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Becoming His Mistress
Rose Sinclair counts through life in sixes. It's how she gets by when she's not in the company of her best friend and Tourette's sufferer, Laurie, or focusing on her busy work schedule as the personal assistant and office manager for the extremely attractive and extremely married, Ezra Conti.
Everything has a place and Rose likes it that way. It must be that way.
But even her quirks aren't enough to keep her in her lane and away from temptation. No matter how hard she tries to fight a detour in her life's perfect navigation system.
She doesn't like-like her boss. Not one bit. He belongs with his wife, and Rose...
...Rose belongs by his side.
Everything has a place and Rose likes it that way. It must be that way.
But even her quirks aren't enough to keep her in her lane and away from temptation. No matter how hard she tries to fight a detour in her life's perfect navigation system.
She doesn't like-like her boss. Not one bit. He belongs with his wife, and Rose...
...Rose belongs by his side.
415 pages, Kindle Edition
First published October 11, 2019
About the author
A.E. Murphy
26 books1,046 followersA. E. Murphy is the Queen of sarcasm and satire, she likes long walks in the park, as much as ice cubes like to chill in a roasting oven.
She’s effortlessly independent and so good at adulting it’s unfair on the rest of the world. She only napped twice today and has only avoided the dishes for three days before making the child slaves do them this morning.
Winning!
Her favourite hobby is writing, her worst hobby is reading through that writing.
Also she has two cats that carry toys to the top of the stairs and drop them down so they can chase them. They do this repeatedly in the middle of the night.
Who cares if she has work the next morning?
Not the cats, that’s for sure.
And if it’s not the cats doing the waking, it’s the toddler crawling into bed with her and pulling individual hairs from her scalp with pudgy little fingers for comfort.
This is likely why she’s in a constant state of grump unless there’s chocolate and coffee.
P.S. Please leave feedback, if not on the book then on this ridiculous bio she wrote herself. It’s the least you can do seeing as she’ll forever talk in the third person now.
Alex loves her readers. Alex says thank you. Alex smiles.
She’s effortlessly independent and so good at adulting it’s unfair on the rest of the world. She only napped twice today and has only avoided the dishes for three days before making the child slaves do them this morning.
Winning!
Her favourite hobby is writing, her worst hobby is reading through that writing.
Also she has two cats that carry toys to the top of the stairs and drop them down so they can chase them. They do this repeatedly in the middle of the night.
Who cares if she has work the next morning?
Not the cats, that’s for sure.
And if it’s not the cats doing the waking, it’s the toddler crawling into bed with her and pulling individual hairs from her scalp with pudgy little fingers for comfort.
This is likely why she’s in a constant state of grump unless there’s chocolate and coffee.
P.S. Please leave feedback, if not on the book then on this ridiculous bio she wrote herself. It’s the least you can do seeing as she’ll forever talk in the third person now.
Alex loves her readers. Alex says thank you. Alex smiles.
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November 22, 2023
5 Things We Shouldn't Want Stars ⭐
From the very first page I knew it would wreck me. Becoming His Mistress is not some glossed over version of events, it was the real deal. I can't express how well done this book is and how phenomenal each character is portrayed whether good or bad.
"We’re both shit people. We both fucking did this. But go ahead, leave me to deal with it alone. Make me fall in love with you even more and then break my fucking heart because you’re a coward that would rather run. It’s the least I deserve, right?"
Rose strives at being normal, even if it means flying under the radar to not draw unwanted attention. Having OCD is not easy, but she won't be penalized because of it. When she sets her mind at a task you can expect perfection, which is why she is the best PA that Mr Ezra Conti has ever had.
Mr. C knows that Rose is worth her bodyweight in gold. However, it doesn't stop her from being taken advantage of. Surprisingly it’s never intentionally by Ezra. Somehow her PA role ends up entailing nanny duties for his daughter Maria and running errands for his wife.
Rose doesn't mind because the extra work helps maintain order in her chaotic mind. But don't mistake her work ethic for submission. Even with a condition per se, you'll not meet a more equipped heroine than our Rose who has thorns and knows how to wield them.
Although colleagues, Mr. C is genuinely kind to Rose and is more then accommodating of her idiosyncrasies. In fact he finds her charming as their working relationship organically transitions to friendship. Even when Rose begins dating a fellow worker, it's Mr. C who helps her navigate the highs and lows. He is her biggest champion.
"You think I’m a freak, don’t you?" Before he can answer I continue, "I know I’m weird… I totally know I am. And it can be annoying at times but——"
"I don’t think you’re a freak," he cuts in, looking at me with a genuine gaze.
I sense no lie here.
Their lives are already entwined personally and professionally. Yet as the lines of their friendship begin to blur, it becomes very difficult to deny their attraction which will inevitably incinerate them.
Oh it's bad. Honestly this author does not hold back. You get all the ugly that comes with cheating BUT there was so much beauty to be had within these pages. The love was real, the process wrong and the ending bittersweet.
I must mention Rose's best friend Laurie who suffers with Tourette's. What she brought to this story was priceless, I could not contain myself through some of her outbursts. If you are looking for unique, forbidden and well written, I found it! It was absolutely perfect.
From the very first page I knew it would wreck me. Becoming His Mistress is not some glossed over version of events, it was the real deal. I can't express how well done this book is and how phenomenal each character is portrayed whether good or bad.
"We’re both shit people. We both fucking did this. But go ahead, leave me to deal with it alone. Make me fall in love with you even more and then break my fucking heart because you’re a coward that would rather run. It’s the least I deserve, right?"
Rose strives at being normal, even if it means flying under the radar to not draw unwanted attention. Having OCD is not easy, but she won't be penalized because of it. When she sets her mind at a task you can expect perfection, which is why she is the best PA that Mr Ezra Conti has ever had.
Mr. C knows that Rose is worth her bodyweight in gold. However, it doesn't stop her from being taken advantage of. Surprisingly it’s never intentionally by Ezra. Somehow her PA role ends up entailing nanny duties for his daughter Maria and running errands for his wife.
Rose doesn't mind because the extra work helps maintain order in her chaotic mind. But don't mistake her work ethic for submission. Even with a condition per se, you'll not meet a more equipped heroine than our Rose who has thorns and knows how to wield them.
Although colleagues, Mr. C is genuinely kind to Rose and is more then accommodating of her idiosyncrasies. In fact he finds her charming as their working relationship organically transitions to friendship. Even when Rose begins dating a fellow worker, it's Mr. C who helps her navigate the highs and lows. He is her biggest champion.
"You think I’m a freak, don’t you?" Before he can answer I continue, "I know I’m weird… I totally know I am. And it can be annoying at times but——"
"I don’t think you’re a freak," he cuts in, looking at me with a genuine gaze.
I sense no lie here.
Their lives are already entwined personally and professionally. Yet as the lines of their friendship begin to blur, it becomes very difficult to deny their attraction which will inevitably incinerate them.
Oh it's bad. Honestly this author does not hold back. You get all the ugly that comes with cheating BUT there was so much beauty to be had within these pages. The love was real, the process wrong and the ending bittersweet.
I must mention Rose's best friend Laurie who suffers with Tourette's. What she brought to this story was priceless, I could not contain myself through some of her outbursts. If you are looking for unique, forbidden and well written, I found it! It was absolutely perfect.
April 27, 2020
Becoming His Mistress is one of the most surprising reads of 2019 for me! I had no idea how much I would wind up enjoying the story when I decided to pick it up. Cheating is a hard limit for many romance readers, so this book won't be for everyone. However, if cheating in books isn't a no go for you, you should definitely check this one out! It's one of the best I've read involving this subject matter.
I adore the heroine in this story a. k. a. the other woman. How did the author get me to love a married man's mistress as much as I love Rose Sinclair (especially considering I'm married myself)? Talent! There is no other explanation. She is such an endearing character that I couldn't hate her if I tried. In fact, Rose is one of my favorite heroines I've read this year.
The author didn't paint Rose as a purposeful homewrecker or Ezra, the hero, as a bitter man that hated his wife. Some may dislike that choice, but I love it. I love when authors explore the idea that decent people can be capable of terrible things, or the fact that not everything is black and white. I could go on, but I don't want to be misinterpreted, so I'll stop there. Lol Hopefully, from what I've said thus far, you'll get an idea of what kind of book you're getting yourself into.
Saying I love this book does not mean I agree with all the choices the characters made or that I condone cheating. I'm not heartless, so of course, I felt conflicted knowing their relationship was hurting someone else regardless of how I felt about her. Nobody deserves that.
The story was done extremely well, but at the end of the day, cheating is still wrong any way you look at it. That's why, if you're like me, you might get upset with Ezra at times. I didn't want to beat him upside the head, because I think he is a horrible guy though. It had more to do with the way he handled things. Truth be told, there is no perfect way to navigate such a situation. Once you do something like sabotage your marriage by putting your dick where it doesn't belong, pain is sure to follow. For everyone.
Despite that, I wanted Ezra to be with Rose with my whole heart. They complimented each other in such a perfect way. Their connection was obvious from the beginning and couldn't be denied. Their chemistry was off the charts. I could go on. Don't judge me! It's the author's fault for making me feel this way. 😂 She did such a good job.
Bottom line, I loved the characters, the plot, and the writing style. It blew my expectations out of the water. Such a phenomenal read! 😍
A. E. Murphy is a "new to me" author, but she's quickly becoming a favorite! I adore the two books I've read from her so far so much that I'm going to try to pick up everything she publishes in 2020. If that's not a recommendation, I don't what is!
I adore the heroine in this story a. k. a. the other woman. How did the author get me to love a married man's mistress as much as I love Rose Sinclair (especially considering I'm married myself)? Talent! There is no other explanation. She is such an endearing character that I couldn't hate her if I tried. In fact, Rose is one of my favorite heroines I've read this year.
The author didn't paint Rose as a purposeful homewrecker or Ezra, the hero, as a bitter man that hated his wife. Some may dislike that choice, but I love it. I love when authors explore the idea that decent people can be capable of terrible things, or the fact that not everything is black and white. I could go on, but I don't want to be misinterpreted, so I'll stop there. Lol Hopefully, from what I've said thus far, you'll get an idea of what kind of book you're getting yourself into.
Saying I love this book does not mean I agree with all the choices the characters made or that I condone cheating. I'm not heartless, so of course, I felt conflicted knowing their relationship was hurting someone else regardless of how I felt about her. Nobody deserves that.
The story was done extremely well, but at the end of the day, cheating is still wrong any way you look at it. That's why, if you're like me, you might get upset with Ezra at times. I didn't want to beat him upside the head, because I think he is a horrible guy though. It had more to do with the way he handled things. Truth be told, there is no perfect way to navigate such a situation. Once you do something like sabotage your marriage by putting your dick where it doesn't belong, pain is sure to follow. For everyone.
Despite that, I wanted Ezra to be with Rose with my whole heart. They complimented each other in such a perfect way. Their connection was obvious from the beginning and couldn't be denied. Their chemistry was off the charts. I could go on. Don't judge me! It's the author's fault for making me feel this way. 😂 She did such a good job.
Bottom line, I loved the characters, the plot, and the writing style. It blew my expectations out of the water. Such a phenomenal read! 😍
A. E. Murphy is a "new to me" author, but she's quickly becoming a favorite! I adore the two books I've read from her so far so much that I'm going to try to pick up everything she publishes in 2020. If that's not a recommendation, I don't what is!
October 11, 2019
DISGUSTING!!
So what are we supposed to root for the cheating lying scum and the home wrecker? This woman is the type of OW that I hate in other books. She knowingly slept with this guy and continued knowing he had a daughter and that regardless of anything his wife did love him. When he broke it off with her she had the nerve to feel upset and betrayed when SHE was the one who was sleeping with the married MC! Both these main characters were disgusting because nothing justifies cheating and their willingness to break up a marriage just for their selfish wants.
Seriously what happened to the sanctity of marriage?!
So what are we supposed to root for the cheating lying scum and the home wrecker? This woman is the type of OW that I hate in other books. She knowingly slept with this guy and continued knowing he had a daughter and that regardless of anything his wife did love him. When he broke it off with her she had the nerve to feel upset and betrayed when SHE was the one who was sleeping with the married MC! Both these main characters were disgusting because nothing justifies cheating and their willingness to break up a marriage just for their selfish wants.
Seriously what happened to the sanctity of marriage?!
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
March 14, 2022
SCREAMING, CRYING, THROWING UP– For the past few weeks, I’ve been picking up books without reading the synopsis or any of the reviews… safe to say that I’ve learned my lesson now. 🤡
The first half of the book was ticking all my boxes BUT THEN I started getting weird vibes and I started thinking to myself: “SURELY NOT – SURELY THIS BOOK IS NOT GOING WHERE I THINK IT'S GOING.”. And that’s when I decided to look up the synopsis…
Honestly, by then, I was way too invested in the storyline to stop reading. Did I think there was actually going to be CHEATING when I first saw the title though? Honestly, no. I’ve read heaps of books with ‘mistress’ in the title, but it’s always used in a different sense of the word.
So why the high rating if I hate cheating? Even though this book had me rioting on the inside, I can’t deny that the author is a masterful storyteller. I could not pull my eyes away from the trainwreck that was unfolding before my eyes. Even though this book got progressively harder to read with each chapter, it was unputdownable.
I think this really comes down to just how amazing the author is at developing such complex and rich characters. The heroine, Rose (24), was so charming. Her struggle with loneliness and living out her life with OCD felt so real, and I couldn’t help but want her to succeed in life. The hero, Ezra (37), also had moments where he really tugged on my heartstrings. His love for his daughter was just too sweet, and I’m a sucker for that shit.
Another thing I thought the author did superbly, was that she did not shy away from all the cheating aspects of the story. Rose and Ezra exercised self-awareness (most of the time) and actually had to face the consequences of their actions.
But the ending...? Thanks, I hate it.
