The Reluctant Bride

The Corporation #1

by Arianna Fraser

Wait. What do you mean, my dad gave me to you?

I was ready for a fresh start in England, a career with the London Symphony Orchestra. But my father's "underperforming" company is bought out by The Corporation. Suddenly, I'm being told I'm marrying the tall and terrifying Thomas Williams, because dad would rather trade me to keep control of his company. Thomas tells me that it "looks better" to be a married man as his organized crime empire starts a partnership with the Russian Bratva Syndicate.

Really?

I'm a wife. I have a giant diamond ring to prove it... and a husband who can be kind in one moment and scary in the next. And there's car chases, and assassination attempts. There's a body in my cello case! Who has a marriage like this?

But by the time we're in St. Petersburg and surrounded by new friends and old enemies, my gorgeous, terrifying husband might just need me.

The Reluctant Bride is a Dark Mafia Romance and is 18+ only.

Genres: Romance, Dark Romance, Contemporary

595 pages, Kindle Edition

First published February 26, 2021

Reviews

[Devika Fernando · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved this author's Loki novel so of course, I had to get her latest offering - and it was another win.

While I'm not big on Mafia romance, I do love the enemies to lovers trope and swoon over dominant alpha males. And Thomas was certainly one of those men that you know you shouldn't love but fall helplessly in love with anyway. Made me shiver in the best possible ways, and the smut was out-of-this-world amazing.
That being said, I really enjoyed the character evolvement too, Thomas's as well as Lauren's. They go through some serious crises and end up being a formidable team. I'd totally read a sequel!

[Tamotha clark · Rating 5 out of 5]

Lauren and Thomas Williams, marriage

The reviews do not do this book justice. This is a story of a woman love change the man she loves he became more then the man she was forced to marry. This story is a rollercoaster ride of intrigue, sex, mystery, and twist. A cold hearted calculating husband becomes a vicious ruthless protector for his lavender eye wife.

[2TNWalkers · Rating 3 out of 5]

The flip flopping from 1st person to 3rd was kind of annoying. Also when referring to the FMC author kept calling her girl...FMC was well past the girl age she should have been referred to as woman...just a personal pet peeve

[Anika Kay · Rating 5 out of 5]

I happened to stumble upon this book, and on reading the blurb, I had an idea of what to expect - Extremely alpha Hero, organized crime background, innocent heroine, forced arranged marriage, underlying promise of all the debauchery… u get the gist. But a few chapters in, I was pleasantly surprised! There is an actual good story here, with interesting twists and turns!

There is a strong D/s theme between the leads, but I was impressed how the author has written the intimacy quite tastefully. The Hero Thomas is an alpha through and through, but he isn’t ruthless and cruel (not to the h at least). I really liked how he handled Beatriz, extra swoon points for him. The Heroine, Lauren, is innocent and naïve, but she is not docile, and finds a way to voice her opinions. Even as she ‘grows’ into the role she is expected to, her moral dilemma reflects the purity of her heart, which makes her extra likeable.

The writing style is a bit different, seems a little raw. But the story is good, and as I said, it has been treated with a distinct grace. I see a very good potential for the author!

I do have one grouse though. There is a line in the beginning of every chapter, which gives a summary of what to expect in the chapter. It actually gives spoilers for the chapter, and I was wondering why the author has done that! I was skipping them entirely, and recommend people who don’t like spoilers to do the same!

[Jasmine · Rating 5 out of 5]

oh my goodness what a rollercoaster of action, emotions and feelings. I shouldn't like Thomas. I shouldn't! And this push and pull is exactly what our spunky heroine Lauren experiences as she is coerced into marriage to save her father. I'm hooked.

[Underworld · Rating 5 out of 5]

Checklist for a satisfying read:
1. Gothic-style romance
2. Organized crime
3. Alpha male who needs redeeming
4. A bride who is indeed reluctant and has good reasons why
5. Gorgeous smut

Win!

[Catherine · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wonderful Story

This is a fantastic story of lust, love and danger that hurtles from one drama to the next. Couldn’t put it down. Absolutely recommended.

[Judy Bulger · Rating 5 out of 5]

No what I expected

Tense angsty and gritty. So many devious vicious people while love and friendship is found with unlikely alliances.
Loved the ending a must read

[Lauren Brown · Rating 3 out of 5]

Honestly, when I first downloaded this book I wasn’t expecting much. My main reasoning for getting it in the first place was that I have the same name as the main character and NOBODY EVER USES THE NAME LAUREN IN BOOKS AND SHOWS. Regardless, I was pleasantly surprised by how much I enjoyed this book.

