This is a very tropey story. I loved it. They guys meet, end up having what they think, is a one night stand. Then things change. People know Isaiah is gay, but he isn't someone who you'd see march in a parade. Victor is all about being vocal and active. He's from Russia where bad things happen when they know you are gay. As outspoken as he's been, he's afraid to go home because he might just disappear. He applies for asylum but isn't given it. Isaiah's solution? Marriage.

I enjoyed both characters and the book was wonderful. Very well written and my first book by Robin Covington. I'll be reading more by her. She took two different men and made us see that they were perfect for each other.

If you like books where the couples first get married for something other than love and have to build from that, You'll love this book.

Rated 3.5 Stars

His Convenient Husband was an ok read for me. The characters were likeable for the most part except for Isaiah, I really didn't like him at all. He was just an ass and while I got why he was the way he was to an extent he just didn't work for me and ultimately took away from my overall enjoyment of the story.


ARC provided by author in exchange for a honest review

To see more reviews check out MI Book Reviews.

I got an ARC in return for an honest review on NetGalley.

I want to start with the cover of the book: the man on the cover does not match the description of Isaiah. Isaiah has a goatee. Minor complaint, seems petty I know. It just rubs me the wrong way when the cover doesn’t match the book, seems like a wasted cover. There is also no game action, so why is Isaiah in a football stadium?

The book itself read quickly. Isaiah’s best friend is also his agent, so naturally the best friend uses that to get Isaiah laid. This time it was from a gorgeous Russian dancer named Victor. Victor was also a pretty good step-dad to Isaiah’s son. So it just all flowed too easily. So Isaiah had to have an angst-fest the entire book about that. I was trapped. I loved it. I wanted more angst. I wanted more hurt-comfort type feelings. This book hit so many buttons for me. I can’t believe I fell so hard into this book. It has been a few days since I finished and I am still happy with it.

I had a whole three issues with the book (outside of the cover):

There was a habit of Victor to repeat whatever was said before him. It was obnoxious, annoying, and didn’t fit his character. It wasn’t like he wasn’t sure of a word because of a language barrier. It was him just being obnoxious. Thankfully that settled down throughout the book otherwise I wouldn’t have liked Victor at all.
The book didn’t delve far enough into the angst for me. I wanted more. I am hoping for so much more heartache and heart string pulling. I can live with this disappointment though because I just loved it all.
The sex was hot but condom and lube usage was off. The guys didn’t use lube in the pool (pool water is not a good lube fyi), there were no condoms for all the blowjobs throughout the book, only anal sex had condoms (but any STIs were already shared so why was that included?), and magically they were both able to bottom with little to no prepping despite how large they were both said to be. So if I sit here and over analyze the sex, then boo. If I just let it be, then it was pretty damn well written and I enjoyed it.

That was lovely... if you like relationship-driven romances where the emotional stakes are realistically high and everyone is trying to take care of one another and do their best, give this one a try.

Ich muss wieder besser aufpassen, von wem ich Buchempfehlungen nehme. Vielleicht hätte mir die Phrase "both genders" früh im Buch eine Warnung sein sollen, ich habe sie nicht ernstgenommen und unter den Konsequenzen gelitten.

This was a lovely novel, full of romance and angst but with a satisfying follow-through. I would highly recommend it!!

2.5 Stars so rounding up to 3

Man I wanted to like this book…but for the most part it was OK at best. This is my first read by this author and I don’t know if I’ll be back for seconds on this series. The story is very predictable even though the premise is unique for me and one I liked very much.

I try to start my reviews with what I liked unfortunately this list will be a little short.
- I liked Victor mostly (I explain why it’s not wholly later in the review). Him standing up for the injustice in his country was amazing. He’s great with Evan. He’s a ballet dancer. The history of his life is heartbreaking and he’s surprisingly upbeat, positive and happy despite the pain he’s endured.

- I liked Evan. He’s a complex character with amazing potential if written right when he’s older.

- I’m assuming Ian will get a story. He was another favorite character of mine. He’s a great friend, funny and unapologetic but he’s hiding behind a façade that I hope translates into a fantastic story.

- Esther is another valuable side character in the story.

Now for what let me down in the story.
- Isiah was not likeable at all. He was so awful to Victor to the extreme that I’m not sure Victor wouldn’t have been better off taking his chances elsewhere. He is a black, gay football player. I’m guessing he knows bullying and bigotry. He lacked compassion. He was a bully to Victor. The only time he was half way decent to Victor was during the sex scenes and even then, he was pretty closed off emotionally. He is still clearly in love with his dead husband and still hurt by his death. He has decided he doesn’t want to ever go through that again…and then magically he changes his mind and is ready to commit – after being dreadful to Victor repeatedly. The grief and pain he is still holding onto is never resolved…it’s just gone one day and he realizes he needs Victor. His apologies (yep, you read that correctly – there were repeated scenes that required one) were weak and uninspired.

- While I liked Victor overall, my major problem with him was his weakness. Isaiah treated him poorly, walked over him like he was a piece of trash on the ground and Victor’s forgiveness was INSTANT. I was mad longer than he was…and by the time I was fully geared up in my anger it had already happened again. He showed glimpses of strength, perseverance and a spine of steel only for all that to be thrown away with his instantaneous forgiveness of Isaiah's repeated, blatant disregard for him as a human.

- Victor and Isaiah seem to only be compatible between the sheets and when Victor was trying to embrace being in the family he always wanted and going along with whatever Isaiah wanted. I never saw their relationship flourish. Their big ‘reunion’ scene near the end was a bit forced and unbelievable (it also happened in front of a very large audience and their private conversation probably wasn’t as private as they thought which didn’t work for me). The sexual and physical chemistry notwithstanding I don't see how they work.

This story had potential but never lived up to that so it was disappointing for me.

3.5 stars.

Isaiah Blackwell is a pro football player who lost his husband three years ago. He is raising his 14-year-old son, Evan. Evan looks up to the professional Russian ballet dancer seeking asylum in the US, Victor Aleksandrov. Isaiah and Victor meet after one of Victor's perfomances, and the two are attracted to each other, but decide that nothing should come out of it because Isaiah feels he already had his chance at love, and has Evan to worry about now. However, after Victor's asylum is denied, Isaiah offers to marry him so that Victor - who is very publicly vocal about gay rights - is not sent back to his country and possibly killed. The two try to navigate their new reality as newlyweds and try to determine the nature of their relationship behind closed doors as well.

Reading about Isaiah and Victor falling in love was great. Victor is an interesting character, and different from MCs in other books in the genre. There is angst there which keeps it interesting, but since we get to hear the story from both sides, it doesn't hit you as hard as it could have, which drags it down a little for me. I would also have liked to hear more about Victor's life and problems in his home country, and Evan's - Isaiah's son - navigation in the genders and his sexuality.

ARC provided in exchange for my honest review