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Betray Me Once #1
Nuptials & Neglect
She left her husband because love shouldn't feel like loneliness.
Callie Prescott had enough of being invisible. Of competing with endless boardrooms, a manipulative mother-in-law who treated her like an outsider, and the ambitious assistant who wanted Ethan all to herself.
When betrayal sends his wife walking out the door, Ethan finally wakes up. He'll burn every bridge to prove he's the husband she deserved from the start. But earning back her trust requires more than apologies. It demands sacrifice.
As old wounds reopen and new life sparks hope in the darkest moment, Callie must decide if the man who broke her heart can grovel hard enough to put it back together.
Callie Prescott had enough of being invisible. Of competing with endless boardrooms, a manipulative mother-in-law who treated her like an outsider, and the ambitious assistant who wanted Ethan all to herself.
When betrayal sends his wife walking out the door, Ethan finally wakes up. He'll burn every bridge to prove he's the husband she deserved from the start. But earning back her trust requires more than apologies. It demands sacrifice.
As old wounds reopen and new life sparks hope in the darkest moment, Callie must decide if the man who broke her heart can grovel hard enough to put it back together.
186 pages, Kindle Edition
Published December 30, 2025
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 161 reviews
January 27, 2026
Though it's a novella (I think 100 pages) it's quite good. It had the feelings of neglect and betrayal, it had the uncertainty of what the future would bring and lastly the redemption. It was really satisfying to read and considering the length of it it didn't feel lacking.
Read
January 4, 2026This story doesn't have that gut-punching, soul-wrecking angst. It's probably because it's just too short, and we didn't really dive into their backgrounds enough to see how we'll connect with the MCs??? It might also be due to the way the story is told. It was definitely something else and could've been improved moving forward.
Also, this is another story where I wish the pregnancy wasn't used to force the MCs to do things together despite the issues going on in their personal lives. Sometimes I think it's lazy writing because if they found themselves in this situation, most likely they'll prioritize the baby's needs over discussing their personal problems. So much so that one day they'd just wake up being comfortable with each other again without really addressing the problems between them. Like there wasn't a shitshow that ruined things for them.
Anyway, I'm just mostly uninterested when I read this. Might work for others though.
Also, this is another story where I wish the pregnancy wasn't used to force the MCs to do things together despite the issues going on in their personal lives. Sometimes I think it's lazy writing because if they found themselves in this situation, most likely they'll prioritize the baby's needs over discussing their personal problems. So much so that one day they'd just wake up being comfortable with each other again without really addressing the problems between them. Like there wasn't a shitshow that ruined things for them.
Anyway, I'm just mostly uninterested when I read this. Might work for others though.
January 3, 2026
Loved the hero
He really loved his wife. His mother was beyond evil and had another woman already lined up for him who.deleted his personal appts. He missed a lot of things due to this. The heroine.just gave up. She felt he chose his Mother over her and he kind of did. He didn't realize how his mom treated his wife but once he did he fought her. He picked the heroine over her. I really liked how much he was sorry he hadn't realized. I liked the story and the epilogue was so cute!
He really loved his wife. His mother was beyond evil and had another woman already lined up for him who.deleted his personal appts. He missed a lot of things due to this. The heroine.just gave up. She felt he chose his Mother over her and he kind of did. He didn't realize how his mom treated his wife but once he did he fought her. He picked the heroine over her. I really liked how much he was sorry he hadn't realized. I liked the story and the epilogue was so cute!
January 14, 2026
FMC: Callie
MMC: Ethan
One of my favorite tropes is marriage in trouble with no cheating. Every time I discover a new book with this story line I gobble it up. Unfortunately this one just didn’t do it for me.
The writing was pretty good. I spotted a few errors but nothing that really took away from the story. It’s a short book, only 180 pages on my iPad so I wasn’t expecting a deep dive into world building or character development. Having said that, the author did a pretty decent job of using her words wisely. There wasn’t a lot of unnecessary filler or annoying internal monologues. Every scene was used to push the story forward, so in that regard, I appreciate the writing.
Where it kind of lost me was the emotional aspect. I just didn’t really feel any gut punch or have any big emotions. I kind of even felt like the Callie was overreacting a bit. Not that she didn’t have a reason to be upset, she did and I feel like her leaving was the right move to send a message. Gage was being an oblivious idiot, putting his job and his mother before her. But she had never communicated her feelings to him until she got to the point of being completely done. Once she told him how she felt and what had been going on with his mother, he immediately started making changes to prioritize her. Then she overheard him with the OW and took something he said completely out of context and was ready to end her marriage…again with no communication which would have cleared things up immediately. She just came off a bit hysterical and immature.
They’ve been married for a year, shit is going to be bumpy as you figure out how to navigate life together. Gage needed to realize that he couldn’t have the same priorities that he did before being married and Callie needed to learn how to express her feelings to him…which by the way was never addressed. All the blame was put on Gage and while he does hold the biggest responsibility, Callie was not blameless.
Anyway, they were separated for a while but got back together fairly quickly because of course…she’s pregnant. 🙄 One of the laziest ways to facilitate a reconciliation. Everything was wrapped up pretty quickly and they live HEA.
Ok, now this is a nitpicky complaint but if you’ve read any of my other reviews you know I just can’t resist bitching about little things that bother me. 😂 I had a problem with the fact that Callie left and went to stay in a cheap budget motel while they were separated. My problem is that Gage is rich but even after seeing where she was staying, he didn’t offer to put her up in a better hotel, rent an apartment or even offer to leave the penthouse so she could be more comfortable. He knew she was pregnant at this point but was ok just leaving her in a fleabag motel. Then when she moves back to the penthouse, she stays in the guest room. Again, he never offers to let her have the master bedroom. It’s not a big deal in the grand scheme of things, it’s probably just a me thing to even notice. It just bothered me because it was not in line with Gage’s actions. It seemed like it would have been an easy way to show him prioritizing her comfort and wellbeing. But what do I know? 🤷♀️
I recommend this if you’re looking for something quick and not too emotionally harrowing. Maybe just something to pass the time or as a palette cleanser. I probably will check out the authors other books because the writing was pretty good and I didn’t hate it, just didn’t love it.
Safety: Totally safe. There is a bit of OW drama but Gage is not at all interested and shuts it down completely as soon as the OW expresses her feelings.
MMC: Ethan
One of my favorite tropes is marriage in trouble with no cheating. Every time I discover a new book with this story line I gobble it up. Unfortunately this one just didn’t do it for me.
The writing was pretty good. I spotted a few errors but nothing that really took away from the story. It’s a short book, only 180 pages on my iPad so I wasn’t expecting a deep dive into world building or character development. Having said that, the author did a pretty decent job of using her words wisely. There wasn’t a lot of unnecessary filler or annoying internal monologues. Every scene was used to push the story forward, so in that regard, I appreciate the writing.
Where it kind of lost me was the emotional aspect. I just didn’t really feel any gut punch or have any big emotions. I kind of even felt like the Callie was overreacting a bit. Not that she didn’t have a reason to be upset, she did and I feel like her leaving was the right move to send a message. Gage was being an oblivious idiot, putting his job and his mother before her. But she had never communicated her feelings to him until she got to the point of being completely done. Once she told him how she felt and what had been going on with his mother, he immediately started making changes to prioritize her. Then she overheard him with the OW and took something he said completely out of context and was ready to end her marriage…again with no communication which would have cleared things up immediately. She just came off a bit hysterical and immature.
