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.
New York Times and USA Today bestselling
author Katee Robert continues her smoking-hot series about
the O'Malleys-wealthy, powerful, and full of scandalous
family secrets.
Carrigan O'Malley has always known her arranged marriage
would be more about power and prestige than passion. But
after one taste of the hard-bodied, whiskey-voiced James
Halloran, she's ruined for anyone else. Too bad James and
his family are enemy number 1.
Hallorans vs. O'Malleys-that's how it's always been. James
should be thinking more about how to expand his family's
empire instead of how silky Carrigan's skin is against his
and how he can next get her into his bed. Those are
dangerous thoughts. But not nearly as dangerous as he'll be
if he can't get what he wants: Carrigan by his side for the
rest of their lives.
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