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Eliot Grayson
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The Reluctant Husband (Goddess-Blessed Book 2) Kindle Edition

by Eliot Grayson (Author) Format: Kindle Edition
4.3 out of 5 stars 660 ratings
Is their marriage a blessing…or a curse?

Tom Drake wants nothing to do with his patron goddess. Her blessing has always been little more than a cruel curse. But when he finds himself disowned, disgraced, and on the verge of homelessness, he knows he can no longer afford to ignore her demands. He must marry. Sadly, his one marriage prospect is a pragmatic, stubborn man who only seems to value him for his blessing…and his body…

Mal Leighton will stop at nothing to save his beloved cousin’s life, even if it means marrying Tom—and using him for his blessing—to do it. Theirs would be a mutually beneficial marriage of convenience. Love was never part of the equation. He’ll just have to somehow learn to ignore his overwhelming attraction to his dangerously charming and seductive new husband.

As weeks pass, Tom and Mal find there’s often a fine line between love and desperation, passion and pride—and what exists between them is infinitely more complicated than their simple marriage of convenience was ever meant to be. Can they set aside their painful pasts and misconceptions to take a chance on the love match they never expected to find?

This is an M/M romance set in an alternate-universe Regency. It contains the ideal number of carriages, duels, and redeemed villains, but beware of pagan goddesses who like to micromanage. It is the second book in a series, but it can be read as a standalone. Tom's previous dastardly deeds can be found inThe Replacement Husband.
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  1. Book 2 of 3
    Goddess-Blessed
  2. Print length
    194 pages
  3. Language
    English
  4. Publication date
    June 7, 2019
  5. File size
    1.3 MB
  6. Page Flip
    Enabled
  7. Word Wise
    Enabled
  8. Enhanced typesetting
    Enabled
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Product details

  • ASIN ‏ : ‎ B07RWJVB3N
  • Publisher ‏ : ‎ Smoking Teacup Books (June 7, 2019)
  • Publication date ‏ : ‎ June 7, 2019
  • Language ‏ : ‎ English
  • File size ‏ : ‎ 1.3 MB
  • Simultaneous device usage ‏ : ‎ Unlimited
  • Text-to-Speech ‏ : ‎ Enabled
  • Screen Reader ‏ : ‎ Supported
  • Enhanced typesetting ‏ : ‎ Enabled
  • X-Ray ‏ : ‎ Not Enabled
  • Word Wise ‏ : ‎ Enabled
  • Print length ‏ : ‎ 194 pages
  • Customer Reviews:
    4.3 out of 5 stars 660 ratings

About the author

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Eliot Grayson

Eliot Grayson

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Steamy books with delicious tension, heart-wrenching pining, and a hefty dose of action and adventure have always been Eliot’s jam as a reader and author.

Find out more about Eliot’s books or sign up for an occasional newsletter on her website, or come follow along on Instagram. Happy reading!

Customer reviews

4.3 out of 5 stars
660 global ratings

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Customers say

Customers enjoy this book's well-written story, with one describing it as addictive alt-historical reading. The characters receive positive feedback, and customers appreciate the emotional depth, with one noting the perfect balance of angst. Customers find the romance engaging, with one describing it as sexy.

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13 customers mention "Story quality"13 positive0 negative

Customers enjoy the well-written story, with one describing it as addictive alt-historical reading.

"...But honestly this is a minor complaint. The book is a good, angsty hurt/comfort with some well written spice and a great story of a ‘villain’..." Read more

"...The strength of the stories, and the characters keep me reading even when I'm uneasy with some of the ideas...." Read more

"...I ended up really liking his story. He has his reasons for his regrettable actions, and right or wrong, he has to live with the consequences now...." Read more

"There’s nothing like a good redemption story. If you liked The Replacement Husband, you’ll really want to read this one...." Read more

5 customers mention "Writing style"5 positive0 negative

Customers find the writing style of the book well-crafted, with one customer noting it is fairly easy to understand and another mentioning it is explained in a satisfying way.

"...The book is a good, angsty hurt/comfort with some well written spice and a great story of a ‘villain’ getting a second chance to do things right...." Read more

"...Tom’s actions in The Replacement Husband are explained in a satisfying way...." Read more

"...scenes, and those that it does contain are thoughtfully placed and well-written...." Read more

"...I like Grayson's writing style, it's such that it's easy and fast to read. I enjoyed reading Tom's story, too...." Read more

4 customers mention "Character development"4 positive0 negative

Customers love the characters in the book.