They’ve been married for a year, shit is going to be bumpy as you figure out how to navigate life together. Gage needed to realize that he couldn’t have the same priorities that he did before being married and Callie needed to learn how to express her feelings to him…which by the way was never addressed. All the blame was put on Gage and while he does hold the biggest responsibility, Callie was not blameless.
Anyway, they were separated for a while but got back together fairly quickly because of course…she’s pregnant. 🙄 One of the laziest ways to facilitate a reconciliation. Everything was wrapped up pretty quickly and they live HEA.
Ok, now this is a nitpicky complaint but if you’ve read any of my other reviews you know I just can’t resist bitching about little things that bother me. 😂 I had a problem with the fact that Callie left and went to stay in a cheap budget motel while they were separated. My problem is that Gage is rich but even after seeing where she was staying, he didn’t offer to put her up in a better hotel, rent an apartment or even offer to leave the penthouse so she could be more comfortable. He knew she was pregnant at this point but was ok just leaving her in a fleabag motel. Then when she moves back to the penthouse, she stays in the guest room. Again, he never offers to let her have the master bedroom. It’s not a big deal in the grand scheme of things, it’s probably just a me thing to even notice. It just bothered me because it was not in line with Gage’s actions. It seemed like it would have been an easy way to show him prioritizing her comfort and wellbeing. But what do I know? 🤷♀️
I recommend this if you’re looking for something quick and not too emotionally harrowing. Maybe just something to pass the time or as a palette cleanser. I probably will check out the authors other books because the writing was pretty good and I didn’t hate it, just didn’t love it.
Safety: Totally safe. There is a bit of OW drama but Gage is not at all interested and shuts it down completely as soon as the OW expresses her feelings.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
February 9, 2026
Betrayal lite is what I’d call this book. It had good bones but it goes so fast that I just didn’t connect with the characters. I also felt annoyed by the FMC. I found her whiny. She had good reason to be but I felt like she was needy in ways that she shouldn’t have been. If she has a needle phobia then fine but it didn’t come off like that. She needed her husband for basically every part of her life. She didn’t come off as strong or independent at all. But again that’s just my interpretation of the material. I really do feel like it’s just me and not the book itself.
Either way, this book just didn’t work for me. And it has the “BONUS” epilogue you have to chase down on the author’s website to get. I didn’t like this book enough to even want to do that. And this is my problem with this process. If an author wants to keep her audience, making them work for that attention isn’t the way to go. However, I did get it and I’m here to say it wasn’t worth the effort to do that let alone read it. Nothing is revealed or answered. It’s just five minutes of a renewal of vows that was cringey to me. I mean the FMC talked about how the MMC groveled to get her back. Eww.
Anyway, it’s a lite fast read. Boring to me. Somewhat decent sex scenes. It’s completely forgettable and I will never read this book again. I will give this author one more chance with her next book but if I feel the same way with that book as I did with this book, uninterested and bored, then that will be the last I buy let alone read from this author. This superficial story might work for someone, just not me. Short stories don’t cause me issues as Jessa Kane, Jenika Snow, Ella Goode, and others like these can pack a punch with just a few pages. This author didn’t even come close to a love tap or even a finger poke’s worth for me. Good luck.
Either way, this book just didn’t work for me. And it has the “BONUS” epilogue you have to chase down on the author’s website to get. I didn’t like this book enough to even want to do that. And this is my problem with this process. If an author wants to keep her audience, making them work for that attention isn’t the way to go. However, I did get it and I’m here to say it wasn’t worth the effort to do that let alone read it. Nothing is revealed or answered. It’s just five minutes of a renewal of vows that was cringey to me. I mean the FMC talked about how the MMC groveled to get her back. Eww.
Anyway, it’s a lite fast read. Boring to me. Somewhat decent sex scenes. It’s completely forgettable and I will never read this book again. I will give this author one more chance with her next book but if I feel the same way with that book as I did with this book, uninterested and bored, then that will be the last I buy let alone read from this author. This superficial story might work for someone, just not me. Short stories don’t cause me issues as Jessa Kane, Jenika Snow, Ella Goode, and others like these can pack a punch with just a few pages. This author didn’t even come close to a love tap or even a finger poke’s worth for me. Good luck.
January 10, 2026
Very low angst with a pretty sweet husband who's all in.
March 21, 2026
This was my first book by this author and, sadly, It wasn’t my thing. Luckily, it was a very quick and easy read. Too much telling verses showing ruined the angst. I didn’t think the catalyst for the h “leaving” warranted that respond and didn’t like her blaming the H for choices she made. The bones of the story are good though. I think we just needed that angst developed more to really connect with that being the hs breaking point. It was such an innocent blow off type comment she overheard. The OW wasn’t even touching the H or anything, lol. She doesn’t know her man enough to be able to read his emotion in the scene? Maybe my angst and drama expectations are too high but I was majorly rolling my eyes at her overreaction. I thought the beginning scene of him missing the OBGYN appointment was worse. Her text blaming him for the choices she made pissed me off way more than anything the H ever did. That was just plain mean and rude, things the H never was.
This would be good for someone looking for a very devoted H and who wants a very sweet and safe story while also getting a small taste of the marriage in trouble trope.
I’d try more by the author though especially since this was so easy to read. I’m curious about Gage and his situation.
Overall: 2.5
This would be good for someone looking for a very devoted H and who wants a very sweet and safe story while also getting a small taste of the marriage in trouble trope.
I’d try more by the author though especially since this was so easy to read. I’m curious about Gage and his situation.
Overall: 2.5
March 6, 2026
Trigger Warnings:
Damn, I cringed way too much reading this. Not because of the writing, there were a coupla typos, but I didn’t hate the style of writing. It was the FMC that had me cringing. This is a short marriage-in-trouble nouvella, which I was excited to read for the grovel. But you know what I hate? When the MMC doesn’t do much wrong but the FMC is mad at him. Yes, he messed up in a coupla ways, but the man was tryna fix it IMMEDIATELY. The FMC, Callie, would not communicate like a fucking adult. Like bro, JUST TALK TO YOUR HUSBAND, MY GOD. The MMC Ethan, was sweet. Imma be honest, I wanna root for any FMC. But when the FMC is in the wrong, it’s hard to enjoy the story and root for her. The angst just wasn’t there for me cuz the conflict was so stupid. The FMC didn’t even give the MMC a chance to talk; she gave up on the marriage so easily. If it were a messed-up mistake, I would get it. But it was small problems where she never fully communicated her disappointment. The MMC would have no idea that the FMC felt a certain way. And the way she easily shuts down while the MMC has to make assumptions on why she was upset was so goddamn annoying.
When Ethan fails to show up to Callie’s OBGYN appointment, she is tired. She thinks that Ethan doesn’t care enough. But Ethan can sense that Callie is pulling away. He doesn’t want to lose his wife and is doing everything he can to keep his marriage together.
Now for spoilers
Stay safe folks!
