An arranged marriage neither wants, but both soon crave… from USA TODAY bestselling author Naima Simone! Manipulated into a marriage of inconvenience, until one sizzling kiss changes everything… Devon Cole must marry Cain Farrell or lose everything. But she can never let her billionaire husband-to-be know why she agreed to her father’s dangerous machinations. Just as she’ll never know … machinations. Just as she’ll never know her father is blackmailing Cain to tie the knot, too. What kind of marriage can Devon even expect from a man with such cold eyes…and such hot kisses? She’s about to find out.
From Harlequin Desire: Luxury, scandal, desire–welcome to the lives of the American elite.
Billionaires of Boston
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This is their story. Not only is it an arranged marriage but they both are unwilling participants. This book hooked me from the start. The interaction between Devon and Cain was amazing. There was betrayal, family secrets, and blackmail. That alone is the making for a great story, and this is one of those. It played out well and secrets were revealed. The writing was wonderful the characters were wonderful. The book was amazing.
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
Devon and Cain’s story…OMG. It was so good. The passion these two had between them even though they were being forced to marry…it was so hot. I highly recommend this book if you are looking for a spicy hot book by an amazing author. I also highly recommend checking out Naima’s past books. Just a warning….you do not want to read her books while on your 10 minute lunch break (if you are a teacher). Once you start her books, you cannot put them down.
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
Cain Ferrell has been belittled and abused by his father all his life and now at thirty two he has no contact with the man at all until his father dies and he has to move back into his fathers house for one year. Devon lost her mom at a early age but comes from a loud and loving family from New Jersey until her father makes it big with his electronics stores and wants Devon and himself to be accepted in the Boston Society. When Cain has a meeting with her father he learns that his father and her father made a legal agreement that Cain would marry Devon which makes Cain furious but he goes along with the plan but what he did not expect is to find Devon a sweet down to earth beautiful woman unlike the women who are constantly wanting him for his money but he is not sure he can trust her.
Naima Simone has restored my love of category romance! Every book she’s released through the Harlequin line has been fun to read, but this book had that something special that had me wanting the rest of the series immediately. I’m a sucker for the old-school arranged marriage trope, and this book delivered in a big way. Not just one, but two unwilling participants in this fake relationship! As is the case with my reviews of these category romances, I do not want to give away a single detail of the story. What I will say is that fans of the soap-operaesque stories of the 80’s and 90’s will find much to love in this book. Blackmail, secret siblings, adult children finding a way to overcome the familial obligations dumped on them by overbearing fathers, this book was a delight! Devon and Cain have understandably built walls around their hearts. Neither wants to risk being hurt again, but their chemistry is off-the-charts and they cannot deny the attraction. Those moments allow for an intimacy that goes beyond the physical, as they each surrender a little more of their truth to the other. At the same time that I found myself cheering for Devon as she stood up for herself, I found myself hurting for Cain because I knew losing her would wreck him. My heart was in my throat as he apologized, allowing himself to be one hundred percent emotionally invested. Such a beautiful ending! The only thing I’m sad about is that the next installment of the series isn’t available immediately. I cannot wait revisit Devon and Cain again, and I’m really looking forward to seeing how the Farrell brothers’ relationship continues to evolve.
Vows in Name Only is the first book in Naima Simone’s Billionaires of Boston series. The premise of the series is that a cold, hard, unlikeable man dies and as a stipulation to his will, his three sons have to run his company together. The kicker is the sons don’t know the others exist until that moment.
In Vows in Name Only, the older legal son, Cain Farrell, is a tormented man who has had to endure the abuse of his father. Just when he thought he would finally get some peace, he discovers several big surprises. One, not only did his father cheat on his mother, he had children he never acknowledged. Two, the company Cain thought would be his, has to be shared with two strangers. And three, he has to live the next year in his father’s house, a house he hates beyond measure. As if all that wasn’t enough, Cain finds out that his father signed a contract for him to marry Devon Cole, a woman he has never heard of or met before.
As an only child, Devon promised her dying mother she would look take care of her father. She just never imagined that that promise would include leaving the big Italian family she loved so much behind or being forced to marry a man she doesn’t know. Devon is driven by misguided loyalty, which makes it easy for her to be taken advantage of.
