CATEGORIES: BOOK BLOG POSTS, BOOK REVIEWS, ROMANCE
ABOUT THE BOOK
Author: CARIAN COLE
Genres: CONTEMPORARY ROMANCE
Publisher: INDIE PUBLISHED
Publishing Date: 2/1/2001
Format: AUDIOBOOK
Page Count/LISTENING TIME: 510 PAGES/ 13 hours, 28 minutes
Carian Cole delivers a sweet but sexy slow burn, age gap, marriage of convenience romance with major swoony feels!
GOODREADS SUMMARY:
I guess you could say I was a damsel in distress, and he was my knight in shining armor. But more accurately, I was a girl with a lot of bad luck, and he was a guy with a lot of muscles and tattoos.
Jude “Lucky” Lucketti wasn’t just a sexy, brooding construction worker. He was my own personal hero who seemed to be in all the right places at the right times. Like when my car broke down and I needed a ride home, and when I face planted on the sidewalk right in front of him and had to be taken to the emergency room.
Those weren’t exactly my best moments, but they were his.
We became friends, and it didn’t matter that he was sixteen years older than me. We had a lot in common—like our love of old rock music and vintage fast cars, and our painful pasts that made us leery of love and relationships.
When he approached me with a crazy idea to help me out with my many problems, I couldn’t say no. He offered me a lifeline.
The arrangement was supposed to be temporary. A marriage on paper and a safe place to live—nothing else.
It should’ve been easy, but it wasn’t. Because here I am, eighteen years old and married to a man I was never supposed to fall in love with. And now, I really don’t want that divorce we agreed to.
We had just one rule—no kissing the bride. But we broke that rule, and it sealed our fate forever.
My Thoughts:
After experiencing a prolonged romance reading drought, I sought recommendations from my favorite BookTuber, MaretoMary. Her video titled “BEST AGE GAP ROMANCES EVER… CARIAN COLE, BABY” offered intriguing suggestions, as she’s known for taboo romance recommendations.
After hearing the synopsis of one book, I promptly paused the video and downloaded it on Audible. As a connoisseur of forbidden romance, I can’t resist this genre, which conjures up Luther Ingram’s classic song, “If loving you is wrong, I don’t want to be right.”🎶
The story begins with Jude (aka Lucky) spotting Skylar exiting a beat-up vintage Corvette dressed in ’70s attire. Later, during a downpour, her car fails to start, and he witnesses her fending off some bothersome boys. He admires her spirit and dubs her “Sparkles.”
"Hey Skylar! If you need a ride, I got one for your right here." The kid grabs his junk and laughs hysterically.
"That's a little small for me, Micheal," she yells back. "I'd rather ride your dad and make you call me mommy."
Lucky gallantly offers to call a tow truck and give Skylar a lift home. Despite initial reluctance due to his rugged appearance – tattooed muscles and long hair – she accepts his offer.
Over time, Lucky continually assists Skylar whenever needed, while maintaining a strictly platonic relationship. He’s puzzled by his motivation but knows he enjoys her company.
However, when Skylar collapses and requires an emergency hospital visit, the gravity of her situation becomes apparent. She has a troubled home life with an uncaring hoarder mother and absentee father. Her living conditions are bleak: junk from floor-to-ceiling, filth, bugs, and mold.
On top of all this, Skylar has severe health problems and doesn’t have health insurance.
Upon recovering from initial shock, she realizes marrying him isn’t a bad idea. He’s been chivalrous and he happens to be hot – a total zaddy.
THE TWO TIE THE KNOT…
They marry under one condition: no physical intimacy. The relationship is purely for convenience.
Lucky repeatedly reminds himself: Don’t kiss the bride.
Yet, their simmering chemistry has other ideas. Their undeniable attraction escalates from touches to kisses, then kisses to… well, just read the book.
But it’s not just about the physical aspect; Lucky genuinely falls for Skylar’s feisty, kind-hearted persona. Similarly, she comes to love his protective nature toward others, including her.
“It’s not about sex—I can get that anywhere. It’s a magnetic pull to get closer. Emotionally. Physically. Every time I’m with her I get this feeling of indescribable contentment that I can’t even wrap my head around.”
While Don’t Kiss The Bride had some spicy scenes, I yearned for more. At times, the slow burn felt too drawn out, leaving me impatiently urging them to “just kiss already!” If you’re looking for some smut – this isn’t it.
The focus leans more toward establishing a deep connection between the characters, making it an excellent read for fans of Penelope Douglas’s “Birthday Girl.”
By the end, I was left wishing the antagonists – Skylar’s neglectful parents and bullies – would’ve gotten their just desserts. I felt as thought they got off too easy.
Nonetheless, Carian Cole successfully crafts a believable and captivating love story transcending age differences. I thoroughly enjoyed this taboo age-gap romance and believe you will too!
Craving more romance recommendations? Check out my post: “Top Six Swoon-Worthy Romance Novels.”
Feel free to leave comments on this title or share additional romance suggestions. Happy reading!