Wow this book is amazing and I totally loved it. Robin Covington is one fantastic and brilliant author and her books just get better with each one. I really loved this one and all I’m going to say is you have to get a copy of this book it’s that fantastic. Would totally recommend

> > Judging a Book by it's Cover < < 
Strong, confident looking man in a suit standing in the foreground of what looks like a stadium, highly faded, in the background. Boxed in title allows for the weak title font to be seen and read with little trouble. Author's name font is stronger. The synopsis is interesting and, if I'm not mistaken, the first M/M from Robin Covington which has me intrigued. 

> > Looking Deeper < < 
POV ~> Third person.


Overall concept of the story was strong and the cast was enjoyable. The third-person narrative felt a little muddy at times, not quite clearly describing who, Victor or Isaiah, was doing a particular action or speaking. There were several times that I had to re-read a scene to try to better picture it but despite that, the plot itself flowed nicely. The chemistry was more push and pull despite the supposedly instant magnetic pull. Isaiah could be a class-A jerk, saying some very cruel things at times. Poor Victor was always kind and forgiving, even as he accepted defeat and surrendered himself to a less-desired outcome. Evan was a wonderfully vibrant secondary cast character. 
Most of the conflicts were self-imposed and there was not one dreaded home visit or meeting to attend courtesy of Immigrations like I'd thought they'd have to endure. In fact, there was little to no predictability and surprises were also absent. 
The conclusion wraps up solidly, providing a stronger HEA for our couple. 
It was a good read. The smooth plot flow and enjoyable cast helped to balance the muddy narration and somewhat flat dynamics. 
.
Rating: [R] ~ Score: 4.025 ~ Stars: 4
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⭐ ⭐ **** Disclosure of Material: I received a copy of this book from NetGalley and the Author/Publisher with the hope that I would voluntarily leave unbiased and unsolicited feedback. I was not asked, encouraged, or required to leave a review - nor was I compensated in any way. I am posting this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission's 16 CFR, Part 255: "Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising". ***** ⭐ ⭐

4 Stars!

Oh Victor, how I adore thee. He was the star of the book for me and I really loved his character. He was bold and brave. He was loud and proud. He was an activist who spoke out about his country, Russia and all of the awful horrible truths they do to their LGBQT people. Then there was this other side to him; the dancer. The way he radiated passion and grace on the stage. The vulnerability he shows when he admits he wants to be a part of a loving relationship and a family. He is quite the diverse character. He stands strong in what he believes and isn't afraid to speak his mind. I really liked him. He was a very fleshed out character.

Isaiah was the complete opposite of Victor. He is quiet and private. He doesn't speak out for the LGBQT community. He doesn't want the confrontation. He likes living his quiet life while raising his son, Evan. He's also still missing his husband who passed away 3 years ago due to a car accident. He's built his walls pretty high and doesn't want another relationship. He doesn't want to be tethered to another person who could leave him in the kind of heartbreak he has already suffered. But then he meets Victor. The attraction is there and they share a steamy night, but that is all Isaiah will allow because his attraction to Victor is too strong and it scares him to where that kind of attraction and connection could lead. All he knows it's to a place he doesn't want to go again. 

Isaiah and Victor share an agent in Ian. Ian is meddlesome and loves to put himself in their business. So when Victor is denied asylum he calls on Isaiah to help him out and to fetch Victor from a bar where he's drinking his disappointment away. After sharing a few drinks together Isaiah figures the best way to save Victor's life and to help is to marry him. They don't think too long about this before they are bordering a jet to Vegas. 

From here on throughout the book it gets pretty angsty. I went back and forth to liking and disliking Isaiah for his dickish treatment of Victor when he got upset. I understand as parents we can get pretty overprotective and lash out before we think when our kids are involved. But it didn't make the hurtful things he said to Victor right. Every time when I knew one of those moments were coming I literally cringed for Victor and just wanted to hug him. But Isaiah redeemed himself near the end of the book. He made a swoon worthy effort and it paid off. 

Evan is an amazing character. I loved how vocal he was on his beliefs and how strongly he felt about who he was. I loved when he had that big talk with his father. I felt proud of a 13 year old fictional character. I adored him. He was fierce. 

I'm sucker for a sports book and even though this lacked actual sport play, I still really enjoyed it.

Happy reading dolls! xx

A wonderful, enjoyable read that left me feeling all smooshy with love.

This was a good (short) book. I liked the story, the characters, and the tension points were ripped from the headlines, making it very modern feeling. Would recommend if you are into this genre of romance and like a steamy sex filled story with a social justice twist. The son/stepson is an amazing add to the plot and I love seeing stories of people struggling with real issues, even when they are stars/pros/famous. Would be 5 stars, but a few scenes felt rushed -- the end could have used a little finessing in my opinion, but nothing that would stop me from recommending it. 

