3.5 stars
I liked Emmy and Graham, but the pacing of the story was a bit off for me. It's supposed to be a fake marriage book, but the wedding wasn't until the second half, so there was a lot of build up, background, negotiation. I wanted to see more time of them as a couple, building and trying to deny their feelings.
I dis really love the family members and the scenes at the bookstore.

⭐️ ARC Review ⭐️

My Darling Bride
⭐️⭐️⭐️💫

My Darling Bride is a stand-alone, dual POV marriage of convenience romance that was a lot of fun to read!

Emmy and Graham meet by chance while he’s on a trip to explore his future and she’s on the run from an abusive ex. After she steals his car, he figures she owes him and that he’s found the perfect fake wife to get an inheritance that’s owed.

Thank you to @netgalley , Montlake and @ilsamaddenmills for a chance to read this sweet and fun romance

📖 I received a gifted e-book copy in exchange for an honest review ✍🏻

Read dates: 11/12/2023- 11/16/2023
Goodreads review: 11/16/2023
Instagram review: 11/17/2023
Blog review: 12/05/2023

Raise your hand if you believe in fate and couples who are just meant to be!

I am in love with this football world Ilsa Madden-Mills has built. I really appreciate that this book, like the others, is a standalone, and it's not necessary to read the other books to enjoy this one.
Who wouldn't love swoony ballers who melt their lady love hearts, who are fierce protectors and have healthy relationships with their friends and families? Who wouldn't also want their female love interest to be strong and self-reliant?
Emmy and Graham delivered all that and more.
Toss in his brother, Brody and their estranged dad trying to make amends, and Emmy's sweet little family made up of her brother, her sister, her niece, and adopted kitty, Magic!
Who could forget the charming and delightful Jasper!! I can only hope he gets the perfect love match. He has been my favorite side character set in this world.

You know that feeling you get when you read a really good book that you don't want it to finish and it makes you feel above the clouds that what it felt reading My Darling Bride.

It's an Arranged Marriage story that has troops like : Opposite Attracts - Grumpy X Sunshine - Spicy 🔥🔥🔥 and its written in Dual POVs 😉.
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
It is the story of Graham Harlan a football player who had an accident through the game ( near death experience)and suffered from a severe concussion that might cause risk later on his life if he continued to play.
On the other side, there is Emmy darling she works at a bookstore and supports her brother and sister she's like the protector of them since she was little. Fate brings Graham and Emmy together in an unexpected way which lead them on the path to an arranged marriage. What started simply as a deal turned into something else when feelings started getting in the way and together they will be put on a test that would change their lives forever.

I loved the book so much I literally devoured it. Graham Harlan is like the softest most sweetest football player I've ever read in a book and Emmy she's like us a bookish thoughtful sweet person who cares about her brother and sister and who had suffered a lot during her childhood and then with her boyfriend and and the bad breakup she went through. This is a story about starting over about believing about trust and the power of Love and you don't want to miss it.
Thanks to @netgalley and the publisher for granting me an ARC of #MyDarlingBride in exchange for my honest review.

Xoxo💋

Book after book I'm loving Ilsa Madden-Mills' writing more and more.
I became acquainted with her pen through an Italian publication, and from that day on I promised myself that I would try not to miss any release.

A story full of humor, falling in love with the characters is inevitable. Loved every page.
Sino these are the romances I like.

Emmy and Graham make my heart happy! I'm not a big believer in fate, but if anyone can convince me, it's this book. I love how their timelines intertwine, it still makes me smile just thinking about it.

The story begins with Emmy running from her abusive ex, and Graham is just running from everything else. She ends up stealing his car to escape, after which he tracks her down to convince her to marry him (only on paper) so he can get his inheritance. Graham has plenty of money from football, but he wants the inheritance to financially back his brothers dream.

The health issues for both characters was enough to keep me on my toes, Emmy with her heart condition, and Graham with previous head injuries still playing full-contact sports. I've never been so enamored with two people so quickly and I was living for every moment they were on the page together.

Such a wonderful marriage of convenience story, this is definitely one I will be reading again in the future! Fill with laughter and romance, you'll enjoy it from start to finish and want to read it all over again. I'm hoping Jasper will get his own story at some point!

If it's not fake dating, please make it marriage of convenience. Thanks, Addie

Graham and Emmy have been hurt. Both physically and emotionally. When they meet in a run down motel in the desert, neither of them expect for their lives to be entwined indefinitely. She is running from her ex. He is just running. When she steals his new car, he tracks her down to make a trade...he won't press charges if she marries him.

This is steamy and sweet and emotional in all of the best ways. I love a romance that makes me feel their feelings with them. We fall in love right along with Emmy and G as the pages turn and I am so here for it. Marriage of convenience, bookstore, football, funny siblings and side characters, and a romance we are rooting for. It's basically all the things we need.

