At first I was going to give it 5 stars. In fact I did. But when I started to reread it (because I had read it in one go and wanted to go over what I liked the most) I realized that there were several things that bothered me. And, with my heart aching because I am a huge fan of this author and some of her books are my favorites (Malachai, Felix, Dylan, Dean books for example) I had to downgrade to 3 stars. And although I didn't want to do a very long review, I think that in order to explain myself, I'm going to have to.

First of all, I loved Joe from the first moment I read about him in Vow Maker and was looking forward to his story. And there was only one thing about him that disappointed me, which I will detail later. Other than that, everything about him I liked.

Now, regarding the story, every moment of their relationship is marked by a wedding, and the first part where they meet is great. The banter, the attraction, the chemistry, the potential between them is there, and also their different points of view as to what they want from a relationship. Even why Lachlan asks him to marry him is understandable. What is not understandable is how he acted afterwards. And I think that's partly because we get very little of the POV of him in that part of the story. In fact, we get very little of his POV overall, making it very hard to warm up to him. Understand him and forgive him certain things.

And that brings us to what I didn't like about the book. Lachlan acted like a jerk during his marriage, letting everyone from his friends to his housewife treat Joe like dirt, and especially his personal assistant. I believe that even if there was no love, or he was scared, or whatever it was that made him kept Joe at arm's length, he should have made others respect the man he had chosen, and that implied set limits, for example, on his PA's behavior. If he knew that his PA had feelings for him, there are things he shouldn't have done, one of them, taking him to his house and to his bedroom.
(Spoiler 1)

Spoiler

*I hear Elliott’s voice before I get to the door and the sound of Lachlan’s laughter. I come into the room quickly and blink. They’re standing close together next to a half-packed suitcase. Elliott is holding several ties and looking adoringly up at my husband while he deliberates his choices. They both look up as I come in. Out of Lachlan’s sight, Elliott glares at me, but my husband smiles warmly at me, his eyes sparkling. “Joe,”
“I’ve had an unexpected work trip come up.”“What? But we had plans.” I can’t hide my disappointment. Elliott smirks as he moves around, picking up shirts from the bed. “This one?” he asks Lachlan. I’m gratified when Lachlan ignores him...*
*...Nevertheless, he turns and smiles at Elliott. “Can you leave us, please?” The glances they exchange give me a funny ache in my stomach. They know each other so well, and it’s me who feels like an interloper in my own bedroom. Elliott stirs. “Of course, Lachlan,” he purrs. “Go to my study and gather the Phillips papers.”“Of course.” He sidles out of the room, throwing me a spiteful glance that Lachlan doesn’t notice. Lachlan’s gaze is fixed on me, brow furrowed, hands awkwardly gripping...*

Another thing I don't believe Lachlan is his explanation of the kiss with his (Oh surprise!) PA. It is not believable. If one does not want to be kissed, the rejection is immediate. When Joe got to the office and opened the door, Elliot was already "kissing" him with his arms around him. In those seconds where Joe was frozen looking at them, he noticed how Elliot pressed his body against Lachlan's, how good they looked together, and he also saw how Elliot stroked Lachlan's hair, and when Joe turned and left the office, they were still kissing. In all that time, Lachlan never pushed Elliot away. Yes, the author does not write that Lachlan hugged him, or caressed him, but neither did he reject him. And according to Lachlan tells Joe, he immediately pushed Elliot away, and then he fired him, because, how could he take him back to their house, it would be disrespectful to Joe, right? Well, he certainly didn't think so before, in spoiler 1, or all the times Elliot made fun of Joe. (Spoiler 2 )

Spoiler

*Elliott’s office is the gateway to Lachlan’s office. Beyond Elliott’s desk, Lachlan’s door is ajar. It’s very quiet. Ominously quiet and I feel suddenly uneasy. My heart hammering, I swallow hard and push the door open. And then my heart stops altogether. They’re standing near Lachlan’s desk and there’s a good reason for why they haven’t seen me . Elliott’s arms are around my husband, and he’s kissing him. I stand, unmoving, my breath coming quickly. My first thought is that it’s now obvious why Lachlan kept insisting we use condoms despite my suggestion we stop when we got married. And then I realise that we never actually discussed monogamy. I’d just presumed we were exclusive, because marriage vows mean something to me. All of that seems so silly to me now. He married me drunk. Nothing about our wedding had screamed long term or fully committed. I note with horrified amusement that Lachlan and Elliott look good together, Elliott’s blond slenderness pressed tightly against Lachlan’s big, muscled body. Elliott clenches Lachlan’s hair as the kiss continues, and my stomach turns over. The thought that I might be sick is enough to galvanise me. I turn and leave the office, dropping his passport on the floor as I go. I don’t look back.*

(Spoiler 3)

