My Darling Bride by Ilsa Madden-Mills is a Fun Return to Her Football Romance Roots
My Darling Bride is Ilsa Madden-Mills’ latest football romance and I’ll all for it. It has been some time since I read one of her sports romance books and I’m so glad I picked up this new release that not only brought a tough NFL player but a fun marriage of convenience story as well.
Check out my book review of My Darling Bride to see what I thought of this sports romance.
*Disclosure: This post may include affiliate links. As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases.
My Darling Bride
by Ilsa Madden-Mills
Category: Contemporary Romance, Sports Romance
Tags: Football, Marriage of Convenience, Bookstore
Published December 2023
Amazon | Goodreads
Rating: ★★★★
Book Boyfriend: ★★★★
My Darling Bride Summary:
On a normal day, Emmaline Darling isn’t a car thief. She’s just a simple girl who runs a bookstore and adores cats.
But when she’s stranded in the desert and needs to get away from her dangerous ex-boyfriend, she picks her only option: swiping the keys to a famous football player’s Lamborghini and speeding away.
Football star Graham Harlan is in chaos. First, he took a hit on the field that almost ended his life, and now he’s promised his brother he’ll get married to secure the family inheritance. Trouble is he isn’t even seeing anyone.
Then a mystery woman steals his car. With his usual stubbornness, he tracks her all the way to Manhattan and gives her an ultimatum: marry me or I’ll press charges.
Her choice is obvious, only neither of them expect the sparks that ignite between them.
As the end of their arrangement looms, will Graham take a chance on love or let his darling walk away forever?
My Darling Bride: My Review
Madden-Mills is BACK with another football romance and I’m all for it!
It had been some time since I read an Ilsa Madden-Mills romance so I was super psyched to check out My Darling Bride, her latest football romance that included a marriage of convenience love story.
We first meet Graham who makes THE play to win his team the Super Bowl, only he’s tackled in the endzone and suffers a freak accident where his heart stops beating.
Flash forward to him taking some time to recoup and race his new Lamborghini in the Nevada desert and he meets Emmy at a roadside motel where she’s hiding out from an abusive ex-boyfriend.
Their meet-cute is adorable but then she runs off, stealing his car!
Later meeting up in New York City, Graham proposes a marriage of convenience so that he can get his inheritance and so that she can get some much-needed money and make up for stealing his ride.
While it took me a minute to get over the fact that a hotshot football player who has millions already was resorting to a marriage of convenience scheme to get his inheritance (REALLY?!) for his brother (who also has money), I just went with the idea and I fell for Graham and Emmy.
These two both had baggage when it came to trusting their hearts and believing in happily-ever-afters but it was cute to see them open up to each other and ultimately fall for each other as man and wife.
Sometimes it just hits the spot when you have a cute romance with a fun storyline that makes you happy.
I read this book in a day because it just flowed and I enjoyed seeing how these two could finally get out of their own ways.
Emmy is a strong heroine who has been taking care of her family her whole life but she’s not without her own vulnerabilities. I liked that she always took an honest and straightforward approach with Graham!
Graham’s backstory was kind of a quick here it is, but it worked and he was a fun football player to love.
If you love romance books that are just fun stories with great characters that give a wonderful happy ending (even if the setup is a bit ridiculous), this is a great pick.
*Thank you to Net Galley for the advanced reader copy. All opinions are my own.
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