Book Synopsis:

It was meant to be a one-night stand, a one and done. However, as Marisa Price and Aidan Graywolf discover, life never plays fair.

Marisa’s academic career is about to soar with the discovery of secret letters handed down through her family telling of a love affair between Shakespeare and his black mistress. A divorce has left Marisa with trust issues and her personal life void of romantic entanglements, which suits her just fine. At least that’s what she believes until the day Aidan knocks on her door.

When Aidan arrives at Marisa’s doorstep to claim his daughter he realizes she isn’t the only reason he’s there. He’s come to claim her mother’s heart as well. Marisa’s proposal of a marriage of convenience with a surprise celibacy clause is unexpected, and gives him an opening he needs to begin his campaign. For Aidan, nothing short of winning Marisa’s love will do.

Can proximity and an unforgettable passion help this pair overcome the past to find true love? Or, did Shakespeare get it all wrong?

CW: sensuous, domestic abuse survivor, some physical violence

My Review:

I downloaded this for free last year, and thanks to an instagram challenge, I finally got to that section of my TBR to read it. I didn’t have any expectations going in, which allowed me to just go with the flow as I read the authors’ words. 

I loved how this book opened. Seeing someone and feeling that connection, that chemistry off that bat is always a beautiful thing to me. I loved how the characters not only connected sexually, but they connected intellectually as well. What was supposed to be a one-night stand lasted an entire weekend. Forming a connection that lasted well beyond the few days they spent together. Fast forward a few years later and we learn about the baby that was created, that the heroine failed to mention the existence of to our male lead. I loved seeing how that storyline played out, both seeing how the two came together to parent their child and to see how they’re relationship progressed. I’ve never read a marriage of convenience trope, so I don’t have anything to compare that to. I will say that with the chemistry between the characters, I knew the convenience would slide away for the real thing.

Another storyline that captured my attention was the fictional historical aspect the author wove in for us. I loved the tales about Shakespeare and his black mistress. I loved how piece by piece was revealed to show us the bigger picture. I enjoyed the splash of history alongside the romance.

Oh! And the side characters left me wanting more. The author did a great job ensuring that us readers would want to read more of their storylines. I’m looking forward to when we get the follow-up stories.

I was shocked to see that this didn’t have any reviews considering how long the book has been out. But I’m glad that I gave this a chance.