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Return to Monte Carlo
A runaway wife, a surprise baby, and a dark secret.MONTE CARLO, 1982The odds of a man like Marco de Noli falling for a girl like me were a million to one.He's old money, classic European jet set, a master of the universe.When we met, I was a shy girl from Oklahoma, pretty enough, but nowhere near his league.One year later, after he stands me up on our first anniversary, I have to face facts. Our marriage was a mistake. My in-laws think I'm a gold digger, Marco lives at the office, and nights of passion aren't enough. There's nothing keeping me in Monte Carlo.But when I run, I don't realize that I'm taking the de Noli heir with me —Or that our love wasn't what I thought it was at all.Return to Monte Carlo is a retro romance with a spicy, modern twist. No cheating. HEA guaranteed. Intended for adult readers only.
207 pages, Kindle Edition
First published September 29, 2023
462 people are currently reading
1553 people want to read
About the author
Cate C. Wells
27 books2,806 followersCATE C. WELLS writes gut-wrenching paranormal and contemporary romance. Whatever the world, readers can expect character-driven stories that are raw, real, and emotionally satisfying. Cate's into messy love, flaws, long roads to redemption, grace, and happy ever after, in fiction and in life.
As well as books, Cate has collected a husband, children, and cat along the way. She lives in Baltimore when she’s not out exploring with the family.
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As well as books, Cate has collected a husband, children, and cat along the way. She lives in Baltimore when she’s not out exploring with the family.
Want a heads up on new releases and bonus content? Sign up for Cate's newsletter at catecwells.com
Facebook: @catecwells
IG: @authorcatecwells
TT: @authorcatecwells
Threads: @authorcatecwells
Bookbub: @catecwells
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 685 reviews
October 2, 2023
4 Smut Scale Stars
All I know is that an email from Cate C. Wells came through announcing this release...
...and I had it in my grabby hands and polished off the same evening.
Marriage on the rocks? Surprise pregnancy? Obsessive enigmatic alpha male? Groveling?
I just love this shit. Wells is definitely becoming a go-to for my favorite empty calorie smut reads.
PS I LOVE that this book took place in the 1980's. The lack of cell phones and internet, etc., just set the stage for so much deliciousness.
All I know is that an email from Cate C. Wells came through announcing this release...
...and I had it in my grabby hands and polished off the same evening.
Marriage on the rocks? Surprise pregnancy? Obsessive enigmatic alpha male? Groveling?
I just love this shit. Wells is definitely becoming a go-to for my favorite empty calorie smut reads.
PS I LOVE that this book took place in the 1980's. The lack of cell phones and internet, etc., just set the stage for so much deliciousness.
![Profile Image for Namera [The Literary Invertebrate].](/_next/image?url=https%3A%2F%2Fi.gr-assets.com%2Fimages%2FS%2Fcompressed.photo.goodreads.com%2Fusers%2F1647896333i%2F31792110._UX200_CR0%2C96%2C200%2C200_.jpg&w=128&q=75)
September 29, 2023
UPDATE: I've rounded down again. Not like me to be so wishy-washy, but in hindsight I just couldn't justify such a high rating. Back to 3.
___
⤅ 3.5 stars, rounded up. But the heroine is SO annoying and juvenile, and all the other female characters in this book are turned into such OTT villains, that I initially rounded down.
So this is billed as a 'retro' romance, Wells's first one. What that means is it's modelled on those old modern-bodice-ripper-style Harlequin romances that took off in the 1980s or so. Really it's a pastiche, with some fairly significant departures, and I'll get to those later.
It's 1982, and the book opens with 20-year-old Diane de Noli waiting with her in-laws while her husband, 32-year-old Marco, gets increasingly later and later for their anniversary dinner. They had a whirlwind romance a year ago, when he was a hotshot Italian billionaire in Europe for business, and she was the gorgeous blonde virgin who cut his hair. Naturally, everyone thinks she's a gold-digging tramp, and her in-laws - especially mother-in-law Vittoria and sister-in-law Chiara - have made no secret of this.
When Marco shows up far too late and in the company of his man-eating secretary Sienna, Diane basically loses her sh*t. In the year of their marriage, he's grown increasingly distant, always late, and barely speaking. She's had enough, and she's on the next plane out of Italy and back to the US.
Fast forward five months and she's learnt by now that she's pregnant. Ultimately, she knows she can't keep him from his baby, and she sets events into motion once more by phoning him. But what will their relationship be like once he shows up?
Let's start with the good first.
✔️ As usual, Wells's writing is a joy to read. It's crisp, clear, and flows smoother than honey. Reading her books is definitely no chore.
✔️ The sexual dynamic was interesting. The new word for this is CNC, or consensual non-consent; to be honest, this is just another way of saying 'rape roleplay'. Diane loves telling Marco 'no' and struggling to get away, and he loves tying her down and spanking her with his belt. They never really have a conversation about their complementary deviances, which I guess is down to the 80s vibe. However, the 80s thing is very thin at times - I'll get to that later.
✔️ For a short book - and like the Harlequins of old, this is barely 200 pages - Wells packs in a lot of plot and characterisation. It felt like a longer book, but in a good way, and the actual length was just right.
As for the bad...
❌ I'll come straight out and say it: Diane has got to be one of the WORST heroines this author has ever written. In fact, I think she is the worst. She's self-centred, immature, full of internalised misogyny, and lazy. I'm honestly struggling to think of a redeeming feature for her, and that just makes me feel like the only reason Marco fell in love with her is the one everyone assumed anyway: that she's a brainless blonde with big tits. She really doesn't do anything to prove her detractors wrong. And I KNOW she's young, she's only 19 when she gets married, so then I just get disgusted at Marco for marrying the kind of woman he knows will be eaten alive by his family and doing absolutely nothing to warn or prepare her.
❌ More on Marco, but also Diane: the entire drama and angst of this book rests on the fact that neither of them are able to communicate with each other. They literally do not speak to each other about anything important in the entire year of their marriage. Diane just starts sulking and moping straightaway when Marco doesn't rush home from work at 5pm every day to be with her, without even WONDERING WHY HE'S WORKING SO HARD AND SO LATE AND ASKING HIM ABOUT IT! Little Miss Selfish just decides it's because he's a bad husband who doesn't care for her enough. And Little Mr Moron DOESN'T TELL HIS WIFE WHY HE'S WORKING SO HARD ALL THE TIME. I could have shaken them both.
❌ Although this book is nominally set in 1982, and I'm going to classify that as semi-historical since it was over 40 years ago, I didn't really 'feel' the historical vibe. This is because of the clarity of Wells's authorial voice, which is actually both a good thing and a bad thing. In order to vivify historical settings well, you have to be able to adapt your style a bit and make it more... elaborate? Perhaps. I'm not explaining it well, but there just needs to be more of a cadence. Wells's voice is SO blazingly contemporary, and that's an asset when she's writing her usual small-town US romances, but definitely undermined the 80s Italian setting here.
