I read this book first and then returned to grab the rest of the series. The concept is that a Hollywood producer with a failed vasectomy fathered seven sons with different women within a few months. The boys grew up close, though they all had different experiences depending on their mother.
Sebastian is the heir to a jewelry company. He's furious when his family arranges a marriage with Luce, the CEO of another rival company. Luce grew up in a toxic family and has a bad public reputation, something the very private Sebastian loathes.
The brothers and their mothers are all great, the father and his PA provide comic relief, and Luce is a breath of fresh air in the heroine department. She's a tall, blonde Valkyrie woman, determined to do the right thing, and a shock to Sebastian, who doesn't trust her for the longest time. I really enjoyed the story and read the rest of the series. I'm waiting impatiently for the last two books to come out. ( )

Rushed, no development, weird that they meet when she is a teenager ( )

Great angst buildup but the payoff was not enough. It might have been better if Lucie opened up to him and told him about her shifty past and that night in Paris but it was too late to change the votes. Like an actual conversation and a slow realization would have provided a better payoff.

I feel terribly disappointed ( )

This review may contain spoilers, so fair warning, upon reading the review.

Book Evaluation:
Plot: 🎞️🎞️🎞️🎞️
World Building:🌎🌎🌎🌎🌎
Cover:πŸ“”πŸ“”πŸ“”
Hero: 🦸🏻🦸🏻🦸🏻🦸🏻
Heroine:πŸ¦ΈπŸ»β€β™€οΈπŸ¦ΈπŸ»β€β™€οΈπŸ¦ΈπŸ»β€β™€οΈπŸ¦ΈπŸ»β€β™€οΈ.5
Intimacy Level: πŸ”₯πŸ”₯πŸ”₯πŸ”₯
Relationship Building: πŸ’’πŸ’’πŸ’’πŸ’’
Heart & Feels:πŸ’žπŸ’žπŸ’žπŸ’ž
Witty/Banter/Reaction of Laughter: πŸ˜‚πŸ˜‚πŸ˜‚πŸ˜‚
Page Turner Level:πŸ“–πŸ“–πŸ“–πŸ“–πŸ“–
Ending:🧧🧧🧧🧧
Overall View: ✨✨✨✨

First Impressions
Contractually Yours if the 4th installment in the "Lasker Brothers" series but this is my first book from this author. I was recommended this book by a friend on bookstagram as she knows how much I adore arranged marriage. So I quickly grabbed this one up even though its the middle of a series, but from what I could tell, this series can be read as standalones. I also found that the blurb to this story to be so fascinating and the title alone held my fascination. This is a story though that really worked and we also see that both our hero and heroine have so much in common especially in how their families treat them. Its a story that really brings together both characters that are also wealthy in their own rights and such great competense porn to satisfy any reader.

First Line
Nobody should like murder when they're listening to "il est ne le divin enfant".

Summary
Sebastian and Lucianne first met when they were younger. Sebastian was in his early twenties and Lucianne when she is a teenager. The encounter is what emboldens Lucianne to battle the best against her family and not let their shenanigans win over her desire to claim what is hers and to hold her own against such betrayals living in a house of snakes that only want her money and nothing else. Now its been years later and Lucianne has never forgotten the man that gave her wise advice and when her fiancee is found cheating on her with her sister who has been her enemy since she was a teenager, there is one man that she would marry and makes a offer to his family. But what she doesn't know is that Sebastian's family forces him into a loveless marriage, and he vows for revenge against those that would force him into such a agreement. But as Sebastian and Lucianne come together in their marriage, there is an outside force working to undermine them but will they discover the culprit or will their marriage suffer the betrayals and secrets that are ahead for them?

What I Loved
I absolutely adored Contractually Yours. It was such a delight. There is something so fun about reading a arranged marriage. I really found this story so fascinating. What I really liked is that we got the story to start with these two characters meeting when they are young and just learning about themselves and their own strengths. We see them then as adults taking charge of their families companies and doing what is necessary to maintain control over their own lives. Both Sebastian and Lucianne come from families that are determined to control them but both of them have such passionate warrior hearts willing to do whatever it takes to be independent from their families desires for them and forge their own paths. They are much more alike than either of them realize.

I really found their chemistry just right, I loved how well they fit together even though their marriage is a bit rocky at first they also have such common ground with each other. And eventually they both see that for each other but it does take time. I also was endeared by the way in which they will protect each other from those that would undermine them. I really enjoyed their connection and what a great team they make together (tennis match is a prime example) and I loved the whole mystery behind the one trying to divide them and their business interests. It was quite a fun plot development. And the grovel at the end was just right and felt authentic in its moment although the heroine was a bit too hard on the hero, just sayin'.

What I Struggled With
The third act! LOL I really don't understand authors using this so much but honestly you could see this breakup happening from the very beginning of the story and there were some plot holes that happen throughout this one here. I was so saddened by it if I am being honest because there were just some answers I wanted our characters to get that they didn't receive. And I felt like the heroine should have forgiven the hero earlier than she did. She dragged it out way too much. The hero does bad sure, but he makes an effort to real show his love for her.

Overall View
Contractually Yours is a intellectually superb romance that delivered with so much heart, tenacity and compelling writing that left me yearning for more from this author!

Favorite Quote(s)
You are worth it, Lucienne Peery. You are the prize. I can do this over and over again until you believe that

β€œAll’s fair in love and war. And this is love"

β€œif you don’t respect yourself enough to fight for what’s yours, everyone’ll just walk all over you. The first time asserting yourself is the hardest. But it gets easier.”

Book Details (also in my shelves)
Sub Genre: Contemporary Romance
Character Types: Billionaire, Alpha Male-Possessive, Groveling
Themes: Pining heroine, Secrets, Competense Porn
Tropes: Arranged Marriage, Blackmail, Forced Proximity, Revenge, Protector

Book Perspective
Duo POV

Relationship Conflict vs Plot Conflict
Both

Song This Book Inspires
All of Me by John Legend

Recommendation For Reading Order
You can read as a standalone

Steam/Spice Explanations

Simmering cup of tea---soft warm touches and light intimacy
Warmin' by the fire- a medium level of sexual tension, a balance of sexual and emotional intimacy, lighter on the details in the sexual moments.
Steamin' up the room -the sexual content is more explicit in the language and tone, heavier amount of sexual scenes.
Blazing fire to the building-The prime focus is the sex scenes, scorching hot, and could burn one. Less focus on the emotional intimacy to the relationship. ( )