This is a spoiler-free review!
This book was literally sitting in my TBR pile since August 2020... Well folks, we made it! I have been itching for an arranged marriage trope for awhile, and this needed to hit the spot for me. Arwen and Maverick are at immediate odds with one another and they find themselves at the alter in order for their families to get what they want - to both of their resentment. Arwen wants a family, and Maverick is the last man on the planet who wants a wife, especially one he did not pick for himself.
Every other chapter was basically filled with "I do not want to be married to this person" while simultaneously followed by "Wow I think I am attracted to the person I am married to," which makes the plot become repetitive very quickly. However, you see Maverick and Arwen try to support and connect with each other in their own way, and while they do have this tension filled with arguments or the silent treatment, you could tell the chemistry was brewing. I would have loved to see that chemistry develop just a little bit more - they were in limbo for a majority of the book.
It never felt as though there were any stakes in the game until the last 15% of the book, and even then I was not that invested in Maverick and Arwen's relationship - if you could even call it that. They basically just existed in the same house together and have about three more intimate interactions with each other. You could tell that they were beginning to care for one another, but it was so distant that it does not cause the reader to form a major attachment. However, I am intrigued enough to continue with this series, solely to see what exactly is in store for their chemistry development and possible obstacles with Maverick's family.
The dual perspective at least allowed the reader to see both sides of the story, but it felt surface-level at best, and as stated before, became very repetitive. I did not love their whole open marriage situation, even though they were basically forced to marry each other from the beginning. It made it hard to root for them to be together when they were always with other people or by themselves. That being said, I did like both of their personalities, and while they disagreed on things more often than not, I can certainly see a future between Maverick and Arwen.
If I remember correctly, I saw a blurb of this on TikTok, and we all know that my track record for recommendations on that app is questionable... I have gotten some hits, and definitely some misses - unfortunately, I just could not find myself invested in this story. I cannot even remember what the blurb was, and since it has been living and haunting my TBR pile for over four years, I figured it was time to tackle it. If you are looking for a super quick read with only a touch of smut, this is definitely the book for you - it is low stakes, and can essentially be thought of just the world-building aspect of the story, since it is the first installment of a trilogy.
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