❌ Similarly, part of the reason it didn't feel historical is because Diane magically avoids most of the pitfalls of actually being a pregnant 80s woman. Yes, she's fired from her job, but she doesn't smoke, doesn't drink while pregnant, and even calls black people 'Black'. I dislike this arbitrary capitalisation enough in a contemporary, but why on earth are you capitalising it in a book set in the 80s? If you are going to set your book in 1982, you can't cherry-pick the good parts of history and leave out the bad parts. You have to bring it to life, warts and all. That's the point of the historical setting.
❌ Although, there is one place where the 80s vibe is probably accurate, and that's in Diane's internalised misogyny. She utterly loathes Marco's assistant Sienna, even though Sienna has done literally nothing to her and there is no OW drama, mostly because she (Diane) is jealous as hell. No, she won't try and educate herself like Sienna, but she'll hate her anyway, and especially hate the fact she has a degree with LSE. Honestly, Sienna was probably my favourite character. She's a smart, ambitious woman with a degree who's managed to become the right-hand-man of a billionaire despite the misogynistic business culture of 80s Italy. And then she loses it all because her boss has a shrewish, jealous wife 12 years younger than him. Actually, I can't believe Wells wrote almost EVERY SINGLE FEMALE CHARACTER so poorly. Vittoria the mother-in-law was constantly cheated on by Marco's father and humiliated by him; instead of acknowledging this deep wound and trying to show her a shred of empathy, Marco and Diane both end up discarding her. Chiara also suffers similarly. Her alcoholic, wandering-eye husband gets more sympathy and redemption in the book than she does!! I thought Harlequin heroines were supposed to be forgiving to a fault? Normally I can't stand an overly forgiving heroine, but neither can I stand one who extends not the slightest compassion to her obviously psychologically-damaged in-laws, and moreover turns her husband against them too.
⤅ Overall
This book feels a bit experimental. On the whole, I suppose the experiment was a success, because anything Wells writes would be. But I'm surprised at the easy, stereotypical villainy of the female characters, and tired of how the entire plot revolves around a lack of basic communication.
November 30, 2023
2.5 stars
Miscommunication is a trope, but is there’s something as “intended miscommunication”? maybe I’ve just made up a trope, but this was the exact case with this book. Those two were fully intended to not communicate. Like, “no I don’t want to hear you.” Or “I’m not going to ask because I don’t want to know the answer.” Or “listening to you might make me forgive you and I’d rather just be an immature child.” Or “I’m gonna change the subject so I don’t give you a chance to say what I need, but for some annoying reason don’t want to hear.” And you get what I’m trying to say?? This is what this book was about.
Because really those two has nothing but physical chemistry between them and it wasn’t even that good. I don’t know if the book needed to be longer, if we needed more grovel, or if we needed to see them freakin COMMUNICATE. I love a good marriage in crises story. This one included a rich OTT family and an 80s setting? It was everything I wanted but was just done so poorly. I needed more. More fight, more time, and more grovel. I needed something, but ugh they were so frustrating.
The heroine couldn’t stand for herself or even voice her thoughts in addition to being so juvenile! And he was such an ignorant selfish jerk. And ugh don’t get me started with the melodramatic soap opera scenes with her and the family.
“All I’ve ever wanted to do was make you happy, Diane”
“Well, when do you plan to start?” She asks, sniffling.
Miscommunication is a trope, but is there’s something as “intended miscommunication”? maybe I’ve just made up a trope, but this was the exact case with this book. Those two were fully intended to not communicate. Like, “no I don’t want to hear you.” Or “I’m not going to ask because I don’t want to know the answer.” Or “listening to you might make me forgive you and I’d rather just be an immature child.” Or “I’m gonna change the subject so I don’t give you a chance to say what I need, but for some annoying reason don’t want to hear.” And you get what I’m trying to say?? This is what this book was about.
Because really those two has nothing but physical chemistry between them and it wasn’t even that good. I don’t know if the book needed to be longer, if we needed more grovel, or if we needed to see them freakin COMMUNICATE. I love a good marriage in crises story. This one included a rich OTT family and an 80s setting? It was everything I wanted but was just done so poorly. I needed more. More fight, more time, and more grovel. I needed something, but ugh they were so frustrating.
The heroine couldn’t stand for herself or even voice her thoughts in addition to being so juvenile! And he was such an ignorant selfish jerk. And ugh don’t get me started with the melodramatic soap opera scenes with her and the family.
December 13, 2023
Reread for 2023 Faves. This one did move down to 5 stars after knowing how it works out, it didn't hit quite as hard. But still a wonderful, angsty, second chance.
**********
Fan-f*cking-tastic
This was a unique and beautiful Marriage in Trouble, secret baby romance. If you were a fan of Run Posy Run, this book is for you. It's not as dark, but it has that same kind of angst, including a hero who is clueless to how much he loves his woman and how much he needs her until she stands up for herself and dumps his butt.
I felt so horrible for Diane and I wanted her to feel good about herself again. When she discovers she's pregnant with her estranged husband's child.. she knows she has to tell him. What she isn't prepared for is how instant and visceral his reaction is. He may be willing to threaten and strong arm her into coming home, but he isn't prepared for a Diane who refused to go back in the quiet box she's been living in.
Marco cares about his wife. He thought things were good. Until they weren't. He was an idiot. But after losing Diane and being a complete dunce on their anniversary.. he is absolutely floored and woken up by her drastic actions to get away from him.
But now it's game on. He won't let her go.. he can't.. she's the only thing he's ever taken for himself and he plans to keep her. Whether she likes it.. or not.
I adored this book and the grovel was classic CCW. It had my guts turning and my heart pounding. I equally wanted to slap Marco and swoon at his feet. I also loved the setting of the 80's. The little nods to the time period and it had me giggling.
I loved watching Diane decide she was worth more and demanding it from Marco. They have always clicked in the bedroom and had matching desires but she's done being a trophy wife and I love how she makes him earn it.
I hope you give this one a try. I highly recommend.
6 stars
4 on the spice scale
CW: dubcon, rough sex, kinda kidnapping?
**********
Fan-f*cking-tastic
This was a unique and beautiful Marriage in Trouble, secret baby romance. If you were a fan of Run Posy Run, this book is for you. It's not as dark, but it has that same kind of angst, including a hero who is clueless to how much he loves his woman and how much he needs her until she stands up for herself and dumps his butt.
I felt so horrible for Diane and I wanted her to feel good about herself again. When she discovers she's pregnant with her estranged husband's child.. she knows she has to tell him. What she isn't prepared for is how instant and visceral his reaction is. He may be willing to threaten and strong arm her into coming home, but he isn't prepared for a Diane who refused to go back in the quiet box she's been living in.
Marco cares about his wife. He thought things were good. Until they weren't. He was an idiot. But after losing Diane and being a complete dunce on their anniversary.. he is absolutely floored and woken up by her drastic actions to get away from him.
