Cassandra's Review of Hopeless Vows by Rachael Duncan ~ RELEASE BLITZ ~ EXCERPT ~ GIVEAWAY ~

Title: Hopeless Vows 

Author: Rachael Duncan

Genre: Contemporary Romance Standalone

Release Date: February 22, 2016 Photographer: Perrywinkle Photography
Cover Designer: Cover Me Darling

It was a modern take on an arranged marriage that was supposed to lead to my happily ever after. The rules were simple: 

1. Marry a complete stranger chosen for you by professionals.

2. Live together as man and wife for eight weeks while cameras record your every move.

3. Make a decision to stay together or get a divorce.

Call me crazy, but I had complete faith in the process, until I saw who was waiting for me at the end of the aisle.

Austin James has never met me, but that doesn’t mean I don’t know him. With no other choice, I say my vows and pray I can make it through the next eight weeks. Then I’ll leave. What connects us is my best kept secret, and I’ll protect it at all costs even if that means walking away from the only person I’ve ever cared about.

"This is the first book I've read by Rachael Duncan, but it won't be my last. I absolutely loved this book from start to finish." - A.M. Madden, Amazon and Barnes & Noble Best Selling Romance Author

"I can't rate Hopeless Vows high enough and I honestly feel like this will be Rachael's breakthrough novel that will take her places and have her name known all around this community. Brilliant job!" -Swoon Worthy Book Blog

"I haven't had a book hangover in so long and after reading Hopeless Vows, I did. This book is beyond good." -Joanne Schwehm, author of the Prescott Series

"What did I think? I'm honestly not sure I can convey what I think right now. I feel like no matter what words I put down that it won't do this book justice." - Books, Chocolate, and Lipgloss

"Jillian and Austin literally sizzled on the pages. The chemistry was palpable. The characters were well-developed and the plot was so much more than I thought it would be." -Casey L. Bond, author of The Sin Series

"I love the way her writing balances sexiness, humor and hurt, and I find myself able to relate to her characters, no matter how outlandish or unconventional their circumstances." -Give Me Books

"As an author, it's hard for me to find a book that is unpredictable for me. Usually, I can see twists and turns coming from a mile away, but Rachael had a couple for me I never saw coming." -JB McGee, Best Selling Author

The longer this experiment goes on, the more I fall for him, and the more the deceit eats at me. When I lie awake some nights, it crawls up my body, tickling my skin, reminding me that underneath, I’m a horrible human being. Deceitful. Cowardly. Manipulative. Selfish. All negative adjectives, and all describe me. He’ll never find out, taunts an inner voice. What’s worse is that it also tells me it’s okay to keep this from him. That the two of us can live out this fantasy unscathed and content. As delusional as my inner voice is, I find myself clinging to it like a leech, feasting on the lie.

Hopeless Vows is a fantastic 5 star romance. I absolutely loved this book  and had trouble putting it down. Jillian and Austin’s relationship definitely doesn’t begin in a traditional manner. They are paired together on a reality television show where they are to marry a complete stranger and then live together for eight weeks before deciding if they want to stay married or get divorced. When Jillian walks down the aisle to see the man she will marry, she is shocked to discover she has a connection to him—one she believes dooms their relationship from the beginning. Austin has no idea who Jillian is, and he’s determined to make things work.

For the most part, I loved Austin and Jillian as a couple. These two had great chemistry, and their conversations felt real. There were some moments where I was really annoyed with Jillian’s behavior when she and Austin were getting to know each other, but I still liked her for the most part. Austin is fantastic book boyfriend material. He’s sexy and sweet. Despite the trauma from his childhood, he’s a pretty upbeat guy. There were some times near the middle where I wanted to smack him, but he redeemed himself with me later in the book. While there aren’t many supporting characters in this book, I had a strong reaction to each of them. There is a lot more to this story than just the reality show, and the journey to Jillian and Austin’s happily ever after was a very emotional one. I definitely recommend this to anyone looking for a satisfying contemporary romance.

I received a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

REVIEWED BY CASSANDRA

Rachael Duncan is an Army wife to her amazing husband, Steven, and mother to their beautiful daughters, Natalie and Zoe. She grew up in Nashville, Tennessee and went off to graduate from the University of Tennessee with a bachelor's degree in political science. With initial plans to work in politics, she moved to Washington, D.C. and worked on Capitol Hill for a House Representative. After a short time, she realized it wasn't for her and began pursuing other careers until she started writing. She's author of Tackled by Love and The Lies and Truth Duet.

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