Xeni Everly-Wilkins has ten days to clean out her recently departed aunt’s massive colonial in Upstate New York.
With the feud between her mom and her sisters still raging even in death, she knows this will be no easy task, but when the will is read Xeni quickly discovers the decades old drama between the former R&B singers is just the tip of the iceberg.
The Secrets, lies, and a crap ton of cash spilled on her lawyer’s conference room table all come with terms and conditions. Xeni must marry before she can claim the estate that will set her up for life and her aunt has just the groom in mind.
The ruggedly handsome and deliciously thicc Scotsman who showed up at her aunt’s memorial, bagpipes at the ready.
When his dear friend and mentor Sable Everly passed away, Mason McInroy knew she would leave a sizable hole in his heart. He never imagined she’d leave him more than enough money to settle the debt that’s keeping him from returning home to Scotland.
He also never imagined that Sable would use her dying breaths to play match-maker, trapping Mason and her beautiful niece in a marriage scheme that comes with more complications than either of them need.
With no choice but to say I do, the unlikely pair try to make the best of a messy situation. They had no plans to actually fall in love.
Xeni is an absolute gem of a book with an enchanting cast of characters. The author’s talent for creating self-assured characters comfortable in their skin is truly remarkable. What’s even more impressive is her willingness to defy convention and portray characters who haven’t figured everything out.
Usually, I’d only be interested in the marriage-for-convenience” trope if it was in a historical romance. But this contemporary romance executed it so well that I was blown away.
If you’re looking for steamy scenes that are off the charts, you won’t be disappointed. The chemistry between the characters is so intense, you’ll find yourself squirming with pleasure!
Their openness and willingness to communicate are what make their relationship so desirable. If you loved Rafe, you definitely need to add Xeni to your reading list.
Despite my overall positive impression of the book, I do have a few criticisms to share.
Firstly, I found the description of the female protagonist (Xeni) lacking, with only vague references to her physical appearance provided. While other characters consistently praise her beauty, we are not given a clear and explicit picture of what she looks like.
Additionally, some of the conflicts in the book felt forced and poorly developed, making it difficult for me to relate to the characters’ struggles. The subplot about Xeni’s relationship with her birth mother, for example, could have been much better explored if the book had spent less time on Xeni and Mason’s intimate moments.
Overall, while I enjoyed the book, I felt that it could have benefited from more attention to character and plot development.
I absolutely loved this book, and even the small bumps in the road won’t deter me from highly recommending it to everyone!
The audiobook on Scribd was a total joy to listen to, and the narrator’s Scottish brogue was spot-on. I’m eagerly anticipating more books in the series (fingers crossed for Megan’s story!), and I know I’ll be replaying the hot and steamy scenes over and over in my head.
Plus, I heard through the grapevine that the author plans to commission fanart for all her works, and I couldn’t be more excited! I mean, have you seen Rafe? That man deserves to be immortalized in art.
