I was ready for the cliffhanger. I knew what was coming. And I still am over here freaking out! That’s when you know how good a book is! I am loving this series (but it’s bad for my blood pressure lol)!

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ 5/5

Holy H!!!!

That ending.....I could not have seen that coming.

The book picks up immediately following Reluctant Bride so I knew we were in for some major alpha a vibes and Perry came through and delivered that and more.

I wanted to yell at Charlotte, because she's being so naive but then I remembered her age and what I was doing at that time so I can't even yell at her!

I am on pins and needles waiting to see how this plays out.

Perry Constantine is back- and this time we get to see the darker, angrier, edgier, and altogether more Constantine side to our fun-loving, usually a bit softer middle brother. Ruthless indeed, dear Perry- though still charming, he just can’t help it. Monica gives us an ultra steamy, emotionally tense, and captivating second installment in Perry’s arranged relationship saga- and alas, we finally see a wedding.

What inspires this ruthless groom? A rabid jealousy and possessiveness of his new bride, inspiring a blind distrust of his wife and a battle of wills between their undeniable chemistry, her charismatic charm, and his own paranoia. Perry may get a bit grittier in this one, a stark contrast to the sweet and sincere man we saw in Reluctant Bride, and while I still adore softer side, I certainly am here for dark and naughty bedroom Perry. MEOW! But Charlotte really stole the show- and my empathy- in this sequel. This sweet, resilient, and understanding soul could easily grow frustrated with Perry’s jealous antics, but she sees the brokenness and need in him and is so communicative, patient, and open- even if at times it hurts her to feel the wrath of his mistrust. Their chemistry really evolves in this one into something more carnal and unrestrained, and I’ve loved seeing the different dynamics of their connection.

That said, once we established the key romantic tension of this story, it seemed to really stagnate for me. I love Perry, I love sexy time- but I felt like they were in this cycle of Perry being irrationally distrustful despite all the evidence proving the contrary, raising the same accusations repeatedly, Charlotte defending herself with vulnerability and openness, anger/make-up steam, then wash, rinse, repeat. That cycle dragged a bit long for me, and I found myself anxious for the characters or plot to develop- which it did, towards the end. But I hated seeing what was very clearly Charlotte being taken advantage of and groomed used against her by my normally very charismatic and sincere Perry-bear.

Overall The plot in this one went a direction I didn’t expect, and I appreciate how the result is a more intimate and isolated look at the tensions and complications, as well as the connection, between these two. And that ending- an epic cliffy that certainly will set us up for a heart pounding finale. Can’t wait to see what side of Perry we see next- my little Constantine kitten has a big ole rawr and some pretty sharp claws.

4⭐️ This is the continuation of the first book in the series with the same couple and it has a arranged marriage. I think I liked this one better than the first, but both were good.

The Ruthless Groom - Releasing June 14, 2022

The Ruthless Groom picks up right where The Reluctant Bride left off-it’s Perry & Charlotte’s wedding day, but someone from Charlotte’s past has come back to stir up trouble. With barely veiled threats and innuendo, the only other man from Charlotte’s past is able to quickly drive a wedge between the newlyweds, and causes Perry to question who Charlotte is loyal to. Even though both Perry & Charlotte are starting to develop real feelings in this arranged marriage, the trust isn’t there, and without trust, will that be enough for this marriage to endure?

I’m not going to lie, Perry drove me insane in this book. He was so hot and cold, and so callous to Charlotte. I really felt for Charlotte. There was a line that Jasper said that really stuck out to me - “You do realize our Miss Charlotte has had her heart broken by everyone she’s ever loved.” Charlotte might be privileged and a Lancaster, but she has spent her whole life feeling isolated and alone. Every time Perry wouldn’t let her open up or didn’t trust her without cause, it hurt my heart a little bit.

It was very easy for me to connect with Charlotte and really feel for her in this book. I felt like we got a better understanding of her than we did in the first book, which is funny since the entire 2nd book takes place in the span of about a week! But I really felt like we got to know Charlotte more. We also really got to see more of Perry’s insecurities and watch him struggle to accept that he’s truly starting to care for Charlotte.

The spicy scenes in this book are fantastic-you could feel the chemistry between Perry & Charlotte jumping off the pages! Monica Murphy writes amazing spicy scenes and really weaves the sexual tension throughout the book.

I won’t say what happens at the end but I will say I can not wait to get my hands on The Reckless Union because I NEED to know what happens next!!! The Ruthless Groom is available June 14 and you absolutely do not want to miss it!

4.2⭐️

The adventure never ends when the heart finds it's match. From surprising revelations to dancing with danger, The Ruthless Groom is an intriguing blend of hot, cold and frustrating heartache that thrives on the sharpest of twists and turns.

If I love anything in a romance novel, it is angst. I live for angst. I want to see the characters pine and watch the tension between them build. And that's exactly what Murphy delivers here in her second installment of the Wedded Bliss trilogy. We get to see a new side to both Charlotte and Perry, especially when her ex comes on the scene. Talk about adding flame to the fire! Talk about top notch angst!
The spice level increased tenfold in this book and I much appreciated it! The first book was a slow burn so we were due for it.
Can't wait to see how this story concludes!

This one had more spice than the first but, again, the writing style left much to be desired. Ian interested to see where the story goes but it really could have been more be book, three is almost a waste of time.