This book is not going to be for everyone. I definitely wouldn’t have picked this one up if I hadn’t gone in completely blind. I HATED everything that transpired between Rose and Ezra, and I am still trying to make sense of the ending but ultimately, I can appreciate this book for all its complexities and skillful storytelling.
Also, this is going to sound kind of mean... but if you know you're just going to give this book one star because there's cheating in it... I'd recommend not picking this book up at all.
Rating: 4/5
The first half of the book was ticking all my boxes BUT THEN I started getting weird vibes and I started thinking to myself: “SURELY NOT – SURELY THIS BOOK IS NOT GOING WHERE I THINK IT'S GOING.”. And that’s when I decided to look up the synopsis…
Honestly, by then, I was way too invested in the storyline to stop reading. Did I think there was actually going to be CHEATING when I first saw the title though? Honestly, no. I’ve read heaps of books with ‘mistress’ in the title, but it’s always used in a different sense of the word.
So why the high rating if I hate cheating? Even though this book had me rioting on the inside, I can’t deny that the author is a masterful storyteller. I could not pull my eyes away from the trainwreck that was unfolding before my eyes. Even though this book got progressively harder to read with each chapter, it was unputdownable.
I think this really comes down to just how amazing the author is at developing such complex and rich characters. The heroine, Rose (24), was so charming. Her struggle with loneliness and living out her life with OCD felt so real, and I couldn’t help but want her to succeed in life. The hero, Ezra (37), also had moments where he really tugged on my heartstrings. His love for his daughter was just too sweet, and I’m a sucker for that shit.
Another thing I thought the author did superbly, was that she did not shy away from all the cheating aspects of the story. Rose and Ezra exercised self-awareness (most of the time) and actually had to face the consequences of their actions.
But the ending...? Thanks, I hate it.
This book is not going to be for everyone. I definitely wouldn’t have picked this one up if I hadn’t gone in completely blind. I HATED everything that transpired between Rose and Ezra, and I am still trying to make sense of the ending but ultimately, I can appreciate this book for all its complexities and skillful storytelling.
Also, this is going to sound kind of mean... but if you know you're just going to give this book one star because there's cheating in it... I'd recommend not picking this book up at all.
Rating: 4/5
September 20, 2019
So it has been a while since I have done this whole writing a thing on my own book.
The reason I am doing so now is because I know some of my readers are really unsure and on the fence about the whole cheating thing. I TOTALLY GET IT. I really do.
Cheating sucks.
But you know me and my writing, I just have to try and create an angle that you might not have looked at. I have to try and win you over just once. I love a challenge.
I don't condone, confirm, or deny anything in my books. My books are not a manifestation of my "world views" I don't write to manipulate. I write because it's fun and I LOVE IT. They are just stories that are dear to me that I hope will entertain you, make you cry, scream, laugh, get angry, feel everything. I want my words to connect.
That and I just really love taboo. My heart is just twisted for the forbidden. I'm a sick puppy, what can I say?
That doesn't mean I'm about to sleep with your husband or stand on the edge of a cliff, or any other scene from any of my books.
I try to be a little different with my stories every single time. So if you don't love something I write, don't lose faith because my next one might make it up to you. <3
I do this for you, and I do this for me. My goal is never to upset you personally. (That rhymed)
If you don't like the idea of something I'm writing or have written, no hard feelings. Not every book can be for everyone. Not every taboo can be your trope. But please don't hold it against me.
Authors have feelings too :p
Much love,
Alex <3
The reason I am doing so now is because I know some of my readers are really unsure and on the fence about the whole cheating thing. I TOTALLY GET IT. I really do.
Cheating sucks.
But you know me and my writing, I just have to try and create an angle that you might not have looked at. I have to try and win you over just once. I love a challenge.
I don't condone, confirm, or deny anything in my books. My books are not a manifestation of my "world views" I don't write to manipulate. I write because it's fun and I LOVE IT. They are just stories that are dear to me that I hope will entertain you, make you cry, scream, laugh, get angry, feel everything. I want my words to connect.
That and I just really love taboo. My heart is just twisted for the forbidden. I'm a sick puppy, what can I say?
That doesn't mean I'm about to sleep with your husband or stand on the edge of a cliff, or any other scene from any of my books.
I try to be a little different with my stories every single time. So if you don't love something I write, don't lose faith because my next one might make it up to you. <3
I do this for you, and I do this for me. My goal is never to upset you personally. (That rhymed)
If you don't like the idea of something I'm writing or have written, no hard feelings. Not every book can be for everyone. Not every taboo can be your trope. But please don't hold it against me.
Authors have feelings too :p
Much love,
Alex <3
Read
June 15, 2020I wasn’t going to touch this book but there’s nothing else to do.
I won’t be rating it.
Why couldn’t Robert be the hero in this story? Sure he was a ho but at least he wasn’t tied to any woman. But once again the author has secondary characters turned into bad people to make the hero/heroine look good in the reader’s eyes. The author even managed to turned his wife into a bitch. Yes sure she was. She was a bit nasty and made fun of the heroine and her clothes. The MC even calls his wife a kept woman that doesn’t do shit not even for their daughter which the saint heroine spent most of her time with their daughter and running errands for said wife that doesn’t do shit. I liked that FC had sex and was able to fall in love with OM and even had a relationship with Pax (OM) She even enjoyed herself. Before the author decided to turned him into an abusive asshole.
I don’t know why the whole blame was placed on her when she wasn’t the one who initiated the kiss, sex or even the affair and why blamed the woman when she doesn’t owed anyone anything. Now on the other hand the MC owes loyalty to his wife, he’s the one who said vows. You know people who blamed the woman for sleeping with a married man got to be people who had their husbands cheat on them with some other woman. And they blamed the woman for their husbands indiscretions but in reality is their husbands who should be blame. Those exact women stay with their cheating husbands because they probably think they won’t find anyone better than the cheating asshole.
He confessed to his mother that he was in love with her, the mother told him to get rid of her well not those words but she told him to let her go HE didn’t want to let her go. She gives him her two weeks notice and he didn’t want to accept it.
“Has there ever been a woman more beautiful?”
Uhh yes asshole, your wife? You know the woman you promised to love and be faithful to, the mother of your kids? That woman?
“You didn’t enjoy yourself?” “What?” I blink at him, jaw dropping, and eyebrows raised. “Are you crazy? Did you not… were you not in the room? This isn’t about whether I enjoyed it or not. It’s about the fact that I just helped you cheat on your wife and you’re acting like you don’t even have one.”
“I forget about my life when I’m with you. How terrible is that?”
“I don’t know how to fix this.” “There is no fixing it. What’s done is done.” “No. Not fix that. I mean fix it so I don’t have to lose you.” “You don’t belong to me,”.
“No… but I want to.”
“This can’t ever happen again.” I’m trying to be the voice of reason, figuring if I say it out loud it will manifest. “My two weeks’ notice stand.” “Like hell they do.” He puts the car in drive. “You’re not going anywhere.” “Ezra… please be reasonable.” “I am being reasonable,” he snaps. “You’re the best PA I’ll ever have. I’m not losing you because I’m in love with you. We’re stronger than that.”
“I’ve always been faithful,” he implores as his hand strokes my cheek. “I don’t just fuck every woman I meet. Before you, there was no one else. You’re not just some notch on my bed post or whatever goes through your head when I leave you at night. I mean, I’m a normal human so of course I’ve thought about it, but I never have. You’re��” “I’m different, right?” I ask, frowning at him. “You know how cliché that sounds?”
Ok.. so he had thought about cheating in his wife before? See? So why the fuck people continue blaming the woman when he’s the one who thought about cheating on his wife long before he met her?
“I shouldn’t love you like I do. It’s not fair.” “I know.” “Just hang on tight, okay? While we figure this out.”
You’re asking me to be your second. That’s not something I ever want for myself.”
“You don’t think I know that?” “Doesn’t the guilt consume you? Because it is consuming me. It’s devouring me. I can hardly sleep at night worrying if you feel guilt so strong that it has you confessing to your wife about me as you lie in her bed.” Before he can reply I inhale a staggered breath. “You’re asking me to be your other woman. You’re asking me to put my life on hold for a man who will never be mine. You’re exploiting my feelings for you.”
He used her, he manipulated her, he played with her feelings.
“You’re married!” I turn on him, slamming my hands against his bare chest. “You already promised your soul to her. Your wife.” “And I love my wife,” he hisses, looking conflicted and hurt. “I love her, and I don’t want to hurt her. I can’t even say that my marriage is unhappy because it’s not. We were so fucking happy when this began.” I want to run away. I don’t want to hear this. “I love my wife…” “Stop.” “But I’m in love with you. It feels unfair. It feels so fucking unfair that I don’t get to have you and I know it’s greedy. I’m asking you for too much. But I can’t bear to lose you. I want you.”
Still think she’s the only one to blame? That he has no blame on this?
He promised her to divorce his wife because he couldn’t bear to lose her. He made promises, he wanted a “future” with her. He promised kids, a marriage and a home. She wasn’t the one asking him to married her or even to divorce his wife.
“I can’t handle the thought of you going home to your wife every night and fucking her when hours before you had me. I don’t want to share.” “Then there’s no other option. I’ll divorce her.”
But then his wife told him she was pregnant and all those promises went down the drain. That’s what a cheating asshole do. He wants to keep the wife without leaving his mistress.
He doesn’t even care that his wife’s associates or friends see them together. This piece of shit who claims he loves his wife is parading around with his mistress without any care in the world. He gets jealous of OM talking to her. He doesn’t want her to give any time of the day to other men because he thinks they might steal her from him. This is the same man who professed his love for the wife to the heroine and to everyone. What a disgusting human being. So why in this society the woman is always blamed when a man willingly cheats on his wife? Why society must give the man a pass while the woman is crucified?
I’m not saying she shouldn’t be blamed for it but do not place all the blame of her when she was the one who refused his advances. He manipulated her. He used her. I’m not saying she’s not blameless in this but she shouldn’t be the only one who bears the blame here. She wasn’t in a relationship he was. She wasn’t married he was.
“You’re married. You promised your soul to another woman. You can’t just yank that back and give it to me.” “Why not?”
So she never asked him to leave his wife. He left her all on his own. He even buys a place for them.
“I’m serious about us. I’m never happier than when I’m with you.” “You promised yourself to another woman. What about her?”
Lies! He told the FM that he was happy with his wife before he started to feel something for her. Let me put this excerpt here yet again. ⬇️⬇️
I can’t even say that my marriage is unhappy because it’s not. We were so fucking happy when this began.”
While he was having sex with the FC he was having sex with his wife. Unprotected sex I might add!
Knowing that he’s been bedding his wife and having it verbally confirmed are two entirely different things. I feel sick.
Then He leaves her in bed after receiving a phone call from his wife to console her and doesn’t return until the very early hours of the morning causing the heroine to question their affair.
He even goes and try to place the blame the wife for not being the perfect wife. For not giving BJs when he wanted to get pleased. For not working, for not having time for their daughter and him.
“I fucked my wife over my desk and pretended she was you. It’s the only place I could get hard anymore. She started noticing that my interests were drifting, I couldn’t help it, but I couldn’t get hard for her anymore.
“The sex was just sex. The hardest I’d come in months since seeing you in that red dress in Houston was the moment you walked through the door and caught me fucking my wife.”
“I saw your eyes, your startled look, your perfect fucking lips parting as though beckoning me to push my cock between them, and I came so hard and so fast. In my wife.”
He leaves her because the wife is pregnant but first he couldn’t help but to fuck her. She begged him not to leave her. She moved away and he continued relentlessly pursuing her, wanting to talk to her. This piece of shit wants updates on her life, emails, text messages smoke signals letting him know she’s ok when he went back to his wife. He started sending her emails, telling her that he loved her and that he misses her. And I wanted to do was to slap the shit out of him.
The real truth was that she was weak for him. Just like he was weak for his wife. He dumped the FC because his wife told him she was pregnant which was a lie so when his wife told him she didn’t want to be with a cheating bastard he ran to the FC. He’d never would’ve left her if she hadn’t told him she didn’t want him. He repeatedly said throughout the book that he loved her (wife). He even gets jealous of her dating another man. And the FC was upset that he was but was so happy that he decided to tell her the truth.
I won’t be rating it.
Why couldn’t Robert be the hero in this story? Sure he was a ho but at least he wasn’t tied to any woman. But once again the author has secondary characters turned into bad people to make the hero/heroine look good in the reader’s eyes. The author even managed to turned his wife into a bitch. Yes sure she was. She was a bit nasty and made fun of the heroine and her clothes. The MC even calls his wife a kept woman that doesn’t do shit not even for their daughter which the saint heroine spent most of her time with their daughter and running errands for said wife that doesn’t do shit. I liked that FC had sex and was able to fall in love with OM and even had a relationship with Pax (OM) She even enjoyed herself. Before the author decided to turned him into an abusive asshole.
I don’t know why the whole blame was placed on her when she wasn’t the one who initiated the kiss, sex or even the affair and why blamed the woman when she doesn’t owed anyone anything. Now on the other hand the MC owes loyalty to his wife, he’s the one who said vows. You know people who blamed the woman for sleeping with a married man got to be people who had their husbands cheat on them with some other woman. And they blamed the woman for their husbands indiscretions but in reality is their husbands who should be blame. Those exact women stay with their cheating husbands because they probably think they won’t find anyone better than the cheating asshole.
He confessed to his mother that he was in love with her, the mother told him to get rid of her well not those words but she told him to let her go HE didn’t want to let her go. She gives him her two weeks notice and he didn’t want to accept it.
“Has there ever been a woman more beautiful?”
Uhh yes asshole, your wife? You know the woman you promised to love and be faithful to, the mother of your kids? That woman?
“You didn’t enjoy yourself?” “What?” I blink at him, jaw dropping, and eyebrows raised. “Are you crazy? Did you not… were you not in the room? This isn’t about whether I enjoyed it or not. It’s about the fact that I just helped you cheat on your wife and you’re acting like you don’t even have one.”
