There were rules in the cash-for-beauty game. The money held the power. The beauty followed the rules and jumped through the hoops.THE BRIDEI knew what everyone would think if they knew the truth about my marriage.They’d be shocked and appalled. And rightly so.I was a young, modern, independent woman, and I’d done the unthinkable. I’d sold my virginity to a spoiled, rich boy. To a stranger … stranger who didn’t love me. And yes, I’d done it all for money.THE GROOMMy bride was as gorgeous as she was unwelcome.As desirable as she was unwanted. I wanted nothing to do with her, but that didn’t seem to matter exactly the second she got close enough to touch. I wanted her to hate me more than she loved the millions she’d sold herself for. I wanted to spurn her, but unfortunately, I wanted to fuck her more.ARRANGED is a standalone erotic romance.
more
This bookkkkkkk. I highly, highly recommend. I devoured it and I’ve thought about it for weeks. Banks is such a jerk, but redeemable. A sexy, angsty, page flipper.
This was one of my most favorite book of 2019. I finished it in one seating and would recommend this book to anyone who loves romance.
-Jhuveria
This is, I think my second R.K. Lilley book and up to around 80% I was pretty sure this was going to be a favourite of mine but the last 20% was just flat for me. All that delicious angst, hate and drama that built up surrounding the two leads just went poof! up in the air.
Another thing that I actually liked in the beginning but was hoping would change as we progressed into the story was the writing. In the beginning, it was clinical, no it was detached and personally, I felt it was quite telling given how the situation but, as I said, I really hoped that detachment would turn warm and a tad affectionate but it didn’t.
Did it have the potential to become better? Yes, yes it did. So much of it but personally it just didn’t reach that point I was hoping from this book.
2.5 – 3 Stars!
Arranged tore strips off my heart, broke that heart twice, made me put it down to wipe these foreign things falling down my cheeks (I am so not a crier) before I could continue, and I did not want it to end! It’s a book filled with rip-your-heart-out pain, unmatched beauty, desperate cruelty, powerful desire, natural friendship, and a love that cannot be denied.
Noura…I loved her and wanted to be that friend that stood up for her at every turn. I understood why she married for money. The more I learned about her, the more I loved her and wanted to protect her. She’s the kind of person that makes others want to stand between her and the man who was determined hurt her with every word he spewed. There were more than a few times that I wanted to tell her that she deserved so much better! I admired her strength and her goodness. I just adored her pure heart and wanted Banks to earn it and not abuse it.
Banks…gaaawwwwd I hated him for most of the book. Every word, (almost) every action he took against Noura was so hateful. I admit there were so many times I wanted to throat punch him then shake him to really see what kind of person he married so he could feel horrible. But then those glimpses of the real Banks saved him. I had to see how much better he was going to be. Normally, when the male lead is so horrible to the female, I drop the book. But R.k. Lilley was making this so good and I couldn’t stop. The fact that he was hot helped.
I didn’t want this book to end, so much so that I have read it 8 times already, even though there were a couple moments where I had to stop and put it down because I had these foreign tears falling down my face. This is one of the reasons why R.k. Lilley is on my short list of constant re-read authors and is my unicorn author. She pulls my emotions from me. Wait. Let me rephrase…she unapologetically yanks them from me. And I’m celebrating this release with her! I’m so happy she’s back!!
THREE STARS and that’s be a bit of a stretch….
OK, I did not love this book which kind of sucks because I’ve read several arranged marriage type tropes and they are usually so full of angst, heart and a snarky heroine, this just wasn’t. Calder Banks Castelo is the alphaholes of alphaholes but it wasn’t until the very end where I could finally see a bit of a heart in this man. He was just an ass, not even a sweet beneath surface ass. Nope, just an ass.
Noura was a total pushover, yes, she signed a contract and that was her job BUT there were parts that were just a bit too far anyone would have snapped. The part with Noura in the pool was a bit farfetched to me. Yes, Banks ex is crazy and obsessed but there was no hint of that through the whole book. You could tell she was obsessed with him but that is about it.
Overall, this book gets 2.5 stars but rounding up to 3 stars because I really wanted to like it and even though Banks was quite the douche, he did come around so, that’s something.