One disclaimer: this is a very simplified (and likely risky) version of what might happen in real life, but this isn't a story about immigration law and practice, so I let that be and didn't get hung up on it. If that's your thing, this book might not be for you. 

Second disclaimer: I am NONE of the identities represented in this book -- not gay, not male, not gender questioning, not African American, not an exile / immigrant or non-English speaker.

His Convenient Husband was a fun take of the marriage-of-convenience trope featuring a NFL player and an out-and-proud ballet dancer. It’s a quick-read full of angst, but not much in the way of romance until close to the end. 

What really stands out from this book is the angst, which I didn’t expect at all. I mean, there’s this structure to romance novels, isn’t there. It goes: the love interests meet, fall for each other or resist but then fall for each other, spend a few chapters in bliss, and then something happens to break them apart, but then they realise they love each other in the end. That didn’t really happen here and while there was a part of me that resisted this change of genre – this is an actual study of literature, by the way: the formulas of genre – there was also a part of me that enjoyed it, too. But – the angst was just too much for me in the end. 

I had a love-hate relationship with Isaiah: I thoroughly adored his relationship with his son, Evan, and how he supported Evan as his son discovered different multitudes of his sexuality and identity, but unfortunately that wasn’t enough to make me actually like him. I just found his excuses to stay away from Victor quite irksome and repetitive, and his treatment of Victor was … distasteful. I completely understand his reservations, I just think they could have come across better or perhaps developed differently. 

Victor, on the other hand, I adored. He was this vibrant, defensive, protective man who wanted a loving family for himself. He was incredibly vocal about the issues facing LGBTQ people in Russia, and I learnt so much from him. I also loved his growing relationship with Evan, and how Evan looked up to him. By the way, Evan really needs his own book – that kid was beautiful. 

The plot was slow - but I love slow stories … if there is something to keep me invested in, which I found lacking here. A slow book can be a fantastic book if the reader is looking forward to something. I wasn’t – I just wanted to finish the book. 

Overall, I found His Convenient Husband to be an average novel, and it did have a few issues that affected my overall enjoyment of the book. However, I would recommended it if you’re looking for something fast, full of angst, but eventually hopeful.

Two things initially drew me to this book:

1. The synopsis. (Though when I requested it, the blurb said that Victor was a genderfluid ballet dancer.) I probably would have requested the book even if the blurb hadn’t said that Victor was genderfluid, but it was definitely the thing that made me smash that request button on NetGalley.

2. The cover. Few books feature a person of colour on the cover. And especially sports/football romance are so white, it’s just ridiculous. But His Convenient Husband has an afro-american NFL-player AND he’s on the cover. Two things that made me all the more excited to read this book.

In the end I had mixed feelings about this story. Partly because I had expectations based on the blurb, and then I got something different. As I mentioned above, a previous version of the blurb said that Victor is genderfluid. But he’s not. He’s an effeminate gay man who likes make up and to wear androgynous clothes. I was really looking forward to read a book with a genderfluid character, that when I didn’t get that I was a bit disappointed. I realise though that someone who picks the book up when it releases won’t have the same expectations and therefore won’t be disappointed by not having a genderfluid MC.
 One thing I absolutely loved about His Convenient Husband, was that it just drew me in. I love it when a book can excite me right from the beginning. The writing was engaging and flowed really well. If it weren’t for my job I would have definitely read this in one sitting. In the blink of an eye I was almost halfway through the book – I couldn’t wait for my lunch break so I could read more of it! The chemistry and first attraction between Victor and Isaiah is palpable and I found the side characters vivid and fascinating. I loved Isaiah’s agent – and Evan, Isaiah’s son is just amazing. I really hope that one day he’ll get his own story because he’s so fierce and has got SO much charisma; I’d just love to read more about him.

I really liked Victor, he is, apart from Evan maybe, definitely my favourite character in this story. I loved his outspokenness and was definitely rooting for him to get his happy end. I was hurting with him Isaiah on the other hand was (sometimes) a really frustrating character. I do like him, and I believe that his isn’t intentionally hurting anyone around him. I understand and appreciate that he wants to protect his son. It’s fantastic that Evan is his first priority – as he should be in this arrangement! BUT Isaiah really has a problem to just listen, sometimes.
 His son is 14 years old and definitely will make stupid decisions. And Isaiah can’t protect him from everything. Especially because Victor technically is Isaiah’s husband and therefore Evan’s step-dad, even if it’s just out of convenience, but Isaiah can’t expect his 14 year old son not to be inspired by Victor or try to be a bit more like him. Even more so because I feel like Isaiah should realise that his son is possibly genderqueer. At the very least gender non-conforming Evan loves to wear dresses and to experiment with make-up. And he’s done this even before Isaiah and Victor met.

