BOOK REVIEW : THE PRENUP

My name is Charlotte Spencer and, ten years ago, I married my brother’s best friend. I haven’t seen him since.

Charlotte Spencer grew up on the blue-blooded Upper East Side of Manhattan but she never wanted the sit-still-look-pretty future her parents dictated for her. Enter Colin Walsh, her brother’s quiet, brooding, man-bun-sporting best friend, and with him a chance to escape.

He’s far from Charlotte’s dream guy as but they need each other for one thing: marriage. One courthouse wedding later, Charlotte’s inheritance is hers to start a business in San Francisco and Irish-born Colin has a Green Card.

Ten years later, Colin drops a bombshell: the terms of their prenup state that before either can file for divorce, they have to live under the same roof for three months.

Suddenly this match made in practicality is about to take on whole new meaning…

review

To talk about why I disliked this book, I’ll have to discuss a tiny little spoiler. And lots of ranting. So steer clear, if you don’t want to be spoiled.

Yes, I disliked the book. And trust me when I say that nobody was more disappointed than me. Even though I didn’t like the author’s last release. Because Lauren Layne has always managed to bounce back from a mediocre releases. Not this time, though.

I liked where the book was headed initially. Although Colin came off as a stuck up and cold, I was optimistically looking forward to Charlotte slowly bringing him out of his shell. After all, broody and silent heroes are my kryptonite. But the author takes broody to a whole new level with Colin. And not the good kind of level, though.

Anyways, the two were slowly warming up to each other. I was happily anticipating happier times. But then bam. All the progress goes down the drain. Colin’s fiance drops by the apartment he happens to share with his ‘wife’ Charlotte who had no idea about this fiance whatsoever.

Dude, you asked this woman for a divorce, contacting her after ages. Not to mention, making her drop everything and the life as she knows it, to come live with you to tick some prenup condition. And she asks you point blank why the sudden interest in getting a divorce. And you don’t think to mention your fiance to her? Not even when you’ve been roomies for some time? Nope. That’s just not acceptable.

As if that’s not enough, he continues on being the emotionless wall he is, never letting his guard down, or owning up to his real feelings. Even the resolution at the end felt lackluster because of his there’s basically no groveling from him. None whatsoever. And there needed to be massive groveling for me to forget how pathetic he was.

Also, am I just supposed to believe that he suddenly decided that his feelings for Charlotte were enough to ditch his fiance at the very last moment? What actually made him fall for her? No, scratch that. What actually made her fall for him? I didn’t see any reason other than some ‘moments’ these two had. And I was super pissed at both of them. There’s no cheating. But it felt like Charlotte was holding out hope for something impossible. I mean, where’s your self-respect? I get that she has the hots for him. But he’s taken. Although, she comes to her senses at the last moment, she should’ve done it a long time ago. And I have nothing to say about the hero. There wasn’t anything remotely romantic about his forbidden feelings for her.

The only good thing about the book was Charlotte’s evolving relation with her parents. That’s it. But that did nothing to redeem this unromantic romance. This was my least favorite fare by an author who I could always count on to deliver decent if not great romances and solid heroes for every season.

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