I really liked it but felt lost in parts while reading it. It started strong and intense but I just felt like I was missing important information. It took quite a while to get to Calder’s point of view too, and I really wanted to know more about him. We do get some glimpses into his head, however, it’s Noura’s for the most part. The ending felt a tad rushed and incomplete, sort of like a recap of what we could’ve witnessed in their relationship at that point, and that disappointed me a little. But I did love the storyline, and the intense chemistry between the two main characters throughout the book.
I absolutely devoured this book after a reader in a FB group recommended it. Arranged married, enemies-to-lovers, a good grovel? GIDDY UP. I wish it’d been a duet as the last 25% wrapped up rather quickly a lot of events that could’ve made a whole other book but all in all this was highly entertaining and I’ll definitely seek out more books by this author.
I grabbed this one based on a recommendation from someone in the Help Me Name that Book group on Facebook. (If you are at a loss for what to read, that is the place to go.) This is the type of read that has the “cheating” trigger that for many is a no-go but I have to say that it is actually understandable and goes with the story.
Noura is an 18-year-old lower-level model who wants security so she puts herself into the “Bride Catalogue”, a book of gorgeous women who are looking to marry wealthy. Noura is picked by Calder’s father to be his bride. Calder goes through with the wedding but he is bitter about it. He was given no choice IF he wanted to continue to receive his father’s financial assistance and his inheritance. Noura is trained to be a trophy wife and she hopes that her husband will be courteous despite the circumstances. Unfortunately, he is absolutely not.
Straight up, Calder is a grade A asshole. He takes out his anger at his father and what he forced him to do on Noura, thinking she is a golddigger. He is a spoiled little rich boy who is headed for a major fall. Noura is naive, despite having some life experience. She sold herself for a secure life without thinking of the possible consequences. Both are too much and way not enough for what is happening.
R.K. Lilley shows her character’s growth nicely as they go from the people they start off as to the people they should be. There were times where I wanted to smack each of them, but for me, that makes for good reading. A good story that you should take a chance on.
Omg! I Loved this arranged marriage story!
-Cold & Callous Hero (he can definitely be mean at times)
-Sweet, Virgin heroine who’s a bit feisty
-Slight Age Gap
-Possessive & controlling Hero
-Angsty/tension between H and h
-Hot steamy scenes
-Flawed characters who earn their HEA
-Groveling
-h brings H to his knees
– H wants the h without any barriers
I really liked this book. I know the content wasn’t to everyone’s liking but it was after all a marriage for money and not love. I loved the storyline and the characters, and as I’m new to RK Lilley I’m excited to read more from her. I highly recommend.
I had a lot of mixed feelings for this book. Without giving away anything I don’t think this story would have gone the same if I was in Noura’s place. Calder is another story all together. I still am not sure about that man.
Chester and Vincent were a great add to the story along with Jovie.
This is a first book for me by RK Lilley, and if this is any indication of what her other books are like, then I’m in. First off, Banks is just my type of anti-hero. He is broody, harsh, disrespectful and just an overall dick. Noura has strength and it shows. She may have tolerated his disgusting berations but she held her head high for the bigger picture.
The aggression, the estrangement and tongue lashings ( ) all added to heighten and intensify the passion between the two. The push and pull of attraction plays with each of their emotions and feelings until the ultimate happens. They fall in love with each other, but by this time secrets and betrayals come to light and may be too extreme to be forgiven.
It is just so refreshing to read a story that is not a vanilla version of romance. Not everything is butterflies and rainbows in a relationship and this story gives you that flipside. Although there is a HEA it was definitely earned. Thank you RK Lilley for providing a story to those of us that like a little more grit in our romance.
I have read from RK Lilley on the past and honestly Im OKay with this book. Arranged was a story of marriage arrangement between Noura and Banks Castelo. The world between the elite was complex and compelling. I adored Noura for her independence.. she was the young bride who settle for the most.. her story to discover success and love was crazy. The sexual tension were hot hot dont get me wrong… but I was confusing with the mixed signals and for the way it ended.. I was hoping for more emotional.. the story had potential but it didnt go the way I hope for…
¸¸.•*¨*•Spoiler Free Review•*¨*•.¸¸
What I loved most about this contemporary novel…
The almost historical throwback premise / Engrossing & quick audiobook listen / Entertaining / An eclectic & intriguing mix of characters / Original / Well-timed steamy moments / Romantic / HEA / Epilogue
My Top Favorite Reflection:
‘Life is full of giving, taking, borrowing, and moving on.