Damn, I cringed way too much reading this. Not because of the writing, there were a coupla typos, but I didn’t hate the style of writing. It was the FMC that had me cringing. This is a short marriage-in-trouble nouvella, which I was excited to read for the grovel. But you know what I hate? When the MMC doesn’t do much wrong but the FMC is mad at him. Yes, he messed up in a coupla ways, but the man was tryna fix it IMMEDIATELY. The FMC, Callie, would not communicate like a fucking adult. Like bro, JUST TALK TO YOUR HUSBAND, MY GOD. The MMC Ethan, was sweet. Imma be honest, I wanna root for any FMC. But when the FMC is in the wrong, it’s hard to enjoy the story and root for her. The angst just wasn’t there for me cuz the conflict was so stupid. The FMC didn’t even give the MMC a chance to talk; she gave up on the marriage so easily. If it were a messed-up mistake, I would get it. But it was small problems where she never fully communicated her disappointment. The MMC would have no idea that the FMC felt a certain way. And the way she easily shuts down while the MMC has to make assumptions on why she was upset was so goddamn annoying.
When Ethan fails to show up to Callie’s OBGYN appointment, she is tired. She thinks that Ethan doesn’t care enough. But Ethan can sense that Callie is pulling away. He doesn’t want to lose his wife and is doing everything he can to keep his marriage together.
Now for spoilers
Stay safe folks!
March 4, 2026
2.5 ⭐️ rounded up for this New Adult novella with tropes of overheard, betrayal, marriage-in-trouble, evil OW, and surprise baby. I read to the end, but skimmed parts.
Why do NA novels have so much sex in them?!
😅 I think it’s because I’m middle-aged! 😂
Why do NA novels have so much sex in them?!
😅 I think it’s because I’m middle-aged! 😂
March 25, 2026
⭐️: 3.5
Main trope: This is a marriage in trouble novella.
Additional tropes:
✅Other woman drama
Detailed spoilers/trigger warnings (if any) and final thoughts can be found below. There is a warning right before the spoiler and trigger section so you have the choice to proceed or stop reading.
Summary: Callie and Ethan are married. Even though they are at the end stage of the honeymoon period, things are already strained. The MMC is struggling to balance work and family commitments and the FMC is feeling neglected and like the second choice. When the MMC misses an important appointment, the FMC continues to further distance herself from her husband and their marriage. Seeing and feeling what is happening, the MMC vows to do and be better, not with just words but actions as well.
But someone close to him is pulling strings and manipulating the situation to make sure the divide in their marriage continues to grow. When everything is revealed with undisputed facts, Ethan takes all steps to show his wife she is and will always be his number one. Callie wants to believe him but past incidences have her doubting this time will be different. With more than just their marriage on the line, she must decide quickly if the love she has is enough to learn to trust again.
⚠️SPOILERS/SPICE/DETAILED TRIGGERS⚠️
✋
✋
✋
*The main other woman in the story is the MMC’s mother. She is manipulative and overall, just not nice. The FMC has always had to put up with her digs and passive aggression. There is a secondary other woman set up by the MIL to get close to the MMC and sabotage some things regarding his marriage. The MIL in this one is a real piece of work.
🌶️:1/5
Final thoughts: This was a quick and good read, with just the right amount of drama. The mother in law in this story was truly something else. I loved that she, and the second other woman she used to help sabotage things, got some type of comeuppance because the MMC was finally able to see their deceit and protect the FMC the way he should have been.
Main trope: This is a marriage in trouble novella.
Additional tropes:
✅Other woman drama
Detailed spoilers/trigger warnings (if any) and final thoughts can be found below. There is a warning right before the spoiler and trigger section so you have the choice to proceed or stop reading.
Summary: Callie and Ethan are married. Even though they are at the end stage of the honeymoon period, things are already strained. The MMC is struggling to balance work and family commitments and the FMC is feeling neglected and like the second choice. When the MMC misses an important appointment, the FMC continues to further distance herself from her husband and their marriage. Seeing and feeling what is happening, the MMC vows to do and be better, not with just words but actions as well.
But someone close to him is pulling strings and manipulating the situation to make sure the divide in their marriage continues to grow. When everything is revealed with undisputed facts, Ethan takes all steps to show his wife she is and will always be his number one. Callie wants to believe him but past incidences have her doubting this time will be different. With more than just their marriage on the line, she must decide quickly if the love she has is enough to learn to trust again.
⚠️SPOILERS/SPICE/DETAILED TRIGGERS⚠️
✋
✋
✋
*The main other woman in the story is the MMC’s mother. She is manipulative and overall, just not nice. The FMC has always had to put up with her digs and passive aggression. There is a secondary other woman set up by the MIL to get close to the MMC and sabotage some things regarding his marriage. The MIL in this one is a real piece of work.
🌶️:1/5
Final thoughts: This was a quick and good read, with just the right amount of drama. The mother in law in this story was truly something else. I loved that she, and the second other woman she used to help sabotage things, got some type of comeuppance because the MMC was finally able to see their deceit and protect the FMC the way he should have been.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
February 22, 2026
dnf at 54%.
She left because she overheard his assistant saying she had feelings for her husband. That’ s it. That’s the big, relationship ending bombshell.
She went alone to a doctor s appointment and to a dinner party and felt neglected. for the first one, sure, he forgot. Not great. But for the second? His mother was in the hospital. i mean… really? so apparently basic empathy took the night off.
The whole thing feels like fake drama, manufactured in a lab. Conflicts inflated out of thin air, reactions dialed up to eleven for absolutely no reason.
Boring. Unrealistic. And somehow trying very hard to convince us that this is what a serious relationship crisis looks like.
She left because she overheard his assistant saying she had feelings for her husband. That’ s it. That’s the big, relationship ending bombshell.
She went alone to a doctor s appointment and to a dinner party and felt neglected. for the first one, sure, he forgot. Not great. But for the second? His mother was in the hospital. i mean… really? so apparently basic empathy took the night off.
The whole thing feels like fake drama, manufactured in a lab. Conflicts inflated out of thin air, reactions dialed up to eleven for absolutely no reason.
Boring. Unrealistic. And somehow trying very hard to convince us that this is what a serious relationship crisis looks like.
Want to Read
January 5, 2026Looking forward to supporting this new author
January 9, 2026
DNF @ 51%
Look, I’m all for ruining a MMC’s life in the name of a good grovel but this poor guy did not deserve his wife leaving him. Yes, he had been neglecting her a bit but he was actively working to fix his mistakes at this point in the book. She overhears the OW shooting her shot & then just walks away without properly listening to the MMC’s response… If I was him I’d have been making her grovel a bit (though I didn’t finish so maybe she gets her shit together & apologises for overreacting).
Look, I’m all for ruining a MMC’s life in the name of a good grovel but this poor guy did not deserve his wife leaving him. Yes, he had been neglecting her a bit but he was actively working to fix his mistakes at this point in the book. She overhears the OW shooting her shot & then just walks away without properly listening to the MMC’s response… If I was him I’d have been making her grovel a bit (though I didn’t finish so maybe she gets her shit together & apologises for overreacting).
January 6, 2026
DNF at 48%. He is the opposite of neglectful and she’s anxious and anti social.
January 25, 2026
I really enjoyed this marriage in trouble with other woman drama book.
This book has a h, callie, that is a professor at college married to H, ethan, who is a CFO at a finance company I believe and is always busy. This book gets right to the point in the first chapter with callie having a fertility appointment and ethan is not there. Even though he promised he would be. Turns out his mother showed up for a surprise lunch and his notifications were turned off. Of course they were and of course they did. This is one of the last straws for callie. Causing her to finally tell ethan how she isn’t happy in there marriage as he’s been choosing his mother and his work over her. Leaving her to be left alone and do things on her own or not even have her opinion in anything with their wedding and their apartment.
