(3.5 Stars) The blurb tells the set up very well. Emmaline Darling is forced into a temporary (few months) marriage of convenience with pro football star Graham Harlan. Because so much is revealed in the blurb I was surprised it takes to the 60 percent mark to get them married. There are of course reasons for the marriage but I won’t spoil that. Emmy is attracted to Graham and vice versa. It is fun to see them get to know each other and their respective family dynamics. They both have health issues that come into the storylines as well.

I thought it took off at a fun pace. I like they both are the kind of people to put family first. There is plenty of steam, but I think some of the extra family issues actually slow the story down. The characters are very likable but it is really hard to care about Graham’s situation. It’s hard to empathize when he has all the money and fame that he needs. And even his main reason for marrying is more a pride situation than an actual emergency. Thank you to Monlake and NetGalley for the ARC and I am leaving a voluntary review.

My favorite Ilsa Madden-Mills book to date….this one left my heart so full!! I stayed up till 4 am because I couldn’t put it down. These two were fun!!!

What happens when you steal someone’s luxury car? You marry her! That’s what happens to these two. Even though this is a farce, a love like no other is built. This was a fun sexy read that you fall in love with. Fun characters!

NetGalley read

Graham is a football player who has just suffered what could be a career ending injury. Emmaline is a bookstore manager who is running from her football player boyfriend, who has physically abused her. Both are hiding out in a dive motel in the middle of the desert and meet through a series of bizarre circumstances that lead to some really madcap and hysterical conversations. It is definitely a meet cute for the ages.

This book had so much wonderful sweetness mixed in with lusty chemistry! There is a marriage of convenience, some sex without feelings shenanigans, and a cast of really great side characters. There are book vibes all over the place, and how can I not love a bookstore in trouble sub plot?!?

Besides being fun and sweet, with both a sports star and a bookstore, and weird will hijinx (all of which really float my boat), this book made me laugh out loud often. Just a generally all around great romance read with all the spicy goodness that Ilsa Madden-Mills is known for! Loved this one!

Thank you to NetGalley and Montlake for providing me with an ARC of this book.

I was a bit iffy about the book at first but in the end I enjoyed it. Graham was just such a stubborn character and I wanted him to understand things a lot sooner than he did. The two of them were never fake and it was funny to watch them try to pretend otherwise. I'm assuming there will be a book about Jasper and Jane and I need it now.

I received an arc through netgalley.

As always, Ilsa Madden-Mills never writes a bad book. Thoroughly enjoyed this book!

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for this advanced reader's copy.

“Come out of the dark and embrace the sunshine.”

I absolutely loved My Darling Bride. It was such a heartwarming read that gave me all the feels. Emmy and Graham were perfection together and their journey was so much fun. I couldn’t put this book down once I started.

“I don’t want to be temporary. I don’t want to pretend. I want him.”

Emmy was pure sunshine. She’s wacky, full of life, loves her family fiercely and will sacrifice anything to make sure they have what they need in life. She had a painful past, but she didn’t let that define her. I loved how she didn’t let life get her down and forged ahead to do what needed to be down. Her heart was so big and she was just what Graham needed in his life.

“Football is only for a while, but love and family…those last. They dig into your soul. All it takes is accepting it.”

Graham’s grumpiness was a lot of fun. While he seemingly had an easier path in life, he struggled with some demons that weighed him down. When he met Emmy, she brought a lightness into his life and filled it with joy, but he struggled with letting his walls down enough to accept the love and kindness she exuded.

“Life gave me you. I dreamed of you before I even met you.”

The slow building of these two’s relationship was absolute perfection. I loved the longing and palpable tension between them as they figured out their “fake” relationship. The chemistry was electric and their snarky banter was hilarious. Add in the all of the wonderful supporting characters and you have an emotional, heartwarming story that will give you all the feels and make you smile. My Darling Bride is another fantastic read by this author and I’m keeping my fingers crossed that we see these characters again.

My Darling Bride by Ilsa Madden-Mill was a superb romance.
From the very first page I found myself completely sucked into this utterly amazing story.
Emmaline and Graham were both amazing. And I found myself completely wrapped in their journey.
This story was sexy, swoony and full of amazing banter. I loved the chemistry and connection between them and could not get enough of this book!

I would like to thank NetGalley and Montlake for the opportunity to read this ahead of its publication date in return for my honest review.