When things blew up, I just needed way more groveling on Isaiah’s part to believe him and that he was actually in it permanently. Whenever something happened, Isaiah would just blindly make Victor responsible for it – completely disregarding that Evan is his own person, with his own decisions and mistakes to make. Evan was inspired by Victor, who continued to speak out about the situation for gay men in russia. And Isaiah knew this when he married Victor. He knew it! So throwing Victor’s activism in his face whenever things didn’t go the way Isaiah wanted them to, really annoyed me.

Nevertheless – even though Isaiah is thick-headed and stubborn, I still really enjoyed this book. I can’t wait to read the sequels in this series and to see Victor, Isaiah and Evan again. Recommended!

I loved Victor, the Chechnyan ballet dancer was an absolutely delight and he pulled this book up for me from an otherwise much lower rating.
Isaiah was not at all sympathetic and for the vast majority of the book I actively disliked his character. The way he treated Victor was awful and, while I understood he had what he felt were valid reasons, the constant push pull as he kept offering up hope made me really angry.
Evan is fabulous as well, I;d love to read about him when he grows up and I'd love to find out more about both Ian and Adam. The world setting worked well as a backdrop too.
There was some epic level groveling from Isaiah which went a long way to bringing him up a few notches in my eyes and I loved the epilogue.

Wow!  What a fun, hot read!! Loved every moment of it and loved how the son played such a key role!  Hope to see more of this series!

Viktor's only hope of staying in the states was Isaiah. A chance meeting saved his life. Isaiah had the love of his life. His loss was something that was felt each and every day. All it was supposed to be was granting a favor. Saving someone from the life they would endure if they returned to a country that was against the choice to be with the one you loved. Their love would save the other.

His Convenient husband is about Isaiah-a widowed single father/openly gay NFL player and Victor, Russian born ballet dancer/gay activist. The two meet at the theater, as they are both represented by the same agent. And Isaiah's son is infatuated with Victor. 

Victor is only in the US on a work visa, which, when it does not get renewed, his very SHORT friendship he has with Isaiah leads to a marriage of convenience. The two barely know each other and if I am being honest, the relationship felt like a bit of a struggle to me. Victor had no problem being who he was but Isaiah held himself back for fear of the repercussions from the league and he team-even though they knew he was gay. 

This is a short story and quick read. I gave it three stars because Isaiah and Victor were just ok for me.

An NFL player and a Ballet superstar will rock your world. This M/M is smokin' hot and is sure to satisfy that next book craving. If you haven't read a book from Robin she has an entire backlist of #mustread books to select from!

His Convenient Husband was a good story over.  Isaiah and Victor were great characters and the storyline was well developed. I did find the angst a little frustrating at times but not enough to ruin the enjoyment of the book. I look forward to reading more by this author

Sexy characters, with a good storyline and plot.  Covington knows the genre.

*** 3 Stars ***

This book had a lot of promise but ultimately it didn't deliver. Don't get me wrong, I liked the book but I just didn't ... love it, you know?

Let's start with the positives:
- Strong characters: Victor was hands down my favorite character but I particularly loved Evan who, for me, stole the show here.
- The MCs do have some great chemistry
- It deals with important issues (gay rights activism, queer identity ...)

Now on to the negatives:
- The character's descriptions: I had a hard time picturing the main characters. We learn that Isaiah is black and his adopted son is biracial way too late in the story. It would have added another layer to the story and their relationship, in particular, had I known about it from the get go.
- I never really warmed to Isaiah. Considering he's one of the MCs that's kind of a problem, don't you think? I know he had good reasons to guard his heart after losing his husband 3 years before meeting Victor. But I still didn't get him at times, he pissed the hell out of me. I know that his big gesture at the end is supposed to be his redemption but to me, it wasn't enough. The whole thing was rushed just like the ending.

While I liked the dual POVs, I think it would have benefited from a 1st person narrative.

So all in all, it was a good read BUT it had the potential to be so much more. I feel cheated somehow. But that's on me and my expectations!

*** ARC courtesy of publisher, via Netgalley, in exchange for an honest review ***

Isaiah & Victor have a flash of sexy in their past that may come back to bite them.  Isaiah is offering to help Victor stay here in America.  To go home for him would be death.  Isaiah struggles with this, since he is very attracted to Victor and has a hard time staying hands off.

Victor is starting to have real feelings for Isaiah.  He finds the many parts of his personality very attractive and knows he is falling for him.  How do you find love when the person you care for has no interest in falling?

This book was really sexy.  I loved the interaction with the characters.  The pages sizzle with electricity from the main characters chemistry.  I love that the backstories of both are varied, diverse, and very real and easy to understand.  Really good read.  I give this book a 3/5 Kitty's Paws UP!


