[ARC Review] The Pact by Max Monroe

After reading The Bet earlier this year (review here), I was so excited to read the next Winslow brother's book! In The Pact, it's time for the tall, dark, and quiet Flynn to have his turn at romance. 

"I can't be sure. . . but. . . are you sexting me?"

While out in Vegas celebrating his brother's bachelor party, Flynn can't help but notice the effervescent, gorgeous woman playing the slots. She's bubbly, she's talkative, she's everything Flynn is not. But Daisy's work trip to Vegas is about to derail: she's been served with expired immigration papers and she will soon face losing her job and her home in L.A. and will have to return to Canada. It's all falling apart, so when a handsome stranger on a motorcycle offers her a marriage pact, a fake marriage for as long as she needs to obtain her green card, Daisy throws caution to the wind and agrees. Flynn has never been carefree or spontaneous, but there's just something about Daisy. What starts as a little immigration fraud between strangers suddenly becomes hotter and more real than either expected. As lines start to blur between what's real and what's fake, quiet Flynn knows one thing for sure: he's accidentally falling in love with his wife. 

Oh my goodness. I thought Jude's story in The Bet was going to be hard to top, but Flynn has certainly given his younger brother a run for his money. This second Winslow installment is definitely for the grumpy/sunshine trope fans; Daisy is as bright and attention-grabbing as her namesake, and every time she brought a smile to Flynn's face it brought a smile to mine as well. I fell fast and hard for Flynn and Daisy as a couple, and their journey to happily-ever-after was full of the perfect amount of fun and laughs, with plenty of spice and tension to keep me wanting more. 

I loved that Max Monroe gave a serious topic to such a bubbly character. Daisy and her rambling and word vomiting made me smile, even as Daisy thought her dreams were coming to an end. Daisy was an excellent foil for Flynn, as the stoic forty-one year old definitely needed some light and sunshine in his life. Of course Daisy and Flynn had their bumps along the road to happiness, but there was a great ebb and flow between their relationship problems and the immigration problems; I don't feel like either issue was pushed aside or neglected, and I felt like both Flynn and Daisy gave proper time and attention to their problems. 

Overall, the plot kept me intrigued (and often laughing), but also provided plenty of spice. Flynn is a man who knows what he's doing, and Daisy is one lucky lady. If you love the grumpy/sunshine trope or the marriage of convenience trope, you will love The Pact. Be sure to check out The Bet first, though, as most of the Winslow family comments will only make sense if you've read the first book in the series. 

A huge thank you to the authors and Social Butterfly PR for providing an ARC of The Pact and allowing me to continue fueling my Winslow family addiction. 

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Release date: 11/13/21
Format: eARC
eARC provided via: Social Butterfly PR