I found the writing absolutely beautiful, I think this author has a way with words and truly knows how to give characters depth.

Overall this was a nice read, if you enjoy football players, and marriages of convenience this is for you!

My Darling Bride by Ilsa Madden-Mills is a super fun romance with a cool mix of humor and heart. Emmy and Graham's chemistry is off the charts, and their journey from a random desert encounter to an unexpected marriage is a wild ride.

Emmy and Graham's first encounter is hilarious, thanks to Madden-Mills' clever writing. But what really got me was Emmy's fierce loyalty to her family. The bond she shares with her siblings adds this extra layer of heart that makes the whole story feel more real.

The story's pacing is just right—easy to dive into and enjoy. Although the ending felt a bit rushed, the overall vibe is light and entertaining, leaving you wanting more. The supporting characters are fantastic, and I'm crossing my fingers for spin-offs about them!

To sum it up, My Darling Bride is a must-read if you want a romance that's funny and heartwarming. Emmaline and Graham's love story is a wonderful ride that'll leave you with a big smile on your face.

A chance encounter in the dessert sets the scene for a hilarious, emotional fake relationship that is unique and unforgettable as the both come to terms with how much they have changed each others lives and what really matters when you come right down to it.
Emmaline and Graham are two people who both struggle with their pasts, a past that has left deep scars. Neither wants a relationship, or feelings for that matter. Graham loves football, its everything to him, not just a career. So when he dies on the field you can imaging the emotional impact that has on him and his struggles to move on from what he saw when he was down.
Emmaline has survived horrors no one should have to live through and is raising her siblings. An abusive boyfriend will certainly not keep her down. Working two jobs to make ends meet and keep her family home, she gives it all for her family.
Together they sizzle, if they could just put aside their emotional baggage and choose to accept that love may just be the answer to all their problems. Slow burn, but worth every chapter it takes to get there! You wont want to miss their battle against catching feelings!

Looking for a football romance with Travis Kelce touch? Well this is the closest you will get! Graham is the star Tight End of New York Pythons with jersey number 87! His darling fake bride Emmy is a blonde beauty with so much sweetness and brightness that I cannot help but smile every time she comes on the page. And she works at a book store gasp!! Ilsa Madden Mills always deliver amazing football romance and this grumpy sunshine fake marriage romance was no exception. It has a perfect balance of swoon, angst and spice. With entertaining secondary characters, adequate football bromance, thrill of NFL, complex emotions and witty lines..My Darling Bride is an unputdownable read.

Graham is still recovering from his near death experience after an ugly concussion in their Superbowl match. It shook him mentally more than physically. While on a road trip, his path collides with Emmy Darling who is just running away from her abusive ex( another football player!) After a series of hilarious accidents..their paths cross again when Graham decides that Emmy can be the perfect fake bride for him because he needs to get married to get the inheritance money to help his gay brother who was deprived and really needs the money to push his new business. Emmy agrees but..fake things never stay fake.


I need fake marriage tropes to have solid reasoning and I love how Graham did it for his brother who won't take Graham's money from football,was deprived by their snobby grandmother and is the best person around! Graham is dealing with a lot. Aftermath of the injury. The near death experience with those visions. The fear of the long term effects of the injury but also the desperation of returning to the game that's his life. He has baggage for sure. Specially from the betrayal of his last relationship. A lot is riding on this marriage but Emmy makes it easy! This woman is incredible. Coming from a broken home, her siblings are everything to her. She protected them and helped them thrive. She is so sweet and witty and loving. Her aura is just so warm and cozy that even our grumpy NFL star couldn't resist. The vision was a nice touch, giving their connection an otherworldly experience. Graham definitely prefers to run away, hide and block everything deeply emotional. But Emmy is just a force of nature, demolishing his barriers. I love when the heroine open up and take initiative because why not!? She has experienced some serious medical issues too but that doesn't stop her from living and loving fiercely. Graham just had to take the leap of faith and he did! This book was a brilliant mix of some heartwarming feels, a dose of heartbreak and slow burn goodness! I love to read romance where broken Souls become whole together and my heart is overflowing with feels here!

I reviewed an early copy voluntarily

I love a good fake marriage romance. Graham Harlan is the star tight-end for the New York Pythons. When he scores the winning touchdown at the Superbowl, he takes a hard hit and his heart stops for two minutes. Before he is resuscitated, he has an out of body experience involving a vision of a desert, a blonde woman with emerald eyes, and a feeling of serenity. Months later, he ends up in the middle of nowhere Arizona at a dive hotel, where he comes to the rescue of Emmaline Darling. Emmaline is escaping from her abusive boyfriend, and when he shows up at the hotel, she takes Graham’s Lamborghini. Graham tracks her down, and instead of having her arrested, he coerces her into a fake marriage. I loved both main characters. Graham is closed off due to past betrayals and Emmy is also afraid of putting herself out there due to childhood exposure to abuse and her ex’s abuse. Despite here dark backstory, both of these characters are good people and deserve a happily ever after. I received an arc of this book from NetGalley for my honest review.