But now it's game on. He won't let her go.. he can't.. she's the only thing he's ever taken for himself and he plans to keep her. Whether she likes it.. or not.
I adored this book and the grovel was classic CCW. It had my guts turning and my heart pounding. I equally wanted to slap Marco and swoon at his feet. I also loved the setting of the 80's. The little nods to the time period and it had me giggling.
I loved watching Diane decide she was worth more and demanding it from Marco. They have always clicked in the bedroom and had matching desires but she's done being a trophy wife and I love how she makes him earn it.
I hope you give this one a try. I highly recommend.
6 stars
4 on the spice scale
CW: dubcon, rough sex, kinda kidnapping?
September 29, 2023
Well, that was disappointing. It started good. Troubled marriage due to neglect, but when Marco found Diane it went downhill quick. The man was just too blind to what was right in front of him and she was just too immature.
His constant thoughts that her actions were because “her wires were crossed” and her acting like her life was a soap opera while also claiming to be strong ruined their characters. Ultimately I found their relationship extremely toxic, especially the sex. There’s rough sex and then there’s what they had, which was abusive. It wasn’t sexy to read about and after the first encounter I skipped over all the others.
Marco’s big revelation at just how bad things were and actually apologizing for his actions at 98% was the icing on the cake to a lackluster book.
His constant thoughts that her actions were because “her wires were crossed” and her acting like her life was a soap opera while also claiming to be strong ruined their characters. Ultimately I found their relationship extremely toxic, especially the sex. There’s rough sex and then there’s what they had, which was abusive. It wasn’t sexy to read about and after the first encounter I skipped over all the others.
Marco’s big revelation at just how bad things were and actually apologizing for his actions at 98% was the icing on the cake to a lackluster book.
December 16, 2023
Story: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐��⭐️
Trope: marriage in trouble
Angst: 😱😱😱😱
Smexy: 🔥🔥🔥1/2
Cate Wells never lets me down! Buckle up and be prepared for something completely new from her.
It always amazes me how Cate can give me a "I never read it" trope, make me love it, and leave me wanting more. This time it's the marriage in trouble trope. I. Hate. It. Seriously hate it. Buuuuuuut, that being said, I fracking love this book 🤷🏻♀️. All the angst. The other woman drama. Very Harlequin Presents-esque, but with a *bit* of an unexpected kink. Diane is another Cate heroine that while I don't "know" her, she's super relatable.... like I know her. The hopes. The dreams. The bad decision making, lol. The same with Marco. His single-mindedness and willful blindness will make you want to strangle him, but at the same time he manages to make you feel for him. This story is beautifully written and just gave me all the nostalgia feels. Definitely a 5 out of 5 stars for me!
⛔️ My bookshelves can sometimes be spoilers
Trope: marriage in trouble
Angst: 😱😱😱😱
Smexy: 🔥🔥🔥1/2
Cate Wells never lets me down! Buckle up and be prepared for something completely new from her.
It always amazes me how Cate can give me a "I never read it" trope, make me love it, and leave me wanting more. This time it's the marriage in trouble trope. I. Hate. It. Seriously hate it. Buuuuuuut, that being said, I fracking love this book 🤷🏻♀️. All the angst. The other woman drama. Very Harlequin Presents-esque, but with a *bit* of an unexpected kink. Diane is another Cate heroine that while I don't "know" her, she's super relatable.... like I know her. The hopes. The dreams. The bad decision making, lol. The same with Marco. His single-mindedness and willful blindness will make you want to strangle him, but at the same time he manages to make you feel for him. This story is beautifully written and just gave me all the nostalgia feels. Definitely a 5 out of 5 stars for me!
⛔️ My bookshelves can sometimes be spoilers
Want to read
September 28, 2023this is giving old school harlequin presents and i'm HERE for it
September 23, 2023
This book is a very brave and unusual project for the author.
For fans of Harlequin and Mills and Boon that enjoyed the style but never quite got the fulfilling grovel and repentant Hero, this is your book.
We have it based in 1982 so ideas of relationship roles are dated but the ideas for working out your relationship are not.
We have the rich business man who is aloof and from old money who is blown away by the originally virgin heroine, they have completely different backgrounds, great sex and zero communication skills.
Along with an interfering family, a sexy PA for the Hero.
This all leads to a separation and a reconciliation 'Come back to me or I'll ruin you with my millions'.
And a secret baby, the Hero finds out while she's pregnant, early on, after an attempt by the heroine to tell him.
There is alot of sex, very explicit, much more than you'd have read in the original Harlequin/ M and B.
There is grovelling, a Hero who literally ends up on his knees.
No intimate scenes other than the Hero and heroine.
No intimate history for the Hero. Small implied other woman drama, the heroine believes the PA is having an affair with her husband, he hasn't noticed the PA in that way and didn't realise it was an issue.
HEA.
Epilogue.
Dual POV, primarily heroine.
ARC.
For fans of Harlequin and Mills and Boon that enjoyed the style but never quite got the fulfilling grovel and repentant Hero, this is your book.
We have it based in 1982 so ideas of relationship roles are dated but the ideas for working out your relationship are not.
We have the rich business man who is aloof and from old money who is blown away by the originally virgin heroine, they have completely different backgrounds, great sex and zero communication skills.
Along with an interfering family, a sexy PA for the Hero.
This all leads to a separation and a reconciliation 'Come back to me or I'll ruin you with my millions'.
And a secret baby, the Hero finds out while she's pregnant, early on, after an attempt by the heroine to tell him.
There is alot of sex, very explicit, much more than you'd have read in the original Harlequin/ M and B.
There is grovelling, a Hero who literally ends up on his knees.
No intimate scenes other than the Hero and heroine.
No intimate history for the Hero. Small implied other woman drama, the heroine believes the PA is having an affair with her husband, he hasn't noticed the PA in that way and didn't realise it was an issue.
HEA.
Epilogue.
Dual POV, primarily heroine.
ARC.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
October 5, 2023
I graduated from college in 1984 so I got the Quincy references etc, but this wasn't that period to me other than no cell phones.
Kind of boring for Cate Wells and I couldn't or didn't end up caring for either main character. The mean family was mildly entertaining, but the heroine really didn't make any effort to carve out a space for herself and had little personality. And the hero was another phoned in workaholic that is too easily duped by his gorgeous PA.
Harlequin HP does this scenario much better.
P.S. Even in the 1980s, pregnant women did not smoke or drink.
Kind of boring for Cate Wells and I couldn't or didn't end up caring for either main character. The mean family was mildly entertaining, but the heroine really didn't make any effort to carve out a space for herself and had little personality. And the hero was another phoned in workaholic that is too easily duped by his gorgeous PA.
Harlequin HP does this scenario much better.
P.S. Even in the 1980s, pregnant women did not smoke or drink.