"...The strength of the stories, and the characters keep me reading even when I'm uneasy with some of the ideas...." Read more

"...The Replacement Husband, but he was able to charm me and make the character likeable. Definitely a reread for me!" Read more

"Love the characters. They try, sabotage themselves, give in to their emotions, and make a mess of things. Utterly Delightful." Read more

"...Well written with fun characters that are awkward enough to be interesting. This book will keep you entertained...." Read more

3 customers mention "Emotion level"3 positive0 negative

Customers appreciate the emotional depth of the book, with one customer noting it matches the heartfelt tone of the first book in the series, while another mentions the perfect level of angst.

"...The angst in this book was perfect, and although I didn’t read the first book the second made it fairly easy to understand what all had happened in..." Read more

"...It was just as lovely and heartfelt as the first in the series...." Read more

"Love the characters. They try, sabotage themselves, give in to their emotions, and make a mess of things. Utterly Delightful." Read more

3 customers mention "Romance"3 positive0 negative

Customers enjoy the romance in the book, with one describing it as a more romantic MM book and another finding it sexy.

"...The Goddess-Blessed series is endearing, sexy, addictive alt-historical reading where two men can marry and have a happily ever after - after some..." Read more

"...is one of the more romantic MM books that I’ve read...." Read more

"...It was just as lovely and heartfelt as the first in the series...." Read more

Top reviews from the United States

  • DLM
    5.0 out of 5 stars Unexpected Favorite
    Reviewed in the United States on September 25, 2023
    Verified Purchase
    So I’ll preface my review by saying I did not read the first book in this series. The plot of this book seemed more my cup of tea than the first in the series so I started here. The angst in this book was perfect, and although I didn’t read the first book the second made it fairly easy to understand what all had happened in book one. It’s heartbreaking because yes Tom seriously hurt characters from the first book and none of that is excusable, but finding out how his father treated him and how cruel his classmates were to him just made him a really pitiful character. He was treated horribly and was so desperate to escape his reality that he made awful decisions.

    What I liked about this book, considering all Tom had done in the past, was that Tom didn’t try to make excuses for himself, and Mal didn’t try to tell him everything he’d done was okay at the end when they finally resolved everything. Tom knew how awful his actions had been and he regretted them desperately. And he did suffer. Tom’s situation and mental state is bad enough that I thought I’d cry at certain points because as angry as everyone was at him, he hated himself so much more. It was painful to read how deep his self loathing went.

    And I will warn, though this is a hurt/comfort novel at its core, the comfort takes a long time to appear. Mal is grief stricken, angry, and in denial of his feelings for Tom. There are certain times where I was furious at Mal even though his actions sort of made sense considering everything he was also dealing with, but boy did I really want to reach into the book and punch him. That being said, I don’t think this was a bad part of the book. These two characters were supposed to be angry by design, and they often lashed out at each other. Tom definitely took the brunt of it, but as a ‘villain’ it almost felt necessary to get him to truly change. Do I wish Mal had been more sympathetic at times? Yea, but the book also didn’t have Mal making excuses for his own poor behavior.

    Overall my only real complaint is that the book ended too abruptly. There was so much tension and angst and build up, and then the big moment of resolution came… and then immediately after was the epilogue (which was also too short… it just hinted at a reconciliation between Arthur and Tom but didn’t actually show it). I just wish the author had done a slower ending and given us a little more chance to see Tom and Mal truly happy with each other. It could have easily been done while tying up some loose ends (like the aftermath of Marcus’s actions and scheming).

    But honestly this is a minor complaint. The book is a good, angsty hurt/comfort with some well written spice and a great story of a ‘villain’ getting a second chance to do things right. It’s almost to the point that I almost don’t want to read the other books in this series because I am so taken with this one.
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  • AAHickman
    4.0 out of 5 stars Story drew me in immediately
    Reviewed in the United States on November 19, 2019
    Verified Purchase
    I really like this author's story telling, I'm drawn in immediately. Considering what an absolute jerk Tom was in the first book I had doubts that he could be redeemed, but they managed to pull it off. Although I'm not sure I liked why he was such a jerk nor am I sure that it was a viable reason for the way he acted. Additionally I never felt like that was ever resolved entirely, hiding such a huge part of who you are requires more than love to fix things. Plus I'm honestly not enamored of the whole Blessed idea, it sort of feels like the argument that queer people are born queer. And I know that is the prevailing view point, but the flip side of that argument implies that if queer people could change it they would which is inherently lesser. But that's a whole discussion beyond just this book.

    I really liked them both, and Will as well, it would be interesting to see more of him. I liked them together. I liked that Tom didn't read as female coded as Owen did in the first book, and that he didn't need saving, but defended himself and Mal.