“I forget about my life when I’m with you. How terrible is that?”
“I don’t know how to fix this.” “There is no fixing it. What’s done is done.” “No. Not fix that. I mean fix it so I don’t have to lose you.” “You don’t belong to me,”.
“No… but I want to.”
“This can’t ever happen again.” I’m trying to be the voice of reason, figuring if I say it out loud it will manifest. “My two weeks’ notice stand.” “Like hell they do.” He puts the car in drive. “You’re not going anywhere.” “Ezra… please be reasonable.” “I am being reasonable,” he snaps. “You’re the best PA I’ll ever have. I’m not losing you because I’m in love with you. We’re stronger than that.”
“I’ve always been faithful,” he implores as his hand strokes my cheek. “I don’t just fuck every woman I meet. Before you, there was no one else. You’re not just some notch on my bed post or whatever goes through your head when I leave you at night. I mean, I’m a normal human so of course I’ve thought about it, but I never have. You’re��” “I’m different, right?” I ask, frowning at him. “You know how cliché that sounds?”
Ok.. so he had thought about cheating in his wife before? See? So why the fuck people continue blaming the woman when he’s the one who thought about cheating on his wife long before he met her?
“I shouldn’t love you like I do. It’s not fair.” “I know.” “Just hang on tight, okay? While we figure this out.”
You’re asking me to be your second. That’s not something I ever want for myself.”
“You don’t think I know that?” “Doesn’t the guilt consume you? Because it is consuming me. It’s devouring me. I can hardly sleep at night worrying if you feel guilt so strong that it has you confessing to your wife about me as you lie in her bed.” Before he can reply I inhale a staggered breath. “You’re asking me to be your other woman. You’re asking me to put my life on hold for a man who will never be mine. You’re exploiting my feelings for you.”
He used her, he manipulated her, he played with her feelings.
“You’re married!” I turn on him, slamming my hands against his bare chest. “You already promised your soul to her. Your wife.” “And I love my wife,” he hisses, looking conflicted and hurt. “I love her, and I don’t want to hurt her. I can’t even say that my marriage is unhappy because it’s not. We were so fucking happy when this began.” I want to run away. I don’t want to hear this. “I love my wife…” “Stop.” “But I’m in love with you. It feels unfair. It feels so fucking unfair that I don’t get to have you and I know it’s greedy. I’m asking you for too much. But I can’t bear to lose you. I want you.”
Still think she’s the only one to blame? That he has no blame on this?
He promised her to divorce his wife because he couldn’t bear to lose her. He made promises, he wanted a “future” with her. He promised kids, a marriage and a home. She wasn’t the one asking him to married her or even to divorce his wife.
“I can’t handle the thought of you going home to your wife every night and fucking her when hours before you had me. I don’t want to share.” “Then there’s no other option. I’ll divorce her.”
But then his wife told him she was pregnant and all those promises went down the drain. That’s what a cheating asshole do. He wants to keep the wife without leaving his mistress.
He doesn’t even care that his wife’s associates or friends see them together. This piece of shit who claims he loves his wife is parading around with his mistress without any care in the world. He gets jealous of OM talking to her. He doesn’t want her to give any time of the day to other men because he thinks they might steal her from him. This is the same man who professed his love for the wife to the heroine and to everyone. What a disgusting human being. So why in this society the woman is always blamed when a man willingly cheats on his wife? Why society must give the man a pass while the woman is crucified?
I’m not saying she shouldn’t be blamed for it but do not place all the blame of her when she was the one who refused his advances. He manipulated her. He used her. I’m not saying she’s not blameless in this but she shouldn’t be the only one who bears the blame here. She wasn’t in a relationship he was. She wasn’t married he was.
“You’re married. You promised your soul to another woman. You can’t just yank that back and give it to me.” “Why not?”
So she never asked him to leave his wife. He left her all on his own. He even buys a place for them.
“I’m serious about us. I’m never happier than when I’m with you.” “You promised yourself to another woman. What about her?”
Lies! He told the FM that he was happy with his wife before he started to feel something for her. Let me put this excerpt here yet again. ⬇️⬇️
I can’t even say that my marriage is unhappy because it’s not. We were so fucking happy when this began.”
While he was having sex with the FC he was having sex with his wife. Unprotected sex I might add!
Knowing that he’s been bedding his wife and having it verbally confirmed are two entirely different things. I feel sick.
Then He leaves her in bed after receiving a phone call from his wife to console her and doesn’t return until the very early hours of the morning causing the heroine to question their affair.
He even goes and try to place the blame the wife for not being the perfect wife. For not giving BJs when he wanted to get pleased. For not working, for not having time for their daughter and him.
“I fucked my wife over my desk and pretended she was you. It’s the only place I could get hard anymore. She started noticing that my interests were drifting, I couldn’t help it, but I couldn’t get hard for her anymore.
“The sex was just sex. The hardest I’d come in months since seeing you in that red dress in Houston was the moment you walked through the door and caught me fucking my wife.”
“I saw your eyes, your startled look, your perfect fucking lips parting as though beckoning me to push my cock between them, and I came so hard and so fast. In my wife.”
He leaves her because the wife is pregnant but first he couldn’t help but to fuck her. She begged him not to leave her. She moved away and he continued relentlessly pursuing her, wanting to talk to her. This piece of shit wants updates on her life, emails, text messages smoke signals letting him know she’s ok when he went back to his wife. He started sending her emails, telling her that he loved her and that he misses her. And I wanted to do was to slap the shit out of him.
The real truth was that she was weak for him. Just like he was weak for his wife. He dumped the FC because his wife told him she was pregnant which was a lie so when his wife told him she didn’t want to be with a cheating bastard he ran to the FC. He’d never would’ve left her if she hadn’t told him she didn’t want him. He repeatedly said throughout the book that he loved her (wife). He even gets jealous of her dating another man. And the FC was upset that he was but was so happy that he decided to tell her the truth.
June 21, 2020
4.5 STARS!!
Plot in a nutshell: So the premise - a boss and his PA - is admittedly, a cliche; however, the author spun this sordid tale with gold thread.
The heroine, Rose, was wonderful; intelligent, strong, and quirky.
Rose's relationship with her boss, Mr. Conti is like any other in the beginning. The build-up (which I very much appreciated) between them moved slowly from innocuous . . .
I was worried that this wouldn't be believable - but it mostly was!
I was worried things would be black and white - no way! Everything was grey, nothing was easy or obvious.
I was worried the consequences would be glossed over - absolutely not!
So why am I robbing the author of a full 5 stars?
There was an event near the end of the story that felt VERY unnecessary and disconnected from what was happening before and after it. It was the only part of the cheating aspect that I felt was contrived and wholly unbelievable.
But other than that . . . THIS STORY WAS EPIC! Honestly, I couldn't picture how the author was going to reconcile things at the end, but . . . GAH! Definitely one of my favorite reads this year.
"But then I found you."HOLY CRAP! Be prepared to take a few hard slaps to the face if you decide to dive into this one. It's a no-holds barred, gut-wrenching, mind-churning look at cheating.
"I think there's every chance that you won't be so shiny in a couple of years, just like his wife."Yes, CHEATING. So if that's not your jam, please spare everyone your moral outrage and avoid this book like it's a feral raccoon on the verge of scratching your eyes out.
Plot in a nutshell: So the premise - a boss and his PA - is admittedly, a cliche; however, the author spun this sordid tale with gold thread.
The heroine, Rose, was wonderful; intelligent, strong, and quirky.
I'm just not very good with people. I'm awkward and jittery and after a while I start to irritate them.Being in her head was pretty awesome. Her inner monologues were a riot.
Oh man...I've always had a thing for priests. It's the whole chastity-until-death thing. Like all that pent-up sexual frustration and I get to be the one who relieves it. But only hot priests...if they exist.Rose and her best friend Laurie added some much needed comic relief . . . because my god, the author otherwise put Rose through the WRINGER.
Rose's relationship with her boss, Mr. Conti is like any other in the beginning. The build-up (which I very much appreciated) between them moved slowly from innocuous . . .
To be honest, me wanting him alone could just be because I like how Mr. C and I move around each other. We don't demand each other's attention and he's always happy for me to do my own thing so long as I do my job.. . . to less than innocent . . .
"... it was a moment of weakness and cowardice and it'll never happen again.". . . to an all-out clusterfuck of epic proportions . . .
"You don't belong to me," I snap, my voice takes on a higher, desperate tone.WOW! Did the author ever do such a great job of raking her characters over the coals!
"No . . . but I want to."
"I'm nobody's second."She used the single POV to great effect; planting seeds of doubt, dropping hints, giving hope, and punching me in the gut. I love it when I'm left with my jaw on the floor!
"You're exploiting my feelings for you."These characters were so incredibly human and flawed. OMG, were they FLAWED! So much of the tit-for-tat, back-and-forth was well done. The jealousy, the anger, the pettiness, the guilt was all shown up against the backdrop of their hopes and dreams and vulnerabilities and most importantly their LOVE for each other.
"There are only so many times I can say no."I was worried that the author was going to drag things out - but she didn't!
I was worried that this wouldn't be believable - but it mostly was!
I was worried things would be black and white - no way! Everything was grey, nothing was easy or obvious.
I was worried the consequences would be glossed over - absolutely not!
So why am I robbing the author of a full 5 stars?
There was an event near the end of the story that felt VERY unnecessary and disconnected from what was happening before and after it. It was the only part of the cheating aspect that I felt was contrived and wholly unbelievable.
But other than that . . . THIS STORY WAS EPIC! Honestly, I couldn't picture how the author was going to reconcile things at the end, but . . . GAH! Definitely one of my favorite reads this year.
June 23, 2020
This book was intense which have intensive qualities to keep a reader addicted.
This story has,
tropes that most readers avoid:
-cheating
-the other woman
tropes most readers love:
-huge age gap
-taboo
This book may rub people in the wrong way. Rose is shy, confident, truthful, naive - mention all the good qualities a person rarely has. Ezra was Rose's boss, a happily married man with an impressionable lovely daughter. Rose and Ezra don't hit off from the start, they were strictly professional until later.
Rose didn't want to start something knowing she may ruin lives and Ezra was conflicted with his feelings. Both of them are hateful and likeable. Love happens sometimes in bad timing. The author has given them almost a year before developing their feelings. Being together wasn't easy, it created a lot of mess. I liked that Rose's character was realistic, once she had Ezra she didn't let him go, she was sweetly selfish. Ezra was equally distinguished as a good and a cheating husband.
When everything is right in life what do you do when the lines are blurred. Rose cares for Ezra's daughter, for his wife. Ezra was in turmoil for he loves his wife with his whole heart but he loves Rose with his whole soul.
This review is not to excuse the ugly tropes the author dared to use. She used this disadvantage to create a story which can be related to reality.
Aware of the warning and still going into the book and then rating it 1 star and ranting is totally unnecessary. Every review under this book provides a cautioning that this story is cheating matter. Maybe some people might find the story distasteful or the situation here can trigger and relate to real life, so avoid the book.
This is a "what if" plot. It's fiction, we get a HEA. The confliction, love, betrayal can be compared to real life. It's a worthy 5 star read.
This story has,
tropes that most readers avoid:
-cheating
-the other woman
tropes most readers love:
-huge age gap
-taboo
This book may rub people in the wrong way. Rose is shy, confident, truthful, naive - mention all the good qualities a person rarely has. Ezra was Rose's boss, a happily married man with an impressionable lovely daughter. Rose and Ezra don't hit off from the start, they were strictly professional until later.
Rose didn't want to start something knowing she may ruin lives and Ezra was conflicted with his feelings. Both of them are hateful and likeable. Love happens sometimes in bad timing. The author has given them almost a year before developing their feelings. Being together wasn't easy, it created a lot of mess. I liked that Rose's character was realistic, once she had Ezra she didn't let him go, she was sweetly selfish. Ezra was equally distinguished as a good and a cheating husband.
When everything is right in life what do you do when the lines are blurred. Rose cares for Ezra's daughter, for his wife. Ezra was in turmoil for he loves his wife with his whole heart but he loves Rose with his whole soul.
This review is not to excuse the ugly tropes the author dared to use. She used this disadvantage to create a story which can be related to reality.
Aware of the warning and still going into the book and then rating it 1 star and ranting is totally unnecessary. Every review under this book provides a cautioning that this story is cheating matter. Maybe some people might find the story distasteful or the situation here can trigger and relate to real life, so avoid the book.
This is a "what if" plot. It's fiction, we get a HEA. The confliction, love, betrayal can be compared to real life. It's a worthy 5 star read.
October 3, 2020
Indeed a comedy:
75% in
Hero to heroine about the ow:
“She’s pregnant,” he repeats sadly. “She’s having my baby. I can’t… we can’t do this anymore. It’s over. It has to be. I have to let you go.”
85% in
heroine:
“You fired me. You left me in the middle of the fucking night...”
“You promised me a family, a future, a life together...”
“You broke me. And now you want weekly updates on how I’m doing?...”
96% in:
Heroine about ow: “She’s dating somebody?”
Hero:“Yes.”
Heroine:“How do you feel about that?”
Hero: “I was… perturbed at first. You don’t spend thirteen years with somebody and not feel jealousy when they start to move on. But I’m okay with it now,...”
Heroine: “It upsets me that he got jealous but my heart soars that he chose to be honest with me”
Yep, laughing my head off...
The Hxh have an affair while he's happily married.
He leaves his wife & moves in with the h.
He leaves the h and goes back to his wife when his wife claims she's pregnant
He leaves his wife when he discovers she's not pregnant
This is a very much reduced version of everything that goes down and A LOT goes down in this book
I cant see this lasting forever seeing as they're basing their happiness on someone else's unhappiness because, for all the ow's faults (she has many many many) he loves her and they probably would've worked if he didn't give in to his lust for the h.