October 1, 2023
3.5 ✨ I really enjoy this authors writing and I enjoyed this story. However I felt like it should’ve been longer I needed more groveling.
October 1, 2023
I love the marriage-in-trouble trope, and this one had a promising start. But sorry to say, it crashed and burned. Halfway through, I lost all interest. The heroine got annoying with her telenovela antics. I don’t mind melodrama, I even appreciate it sometimes, but in this case her childish reactions irked me after a while.
The angst lasted about 5 seconds, which sucks because the angst is why I love this particular trope.
The sex was…awkward, to say the least. Again, this started out interesting but further into the book, the sexy times weren’t…well, sexy. I’ve read about all kinds of kinky sex and I rarely, if ever, find anything that freaks me out or turns me off. This simply fell flat and was cringe-worthy.
“There was *stuff.* On your *thing.* When you took it out.” She squeezes her eyes closed. “And it made that noise.”
I’m instantly hard. I’d never fucked a woman in her ass before, and perhaps there are techniques that I lack. We did make a mess.
What stuff? o_O
Something else that really stood out to me was the heavily overuse of similes and references. I admit, some of these dated references, I didn't know and was tempted to Google while reading but didn’t. It interrupted the flow for me.
A few examples:
“I could put this off one more night like Scheherazade.”
ScheherWHO??
“…the coroner who looks exactly like Quincy, M.E.”
Who dat?
“I’d be able to demand that she put him on the phone like Erika Kane.”
I had the vague idea this was a soap opera actress but I wasn’t sure who exactly.
1982, indeed.
As a fan of old school Harlequin Romance (or retro reads), this book should have been right up my alley. Sadly, I was disappointed.
The angst lasted about 5 seconds, which sucks because the angst is why I love this particular trope.
The sex was…awkward, to say the least. Again, this started out interesting but further into the book, the sexy times weren’t…well, sexy. I’ve read about all kinds of kinky sex and I rarely, if ever, find anything that freaks me out or turns me off. This simply fell flat and was cringe-worthy.
“There was *stuff.* On your *thing.* When you took it out.” She squeezes her eyes closed. “And it made that noise.”
I’m instantly hard. I’d never fucked a woman in her ass before, and perhaps there are techniques that I lack. We did make a mess.
What stuff? o_O
Something else that really stood out to me was the heavily overuse of similes and references. I admit, some of these dated references, I didn't know and was tempted to Google while reading but didn’t. It interrupted the flow for me.
A few examples:
“I could put this off one more night like Scheherazade.”
ScheherWHO??
“…the coroner who looks exactly like Quincy, M.E.”
Who dat?
“I’d be able to demand that she put him on the phone like Erika Kane.”
I had the vague idea this was a soap opera actress but I wasn’t sure who exactly.
1982, indeed.
As a fan of old school Harlequin Romance (or retro reads), this book should have been right up my alley. Sadly, I was disappointed.
June 29, 2024
➸ 5 stars
Tropes:
↬ Historical/20th Century Romance
↬ Billionaire Romance
↬ Darkish Romance
↬ Dual POV; First Person
↬ Instalove
↬ Age Gap
↬ Second Chance/Marriage in Trouble
↬ Surprise Pregnancy
↬ Groveling & Angst
Ratings:
↬ Initial Intrigue: 5/5
↬ Characters: 4/5
↬ Plot: 5/5
↬ Structure: 4/5
↬ World-Building: 5/5
↬ Writing: 4/5
↬ Uniqueness/Creativity: 3/5
↬ Overall Enjoyment: 5/5
↬ Read: on Kindle
_________ ׂׂૢ་༘࿐
I’ve previously tried something by Cate C. Wells (Against a Wall) and hated practically every second of it. It was way too redneck for my taste, and I’ve kind of been scared off from this author for a bit. However, I’m trying to go through my kindle and (very slowly) reduce the number of unread books on there. I got Return to Monte Carlo as a freebie a few months back, and I decided to pick it up mainly because of the “unwanted wife” trope—one of my favorite things if any of you are new. And I’m so happy I decided to give this author another try because this was such an excellent story.
If you like classic romance books, especially the ones written in the 70s-80s and published by Harlequin, then you will absolutely love this. Return to Monte Carlo follows the formula pretty closely. The FMC Diane married Marco, a rich billionaire who lives in Monte Carlo. Their marriage started great, but since then, Diane has been let down a number of times by Marco and once again tossed aside. His family hates her and tries to sabotage her at every turn, and Diane has finally had enough. She leaves back to the states, and finds out she’s pregnant with Marco’s baby. Marco, terrified by the idea of losing his wife, searches high and low for her and vows to bring her back to Monte Carlo to fix their marriage.
This was exactly what I was expecting from this book and I wasn’t disappointed. There is a huge age gap (which I love), Diane is a bit of a doormat, Marco is as alpha as it gets, there’s some body betrayal, mildly unhealthy BDSM elements, and everything is as 80s as it gets. But I really loved every second of it. I love the “scorned wife/extreme groveling” stories, and this really hit the mark for me. The sex was hot, the chemistry was sizzling, and the drama as so juicy. I wasn’t bored a single second reading this at all, and I’m intrigued to try more from this author, especially her shifter stuff!
* * *
UMM HELLO??? This was so so good!!! I was so in love with this story! RTC
Tropes:
↬ Historical/20th Century Romance
↬ Billionaire Romance
↬ Darkish Romance
↬ Dual POV; First Person
↬ Instalove
↬ Age Gap
↬ Second Chance/Marriage in Trouble
↬ Surprise Pregnancy
↬ Groveling & Angst
Ratings:
↬ Initial Intrigue: 5/5
↬ Characters: 4/5
↬ Plot: 5/5
↬ Structure: 4/5
↬ World-Building: 5/5
↬ Writing: 4/5
↬ Uniqueness/Creativity: 3/5
↬ Overall Enjoyment: 5/5
↬ Read: on Kindle
_________ ׂׂૢ་༘࿐
I’ve previously tried something by Cate C. Wells (Against a Wall) and hated practically every second of it. It was way too redneck for my taste, and I’ve kind of been scared off from this author for a bit. However, I’m trying to go through my kindle and (very slowly) reduce the number of unread books on there. I got Return to Monte Carlo as a freebie a few months back, and I decided to pick it up mainly because of the “unwanted wife” trope—one of my favorite things if any of you are new. And I’m so happy I decided to give this author another try because this was such an excellent story.
If you like classic romance books, especially the ones written in the 70s-80s and published by Harlequin, then you will absolutely love this. Return to Monte Carlo follows the formula pretty closely. The FMC Diane married Marco, a rich billionaire who lives in Monte Carlo. Their marriage started great, but since then, Diane has been let down a number of times by Marco and once again tossed aside. His family hates her and tries to sabotage her at every turn, and Diane has finally had enough. She leaves back to the states, and finds out she’s pregnant with Marco’s baby. Marco, terrified by the idea of losing his wife, searches high and low for her and vows to bring her back to Monte Carlo to fix their marriage.