This wakes ethan up and causing him to see things in a new light. He says things are going to change and he’s going to try harder. This leads to smut and I honestly didn’t expect that in this book. But I did enjoy it though 😂 anyways they spend some time together but before her work dinner he gets a call that his mom is having a heart attack so he has to go to the hospital 🙄sure bro and of course his assistant that his mom recommended shows up and his mom sings her praises.
Then there is a gala for his company. I will say at this point ethan realizes his mom is making digs at callie a lot so he sets his mom at another table. But it ends up not mattering as callie overhears a conversation between ethan and the assistant, causing her to leave not only the gala but the relationship.
It was a misunderstanding on callie’s part but it makes ethan realize their problems were way before the fertility appointment and the gala. while he give callie time he goes about fixing things. By first figuring out why he wasn’t notified of his appointment, having that fixed, then dealing with his mother by controlling her finances. Then they get surprising news callie is pregnant so she goes back to the apartment where ethan is respecting her boundaries and helping her out by day plus going to therapy. Then they have a final show down with the mother where afterwards ethan doesn’t speak to her again. They then live happily ever after.
I did love this book. It was shorter than I expected and only to took me about a couple of hours to read. I would of loved to read like at least one of their therapy sessions to see how they grow closer and overcome ethan putting work and his mom over her. That’s honestly my only thing about this book. I loved everything else with the evil mother in law and the assistant that wants ethan, the betrayal in him not being there, the over heard moment, and ethans grovel was good with him basically disowning his mom.
10/10 👏🏼
This book has a h, callie, that is a professor at college married to H, ethan, who is a CFO at a finance company I believe and is always busy. This book gets right to the point in the first chapter with callie having a fertility appointment and ethan is not there. Even though he promised he would be. Turns out his mother showed up for a surprise lunch and his notifications were turned off. Of course they were and of course they did. This is one of the last straws for callie. Causing her to finally tell ethan how she isn’t happy in there marriage as he’s been choosing his mother and his work over her. Leaving her to be left alone and do things on her own or not even have her opinion in anything with their wedding and their apartment.
This wakes ethan up and causing him to see things in a new light. He says things are going to change and he’s going to try harder. This leads to smut and I honestly didn’t expect that in this book. But I did enjoy it though 😂 anyways they spend some time together but before her work dinner he gets a call that his mom is having a heart attack so he has to go to the hospital 🙄sure bro and of course his assistant that his mom recommended shows up and his mom sings her praises.
Then there is a gala for his company. I will say at this point ethan realizes his mom is making digs at callie a lot so he sets his mom at another table. But it ends up not mattering as callie overhears a conversation between ethan and the assistant, causing her to leave not only the gala but the relationship.
It was a misunderstanding on callie’s part but it makes ethan realize their problems were way before the fertility appointment and the gala. while he give callie time he goes about fixing things. By first figuring out why he wasn’t notified of his appointment, having that fixed, then dealing with his mother by controlling her finances. Then they get surprising news callie is pregnant so she goes back to the apartment where ethan is respecting her boundaries and helping her out by day plus going to therapy. Then they have a final show down with the mother where afterwards ethan doesn’t speak to her again. They then live happily ever after.
I did love this book. It was shorter than I expected and only to took me about a couple of hours to read. I would of loved to read like at least one of their therapy sessions to see how they grow closer and overcome ethan putting work and his mom over her. That’s honestly my only thing about this book. I loved everything else with the evil mother in law and the assistant that wants ethan, the betrayal in him not being there, the over heard moment, and ethans grovel was good with him basically disowning his mom.
10/10 👏🏼
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
January 1, 2026
Get This Man An Umbilical Cord Cutter…
Ethan and Callie’s marriage is on the rocks, and it’s easy to see why. Ethan is far too devoted to his CFO career and his manipulative, meddling mother. While he claims to crave Callie "every minute of every day," his actions tell a different story. Between missed dinners for "ER emergencies" and taking work calls when he's supposed to be spending quality time with Callie, he constantly lets her down.
The drama is high in this one! My only gripe was Callie’s behavior regarding her pregnancy reveal; blaming Ethan for not being there when she found out, when she was the one who walked out and asked for space felt a bit petty.
That was the ONLY part of this story that made me pause. It was a really good short read, with a small amount of gut punch and OW drama. This definitely falls in the category of Mother drama for sure though. I was so happy to see BOTH of them got their comeuppance!
I will definitely be reading another story by this author. I cannot wait for Gage’s book next 🤍
Ethan and Callie’s marriage is on the rocks, and it’s easy to see why. Ethan is far too devoted to his CFO career and his manipulative, meddling mother. While he claims to crave Callie "every minute of every day," his actions tell a different story. Between missed dinners for "ER emergencies" and taking work calls when he's supposed to be spending quality time with Callie, he constantly lets her down.
The drama is high in this one! My only gripe was Callie’s behavior regarding her pregnancy reveal; blaming Ethan for not being there when she found out, when she was the one who walked out and asked for space felt a bit petty.
That was the ONLY part of this story that made me pause. It was a really good short read, with a small amount of gut punch and OW drama. This definitely falls in the category of Mother drama for sure though. I was so happy to see BOTH of them got their comeuppance!
I will definitely be reading another story by this author. I cannot wait for Gage’s book next 🤍
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
February 19, 2026
There was no neglect
I’ve read a few second chance after betrayal/neglect books and this just wasn’t that. This is more of a miscommunication read which I don’t like. The FMC had issues that she never expressed to the MMC. That was his strike one even tho he was unaware. He missed a dr’s appt by accident. The way the story reads, it was truly an accident and a first time but this is strike two. Strike three, the FMC barely overhears a convo between the MMC and the supposed OW. She heard an expressed attraction and a partial response and create the betrayal and final straw from there.
It was so stupid. The way the story reads the FMC is distant, suspicious, depressed, and withdrawn and the MMC is the only one who seems like he wants to be together.
This is a story where if the FMC had really talked to the MMC about her grievances or if she had put the MIL in place early there wouldn’t have been a problem. I didn’t really see what the MMC did wrong purposefully.
I DNF’d at 80% when the FMC blamed the MMC for being alone when she asked him to give her space and he said he would wait for when she was ready. It was the cherry on top for me.
I’ve read a few second chance after betrayal/neglect books and this just wasn’t that. This is more of a miscommunication read which I don’t like. The FMC had issues that she never expressed to the MMC. That was his strike one even tho he was unaware. He missed a dr’s appt by accident. The way the story reads, it was truly an accident and a first time but this is strike two. Strike three, the FMC barely overhears a convo between the MMC and the supposed OW. She heard an expressed attraction and a partial response and create the betrayal and final straw from there.
It was so stupid. The way the story reads the FMC is distant, suspicious, depressed, and withdrawn and the MMC is the only one who seems like he wants to be together.
This is a story where if the FMC had really talked to the MMC about her grievances or if she had put the MIL in place early there wouldn’t have been a problem. I didn’t really see what the MMC did wrong purposefully.
I DNF’d at 80% when the FMC blamed the MMC for being alone when she asked him to give her space and he said he would wait for when she was ready. It was the cherry on top for me.