And lust they do. Off the charts.
Hectic chemistry.
Tangible, almost. Everyone around them see and feel.
Their connection IS combustive, there's simply no denying this.
They also have fun together, they like each other and she fits him and his family, something his wife never did.
She's adorkable and I like her but she's flighty and is just coming out of a relationship with a guy she loved - one of those fast love things
He loves his wife until the end despite not being in love with her.
He literally says it over and over again. From the start of the book, even when he's left her for the h and then there's this:
“I think he misses her, not just Maria who seems great so far, thank heavens, but Elizabeth. He called me Liz a few days ago when he needed something while in the shower and I didn’t get mad at him for it."
He isn't intimate with his wife when he goes back to he:
“Elizabeth hoped to get pregnant when we returned to each other as a last-ditch effort to keep me, but I could not lie with her. I couldn’t be with her while feeling such love and devotion for you.”
So he only leaves his wife because of the fake pregnancy.
He grovels his ass off for 4 months because he’s absolutely (rightfully so) convinced that he doesn’t deserve her.
75% in
Hero to heroine about the ow:
“She’s pregnant,” he repeats sadly. “She’s having my baby. I can’t… we can’t do this anymore. It’s over. It has to be. I have to let you go.”
85% in
heroine:
“You fired me. You left me in the middle of the fucking night...”
“You promised me a family, a future, a life together...”
“You broke me. And now you want weekly updates on how I’m doing?...”
96% in:
Heroine about ow: “She’s dating somebody?”
Hero:“Yes.”
Heroine:“How do you feel about that?”
Hero: “I was… perturbed at first. You don’t spend thirteen years with somebody and not feel jealousy when they start to move on. But I’m okay with it now,...”
Heroine: “It upsets me that he got jealous but my heart soars that he chose to be honest with me”
Yep, laughing my head off...
The Hxh have an affair while he's happily married.
He leaves his wife & moves in with the h.
He leaves the h and goes back to his wife when his wife claims she's pregnant
He leaves his wife when he discovers she's not pregnant
This is a very much reduced version of everything that goes down and A LOT goes down in this book
I cant see this lasting forever seeing as they're basing their happiness on someone else's unhappiness because, for all the ow's faults (she has many many many) he loves her and they probably would've worked if he didn't give in to his lust for the h.
And lust they do. Off the charts.
Hectic chemistry.
Tangible, almost. Everyone around them see and feel.
Their connection IS combustive, there's simply no denying this.
They also have fun together, they like each other and she fits him and his family, something his wife never did.
She's adorkable and I like her but she's flighty and is just coming out of a relationship with a guy she loved - one of those fast love things
He loves his wife until the end despite not being in love with her.
He literally says it over and over again. From the start of the book, even when he's left her for the h and then there's this:
“I think he misses her, not just Maria who seems great so far, thank heavens, but Elizabeth. He called me Liz a few days ago when he needed something while in the shower and I didn’t get mad at him for it."
He isn't intimate with his wife when he goes back to he:
“Elizabeth hoped to get pregnant when we returned to each other as a last-ditch effort to keep me, but I could not lie with her. I couldn’t be with her while feeling such love and devotion for you.”
So he only leaves his wife because of the fake pregnancy.
He grovels his ass off for 4 months because he’s absolutely (rightfully so) convinced that he doesn’t deserve her.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
December 12, 2021
⭐️⭐️ 4 “quirky and soft spoken” Stars ⭐️⭐️
MY EMOTIONS .
This was one of those rare books where I was so into it that I literally started talking to myself out loud and reacting to things as they were happening on page. Its rare and I don't do it often but when it does happen you will have to pry my Kindle from my cold dead hands to get my attention. #TrueStory
Now before I can even begin this review we need to stop by Julia's PSA corner *CUE SPOILERS* If you couldn't figure it out from the title Becoming His Mistress has cheating. *GASPS*
These two engage in a full blown affair and shit gets messy and drama fueled, and I freaking loved it. Rose and Ezra's story will make you feel all the feels and I'm honestly still undecided on how I feel about everything. So, if cheating isn't a hard deal breaker for you I say give this book a chance. It will make you feel all of your emotions.
♡ My favorite parts of this story! ♡
⑴ Our complex heroine Rose. Rose was not at all what I was expecting. Instead the heroine we're introduced to is pretty socially awkward, has OCD + is germaphobic, 24 years young, and not very confident in her sexuality.
I’m not meek and feeble. I’m just… quirky and soft spoken.
However, at the same time she has a backbone of steel, confidence in her abilities, loves her job, and is the woman you call to get shit done.
I’m here to work. Well… interview. But I know the job is mine so that’s a moot point. This job was meant for me. There isn’t a single thing on the list of duties that I cannot do with quickness and efficiency.
What I liked about Rose was that she didn't set out too well, fuck her boss. Over the course of this story we see her genuinely form a connection with Ezra and slowly fall in love with him. We watch Ezra and Rose bond over their mutual love for his daughter, their effortless banter, how well they work together, and the mutual respect they have for one another. Ezra notices Rose from the very beginning and truly seems to adore who she as a person.
“You think I’m a freak, don’t you?” Before he can answer I continue, “I know I’m weird… I totally know I am. And it can be annoying at times but——”
“I don’t think you’re a freak,” he cuts in, looking at me with a genuine gaze. I sense no lie here.
We see them form a genuine friendship and foundation. She's a pretty quirky person who may or may not count during sex.
“I blurted out a number,” I cry, louder this time but he still looks confused. “When he finished, I said one hundred and fifty-three.”
Also I freaking loved their banter filled friendship. When Rose called Ezra on his shit I clapped every time.
“Yeah… I’m a dick.” When I say nothing he scoffs a comical, “You’re supposed to say, no, Ezra, you’re not a dick, I forgive you.”
“And deny you your truth? It’s not often people experience epiphanies, I’m not about to get in the way of that.”
Rose was pretty unique in the beginning of this story in that I felt like she truly embraced who she was and didn't try to fit into the mold of what society expects of women. She wasn't here for the male gaze and instead was here for herself.
“Ezra, that’s the point,” I breathe, feeling disgusted with this entire situating. “I don’t want to be sexy. I don’t want to be the object of anybody’s desires but the man I choose. I wanted to be your equal, your partner, not the PA you’ve seen naked.”
Her goofy personality shone through the whole beginning half of the book and I loved how unapologetically her she was. I really related to that. Every woman is unique and I believe it is such a process for women to fully become confident in ourselves. We start out so sure of ourselves as children and slowly that confidence gets ripped away and torn down. Then as we become adults we have to find ourselves once again. What I'm trying to is that I liked who Rose was and I was so happy that she liked who she was as well.
This year however, I am wearing an inflatable T-Rex costume and Laurie is a dying cow, aka my dinner.
What I appreciated about Rose was that when they did start their affair she wasn't delusional about it. She knew what they were doing was wrong and she did try to do the right thing (I mean she didn't try super hard but she gets a solid C+ for effort). However, when Ezra told her to stay she selfishly did because she loved him. She fell in love with Ezra Conti and if she could she wanted to keep him. Simple as that.
Things just got real and in a bad way. Today will mark the day that Mr. Conti cheated on his wife. And today will definitely mark the day that I fell in love for the first time.
I liked that she called Ezra out on his shit about the whole situation and wanted their to be some sort of end goal(?) about their affair.
"You’re asking me to be your second. That’s not something I ever want for myself.”
I guess I'm really in awe of A.E. Murphy for crafting a heroine that regardless of whether I agreed with what she was doing I still liked her. I saw where she was coming from and was rooting for her. I just really liked Rose.
⑵ The love between Rose and Ezra. Look I'm not gonna lie I'm still undecided on how I feel overall about whether or not . But I will say I saw the love between them. It was real, it was heartbreaking, it was consuming, and it was just a bit beautiful.
“There is no fixing it. What’s done is done.” “No. Not fix that. I mean fix it so I don’t have to lose you.” “You don’t belong to me,” I snap, my voice takes on a higher, desperate tone. “No… but I want to.”
As I mentioned I liked how the author showed them falling in love. We could see it in small gestures, banter filled conversations, the way they both clicked, and how while Ezra may have loved his wife, Rose became his soul.
“I have a wife who I love with my whole heart.” Hearing him say it makes my chest ache painfully. “I know.” “But I love you with my whole soul,” he admits, pressing his forehead to mine. My eyes fill with tears at his admission and my heart rips in two. “Don’t leave me. I couldn’t bear it.”
Before they even jump into their affair Ezra does little things to prove just how much he knows and cares for Rose.
Then he lifts something out. Something designer, but definitely different and unique. It’s a deep purple pantsuit that will absolutely bury me in every way I want it to. It’s gorgeous.
“Merry Christmas,” he says, and it finally clicks that this is for me. He got me something I’d like and now he’s giving it to me so I can wear it. Because he doesn’t care what I wear to a stupid party.
And I have to give him props he does seem like he truly is torn and wants to do right by both Rose and his wife. He's pretty self aware as well and knows what he's doing is admittedly pretty terrible.
“Then I still cheated on my wife and she still deserves better, and I’ll just sit and drink whiskey every night while listening to Celine Dion remind me how much I miss you.”
We are all for ✨ SELF AWARENESS ✨ people.
Overall, I never doubted the love that Ezra and Rose had. Was it right what they did? I'm not sure. I think they could've handled their shit way better and I wished that Ezra would've let Rose go the first time like she wanted to. I think with some distance and ✨reflection✨he could've come to a decision on what he wanted to do. It probably would've spared both Rose and his wife a lot of hurt. But then again this is a book first and I am here for ALL the drama.
“I love you,” he whispers in my ear sending a tingle of warmth down my spine. “Sei cosi importante per me. Don’t listen to others. They don’t know us or what we have.”
⑶ The (somewhat) realistic way the author handled the affair. Another thing I really commend A.E. Murphy for is the way she doesn't sugar coat the fallout from making this type of decision. She doesn't pull any punches and for the most part I think she did an excellent job showing how two people's selfish actions can effect a whole family. This affair causes Rose to lie to Ezra's mom (who was becoming her own mother figure to her), it devastates Ezra's wife, and even hurts Ezra and Rose.
I’m such a hypocritical contradiction of a woman. I’m mad at myself for what I’m doing to his wife, all the while praying he never stops wanting me.
It causes Rose to do some serious self reflection on who she is as a person. She is now a person who has had an affair with someone and she has to live with this new version of herself.
“And I’m going to have to sit beside her and listen to her talk about her life, knowing that I have the power to rip it apart.”
And Ezra has to admit that he cheated on a woman he promised forever to. He is now someone who had both an emotional and physical affair. It really hit me. He fell in love with another woman while married to another.
ꝇ ☆ What set me on a damn emotional roller coaster! ꝇ ☆
**SPOILERS AHEAD PEOPLE**
So if you guys have made it here 1st CONGRATS! I appreciate it ;) And 2nd you may have noticed I haven't really talked about how I felt about Ezra Conti as a character.
Well let me walk you through some of the emotions I felt about him:
✳ awhhh he knows her!
“Why six?” “Sorry?” “You usually always count in sixes when you do your… thing.”
✳ he's so sexy ;)
He’s dressed as a priest. A fucking priest. A shirtless priest with a white collar and black cape draped over his shoulders.
✳ While he is cheating on his wife I can (somewhat) overlook that because of his love for Rose.
“Le parole non possono descrivere il mio amore per te.”
Words cannot describe my love for you
✳ He's going to fight for her and face the music. He's going to leave his wife for Rose.
So overall I really liked Ezra Conti. He was a flawed man who fell in love with Rose and while I didn't agree with his decision to start an affair I agreed with his decision to file for divorce. He was going to give his wife a chance to mourn their marriage and start over. He was going to do right by Rose and give their love a real shot.
BUT THEN! BUT THEN YOU GUYS HE PULLS THIS SHIT:
I’m a coward, I couldn’t look into your eyes while I broke both of our hearts. I love you. I am so sorry. Ezra.
And I kid you not I started shouting at my dog August: OH NO HE FUCKING DIDN'T!
Yup my man decides to LEAVE ROSE A NOTE telling her they're over. Meanwhile this bitch has been promising her that he's gonna divorce his wife, buy them a house together (they were already living together), telling her he wanted children with her, AND he had sex with her before he basically tried to GHOST HER.
“CHOOSE ME!” I scream, feeling tears gush down my cheeks like waterfalls. “Choose me. Please. Choose me. Not her. You can still be a father. I’ll help you. I’m willing to be there, for you for this new baby, for Maria. We can all get along and be what they need. Just choose me.”
. . . . . . . I have no words.
“He said goodbye in a note… a note, after we had sex… and then he fired me, not even a goodbye to my face. Who does that?”
Yeah. So. Yeah. I really was not expecting that. I think honestly I could've respected him more if he had, had the guts to end things with Rose TO HER FACE. Instead he choose the cowardly way out and ended things with a note. WHO DOES THAT? Ezra the trashcan I guess. Going into the last 80% of the book that man had a TON of groveling to do.
“But you still feel the pain of what I did to you. By the time you’ve filled this vase full of positive things that you love about me, you’ll have hopefully put that pain far behind you. I want to erase it. I’m going to erase it.”
? Did he succeed? ?
This is where my conflicted feelings come in. I was a bit done with Ezra after that moment. I was giving him a ton of leeway throughout the ENTIRE book so the shit he did to Rose really hurt. I'm honestly not sure if I forgive him. I'm really not. He gives good apology but I don't know. . .that betrayal hit hard.
Whatever you decide I will always love you and I will never stop hoping that you’ll return to me one day. You have ruined me for all other women. I love you, Rose Sinclair.
! Things that bugged me a bit :/ !