This was exactly what I was expecting from this book and I wasn’t disappointed. There is a huge age gap (which I love), Diane is a bit of a doormat, Marco is as alpha as it gets, there’s some body betrayal, mildly unhealthy BDSM elements, and everything is as 80s as it gets. But I really loved every second of it. I love the “scorned wife/extreme groveling” stories, and this really hit the mark for me. The sex was hot, the chemistry was sizzling, and the drama as so juicy. I wasn’t bored a single second reading this at all, and I’m intrigued to try more from this author, especially her shifter stuff!
* * *
UMM HELLO??? This was so so good!!! I was so in love with this story! RTC
October 4, 2023
5 STARS!!
But seriously, you guys, who knew I needed a kinky, marriage in trouble set in the 80's?! But need it, I did.
To me, the genius here stemmed from the author's choice to start the story in the middle. Though I would have been more than happy to read Diane and Marco's relationship from start to finish as a duet, I appreciated Monte Carlo's bite-sized nature, deliciously depraved as it was.
Diane and her teflon fragility, alongside Marco and his harsh vulnerability, were really quite perfect together. Add in the cast of Clue 😂 and I couldn't have been happier. As always I'm eager for more by Ms. Wells.
trigger warning: though there's not a trace of actual in these pages, is their kink, so take care.
She is the only thing I've ever wanted for myself.Why am I surprised that I loved this so much? Cate C Wells never disappoints.
But seriously, you guys, who knew I needed a kinky, marriage in trouble set in the 80's?! But need it, I did.
To me, the genius here stemmed from the author's choice to start the story in the middle. Though I would have been more than happy to read Diane and Marco's relationship from start to finish as a duet, I appreciated Monte Carlo's bite-sized nature, deliciously depraved as it was.
Diane and her teflon fragility, alongside Marco and his harsh vulnerability, were really quite perfect together. Add in the cast of Clue 😂 and I couldn't have been happier. As always I'm eager for more by Ms. Wells.
trigger warning: though there's not a trace of actual in these pages, is their kink, so take care.
January 3, 2025
Miscommunication between adults that drags on and on sounds like a plot that is a chore to read but for me, it sound like the time of my life ;). I love dumb misunderstandings and problems that can be solved under 2 mins if it was discussed about. I'm easily satisfied as a reader. Just give me angst and pain.
This story takes place in Monaco, Monte Carlo at 1982, so the story setting really pulled me in. 80's in Monaco? Come on now, uncut cocaine and champagne with strawberries is every girl's dream (every girl being me)
But our FMC could not look at where she was living from this perspective, because she had a husband that was never home along with evil in-laws.
On their marriage anniversary the FMC plans a whole party/dinner for the MMC where she continues to be berated by her in laws. So she slaps her mother in law and breaks a vase worth more than whatever.
This is what the MMC says to her after he gives the courtesy to attend a dinner made just for him.
So of fucking course when the MMC leaves with his PA the FMC says fuck this and leaves for good.
She's pregnant.
She's crashing with a lesbian couple when she decides to ring up the MMC to break the news that she's pregnant. But, of course, his PA answers and says he's not around, even though he's literally sitting in the office. So, the FMC hangs up, and the woman she's staying with picks up the phone to let Marco know where she is.
What a sweet sweet man, threatening to destroy the FMC's family😍
She does agree to come back and while they are on the plane we switch to Marco's POV which I fucking LOVED. You guys know I detest dual POV's since the MMC never has anything interesting to say other than sexual comments %98 of the time, but Marco had that (ofc) along with the sweetest lines that enchanted his character and actually added to his development.
So we learn that Marco is actually fucking obsessed with this girl but acts a whole other way because he thinks the FMC wants a different thing from him. That thing being money. You see, his family filled him with untrue information such as the FMC over-spending money left and right , since he is not home AT ALL he believes that (he still loves her tho😋)
After the point where they land and go home, everything is a back and forth, Am I a trophy wife for you? Do you want me back for the baby? You only care about your family. You don't care about me and blah blah blah, you get my point.
The FMC frankly pissed me off at some points, she could be unreasonable at times but hey, pregnancy hormones are like that, I guess. So, no hate girlie.
Now, let's come to a point that was so so interesting to me. So the mains have a sex life that is considered "abnormal" and "rough" by the MMC and probably by the 80's standarts. I don't think cnc, primal play, spitting and degradation kink was what married couples did in '82. I liked how they both enjoyed it but still, the MMC felt bit of a guilt, especially after the FMC got pregnant.
It added color to this story that seemed like a sweet second chance one. (It still was but you get my point)
I love Cate's writing style, it's easy on the eyes/easy to read and engaging. I enjoyed the story and loved the MMC. If you are up for a second chance romance, go for it. I don't think Marco grovelled at all but it did also seem like he struggled to understand human emotions and reactions so that did not bother me, it made me love him more.
Hmmm, yes.
This story takes place in Monaco, Monte Carlo at 1982, so the story setting really pulled me in. 80's in Monaco? Come on now, uncut cocaine and champagne with strawberries is every girl's dream (every girl being me)
But our FMC could not look at where she was living from this perspective, because she had a husband that was never home along with evil in-laws.
On their marriage anniversary the FMC plans a whole party/dinner for the MMC where she continues to be berated by her in laws. So she slaps her mother in law and breaks a vase worth more than whatever.
“I’ll speak how I want, and you’ll listen. You have it easy around here. All you have to do is shop and pamper yourself all day, and sometimes, God forbid, I ask you to put on a nice dress and go to a party where no one expects you to do anything but stand there and look pretty because Lord knows it would be too much for you to learn French. I actually didn’t intend to marry a trophy wife, Diane, but seeing as that’s what I’ve got, do your job.”
This is what the MMC says to her after he gives the courtesy to attend a dinner made just for him.
So of fucking course when the MMC leaves with his PA the FMC says fuck this and leaves for good.
She's pregnant.
She's crashing with a lesbian couple when she decides to ring up the MMC to break the news that she's pregnant. But, of course, his PA answers and says he's not around, even though he's literally sitting in the office. So, the FMC hangs up, and the woman she's staying with picks up the phone to let Marco know where she is.
“I own Heather and Melissa’s condominium,” he continues when I give him nothing. “I’m funding Jenny’s gap year. I pay Donny and Frank’s tuition. I own your Uncle Edgar’s farm, and I pay for your Aunt Doris’s convalescent home. Every one of your family members drives a car with my name on the title, and the bills for the insurance, and their gas and electric, and their telephone lines— they are all mailed to my accountants.” He stares me down from across the room, his gaze cold and pitiless. When he speaks, he spits his words. “You will return to Monte Carlo with me for the child’s sake, and you will do so gracefully, without a word of complaint or argument, or mark my words, you will find that I can also treat my commitments with as little regard as you do your own vows.”
