Review: The Replacement Husband (Goddess Blessed #1) by Eliot Grayson

Rating: 3 🌈

I was looking forward to The Replacement Husband (Goddess Blessed #1) by Eliot Grayson based on the description and the author. But unfortunately this romance just doesn’t work.

Grayson’s plot has a mythical element (as does the series) where there’s a Goddess based religion, a Goddess who’s a actual influence, and a element where men are characterized as “goddess blessed “ upon birth.

But the foundation, history, or actual facts for any of that is scarce to none. Which is frustrating considering that the main character of Owen Honeywell is a goddess blessed person.

I think it was meant to mean he could be married to a man, but , honestly, the whole thing is never well defined. Owen says at one point he thinks he should act the part of a wife. But however he should act is dropped.

So much of what happens here in terms of plotting or exposition just has so little grounding or narrative legwork done before the scenes occur. Owen agrees to a marriage, we see no courtship. So when the drama arrives, we really are connected to anyone or the situation.

Fighting with the family? Why? Because, due to lack of history , there’s absolutely no reason to believe anyone’s arguments. Why should we care? Plus we don’t know these people.

It continues like that for every aspect of the story except for Arthur’s and Owen’s sex life. We don’t see much of their daily marriage and how they are getting closer. Which I think is a shame. Because what the author does show is sweet and romantic.

A rushed ending, with yet another climactic event just prior, and a few more odd “out of the blue” elements that are needed for the next story, and it was over.

It’s not terrible but it’s just missing so much, like a foundation and details , that would bring this into focus.

There’s two more after this, including one that actually makes the villain of this piece (a vile person) the new main character. Uh no. Skipping that and probably the series.

Anyway here they are for your reference:

Goddess Blessed series:

✓ The Replacement Husband #1

◦ The Reluctant Husband #2

◦ Yuletide Treasure #3

https://www.goodreads.com › showGoddess-Blessed #1 – The Replacement Husband – Goodreads

Owen Honeyfield lives a goddess-blessed life. His picture-perfect courtship and engagement to the man of his dreams is proof of that. But when his betrothal takes a disastrous turn, Owen’s only hope to restore his tarnished reputation comes from a most shocking source—the cold, disturbingly sensual brother of the man who just shattered his heart and abandoned him. Perhaps he’s not as blessed as he’d always thought…

Arthur Drake is accustomed to cleaning up after his impulsive and selfish brother. After all, he’s done it his whole life. The latest debacle, though, is much worse than usual. This time, his brother’s actions have threatened not only their family name, but Arthur’s own happiness. The only honorable choice is to marry Owen. But while he knows he can repair the damage to his beautiful new husband’s reputation, mending his broken heart might prove infinitely more difficult.

It’s not long before the lines between duty and passion blur, and Arthur finds himself in the inconvenient position of falling for his new husband. Will his love be enough to convince Owen to let their marriage of convenience become the happily ever after they both deserve?

This is an M/M romance set in an alternate-universe Regency with waistcoats, awkward tea-drinking, and pagan goddesses on the loose. It is the first in a series, but it can be read as a standalone.

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Unless it’s noted, all books reviewed have been purchased by the reviewer.