➡ The portrayal of Rose's OCD. Look full disclosure I don't have OCD and don't know a ton about it. However, the portrayal of Rose's OCD felt a bit off. In the beginning of the book she was a bit of a germaphobe, obsessively neat, and counted. When this aspect of her character was introduced it make me really excited! But then half way through she has a make over and it just goes away? I'm not an expert but I don't think that's how it works?!
➡ Her "makeover". The fact that she just gets rid of her wardrobe and is suddenly comfortable dressing in an entirely new way made me sad. I didn't think the Rose of the beginning of the book needed to change. I liked who she was. So the shift felt dramatic.
✰✰ In conclusion! ✰✰
This book made me feel things. The author did a great job of making me love a lead who did a pretty shitty thing. I got swept up in the story and couldn't do anything but finish this book. It was engaging, drama fueled, romantic, and shattered my emotions. While this may not be a story for everyone I cannot recommend it enough. You won't be able to put it down!
MY EMOTIONS .
This was one of those rare books where I was so into it that I literally started talking to myself out loud and reacting to things as they were happening on page. Its rare and I don't do it often but when it does happen you will have to pry my Kindle from my cold dead hands to get my attention. #TrueStory
Now before I can even begin this review we need to stop by Julia's PSA corner *CUE SPOILERS* If you couldn't figure it out from the title Becoming His Mistress has cheating. *GASPS*
These two engage in a full blown affair and shit gets messy and drama fueled, and I freaking loved it. Rose and Ezra's story will make you feel all the feels and I'm honestly still undecided on how I feel about everything. So, if cheating isn't a hard deal breaker for you I say give this book a chance. It will make you feel all of your emotions.
♡ My favorite parts of this story! ♡
⑴ Our complex heroine Rose. Rose was not at all what I was expecting. Instead the heroine we're introduced to is pretty socially awkward, has OCD + is germaphobic, 24 years young, and not very confident in her sexuality.
I’m not meek and feeble. I’m just… quirky and soft spoken.
However, at the same time she has a backbone of steel, confidence in her abilities, loves her job, and is the woman you call to get shit done.
I’m here to work. Well… interview. But I know the job is mine so that’s a moot point. This job was meant for me. There isn’t a single thing on the list of duties that I cannot do with quickness and efficiency.
What I liked about Rose was that she didn't set out too well, fuck her boss. Over the course of this story we see her genuinely form a connection with Ezra and slowly fall in love with him. We watch Ezra and Rose bond over their mutual love for his daughter, their effortless banter, how well they work together, and the mutual respect they have for one another. Ezra notices Rose from the very beginning and truly seems to adore who she as a person.
“You think I’m a freak, don’t you?” Before he can answer I continue, “I know I’m weird… I totally know I am. And it can be annoying at times but——”
“I don’t think you’re a freak,” he cuts in, looking at me with a genuine gaze. I sense no lie here.
We see them form a genuine friendship and foundation. She's a pretty quirky person who may or may not count during sex.
“I blurted out a number,” I cry, louder this time but he still looks confused. “When he finished, I said one hundred and fifty-three.”
Also I freaking loved their banter filled friendship. When Rose called Ezra on his shit I clapped every time.
“Yeah… I’m a dick.” When I say nothing he scoffs a comical, “You’re supposed to say, no, Ezra, you’re not a dick, I forgive you.”
“And deny you your truth? It’s not often people experience epiphanies, I’m not about to get in the way of that.”
Rose was pretty unique in the beginning of this story in that I felt like she truly embraced who she was and didn't try to fit into the mold of what society expects of women. She wasn't here for the male gaze and instead was here for herself.
“Ezra, that’s the point,” I breathe, feeling disgusted with this entire situating. “I don’t want to be sexy. I don’t want to be the object of anybody’s desires but the man I choose. I wanted to be your equal, your partner, not the PA you’ve seen naked.”
Her goofy personality shone through the whole beginning half of the book and I loved how unapologetically her she was. I really related to that. Every woman is unique and I believe it is such a process for women to fully become confident in ourselves. We start out so sure of ourselves as children and slowly that confidence gets ripped away and torn down. Then as we become adults we have to find ourselves once again. What I'm trying to is that I liked who Rose was and I was so happy that she liked who she was as well.
This year however, I am wearing an inflatable T-Rex costume and Laurie is a dying cow, aka my dinner.
What I appreciated about Rose was that when they did start their affair she wasn't delusional about it. She knew what they were doing was wrong and she did try to do the right thing (I mean she didn't try super hard but she gets a solid C+ for effort). However, when Ezra told her to stay she selfishly did because she loved him. She fell in love with Ezra Conti and if she could she wanted to keep him. Simple as that.
Things just got real and in a bad way. Today will mark the day that Mr. Conti cheated on his wife. And today will definitely mark the day that I fell in love for the first time.
I liked that she called Ezra out on his shit about the whole situation and wanted their to be some sort of end goal(?) about their affair.
"You’re asking me to be your second. That’s not something I ever want for myself.”
I guess I'm really in awe of A.E. Murphy for crafting a heroine that regardless of whether I agreed with what she was doing I still liked her. I saw where she was coming from and was rooting for her. I just really liked Rose.
⑵ The love between Rose and Ezra. Look I'm not gonna lie I'm still undecided on how I feel overall about whether or not . But I will say I saw the love between them. It was real, it was heartbreaking, it was consuming, and it was just a bit beautiful.
“There is no fixing it. What’s done is done.” “No. Not fix that. I mean fix it so I don’t have to lose you.” “You don’t belong to me,” I snap, my voice takes on a higher, desperate tone. “No… but I want to.”
As I mentioned I liked how the author showed them falling in love. We could see it in small gestures, banter filled conversations, the way they both clicked, and how while Ezra may have loved his wife, Rose became his soul.
“I have a wife who I love with my whole heart.” Hearing him say it makes my chest ache painfully. “I know.” “But I love you with my whole soul,” he admits, pressing his forehead to mine. My eyes fill with tears at his admission and my heart rips in two. “Don’t leave me. I couldn’t bear it.”
Before they even jump into their affair Ezra does little things to prove just how much he knows and cares for Rose.
Then he lifts something out. Something designer, but definitely different and unique. It’s a deep purple pantsuit that will absolutely bury me in every way I want it to. It’s gorgeous.
“Merry Christmas,” he says, and it finally clicks that this is for me. He got me something I’d like and now he’s giving it to me so I can wear it. Because he doesn’t care what I wear to a stupid party.
And I have to give him props he does seem like he truly is torn and wants to do right by both Rose and his wife. He's pretty self aware as well and knows what he's doing is admittedly pretty terrible.
“Then I still cheated on my wife and she still deserves better, and I’ll just sit and drink whiskey every night while listening to Celine Dion remind me how much I miss you.”
We are all for ✨ SELF AWARENESS ✨ people.
Overall, I never doubted the love that Ezra and Rose had. Was it right what they did? I'm not sure. I think they could've handled their shit way better and I wished that Ezra would've let Rose go the first time like she wanted to. I think with some distance and ✨reflection✨he could've come to a decision on what he wanted to do. It probably would've spared both Rose and his wife a lot of hurt. But then again this is a book first and I am here for ALL the drama.
“I love you,” he whispers in my ear sending a tingle of warmth down my spine. “Sei cosi importante per me. Don’t listen to others. They don’t know us or what we have.”
⑶ The (somewhat) realistic way the author handled the affair. Another thing I really commend A.E. Murphy for is the way she doesn't sugar coat the fallout from making this type of decision. She doesn't pull any punches and for the most part I think she did an excellent job showing how two people's selfish actions can effect a whole family. This affair causes Rose to lie to Ezra's mom (who was becoming her own mother figure to her), it devastates Ezra's wife, and even hurts Ezra and Rose.
I’m such a hypocritical contradiction of a woman. I’m mad at myself for what I’m doing to his wife, all the while praying he never stops wanting me.
It causes Rose to do some serious self reflection on who she is as a person. She is now a person who has had an affair with someone and she has to live with this new version of herself.
“And I’m going to have to sit beside her and listen to her talk about her life, knowing that I have the power to rip it apart.”
And Ezra has to admit that he cheated on a woman he promised forever to. He is now someone who had both an emotional and physical affair. It really hit me. He fell in love with another woman while married to another.
ꝇ ☆ What set me on a damn emotional roller coaster! ꝇ ☆
**SPOILERS AHEAD PEOPLE**
So if you guys have made it here 1st CONGRATS! I appreciate it ;) And 2nd you may have noticed I haven't really talked about how I felt about Ezra Conti as a character.
Well let me walk you through some of the emotions I felt about him:
✳ awhhh he knows her!
“Why six?” “Sorry?” “You usually always count in sixes when you do your… thing.”
✳ he's so sexy ;)
He’s dressed as a priest. A fucking priest. A shirtless priest with a white collar and black cape draped over his shoulders.
✳ While he is cheating on his wife I can (somewhat) overlook that because of his love for Rose.
“Le parole non possono descrivere il mio amore per te.”
Words cannot describe my love for you
✳ He's going to fight for her and face the music. He's going to leave his wife for Rose.
So overall I really liked Ezra Conti. He was a flawed man who fell in love with Rose and while I didn't agree with his decision to start an affair I agreed with his decision to file for divorce. He was going to give his wife a chance to mourn their marriage and start over. He was going to do right by Rose and give their love a real shot.
BUT THEN! BUT THEN YOU GUYS HE PULLS THIS SHIT:
I’m a coward, I couldn’t look into your eyes while I broke both of our hearts. I love you. I am so sorry. Ezra.
And I kid you not I started shouting at my dog August: OH NO HE FUCKING DIDN'T!
Yup my man decides to LEAVE ROSE A NOTE telling her they're over. Meanwhile this bitch has been promising her that he's gonna divorce his wife, buy them a house together (they were already living together), telling her he wanted children with her, AND he had sex with her before he basically tried to GHOST HER.
“CHOOSE ME!” I scream, feeling tears gush down my cheeks like waterfalls. “Choose me. Please. Choose me. Not her. You can still be a father. I’ll help you. I’m willing to be there, for you for this new baby, for Maria. We can all get along and be what they need. Just choose me.”
. . . . . . . I have no words.
“He said goodbye in a note… a note, after we had sex… and then he fired me, not even a goodbye to my face. Who does that?”
Yeah. So. Yeah. I really was not expecting that. I think honestly I could've respected him more if he had, had the guts to end things with Rose TO HER FACE. Instead he choose the cowardly way out and ended things with a note. WHO DOES THAT? Ezra the trashcan I guess. Going into the last 80% of the book that man had a TON of groveling to do.
“But you still feel the pain of what I did to you. By the time you’ve filled this vase full of positive things that you love about me, you’ll have hopefully put that pain far behind you. I want to erase it. I’m going to erase it.”
? Did he succeed? ?
This is where my conflicted feelings come in. I was a bit done with Ezra after that moment. I was giving him a ton of leeway throughout the ENTIRE book so the shit he did to Rose really hurt. I'm honestly not sure if I forgive him. I'm really not. He gives good apology but I don't know. . .that betrayal hit hard.
Whatever you decide I will always love you and I will never stop hoping that you’ll return to me one day. You have ruined me for all other women. I love you, Rose Sinclair.
! Things that bugged me a bit :/ !
➡ The portrayal of Rose's OCD. Look full disclosure I don't have OCD and don't know a ton about it. However, the portrayal of Rose's OCD felt a bit off. In the beginning of the book she was a bit of a germaphobe, obsessively neat, and counted. When this aspect of her character was introduced it make me really excited! But then half way through she has a make over and it just goes away? I'm not an expert but I don't think that's how it works?!
➡ Her "makeover". The fact that she just gets rid of her wardrobe and is suddenly comfortable dressing in an entirely new way made me sad. I didn't think the Rose of the beginning of the book needed to change. I liked who she was. So the shift felt dramatic.
✰✰ In conclusion! ✰✰
This book made me feel things. The author did a great job of making me love a lead who did a pretty shitty thing. I got swept up in the story and couldn't do anything but finish this book. It was engaging, drama fueled, romantic, and shattered my emotions. While this may not be a story for everyone I cannot recommend it enough. You won't be able to put it down!
December 2, 2019
I really liked this book. They didn’t do Wright, of course, but life isn’t black and white.
Life is complicated.
Great book.
Life is complicated.
Great book.
Shelved as 'dnf-bcuz-narrator-not-4-me'
June 19, 2020Audio... 😑😣😠
Story... dnf @ 51% for now...
I fell in love with the heroine almost right away. She is delightfully quirky. I love that she was a perfectionist but not perfect.
Unfortunately, the narrator's performance is killing my enjoyment of the story. Her male voice sounds like that of a wicked old witch.
One of these days when I'm in the right head space to read, I'll pick this one back up. I love a controversial romance story with a hard won HEA. And this definitely fits the bill!
Story... dnf @ 51% for now...
I fell in love with the heroine almost right away. She is delightfully quirky. I love that she was a perfectionist but not perfect.
Unfortunately, the narrator's performance is killing my enjoyment of the story. Her male voice sounds like that of a wicked old witch.
One of these days when I'm in the right head space to read, I'll pick this one back up. I love a controversial romance story with a hard won HEA. And this definitely fits the bill!
December 12, 2020
3.5 Stars
Overall Opinion: This was enjoyable and I was really digging it for the first 75ish%. The last quarter was kind of disappointing. I feel as though the development of feelings, the banter, and the overall fun relationship they had was what made the book for me. It was the drama towards the end that I just wasn’t feeling. I like stories where the h is a mistress and/or kept woman — so please send me some recommendations! It has been hard to find these types of books (that I know aren’t for everyone), but I crave the yummy angst that goes with these if they’re done well! 😏
Brief Summary of the Storyline: This is Rose and Ezra’s story. Rose gets a job as Ezra’s PA. Their working relationship shifts into friendship the more time they spend together and that slowly develops into even more. The bad thing is that Ezra is married, has a daughter, and loves his wife but cannot deny the connection and attraction he feels towards Rose. There are some cute scenes, some funny moments, and a good bit of drama...and they get a HEA ending.