THE PLOT:

If you’re familiar with the genre - it loosely follows the same structure, that being: forced situation - uneasy bonding - conflict - confused feelings - climax - resolution.

For me, the book started off strong but then started to fizzle towards the middle - right around the time the plot slowed and the smut came in full force. Yes, the sex was excellently written (probably the best I have read in a long time), but there wasn’t enough to keep me invested in the story.

Lauren’s tale of unease as she navigates her way through a new world did take us through some twists and turns - though they only really come into play in the last 50 or so pages. I really wish we saw more of the ruthless world she forced into.


THE ROMANCE:

As previously stated, the smut was great. I have absolutely no complaints in the department.

Listen, enemies to lovers is my favourite trope so my devilish heart really wanted to see more loathing coming from Lauren’s side of things. I really wanted her to have more resistance and have ample opportunity to see Thomas as a fully fledged, level 100 monster, instead what we get is his controlled dominance (mostly in the bedroom). I don’t know. I feel like the romance, though I very much enjoyed it, was too easy.

THE VERDICT:

I rate this 3.5/10. I enjoyed reading it and I think anyone who loves romance and a healthy dose of smut would really enjoy it too.

[Melluvsbooks]

DNF - odd writing style. Dispassionate. Lots of sex but oddly unsexy and almost clinical - not for me

[Tania Trozzo · Rating 3 out of 5]

Enjoyed storyline

I liked the story line but it was a bit drawn out and long. Really liked the main characters and how they developed throughout the story.

[Renee · Rating 5 out of 5]

so good!

I don’t know why I let this linger on my TBR list for so long. It was so good. Awesome plot with twist and turns. I love the intros to each chapter. So much spice also. Can’t wait to read more of this author.

[Merry One Maria · Rating 4 out of 5]

A full story fir Lauren and Thomas

This is book one and a full story about Lauren and Thomas. This is a mafia type story that crosses several criminal organizations. There are triggers and women are not valued. Women are to be silent, beautiful, and arm candy in this story. There is a secret organization called The Corporation and it is led by three men, with Thomas being Number Two. Thomas is working on a big deal with the Bratva. All of a sudden Number One, named Kingston, insists that Thomas take a wife or step aside on the big deal. Thomas is shocked and wanting to find a way to avoid it. His work speaks for itself; he aces every time. Number One setup an event to parade beautiful women in front of Thomas so that he can choose a wife, specifically chosen by Number One. However during this event, there is music, and there is a beautiful violet eyed woman that catches Thomas’ eye. This definitely does not go to plan. . . . Read On!

[Mee · Rating 4 out of 5]

I was on page 22 when I checked that this book has 400 something pages to go...><💧

Decided I couldn't imagine to read that long, I skipped half of the book right to the middle...and that that's where I couldn't stop reading it...
This book really enchanted me that i finished reading it in just a half day....that i promised to comeback to page 22 to read the whole book...

How I love Thomas...the beautiful husband...(yups...these words mentioned over and over in this book) that terrifying people around him..but has a soft spot for his sweet wife Lauren..

And Lauren that seems so innocent but wooow..just wooow...they both just made from heaven!

Sadly I felt that the ending just too rush..I wish there was the epilogue of their growing family

[Carmelita Clardy · Rating 5 out of 5]

A wonderful read

This book was awesome, it was a page turner. The plot and characters were very well written and developed. The h was forced to marry the H to save her father. She is a sweet, loving,kind and beautiful woman shoved into the criminal world of her husband. He is cold,arrogant and unkind at times. There was plot twists, violence, betrayal and hot sex scenes. Along the way they fell in love and it was beautiful, their deep feelings for each other. This book is just wow. An epilogue would have been nice but it was great.

[Roberta Jackson · Rating 2 out of 5]

Very disappointing

Wow! Very dark not for the faint of heart. After reading all the really good Bratva saga's I went back to read some earlier writings. This was nothing more than slave and master. I read 50% but just couldn't go any further. It was very well written and flowed from the beginning. But, the story line was not for me. Essentially she was trapped in a marriage and forced to endure her husband's perversity. I've read many stories on dom\sub relationships but this was as Lauren said "taking away her freedom".