What a sweet sweet man, threatening to destroy the FMC's family😍
She does agree to come back and while they are on the plane we switch to Marco's POV which I fucking LOVED. You guys know I detest dual POV's since the MMC never has anything interesting to say other than sexual comments %98 of the time, but Marco had that (ofc) along with the sweetest lines that enchanted his character and actually added to his development.
She doesn’t get to be everything I care about and then just take it away.
“Everything is for everyone else. I wanted something for myself. I wanted you for myself.”
I defied everyone so that I could make her miserable. I press my lips to her temple and taste salt. “All I’ve ever wanted to do was make you happy, Diane.”
So we learn that Marco is actually fucking obsessed with this girl but acts a whole other way because he thinks the FMC wants a different thing from him. That thing being money. You see, his family filled him with untrue information such as the FMC over-spending money left and right , since he is not home AT ALL he believes that (he still loves her tho😋)
After the point where they land and go home, everything is a back and forth, Am I a trophy wife for you? Do you want me back for the baby? You only care about your family. You don't care about me and blah blah blah, you get my point.
The FMC frankly pissed me off at some points, she could be unreasonable at times but hey, pregnancy hormones are like that, I guess. So, no hate girlie.
Now, let's come to a point that was so so interesting to me. So the mains have a sex life that is considered "abnormal" and "rough" by the MMC and probably by the 80's standarts. I don't think cnc, primal play, spitting and degradation kink was what married couples did in '82. I liked how they both enjoyed it but still, the MMC felt bit of a guilt, especially after the FMC got pregnant.
It added color to this story that seemed like a sweet second chance one. (It still was but you get my point)
I love Cate's writing style, it's easy on the eyes/easy to read and engaging. I enjoyed the story and loved the MMC. If you are up for a second chance romance, go for it. I don't think Marco grovelled at all but it did also seem like he struggled to understand human emotions and reactions so that did not bother me, it made me love him more.
“When I told you that I’d ruin your family if you didn’t come home, I lied,” he says, calm and even. I believe him. He is the kind of man who’s never stooped to anything truly low in his life. “If you refused to come, I would have dragged you home, though, and if you ever leave me again, I’ll chase you down and lock you up for the rest of your life.”
Hmmm, yes.
August 28, 2025
What a story! I had it in my tbr for so long and I regret not reading it sooner. The plot isn't something extraordinary to be honest but it held me captive until the last page. Yes I could do with some scenes but it didn't deter me from loving it all together. The emotions, the feelings, the angst! Of course you have to bear in mind the year that this story is running with all the social expectations and comformities of that era. I already added it to my all time favourites and I'll be re-reading it soon.
October 1, 2023
i just got annoyed
December 6, 2023
I’ve put off writing this because I like this author but had a WTF did I just read experience. Maybe I’m in a mood or I dug too deep, but I’m way off from most reviewers, so keep that in mind. I know I’ve mentioned in the past that C.C.W. tends to stay in safe/vanilla waters… but she definitely veered away from vanilla with the consensual non consent kink… and I do LOVE old school soapy reads… but this didn’t work for me.
I’ll try to be vague, but will spoiler tag the rest, so please stop if you want zero details.
I’ll try to be vague, but will spoiler tag the rest, so please stop if you want zero details.
April 1, 2025
Cate C Wells can get me to read anything… even a book set in 1982 with a Dynasty/Dallas vibe going on. 19 yo h is swept off her feet by older Italian hottie. He takes his Dallas babe back to Monaco where his family antagonizes her for a year. Meanwhile the H is in oblivion. Finally the fmc gets enough and runs away. The H comes to get her about 4 months later.
October 1, 2023
9/27/23
It was everything I could have hoped for. A twisty retro-Harlequin homage. Naughty, non-con role play wasn't expected but well executed. Left me wanting more.
9/23/23
It's my lucky day! Many thanks to Gina for the heads-up on the ARC availability on the author's FB page. 💕
9/11/23
I wish I could bribe or woo someone to get my hands on this book right now!
It was everything I could have hoped for. A twisty retro-Harlequin homage. Naughty, non-con role play wasn't expected but well executed. Left me wanting more.
9/23/23
It's my lucky day! Many thanks to Gina for the heads-up on the ARC availability on the author's FB page. 💕
9/11/23
I wish I could bribe or woo someone to get my hands on this book right now!
September 29, 2023
This book was really….weird. First off, it was way too short to hold any real substance or feel any real emotions. Secondly, I was very confused about what was going on a lot of the time. Just a very strange book.
September 23, 2023
I avoid Marriage in Trouble tropes like the plague. I hate it and have only read a handful in all my years of reading romance. But this is CCW and she makes me read things I wouldn't normally read and she makes me like it 😅 It's no different with this book.
It's 1982 and Diane is a country bumpkin and Marco is a foreign billionaire from an old family who expects him to marry according to his class and his position. He instead goes to Texas on business and brings home a young woman with more boobs than sense. Drama ensues with his snooty family. Diane is left to flail about in bougie water full of rich piranhas. Her previously loving husband has turned into a stranger who is always working and never around. One day he forgets their anniversary and she loses her shit and finally leaves him. Commence the legendary Cate C Wells grovel.
Okay, so I'm still not a fan of marriage in trouble. Because I miss the best part of a romance, the part where they fall in love. There are flashbacks here but I still felt left out. Still, I read this book in a day and I haven't done that in ages. I was riveted the entire time. The tension was so high throughout that I think it gave me hypertension 🫠 And the sex scenes were *ahem* interesting. I won't say more because it kind of qualifies as a spoiler and it is one of the reasons that led to their estrangement but just know that kink abounds. Besides the trope, I also wished for more from Marco. I wanted him to lose his starch in a more dramatic fashion. I found the grovel a little anticlimactic. So even though I didn't *love* it, I really enjoyed myself while reading it. This is a throwback to those 80's contemporary romances with loads of glitter and drama and it gave me all the good book feels.
🌟🌟🌟🌟/5
🔥🔥🔥/5
Tropes
Age gap
Marriage in Trouble
Class Difference
I received an ARC in exchange for an honest review.
CW: death of a parent.
It's 1982 and Diane is a country bumpkin and Marco is a foreign billionaire from an old family who expects him to marry according to his class and his position. He instead goes to Texas on business and brings home a young woman with more boobs than sense. Drama ensues with his snooty family. Diane is left to flail about in bougie water full of rich piranhas. Her previously loving husband has turned into a stranger who is always working and never around. One day he forgets their anniversary and she loses her shit and finally leaves him. Commence the legendary Cate C Wells grovel.
Okay, so I'm still not a fan of marriage in trouble. Because I miss the best part of a romance, the part where they fall in love. There are flashbacks here but I still felt left out. Still, I read this book in a day and I haven't done that in ages. I was riveted the entire time. The tension was so high throughout that I think it gave me hypertension 🫠 And the sex scenes were *ahem* interesting. I won't say more because it kind of qualifies as a spoiler and it is one of the reasons that led to their estrangement but just know that kink abounds. Besides the trope, I also wished for more from Marco. I wanted him to lose his starch in a more dramatic fashion. I found the grovel a little anticlimactic. So even though I didn't *love* it, I really enjoyed myself while reading it. This is a throwback to those 80's contemporary romances with loads of glitter and drama and it gave me all the good book feels.