Point Of View (POV): This was told in Rose’s POV.
Overall Pace of Story: Good. I never skimmed and I thought it flowed well.
Instalove: No, they are friends to lovers
H (Hero) rating: 3 stars. Ezra. I liked him but I don’t think I fully connected with him and I think that was due to the fact that we didn’t get his POV
h (heroine) rating: 4.5 stars. Rose. I really liked her. I really enjoyed her quirks with her OCD and how fun and caring she was.
Sadness level: Low, no tissues needed
Push/Pull: Yes
Heat level: Hot. They have some hot 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: Yes
Cheating: Yes
Separation: Yes
Possible Triggers: Yes
Closure: This ends with a cute, but super brief, epilogue and what I would call a HEA ending
Safety: This one is probably Not Safe for most safety gang readers
Overall Opinion: This was enjoyable and I was really digging it for the first 75ish%. The last quarter was kind of disappointing. I feel as though the development of feelings, the banter, and the overall fun relationship they had was what made the book for me. It was the drama towards the end that I just wasn’t feeling. I like stories where the h is a mistress and/or kept woman — so please send me some recommendations! It has been hard to find these types of books (that I know aren’t for everyone), but I crave the yummy angst that goes with these if they’re done well! 😏
Brief Summary of the Storyline: This is Rose and Ezra’s story. Rose gets a job as Ezra’s PA. Their working relationship shifts into friendship the more time they spend together and that slowly develops into even more. The bad thing is that Ezra is married, has a daughter, and loves his wife but cannot deny the connection and attraction he feels towards Rose. There are some cute scenes, some funny moments, and a good bit of drama...and they get a HEA ending.
Point Of View (POV): This was told in Rose’s POV.
Overall Pace of Story: Good. I never skimmed and I thought it flowed well.
Instalove: No, they are friends to lovers
H (Hero) rating: 3 stars. Ezra. I liked him but I don’t think I fully connected with him and I think that was due to the fact that we didn’t get his POV
h (heroine) rating: 4.5 stars. Rose. I really liked her. I really enjoyed her quirks with her OCD and how fun and caring she was.
Sadness level: Low, no tissues needed
Push/Pull: Yes
Heat level: Hot. They have some hot 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: Yes
Cheating: Yes
Separation: Yes
Possible Triggers: Yes
Closure: This ends with a cute, but super brief, epilogue and what I would call a HEA ending
Safety: This one is probably Not Safe for most safety gang readers
June 14, 2020
6 Plus stars ⭐️ from me!
“I forget his life and mine. I forget my morals and his. All I can think about is having him in a way I’ve been telling myself I don’t want him for far too long”
Ahh my notes are private for this book because it’s way too raw and I’m currently ugly crying because of how much I felt for these characters. I was woven into a world where I fell helplessly in love with the male lead and adored the female lead so much. She’s so inspiring. I fucking love her. I love everything about this book. The author sure didn’t hold any punches. We saw the rawness of it all. From meeting the person whom your soul craves, to being with him and watching your actions hurt the one you vowed for in “for better of for worse”. I’m now a fan. Going to binge read all her work because wow. Holy shit. This felt way too real. I loved how the happy ending wasn’t glossed over. Every single page made me fall in love with novel. I highly recommend!
“I forget his life and mine. I forget my morals and his. All I can think about is having him in a way I’ve been telling myself I don’t want him for far too long”
Ahh my notes are private for this book because it’s way too raw and I’m currently ugly crying because of how much I felt for these characters. I was woven into a world where I fell helplessly in love with the male lead and adored the female lead so much. She’s so inspiring. I fucking love her. I love everything about this book. The author sure didn’t hold any punches. We saw the rawness of it all. From meeting the person whom your soul craves, to being with him and watching your actions hurt the one you vowed for in “for better of for worse”. I’m now a fan. Going to binge read all her work because wow. Holy shit. This felt way too real. I loved how the happy ending wasn’t glossed over. Every single page made me fall in love with novel. I highly recommend!
March 31, 2021
5 Stars
Please check out the following fabulous reviews from:
Melanie A
MBR
Jessica ❥Chatterbooks Book Blog❥t
NMmomof4
My thoughts?
Another book I've gone into with trepidation that ends up being a hit. I loved the heroine, Rose. Yep, the mistress *Cue the collective gasp* Ironically, this is one of the reasons I kept putting off reading this book, even with my GR's friends giving it high ratings. I remember opening the book once, reading like one page, immediately changing my mind and closing it. Because the idea of rooting for a mistress made me feel uncomfortable; a bit contemptuous even. I wasn't sure I would ever be in the mood for this. Ha! My fickleness is showing.
Back to my love of Rose: 23 yr old, PA (personal assistant) extraordinaire, with photographic memory, and major OCD. Quirks galore. She had a particular obsession with the number 6 (there's a backstory). I grew to adore Rose' weirdness, her uniqueness. This girl was not the "husband-stealing harlot" we all probably imagine in our minds. Far, far from it. You have to read it to understand. There's just so much to Rose. The author did an amazing job in writing this character. The fact she made me root for her is impressive.
Ezra--the hero (37), happily married for 12 years. Father to a 10 yr old daughter. He was Rose' boss. And he fell madly in love with her. He fought it, he really did. He wrestled with this moral dilemma for a long time; he was torn in two directions. I actually empathised with him. But honestly, this is not the easiest love story to dissect. I'm not going to defend them, but I'm also not condemning them. It's just not that cut and dried. And as cheesy and cliché as it sounds, we can't always help falling in love with someone. Ezra did win my heart. Unfortunately, he would also rip it apart. Then again, falling in love with a married man is a concoction for heartbreak. Up until the 70ish% mark, the angst was well balanced. Loads of heavenly feels mixed with some anticipation and angst; it was sweet perfection. Then the angst spiked to insane heights. I swear I heard my heart yell, 'bitch, let me off this ride'. I was freakin perspiring, my heart going 100 mph and disintegrating. But I can't complain; I asked for it.
I also have to talk about Laurie. She's a secondary character. Rose' best friend, and she has Tourette's syndrome. I loved her! Such a riot, and such a wonderful friend. Her outbursts/tics made me chuckle every single time; sometimes I laughed so hard, I had tears in my eyes. "COTTON CANDY ORGAMS AND YOUR LOCAL ALCOHOLIC!" (I'm still laughing)
I guess I should also add a thing or two about Ezra's wife. At first she was bitchy and pretentious (which was the intention). But at the end when she discovers her husband's deceit, I felt terrible for her. Though she contributed to the underlying problems in her marriage, she didn't deserve what happened either. But such is life, right?
What I didn't like:
The separation between Rose and Ezra towards the end disappointed me. I didn't like how that played out. Rose lost her appeal and Ezra pissed me off. I was frustrated with that part of the book. I still felt compelled to give this 5 Stars.
HEA: Absolutely. I enjoyed the HEA.
Please check out the following fabulous reviews from:
Melanie A
MBR
Jessica ❥Chatterbooks Book Blog❥t
NMmomof4
My thoughts?
Another book I've gone into with trepidation that ends up being a hit. I loved the heroine, Rose. Yep, the mistress *Cue the collective gasp* Ironically, this is one of the reasons I kept putting off reading this book, even with my GR's friends giving it high ratings. I remember opening the book once, reading like one page, immediately changing my mind and closing it. Because the idea of rooting for a mistress made me feel uncomfortable; a bit contemptuous even. I wasn't sure I would ever be in the mood for this. Ha! My fickleness is showing.
Back to my love of Rose: 23 yr old, PA (personal assistant) extraordinaire, with photographic memory, and major OCD. Quirks galore. She had a particular obsession with the number 6 (there's a backstory). I grew to adore Rose' weirdness, her uniqueness. This girl was not the "husband-stealing harlot" we all probably imagine in our minds. Far, far from it. You have to read it to understand. There's just so much to Rose. The author did an amazing job in writing this character. The fact she made me root for her is impressive.
Ezra--the hero (37), happily married for 12 years. Father to a 10 yr old daughter. He was Rose' boss. And he fell madly in love with her. He fought it, he really did. He wrestled with this moral dilemma for a long time; he was torn in two directions. I actually empathised with him. But honestly, this is not the easiest love story to dissect. I'm not going to defend them, but I'm also not condemning them. It's just not that cut and dried. And as cheesy and cliché as it sounds, we can't always help falling in love with someone. Ezra did win my heart. Unfortunately, he would also rip it apart. Then again, falling in love with a married man is a concoction for heartbreak. Up until the 70ish% mark, the angst was well balanced. Loads of heavenly feels mixed with some anticipation and angst; it was sweet perfection. Then the angst spiked to insane heights. I swear I heard my heart yell, 'bitch, let me off this ride'. I was freakin perspiring, my heart going 100 mph and disintegrating. But I can't complain; I asked for it.
I also have to talk about Laurie. She's a secondary character. Rose' best friend, and she has Tourette's syndrome. I loved her! Such a riot, and such a wonderful friend. Her outbursts/tics made me chuckle every single time; sometimes I laughed so hard, I had tears in my eyes. "COTTON CANDY ORGAMS AND YOUR LOCAL ALCOHOLIC!" (I'm still laughing)
I guess I should also add a thing or two about Ezra's wife. At first she was bitchy and pretentious (which was the intention). But at the end when she discovers her husband's deceit, I felt terrible for her. Though she contributed to the underlying problems in her marriage, she didn't deserve what happened either. But such is life, right?
What I didn't like:
The separation between Rose and Ezra towards the end disappointed me. I didn't like how that played out. Rose lost her appeal and Ezra pissed me off. I was frustrated with that part of the book. I still felt compelled to give this 5 Stars.
HEA: Absolutely. I enjoyed the HEA.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
September 8, 2021
i just witnessed two male CEOs over 30, bouncing on a bed like 13 year old girls at the pajama party
if the author thought this would make the scene lovable, funny and wholesome, they were wrong.
this whole book is a mess. i don't even know where to begin.
the changes in heroine's appearance?
it's more important to look pretty than to handle her mental issues that are closely related to how she dresses.
the unnaturally friendly relationship she shares with her boss and his family?
i mean which married boss places his employee's head on their knees and pets their neck and head and kisses their palm while the boss' mother is in the car?
also it seems like not one single character knows about boundaries and privacy.
not to mention their flatness and odd mood swings.
the list is long and i just don't want to read this poorly and unrealistically executed characters and their story.
dnf
if the author thought this would make the scene lovable, funny and wholesome, they were wrong.
this whole book is a mess. i don't even know where to begin.
the changes in heroine's appearance?
it's more important to look pretty than to handle her mental issues that are closely related to how she dresses.
the unnaturally friendly relationship she shares with her boss and his family?
i mean which married boss places his employee's head on their knees and pets their neck and head and kisses their palm while the boss' mother is in the car?
also it seems like not one single character knows about boundaries and privacy.
not to mention their flatness and odd mood swings.
the list is long and i just don't want to read this poorly and unrealistically executed characters and their story.
dnf
Shelved as 'avoid-and-run-away'
December 2, 2019skank ass dumpster pussy + homewrecking whorebag twatwaffle + manchild and his skanky sidekick
June 18, 2021
DNF @ 77 percent
↳ maybe i will finish this one day. but this whole book was a huge *eye roll*. what happened to all the tension, angst and drama i love in cheating romances 😭😭 i just wasn't feeling this. i didn't enjoy it for the first 20 % then i started to really like it and then i got bored. so yeah, imma dnf for now.
↳ maybe i will finish this one day. but this whole book was a huge *eye roll*. what happened to all the tension, angst and drama i love in cheating romances 😭😭 i just wasn't feeling this. i didn't enjoy it for the first 20 % then i started to really like it and then i got bored. so yeah, imma dnf for now.
July 3, 2020
Not worth reading. H is screwing both the h and his wife without protection in the same timeframe. Says repeatedly that he loves his wife, even at the Endor the book, he is jealous that she dates another man. His marriage definitely wasn’t over. He wouldn’t have chosen the h if his wife hadn’t kicked his cheating butt to the curb. Not sure what the point of this story is. H is definitely not a “hero” he’s just another desperate man having a midlife crisis who still somehow gets two women that deserve better.
April 8, 2020
3.5 ish Stars
*It should come as no surprise that this book is about infidelity. If you hate cheating/affairs, then skip it- you’ll hate it.*
Free to read with KU, Becoming his Mistress follows Rose Sinclair, and her married boss Ezra Conti. I struggled with deciding to rate as a 3 or 4; in the end I split the difference, and decided to round up. I didn’t love the book, or find it deeply moving, but I feel that the author deserves props for: being brave enough to go there; keeping me up until 3am to finish; softening me (a married woman) to the homewrecking h.
This book is similar to K. Halle’s Love, in English, but M. Murphy goes deeper into the relationships of those affected, especially with the wife, and daughter. This might make some readers uncomfortable, having a front row seat to the affair with both the wife and daughter present, but I found the complexity of plot more entertaining than ( L,iE) where the H’s family is away in another country.
Another difference, is that Ezra, is happily married, and in love with his wife, Elizabeth. She is portrayed a bit bitchy, self-centered, and not the most hands-on mom, but not negatively enough that you hate her. In fact, none of the three are awful people, which makes it tough to decide how you want it all to shake out, and I changed my mind many times throughout the book.
Rose is odd, and I had a tough time really connecting, or even standing her. She has OCD, and this weird counting, clicking thing going on, and says random stupid shit, a lot. She also has a BF with Tourette’s that screams out profanity randomly. Other’s might think this is funny, and maybe the author wished to lighten the story, but I felt it was odd. ( and a smidge offensive to those with T.S.) Rose is super assertive and pushy when she wants something, but then will act shy, socially awkward, and weird. She will freak, cry, and panic if she wears anything that is revealing, or tight, but is super forward and aggressive with sex. She just didn’t make sense to me.