And balance.’ ~Noura
I how Noura and Banks eventually figured this out.
¸¸.•*¨*•Unabridged Audiobook Info•*¨*•.¸¸
Format read: Audible Audiobook
Narrated by: Jason Clarke & Summer Morton
Length: 9 hrs and 16 mins
Release Date: 07-19-19
Publisher: R K Lilley LLC
Writing style: Dual POVs (Noura’s & Banks’)
Cover gush: The colors (purple and pink especially) are so gorgeous, and I love the overlay of images as well.
Collected in Dual Formats – Yes or No? Yes!
I own a copy in Kindle e-book & Audible audiobook as well.
Characters:
Noura aka ‘Duchess’ – our 18-year old virgin heroine bride; an international model
Calder Banks Castelo aka ‘Banks’ – our older late twenty-something or early thirty-something (either his age never mentioned or I totally missed it) groom and hero; an entrepreneur and one of many male heirs to his parents’ fortune
Chester – Noura’s # 1 bodyguard and friendliest comrade-in-arms
Vincent – Noura’s quiet 2nd bodyguard
Jovie – an emancipated 14-year old female model that Noura takes in as a roommate
Diana Castelo – Banks’ mother; a former model now in her fifties and a warm mother-in-law
Pasco Castelo – Banks’ father; a very rich but relatively down-to-earth man born into a billion dollar empire
Asha – Noura’s assigned but ultimately vengeful personal assistant
Fatima Banks’ devious and vicious ex-fiancée
Ratings
Overall It was the perfect listen and helped me get through a 5-hour session of laundry at the laundromat last Saturday.
Performances each Jason Clarke and Summer Morton delivered flawless and fantastic vocal performances. I absolutely love this narrating duo!
It’s always a pleasure to hear them team up because both make great vocal acting choices and can do decent opposite gender voices – no easy feat! I am so picky about the latter skill. There are a couple of narrators that I loved early on in my audiobook listening / reading that eventually I got burned out on because I have a hard time listening to them do ear-grating opposite gender voice acting. So, it’s always a relief to discover male and female narrators who do both genders realistically well. I will always be eager to listen to either of these narrators on future audiobooks.
Story
I loved the unusually anachronistic concept of this novel. This wasn’t just an erotic novel with a few moments outside the bedroom thrown in for seasoning. Their fall into lust and then their gradual fall into love was fascinating to me, and I very much enjoyed the secondary characters and how they interacted with our heroine and hero.
I also enjoyed our hero’s stubbornness to win his lover’s trust and heart after things went south for them. My personal impression is that kind of determination is not common in a lot of Real Life relationships. It’s so much easier for couples to write each other off if there’s too much work involved to win the other back.
Final thoughts:
This love story totally ranks among my favorites / reread worthy audiobooks. Bravo, R.K. Lilley, Jason Clarke and Summer Morton!
Audible Review Title: ‘Fabulous narration & fantastic love story combined’
Characters = 4/5
Plot = 5/5
Romance = 3/5
Mystery = 3/5
Action = 4/5
Darkness = 2/5
Humor = 0/5
Stars = 4
Would I recommend this book = Yes
Would I read future books by this author = Yes
The plot was amazing yet predictable. An arranged marriage with the promise to not fall in love is common sense. However, the characters and side plot of a jealous ex made this one great.
I loved Noura. All she wanted was to succeed in life and be more than someone living from packcheck to paycheck. She handled her new lifestyle better than I would have. When things got rough she handled it like a boss. Her tough streak eventually comes to the end when things happen in the pool. After that, she is on her own and doing well.
I loved/hated Calder Banks. He was a huge jerk and was emotionally abusive. When he finally grew up he realized that he had something beautiful in front of him the whole time. Jealous ex’s and a struggle may just be the end for his chances.
In the long run, my emotions are everywhere after reading this. I loved it, I hated it, I wanted to scream, and my heart broke. I simply want more of it. Books like this that tug on your soul are simply the best. Having the feeling of wanting to throw your book and speed read at the same time are what make reading with it.
I can also say that I really hope there are other books that involve the Castelo brothers coming out. This family seems like they have a candid past and would love to get more of them.
The only reason I gave this a 4 star rating is because the end seemed rushed. I absolutely wanted more.
First things first- I love Rebecca, she’s the sweetest human and a kickass writer. I’ve fallen for all her men and fallen hard.
