“Marry me.”
I didn’t think it was possible for one night to change your life until I heard myself utter those words.
Our story didn’t begin the night I agreed to marry Deacon Kane to help him keep his daughter. It started ten years ago, with a hotshot hockey player I couldn’t wait to see each summer. He was big, broad, and filled-out his board shorts so damn nicely. But holy hell . . .
The memory of teenage Deacon doesn’t hold a candle to the man he is now, the one who makes me melt each time he says, “my wife.”
What was supposed to be a marriage of convenience quickly spirals into something else. Something I can’t control. Because this man makes me feel alive in a way I’ve never felt before, and I want more.
More sparks.
More life.
More time.
Can a relationship based on lies last . . . especially when I’m the one keeping all the secrets?
Brynlee had a crush on Deacon for much of her life, but he was older and never gave her any reason to believe the feeling was mutual. The feeling was definitely mutual, but Daddy Cade made it clear that Deacon should stay far away from his daughter. Deacon isn’t a dumb guy, so he kept his distance. They hadn’t seen each other in years when Brynlee is shocked to learn Deacon is the Revolution’s new head coach but from the moment they meet again, they’re inseparable. There was no pretense to their relationship, they just did what they wanted and didn’t stress about it. Of course, Brynlee was a bit nervous about dating the team’s head coach and went to great lengths to find the right time to make the big reveal, but things are otherwise damn near perfect.
Too bad the other facets of their lives aren’t as simple. Deacon is ecstatic to be in Philly so he can spend more time with his daughter, so he’s blindsided when his ex-wife announces that she’s moving to Japan and taking Kennedy with her. Brynlee has her own issues to deal with, the biggest one being her mother because Scarlet likes to be in charge and doesn’t just accept ‘no’ for an answer. Despite everything, Brynlee and Deacon make time for each other and spend every possible minute getting to know one another. And I have to say, these two are fire. They’re combustible, the chemistry off the charts. Even with the problems they’re facing, this book is low-angst and all heart.
I was positive that Ares is the most amazing man Bella has ever given us, until I met Deacon Kane. He’s easily one of the best boyfriends I’ve ever read. He’s a hot single dad with the filthiest mouth and he makes it clear early on that this isn’t casual. Brynlee is amazing also and I adored her completely. She’s independent and sassy and I really enjoyed her interactions with her friends – especially the way she and Maddox butted heads after the whole apartment thing.
There was a lot happening in the background of Ares and Grace’s story, but we never learned what was really going on because the two friends were living parallel lives for a time and not sharing their secrets. Here we finally learn the details of everything that was happening behind the scenes, like why Brynlee is suddenly secretive and unavailable, or why she switched apartments with the guys. I really loved everything about these characters and their story, which is one I’ll definitely read again. I’d like to thank the author for providing an ARC in exchange for an honest review.