I don’t want to give spoilers, so I’ll be general. Rose, and Ezra’s relationship starts as friendship and slowly grows to attraction then love. She is in a relationship with someone else, much of the first part of the book. In fact, the couple fights their feelings for each other, and do not even hook up until 50% in. They both struggle with their decisions, and are plagued with guilt. It’s not an easy road.
Bottom line- The book is definitely unique. I don’t know that I’ve ever read a romance where half the time the H is professing his love for one, while wanting to commit to another. Like I said before, I can’t say I loved this, and didn’t have an emotional connection. In fact, I didn’t have big opinions who he would end up with, but was engrossed to see how it ended. By rating positively, I’m not saying I agree with the MC’s actions, or think having affairs is ok, but this is fiction, and the journey was pretty interesting. In the end the couple figured their shit out, and proceeded how they should have in the first place, and I guess everyone ends up happy.
*It should come as no surprise that this book is about infidelity. If you hate cheating/affairs, then skip it- you’ll hate it.*
Free to read with KU, Becoming his Mistress follows Rose Sinclair, and her married boss Ezra Conti. I struggled with deciding to rate as a 3 or 4; in the end I split the difference, and decided to round up. I didn’t love the book, or find it deeply moving, but I feel that the author deserves props for: being brave enough to go there; keeping me up until 3am to finish; softening me (a married woman) to the homewrecking h.
This book is similar to K. Halle’s Love, in English, but M. Murphy goes deeper into the relationships of those affected, especially with the wife, and daughter. This might make some readers uncomfortable, having a front row seat to the affair with both the wife and daughter present, but I found the complexity of plot more entertaining than ( L,iE) where the H’s family is away in another country.
Another difference, is that Ezra, is happily married, and in love with his wife, Elizabeth. She is portrayed a bit bitchy, self-centered, and not the most hands-on mom, but not negatively enough that you hate her. In fact, none of the three are awful people, which makes it tough to decide how you want it all to shake out, and I changed my mind many times throughout the book.
Rose is odd, and I had a tough time really connecting, or even standing her. She has OCD, and this weird counting, clicking thing going on, and says random stupid shit, a lot. She also has a BF with Tourette’s that screams out profanity randomly. Other’s might think this is funny, and maybe the author wished to lighten the story, but I felt it was odd. ( and a smidge offensive to those with T.S.) Rose is super assertive and pushy when she wants something, but then will act shy, socially awkward, and weird. She will freak, cry, and panic if she wears anything that is revealing, or tight, but is super forward and aggressive with sex. She just didn’t make sense to me.
I don’t want to give spoilers, so I’ll be general. Rose, and Ezra’s relationship starts as friendship and slowly grows to attraction then love. She is in a relationship with someone else, much of the first part of the book. In fact, the couple fights their feelings for each other, and do not even hook up until 50% in. They both struggle with their decisions, and are plagued with guilt. It’s not an easy road.
Bottom line- The book is definitely unique. I don’t know that I’ve ever read a romance where half the time the H is professing his love for one, while wanting to commit to another. Like I said before, I can’t say I loved this, and didn’t have an emotional connection. In fact, I didn’t have big opinions who he would end up with, but was engrossed to see how it ended. By rating positively, I’m not saying I agree with the MC’s actions, or think having affairs is ok, but this is fiction, and the journey was pretty interesting. In the end the couple figured their shit out, and proceeded how they should have in the first place, and I guess everyone ends up happy.
Shelved as 'avoid'
August 20, 2022Self note avoid
The h is the plain Jane mistress with ocd.
The H is married to someone he loves.
It’s hinted that he kept sleeping with the wife when he started fucking the h (he slept with them both!), but not confirmed. No condoms. Gross.
- the H wouldn’t have picked the h at the end, if his wife hadn’t kicked him out for cheating.
- he’s still in love with the wife at the end, and was jealous that she was dating.
Why do people love this?🙄 where is the love story?
Avoiding.
The h is the plain Jane mistress with ocd.
The H is married to someone he loves.
It’s hinted that he kept sleeping with the wife when he started fucking the h (he slept with them both!), but not confirmed. No condoms. Gross.
- the H wouldn’t have picked the h at the end, if his wife hadn’t kicked him out for cheating.
- he’s still in love with the wife at the end, and was jealous that she was dating.
Why do people love this?🙄 where is the love story?
Avoiding.
June 28, 2020
OMFG!!
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
If this book doesn't deserve a 5+ star rating then I don't know which one does!!??
So to begin with, this one has kept me on my toes from the very first page. I mean I read the first 100 pages in like 50 minutes 😂
Also it was so so so intense and emotionally demanding that I felt wronged at every point where things were getting messy. I become so attached to Rose and Ezra.
One has to keep their morals aside when reading a book like this as there were some points which were so cruel and unfair in the real life. I accepted them thinking it to be a fictional story but in real life I don't think I would have supported any if this.
Repeating of some scenes were kinda annoying as it felt like hundred times when Rose and Ezra 'finally' broke up. I wish that kind of drama was less. They kept on coming back and forth with newly found feelings and then again start to fight over guilt and all, which became boring at a point.
But somehow all the emotions were so overwhelming that I felt like crying over Rose's condition. She suffered alot!! Really alot!! And Ezra was being a real jerk at so many points that I wanted to slap him! But he is an amazing lover😭
I feel like I've so much to say about this but being the introvert that I am it's kinda difficult to put everything together.😖😅
But I would definitely say this that one should really read this if you are finding the meaning of love as above cheating, age gap, professional-ism and ethics is Love❤️.
If I already didn't believe in love or fairytale ending after reading this I definitely would.
Just WOW!!
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
If this book doesn't deserve a 5+ star rating then I don't know which one does!!??
So to begin with, this one has kept me on my toes from the very first page. I mean I read the first 100 pages in like 50 minutes 😂
Also it was so so so intense and emotionally demanding that I felt wronged at every point where things were getting messy. I become so attached to Rose and Ezra.
One has to keep their morals aside when reading a book like this as there were some points which were so cruel and unfair in the real life. I accepted them thinking it to be a fictional story but in real life I don't think I would have supported any if this.
Repeating of some scenes were kinda annoying as it felt like hundred times when Rose and Ezra 'finally' broke up. I wish that kind of drama was less. They kept on coming back and forth with newly found feelings and then again start to fight over guilt and all, which became boring at a point.
But somehow all the emotions were so overwhelming that I felt like crying over Rose's condition. She suffered alot!! Really alot!! And Ezra was being a real jerk at so many points that I wanted to slap him! But he is an amazing lover😭
I feel like I've so much to say about this but being the introvert that I am it's kinda difficult to put everything together.😖😅
But I would definitely say this that one should really read this if you are finding the meaning of love as above cheating, age gap, professional-ism and ethics is Love❤️.
If I already didn't believe in love or fairytale ending after reading this I definitely would.
Just WOW!!
May 7, 2020
✨Becoming His Mistress by A.E. Murphy✨
•
“𝙉𝙤,” 𝙝𝙚 𝙨𝙣𝙖𝙥𝙨 𝙖𝙣𝙙 𝙄 𝙨𝙦𝙪𝙚𝙖𝙠 𝙬𝙝𝙚𝙣 𝙝𝙞𝙨 𝙝𝙖𝙣𝙙 𝙜𝙧𝙖𝙗𝙨 𝙖 𝙛𝙞𝙨𝙩𝙛𝙪𝙡 𝙤𝙛 𝙢𝙮 𝙝𝙖𝙞𝙧. “𝙄𝙛 𝙮𝙤𝙪’𝙧𝙚 𝙜𝙤𝙞𝙣𝙜 𝙩𝙤 𝙦𝙪𝙞𝙩, 𝙞𝙩’𝙨 𝙜𝙤𝙞𝙣𝙜 𝙩𝙤 𝙗𝙚 𝙛𝙤𝙧 𝙖 𝙜𝙤𝙤𝙙 𝙛𝙪𝙘𝙠𝙞𝙣𝙜 𝙧𝙚𝙖𝙨𝙤𝙣, 𝙖𝙣𝙙 𝙣𝙤𝙩 𝙗𝙚𝙘𝙖𝙪𝙨𝙚 𝙤𝙛 𝙖 𝙬𝙝𝙖𝙩 𝙞𝙛.” “𝙎𝙩𝙤𝙥,” 𝙄 𝙗𝙚𝙜 𝙬𝙝𝙚𝙣 𝙝𝙚 𝙩𝙞𝙡𝙩𝙨 𝙢𝙮 𝙝𝙚𝙖𝙙 𝙗𝙖𝙘𝙠, 𝙝𝙞𝙨 𝙚𝙮𝙚𝙨 𝙗𝙡𝙖𝙯𝙞𝙣𝙜 𝙬𝙞𝙩𝙝 𝙥𝙤𝙨𝙨𝙚𝙨𝙨𝙞𝙤𝙣, 𝙙𝙚𝙨𝙞𝙧𝙚, 𝙖𝙣𝙙 𝙡𝙤𝙫𝙚.”
•
WOW. I am left breathless.. this was the first book I have ever read by this author and it was everything I wanted and more. This book has exceeded all my expectations. I loved everything about this book. It was raw, consuming, erotic, sexy, forbidden, heartbreaking, and mesmerizing. I felt all the emotions with this one.
•
When it comes to books I have no triggers, so seeing the title might rub some people the wrong way who don’t like cheating in books so be warned because of course there is. Now let me tell you, this book has been so well written and tastefully done it was spell binding. I don’t mind cheating in novels when they are tastefully done and this book was that. This book was so powerful I was on the edge of my seat every chapter. I need more from this author! In no way am I condoning cheating, but this book was fabulous.
•
So this was an office romance/forbidden/taboo romance in one. This book features Mr. Conti (Ezra) & Rose.
•
Rose has many quirks about herself and doesn’t really have a ton of confidence. But what she wants is this job. So after finally convincing her soon to be boss to hire her she is so relieved. Months past and Rose flourishes in her new position, her and Ezra are close and she does things no other PA does. She takes his daughter out, help his bitchy wife and is close with his mom and dad. When she starts dating Pax a co-worker this is where things take a turn for Ezra and Rose. Ezra soon realizes Rose means a lot more to him then a PA, and when Rose starts seeing Pax’s true colours she is driven right into the arms of Ezra with no way of stopping what her heart has always wanted but always warned her to stay away from.
•
4.5⭐️ & Can I just say that this cover is absolutely gorgeous😍❤️
•
“𝙉𝙤,” 𝙝𝙚 𝙨𝙣𝙖𝙥𝙨 𝙖𝙣𝙙 𝙄 𝙨𝙦𝙪𝙚𝙖𝙠 𝙬𝙝𝙚𝙣 𝙝𝙞𝙨 𝙝𝙖𝙣𝙙 𝙜𝙧𝙖𝙗𝙨 𝙖 𝙛𝙞𝙨𝙩𝙛𝙪𝙡 𝙤𝙛 𝙢𝙮 𝙝𝙖𝙞𝙧. “𝙄𝙛 𝙮𝙤𝙪’𝙧𝙚 𝙜𝙤𝙞𝙣𝙜 𝙩𝙤 𝙦𝙪𝙞𝙩, 𝙞𝙩’𝙨 𝙜𝙤𝙞𝙣𝙜 𝙩𝙤 𝙗𝙚 𝙛𝙤𝙧 𝙖 𝙜𝙤𝙤𝙙 𝙛𝙪𝙘𝙠𝙞𝙣𝙜 𝙧𝙚𝙖𝙨𝙤𝙣, 𝙖𝙣𝙙 𝙣𝙤𝙩 𝙗𝙚𝙘𝙖𝙪𝙨𝙚 𝙤𝙛 𝙖 𝙬𝙝𝙖𝙩 𝙞𝙛.” “𝙎𝙩𝙤𝙥,” 𝙄 𝙗𝙚𝙜 𝙬𝙝𝙚𝙣 𝙝𝙚 𝙩𝙞𝙡𝙩𝙨 𝙢𝙮 𝙝𝙚𝙖𝙙 𝙗𝙖𝙘𝙠, 𝙝𝙞𝙨 𝙚𝙮𝙚𝙨 𝙗𝙡𝙖𝙯𝙞𝙣𝙜 𝙬𝙞𝙩𝙝 𝙥𝙤𝙨𝙨𝙚𝙨𝙨𝙞𝙤𝙣, 𝙙𝙚𝙨𝙞𝙧𝙚, 𝙖𝙣𝙙 𝙡𝙤𝙫𝙚.”
•
WOW. I am left breathless.. this was the first book I have ever read by this author and it was everything I wanted and more. This book has exceeded all my expectations. I loved everything about this book. It was raw, consuming, erotic, sexy, forbidden, heartbreaking, and mesmerizing. I felt all the emotions with this one.
•
When it comes to books I have no triggers, so seeing the title might rub some people the wrong way who don’t like cheating in books so be warned because of course there is. Now let me tell you, this book has been so well written and tastefully done it was spell binding. I don’t mind cheating in novels when they are tastefully done and this book was that. This book was so powerful I was on the edge of my seat every chapter. I need more from this author! In no way am I condoning cheating, but this book was fabulous.
•
So this was an office romance/forbidden/taboo romance in one. This book features Mr. Conti (Ezra) & Rose.
•
Rose has many quirks about herself and doesn’t really have a ton of confidence. But what she wants is this job. So after finally convincing her soon to be boss to hire her she is so relieved. Months past and Rose flourishes in her new position, her and Ezra are close and she does things no other PA does. She takes his daughter out, help his bitchy wife and is close with his mom and dad. When she starts dating Pax a co-worker this is where things take a turn for Ezra and Rose. Ezra soon realizes Rose means a lot more to him then a PA, and when Rose starts seeing Pax’s true colours she is driven right into the arms of Ezra with no way of stopping what her heart has always wanted but always warned her to stay away from.