[L Verlaque · Rating 5 out of 5]

Intrigue and romance with a fair bit of spice

A well written contemporary romance. Very much enjoyed Thomas and Lauren's story. 2nd book by this author and I intend to look out the rest. Some romance books feel like they are churned out production style with little plot or character development. I am glad to say this author does not fall into this category. You are reading a genuine novel. Highly recommend.

[Airy M. · Rating 5 out of 5]

great read

I thoroughly enjoyed this story. I had read Mistaken first but it was great to see the development of Lauren and Thomas and how they came together. We are given a glimpse at them in the future and to see their origins was wonderful. I laughed, I cried and ultimately finished this book in a matter of hours. I loved it and really enjoyed Arianna Fraser’s work

[Safa · Rating 5 out of 5]

One of the best and enjoying read i have read its had everything in great story
I love the hero his personality was some thing hot and bad cruel and very sweet
And i am in love with loruin she is great and fun

[Kavitha · Rating 4 out of 5]

Good plot. Interesting characters. Love the hero so much. Overall, an enjoyable read.

[JenMcJ · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5 Stars rounded up. This is another mafia story with an Male MC that has to learn how to balance his instinctive reaction from brutal to less... harsh. Again, I like that Thomas doesn't turn into a marshmallow the minute he meets Lauren. However, while I didn't mention this in the review of the first book I read of AF, in this one the power imbalance and the idea of consent is not supportable.

Thomas brings Lauren into a D/s relationship where he tells her "she has all the control" but when she is kidnapped and forced to marry by the threat of death and the death of her father and best friend, cut off from all of her friends, any possible escape routes as well as any other sympathetic sounding boards, she has no control. She has no basis for consent. She is in an abusive relationship. She has survival and that means, doing what survival means. Going along, getting along. She might get away with some hard truths for Thomas but at no time is she not aware that her life is as stake. She remembers it, he remembers it and they both know it. It's impossible to consent in a relationship like this. So, I struggled with the amount of manipulation that Thomas applies to their D/s relationship as much as I did with the lack of honest consent even if all of her personality collapses at the first hint of an orgasm.

There was a lot of twists and turns, some of them harder to believe than others, but in the end, I couldn't help but agree with Lauren that Thomas really wasn't all that strong of a leader since he let not only Number One but also the various partners he was making deals with, dictate to him on every level.

I'm glad that they made it to the end stronger and in love. I liked how the communication and respect grew between them and that they did finally meet in a place of a more honest power balance. This gives me hope for their future.

(Since I did read this one after Mistaken, where Thomas shows up briefly, I am a little confused on his reputation and what he could bring to the table in that book after reading the outcome of this one. )

[Chelsea · Rating 3 out of 5]

I had a lot of conflicting thoughts reading this. First of all, it's way too long, clocking in at over 500 pages. Second, this was originally a fanfiction based on a series of commercials...I remember following this on AO3 and while it was fun and fresh waiting for each chapter to update every few weeks, having them all together at once definitely changed the reading experience for me. Or perhaps it's the dark romance genre that I'm not vibing with? I haven't quite figured out where this sits with me and why yet.

Lauren is forced to marry Thomas Williams in order to save her father from the Corporations wrath...and Thomas as Number 2 in the mafia needs to get Number 1 off his back and keep Number 3 in his place. Lauren just wants to play in the symphony but that doesn't really go as planned cause now she has to be arm candy at Corporation dinners and play her role as doting wife or pay the price. The spicy scenes were hot but then there was just such an over saturation that it was too much. When they added this D/s twist to their relationship, the "rules" were never established and it just was less fun. Thomas was all over of being dark and scary to being soft and doting...the editing/formatting was a bit jarring including random translations for the non-English speaking characters. POVs sometimes switched with no page breaks and it made for a confusing read. A few times, references to other books/movies were used and the characters critiqued them and it just didn't sit well with me and came across a bit tone deaf in a self-published fanfiction.

So, I don't know if I can recommend this...it was the longest dark romance I've read by far and I don't know if it was this book in particular or the genre itself I was struggling with.

