The Reason I Married Him

By: Meghan Quinn

Narrated by: Aaron Shedlock, Stella Hunter

Length: 16 hrs and 5 mins

Publisher's summary

From USA Today and Amazon Charts bestselling author Meghan Quinn, comes a new marriage of convenience romantic comedy. This steamy, laugh out loud, enemies-to-lovers small town standalone delivers the perfect happily ever after.

He proposed . . . and I said yes.

Normally a jovial occasion for a couple in love, but this proposal has a very different feel.

Because the man that I'll be calling my husband blew into town with one thing on his mind . . . to make my life a living nightmare.

So why did I say yes?

Well, because we both need something from each other.

Namely, I want the farm land he currently owns, and he needs a wife in order to inherit his family cabin in his grandfather’s will.

So as he so eloquently put it, my hand, for his land.

At first, I thought the idea was nuts.

Who really gets married out of convenience?

Apparently, I do.

And now we have to sell our relationship to the town. Meaning, we're holding hands, he's pinching my cheeks . . . upper and lower. We're even forced to share the one-bedroom guest house on the farm where his monstrous body is taking up a large percentage of the bed.

But we’re so persuasive about our farse, that now I’m starting to think he actually might like me. Especially when he grabs me by the wrist and teases the shell of my ear as he whispers, “Mine.”

©2024 Meghan Quinn (P)2024 Meghan Quinn

Small town, marriage of convenience

Meghan Quinn audiobooks are always some of my favorites! Great narration, thoughtful performances, and of course the quirk, the heart-heat combo, and that characteristic Meghan Quinn wit that always charms me. So I was excited to dive into The Reason I Married Him (narrated by the fabulous Aaron Shedlock and Stella Hunter) to get Aubree and Wyatt's story.. Marriage of convenience meets small town, a bit of enemies to lovers and reverse grumpy-sunshine vibes, and a surprising slow burn. This wasn’t quite the visit I expected to Almond Bay, but I’m glad Wyatt and Aubree got their beautiful HEA.


After I adored the first Almond Bay book (both can be read as standalones), I was really curious what Meghan would bring to the table with Aubree- the more mercurial, harder read, bottled up sister. I can relate to a lot to the way Aubree holds things back, and certainly this family has had their share of challenges and heartache. And Aubree has a lot on her shoulders with the farm. Wyatt showing up is both a wrench in her plans and a potential savior- if these two could just get on the same page….but unfortunately Aubree distrusts him and sees him as a threat.


I really wanted to love this one, but unfortunately it’s not my favorite from Meghan. The pacing felt really slow at first, and I think this contributed to me never really liking Aubree as much as I wanted. I honestly felt frustrated with Wyatt for putting up with her at times LOL- but in the end they do really click. It just took way too long for me to feel that way, and their cycle felt repetitive to me. I did really adore Wyatt- he too has had a hard go of things lately and has his own things to protect. But he’s funny, full of beautiful golden retriever hero charm, and he’s also so optimistic. He’s so easy to love…so at times it makes me wonder why Aubree just doesn’t see it LOL. But her trust issues really hold her back- both relatable, but also challenging.


I did enjoy them in the end- especially once Meghan dialed up their heat. The banter was great, the trust just took too long to get there. The ending was really heartfelt and emotional though- and again I’m so happy Aubree found an HEA and got to thaw a little.


The narrators did an incredible job bringing them to life and brought a lot of charisma to the performances too- glad I consumed this on audio.

TROPES
💐Marriage of Convenience
💐Reverse Grumpy-Sunshine
💐Dislike to lovers
💐Small town
💐Rom-com
💐Slower Burn
💐But there’s only one bed!

I really tried, BUT...

