shut my mouth.
“Because a mistake happens once. You don’t plan a mistake. You don’t getvasectomiesfor a mistake.”
"For the woman who finally knows her own worth, and still chooses love."
*Jackie married for 12 years went to surprise her husband Kyle on his business trip! She found the surprise of her life !
She left broken hearted,called her siblings, reached a help group, finally approached for legal advice!
****A very sane advice on how to move after betrayal!
...Start documenting. While you still have access. Go back, look through old messages, emails, anything with dates. Find proof. Find patterns. If he missedschool events, doctor appointments, if there’s a paper trail that shows he’s checked out... collect it. Quietly. Build your case now, not after you leave.”
I nod slowly, absorbing it all.
Trish’s voice softens. “You don’t have to fight dirty. But youdoneed to fight smart.”
⭐⭐👏👏👏Golden words
"I’ve seen a lot of women, and men, go through this. And I’ll tell you, the ones who come out on top? They don’t let their emotions drive the train. Doesn’t mean you don’tfeelthem. But when it comes to planning, to protecting yourself and your kids, you have to think like a lawyer, not a heartbroken wife.”
* Kyle who couldn't geat it heard because Jackie gave him medicine of menopause ,so was not able to fuck even his secretary....
Later had a breakdown, when his father took him to Fuck young waitress 😡...
After that he started taking therapy.....
👏👏👏👏👏For Jackie for standing up for herself giving divorce to his sorry ass...
After a lot of grovelling by Kyle 🥹😭 and a near miss incident of death where Kyle , tried everything to rescue Jackie....
Jackie accepted to go to his therapist Nina !
She asked very sane questions! Without giving a fuck about his excuses for fucking hookers ,whores 😱
She shakes her head like the thought itself makes her sick.
“So how? How can you love me and still cheat on me?”
I open my mouth, but she continues.
“Don’t,” she warns, voice low. “Do not say it was a mistake.”
I shut my mouth.
“Because a mistake happens once. You don’t plan a mistake. You don’t getvasectomiesfor a mistake.”
August 20, 2025
High 2 stars, rounding to 3. The fact that the author kept me hooked such that I finished the book completely (I DNF a lot these days...) is the driving force behind my rating.
This was a quick read, it felt a lot shorter than the page count. I liked this one better than the last I read by the author (the first book in the series), so it's good that the author is improving. I could definitely feel the angst of this one, though it was more the result of the heroine's pregnancy issues and than the cheating itself. The reason for the cheating was also very basic, yet the author strangely tried to present it as ground breaking (through the hero's therapist):
On the cheating: I didn't forgive the hero. I think the couple needed to spend a lot more time apart, and it frustrated me that we didn't get to see the heroine truly find herself on her own. They were separated for less than a year, whereas I would say it needed to be a minimum of five years . She did have sex with an OM (thank god), but it was only once and very lackluster ("no sparks"). I hate when authors do that; the hero has sex with countless OW for over a decade, and the heroine can't even get one good fuck?
I also think the author still has work to do on making the characters feel like real people. I didn't get a sense at all of what the hero and heroine really looked like, what their personalities and quirks were, etc etc. The author seems to be writing these novels in a more novella style though, so maybe that's not the point. Regardless, it's hard for me to rate any higher than 3 stars given that.
This was a quick read, it felt a lot shorter than the page count. I liked this one better than the last I read by the author (the first book in the series), so it's good that the author is improving. I could definitely feel the angst of this one, though it was more the result of the heroine's pregnancy issues and than the cheating itself. The reason for the cheating was also very basic, yet the author strangely tried to present it as ground breaking (through the hero's therapist):
On the cheating: I didn't forgive the hero. I think the couple needed to spend a lot more time apart, and it frustrated me that we didn't get to see the heroine truly find herself on her own. They were separated for less than a year, whereas I would say it needed to be a minimum of five years . She did have sex with an OM (thank god), but it was only once and very lackluster ("no sparks"). I hate when authors do that; the hero has sex with countless OW for over a decade, and the heroine can't even get one good fuck?
I also think the author still has work to do on making the characters feel like real people. I didn't get a sense at all of what the hero and heroine really looked like, what their personalities and quirks were, etc etc. The author seems to be writing these novels in a more novella style though, so maybe that's not the point. Regardless, it's hard for me to rate any higher than 3 stars given that.
July 27, 2025
🌶️SPOILERS🌶️
Deets:
3.5-3.75 ⭐️'s rounded up bc it was better than 3
It starts from their beginning, so it may lag for you
He cheats, maliciously if you ask me
Angst is a B level, which isn't bad, more from the telling not showing aspect.
He grovels and does the work to make me believe it
Wife has revenge sex (not descriptive, but if that bothers you it's in there)
Writing was ok, I did struggle a couple of times with the telling not showing thing (snort, if you've read my reviews, I have no business telling ppl how to write, but I know what I like, so......)
KU, if you subscribe- no harm no foul
Some days I like things that other days I'd sneer at. But we don't have as many authors willing to write this underserved part of readerhood 😜 We're a minority ppl!
Deets:
3.5-3.75 ⭐️'s rounded up bc it was better than 3
It starts from their beginning, so it may lag for you
He cheats, maliciously if you ask me
Angst is a B level, which isn't bad, more from the telling not showing aspect.