    The strength of the stories, and the characters keep me reading even when I'm uneasy with some of the ideas. I'm not sure if that's a good thing or not, but I'm going to keep an eye out for more from this author. I hope to see evolution in the ideas presented in the wonderfully crafted stories.
    3 people found this helpful
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  • Darcy Thornton
    5.0 out of 5 stars Liked this a lot
    Reviewed in the United States on March 3, 2023
    Verified Purchase
    Tom, the troublesome character from the first book, is the MC here and I wasn’t sure how that was going to work out. I ended up really liking his story. He has his reasons for his regrettable actions, and right or wrong, he has to live with the consequences now. When Mal finds out that Tom is goddess blessed, he grabs Tom up in an effort to help his beloved cousin, William. Their relationship is contentious and harsh truths are thrown at each other as well as hurtful words. Tom takes on a lot from Mal and you can’t help but feel sympathetic towards him. Mal disbelieves Tom’s capacity for sincerity at first but Tom earns his trust over time. This is not a hearts and flowers kind of romance. It’s definitely more gritty in the way the characters treat each other and it’s all the more satisfying that Tom does get his HEA. I think I liked this book better than the first, but they’re both good and I’m looking forward to the next one.
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  • Abigail Cohen
    3.0 out of 5 stars Redemption
    Reviewed in the United States on April 8, 2020
    Verified Purchase
    There’s nothing like a good redemption story. If you liked The Replacement Husband, you’ll really want to read this one. And I do recommend reading them in order. Tom’s actions in The Replacement Husband are explained in a satisfying way. You’ll actually like him by the end, and there’s plenty of hot sex, too. What more could you want? How about a third book?
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Top reviews from other countries

  • Marina
    5.0 out of 5 stars A perfect continuation
    Reviewed in Germany on July 15, 2022
    Verified Purchase
    I really didn’t want to read about Tom as the main lead because after the first book I didn’t think there was any way I’d like him or root for him. It didn’t take long to be proven wrong though and I was so happy with their HEA.
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  • Kristi Stanley
    5.0 out of 5 stars The Rake is Redeemed
    Reviewed in Australia on May 26, 2024
    Verified Purchase
    Tom was the villain of The Reluctant Husband. It was lovely to read why he had acted as he did. I think if my Father had treated me the same as his treated him I might have acted the same way. Fortunately for me, I had a wonderful Dad. Fortunately for Tom, he gets a chance to redeem himself. Mal and his stiff upper lip of course may have complicated that chance a little. This was a wonderful romance that I have no hesitations in recommending wholeheartedly.
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  • Soulgal
    5.0 out of 5 stars Good followup.
    Reviewed in India on June 24, 2020
    Verified Purchase
    I have to say, I liked this one alot more than the 1st book in the series.
    The characters in this had more depth, were far more experienced, far more relatable.
    Tom was such a jackass in the previous book, I worried how I could come to like him, but I did, and I have to say, I like him more than Owen. With Owen, everything was second guessing, which I assume was cz he was a virgin but, in hindsight, it was a turnoff.
    But I liked Tom's shaded character. His reasons and his development. He still remained the same so it doesn't feel unnatural to suddenly like him. So kudos for working that out.
    Mal was so perfect for Tom. He fit right in 😉
    The only thing i felt missing was, some more time could be spent on their feelings for each other. I wanted to see some more tender moments towards the end, which we didn't get.
    But on a whole, it was another well written, well crafted story with engaging characters and sexy moments. Recommended for a stress free read.
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  • Sue
    5.0 out of 5 stars Great m/m series
    Reviewed in Canada on November 12, 2019
    Verified Purchase
    This is the second book of the Goddess Blessed series that rewrites history as if people are Blessed and if they do the right things then the people around them will be blessed as well. In this book we again see Tom Drake who mucked things up so badly in the previous book. He is forced by his own actions into marriage with Mal who only marries him to hopefully use the blessing to save the life of his cousin. It is a romance so you can guess what happens. It’s the skill of the writing that will make you believe this very improbable story and root for the characters happy ending. Terrific series.
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  • Liash
    4.0 out of 5 stars Tom's secrets revealed
    Reviewed in Australia on August 16, 2020
    Verified Purchase
    After Tom's actions in book 1, I wasnt sure if I could ever like him, let alone sympathise with him. This book turned that all around, and provided an unexpected explanation for his actions in life thus far. Watching him and Mal connect and learn to love one another was therefore very different to what I had expected. The alternating POV really helped us understand both of these complex characters. I still feel that both the first book and this one could have been longer to add a little more depth, show the couples' connection a little more. Still a great read though, and one I'd recommend if you're after a great regency era MM read.
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