[Meme · Rating 4 out of 5]

Lauren and Thomas have a chance meeting, one where he takes total advantage of the meeting and then of her. He forces her with threats of harm to get her to agree to marry him. Thomas was a difficult character for me to like, he seemed very cold hearted and domineering, a total dominant. Some of the punishments he gave to Lauren kept me from liking his character. Lauren was more likeable, she had put up with a lot in her young life and turned into a tender hearted woman with a good sense of humor. Her sense of humor translated into some funny scenes sprinkled here and there throughout the story. Being a mafia story this had the anticipated action, violence and even some suspense. The author had some huge twists in the plot that I hadn't a clue were coming. I enjoyed not seeing these twists coming and having those moments when I just sat there and said "no way." This is not a lighthearted romantic tale by any means, in my opinion its kind of dark and a long hard road to the "I love yous." Not a short read at all and some parts were a little slow, but overall the story kept me "into" it and I felt the need to find out what was going to happen.

I received a free copy of this book and am voluntarily leaving a review.

[Malini · Rating 5 out of 5]

Thank you hostess by MeemsAngel82

Yes, we're all thankful for those treats! Though I'm a Ding Dong gal myself. Lol, more great writing from this author that is giving us a full world read. So many plot twists and turns and what a storyline! This is a man who lives a dangerous life and a woman who wants to keep away from that craziness.

She was supposed to be arm candy and wanted no part of it, but eventually they both had no chance and fell in love.

Oh he was so frustrating!! I was so mad at him, he was so hardheaded and you just knew he felt for her but kept her in that role of the little woman. The heat was soooo good and who could blame her for melting for him but still. What a sexy pair!! The frustration though, I would have just left and left him and her dad to their own problems. I wish he listened to her more, but am so happy they worked things out. This was crazy! Sit back and .make some time because this was a whole lotta story!

I received a free copy of this book and am voluntarily leaving a review.

[Caz · Rating 3 out of 5]

I found this book quite entertaining and found myself laughing out loud quite a bit. I know its meant to be a dark romance, and yes there are dark moments. But I found the little chapter introductions hilarious for the most part.

The editing could have been better as there were times I was like what the… did I miss something there or was that just a mistake? And sometimes trying to rework the sentence in my mind for it to read correctly was annoying (and no I don’t think it was me, definitely the editing or lack there of in some cases).

The book was a little long, however I think because I was reading from a more of a comedy aspect it didn’t turn me off that much. Although, gosh how much can one woman entering an unholy match go through. I was sad for poor Lauren. But as i said this was entertaining and if the editing and such didn’t bother me as much as it did I might have rated the book a little higher.

[Sydney · Rating 1 out of 5]

Too far. Abuse, grooming, cringe worthy terms

I have enjoyed this authors work before, even with books alont the same storyline. This, however, was impossible to get through, I ended up skipping to the end. At first, it was just the "little girl" term that made me cringe in the story. I'm sorry, just a little pedoish when you're talking about taking her virginity, barf. Then the grooming, punishments, and isolation. She actually acknowledges what he's doing but says she is helpless to stop it because he's everything to her. So she holds the door to her own cage shut. She refers to herself as a dog, and she gets out into a dog cage, but he comforts her by saying it's a pet cage for pets, not dogs. Oh, happy day. Thanks for the clarification. Yuck. This book makes me question reading more work from this author.

[Meg · Rating 4 out of 5]

Love this story, did I hate Thomas a little? yes. Do i think that's actually a sign of good writing? also yes. Also want to give major props for Arianna Fraser including those hotlines in the middle of the story, I always really enjoy the way she adds in translations or extra info. She always knows which bits I would have been looking up anyway. But including those hotline numbers was probably the best way I have seen an author deal with including triggering topics in their story. I am now thinking more dark romance authors should do this.

[Holly · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 stars. I liked the story and the characters. The banter was good. Lots of twists and turns, sometimes a bit dizzying. I’m not sure it all made sense, but I went with it. I would have given this 4 stars, but there were a few annoying things that really niggled at me. The H kept calling the h “little girl” and sweet girl, good girl. A LOT. In fact he may have only used her name once or twice in the whole book. It gave off an ick factor for me.

[Melissa · Rating 3 out of 5]

Many Twist & Turns

This book was different from other Mafia books I've read. I enjoyed the book but their was almost yoo much going on. You have several organizations involved in the mix which I felt was too much. The story of Lauren & Thomas was good. They dynamics between Lauren and of deadly higher up were great. I just something was missing.

[Mischa Luna Booknerd · Rating 3 out of 5]

Good book, but it is a little too long, in my opinion. I felt like some of the scenes were rinse and repeat.

Especially the punishment for our MFC. The MMC was always very quick to find the fault and not have an adult conversation about what happened. Then he fell stupid about what he did, runs away, and makes it up to her and does it again....