🌟🌟🌟🌟/5
🔥🔥🔥/5
Tropes
Age gap
Marriage in Trouble
Class Difference
I received an ARC in exchange for an honest review.
CW: death of a parent.
September 29, 2023
For anyone chasing the high of those dramatic Harlequin romances we all loved (the grovels, the alpha male assholes, the secret pregnancies) but wished they were 4000x filthier.... this is it. This is the book.
80s Harlequin meets CNC meets Run Posy Run vibes. Run, do not walk, to your Kindle.
80s Harlequin meets CNC meets Run Posy Run vibes. Run, do not walk, to your Kindle.
November 10, 2024
Nah.
The heroine was a teenager brat and the hero was a clueless cold fish. Not even the author’s writing style could make it up for me this time.
The heroine was a teenager brat and the hero was a clueless cold fish. Not even the author’s writing style could make it up for me this time.
September 30, 2023
nasty man. never stood up for his wife. never opened his eyes to see how his family treated his wife like shit for a whole year. never listened to her when she tried to tell him her problems. he legit gaslit her saying its all in her head. he didn't even grovel AT ALL. he found her after she left him and said 'dont be childish pack your bags lets go home' and she said 'ok :)'
she was too spineless, she left him for a few months but went back to him even though he never said sorry or even realized that he was at fault. she never stood up for herself be it to her nasty husband or piece of shit in-laws. plus he said sorry to her quite literally on the second to last page. and it was too out of the blue bc before that scene his pov never mentioned that he is starting to see his wife's struggles. the sorry sprung up so suddenly it felt like cate got tired of writing this book and wanted to finish it asap.
i was excited to read this i love marriage in crisis trope but the crisis here was never acknowledged let alone resolved.
she was too spineless, she left him for a few months but went back to him even though he never said sorry or even realized that he was at fault. she never stood up for herself be it to her nasty husband or piece of shit in-laws. plus he said sorry to her quite literally on the second to last page. and it was too out of the blue bc before that scene his pov never mentioned that he is starting to see his wife's struggles. the sorry sprung up so suddenly it felt like cate got tired of writing this book and wanted to finish it asap.
i was excited to read this i love marriage in crisis trope but the crisis here was never acknowledged let alone resolved.
September 25, 2023
its givin' unwanted wife vibes *wink*
As for my heart—it���s been missing him almost since the moment we met, longing for him, wishing I understood how he thinks, aching for him to need me, too. Can you miss something if you’re not sure you ever really had it? - Return to Monte Carlo
3.5 stars
As for my heart—it���s been missing him almost since the moment we met, longing for him, wishing I understood how he thinks, aching for him to need me, too. Can you miss something if you’re not sure you ever really had it? - Return to Monte Carlo
3.5 stars
September 29, 2023
Men; begging, crying, shaking, throwing up while on their knees is my fav genre
November 4, 2024
3 Stars
Opinion Breakdown
The Good: The premise and the time setting was different (it was set in 1982)
The Not-So-Good: The characters.
The Bad: The depth of connection/feelings
Overall: This had The Unwanted Wife vibes, but not in a too obvious way where I would say it was a rip off or anything. I like this trope and I liked that book, so I'm not complaining! I think I would've liked a stronger connection between them other than sex. It felt a little shallow, for both of them. I also wasn't a huge fan of either main characters, so there is that too. I did appreciate that we got some of the H's POV, which I don't think we do in ^^ (if I remember correctly 🤔), but I still wanted to connect more.
Brief Summary of the Storyline: This is Diane and Marco's story. Diane is stood up yet again by her husband but this time it's for their first wedding anniversary and with his judgmental family to witness. She has had enough, especially when he suggests that she is to blame for her unhappiness and not the fact that he isn't the same man she married. Marco realizes his mistake quickly and works to get her back, especially when he realizes that she is pregnant with his baby. There are some secrets revealed, some sexy times, and some big changes...and they get a HEA ending.
Point Of View (POV): This alternated between (mainly) Diane and Marco's POV.
Overall Pace of Story: Good, I never skimmed and I thought it flowed well. It was on the shorter side and I did think it could've been longer (~206 pages in my kindle app)
Instalove: No, but they are already married when this starts.
H (Hero) rating: 3 stars. Marco. He was alright. I definitely wanted him to redeem himself sooner (but he does eventually IMO)
h (heroine) rating: 3.5 stars. Diane. I liked her a little more than the H. I appreciated how she started to stand up for herself, but I didn't like that she lost all of that when she was turned on (which seemed too easily)
Sadness level: Low, no tissues needed
Push/Pull: Yes
Heat level: Good. They have some good tension, chemistry, and scenes -- but not so much it takes away from the story.
Descriptive sex: Yes
OW (Other Woman)/OM (Other Man) drama: Yes
Sex scene with OW or OM: No
Cheating: No
Separation: Yes
Possible Triggers: Yes
Closure: This ends in a cute place with what I would call a HEA ending
Safety: This one should be Safe for most safety gang readers
Opinion Breakdown
The Good: The premise and the time setting was different (it was set in 1982)
The Not-So-Good: The characters.
The Bad: The depth of connection/feelings
Overall: This had The Unwanted Wife vibes, but not in a too obvious way where I would say it was a rip off or anything. I like this trope and I liked that book, so I'm not complaining! I think I would've liked a stronger connection between them other than sex. It felt a little shallow, for both of them. I also wasn't a huge fan of either main characters, so there is that too. I did appreciate that we got some of the H's POV, which I don't think we do in ^^ (if I remember correctly 🤔), but I still wanted to connect more.
Brief Summary of the Storyline: This is Diane and Marco's story. Diane is stood up yet again by her husband but this time it's for their first wedding anniversary and with his judgmental family to witness. She has had enough, especially when he suggests that she is to blame for her unhappiness and not the fact that he isn't the same man she married. Marco realizes his mistake quickly and works to get her back, especially when he realizes that she is pregnant with his baby. There are some secrets revealed, some sexy times, and some big changes...and they get a HEA ending.
Point Of View (POV): This alternated between (mainly) Diane and Marco's POV.
Overall Pace of Story: Good, I never skimmed and I thought it flowed well. It was on the shorter side and I did think it could've been longer (~206 pages in my kindle app)
Instalove: No, but they are already married when this starts.
H (Hero) rating: 3 stars. Marco. He was alright. I definitely wanted him to redeem himself sooner (but he does eventually IMO)
h (heroine) rating: 3.5 stars. Diane. I liked her a little more than the H. I appreciated how she started to stand up for herself, but I didn't like that she lost all of that when she was turned on (which seemed too easily)
Sadness level: Low, no tissues needed
Push/Pull: Yes
Heat level: Good. They have some good tension, chemistry, and scenes -- but not so much it takes away from the story.
