I really enjoyed the other books in this series, so I had high expectations. I wasn’t disappointed and I’m so happy everything worked out well in the end! Highly recommend for a short & fast read :)

A sweet and sexy read! This romance starts off unconventionally and turns into something neither hero or heroine ever expected!

Carson inherited a candy company that is bleeding red.  He agrees to take a loan from a rival candy company for a stake in this company and marriage to his daughter. As the wedding draws near, Carson has absolutely no connection to his fiancée. Neither want to marry the other, but under the circumstances, they both feel trapped. Carson comes up with the idea that he is in love with someone else and can't possibly marry his rival's daughter!  He is asked to produce said love of his life!  Enter Ella!

Ella is an actress who met Carson at a house party six months ago.  He calls her out of the blue and offers her a job of being the love of his life!  Ella has bills to pay so she accepts the job.  Once with Carson, their chemistry is off the charts! Talk about sparks flying from the pages!!  They decide to change their agreement and act on their attraction.  What could it hurt to have some hot and steamy sex while she is there??

Misadventures of a Back Up Bride is Shayla Black's entrée in the Misadventures series and its an all-around enjoyable read! I loved Carson and Ella together and their vulnerabilities.  They were overcome with each other, and they each were overwhelmed before they knew it.  Pretty soon, it was clear they couldn't live without the other, but their predicament seemed hopeless.  Love is real and things are never as hopeless as it seems.  This was a delightful read and I totally recommend this as well as the entire Misadventures series!

4 Stars/4 Flames

This book was gifted to me by Waterhouse Press through NetGalley for a voluntary review.  The review and ratings are solely my opinions.

Witty, fun and downright sexy! With the fourth book in the Misadventures series, Shayla Black takes us on a fun jaunt towards happily ever after with a fake it till you make it love story. The plot was easy to get drawn into and the characters were a fun combination!

Carson Frost finds himself in quite the conundrum after inheriting his father's struggling business. He has to make a deal with the devil, AKA his father's greatest rival, in order to stay above water long enough to get the company back in good standing ... but his end of the bargain is marrying his rival's daughter. The closer he gets to dooms day, the more convinced he is that it's a huge mistake, so he is left with no other option than to come up with Plan B!

Ella Hope is a struggling actress and more than happy to get the promise of a job, but when she learns she's supposed to be playing the woman Carson says he fell in love with in order to get out of marrying his fiance, she's not so sure they can pull this off! When playing make-believe starts to feel all too real, will they be able to get the deal done with their hearts still intact?

Loved it! This short story may be a fast read, but it is worth reading. Carson and Ella steam up the pages. Carson Frost hires Ella to be his fake fiancée to save his company. We all know plans don't always work out the way we want them to. These two hit it off immediately and sparks fly. A perfect contemporary romance in a smaller package. If you don't have time to read a full-length novel and are looking for a hot romance, then this is what you want.

Shayla Black, a.k.a. One of the hottest writers in erotic romance EVER...Has joined a group of amazing authors in the new Misadventures series with Misadventures of a Backup Bride, the fourth book of the series. It’s a very sweet and sexy short read you’ll love!

Carson Frost inherits his birth dad’s multimillion dollar candy company. Problem is, he needs an investor to keep it afloat because he’s unable to get a loan. He ends up turning to a rival candy company. The owner, Gregory Shaw, agrees to finance Carson’s company with the stipulation that he marry his daughter. As much as Carson tries, they don’t suit. He tries telling Shaw he’s in love with someone else. So he gives Carson a week to produce the love of his life. Carson manages to hire Ella Hope, an unsuccessful actress, to convince Shaw. But along the way it’s not so much pretend anymore. There are some surprises toward the ending of this sweet and sexy romance, and it just shows that Shayla is truly the master at her craft.

What I find most interesting about the entire Misadventures series is that the situations the main characters find themselves in are definitely atypical predicaments and that idea is clearly illustrated not only in the title of the series itself and each individual book, but it’s also made clear through each story’s fast paced plot line and the extremes the characters go through in order to combat the central conflict of each misadventure.

For someone to be a ‘backup bride,’ a second choice…a just-in-case gal, there has to have been some kind of mishap…some kind of unavoidable scenario, and for Carson Frost, that unexpected situation is finding out that he now owns his biological father’s struggling company, and in order to stop the business from bleeding money, he has to turn to his father's rival - a man who has his own set of stipulations for Carson, which includes Carson marrying his daughter. This is where Ella Hope's fake fiancee assignment begins and by the time she's walking down the aisle playing the perfect bride, her acting skills are put to the test but not in the way anyone would think. 