January 1, 2026
3 1/2 stars. Neglected wife is a favorite trope of mine. In this story, the H needs to be hit in the face a few times with his evidence of neglect before he does anything to change the situation. The story begins with the h having to attend a doctor's appointment by herself to find out what's happening with their six month efforts to conceive. The H misses the appointment and is having lunch with his manipulative mom instead. The h is very afraid of needles and really needed his support.
The mom is trying to put a wedge between them through the H's temporary secretary who has access to his calendar. The h gives the H another chance after the missed appointment but then overhears his secretary admitting her feelings for the H. He tells her that he's glad she told him. The h leaves before hearing more. This time she moves out. The H feels like he's had blinders on when it comes to his mother's treatment of the h but finally reflects back on the pattern of behavior. Close to a case of TSTL.
The mom is trying to put a wedge between them through the H's temporary secretary who has access to his calendar. The h gives the H another chance after the missed appointment but then overhears his secretary admitting her feelings for the H. He tells her that he's glad she told him. The h leaves before hearing more. This time she moves out. The H feels like he's had blinders on when it comes to his mother's treatment of the h but finally reflects back on the pattern of behavior. Close to a case of TSTL.
January 7, 2026
Not a fan
Ended up not liking the lead female character. The author did not do a good job convincing me of the over dramatic exit she took from her marriage. I get there was out of books moments that led up to the meltdown of the marriage but it was stuff she could have talked to him about. Having her leave in the mist of overhearing part of the conversation was disappointing. The author makes him jump through all these hoops to save the marriage and doesn't have her take responsibility or to let her husband know she hurts for him about his mother.
Was curious about Gage and hoping his book would have been about him and...a twist in authors choices ...Vanessa. that maybe there was something more to her. But looks like the author missed an opportunity.
Ended up not liking the lead female character. The author did not do a good job convincing me of the over dramatic exit she took from her marriage. I get there was out of books moments that led up to the meltdown of the marriage but it was stuff she could have talked to him about. Having her leave in the mist of overhearing part of the conversation was disappointing. The author makes him jump through all these hoops to save the marriage and doesn't have her take responsibility or to let her husband know she hurts for him about his mother.
Was curious about Gage and hoping his book would have been about him and...a twist in authors choices ...Vanessa. that maybe there was something more to her. But looks like the author missed an opportunity.
February 16, 2026
Well written novella that addresses many issues and resolves them satisfactorily. The H is trapped in the cycle of filling his father's shoes while denying his own needs and wife. His mother is a waste and a narcissist who completely controls the H through manipulation and 'need.' The wife is loved but comes in second to all of the other pressures in his life.
He finally wakes up...almost too late and realizes that only by drawing and enforcing strict boundaries can his wife and child and his own life survive his toxic work life and mother.
Well written.
He finally wakes up...almost too late and realizes that only by drawing and enforcing strict boundaries can his wife and child and his own life survive his toxic work life and mother.
Well written.
March 6, 2026
3 stars
This was an incredibly cheesy and soapy marriage-in-trouble romance which I gobbled up. 😅
This was an incredibly cheesy and soapy marriage-in-trouble romance which I gobbled up. 😅
January 8, 2026
yummy
A new author for me and I loved the story!
The characters were awesome and I liked and rooted for them.
Definitely a book about learning and growing. A romance with angst, steam, comeuppance and a MMC who would do anything for his bride!
A new author for me and I loved the story!
The characters were awesome and I liked and rooted for them.
Definitely a book about learning and growing. A romance with angst, steam, comeuppance and a MMC who would do anything for his bride!
January 9, 2026
The writing was good but the story just didn’t deliver as I hoped. Touted as “betrayal/grovel”, it just didn’t hit the feelings as much as I’d like. I just couldn’t connect. I would, however, try more of this author because, as I mentioned, the writing is good.
In my humble opinion, of course 💙
In my humble opinion, of course 💙
January 2, 2026
Notes for me
I enjoyed it.
Fairly typical he’s an CFO. His asst is a family friend encouraged by his mom to be a divider in his marriage.
Asst would delete alerts for personal appointments with his wife. His mom faked a heart attack during an important work dinner for FMC.
I liked both characters. MMC realized his errors quickly.
Safe.
I enjoyed it.
Fairly typical he’s an CFO. His asst is a family friend encouraged by his mom to be a divider in his marriage.
Asst would delete alerts for personal appointments with his wife. His mom faked a heart attack during an important work dinner for FMC.
I liked both characters. MMC realized his errors quickly.
Safe.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
January 7, 2026
3.5 Stars but went to 4 for a debut novel
Callie and Ethan are newly married and very much in love—or at least they should be. Ethan is a high-powered CFO, Callie an adjunct professor, and while they’re trying to start a family, their marriage begins to crack under the weight of Ethan’s job, his manipulative mother, and a temporary secretary with her own agenda. The neglected-wife trope is a favorite of mine, so this story immediately had my attention. There's no real betrayal and the neglect is absolutely not intentional.
Callie’s loneliness, hurt and frustration is palpable, especially early on when she attends a fertility appointment alone because Ethan chooses to have lunch with his mother instead (his secretary removed the appointment/he forgot without the reminder). Knowing Callie is terrified of needles makes the moment hit harder, even if the scene itself felt a bit over-the-top and could have benefited from more nuance and communication between them. Ethan isn’t cruel—he clearly loves his wife—but he does have his head firmly up his ass for a good portion of the story.
After he misses this appointment, Callie unloads on Ethan full force. The story does lack depth and background though. I believe the marriage is only about a year old and apparently there's been a lot happening before the story picks up which I wish was more fleshed out especially when it concerns Ethan's mother. Several past instances are alluded to and brought up but Callie admits she simply NEVER told Ethan what was happening so when she kind of unloads on him, it seems a bit unfair. She has all this pent up hurt but admits she never told him about almost any of it.
At times, Ethan’s blindness to his mother’s behavior and the impact of his neglect comes close to TSTL territory. It takes multiple wake-up calls (and Callie walking away) before he finally reflects on the pattern of prioritizing his mother and job over his marriage. While I appreciated his realizations and the effort he puts into fixing things, the redemption sometimes felt a little superficial. I would have loved more depth—especially when it came to their therapy sessions, which happen mostly off-page and could have added much-needed emotional weight.
That said, I do enjoy stories where both characters grow after betrayal, and this delivers on that front. Ethan’s groveling is solid and action-based, and the eventual comeuppance for his mother and the secretary is satisfying, even if the “other woman” drama isn’t really OW drama so much as meddling and entitlement. It's very betrayal light.
I actually wasn't that big of a fan of the FMC, Callie. She doesn't communicate with her husband well, expects him to read her mind, feels uncomfortable about situations but won't say so and her way of handling conflict is to run away, twice. It felt immature. Especially for a college professor whose desperate to be a mom. Ethan to his credit seems to immediately want to fix his marriage the minute he *truly* realizes what's going on.
The epilogue was cute but felt a little cliche. He fires OW, goes no contact and shuts down his mother financially and gives up almost full control of his job. That's great just feels like every other story out there.
The book is short and very easy to read, which may explain why the angst didn’t go as deep as it could have.
Overall, this was an enjoyable, quick read with emotional moments, a marriage-in-trouble storyline, and satisfying resolution, even if it didn’t dig as deeply as I wanted.
Not perfect, but if you enjoy neglected-wife tropes, realizations, and decent grovel, it’s worth picking up. I'll definitely check out the next one for a fast easy read.