I had high hopes for this book after reading other reviews, and having enjoyed other. Meghan Quinn books in the past, but this one did absolutely nothing for me. I made it 8.5 out of 16 hours and I'm giving up. There is slow burn, and there's just plain SLOW. It seems like there should have been some kind of spice this far in, but sadly there hasn't been, and the storyline just keeps plodding along. if my mind is wandering and I find myself not even having to pay attention to a book and I still don't miss anything, that's when I know it's time to stop. There is some cute banter between characters, but I would not categorize this as laugh out loud. funny. The narrators did a great job as always, but sadly, that isn't enough to rescue this one for me.

Reverse Grumpy/Sunshine

This book has it all.... enemies to lovers, marriage of convenience, one bed trope, reverse grumpy/sunshine. Ohhhhh my kind of book!

Aubree has always been closed off but after being told your whole childhood you are nothing and no one will ever want you, that's what she believes. She's the town grump! After her sisters death she not only has to look after the family store (which she doesn't like doing) but also runs the farm. She feels like she's sinking. She never complains but is very snappy towards people. Luckily when her little sister moves home she takes over the store and she can just concentrate just on the farm.

Wyatt (a successful author) was just left at the alter, he's devastated. Living on his best friends couch he just can't deal with any of it. That is until he finds out that his cousin is excited to know he's now even closer to getting the family cabin (that he doesn't care about) because he is closer to the possibility of inheriting it in the will with the clause of whoever is the first to marry gets it. It has huge sentimental value to Wyatt. Thankfully his best friend comes up with a plan. When his brother passed away part of his farm land was left to him and the rest to his wife's sister if she passed. When she passes away, her sister Aubree inherits it. So technically they're both single and in need of some help.

Wyatt comes into town to try and win Aubree (the grump) over and share his plan with her, you help me and I give you my portion of the farmland. This guy is TOTAL SUNSHINE. He breaks down so many of Aubree's walls. He is the first person ever to make Aubree feel like she's beautiful and worth something. Or is he just a really good author who can come up with the right thing on the spot to say??

I really enjoyed this audiobook and will listen again I know it!

Fantastic duet narration!

Aaron and Stella are fantastic, and duet was perfect for this book. MQ books can be a bit formulaic (even compared to other rom-coms), but I continue to read them because the first half (ie boy meets girl to boys gets girl) is always hilarious! Wish the conflicts could be based on something other than secrets and jumping to conclusions, but beggars can’t be choosers!

Romcom with all the feels!

Aubree and Wyatt’s romance was fun, steamy with some angst and emotional. When Wyatt needs to get married he comes up with a plan to make a deal with Aubree. I loved all of the banter between them as he tried to convince her to go along with his plan.

Aubree was stand offish and slow to trust due to trauma from her past and it helps you understand her a lot more. I loved watching Wyatt break down her walls little by little and show her that she deserved to be loved and didn’t give up on her easily.

The narration from Stella Hunter and Aaron Shedlock brought the story to life and they fit their character well! Stella does a great job portraying Aubree’s hurt and insecurities from her past. Aaron brought out Wyatt’s confidence, charm and sweet personality perfectly. I loved both of their performances.

Excellent Performance!

You can always expect Meghan to take you on a brilliant journey of love with lots of laughter in between. This is a story of marriage of convenience that unfolds into a balance of emotions, passion, and genuine connection that will captivate you from the very first words, “you smell”. Wyatt has recently been left right before his wedding and he barely has time to work through those emotions when he realizes his cousin might get the family cabin instead of him. Needing to get married to keep the cabin, he comes to town and finds Aubree as the best option to carry out his plan. Aubree is known to be the grumpy one. She has plenty of reason to be, but maybe someone fun like Wyatt can bring some light into her life.

I loved their dynamics. The black cat x golden retriever vibes were so much fun and to see Aubree soften to Wyatt was really sweet. This was full of banter, and spice, and everything you want from a MQ story. I absolutely adore this little small town of Almond Bay and MQ describes it so vividly that it just takes you there yourself. The plot flowed really well and made sense for the characters' stories. Aubree had a lot of character growth to get her to the woman in love by the end. Let’s talk 3rd act breakup. While it seems lately no one wants to read a book with one, I will say this is one that made absolute sense and didn’t just come out of nowhere. It felt genuine and made the story believable.