This book though released after a long gap, I didn’t care!! I grabbed it soonest and devoured it.
Its full of volcanic emotions on both ends of the spectrum. There’s raging passion and blood curdling hostility, wounding everyone when they collide. A battlefield of personalities where everybody loses in the end
She has created an asshole of the degenerate Degree- Calder Banks Costello. He carries a volcano of boiling anger inside him, lashing out at everybody. His tongue is a virtual whip, beating everybody and anybody. To be honest, some of the filth he spews is very tough to come back from or for me to digest.
“She’s a piece of art that my father bought for me to fuck on a regular basis. An expensive blow up doll. A gorgeous fucking cum dumpster. She’s my own private whore”
At this point I was ready to bash his teeth in
Having said that, I can understand that it stems from his utter frustration and humiliation from having lost everything at the hands of misjudged love.
Put in a corner, he orders The Bride Catalogue (I’ve heard about it actually in real life), and picks 18 year old, supermodel-in-the-making, Noura as his mate.
Here comes the point of contention that many readers and reviewers are stuck on. Her cold hearted motive….WHY!
All I can say is that she is very much aware of her naked truths in life, her diminished pool of resources and her a lack of ability to change things, so she opts for this wholeheartedly.
SHE GOES IN WITH EYES OPEN.
“I was a young modern, independent woman, and I’d done the unthinkable.
I’d sold my virginity to a spoiled rich boy.
And yes, I’d done it all for money.”
She knows her role, she’s been vetted thoroughly, her background researched with a fine tooth comb, she’s been groomed for 6 months and now she’s ready to be a plasticated trophy wife to stand by Banks’s side. There’s a book of rules she has to strictly adhere to and it’s as thick as a telephone directory,I swear.
“There were rules in Cash-For-Beauty game. The Money held the power, the Beauty followed the rules and jumped through the hoops”
Oh and she’s a virgin- that got her extra bucks
Their “marriage” is of course a sham and pretend drama. Complete with practiced Fake Smiles, staged touches, choreographed embraces and counterfeit laughs.
But nowhere in the rule book does it say that she’d be falling in love with Calder…does it?
“He owned me, but he didn’t love me”
Whole lot of complications crop up and tides of trust and lust ebb and flow, advance and retreat.
So as I’m reading reviews I see some readers having trouble accepting the basic aggression of Calder and what he did, which was heinous in my opinion BTW, and why did Noura accept it.
Here’s my take- Noura is VERY VERY CLEAR in her head as to what she’s going into this “arrangement for. She’s NOT CONFLICTED at all!! For an 18 year old that’s too much sensibility, BUT having met Christie Turlington and listening to her, I did realise these supermodels are who they are in their teens due to their superior intelligence and dedication to their profession. Not everybody gets to achieve what they do, they grow up fast and smart generally starting at 14 working till 19. A very short career and lifespan as a model.
Noura immediately took space in my heart and throughout the story my feeling for her were unchanged. I could see beyond her stoic mask and her stark realities broke my heart.
Calder was confused, burnt out by love, vindictive, on a path of destruction. His personal took me Awhile to get attached to, but he did, right about when his character graph showed an upward incline.
his problem was his pent up emotions that needed a vent. He’s burning with passion and Wrath at the same time and the Embers fall on poor Noura many times scar her, so why does she take it silently?????
Because she doesn’t take her eye off her target…simple! Wrong or right, that’s what she does and OWNS IT. Along with her my moral compass remained firmly pointing north throughout
The transformation of Calder was gradual and slower than expected and his past was nipping at his heels. His nefarious actions are hard to digest but in his mind he was justified and as a reader outside looking in, I accept it
As for the people touting that story is “unbelievable and unrealistic “, I know of One such arrangement in NYC and it’s quite a custom in India.
Only thing that bothered me was that it should have been a Duet, it had so much story in it, so much more potential. Or maybe I was just greedy and wanted more and more. Rebecca can spin love and heartbreak tales like no other and I’d have loved a more elaborate plotting of the end and thrown some more wrenches, seen more of Chester, Asha, Jovie angles. But still I couldn’t put it down. I started at noon and finished at 12:02 am(I checked the clock).
I love her unusual writing style so I enjoyed it so much, I never put it down…to hell with housework!