I know I can always count on Ilsa Madden Mills to bring the out the emotions in her romances. Graham and Emmy were lovely together, from the tension to the spice.. everything worked.

This was an enjoyable, fairly low angst story.. I liked how Emmy and Graham met and how their marriage came about since it was unique. I also enjoyed seeing former Python Football characters from other Ilsa Madden-Mills books. (This is a standalone, but loved the number of easter eggs in this book).

Emmy and Graham meet in the desert, when she steals his Lamborghini to get away from a terrible ex. He tracks her down back home and calls in a favour, where she marries him and he gets an inheritance to help his brother open a gym he is looking to build (the brother was left out of the inheritance because of some archaic rule that he must marry a woman, and he is gay). Of course, the fake marriage starts to have real feelings and they have to decide if love is worth the risk.

This was a cute romance between Emmy and Graham, and some of the time they had some really cute chemistry. I found most of the time they seemed to be two roommates that were living together. I think the romance portion of the book was often put to the side to focus on all the other drama of the two families that was happening. Graham and Emmy both had a lot of difficulty talking to each other and a whole lot of their heartache could have been helped if they had just talked to each other. I also found their love to be a bit unbelievable. Graham would just leave when things got tense, so I struggled with the believability.

What I did like about this book was the cast of side characters. Emmy's siblings and niece, and Graham's friends and brother added to this story and I was often rooting for them. Also, any man who buys a bookstore for me is worthy!

In the end, I wanted more of time with Emmy and Graham together, rather than the push and pull of will they/won't they? I did find the writing nice and easy to read. If you are looking for a marriage of convenience with some fun side characters, this is the book for you. Thank you to NetGalley and Montlake for a copy of this book. All opinions are 100% mine.

✨ 𝐁𝐨𝐨𝐤 𝐑𝐞𝐯𝐢𝐞𝐰 ✨

𝐓𝐢𝐭𝐥𝐞: My Darling Bride
𝐀𝐮𝐭𝐡𝐨𝐫(𝐬): Ilsa Madden-Mills
𝐑𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐧𝐠: 3.75/5

“𝘛𝘩𝘪𝘯𝘬 𝘢𝘣𝘰𝘶𝘵 𝘪𝘵, 𝘎𝘳𝘢𝘩𝘢𝘮, 𝘴𝘩𝘦 𝘸𝘢𝘴 𝘪𝘯 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘴𝘢𝘮𝘦 𝘩𝘰𝘴𝘱𝘪𝘵𝘢𝘭 𝘢𝘴 𝘺𝘰𝘶, 𝘺𝘰𝘶 𝘧𝘰𝘶𝘯𝘥 𝘩𝘦𝘳 𝘪𝘯 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘮𝘪𝘥𝘥𝘭𝘦 𝘰𝘧 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘥𝘦𝘴𝘦𝘳𝘵, 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘴𝘩𝘦 𝘴𝘵𝘰𝘭𝘦 𝘺𝘰𝘶𝘳 𝘤𝘢𝘳 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘐 𝘬𝘯𝘦𝘸 𝘩𝘦𝘳. 𝘛𝘩𝘦𝘴𝘦 𝘢𝘳𝘦𝘯’𝘵 𝘳𝘢𝘯𝘥𝘰𝘮 𝘢𝘤𝘵𝘴 𝘰𝘧 𝘤𝘰𝘪𝘯𝘤𝘪𝘥𝘦𝘯𝘤𝘦. 𝘐𝘵’𝘴 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘧𝘶𝘤𝘬𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘶𝘯𝘪𝘷𝘦𝘳𝘴𝘦. 𝘔𝘢𝘺𝘣𝘦 𝘴𝘰𝘮𝘦𝘵𝘪𝘮𝘦𝘴, 𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘯𝘨𝘴 𝘳𝘦𝘢𝘭𝘭𝘺 𝘢𝘳𝘦 𝘮𝘦𝘢𝘯𝘵 𝘵𝘰 𝘣𝘦.”