Let me just say marriage of convenience is one of my favorite tropes in a romance so when I read the beginning of the summary for this book I was so excited to read it my first clue I wasn’t going to enjoy this book was when Emma in front of a possible rapist and a guy she didn’t know from Adam… While pretending Gram is her boyfriend despite the fact she doesn’t know him at all, ask if he got the lube… The cherry you know that reminds me of you and then she says they need it because he’s so big! I mean really gross I know most people don’t think about it but words create pictures and peoples head and if that’s the picture she’s trying to paint for this possible rapist in the sky she doesn’t know… What is she really saying about herself? I just thought that was disgusting. Not only that before hot guy Graham walks up she’s criticizing the want to be Clint Eastwood possible rapists for looking at her boobs but when Gram does it she imagine he’s seeing them naked I never did like that the way women will accuse one guy of being a pervert but if he is hot then it’s OK? Not only that when her boyfriend showed up why wouldn’t she called 911? I know I so Madden Mills likes to take characters from her books and continue it in a series but I can’t think of one person with the exception of maybe Brody that I would want to see get together with someone not only that Gram had a concussion did his family not question his spontaneous marriage to this girl who is just broke up with her boyfriend? Not just that if I would’ve gone to a guy‘s house who had the thing he had in his apartment that would be the last time I went and I get it the whole point is she married him didn’t know him but I didn’t have high opinions of her either. Are usually love the characters in the authors books and I did like Gram but Emma left a lot to be desired. It seems the author tried to Have Emma come off as fun and quirky but that’s not the impression I was left with. when it comes to Miss Emma. My grandmother always said don’t advertise what you’re not selling and if you walk in a McDonald’s and see someone in regular clothes and someone in a McDonald’s outfit which one are you gonna order a burger from? I know you’re not supposed to blame the victim but there are no victims in the book and these are just my opinions. Needless to say I did not like this book and although there were some funny moments I would only rate this book as OK add best but because most people like it I guess it’s left up to the reader to decide as for this one though it’s a hard pass. I really was disappointed because as I said I look forward to reading this book and Love the other books I have read by her but you win some you lose some anon to the next. I want to thank the author the publisher and Net galley for my free arc copy please forgive any mistakes as I am blind and dictate my review.

My Darling Bride is a darling rom-com filled with plenty of emotion and heat. It was a fun and sweet journey that could only be achieved by facing very real fears.

Emmy Darling met Graham Harlan in a desert meet cute. She later steals his car fleeing an abusive ex which sets up the whole story. Their meet cute leads to a marriage of convenience that both enter into to help their families. That is one of the things they have the most in common; they’re both fiercely loyal to their siblings and will do whatever it takes to care for them.

Graham is an injured pro football player who’s dedicated his entire life to the sport and doesn’t know who he is without it. He has deep wounds from a previous relationship that prevent him from trusting women.. Graham is broody and closed off but hidden underneath is great compassion and protectiveness. And boy does he feel protective of Emmy despite often running from how he feels about her.

Emmy loves books and aspires to own the book store where she works. Book lovers will adore all the literary references Emmy cites. And the book store scenes are so well written you’ll feel as if you’re there. Emmy is loyal and protective of her siblings. Emmy came from an abusive childhood and prior relationship (trigger warning) which keeps her from trusting men. But she instinctively knows she can trust Graham despite not wanting to fall for him.

Their road to an HEA is filled with lots of ups and downs. And a fun twist that connected their medical stories together. The secondary characters are great and I’m hoping to see future stories with them.

Thanks to Montlake and NetGalley for the ARC.

(4.5 Stars)
Football player Graham Harlan is not having a good streak. First, he has a very bad sports accident, then his lambo is stolen and the cherry on top…he needs to be married to help out his brother. Emmy Darling is on the run from her life so when a bright yellow lambo pulls up she borrows it to escape. Can Graham track down Emmy and maybe convince her to help him out in leu of him pressing charges? Sounds like a plan to me! What an enjoyable stranger to lovers romance with spark, heart and an emotional side too. Plenty of silly moments to between these also! This is on the slower paced side as it delves into some more serious topics within the lighter moments but will definitely make you swoon. Told in dual POV

My Darling Bride was kind of unexpected. I expected it to be a fun, light-hearted, cute, sweet, sexy read and while it was all those things and much more I didn't expect it to deal with not so light topics. I loved that it surprised me in that regard. I enjoyed Graham and Emmy's story. The supporting cast was awesome. I adored them. This was such an enjoyable read. However, there was a thing at the end that I didn't all the way believe, it was too abrupt, an about face turn that didn't sit right with me. Other than that and a few little things here and there My Darling Bride was a solid read that I recommend.

When Emmy needs to run from an abusive ex, she steals Graham’s car. He is looking for a marriage of convenience as a way to get his brother the money he needs and Emmy seems like the perfect candidate. Emmy doesn’t need any more complications to her already complicated life so agrees to help him. There is an attraction there for both of them from the start but they try to resist it. There are a lot of other factors at play in their lives which get in their way. I loved how affectionate and caring Graham was, but boy did I want to shake him at times. Emmy was so strong! She had dealt with so much and was so loving and loyal. I loved how their families were so involved and loved the bookstore background to they story. This was a thoroughly enjoyable read.

𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝘀𝘁𝗼𝗿𝘆
Emmy Darling has fled from her ex-boyfriend after a trip to Vegas, and she’s hiding out in a seedy model in Arizona. When Graham Harlan walks in and she uses him to be her pretend boyfriend to the scary neighbour, neither think much of it. But when the ex comes after her, Emmy borrows Graham’s fancy car to get to the airport and leaves him a note, he realises he needs something from Emmy in return. There’s an inheritance waiting for him if he’s married, and maybe Emmy can help him out in turn.

𝗠𝘆 𝘁𝗵𝗼𝘂𝗴𝗵𝘁𝘀
So many well-used tropes in this one, the fake marriage of convenience, the Manhattan bookstore manager and the professional footballer who falls first, but Ilsa Madden-Mills writes her characters with warmth and humility, and both Emmy and Graham have fully formed past lives that give their story substance. I was rooting for them to find their HEA with each other, and loved the way it wasn’t just me, but also their respective siblings and friends cheering them on. The story was an easy read with lots of heart and feelings ❤️

A fun read, balance with funny banter and emotional moments. I could not stop reading. Very much a rom-com with emotional depth from both MCs, Emmy has a heart condition and Graham is recovering from a football head injury. There is marriage of convenience with a grumpy Graham and a ray of sunshine Emmy. Lots of silly banter and good energy. Although I would have liked a bit more on page reconciliation between Graham and his father with dialogue. But it doesn’t take away from Graham and Emmy’s story.

What a touching tale of love, happenstance, serendipity, and bravery. Amazing characters, including some truly superb side characters and a plot that made me want to keep reading. An absolute winner!

4/5 ⭐
2/5 🌶️

My Darling Bride was so dang sweet. I loved these two broken characters coming together for a marriage of convenience, watching them fall in love was such a treat. I really enjoyed the spotlight on their jobs, both Graham's football career and how his concussion impacted his future, and of course Emmy's bookstore and all the shenanigans that went along with it (only making me want to open a local bookshop more tbh lol) The grand gestures Graham sprinkles throughout this story were perfect and I loved their happily ever after so much.

4.5 stars
My Darling Bride is a sports romance with a heartfelt feel. I really enjoyed reading Graham and Emmy’s story so much! The underlying family issues combined with the support from friends made this an entertaining but also heart wrenching read!
I really enjoyed reading this book. Especially since Emmy works at a book shop. Down on her luck and trying to get away from an ex, she steals a car. Graham is a professional football player, who needs this time to himself.
Emmy has stolen his car and he goes to great lengths for her to redeem herself.
Needless to say he is quite the charming guy. This fake marriage slow burn will give you whiplash but also make you swoon. I enjoyed it!

My Darling Bride isn’t the first book I’ve read by Ilsa Madden-Mills and it won’t be the last because she combines contemporary romance with very clever and sometimes hilarious dialogue that keep me turning the pages. This read was heartwarming and thought provoking at the same time. Emmy is the sibling that holds everything together – you know the one who “fixes” everything and does everything for everyone no matter what it takes – that’s Emmy and I loved her character. Graham is what you would expect of a professional football player but he’s dealing with some heavy stuff and together they make a perfect match. If you’re looking for a thoroughly enjoyable contemporary romance with heart pick up My Darling Bride and dive in. I’m grateful to have been given the opportunity to read an advance copy of this book through NetGalley.

This was a good story in essence. A little classical elements with a little modern mixed up. I liked Graham and Emma. I just felt the execution was inconsistent and poorly done. We had very few moments with our characters together. There was too many things to address and most of them felt unresolved.

It just felt flat at times and I was kind of ready for it end. I wanted to give it a fair try though so I did read to the end but unfortunately it didn't work out.

Thank you Netgalley and Montlake for a copy of this book.

I absolutely loved this book. We’re first introduced to Graham, a football player who suffers an injury so severe - giving him a near death experience.
Emmeline, a woman who has fled to the middle of the desert to escape an abusive ex.
This is where the two meet. After a brief yet abrupt meeting, Emmeline has to make a quick get away, when her ex tracks her down. Her only escape, ‘borrying’ Grahams Lamborghini that he arrived in.

Graham at the same time is recovering from his injury and saddles himself with the promise to his younger brother that he’ll secure the family’s inheritance by getting married - only problem is, Graham needs a marriage of convenience, plus he’s currently single!

Tracking Emmeline down all the way to Manhattan, he presents her with the proposition of marriage, well she does kind of owe him, doesn’t she?
They both go in, knowing it’s a marriage of convenience, they won’t fall in love and separate when the inheritance comes through. Simple!

This was a lovely read, the two characters were likeable with palpable chemistry. This book is one for the sports fan, fans of bookstores and all round warmth.