I bet you’ll do the same
4.5 stars for Gold digger & Spoiled Rich Boy
Arranged was better than I expected that kept me engaged from start to finish. It was an arranged marriage between Noura and Calder. It may appear from an early chapter that it’s only Noura who will gain from this kind of arrangement. Surely, it helped her establish her name in the modeling world and the respect of the society with “Castelo” as her last name. Though she went into this with her eyes wide open, she isn’t prepared how loathsome her husband is. Calder always belittles Noura and told her she’s nothing but a gold digger. After enduring all Calder’s insult and double standards mentality. Noura snapped.
“I may be a gold digger,” I said succinctly. ” But you’re a spoiled rich boy. I heard what your father said about your startup capital. You do know that means that you married me for exactly the same reason that I married you. You’re a hypocrite judging me like that for doing the same thing you are.”
The story was erotic, romantic, angsty, intense and you definitely wanted to know all the way through what was going to happen next. A very well written romance. I really liked this author’s writing style here. I loved this story and the characters really drew me in. Particularly Noura’s she may appear weak, but her inner strength comes out just in time for Calder to realize that he’s messing with the wrong woman. This is a great read for anyone wanting this kind of premise. Highly recommended.
Let me first start by saying that I don’t have any triggers when reading, I go with the flow with an open mind and just enjoy the story for what it is. I know there are themes in this book that not everyone is going to love or agree with and that’s OK too, for me this book was a great read!
Noura and Calder’s story begins on their wedding day, they are virtual strangers and have been set up as an arranged marriage, why? Money basically. Noura is the 18 year old virgin who sold herself as a mail order bride, and yes we do get to find her reasons behind it as the book goes on. A beautiful successful model that is not as naive as you may think.
Calder is a 26 year old from old money, a spoilt self entitled rich guy who is following his father’s request to marry or face losing his inheritance. He wants nothing to do with Noura, he presumes she is a pretty girl with not a whole lot going on in that pretty head of hers, basically a pure gold digger and treats her like crap.
Calder and Noura are both under no disillusions that this was made to be a real marriage, it is one of convenience; but there is an attraction between them. Calder goes weeks at a time with no contact with Noura and when he does see her he is generally a total douche. It’s a book, I don’t mind reading a good Alphahole and I found Calder to have tendencies like Jesse Ward and Wolfe from TKT and hey I loved those men in the end too!
With the main characters spending so much time apart the majority of the book is in Noura’s POV, with the occasional chapter inserted in Calders POV, which to me were perfectly placed, giving the right amount of input needed at pivotal moments. I loved the cold edge to their relationship, watching how it evolved and how they evolved as characters throughout. There were twists and turns a plenty as we came to the back end of the story that had me raging one moment and tearing up the next.
Arranged is a great comeback novel from Rebecca, I love her writing style, it’s engaging and it flows well. Is it one of her strongest no, but this is her first standalone novel so things aren’t going to be as developed as her previous work that were written over duets or trilogies. I for one loved this book and I am so pleased that Miss Lilley has her writing grove back. I cannot wait to see what is heading our way soon.
Oh boy, this one didn’t work for me at all. There was no core plot till after 50%ish of the book. I don’t know how I finished it, maybe I was waiting for a huge plot twist. This book won’t deter me from reading more of R.K.’s work, but I was sorely disappointed in this one.
I’ve been seeing a lot of negative reviews for this book, but I feel otherwise.
When I read the first chapter on Wattapad I felt like it was a big tease for me and I love this author so I will read anything she gives us.
I actually felt like I was sucked into the story. I know that the main characters were obviously not for everyone, but I liked the whole arrangement idea and how he was not happy about it because he didn’t arrange the marriage, it was arranged for him. Obviously the guy was going to be livid, upset and downright pissed off about it especially when he was still pining for another woman. Banks had no say in this if he wanted to comply with the stipulations that were given to him to achieve what he wanted.
Noura, even though signed up to this arranged marriage, she did it because she was struggling in life and this was a great opportunity to get exposure and get her career going and this marriage obviously did help her in that regards. Noura knew that this marriage was not based on love and she could deal with his nastiness, and the fact that she hardly saw him was a bonus, until it wasn’t.
The sex was smoking hot and fun to read, even though most of it was hate sex…until it wasn’t.
I liked how the story developed and how the characters eventually evolved.
I will definitely put this on my top read of 2019!