💗 𝗦𝗽𝗶𝗰𝘆 𝗿𝗼𝗺𝗮𝗻𝗰𝗲
🤍 𝗠𝗮𝗿𝗿𝗶𝗮𝗴𝗲 𝗼𝗳 𝗰𝗼𝗻𝘃𝗲𝗻𝗶𝗲𝗻𝗰𝗲
💗 𝗖𝗼𝗺𝗽𝗹𝗲𝘅 𝗳𝗮𝗺𝗶𝗹𝘆 𝗱𝘆𝗻𝗮𝗺𝗶𝗰𝘀
🤍 𝗙𝗲𝗺𝗮𝗹𝗲 𝗠𝗖 𝗿𝘂𝗻𝘀 𝗮 𝗯𝗼𝗼𝗸𝘀𝘁𝗼𝗿𝗲
💗 𝗠𝗮𝗹𝗲 𝗠𝗖 𝗶𝘀 𝗮 𝗳𝗼𝗼𝘁𝗯𝗮𝗹𝗹 𝗽𝗹𝗮𝘆𝗲𝗿

My Darling Bride started off super strong. I loved the meet cute between Emmy and Graham where Emmy is getting leeched on by some creep so starts calling Graham (a stranger and a passerby) her prison boyfriend, and then she has the audacity to steals Graham’s Lamborghini! 😂 A brilliant romantic premise.

And there is plenty to love in this. The fake marriage, the football player crossed with a bookworm dynamic, the spice. There was genuinely a lot I enjoyed about this book and it was such an easy read too, with plenty of humour and chemistry. I also loved the complex family dynamics which is present from both main characters.

After reading the synopsis and judging the book by its cover (I know, I know) I did think that this book would lack substance and I was pleasantly surprised by the amount of depth of the story. The author explores different health conditions, a low level of domestic abuse that Emmy escapes in the beginning, and the side characters all have background stories that lend them extra dimension.

There are things that I feel could have been better. This is a dual POV novel and I found that Graham’s introspection didn’t match up to his actions. I also wasn’t a fan of how Kian was ‘handled’. But overall, the effect of this story is a happy, fun, and evocative romance.

—Kayleigh🤍

I just finished reading "My Darling Bride" by Ilsa Madden-Mills, and I must say, I'm completely smitten with this book. It's a sizzling romance that goes far beyond the typical clichés, offering a perfect blend of wit and depth.

Emmaline Darling is such a relatable character – a bookish cat lover who finds herself in a situation she never expected. When she steals a Lamborghini to escape her dangerous ex, her life takes an unexpected turn. Football star Graham Harlan, recovering from a near-death experience and facing a marriage ultimatum, is equally captivating. Their chemistry is off the charts, and the banter between them is a delight to read.

Ilsa Madden-Mills has a way of creating characters that feel real, and the side characters in this story add depth and charm to the plot. As the deadline for their arrangement approaches, the question looms: will Graham take a chance on love or let his darling walk away forever? I couldn't put this book down and highly recommend it to all romance enthusiasts.

A super fun, sexy, fake relationship romance. I loved this story from the very first chapter. Emmy is hiding out in an out of the way dive motel in the Arizona desert when she first lays eyes on Graham. He turns up in his Lamborghini looking very much out of place in his designer clothes. They have a moment, a connection if you will, but it’s broken when Emmy steals his car whilst fleeing her abusive ex. In between searching for her, then finding her in his own city, New York, Graham decides he wants Emmy to become his temporary wife, going so far as blackmailing her to ensure their nuptials. The characters are just wonderful, from the main characters, to the siblings, to the work colleagues, even the bad guys are perfect at what they do. Graham and Emmy are destined to be together, Graham just needs some convincing. Some extremely emotional moments. Some super fun moments, and overall a highly entertaining read that I did not want to end. One of my favourite reads so far this year. I received an advanced copy of this book from the publisher via NetGalley. This is my honest review.

We meet Graham Harlan a tight end for the New York Pythons football team after winning the Super Bowl. One might think that would be the best moment of his life but at that moment he’s also suffered a concussion and hit the stopped his heart momentarily. There are two important things in his life football and his brother Brody. Graham will do anything to help Brody.

When we meet Emmaline Darling or Emmy, she is running away from an abusive boyfriend hiding out in a seedy motel. She panics when he4 ex is on his way to get her an “borrows”Graham’s very expensive car. Emmy has lived through watching an abusive relationship with her parents. She has taken care of her family and continues to take care of her brother and sister.

Emmy has been looking over her shoulder since she returns from Arizona but doesn’t want to tell anyone what happened. She runs into Graham again she decides to agree to proposition.

This story was slow in the beginning but when it got going I didn’t want to put it down. I would have loved to see more of the couple together, but I loved what I saw. These two were a cute couple together especially when they were trying to figure out their relationship.

There was too much going on in this book. It felt like the author was just throwing out plot lines and seeing what stuck. I really liked Emmy a lot. She was so spunky and fierce. On the flip side, I didn't care for Graham. His inner thoughts were sweet but were almost always a contradiction to what came out of his mouth or how he acted. I'm hoping that Jane and Japser get a book though, I'm intrigued by them.