I loved Devon for her openness, compassion, and sense of humor. I’m going to admit that Cain won’t go down as one of my favorite heroes. He didn’t worm his way into my heart. With his oftentimes abrasive attitude, I picture him more as a hero from Royal, Texas, and less of one from a sophisticated Boston society family. He’s a man who really seemed to keep himself locked away. I completely understand his need to protect himself but I wanted more from him.
Cain and Devon may have been forced to be together by their vengeful, conniving fathers, but it’s their love for the people they hold dear that keeps them together. That love for others eventually leads them to realize that their lustful attraction to each other is so much more. Unfortunately, their pasts, their inability to trust themselves or others, and the way they have been brought together stand in their way.
I think part of the beauty of Vows in Name Only is that through Cain and Devon’s back and forth interaction, they learned who the other truly was. This wasn’t a story where Devon needed to be rescued. She just needed to be reminded of her worth, and in turn, was able to remind Cain of his true worth, and in doing so embrace the new additions to his family, thus rescuing him.
For me, the true stars of this story are Devon and Cain’s younger half-brothers Achilles and Kenan. I’m looking forward to their stories and learning more about them. I have a feeling we’ll see more of Cain, and in turn, will see a different side of him.
~ Favorite Quote ~
“I’d rather be alone, giving one hundred percent to myself, than receiving fifty from someone else. I’m worth one hundred. I deserve it.”
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
The attraction was immediate – trust…took a bit longer. Devon and Cain, welded together by Devon’s father’s ruthless manipulation, fall in love as they go through the motions of a high-profile engagement.
Simone’s Vows in Name Only is an adventure in tension and drama. It’s sexy and theatrical, and is a roller coaster of emotion. Devon’s father’s manipulation of the characters is infuriating, and you feel every once of Cain’s frustration as he deals with the situation that he finds himself in after his father’s death – and every bit of his attraction to the woman he discovers he’s engaged to, and that he’s sure is as untrustworthy as her father. Devon’s sweetness and heart make her perfect for Cain, particularly as they stumble through the rawness of their feelings and find their own equilibrium in their relationship. Cain’s newfound brothers are intriguing, though at times I felt they were a bit shoehorned into a scene, in the end they’re characters I’m looking forward to reading about in the future. This story was high drama and heart-wrenching emotion, and was a very enjoyable read. I loved Simone’s writing, and her ability to pull out the feelings of the characters and make them truly live in the story. (Also, I loved that the heroine was described as not-a-stick in this story!) Vows in Name Only is definitely recommended, and definitely an author (and series!) that I’m going to keep my eye on!
Devon Cole works as a youth coordinator at a community center of which her father Gregory Cole is threatening to take away the funding if she does not cooperate with marrying Cain Farrell. Cain Farrell is CEO of a billionaire company and the son of Barron Farrell who Gregory blackmailed into marrying his daughter in return to not leak information about Barron’s wife.
Devon and Cain first met at his Cain’s fathers house in the garden after his father’s funeral. They instantly clicked but didn’t exchanged numbers.
Barron was not a good husband nor father to Cain nor to his two illegitimate sons Achilles and Kennan of which neither knew about the other. In his father’s will Cain must live in the house that has brought him so many bad memories for a year and run the company with his two illegitimate brothers for a year.
Devon’s father was once a loving father and husband. Devon’s mom died and her father seemed to never recover from the death of his wife. Devon and her dad moved to Boston away from the family they once knew and never looked back. Gregory became a millionaire but thru bad investment his money has dwelled considerably.
Cain officially meets Devon at her father’s house and assumes that Devon is in on the marriage scheme, but Devon is also being blackmailed by her dad.
This is such a great love story where two hearts meet and need each other.
Cain’s brothers Achilles and Kennan are equally great and they get along so well.
I highly recommend this book, pick up your copy today and find out more about Cain, Devon, Achilles, Kennan and of course Gregory.
Waiting patiently until August 2021 for Achilles book.
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
I really enjoyed reading about Cain and Devon. Their chemistry is off the charts and there is nothing like a enemies to lovers story. Naima Simone never disappoints.
