The Wife

Bride Series, Book 2

By: S. Doyle

Narrated by: Alexander Cendese, Loretta Rawlins

Ellie

I married Jake Talley when I was 16 because I was an orphan left with a cattle ranch to run, and getting hitched was the only way to keep me out of a foster home. It was supposed to be easy; a marriage of convenience. Only I'm not a kid anymore and my husband is the hottest guy in Riverbend, Montana. The plan was to get divorced when I turned 18, but life got in the way. Life, my feelings...the kiss. Did I mention the kiss?

Only now he won't let himself touch me. The right thing to do would be to divorce Jake and set him free. Neither of us had a choice in this marriage.

But I can't help wonder, what would it be like to be Jake's wife?

Jake

Our marriage was never real. Only walking away wasn't as easy as I'd thought. Ellie still needs me. And maybe I don't want to go? I kissed her when I shouldn't have. All the more reason for me to leave. I know I can't have her. Because Ellie isn't really my wife.

Or is she?

Contains mature themes.

©2017 S. Doyle (P)2019 Tantor

It feels real, touching

Watching these two struggle feels real. I like both characters a lot, even though I want to smack Jake sometimes. They are good people in a weird circumstance. I am totally invested in this. The narrators did a good job, though the guy's female voice was a little weird.

All the feels

With Ellie now 18, and them having lived together two years, the ten year age gap disappeared completely as an issue. Instead, they now had to grapple with a marriage in name only hanging over their heads. Normally, I don’t go for that kind of angst, but darned if this storyline kept bucking my expectations.

Part two had one of the most realistic first times, thus, it wasn’t sexy at all and was instead heartfelt.
This book ended up being far more about the romance than the sex and I was so there for it.

Too bad the narration didn’t work for me, with Mr. Cendese’s cringey female voicing and Ms. Rawlins’ voice still making Ellie sound 16.