Spoiler

*His face is now sheet white. “No, I fucking didn’t,” he snaps, outraged. “What?”“I’ve never cheated on you.” He shakes his head. “What the hell is the matter with you? I’m married. Of course, I didn’t cheat.” I gape at him, feeling like the earth is dipping underneath me. I want to laugh in his face but the utter incomprehension in his eyes is making me uneasy. Lachlan isn’t a liar. He’s alarmingly forthright and has no patience for falsehoods . He’d lectured me a fair few times on the white lies I tell in my job. But you try telling a bride that her dress is hideous and see where it gets you. “Yes, you did,” I snap. “You fucking cheated on me. I saw you.” He shakes his head. “What the hell are you on about?”“I saw you. With your own assistant.” I roll my eyes. “If you could be any more cliché, I really don’t want to know.” He sucks in a breath and sinks into thechair as if his legs have suddenly failed him. “I saw you,” I repeat. “He was kissing you.”“Oh god,” he says faintly. “How?” The slight hope that his earlier denials gave me fades away, leaving me feeling sick, and abruptly all my anger leaves. I slide onto the seat opposite him. “At your office on the day I left,” I whisper. “I came to bring your passport.” He licks his lips nervously. “I found it on the floor. I thought I’d dropped it.”“No, I did. I saw you together.” My voice falters. I still in surprise as he slides off his chair and kneels at my feet. “Lachlan?”“It isn’t true,” he says passionately. “Joe, you’ve got to believe me. Nothing happened.”“I saw you.” My throat feels like broken glass. He shakes his head, grabbing my legs. “You saw Elliott kiss me, yes, but you obviously didn’t see me push him away.”“What?” He sits back on his heels, keeping his hands on me. They’re warm and solid, but his eyes are wild. “I shoved him away. I was fucking horrified.”“Oh please. He’d fancied you for ages.”
“So?” In keeping with Lachlan’s nature, he doesn’t deny it. “I never thought that was any of my business . People’s feelings are their own personal business, but Elliott had no right to force them on me.”“Well, it definitely was your business when he shoved his tongue down your throat.”“I never returned his feelings. You have to believe me. He was just a good assistant.” His tone carries a note of finality. “Was?” He nods frantically. “I sacked him.”“You did what?”“Straight away. I couldn’t work with him after that. I was fucking furious, and how could I have him in our house again after what he did? That would have been the utmost disrespect towards you.”*

What's worse, then we have Joe taking the blame for not getting to know Lachlan better, for having jumped to conclusions without asking for explanations beforehand, I mean, was it all a misunderstanding? Really? Was Joe the one to blame? The one who didn't want to know his husband? Who was always traveling to avoid him? Was it Joe blame? A BIG NO. That I cannot accept. The correct thing would have been for Lachlan to take the blame, and for example, to say: I was surprised and for a moment I didn't know what to do, when I react, I immediately reject it, etc etc. (Although I don't know how much it might have surprised him, if we as readers saw it coming, he knowing what Elliot felt, he should have known as well, and set those limits) And ALWAYS own his mistakes, not let Joe blame himself. And for me, all that time that kiss lasted, it was cheating.
(Spoiler 4) *Now that the wedding is over and my duty done, I can focus a bit more on the utter disaster that is my private life. Lachlan didn’t cheat on me. That rather reframes the last few months. He’s no longer the bastard. Well, at least no more than usual. I’ve been the one in the wrong. I leapt to conclusions and, while Lachlan can try to take the blame for that, it’s solely my fault. It was almost like I wanted him to be the guilty party. After all, if he was a cheater, then I didn’t have to look too hard into my own behaviour. Lachlan may have withdrawn from me, but I let him. I have a sneaking suspicion that if I’d pushed him, he’d have warmed up. I sigh. That’s all done, though.*

Another example of Lachlan's behavior. If you're trying to win your husband back, and you're having a drink with him and your husband is gone for a few minutes to pick something up, you're really going to let a man who was flirting with you before, and who your husband saw you with, sit next to you at the bar and flirt with you again? I mean, I would have said: "Excuse me but that seat is taken, I´m waiting for someone" Right? (Spoiler 5 )

Spoiler

*I look around almost unconsciously for Lachlan and then frown, a shaft of jealousy spearing through me so hard that it makes me flinch. He’s sitting at one of the tables, talking to a dark-haired man. They’re laughing with their heads close together. I seem to remember seeing the man sitting next to Lachlan at the church. My stomach curdles as he puts his hand on Lachlan’s arm and throws his head back in laughter. He’s not that funny I think sourly...*

*...“Stay a while longer,” he coaxes. “I’ll get you a coffee.” I shake my head, but his charm is as heady as ever, and really, I’m only going to a boring old airport hotel. I can spare a little time. “Okay, then. But I’ll go and grab my bag from the office before they lock the door.” He nods and turns to the barman, and I slip out into the foyer. I retrieve my bag from the office and return to the lobby. Someone comes into the hotel , and I shudder at the ice-cold blast of air following them in. I walk quickly into the bar and stop dead. The dark-haired man Lachlan was talking with earlier is sitting on my stool. I watch as they carry on a conversation , feeling my heart sink. The man is very polished and close to Lachlan’s age. And, just like that, my desire to stay and talk with Lachlan disappears.*

And for all of that, I think we would have needed Lachlan's POV at all of those times. It would have helped to see inside his head, and it would be easier to believe him and forgive him as quickly as Joe once that was "cleared." And that was what disappointed me with Joe, a few simple apologies, some weak explanations and that's it, everything was left behind? After months of indifference, feeling lonely and mistreated? To even think that your husband was cheating on you and only looked for you when he wanted to get off? No. Lachlan should have groveled more out of forgiveness.

In general, it is a good story, with the sweetness and banter that characterizes the author. Like I said before, I think it could have been a lot better if we had a lot more insight from Lachlan about his relationship with Joe and how he lived through it, and less about Erica's wedding and all the supporting characters.

I was given an advanced copy and wrote voluntarily a review.