The best part of fake marriages for me is that moment when the hero and heroine realize that there’s nothing untrue about what they feel for each other once they take advantage of the benefits of being a married couple, and let me tell you, Carson and Ella know the extreme pleasures that can be had in the matrimonial bed;) 

Misadventures of a Backup Bride is a sweet and sexy read that illustrates how quickly feelings of lust can turn to feelings of love when the right person is set in one's path. Carson and Ella are both likable characters who despite the ruse that their playing on everyone around them truly enjoy one another's company and have a difficult remembering that they marriage isn't real because what they experience when they're together is about as real as it can get.

Bring on the next misadventures!

4 Poison Apples (The Fairest of All Book Reviews)

You wouldn’t think erotica can be absolutely charming but MISADVENTURES OF A BACKUP BRIDE totally is. Even during any of the scrumptious sexy scenes there is evidence of the innate charm radiated throughout this crazy but great story. Shayla Black has a way with words and dialog. Her talent is very evident in the two main characters, and I do mean characters, in this erotic romantic comedy. I am not usually impressed with this particular genre, but Shayla Black may have won me over as a fan.

The premise is rather crazy. Carson and Ella. Not exactly who one would envision as a couple. Ella is an aspiring actress who can’t get that breakout role. Who are we kidding Ella just hasn’t captured the interest of any casting company so she is doing the whole starving actress/waitress thing. Carson has just inherited his biological fathers struggling business. For some reason that even Carson doesn’t understand saving the business of his absentee father has become his main focus.

So, when faced with major financial backlash Carson accepts the only offer he can find. This financial backer has one demand, that Carson marry his daughter Kendra. This arrangement is mutually beneficial for both Carson and Kendra. With one major issue. There is no real affection or sexual attraction. And so Carson feels that he must make a last minute appeal.

The plan includes producing Carson’s true love, the woman who holds his heart. Well that just might take some doing. But Carson almost immediately conjures up this woman. A woman he has been thinking about for a while. A woman he has no right even thinking about, Ella Hope, his friends ex.

Unbeknownst to either of these people their attraction is mutual. Unrequited love aside, they both have spent time thinking of each other, in the abstract of course, but with this crazy plan concocted by Carson it would seem that the two of them will be spending a lot of time together.

All they have to do is prove to Kendra’s father that the two of them are crazy in love with each other. And that’s when the fun begins.

Shayla Black takes us down a merry path with these two crazy, endearing characters that capture your heart. This story is equally adorable, sassy and steamy. No doubt this book is going to win this talented author many new fans.

MISADVENTURES OF A BACKUP BRIDE is a charming feel good romance. There’s no reason to believe in a real relationship between these two characters. But Shayla Black has a plan and we are along for what is an amazing ride.

Loved this hot read. Ella agrees to help Carson secure business future. There’s an instant attraction between the two when they meet. As they enter into a pretend relationship that starts to feels real. They both have to make the decision to trust in their love for each other and their future. Recommended read.

Received an ARC from netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

This book gave me all the feels!! Carson is being forced to marry a woman he does not live in order to save his fathers company. He enlists the help of Ella, a woman he met months before to help him get out of this agreement by pretending they’re head over heals in love.

Sparks fly immediately and they have to make some decisions about their future. This book is a fun read with some surprises thrown in.

It was a sweet short story, unbelievable at times, but I really loved the writing and the characters.
I think that it being so short, was to its detriment as both the story and characters really could have been explored in more depth.
I really enjoyed it but wanted more out of it.

Review This was a fun read; the story pulled me in straight away and I finished it one go. Overall it was pretty predictable and the story was far too insta love for my personal tastes but it made me smile and the characters had great chemistry.

I was provided with a copy of this book from the Publisher via NetGalley; there was no inducement or obligation.

Who would think that a brief encounter months ago would come back and give you the opportunity of a lifetime. Well that is exactly what happens for Ella when she meets Carson for the first time at his friends birthday party, Ella was there as the party boys date but that didn't stop Carson from thinking about her in the months that have passed since then. Carson is getting ready to marry a woman he does not love in order to save the business his late father left him but two weeks before the big day Carson tries to back out of it by telling his future father-in-law that he is in love with another woman. In order for this deal to go through now he must marry the one he loves on the day he was to marry his current fiancee.

I loved this story and didn't want to put it down, the chemistry between Carson and Ella was phenomenal. You could tell right from the start that they were attracted to one another and as the story progressed so did their feelings for one another. If you have read any of Shayla Black's books you know they are HOT and this one is just as steamy so keep a glass of ice water handy...and maybe a fan ;)

The Misadventures series is one that I look forward to continuing, one of the best things about the series besides the great authors that bless us with their stories is the fact that each book can be read as a standalone. This is book four in the series but the first one I have read even though I have a couple of the other books on my kindle waiting for me to jump into them. I highly recommend this book to anyone that enjoys a good steamy read or the Fake Engagement/Marriage trope.

Cute and hot story. Kind of predictable but good none the less.

