Contract Wedding, Expectant Bride (Courtesan Brides)

The story was good until the last part. She was hurt, her baby reject and she goes back to him like nothing? The writer needed to give some time, him to regaining her trust, maybe let the baby be born, months pass, then she will trust him again an take him back. Sorry the writer missed the final by a lot

a bit silly

Where do I begin with the whole courtesan thing? Like other reviewers I had problems with this. The idea that a woman with a known sexual history (supposedly) would be acceptable to be Queen, consort to the king and mother to the next king is a big stumbling block for believability for me. Though as Rocco says at one point, he wouldn't be the first king to marry his mistress. *cough* American woman, abdicated king. But yeah...the whole abdication thing would have been a downer. But if you go back in history, well known mistresses of powerful men were accepted in high society within certain parameters. And infidelity in royal circles is not unexpected. It's only in recent years that we have imposed expectations of a middle class morality on them. So...I can live with that, especially as the events surrounding Rocco's approval as king brought the country to the brink of danger and he would have a high approval rating by the time he presented his potential bride.So, back to the story. Ottavia Romolo has history that cannot be ignored. Well known among certain circles as a companion (read courtesan, suspect high priced hooker) to mostly mature men, the attraction Rocco feels for her is inconvenient considering he's about to go bride hunting among the princesses of Europe to meet a deadline imposed by factions within the government.Ottavia is very experienced at the business of being a courtesan and for her it is purely business. She does not want to be attracted to her clients or make for complications. The attraction she feels for Rocco is therefore rather inconvenient...and tempting.So we have two people, unwillingly attracted, with no future, putting together a contract for a limited time business deal. You can see the problems already. Luckily there are opportunities for Ottavia to demonstrate exactly how clever she is and how suitable to be his Queen, except for the whole courtesan thing.Overall this was an interesting read on a challenging subject in more ways than one. The jerk factor on Rocco's side got a little high at one point and another complication was resolved way too conveniently. The villains were obvious but there was a certain amount of tension waiting for them to make their move.This wasn't a perfect book. But it did make me cry close to the end so according to my rules, it had to get 5 stars. It gave me the feels and they were good feels.

The second in the Courtesan brides duo is another incredible story by Ms. Lindsay. King Rocco has to find a wife to take control of his throne as someone is trying to make him abdicate. He has taken Ottavia Romolo and kept her thinking she may be good for him after all she is a courtesan. What he doesn't know is she has secrets from her past that she guards from view and they are what makes her as strong as she is. Her definition of a courtesan is much different than the Kings'. Sounds like a simple story but trust me this author writes wonderful stories that keep you glued to the pages. There is romance yes there is intrique yes and there are untrustworthy people who are out to get King Rocco but to tell anymore would ruin this story and its a book all will enjoy. I love Ms. Lindsay's book but this one is even more special than the others. You can read it alone but you will want to get the first one also as both are incredible.

Contract Wedding, Expectant Bride is the second book in Yvonne Lindsay's Courtesan Brides series. Ms. Lindsay introduced us to King Rocco and Ottavia Romolo in the first book in the series. This story picks up with Rocco deciding to sign Ottavia as his Courtesan. Surprisingly, her services, at first, are not what he expected. Ottavia is also hiding secrets of her own from Rocco and Rocco’s legacy is in jeopardy as he deals with antiquated laws. He also discovers that those around him are not as loyal as he once believed.Contract Wedding Expectant Bride is a fabulous read. I enjoyed the tension between Rocco and Ottavia as they learned to deal with their situation. I also felt the pain the Ottavia endured. It was a quick read for me and I highly recommend reading it. I’d like to disclose that I received an advance copy on exchange for a fair and honest review.

I liked this book, it was a solid book with characters that I wasn't sure I liked in the beginning. As I got to know Ottavia and Rocco, especially during their interactions, I liked them quite a bit. The story had a bit of everything: romance, intrigue, and a male character who was a complete idiot when it came to the woman he loved. I have the same reservations that others have in that the entire kingdom knows what Ottavia did for a living, even though they weren't privy to the biggest clause in her contracts.I really enjoy Yvonne Lindsay's writing and I liked the way she developed her main characters. This will definitely satisfy your desire for an unexpected Royal Romance.**I received an advanced copy in exchange for an honest review.

This was truly a remarkable read. Ottavia had a troubled past and Rocco was the perfect hero to help her trust. Love does conquer all in the end no matter how many bumps in the road.