James Halloran and Carrigan O'Malley had a short-lived tryst four months before, but belonging to rival Boston crime families, it was a one-time thing. Or should have been. Neither James nor Carrigan can forget the other, and Carrigan knows even more than James that anything between them is impossible: Carrigan's father has decided to marry her off to a man of her choosing on the list of desirable grooms he hands her. Carrigan hoped that day would never come, but she doesn't have much choice in the matter, so since her father has set her wedding date three weeks' hence, Carrigan will live it up... with James, and hope no one will be the wiser.

I hadn't been prepared for The Marriage Contract , the previous book, although I had absolutely adored Teague O'Malley. I am not a fan of mob romances, and it hadn't been clear to me that "The O'Malleys" was about warring crime families, but Katee Robert's characterizations are so outstanding, I decided to give it a go with THE WEDDING PACT. And forgive my shallowness, I must admit the scrumptious cover had a lot to do with my choice, although it turns out James looks nothing like the cover model, but who cares! I feel I owe Katee Robert an apology: this time, knowing what the series was all about, and on the strength of how much I had liked Teague and this gorgeous cover, I set my prejudices aside and in return I got to read a fabulous book. THE WEDDING PACT, in my opinion, much better than "The Marriage Contract", and I don't think in my case, it's forewarned being forearmed. And this time, I simply adored both Carrigan and James. Both are stuck in a life they don't want, but know they can't escape, so they make the best of it. While she still has dreams of a life that she knows is denied her, Carrigan has no illusions: she understands she is but a pawn in her father's politics. She is a realist but is definitely no doormat; I love her spirit and also the relationship she has with her two sisters. James hates the hand he's been dealt: he inherited the reigns of the Halloran crime family; at least, he knows he's the best man for the job, unlike his brother.

Readers shouldn't expect a sappy, predictable story, or a sort of a Romeo and Juliet rehash: THE WEDDING PACT is original, and very cleverly plotted. Carrigan and James had realised their attraction under peculiar circumstances -- Carrigan had been kidnapped by the Hallorans -- and yet, the whole situation was not preposterous in the least, because Carrigan and James both understand the world they belong to and see it for what it is. And believe me on this, because I have a very low tolerance level when it comes to suspend disbelief. The same goes for the arranged marriage subplot, which makes complete sense. The prose is as uncluttered as the world the characters evolve in, and faithful to their situation, the pace is very brisk, there is not a dull moment, and the romance between Carrigan and James is entirely believable, to my surprise and delight, and I really felt their passion. And what can I say about the ending? Absolutely fantastic! I cannot wait for the next instalment, as it features Cillian O'Malley, who is a brilliant character; it promises to be very exciting. Given my misgivings about the first book, it will surprise everyone that it saddens me that "The O'Malleys" is supposed to be only a trilogy, because there are a lot of stories that beg to be told for so many of those outstanding characters.