Ilsa’s books are always a fun read and this didn’t disappoint!

I really liked these two. When the walls started coming down and we were able to peak inside Grahams mind, everything was starting to make sense and come together. I adored Emmy and the way she cared for her siblings made her that much more special.

These two are really something together.

I love how Ilsa can write a fake dating romance inside a sports romance and not make it feel like more of the same.

Emmy is a bookstore manager in NY that had a bad experience in a relationship that took to the desert and stealing a very expensive car to get out of there. The car’s owner is nobody but our hero, Graham, that then blackmails Emmy into marriage so he can get his share of his inheritance and give it to his brother.

Because he’s a famous football player, they need to play and act as an actual couple. Until lines blur and feeling are involved.

I liked the development and the writing is always good. The characters were very relatable and real even if the circumstances were not.

But I’m suspect to talk because I’ll read and like anything by the author.

Ilsa Madden-Mills has delivered once again, a great love story between two people faith had in mind for each other.

Graham and Emmy have both been hurt in the past. They have given up on love and are not looking. But what happens when Graham needs her so he could help his brother? She says yes even though they agree not to fall for each other. But spending time together and getting to know each other better proves that to be hard thing to do. But being close off for so long almost destroys the love that just started to bloom.

I have a few soft spots for Ilsa's heros. But I think Graham just made it to the top and if you've read her books you know the competition he had for the top spot. I absolutely loved this story and I'm hoping we get her sister’s spry next because that girl is a firecracker.

Graham and Emmy are absolutely delightful! I absolutely loved the witty banter and chemistry between the characters is amazing. You’ll be hook from the very first page.

My fav Ilsa Madden Mills book yet. Emmy and Graham were a brilliant pairing! This story had me hooked from the off. I loved every aspect of this story and I didn't want to put it down! Brilliant!

Cute and heartfelt, I enjoyed this standalone unexpected romance which features a fated love and fake marriage trope line. It touches on caregiving, abuse, and disability, which brought a lot of emotional resonance for me as a reader and intensified the connection between Emma and Graham. The characters were fully fleshed out and it was a pleasure to read.

My Darling Bride is classic Ilsa Madden-Mills, and I loved it. The tragic pasts, the "oh no, I'm falling in love" moments, the banter, the humor, it's all so so good. I adore Emmeline and her devotion to her siblings, Graham has a bit of a rough exterior but deep down he's a marshmallow who's also just trying to take care of the ones he loves. It's sweet and spicy and the set up for the next book is perfection.

Graham Harkell is having a rough time first he took an enormous hit on the football field which he thought he might not have woken up from, and then he promised his brother he would marry to collect his inheritance. The problem with the last part is he is not dating anyone. So he takes off driving and ends up in a small town in New Mexico. Emmeline Darling who owns a book store has left Manhattan to get away from her ex and has ended up in the same hotel a dive as Graham. So when her ex shows up they act like they are dating and when he trunks his back she takes off with his car and leaves it at the airport. He ends up tracking her down and because of everything that happened, he won’t press charges if she agrees to marry him. This is just the beginning, I have left out a lot of stuff but a lot of funny moments. This is a really good book with really good characters.

I really enjoyed this book! It was funny and all the characters were lovable. I liked the inclusion of both Emmy's illness (Afib) and Graham's injury (Chronic Traumatic Encephalopathy) as it is something that is a really prevalent issue with football players right now. This romance is sweet, heartfelt and emotional. Emmy and Graham had amazing chemistry and delicious tension. The book made me laugh, smile and kick my feet!

Things I Loved:
- Dual POV!
- Fun meet-cute
- Marriage of Convenience
- Football Romance
- FMC works at a bookstore
- Great side characters
- He calls her Darling (it's her last name)

Thank you to NetGalley and Ilsa Madden-Mills for the ARC!

I am so torn on this book! There were so many aspects of it that I loved: Their meet cute, their chemistry, the family aspect, all of that! It was fun in so many ways and I found myself smiling a lot.

That being said, my overall problem with this book was that it felt almost like an outline. There were so many great moments, but they just didn't seem to flow into each other well. Like there were a lot of ideas, but the author had a difficult time connecting them together. Because of that it felt like it was very rushed and, despite the characters having chemistry, it was hard to believe the transition of marriage of convenience to love.

I can't say too much more because of spoilers, but I will say overall it was a cute book. It's an easy read that will make you smile.

ARC provided by author in exchange for an honest review

My Darling Bride is a witty, funny, sexy, sweet, angsty (light), and entertaining romantic comedy where two broken souls meet up in a most unlikely way. They are complete opposites, but both have flaws, family drama, and pressing issues that need immediate attention. When the opportunity presents itself, Graham takes full advantage of the situation and issues Emmy an ultimatum she can't refuse. What neither of them expects is the attraction that sparks between them. The road ahead to their HEA is bumpy. Can they navigate the roadblocks life has thrown their way to come together in the end?

I loved this book and its wonderful cast of characters! It has Cinderella vibes to it. It grabbed me from the start and didn't let me go until the heartwarming HEA in the end. I highly recommend reading this book!

My Darling Bride is a fake marriage story about Graham, a struggling professional football player and Emmy, who works in a bookstore and is the glue that holds her family together.

Emmy is running from her ex after a bad experience, and ends up at a hotel in the desert, where she ends up meeting Graham. Due to an unfortunate incident at the hotel, she lures him into pretending to be her boyfriend. Graham ends up using some of the choices Emmy made during their encounter at the hotel to convince her into a fake marriage so he could ultimately help his own family, though there were definitely benefits to this arrangement for Emmy as well.