Callie and Ethan are newly married and very much in love—or at least they should be. Ethan is a high-powered CFO, Callie an adjunct professor, and while they’re trying to start a family, their marriage begins to crack under the weight of Ethan’s job, his manipulative mother, and a temporary secretary with her own agenda. The neglected-wife trope is a favorite of mine, so this story immediately had my attention. There's no real betrayal and the neglect is absolutely not intentional.
Callie’s loneliness, hurt and frustration is palpable, especially early on when she attends a fertility appointment alone because Ethan chooses to have lunch with his mother instead (his secretary removed the appointment/he forgot without the reminder). Knowing Callie is terrified of needles makes the moment hit harder, even if the scene itself felt a bit over-the-top and could have benefited from more nuance and communication between them. Ethan isn’t cruel—he clearly loves his wife—but he does have his head firmly up his ass for a good portion of the story.
After he misses this appointment, Callie unloads on Ethan full force. The story does lack depth and background though. I believe the marriage is only about a year old and apparently there's been a lot happening before the story picks up which I wish was more fleshed out especially when it concerns Ethan's mother. Several past instances are alluded to and brought up but Callie admits she simply NEVER told Ethan what was happening so when she kind of unloads on him, it seems a bit unfair. She has all this pent up hurt but admits she never told him about almost any of it.
At times, Ethan’s blindness to his mother’s behavior and the impact of his neglect comes close to TSTL territory. It takes multiple wake-up calls (and Callie walking away) before he finally reflects on the pattern of prioritizing his mother and job over his marriage. While I appreciated his realizations and the effort he puts into fixing things, the redemption sometimes felt a little superficial. I would have loved more depth—especially when it came to their therapy sessions, which happen mostly off-page and could have added much-needed emotional weight.
That said, I do enjoy stories where both characters grow after betrayal, and this delivers on that front. Ethan’s groveling is solid and action-based, and the eventual comeuppance for his mother and the secretary is satisfying, even if the “other woman” drama isn’t really OW drama so much as meddling and entitlement. It's very betrayal light.
I actually wasn't that big of a fan of the FMC, Callie. She doesn't communicate with her husband well, expects him to read her mind, feels uncomfortable about situations but won't say so and her way of handling conflict is to run away, twice. It felt immature. Especially for a college professor whose desperate to be a mom. Ethan to his credit seems to immediately want to fix his marriage the minute he *truly* realizes what's going on.
The epilogue was cute but felt a little cliche. He fires OW, goes no contact and shuts down his mother financially and gives up almost full control of his job. That's great just feels like every other story out there.
The book is short and very easy to read, which may explain why the angst didn’t go as deep as it could have.
Overall, this was an enjoyable, quick read with emotional moments, a marriage-in-trouble storyline, and satisfying resolution, even if it didn’t dig as deeply as I wanted.
Not perfect, but if you enjoy neglected-wife tropes, realizations, and decent grovel, it’s worth picking up. I'll definitely check out the next one for a fast easy read.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
January 12, 2026
Ethan and Callie have been married for a year. Her MIL has never liked her. Ethan is the dutiful son who always cancels plans with Callie to help his mother.
Recently, he hired a temp assistant that his mother suggested, Sophie, while his regular PA is on maternity leave.
One day, Ethan's mother has a heart attack. He cancels dinner with Callie to go to the hospital with his mother. But he notices she doesn't look very sick. The doctor says it could have just been a panic attack. (Or maybe she's just lying.) But his mom invites Sophie to her hospital room. Obviously she wants Ethan and Sophie to get together.
Later, Ethan, Callie, JNMIL, and Sophie are all at the same charity gala, and Callie overhears Sophie confessing her feelings for Ethan. She hears him say, "I'm glad you told me." Then she leaves the gala, goes home, packs a bag and goes to a hotel. When Ethan realizes she left, his mother says a bunch of shit about how "Callie can't handle these events," and stuff like that, and Ethan finally stand up to her. He goes home to find Callie gone, and she has her phone turned off.
He gets a new temp assistant assigned to him. He recently missed an appointment with Callie because he didn't get a notification. He asks his new assistant to find out if the calendar was changed during the time Sophie worked there.
IT department at his office figures out that Sophie had turned off his notifications for all of his personal appointments. When he confronts Sophie about it, (she still works there, she was just reassigned to someone else), she says his mother told her to do it, to "help" him, because he was so busy. And that his mother planned the "heart attack" on a day he had dinner with Callie on his calendar. So now they fire her.
Callie takes a pregnancy test and it's positive. Then she runs into the mother of Ethan's BFF, who tells her about Sophie being fired.
She sends a text to Ethan about how she's pregnant and they couldn't find out together because he's never there for her.
She agrees to meet with him in the hotel lobby and they talk about this conspiracy between Sophie and his mother. He agrees to go to marriage counseling. She moves back home but in separate bedrooms.
He makes an announcement at work that he's going to delegate more and work less.
His mother comes to their apartment to confront them because Ethan had cut her off financially. She threatens to use her contacts at the university to have Callie fired. Callie freaks out and runs out of the apartment. This is the dumbest thing ever, IMO, since Ethan is the one who runs the family company, Ethan holds all the purse strings, and I don't think anyone would fire Callie if Ethan told them he was against it. But, in the moment, Callie thinks the thing to do is run out of her home and make her pregnant self homeless. But Ethan runs after her and convinces her to stay. Then he kicks his mother out and tells security not to let her back up to the apartment. Callie likes that he didn't take his mother's side.
Epilogue when their child is a few years old.
I think the problem with this is that it just ticked off boxes of scenes you'd expect to find in a betrayal/second chance romance. But it wasn't very deep. The betrayal isn't the worst thing he could have done, since Callie didn't stick around long enough to hear the conversation about Sophie's feelings.
Recently, he hired a temp assistant that his mother suggested, Sophie, while his regular PA is on maternity leave.
One day, Ethan's mother has a heart attack. He cancels dinner with Callie to go to the hospital with his mother. But he notices she doesn't look very sick. The doctor says it could have just been a panic attack. (Or maybe she's just lying.) But his mom invites Sophie to her hospital room. Obviously she wants Ethan and Sophie to get together.
Later, Ethan, Callie, JNMIL, and Sophie are all at the same charity gala, and Callie overhears Sophie confessing her feelings for Ethan. She hears him say, "I'm glad you told me." Then she leaves the gala, goes home, packs a bag and goes to a hotel. When Ethan realizes she left, his mother says a bunch of shit about how "Callie can't handle these events," and stuff like that, and Ethan finally stand up to her. He goes home to find Callie gone, and she has her phone turned off.
He gets a new temp assistant assigned to him. He recently missed an appointment with Callie because he didn't get a notification. He asks his new assistant to find out if the calendar was changed during the time Sophie worked there.
IT department at his office figures out that Sophie had turned off his notifications for all of his personal appointments. When he confronts Sophie about it, (she still works there, she was just reassigned to someone else), she says his mother told her to do it, to "help" him, because he was so busy. And that his mother planned the "heart attack" on a day he had dinner with Callie on his calendar. So now they fire her.
Callie takes a pregnancy test and it's positive. Then she runs into the mother of Ethan's BFF, who tells her about Sophie being fired.
She sends a text to Ethan about how she's pregnant and they couldn't find out together because he's never there for her.