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
Cain’s abusive and manipulative father has died and is still manipulating him from the grave. He has just found out that he has two illagenamant brothers that he must let help him run the business and he must live in his family home for a year also or he will lose the business. He finds out a week later that he is being blackmailed to marry a stranger. Devon met Cain briefly at the wake and is attracted to him and is shocked when she finds out who her father is blackmailing her to marry. Devon doesn’t want anything to do with what her father is blackmailing her to do and she has no choice. What will happen now. Cain hates Devon and her father. I enjoyed the story. It is heartwrenching. How can a father behave so badly?
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
Who doesn’t love a good marriage of convenience story?
Devon’s being blackmailed into a marriage of convenience – just another part of her father’s always grasping for more money, more power. Then she meets the man she’s to marry, not knowing at first he’s who her father has picked. He’s gorgeous and hides a lot of pain behind his beautiful eyes. Perhaps their marriage won’t be so bad after all…
Naima Simone never ever fails to bring the heat, here she’s brought equal amounts of heart in a feel-good, sweet sexy story. Devon is the kind of heroine I love most – strong with a big heart, who stands up for herself to the men in her life seeking to bring her down. And Cain, damn, Cain. He’s a hot mess with so much pain, I felt like we barely scratched the surface of his story, but I loved him with Devon, they were a fabulous couple. And his previously unknown half brothers, equally as interesting as his brothers with stories I’m itching to read now!,
This is an interesting storyline of how by being blackmailed and at the same time finding love through the pain. As we find the two main characters Cain Farrell being blackmailed from the grave by his father who stipulate that he has to live in his fathers home and run the family with two half brothers unknown to him as a result of Cain’s father numerous affairs with other women. Then there is Devon Cole who has been devoted to her father since her mother’s death when she was a young teen girl and now he is forcing her to a arrange blackmail marriage with Cain.
When the couple first met at Cain’s fathers repast there was a spark between them but neither knew that they would both be blackmailed into a forced marriage.
I found this to be an emotional read because two see two innocent peoples lives being turned upside down all because of the sins of their father’s control and greed. The hurt and pain they both were going through, I wanted to help Devon punish her father myself.
The storyline held my attention and was a pager turner to the very end. I can’t wait to find out if their will be a backstory on Cain’s two half brothers Achilles and Kenan.
I highly recommend this book to read especially with the romance, suspense, steamy, power play and blackmailing storyline.
Cassandra H.
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
4 1/2 STARS!
Hatred and lust collide to bring us this delicious opposites attract romance from Naima Simone. In VOWS IN NAME ONLY each party is being blackmailed to marry, but neither knows that is the case for the other. Strong characters and an entrenching plot carry this fast paced story to a satisfying conclusion.
Devon was a bit wishy washy for me. She was kindhearted and accomplished in helping the youth, but I found it hard to stomach that she walked away from family so easily to please her father.
Cain was a delight. I’m especially looking forward to continuing the storyline with his family.
I recommend this book to anyone who loves a scandal wrapped in betrayal as a steaming hot connection is in the works. I’m looking forward to more from the Billionaires of Boston!
I will be honest I wasnt so sure how this story would end up. I am not really a fan of arranged marriage by force. However I loved this story. I was rooting for Devon and Cain! They both were basically surrounded by horrible families but as they get closer and realized they were made for each other. I LOVED them together. Cain was sweet and swoon worthy for sure as you got to know him. I look forward to the next books and hearing more about his brothers he just found out about. There was a lot going on in the book so I found myself unable to put it down! Love Naima and her writing so I was captivated! I was totally invested in the story from the beginning! Enjoy!
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
Marriage of convenience stories are my favorite! Loved this one!
We’ve all read the fake marriage turned love story, but this one is a refreshing twist of that sordid tale. Cain and Devon have a chance meeting and feel the spark, only to be later thrust together by her conniving, blackmailing father. Both Cain and Devon are fantastic characters that pull together after a series of difficult conversations and poignant moments. I love Devon’s strength as the heroine. Definitely a must read!
I received a free copy of this book and am voluntarily leaving a review.
YESSSSSS! A new Naima Simone always hits the spot!
Don’t miss this glamorous marriage of convenience romance from Naima Simone!
Arranged marriage, luxury, scandal… AND written by the fantastic Naima Simone? Um, YES PLEASE!!!
You can’t go wrong with Naima Simone! If you love a marriage of convenience / marriage with secrets plot then this is for you!