Overall I really liked Graham and Emmy and I think they were good for each other. I like that Graham seemed protective of Emmy and I think they had good chemistry. I really enjoyed Emmy's relationship with her siblings and it was clear how well she took care of them and how much they meant to her.

I do think there were a few things throughout the book that were somewhat cringey or just didn't seem to fit well into the story line or appear to add at all to the story in a positive way (certain language/names, discussion topics, items in apartment etc.). Overall it was an enjoyable read, I just think some of these things didn't need to be there.

This was my first read from Ilsa Madden-Mills and it didn’t leave me disappointed. I heard a lot about her other book Dear Ava, so I was curious about her writing. Both of the main characters are in a vulnerable state when they meet in rather hilarious circumstances, yet they have an instant connection. Throughout the story their protecting walls were crumbling down slowly as they spend more time with each other. It’s a bit slower burn than I usually read, but it’s worth it. Although, sometimes I was itching to smack Graham in the head to finally let Emmaline in to his heart. But when that happened, it was blissful.
Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for providing me a copy of the book.

I'm a sucker for fake relationships. You know the journey they're gonna take and where they're gonna end up, but it's always an experience to get there.
Wonderful

Oooh it was soooo good to read a book by Ilsa Madden-Mills again! I just love her and reading My Darling Bride made me realise WHY I LOVE HER SO MUCH!

Emmy is on the run from her abusive ex-boyfriend. She didn't plan to steal the Lamborghini in the desert, but she just had to. She didn't know that the car's owner is Graham Harlan, a famous football player, either. When said football player shows up at her bookstore, she has to decide: marry a stranger or get into jail for car stealing.

Awwwwww! This book was soooooo good! I LOVED EVERY MOMENT OF IT!
I DEVOURED IT!
(And would have finished it much faster without the holidays in the way. LOL)
I loved the whole storyline and didn't expect it to be soooo emotional too!
When I read the blurb I hoped for a fast and sexy rom-com, but it was so much more!
Yes, it's a romantic comedy! The characters are hilarious! The chemistry of Emmy and Graham is PERFECTION!
They seem to be so different, but have so much in common too!
And OMG! Their family and friends? PERFECTION TOO! I hope there'll be more stories of this crew! 🙏❤️
So, back to the main characters.
Emmy is a sassy and strong woman. She had to take care of her siblings and lots of other stuff to deal with.
But also Graham has a lot to deal with. As a professional football player it's not always easy to have a private life...
Oops! I don't wanna spoil you too much!
But I have to show my appreciation for this love story! 🥰
I loved how the story and also Emmy and Graham developed.
From the beginning till the end I couldn't stop myself and had to find out what'll happen next. I felt with them along their journey!
And c'mon! As a passionate reader and a library assistant how could I not love the fact that Emmy has a bookstore? And all the stuff they had to deal with it?!

All in all I really really really enjoyed this book! I cried! 😭
I laughed SO MUCH! 🤣
I swooned! 🥰
I giggled! 😄
Yes - I got a few times mad too! 😑
I swooned some more and needed a cold shower too! 🥰😍🔥

Awwwww! What a great read and what wonderful way to start 2024!

Thank you so much to Ilsa Madden-Mills and Montlake for this ARC via NetGalley (Read Now category).
This is my honest review in my own words.
Sorry for the delay!

I loved this heartfelt fake marriage novel with tons of heart and emotion. This book pulls at your heartstrings and keeps you engaged.

I received a copy of this book in exchange for my honest review. I was slow getting interested in the story, but I quickly fell in love with Emmy and Graham. I loved the chemistry between them and how they both had troublesome pasts. They were just perfect together!

You KNOW I'm a stingy-star bitch and when I tell you how much I loved this book!

The pro football player and the bookish heroine.
The hilarious meet cute.
The feels, people. The FEELS.
The hot wall sex.

I loved Graham and Emmy so much. My little squishy heart just needed them to be together. He is such a secret cinnamon roll hero and she is perfectly smart, funny, loyal, and strong!

The cast of side characters were also a freaking delight. Great disability rep and great queer side characters make me a happy reader.

I'm so glad I moved MY DARLING WIFE to the top of my December TBR. It is sweet and steamy and such a great book! You MUST read it!

𝗥𝗔𝗧𝗜𝗡𝗚: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
𝗦𝗧𝗘𝗔𝗠 𝗟𝗘𝗩𝗘𝗟: Rated R / 2-4 descriptive sex scenes, may have harsh language.
𝗧𝗥𝗜𝗚𝗚𝗘𝗥𝗦: domestic violence, past death of parent, parent cheating, growing up with domestic violence, afib heart condition
𝗙𝗘𝗘𝗟𝗦: 4/5 - Tackled some seriously tough topics.

How Emmy and Graham meet is funny and cute. Love the names she comes up with and the things she tells fake Clint.
Both Graham and Emmy have things in their past that makes them the way they are. I think Emmy is so strong. She’s been through so much and seen so much.
I love how Graham wants to take care of her. I also love how he’ll do anything to see that his brother is happy.
Babs is hilarious.
Loved this book.

Ilsa Madden-Mills’ books reminded me of Jaci Burton with her sportsmen and of Cindi Madsen. Her The Wedding Deal looks a lot like Ilsa’s Beauty and the Baller. Having read those, I looked forward to reading my first book of Ilsa.

And it was good Emmaline is a cute girl, who carjack Graham’s car in an ultimate attempt to avoid her ex. The whole situation is hilarious and not very believable. But hey, who gives? Graham and Emmaline have a nice chemistry and the plot has some fun twists and turns.

So, in all, an easy read. Three and an half star from me and a special thank you to Netgalley for providing the arc.