This is my bread and butter right here! Give me a slow burn historical romance and I'm set for life.
Resisting the Forbidden Widow is, in my book, perfection. It hit every note. It made every turn. It scored every goal. I adored it! I loved it! I devoured it!

Mary is a young widow who has vowed never to love again, and never to depend on anyone but herself. She manages to become the assistant to Cameron, a man who earned his wealth and once has his own heart broken by past love. Mary and Cameron become a well-oiled machine in partnership, which carries on for years until an unexpected bump leads to a fork in the road. A bump that comes in Cameron tasking Mary to find him a wife. This task turns into introspection for the pair as they slowly but resolutely come to realize how heavily they have impacted each other's lives-- and hearts.

SLOW BURN REIGNS SUPREME! Excuse the yelling, but the yearninggg! It was so delicious! So, confession: I am not a huge fan of workplace romances. I especially don't care for work place romances where it's boss and employee who have known each other for years. But there is something so darn magical about historical romances that can turn a trope I don't particularly relish and I find myself relishing the heck outta it! Because wow, did I relish the very things I tend not to prefer in my romances. I loved how well Mary and Cameron knew one another due to their years-long work relationship. And how they still found there was much to know of the other. I loved how that discovery of feelings shifted their dynamic, creating consequence and opportunity. And I loved how there was a bit of a reverse in expectations in something that occurs in the final act.

In an attempt to not spoil, there is a certain expectation of a chase but instead it turns into an act of faith. Faith that one's love will return if let go. For me, that moment especially cemented the strength in the blossoming love between Mary and Cameron. It confirmed their love is one built on trust and friendship. Cameron is understanding of Mary's grief in losing her first love so young, and Mary is understanding of how Cameron has been used and discarded for his wealth and lack of natural title. They embrace each other's vulnerabilities and in doing so provide fortitude to one another. It makes the yearning and longing all the more fulfilling. You become oh so desperate to see them finally destroy the walls they built around their hearts and just give in. They bring the spicy, but more importantly: they bring a strong emotional bond. That emotional intimacy beautifully sells this romance as one you will forever love.

Perfection in every way. Resisting the Forbidden Widow has instantly become an all-time favorite historical romance.

Thank you to Harlequin and NetGalley for this advanced complimentary e-ARC, I leave this honest review voluntarily.

Wow! What a delightful surprise this book was! This was my first book by this author and I can't decide if I'm sad or happy about that fact. Happy because I found another great author and sad because I feel like I've been missing out! This is the third book in the series and I can't wait to circle. back to the first two.

Resisting the Widow follows Cameron Sykes, a self-made businessman in dire need of an assistant and Mary Lambert who needs to be needed after the death of her husband leaves her at loose ends.

Sykes is a complex character, he's ambitious, possessive, demanding, patient, devoted, understanding and as we soon find out, possessive of what he considers "his". He tries to show the world that he doesn't care but his actions prove differently. After losing his heart to and being rejected by the same woman, he has a cynical view of love.

Mary is broken. She's just existing and has no real desire to participate in life after the sudden death of her beloved husband. We can see right away though that she's also forthright, resilient and soft-hearted. In order to keep her sadness at bay, she needs to be busy so she becomes the "office. wife with no desire to ever be a man's wife again.

From the get-go the sparks are flying between these two. They test, challenge and circle each. other until they come to a draw and realize that together they're a force to be reckoned with. She needs the chaos that his office is and he needs. her take charge attitude. When Mary is injured and requires caretaking is when the real fun begins. Hidden feelings are brought to the surface and can no longer be ignored. (This is the part where Cameron's possessiveness comes into play and it is HOT!) Keep in mind that their HEA is a slow journey as Mary is slow to accept her feelings which frustrated me at times. But it was through Cameron's words that I learned to understand the pain and indecision Mary was facing. Cameron has no issue admitting what he feels and his patience and understanding with her is the stuff of dreams. When he says he'll wait for her forever, I absolutely believe it!

Did I doubt the steam level of this book before I read it? Yes. Yes I did, I'm ashamed to admit. But believe me, this is scorching hot! The mouth on this guy! Deliciously explicit with intense feeling that you just might find yourself rereading a few times.

I highly recommend this book that I found hard to put down. The writing is superb with some of the best dialogue I've read in a long time. The depth of character, the pacing, the real, raw emotion that was pulled out of me has made this one of my favorite reads of the year. I will absolutely be seeking more books by this author. Consider me a fan!

I received an early copy from the author and Netgalley. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

Whew. This book packs a punch! Mary and Cameron have sparks flying off them whenever they're in a room together. She's his employee and she runs circles around him. He never even knew what hit him lol. He has met his match. It takes a little while for both of them to admit the truth, but once they do, it's so worth it. The romance was scorching hot. MERCY!

And there are puppies in this book!!
I need to go back and read the first two books of this series, especially book one.

Thank you to Maggie Weston and Harlequin for the copy of this book. Opinions are my own.

This book was was slow in the beginning and then started picking up. Love the humor in this book. I love cameron and Mary.

A diverting way to spend an afternoon, but not one I will recall often. I wish that the author had done a bit more to develop the inter-character tension, since that's always my favourite part of a romance. I'm definitely curious to try more from this author in the future!

Oh dear my heart was melting with this story. It was romance in all of it's pure nature. Cameron and Mary, these two characters had me rooting for their happy ending. It's a bit slow in the beginning, being employee and boss but as it grows and bursts....it's beautiful.

I also love their humor and connection.When he can't stop thinking about her, when he realizes that he loves her, when he knows her as he knows himself. They are both seen and understood by each other. I love them together and the healing that they both needed, will be healed together. The hot spicy moments between them was blush worthy. I found it to be also emotional with Mary being a widow, her emotions were heartbreaking but raw.

I am so happy after reading this story. Widows deserve romance too. ♡


‘Hell and damnation, woman . You’re like a disease! No matter how I try to purge myself of you, you’re always there in my mind!’