He grovels and does the work to make me believe it
Wife has revenge sex (not descriptive, but if that bothers you it's in there)
Writing was ok, I did struggle a couple of times with the telling not showing thing (snort, if you've read my reviews, I have no business telling ppl how to write, but I know what I like, so......)
KU, if you subscribe- no harm no foul
Some days I like things that other days I'd sneer at. But we don't have as many authors willing to write this underserved part of readerhood 😜 We're a minority ppl!
August 13, 2025
2.75⭐️
I was really drawn to the premise of this and how it would explore infidelity. This was a very hard book to read that spanned over a decade of a couple’s courtship and marriage. The pain Jackie goes through is visceral and emotionally impactful. But it felt that we built up so long for her to stand up for herself before we were rushing towards a conclusion. I wish we’d gotten more of her healing journey and seeing Kyle actively put in the work. He was so irredeemable through most of their marriage and I wish we gotten more of him facing his choices of breaking his wife (in heart and spirit) and real reflection on how he became so callous and cruel. This had so much promise and I wish that we’d given Jackie true and honest healing.
I was really drawn to the premise of this and how it would explore infidelity. This was a very hard book to read that spanned over a decade of a couple’s courtship and marriage. The pain Jackie goes through is visceral and emotionally impactful. But it felt that we built up so long for her to stand up for herself before we were rushing towards a conclusion. I wish we’d gotten more of her healing journey and seeing Kyle actively put in the work. He was so irredeemable through most of their marriage and I wish we gotten more of him facing his choices of breaking his wife (in heart and spirit) and real reflection on how he became so callous and cruel. This had so much promise and I wish that we’d given Jackie true and honest healing.
August 13, 2025
I'm still not convinced that the H deserved absolution. The H's choice to be unfaithful has disastrous consequences. The first lapse is while his wife delivers their four (yes 4) babies eight weeks early. The h repeatedly tries to reach the H before finally calling 911. The H's view of his parents' marriage and of the actions of both his mother and father seem to be a key factor when applied to his own marriage. When he learns more about what actually happened with his parents, he sees his choices in a different way. The h gets first hand experience with his infidelity when she makes a surprise visit to his hotel room. Post partum depression is one of a few possible triggers in this book.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
August 23, 2025
I'm giving this four stars because I stayed up way to late to finish it. I hated Kyle, and my opinion never changed even at the end. I so wanted Jackie to create a new life but I get it, she loved the loser. I love marriage in trouble and this was that even if one of them didn't know how much in trouble it was. Some are going to rate this low because of Kyle but stop and think, did the story keep you turning the page, did it evoke strong emotion, did you have to know how it ended. If so, the author did their job and deserves to be recognized.
October 29, 2025
*sigh*
Okay... I wasn't sure what to expect for the ending, but that ending wasn't it. The rating reflects only my personal opinion. The first part of the book evoked a wide range of emotions, from sadness to anger. In contrast, the second part left me puzzled... I tried to understand that ending, because if I felt intense emotions—being enraged and crying during the first half—the second half felt disappointing. However, this is just my personal view. Overall, I think it was a good book.
Okay... I wasn't sure what to expect for the ending, but that ending wasn't it. The rating reflects only my personal opinion. The first part of the book evoked a wide range of emotions, from sadness to anger. In contrast, the second part left me puzzled... I tried to understand that ending, because if I felt intense emotions—being enraged and crying during the first half—the second half felt disappointing. However, this is just my personal view. Overall, I think it was a good book.
October 30, 2025
ik im the one who keeps reading them and expecting a different outcome but girl this man cheated on you while you gave birth to four children… and then continued to do it while you took care of three of them… again, im not married or in a relationship so maybe it’s hard for me to understand and imagine… but i could not stay with a cheater. especially considering they had an amicable divorce, you could be my friend and we raise our children together but bitch i’ll slice you if you think we’re getting back together.
August 11, 2025
Well written with a tight storyline. The story involves serial cheating by the H and the reaction of the h. The story was emotional, gritty and, at times, raw. The h was an immature communicator as was the H. It was aggravating that he blamed his behavior on his upbringing instead of accepting responsibility for his choices. He was a grown man!
Through therapy and behavior changes, the marriage was 'saved' but only time would tell if the changes were a temporary reaction to loss or a real change for positive growth.
Through therapy and behavior changes, the marriage was 'saved' but only time would tell if the changes were a temporary reaction to loss or a real change for positive growth.
August 16, 2025
Whew!!!
This one was a heartbreaking story and the absolution was so good and hearty. Jackie is chefs kiss. She was a gentle force who listened to herself and reined her feelings on protecting her and her children. I applaud the dual POV and love how H got help. If Jackie hadn’t did what she did, he would still be that unwanted person who broke her heart with no care. Great book.
This one was a heartbreaking story and the absolution was so good and hearty. Jackie is chefs kiss. She was a gentle force who listened to herself and reined her feelings on protecting her and her children. I applaud the dual POV and love how H got help. If Jackie hadn’t did what she did, he would still be that unwanted person who broke her heart with no care. Great book.
September 8, 2025
No emotional cheating, but plenty of physical. I can't give anymore than 3 stars as I couldn't forgive the H. Sorry but for me there was no coming back after Duke! I think the author did an amazing job at trying to redeem the H.... but who can forgive that? and I really tried. I feel unfair in giving only 3 stars. However if you're going to hit us with something as hard as that.... you have to know how to convince us to forgive!
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