Catharina Maura

My Review:

This book was one horrible hot mess from beginning to end. I am honestly baffled by the five stars and how any reader could find this even a decent book. This author just keeps getting worse with each book and her cynicism towards the male gender is becoming more and more obvious in her writing. I really gave this up to over 90% of the book and the moment we got to the grovel, which literally made me actually sick, I DNF this one. I just don't understand what the author was doing show more here with this book. The first half was so angsty and full of conflict and then right when I thought things were going to go smoothly for our couple, then the grovel happens and it literally went from a solid 4 star to a DNF. The way the heroine is with the hero, how she demeans him during the grovel and practically abuses him, and forcing the hero to literally beg on his knees. It was practically a copy cat of the previous book in many respects lol It lacked authenticity, creativity or even original thought. And the grandma scene was not necessary and not what I was looking for in the finale of the series. This author deserves this rating because this book deserves such a rating and I hope she learns to improve her writing and actually write good satisfactory endings like what she wrote in the beginning of the series. show less

My Review (May contain spoilers, fair warning upon reading this review so please be responsible)

The Secret Fiancee is a book I was really looking forward to. Even though the past couple books in the series have been such a disappointment, I was wanting more for this one and hoping that maybe the author had learned from how the past couple books just hasn't worked as well for her readership. So I do want to say that the first 90% of the story was superb. The romance was fun, the hero was a show more beta sweet hero and I really thought that this would be a win because the relationship really felt more healthy. But of course, Maura just had to ruin this book with the last 10% of the story. Now I will say that even though the hero goes bonkers in a scene, its understandable why he does. He has some past betrayal and trauma issues he just hasn't resolved so I wasn't shocked by his reaction. My issue though was how the heroine treated him. Now I get she was hurt, but the circles that she makes him jump through was very abusive for him. Now yes I do agree that he needed to do a grovel here, but what she makes him do in order for her to forgive him was more about power and manipulation than actual love. The author writes the grovel to the point where the hero is DESTROYED emotionally to the point that it literally made me sick in disgust. I am not going to justify this behavior. Quite frankly he deserved better than a woman like this. Because she knew of his past, and she should have been more understanding, and how she puts everything on him and treating him so beneath her just soured the ending for me so much that I only got to about 95% and I actually technically DNF it, I just couldn't finish it. That is how bad it was. This is why I am not picky about grovels, in fact, I would prefer to have a lighter grovel than to see this type of abuse. This is NOT the first time I have seen this from this author, and honestly I am not sure I will finish the series. I don't get the appeal when authors destroy the heroes just for the sake of having a grovel to satisfy readers. And if this grovel had been better handled, this book would have been a 5 or 6 star read.

Overall this was a disappointment. Even though the first majority of the book was pretty amazing, the ending completely was toxic and abusive in ways that can't be redeemed. show less

Catharina Maura has done it again—each time I read one of her books I’m convinced it’s my new favorite, only to have that place quickly stolen by her next book! So it goes without saying that Dion and Faye are hands down my new favorite couple. Dion has all that wonderful brooding angst of a great MMC, while Faye has a softness and insecurity that is relatable and makes you just want to protect her. Although on the surface they are pretty different, they still work so well together and show more bring out the best in each other.

I loved watching Faye grow as a character, and develop throughout the story. Similarly, I thought Catharina Maura did a wonderful job of building a relationship between Dion and Faye that led to growth and development of both characters. They grew as a couple and as individuals because of their relationship, and this was done in a way that was plausible but still interesting.

I also can’t go without saying that I really appreciated the way this author writes short characters. Sometimes short characters are written in a way that feels inauthentic and the details just don’t match the alleged height. While this is such a silly thing, I feel like Catharina Maura gets what it’s like to be really short and the little details she added into this book made Faye feel more real. While I totally acknowledge this is such a silly thing, it totally took this book over the top for me.

Read if you like:
🎹age gap
🎹billionaire romance
🎹tortured MMC
🎹contemporary romance
🎹piano/ music

* At the front of this book, there are trigger warnings. This includes domestic violence in the FMC’s home. While there is no domestic violence between Faye and Dion, please read the trigger warning if you think this might be an issue. show less

This Beauty and the Beast retelling is dark, romantic, and full of emotional tension. I loved watching Princess Arabella grow from a sheltered royal into a powerful woman who learns to master her forbidden magic and challenge fate itself. Felix, the cursed Shadow Emperor, was the perfect mix of brooding and tender, and their chemistry was incredible, equal parts fiery and heartfelt. The worldbuilding felt rich and immersive, and I couldn’t put the book down once their relationship show more deepened. While the ending felt a little rushed, the story’s magic, passion, and character growth made it unforgettable. A must-read for fantasy romance fans who crave depth and heat. show less