She agrees to meet with him in the hotel lobby and they talk about this conspiracy between Sophie and his mother. He agrees to go to marriage counseling. She moves back home but in separate bedrooms.
He makes an announcement at work that he's going to delegate more and work less.
His mother comes to their apartment to confront them because Ethan had cut her off financially. She threatens to use her contacts at the university to have Callie fired. Callie freaks out and runs out of the apartment. This is the dumbest thing ever, IMO, since Ethan is the one who runs the family company, Ethan holds all the purse strings, and I don't think anyone would fire Callie if Ethan told them he was against it. But, in the moment, Callie thinks the thing to do is run out of her home and make her pregnant self homeless. But Ethan runs after her and convinces her to stay. Then he kicks his mother out and tells security not to let her back up to the apartment. Callie likes that he didn't take his mother's side.
Epilogue when their child is a few years old.
I think the problem with this is that it just ticked off boxes of scenes you'd expect to find in a betrayal/second chance romance. But it wasn't very deep. The betrayal isn't the worst thing he could have done, since Callie didn't stick around long enough to hear the conversation about Sophie's feelings.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
February 9, 2026
3.5 stars.
This was a short one with the marriage in trouble trope involving an overbearing MIL, and wannabe OW. Ethan is an extremely loving husband, unlike a lot of the MMCs in these books that tend to take their wives for granted in the beginning. The problem is he is too busy being the CFO of a Businessy-Business Doing Business, combined with his manipulative mother, and has begun to let things slip. After he misses his wife's important fertility appointment, she starts to communicate how bad things have been. Ethan tries harder than most of these book husbands do to fix things before they really fall apart, but he is still trying to juggle everything, and after Callie overhears the wrong part of a conversation, she's done.
This was not bad at all, but I felt a massive disconnect from the characters. It was partly because the book is so short, so I didn't feel the gut punches that Callie did. We start during the ill-fated doctor's appointment that Ethan misses, and when he realizes, he feels genuinely bad about it. The book tells us he has been missing a lot lately, but Callie hasn't really been communicating her issues with him, so when she does, it felt like she was verbally dumping on him and expecting him to retroactively go back in time and save her from his mother's machinations, the worst of which, she admits, was when he wasn't around, and since she hadn't told him, it was hard to hold him responsible for not sticking up for her more. Yes, he did have eyes, and he 100% should have seen certain things that were happening, but when even Callie admits the worst parts were done when he wasn't around, it was hard to hate him too much.
In the end, this was a sweet story that might have had an advantage if it had about 50 more pages to flesh out some of the conflicts. Ethan does his best once he has the information he needs -- which, again, is vastly different from a lot of the asshats in these OW/evil MIL books. I felt like Callie made things worse on herself by not telling him about what his mother was doing, but I do get not wanting to get between a guy and his family and not always being certain where your lane is.
Looking forward to the sequel, out later this month, about Ethan's boss/best friend. It's a trope I could use more of (MMC left FMC to be with/marry OW, comes back for grovelling years after) so I'm hoping I connect with that one a bit more.
This was a short one with the marriage in trouble trope involving an overbearing MIL, and wannabe OW. Ethan is an extremely loving husband, unlike a lot of the MMCs in these books that tend to take their wives for granted in the beginning. The problem is he is too busy being the CFO of a Businessy-Business Doing Business, combined with his manipulative mother, and has begun to let things slip. After he misses his wife's important fertility appointment, she starts to communicate how bad things have been. Ethan tries harder than most of these book husbands do to fix things before they really fall apart, but he is still trying to juggle everything, and after Callie overhears the wrong part of a conversation, she's done.
This was not bad at all, but I felt a massive disconnect from the characters. It was partly because the book is so short, so I didn't feel the gut punches that Callie did. We start during the ill-fated doctor's appointment that Ethan misses, and when he realizes, he feels genuinely bad about it. The book tells us he has been missing a lot lately, but Callie hasn't really been communicating her issues with him, so when she does, it felt like she was verbally dumping on him and expecting him to retroactively go back in time and save her from his mother's machinations, the worst of which, she admits, was when he wasn't around, and since she hadn't told him, it was hard to hold him responsible for not sticking up for her more. Yes, he did have eyes, and he 100% should have seen certain things that were happening, but when even Callie admits the worst parts were done when he wasn't around, it was hard to hate him too much.
In the end, this was a sweet story that might have had an advantage if it had about 50 more pages to flesh out some of the conflicts. Ethan does his best once he has the information he needs -- which, again, is vastly different from a lot of the asshats in these OW/evil MIL books. I felt like Callie made things worse on herself by not telling him about what his mother was doing, but I do get not wanting to get between a guy and his family and not always being certain where your lane is.
Looking forward to the sequel, out later this month, about Ethan's boss/best friend. It's a trope I could use more of (MMC left FMC to be with/marry OW, comes back for grovelling years after) so I'm hoping I connect with that one a bit more.
January 25, 2026
Nuptials & Neglect, Book 1 of the Betray Me Once series, was about Ethan Prescott, the CFO of Langford Tech, and his wife, Callie Prescott, a professor at the local university.
Ethan and Callie had been married for just over a year, but things were not going well. He was spending too much time at work, missing appointments, and putting his mother before his wife. When his secretary went on maternity leave, his mother suggested that Sophie, the daughter of one of her friends, could fill the temporary vacancy. He hadn't had a problem with it, but Callie knew something was wrong.
When they attended the gala his company hosted each year, his mother and his assistant were there as well. Unfortunately, his mother cornered her in the ladies' room and belittled her long enough for Ethan to have disappeared by the time she returned to the gala. It didn't take long to find out he had stepped outside, and that's where she heard Sophie confess her feelings to Ethan. She didn't stay long enough to hear how he responded, leaving the gala to return home long enough to pack a few things and move out.
The story, although not very long, had plenty of angst, drama, and the usual emotional rollercoaster with its twists and turns. There was plenty of conflict and controversy, so the flow of the storyline was anything but dull. However, the book lacked the much-needed background information for the two main characters. The author simply dropped the reader into an already running story without providing a prologue or any information as to where everything began. The marriage was already in trouble before the first word was written, leaving the reader wondering how the couple met, why the MMC's mother detested the FMC so much, and why she thought it was appropriate to bring in another woman to stir the cauldron of trouble for the two main characters.
Both of the main characters were fully developed, mature, and neither of them was lacking in any way. They both had well-paying jobs, although his was the better of the two (according to his mum), even though the FMC was a professor at the university.
I gave this story a four-star rating because it checked all the boxes that made for a good book. It also gave me enough enjoyment that I'm looking forward to the next book in the series...the one where the MMC of that story was the boss of the MMC in this one.
Ethan and Callie had been married for just over a year, but things were not going well. He was spending too much time at work, missing appointments, and putting his mother before his wife. When his secretary went on maternity leave, his mother suggested that Sophie, the daughter of one of her friends, could fill the temporary vacancy. He hadn't had a problem with it, but Callie knew something was wrong.
When they attended the gala his company hosted each year, his mother and his assistant were there as well. Unfortunately, his mother cornered her in the ladies' room and belittled her long enough for Ethan to have disappeared by the time she returned to the gala. It didn't take long to find out he had stepped outside, and that's where she heard Sophie confess her feelings to Ethan. She didn't stay long enough to hear how he responded, leaving the gala to return home long enough to pack a few things and move out.