Descriptive sex: Yes
OW (Other Woman)/OM (Other Man) drama: Yes
Sex scene with OW or OM: No
Cheating: No
Separation: Yes
Possible Triggers: Yes
Closure: This ends in a cute place with what I would call a HEA ending
Safety: This one should be Safe for most safety gang readers
January 23, 2025
1.5 - 2 Marco and Diane Stars
This unexpected pregnancy romance is the collision of two very different worlds and it's all set in the 80's , so brace yourself for all the resplendent drama and Dynasty / Dallas references.
Marco is the older (33ish) Italian Hero who has taken over the family empire. He lives in Monte Carlo but whilst on a business trip to the States, he meets the much younger (19) Diane and long story short , he sweeps her off her feet , marries her and takes her back to Monte Carlo. Marco is a very different character in Italy - he becomes distant and cool, rarely being there for Diane except for at night. These two communicate with their bodies. At first the chemistry was definitely there and made for good reading but then the whole tone of it changed. I think these were some of the least sexy scenes I have ever read. I don't want to hear about the physically messy side of sex - that's not romantic.
Marco's family are mean. Diane is young and isolated. She got a bit irritating and at times she behaved like a petulant adolescent but then she is much younger than him. Marco's PA is a nasty bit of work and he is oblivious to her meddling. Lots of the book felt very dated and that impacted my enjoyment.
I have read another book by this author . Charge , which is a completely different era and setting but that didn't work out too well for me either so maybe her style just isn't for me. There is lots of love out there for her so I am definitely in the minority. This is just my opinion.
HEA? Yes
Cheating? No
This unexpected pregnancy romance is the collision of two very different worlds and it's all set in the 80's , so brace yourself for all the resplendent drama and Dynasty / Dallas references.
Marco is the older (33ish) Italian Hero who has taken over the family empire. He lives in Monte Carlo but whilst on a business trip to the States, he meets the much younger (19) Diane and long story short , he sweeps her off her feet , marries her and takes her back to Monte Carlo. Marco is a very different character in Italy - he becomes distant and cool, rarely being there for Diane except for at night. These two communicate with their bodies. At first the chemistry was definitely there and made for good reading but then the whole tone of it changed. I think these were some of the least sexy scenes I have ever read. I don't want to hear about the physically messy side of sex - that's not romantic.
Marco's family are mean. Diane is young and isolated. She got a bit irritating and at times she behaved like a petulant adolescent but then she is much younger than him. Marco's PA is a nasty bit of work and he is oblivious to her meddling. Lots of the book felt very dated and that impacted my enjoyment.
I have read another book by this author . Charge , which is a completely different era and setting but that didn't work out too well for me either so maybe her style just isn't for me. There is lots of love out there for her so I am definitely in the minority. This is just my opinion.
HEA? Yes
Cheating? No
September 28, 2023
ARC REVIEW (Thanks Cate!!)
I’ve said it a million times, and I’ll say it again- Is there anything Cate C Wells can’t write?
Shifters? ✅
MC? ✅
Small town? ✅
Mafia? ✅
VINTAGE 80s HARLEQUIN- WITH KINK? ✅ ✅ ✅
(writing vintage and 80s together made my stomach hurt)
Hold onto your hats everybody; this is nothing like what Cate has written before but its equally as wonderful. All the angst and grovel you’ve come to love from her novels but this time with shoulder pads and CNC.
I’ve said it a million times, and I’ll say it again- Is there anything Cate C Wells can’t write?
Shifters? ✅
MC? ✅
Small town? ✅
Mafia? ✅
VINTAGE 80s HARLEQUIN- WITH KINK? ✅ ✅ ✅
(writing vintage and 80s together made my stomach hurt)
Hold onto your hats everybody; this is nothing like what Cate has written before but its equally as wonderful. All the angst and grovel you’ve come to love from her novels but this time with shoulder pads and CNC.
September 26, 2023
*** Book Q & A***
* How did the book make you feel?: I was fortunate enough to receive the ARC from the author herself and I absolutely devoured this book! I’m an ‘80’s child, and it was so fun reading a story set during this period. I loved the dreamy, glamorous setting of Monte Carlo combined with the more gritty setting of Dallas.
* How do you feel about how the story was told?: I love Wells’ voice as an author. She is a one-click author for me. I liked the dual POV. I was pleasantly surprised by Marco’s intense perspective. I think Wells writes the male perspective so well.
* What did you think about the main characters?: I absolutely loved Diane’s pragmatism. Yes she was naive, but she was so young when Marco swept her off her feet. Marco’s backstory was sad and explained a lot of his issues, as did Diane’s. The secondary characters were also awesome and so well-written.
* Which parts of the book stood out to you?: Oh my goodness the CNC was so spicy and so well-executed. I bow down to you Cate!
* What themes/tropes did you detect in the story?: Some of my favorites!!! Abandoned wife, mean in-laws, other woman drama, age gap, 80’s setting, surprise baby, business tycoon, innocent vs. experienced, bedroom secrets, groveling, unrequited love
* What did you think about the ending?: I loved it, especially the epilogue!
* What is your impression of the author?: Cate C. Wells can do no wrong in my opinion! I read all of her stuff!
Possible Triggers and Safety: death of a parent (off-page), consensual non-consent, no cheating, short separation, H pushing away, HEA
* How did the book make you feel?: I was fortunate enough to receive the ARC from the author herself and I absolutely devoured this book! I’m an ‘80’s child, and it was so fun reading a story set during this period. I loved the dreamy, glamorous setting of Monte Carlo combined with the more gritty setting of Dallas.
* How do you feel about how the story was told?: I love Wells’ voice as an author. She is a one-click author for me. I liked the dual POV. I was pleasantly surprised by Marco’s intense perspective. I think Wells writes the male perspective so well.
* What did you think about the main characters?: I absolutely loved Diane’s pragmatism. Yes she was naive, but she was so young when Marco swept her off her feet. Marco’s backstory was sad and explained a lot of his issues, as did Diane’s. The secondary characters were also awesome and so well-written.
* Which parts of the book stood out to you?: Oh my goodness the CNC was so spicy and so well-executed. I bow down to you Cate!
* What themes/tropes did you detect in the story?: Some of my favorites!!! Abandoned wife, mean in-laws, other woman drama, age gap, 80’s setting, surprise baby, business tycoon, innocent vs. experienced, bedroom secrets, groveling, unrequited love
* What did you think about the ending?: I loved it, especially the epilogue!
* What is your impression of the author?: Cate C. Wells can do no wrong in my opinion! I read all of her stuff!
Possible Triggers and Safety: death of a parent (off-page), consensual non-consent, no cheating, short separation, H pushing away, HEA
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