Synopsis

Dion Windsor and Faye have been engaged since they were kids, but the ten years between them kept Dion away from her for years, first at a boarding school overseas and later at college in England. What no one knows is that behind that distance lies a guilt that eats at him, he's convinced he's the reason his parents and Faye's mother were on the plane that took their lives.

When he can no longer escape the wedding, he comes home and discovers that his shy fiancée has a boyfriend. After intercepting the two of them on their way up to a room in one of his family's hotels, he starts getting to know the Faye she hides from the world, and the more he learns about her, the harder he falls. But all Faye has ever wanted is to be free, something she never had in a home marked by abuse. How can he keep her in a marriage she never chose, when she's meant to fly high?

The protagonists

My review

Friends, I'll say it without a second thought: The Unwanted Marriage is by far my favorite Windsors book so far. It's the third in the series, Dion and Faye's story, and from the very first pages I knew I'd end up with my heart aching and happy at the same time.

I loved the tropes. Dion and Faye have been engaged since childhood, a marriage arranged by their families that neither of them took very seriously. He spent years away, ignoring the engagement, and she got on with her life, until a rival shows up and Dion sees her with another man. That's the end of his indifference, instantly, and watching him realize he's not willing to lose her is one of the best parts of the book. I adore a hero who falls first, and Dion falls hard, jealous, protective and completely gone for her.

What I loved most is how naturally the romance unfolds. There are no weird jumps or overnight love, they truly get to know each other, and that closeness goes hand in hand with each of them discovering who they are. Faye grew up in a house where she could never be herself, and little by little she figures out who she is and what she wants beyond what was expected of her. Dion, meanwhile, carries enormous guilt over the death of his parents and Faye's mom, and it's beautiful to watch them heal each other's wounds while still growing on their own.

It has the kind of spicy scenes you're grateful for, zero cheating and a guaranteed happily ever after, which, as you know, is non-negotiable for me. Long live Ms. Catharina, truly, and I can't wait to keep reading about the Windsor siblings. Five stars, no hesitation.

Content warnings: death of parents in a plane crash (in the past), guilt and grief, family abuse toward the heroine, ten-year age gap.

Who is this for?

Where to buy it?