***This early copy was given in exchange for an honest review by Netgalley and its publisher.

** spoiler alert ** A departure from what I usually read by this author, I was intrigued by a M/M marriage of convenience story. The story started out good, but took a turn that ruined it for me.

I don't care if a book is M/M or M/F - I don't like cheating in a book. Period. Some can argue that that's not what happened with Victor in the nightclub, but it's how I felt. Making the situation worse is he threw it in Isaiah's face and the truth of that night was never explained or resolved between the two of them. It took away from the story for me and I lost interest in seeing the HEA at that point.

I love this author and will continue to read her books, but this was not one of my favorites.

Let's get married."...."What did you just say?" "Let's get married. We can go to Vegas and get it done, then you can't be deported." Oh yes - classic story, with a wonderful twist! Dancer, Victor Aleksandrov is at risk of being deported back to Russia. As an outspoken gay man about human rights, among other things, being deported is not just an inconvenience. It is a possible death sentence. 

Isaiah Blackwell, star NFL player, is definitely attracted to Victor. But he's not looking for a relationship. Particularly with someone as outspoken as Victor! Isaiah has caught feelings for the man, there is no denying that. So the prospect of marrying Victor to keep him in the country sounds practical enough. But as the story goes, we know (and hope!) that true love will prevail!

This story if fantastic! It pulls you in with the passion and locks you in with the inevitable love! I really enjoyed the additional dynamic of Isaiah's son playing a part in bringing the two together.

I enjoyed the cameo by Mick Blackwell from Robin Covington's Playing the Part! Also, one of my favorite books!

4.25 Stars!

I was a bit hesitant to read this one, but I can hardly say no when it comes to sports related books. And I'm really glad I gave this one a go. 

I found this one to be rather angsty. Angtsy in that there were times I got that nervous feeling in my gut. 

No doubt, at times Isaiah was 100% asshole. And when he was it completely gutted me for Victor. I really felt for him. In a way I got where Isaiah was coming from, he had a son to protect. And Victor was an easy available target. That didn't make it right. And it still made me rage. 

But you could see Victor really cared about Isaiah. He just didn't always handle his feelings in the best way. These two lit up the pages. They were super hot together. Off the charts chemistry. 

I loved Victor. And I loved Evan (he definitely needs a book someday). I even loved the two best friends - Ian and Alan. 

Not sure if this is this author's first foray in to MM, but I'm definitely impressed and hope we get more.

I enjoyed this story.  When I read the blurb, I thought I’d probably like it, but I didn’t expect to become as engaged in it as I did.  I’ve read other stories with the same or similar titles and they were all as expected—light, fluffy, romantic, marriage of convenience turned serious and leading to a HEA.  On the one hand this was that.  But on the other, the characters were well-developed, particularly Victor Aleksandrov, ballet dancer and LGBTQ rights supporter.  Because of his outspoken advocacy and his derogatory comments on the treatment of homosexuals in his home country, he needs to remain in the US.  If he doesn’t, he’ll be killed.  It’s as simple as that.  

Isaiah Blackwell, pro football player, widower, and father of a fourteen-year-old artistic and genderfluid teen is not interested in any more than a hookup, so when he’s sees the opportunity to sleep with the gorgeous dancer, he seizes it.  Interestingly, they both share the same agent. (Somehow I doubt that would be the case in real life.  Sports agents and artists’ agents are likely completely different in who they know and what they do to secure the best for their clients.  It was little things like this that kept my rating from going higher.) Because they share the same agent, and he’s friends with both men, he acts as the catalyst to bring the two together.  When Victor is denied asylum by the US, it’s Isaiah who offers to marry Victor so he can stay.  

I found both main characters to be very personable and I particularly liked Victor, who knew his own mind and remained true to his beliefs and feelings.  Isaiah was quite childish in his need to keep Victor in a separate component of his heart.  Dragging out the old trope of giving him his own room because the master bedroom belongs to the widower and his ghost (whose picture is on the nightstand by the bedside!); and encouraging him to be a part of the family but excluding him from decisions involving the child just didn’t cut it here. His self-inflicted angst was too much for me, as well.  I’m not a big fan of a character repeating the same actions and thoughts over and over and over again.  Too much wallowing in pain that’s totally not necessary.  

The ending was sweet and what I had expected. Without giving details on that, I can say that I may have read something similar in the sixties.  In fact, as I write this review, it occurs to me that the whole story felt a little old-fashioned. With apologies to all if this comes out as sexist: it felt like a light, fluffy, ladies’ romance of yesteryear, dusted off, and then revised to include today’s social issues (including a genderfluid child) and with Victor inserted as the “ballerina” who fell in love with the football player.  

So if this kind of sweet romance is your thing, by all means try this one.