•
4.5⭐️ & Can I just say that this cover is absolutely gorgeous😍❤️
September 2, 2020
5+++ stars!
CHEATING is a definite no-no but I am truly amazed by A.E. Murphy's writing here. It's also crazy (and fascinating) how a book can evoke SO much emotions.
Rose is a quirky lady with OCD. Ezra, Rose's boss, is a married man with a lovely daughter. With every interaction, their bond became stronger and stronger. Soon, lines were blurred, feelings were involved and things got messy. Ezra's character was really well portrayed here - his struggle to make the 'correct' decision. No one is a saint in this book and there really isn't a 'good' or 'bad' character in here either. I guess this is one of the harsh reality of life. AND it's what makes this book so raw!!
“Because I’m trapped, I feel trapped.”
I rooted for them the whole time! just 6 words is enough to make me tear up 😭there's SO many heartbreakingly beautiful quotes inside that can literally break your heart again and again!!
I bury my face in my arms and cry. This hurts. It’s like physical pain. Searing, burning, aching, clenching pain that I can’t shake.
Ezra needs Rose. if only it was that simple.. 💔
Nevertheless, the ending was wonderful! Its an interesting take on cheating/affair. Beautifully written to make you feel all the emotions 😭
Highly recommended for those who enjoy forbidden/office romance, age gap, angst (x 100), humor (yes!), intense & emotional love scenes
CHEATING is a definite no-no but I am truly amazed by A.E. Murphy's writing here. It's also crazy (and fascinating) how a book can evoke SO much emotions.
Rose is a quirky lady with OCD. Ezra, Rose's boss, is a married man with a lovely daughter. With every interaction, their bond became stronger and stronger. Soon, lines were blurred, feelings were involved and things got messy. Ezra's character was really well portrayed here - his struggle to make the 'correct' decision. No one is a saint in this book and there really isn't a 'good' or 'bad' character in here either. I guess this is one of the harsh reality of life. AND it's what makes this book so raw!!
“Because I’m trapped, I feel trapped.”
I rooted for them the whole time! just 6 words is enough to make me tear up 😭there's SO many heartbreakingly beautiful quotes inside that can literally break your heart again and again!!
I bury my face in my arms and cry. This hurts. It’s like physical pain. Searing, burning, aching, clenching pain that I can’t shake.
Ezra needs Rose. if only it was that simple.. 💔
Nevertheless, the ending was wonderful! Its an interesting take on cheating/affair. Beautifully written to make you feel all the emotions 😭
Highly recommended for those who enjoy forbidden/office romance, age gap, angst (x 100), humor (yes!), intense & emotional love scenes
November 26, 2020
4.25 stars
Ouch…. Okay, this book was much more intense and realistic as I expected. Frankly speaking, especially based on front cover and straightforward title, I expected lighter version of romance with carefree teasing, mostly to erotic intercourses. But book was the exact opposite. The first chapter seemed pretty unreal to me (which CEO, without HR people, accepts the candidate for a job interview by himself?), but then the story unfolded nicely. Be prepared for gut-wrenching situations, story felt unrestrained, frank and stressful.
TRIGGER WARNING: this book contains CHEATING, so please don't read it if you might feel affected negatively by the story itself and therefore not be able to enjoy reading it.
My opinion on Ezra, no matter how the story ended and that I was for "Rose team":
Ouch…. Okay, this book was much more intense and realistic as I expected. Frankly speaking, especially based on front cover and straightforward title, I expected lighter version of romance with carefree teasing, mostly to erotic intercourses. But book was the exact opposite. The first chapter seemed pretty unreal to me (which CEO, without HR people, accepts the candidate for a job interview by himself?), but then the story unfolded nicely. Be prepared for gut-wrenching situations, story felt unrestrained, frank and stressful.
TRIGGER WARNING: this book contains CHEATING, so please don't read it if you might feel affected negatively by the story itself and therefore not be able to enjoy reading it.
My opinion on Ezra, no matter how the story ended and that I was for "Rose team":
Read
August 14, 2022I truly don't know how to rate this book and I don't think that's ever happened before.
Mild spoilers below.
A romance book with cheating at the centre is always going to be a hard one because there is really nothing romantic about cheating is there? I mean it happens and people fall out of love and relationships overlap all the time but it's never really nice for the cheated party and for the cheaters there is always a tarnish on their relationship.
I struggled with Ezra from the start and was always 50-50 on him. Constantly telling Rose even before they had started cheating that he loved his wife it really seemed like he was a greedy man that wanted too much although as it progresses it's more apparent that while he loves his wife he's not IN love with her but still it stung. I wanted him to not love her, I mean she's seemingly a pretty terrible mother and wife so I wanted him to not love her but I guess life isn't about neat little bows and boxes to tie everything up and compartmentalize.
I liked Rose a lot and I think given her age and how little she knew about relationships she tried a lot harder than Ezra to not hurt his wife, in fact she pretty much put in all the effort only to have Ezra in my opinion quite cruelly lead her along. What was a few months? He could have waited but he didn't.
By the time we reached 75% though whatever ground Ezra had gained with me was completely lost. He was a coward, cruel and absolutely nothing that he could say could justify his actions. Rose was second best even though he claimed she wasn't. If his wife's lies had been truths he'd have never left her, he was willing to be with a woman he didn't love while ruining the one he did and for me that was just unforgivable. Again you could argue that life isn't neat and tidy and perhaps this is a more realistic representation but damn it, it's a romance book and I want my heroes to love their heroines completely with no compromise and Ezra just didn't in my opinion.
Even at the epilogue I only felt 70% sure their marriage would last. I mean cheaters cheat don't they? I'm sure when he married his first wife he felt it was forever and even though he claimed to love her it wasn't enough and he fell in love with another so in 10-12 years time when Rose isn't falling on her knees for him is he going to find someone else who makes him feel special?
Maybe cheating is a hard limit for me, I have personal opinions on it as it has affected my own life in huge ways but I think in certain circumstances I could have understood but in this book I wasn't really sold on it.
If I had to rate it on how I feel about the H it would be 1 star but if I rated it on the fact I stayed up until 2am with my stomach in knots wanting to see what happened I'd give it 4.
Mild spoilers below.
A romance book with cheating at the centre is always going to be a hard one because there is really nothing romantic about cheating is there? I mean it happens and people fall out of love and relationships overlap all the time but it's never really nice for the cheated party and for the cheaters there is always a tarnish on their relationship.
I struggled with Ezra from the start and was always 50-50 on him. Constantly telling Rose even before they had started cheating that he loved his wife it really seemed like he was a greedy man that wanted too much although as it progresses it's more apparent that while he loves his wife he's not IN love with her but still it stung. I wanted him to not love her, I mean she's seemingly a pretty terrible mother and wife so I wanted him to not love her but I guess life isn't about neat little bows and boxes to tie everything up and compartmentalize.
I liked Rose a lot and I think given her age and how little she knew about relationships she tried a lot harder than Ezra to not hurt his wife, in fact she pretty much put in all the effort only to have Ezra in my opinion quite cruelly lead her along. What was a few months? He could have waited but he didn't.
By the time we reached 75% though whatever ground Ezra had gained with me was completely lost. He was a coward, cruel and absolutely nothing that he could say could justify his actions. Rose was second best even though he claimed she wasn't. If his wife's lies had been truths he'd have never left her, he was willing to be with a woman he didn't love while ruining the one he did and for me that was just unforgivable. Again you could argue that life isn't neat and tidy and perhaps this is a more realistic representation but damn it, it's a romance book and I want my heroes to love their heroines completely with no compromise and Ezra just didn't in my opinion.
Even at the epilogue I only felt 70% sure their marriage would last. I mean cheaters cheat don't they? I'm sure when he married his first wife he felt it was forever and even though he claimed to love her it wasn't enough and he fell in love with another so in 10-12 years time when Rose isn't falling on her knees for him is he going to find someone else who makes him feel special?
Maybe cheating is a hard limit for me, I have personal opinions on it as it has affected my own life in huge ways but I think in certain circumstances I could have understood but in this book I wasn't really sold on it.
If I had to rate it on how I feel about the H it would be 1 star but if I rated it on the fact I stayed up until 2am with my stomach in knots wanting to see what happened I'd give it 4.
October 13, 2019
So I was very apprehensive about reading this as cheating is a big no no but I trust Miss Murphy and thank God I did!
Steamy, emotional, infuriating, hilarious and damn cute it is.
The characters are awesome as always Rose a girl after my own heart - inexperienced, shy, frumpy, hard worker. Then there’s Ezra.... **sigh** hot, handsome, cute, hot, romantic..... hot 🥵 in an extremely difficult situation that neither wanted but the whole situation exceeded my expectations and was nothing like I imagined.
but Laurie though - I need a friend like her......
that last scene 👍🏼
But seriously
How do you do it?
I started BHM last night and had to have my kindle forcibly removed by my grumpy other half, who I woke up at 3am shouting
‘NOOOOO! DONT BE SO STUPID!! YOU’RE AN IDIOT!’
Back to it this morning and I’ve awww’d, gasped, oh hell no’d, shouted some more, cried and finally laughed my ass off; my OH just walked out the front door muttering about my incessant cacking doing his head in 😂 and I my kids think I’m emotionally unstable.....
Can you do another but about Laurie and her hilariousness and dating life - pretty please! 💙💙
Steamy, emotional, infuriating, hilarious and damn cute it is.
The characters are awesome as always Rose a girl after my own heart - inexperienced, shy, frumpy, hard worker. Then there’s Ezra.... **sigh** hot, handsome, cute, hot, romantic..... hot 🥵 in an extremely difficult situation that neither wanted but the whole situation exceeded my expectations and was nothing like I imagined.
but Laurie though - I need a friend like her......
that last scene 👍🏼
But seriously
How do you do it?
I started BHM last night and had to have my kindle forcibly removed by my grumpy other half, who I woke up at 3am shouting
‘NOOOOO! DONT BE SO STUPID!! YOU’RE AN IDIOT!’
Back to it this morning and I’ve awww’d, gasped, oh hell no’d, shouted some more, cried and finally laughed my ass off; my OH just walked out the front door muttering about my incessant cacking doing his head in 😂 and I my kids think I’m emotionally unstable.....
Can you do another but about Laurie and her hilariousness and dating life - pretty please! 💙💙
April 16, 2024
3.5 stars
TW: On-page cheating from the pov of cheaters
This book has been sitting on my TBR for years. Cheating is not among my favourite tropes but I have no specific triggers for fictional cheating. But I do experience pre-emptive angst about heavy subject matters which can make me drag my feet for ages before tackling such stories. But here I am at last, and I am glad of the experience.
Despite its alluring title, I think that considering this book to be only about cheating and possibly an apology for it (and having haters just rant for the sake of) is reductive imho. It is a pretty big book (a tad too long for my tastes) and is roughly divided as follows:
AEM wrote this book (in an excellent, crisp style I might add) without any blinkers on all aspects of cheating. Rose and Ezra's story was at times not pretty but I could never hate them. Cheating is not glorified by the story but rather the specific context of Rose and Ezra's situation is exposed so readers may see the grey zone of this not so black and white difficult situation. Different secondary characters give them their own views on cheating. Many people were truly hurt. It was sometimes raw. Messy. But also true and human.
I personally did not judge them for how it first happened nor how they carried on for some time after (because I got their 'helpless' feelings angle, even if it was no excuse for cheating and did not make it right) but
Now about the angsty betrayal part:
"You broke me. And now you want weekly updates on how I'm doing? What the fuck is that? I never even want to see you again."
"You don't mean that... what we have is... it's real and you know it."
"No, your marriage is real. What we had were sprinkles on the top of your perfect world and TNT in the foundations of my already shit one."
Definitely not an easy book to love, but AEM's sensitive pen helped. There was some very good angst moments, the ending was lovely, and I loved how Rose was so down to earth, always seeing clearly the situation, even when it was unpretty, and not hesitating to tell things to Ezra's face. She is the main reason I am rounding up my GR rating. And despite the difficult subject matter and the imperfections I noted, I would still heartily recommend this book because its original angle on cheating is well worth reading for each reader to make its own opinion.
P.S. Trivia comment:
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
August 28, 2020
This book was great but Rose is too nice. This man left her and fired her like a coward and she took him back like in blink and no suffering. Then he had the nerve to show up with his wife and try to touch her, he got a lot balls and Rose is better than me.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
September 17, 2019
Never in the history of all the books I’ve ever read have I rooted so strongly for a man to ditch his wife for another woman, leaving his impressionable child to needing intense therapy before resigning herself to life long daddy issues and a career of working the pole for the dollars thrown her way.
But holy hotness wrapped in a suit and tie nailing me against the office door, I was throwing dollars at that little girl and telling her to wooooorrrrrrrk.
The lead characters, Rose and Ezra, will have loosening up your collars a bit because the sparks and heat pouring off these two are … well… they just are. so. hot. This book has a best friend in Laurie who needs her own book. Like, you are going to love her.
I just, gah. I can’t even. I don’t have enough words in my feeble mind to express to you how quickly you will devour this book. You will laugh. You will have feels. You will throw your paperback or e-reader across the room, kick your feet on the floor in full-on epic diva toddler temper tantrum. You will want more.
But holy hotness wrapped in a suit and tie nailing me against the office door, I was throwing dollars at that little girl and telling her to wooooorrrrrrrk.
The lead characters, Rose and Ezra, will have loosening up your collars a bit because the sparks and heat pouring off these two are … well… they just are. so. hot. This book has a best friend in Laurie who needs her own book. Like, you are going to love her.
I just, gah. I can’t even. I don’t have enough words in my feeble mind to express to you how quickly you will devour this book. You will laugh. You will have feels. You will throw your paperback or e-reader across the room, kick your feet on the floor in full-on epic diva toddler temper tantrum. You will want more.
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