If you want a book with a lot of sex scenes then Misadventures of a Good Wife by Meredith Wild and Helen Hardt, Misadventures book two, is your book. Kate is still lost in her grief of losing her husband when her sister-in-law takes her to an island somewhere in the Pacific. While exploring the beach she encounters Price, her husband, alive. Price, a stock broker, was checking out a company who’s stock value had him questioning things. On the way to a meeting with the company, instead of being left pilotless in the small aircraft, Price jumped onto the pilot as he deserted the plane and parachuted down. He continued the façade of being dead in order to stay alive, but he hated being separated from his wife. These two have a very, very strong love bond. Kate and Price return to NYC where bad guys are on their tail as is the FBI, as things wrap up and come to a head.

I enjoyed reading this book and but had trouble believing the story, there were lots of holes in the plot. There was definitely a lot of time in this story spent with Kate and Price sharing sex, in detail, overpowering some scenes. I recommend this book to other readers and am looking forward to the next book in this series.

I voluntarily reviewed a complimentary copy of this book.

This is just a quick review to say, I am loving this series. This book was fun and sweet and I can't wait to read more of these books. Meredith has some amazing authors working with her and she is amazing herself and I can't wait to see what they bring us next.

Misadventures of a Backup Bride is the fourth title in this series, but it's the first one I've read, mainly because I prefer my romance reads to be a bit darker in theme and tone, but when I saw who the author was, I was all in. I'm a Shayla Black fan and have been for years, and, as I expected, she wrote another hot romance that I read in one sitting. It gets 5 stars from this reader.

First, I'll admit to not being a fan of insta-love or the fake fiance trope, but in Shayla Black's hands it worked for me. Carson Frost, the hero, is described as looking a lot like Brock O'Hurn would look with a shave and a haircut--that also worked for me. He's inherited the billion dollar candy business from his biological father, which came as a huge shock to him since there'd been no relationship between father and son since his birth. When Carson takes over, he learns that while the business has thrived, its liquid assets are nil and his last hope for a loan is Gregory Shaw, a rival candy billionaire, with a flighty, college-age, bum-magnet daughter, Kendra, whom he wants to marry off to someone he considers suitable, and that's Carson. In return for the arranged marriage, Gregory will get 5% of Carson's business and not try to attempt a hostile takeover of Carson's highly-leveraged company--something Carson wants to keep to honor the father he never really knew. All Carson needs to do is marry the flighty Kendra. Unfortunately, he couldn't care less about her or she him, so he hires a struggling Hollywood actress, a woman he met six months earlier at a party. She was dating his friend, so he never made any moves, but he never forgot her either. Getting Hope to leave Los Angeles and come to North Carolina to take on the role as his fake fiance takes a lot of convincing to get Hope to agree, but agree she eventually does.

Gregory Shaw didn't just fall off the turnip truck and he's not a easy man to fool. When presented with the information that Carson is madly in love with another woman, Shaw demands to meet her, and to up the ante, he dares Carson to marry her within the next two weeks or the loan Shaw agreed to help bail out Carson's business will not only be rescinded, but will have much more serious consequences.

As most fake fiance novels go, there's certainly the element of insta-lust between Hope and Carson, and it doesn't take long before getting to know one another in order to fool Mr. Shaw becomes getting to know one another in the carnal sense too. If you've read any of Ms. Black's erotic romances, you already know just how hot this relationship is going to get--and does it ever! But in addition to getting it on whenever possible, these two characters begin to have serious feelings for one another, but remember, they live on opposite coasts, have different life plans and certainly didn't expect a real relationship to form out of the fake one they'd been forced into. Told in alternating points of view, we get to really understand and like these two, and we begin rooting for their relationship to succeed, but does it?

Will Carson and Hope manage to outwit Mr. Shaw? Will one or both of them offer to change their locations, their career goals, and their lives? Is two weeks enough time to truly fall in love? For answers to these questions, you'll simply have to read this well-written, delightful, heartfelt and sexy novel for yourself. I highly recommend it.

I voluntarily read an advance reader copy of this novel. The opinions expressed are my own.

I am head over heals for Ella and Carson. This one had me hooked from word one, but I have to admit to having one scene that was so unexpectedly hot it had me fanning myself... and it involved food, that is all I'm saying about that.

A great read and a lot of fun.

Really enjoyed reading this book. Didn't want to stop reading it. Love Shayla Black books.

This was a great read of this series. Shayla Black has once again wrote another great story. What better story of insta love and trying to put one over on you business rival and what is supposed to be you fiancée father in law. Carson inherited his fathers company that needed money so he goes to Gregory Shaw who owns another candy company and mr Shaw offers the money if Carson marries his daughter Kendra, the problem is that neither Carson or Kendra love each other. So to get out if the deal Carson says that he is Love with some one else Ella. They the. Have to plan to show how much they love each other and try to trick Gregory Shaw, or do they really love each other.

This was a well written and did not feel rushed and it was hot and the story was for well written.