The story, although not very long, had plenty of angst, drama, and the usual emotional rollercoaster with its twists and turns. There was plenty of conflict and controversy, so the flow of the storyline was anything but dull. However, the book lacked the much-needed background information for the two main characters. The author simply dropped the reader into an already running story without providing a prologue or any information as to where everything began. The marriage was already in trouble before the first word was written, leaving the reader wondering how the couple met, why the MMC's mother detested the FMC so much, and why she thought it was appropriate to bring in another woman to stir the cauldron of trouble for the two main characters.
Both of the main characters were fully developed, mature, and neither of them was lacking in any way. They both had well-paying jobs, although his was the better of the two (according to his mum), even though the FMC was a professor at the university.
I gave this story a four-star rating because it checked all the boxes that made for a good book. It also gave me enough enjoyment that I'm looking forward to the next book in the series...the one where the MMC of that story was the boss of the MMC in this one.
January 9, 2026
Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐
Rating System (as of 8/14/2025):
⭐: It was a struggle to read. I almost DNF
⭐⭐: This could have been so much better.
⭐⭐⭐: Good/Average
⭐⭐⭐⭐: Great book. I will probably reread it.
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐: I absolutely loved this book.
***********************************************************************
Tropes:
💕MF Romance
💕OW Drama
💕Overheard
💕Marriage in Trouble
💕Surprise Pregnancy
💕Betrayal to Grovel
Spice Level: 🔥🔥🔥
Spice Level Rating System (as of 9/4/25)
🔥: Clean. Handholding. Kissing.
🔥🔥: Non-Descriptive/Implied on Page Sex
🔥🔥🔥: Hot-Descriptive on Page Sex
🔥🔥🔥🔥: So Hot—Do Not Read in Public
🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥: Oh My-BDSM. Blood Play. Smut.
************************************************************************
Quote:
"The little digs, the comments she makes when you're not listening?" My throat tightened, but I pushed the words out anyway. "I've smiled through them all. I've let her call me lucky, as if she didn't mean for it to sound like I'm unworthy to be a Prescott. And I kept my opinions to myself every time she reminded me, she decorated this place, like I'm a guest in my own home."
Summary:
FMC and MMC are married and he is oblivious to the fact that he has not been paying attention to her. This all comes to a head one evening when the FMC overhears a conversation between the MMC and his secretary. This causes the FMC to leave the MMC. There is OW drama from both the secretary and the MMCs mother. There is no cheating.
Review:
I enjoyed this book. It was a quick and easy read that kept me engaged. The characters came to life and they didn't bore me. I liked how the MMC really realized how he had been treating the FMC. I liked how the FMC was not a push over. She stood for what she wanted.
I would read more books by this author.
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Rating System (as of 8/14/2025):
⭐: It was a struggle to read. I almost DNF
⭐⭐: This could have been so much better.
⭐⭐⭐: Good/Average
⭐⭐⭐⭐: Great book. I will probably reread it.
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐: I absolutely loved this book.
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Tropes:
💕MF Romance
💕OW Drama
💕Overheard
💕Marriage in Trouble
💕Surprise Pregnancy
💕Betrayal to Grovel
Spice Level: 🔥🔥🔥
Spice Level Rating System (as of 9/4/25)
🔥: Clean. Handholding. Kissing.
🔥🔥: Non-Descriptive/Implied on Page Sex
🔥🔥🔥: Hot-Descriptive on Page Sex
🔥🔥🔥🔥: So Hot—Do Not Read in Public
🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥: Oh My-BDSM. Blood Play. Smut.
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Quote:
"The little digs, the comments she makes when you're not listening?" My throat tightened, but I pushed the words out anyway. "I've smiled through them all. I've let her call me lucky, as if she didn't mean for it to sound like I'm unworthy to be a Prescott. And I kept my opinions to myself every time she reminded me, she decorated this place, like I'm a guest in my own home."
Summary:
FMC and MMC are married and he is oblivious to the fact that he has not been paying attention to her. This all comes to a head one evening when the FMC overhears a conversation between the MMC and his secretary. This causes the FMC to leave the MMC. There is OW drama from both the secretary and the MMCs mother. There is no cheating.
Review:
I enjoyed this book. It was a quick and easy read that kept me engaged. The characters came to life and they didn't bore me. I liked how the MMC really realized how he had been treating the FMC. I liked how the FMC was not a push over. She stood for what she wanted.
I would read more books by this author.
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January 13, 2026
2.5 stars
The couple: Ethan and Callie
Romance trope: marriage in trouble
Series: Betray Me Once
Length: 186 pages
Plot: Callie is feeling neglected in her marriage, and then Ethan misses one more important appointment. After that she's ready to give up but he convinces her that he loves her and will show up for her. Then she overhears something that sends her running, just when she needs him the most. Can he make it up to her? Will she be willing to take him back?
Commentary: Both characters (everyone, really) were extremely melodramatic. I get it - nobody likes feeling neglected. But my goodness! Every reaction was an overreaction. The missed appointment at the beginning, that led to all of this? I assumed that it was an important sonogram or prenatal test, until I read further. It was a quick gyn. appointment to sort of check in and make sure everything was going okay because she had had her IUD out for 6 whole months and wasn't pregnant yet. She had to have him there because she's a little scared of needles (and I don't think it rose to the level of a phobia - she was just bothered by them) and when he didn't make it, it was the worst betrayal ever (that's actually what he said:"I’d failed my wife on the day she needed me most."). I kept waiting for the gut-wrenching betrayal, but it never really came. He listened to his mom too much, he spent too much time at work, but those are things that could be fixed easily with a little more communication (and maybe a secret recorder to tattle on his mom - she was horrible). But between her depression over the gutwrenching betrayal of her husband (eyeroll) and his depression over his overwhelming mistakes (another eyeroll), these two were sad sacks indeed.
Next book in the series: Cake & Consequences
The couple: Ethan and Callie
Romance trope: marriage in trouble
Series: Betray Me Once
Length: 186 pages
Plot: Callie is feeling neglected in her marriage, and then Ethan misses one more important appointment. After that she's ready to give up but he convinces her that he loves her and will show up for her. Then she overhears something that sends her running, just when she needs him the most. Can he make it up to her? Will she be willing to take him back?
Commentary: Both characters (everyone, really) were extremely melodramatic. I get it - nobody likes feeling neglected. But my goodness! Every reaction was an overreaction. The missed appointment at the beginning, that led to all of this? I assumed that it was an important sonogram or prenatal test, until I read further. It was a quick gyn. appointment to sort of check in and make sure everything was going okay because she had had her IUD out for 6 whole months and wasn't pregnant yet. She had to have him there because she's a little scared of needles (and I don't think it rose to the level of a phobia - she was just bothered by them) and when he didn't make it, it was the worst betrayal ever (that's actually what he said:"I’d failed my wife on the day she needed me most."). I kept waiting for the gut-wrenching betrayal, but it never really came. He listened to his mom too much, he spent too much time at work, but those are things that could be fixed easily with a little more communication (and maybe a secret recorder to tattle on his mom - she was horrible). But between her depression over the gutwrenching betrayal of her husband (eyeroll) and his depression over his overwhelming mistakes (another eyeroll), these two were sad sacks indeed.
Next book in the series: Cake & Consequences
Displaying 1 - 30 of 161 reviews