Reviewed by Kat
TITLE: Rearranged
SERIES: Do-Over (Book 1)
AUTHOR: E.M. Denning
PUBLISHER: Paper Gold Publishing
LENGTH: 215 pages
RELEASE DATE: April 6, 2022
BLURB:
Rowan McAllister is an obedient son. He went to the schools his parents wanted. He walked the path they set him on with no complaints. Then he even agreed to marry the son of a long time family friend. When he marries a complete stranger after his bachelor party in Las Vegas, it’s the craziest, yet somehow also the sanest thing he’s ever done. But if he’s finally taking charge of his life, why does he feel so out of control?
Sid Wallace is literally the red-headed stepchild. Marrying a stranger is the latest in a long list of rebellions Sid has staged. Right from that first night, being with Rowan feels as if it’s more than a rebellion. Staying married to the handsome stranger isn’t a hardship for Sid, but Rowan’s parents are adamant that he needs to annul his marriage to Sid.
Everything Rowan does is for his family. Everything Sid does is despite his. Rowan is used to toeing the line and Sid is used to crossing it. How can two men who are so different fall in love so fast and can they make a marriage work when it happened on a whim?
REVIEW:
Pleasantly not what I expected. This was a true treat!
Rowan McAllister does everything that’s been expected of him by his parents since he was a young boy. He begged, when he was younger, to go to an artsy summer camp but they made him go to young business mastermind conference instead. He wanted to go to a local college in Portland, Oregon but they sent him away to a prestigious one instead. He even let them pair him up in an arranged marriage to the son of a family/financial friend. He is the epitome of the good son. While in Vega for his bachelor party with his younger twin brothers they meet a gorgeous ginger and invite him to dinner with them since he is alone. Sparks fly and suddenly Rowan wakes up married to Sid, whom his parents and step siblings label him as the lazy playboy that inherited a huge trust fund from his dead birth father he had no contact with.
Both Sid and Rowan are very wealthy and, in completely different ways, used/abused mentally and verbally by their parents. They were exactly what the other needed to complete and compliment their needs and personalities. They met under very unusual circumstances but it was like fate had them there at the same time to rescue and save each other. And I loved it. What I didn’t love was how both sets of parents manipulated/bullied these men for their own personal needs. It was great to watch both Rowan and Sid stand up against their mate’s parents and protect them from the bullying that was being done.
What I’m still not sure of is why Rowan’s parents seemed to be being blackmailed by Harrison’s parents and that was the reasoning for the arranged marriage. I am assuming that Harrison and Jack’s story will be up next and those questions, and others, will be answered then. I am also hopeful that Max and Derek become a thing too.
This was a great beginning to what appears to be a wonderful series coming our way. I love the chemistry that sizzled between Rowan and Sid and the love that resulted. This story may have started off as insta-lust but built into something wonderful that was tangible and real. I highly recommend it.
RATING: 
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