The narrators really brought this story to life. Is there anything better to listen to while doing the dishes then Aaron Shedlock and Stella Hunter with some uproarious banter? Or listening to the dirty stairs scene while driving? I think not. Excellent performance!

She's Grumpy, He's Sunshine and I'm here for it.

This is the second time we've been taken to Almond Bay, but if you haven't read "The Way I Hate Him" you'll be fine (I haven't yet and had no issues with this one at all), it stands alone perfectly the way most Meghan Quinn books do.

Wyatt and Aubree were so much fun to listen to. They start out with some enemies vibes thanks to Aubree's defensiveness over the potential issues with Wyatt owning half of the family farm she's running. And then Wyatt completely floors her by proposing a marriage of convenience land deal. Her marrying him so he can get land he wants (his family cabin from his grandfather's estate) in exchange for her getting his half of the farm. The banter between them is such a joy, it had me smiling and talking back at times.

Both of them entered this arrangement with baggage. Wyatt's is fresh, but Aubree's issues because of her past run deep and make her really guarded. But I love how Wyatt works his way in by just being present every day. It's like exposure therapy slowly chipping away at Aubree's walls. It made my heart just melt as the grumpy gal slowly got used to having him around, welcoming his words and touch.... *sigh*

The audiobook was delightfully performed in Duet style by Stella Hunter and Aaron Shedlock. Stella as the grumpy and guarded Aubree was so perfect. I couldn't stop laughing at times as she fought against the immovable force that was a determined Wyatt and melted over time as she slowly opened up and let him in. Aaron was great as Wyatt, the little bit of arrogant with his plotting ways didn't make me hate him, just made me roll my eyes. He was manipulative but in such a charming way as he worked toward his various goals. Bring in all the side characters (and Almond Bay has a bunch of colourful ones from both narrators in the wings at all times) and it was an absolute hoot at times. This one totally goes off the rails on occasion and I was there for it every single time.

I requested and was provided with an advanced copy of the audiobook. These are my honest opinions.

Steamy and Funny

You got to love Almond Bay. Aubree and Wyatt and their marriage of convenience that turned into love. The sex between Aubree and Wyatt is steamy and hot. l
Loved the duet performance of Aaron Shedlock and Stella Hunter. the voices are perfect for Wyatt and Aubree.

The reasons I love this audiobook

The grumpy/sunshine trope is one of my favorites when it comes to the romance genre, and when it's done in reverse--aka grumpy FMC and sunshiny MMC--there's an additional interesting aspect in the mix. Aubree and Wyatt were an unlikely couple, and convincing the former to even look at the latter with something other than dislike and distrust, what more saying "yes" to his plan, was entertaining to say the least. But kudos to Wyatt to going above and beyond, and I don't think he was pretending to be someone he wasn't, which was what made him so darn likable. He was genuinely a good guy, and not just a guy pretending to like the girl he needed something from. He and Aubree forged a friendship, and whatever else developed afterwards felt organic to me. Speaking of Aubree, goodness but how this woman made me want to give her a hug--not that I think she would readily accept one from me, and I wouldn't blame her either. There was a wariness to her that I could easily relate to, and having any sort of relationship with her, romantic or otherwise, was one that had to be earned, one step at a time. I loved seeing these two work their way to a happily-ever-after, and the Rowley family and the townsfolk of Almond Bay are adorable. Meghan Quinn makes it way to easy for me to relish these visits to this fictional town and to hope each of the remaining Rowley siblings and whoever their respective persons may be get their happily-ever-afters. And Aaron Shedlock and Stella Hunter? Listening to these two narrate The Reason I Married Him wasn't a chore at all. An entertaining story and spot-on narration are just two of the reasons I love this audiobook and why I'm giving it a solid five stars out of five stars.

No lag and drag in the story

Good book. Smooth story, not many plot twists but there was no dragging the story and reveals were quick and I liked it.