Buy: Amazon

Review

6 stars!

Oh my heart, I adored this read! The third book in the Rose Hill series, it’s a dramatic, emotional and exciting enemies-to-lovers, fake marriage romance that had me swooning, laughing and crying, and I loved every single moment. It’s a fave for 2025!

Tabby has spent the last few years of her life looking out for her troubled sister, and when she unexpected dies, Tabby immediately assumes responsibility for her five year old nephew, Milo, and brings him to her home in Rose Hill to care for him. And then her sister’s neighbour from Canada shows up at her house claiming that he has custody of little Milo according to her sister’s will.

Rhys never thought he’d become a Dad, but he spent a lot of time with Milo, and loves the little boy fiercely. He only wants what is best for Milo, and he quickly realises that he should be with his family, especially when Tabby makes it clear that she has no intention of letting Milo go. So they agree to a temporary marriage of convenience so that Rhys can stay in the country and the two of them can care for Milo together.

Though they barely know each other, there is a lot of hostility between Tabby and Rhys. They met years earlier, and while Tabby blames him for her sister’s downfall, Rhys believes that Tabby wanted nothing to do with her sister or nephew. He can easily see that that is not true, but the animosity still makes the start of their marriage a difficult one as. But as they get to know each other, they start to realise that there is so much more to the situation than what they’ve been told.

It’s a fantastic set-up and I loved the way this story played out. Though Rhys is instantly smitten with Tabby, there are a lot of lies and distrust between them, but faking a relationship, living together and getting married, they’re forced to put it all aside for the sake of the little boy in their care. And when they start developing feelings for each other, it all becomes even more complicated.

Here I am, heart pounding in my ears, lungs struggling for air, fucking hearts in my eyes as a woman who tolerates my presence glides down the aisle toward me.

Rhys is broody, damaged, sexy and protective hero gold! He is quiet and keeps to himself, his mysterious work has him travelling a lot, and he’s secretive about his life and his past, but though he’s huge and muscled, he’s an absolute teddy bear. His love for Milo is so beautiful to see, and best of all, he falls fast for his new wife (and yes, there are a fabulous number of “my wife” moments) and the longing and unrequited love are so beautifully written!

“Does love start off as obsession? Because that’s what I am. Obsessed with my wife.”

Tabby is a force of nature and I love, love, love her! She’s confident and fiercely protective over little Milo, and her anger towards Rhys may be misplaced but it’s completely understandable. I loved watching her change as she gets to know her new husband, and seeing her wrestle with her grief and anger against her growing feelings is such an emotional ride.

It’s a slow burn, full of chemistry, intensity, and SO much emotion. I was bubbling with anticipation just waiting for something to happen between these two, and when they finally confess their feelings, oh my heart, I was in a world of swoon. It’s sexy and emotional, and all of the things I love in a love story, and I was completely swept up in these two together.

“I wish you weren’t seeing me like this.”
My brow furrows. “Like what?”
“At my worst.”
I tip my head toward her. “Then it’s all uphill from here, baby. It’s going to make seeing you at your best so damn special.”

Though they are initially full of secrets, their growing relationship is honest and open. They talk about everything, and I loved that there is no game playing and no stupidness, just two people following their hearts and figuring it out as they go along.

The character development is fantastic. They both grow and change so much. They learn from each other, they bring out the best in each other, and they support and love each other without question. They are an absolute powerhouse together, and I loved everything about this love story.

“This is what you do when you love somebody. And I have every intention of loving you just as thoroughly as I know you love me. You just have to let me.”

There is a bit of a fun element to this story – Rhys’ secret job is that he is a pro-wrestler. Like, a super-famous WWE-style wrestler (whose identity is kept a secret by his wearing a mask while in character), and OMG, it’s awesome! I admit, with boys in my house I have gotten swept up in the WWE excitement in real life and seeing it on the page is so much fun. The drama and excitement in those scenes are palpable, and you can tell by the way that Elsie writes it that she’s a fan. Rhys’ wrestling life ties in with his character journey so well and I thought it was such a great addition to the story.

The characters from earlier books in the series all appear as Tabby is friends with the girls, and Rhys is eagerly accepted onto the boys’ bowling team (hehe). I loved seeing them all again as they accept Rhys and Tabby into their group, and I’m so excited for Bash to get his story told next.

I could rave on and on about this book. It’s emotional, fun, sexy, sweet and super romantic with characters that I adore, and it’s everything that I love about reading romance.

I listened to this as an audiobook, narrated by Jason Clarke and Samantha Brentmoor, and they are absolute perfection! Samantha brings Tabby to life and Clarke’s growly voice is Rhys in every way, and I definitely recommend listening to this one.

Such an amazing read – 6 huge stars!