Book Review — Forsaken Trail by Devney Perry

“Tomorrow, I’ll regret confiding in the enemy.”
“I’m still the enemy?” he asked.
“Of course.”
“Good.” He grinned.

WOOHOO!! If you love enemies-to-lovers romance, surprise pregnancies, moody billionaires with hearts of gold, and strong heroines who don’t need anyone to save them, then you’re going to love this book!

Aria Saint-James has planned the perfect getaway: sweatpants, takeout and two weeks alone with her sister and nephew. Nowhere on that list is wearing a low-cut dress and uncomfortable heels to attend a wedding where she knows neither the bride nor the groom. Toss in her nemesis, Brody Carmichael, and her road trip to Arizona is officially a bust.

But at least there is champagne.

She blames the bubbly for falling into bed with Brody that night. Enemy or no, the billionaire is irresistible in a tux. But after their one-night tryst, Aria has no choice but to cut her vacation short, returning home to escape his devilish smile, vowing never to see Brody again.

Except Aria gets a surprise a few weeks later—she’s pregnant. When he learns that she’s carrying his child, Brody offers Aria the chance of a lifetime. The catch? She has to live under his roof until the baby is born.

Either they’ll kill each other in nine months. Or discover love buried beneath their hate.

This was a thoroughly enjoyable read that I read in one sitting because I just didn’t want to put it down. It was a fast, easy read with a story I got easily caught up into and characters I cared for.

One night of pretending.
Then we’d go back to what we were good at.
Hating.

While this is technically part of the Runaway series, you can read this as a standalone. I have read and loved all the books in this series but all of them can be read alone (or out of order if needed) as their stories are interconnected but not in a way that is critical to understanding the story. Everything you need to know about previous books is recapped in the beginning of this one without any major spoilers so if you feel like diving right into this book, you’re good to go. That said, I did love all the books so if you plan to read them all, why not start at the beginning.

The heroine was strong – really strong – and I loved that she was her own hero in life who didn’t rely on anyone. It was an admirable quality that made me respect her. In contrast, the hero came from a very different walk of life and he needed to learn to let her stand on her own – but he truly meant well so it was easy be forgiving of him and it was really sweet to see him try so hard to be the best man he could be. I loved that enemies or no, he genuinely stepped up when she got pregnant after their one night stand and that told me everything I needed to know about him.

“You’re…” I gulped.
“Pregnant.”
… “And it’s —“
“If you ask me if it’s yours, I will cut your balls off and string them on the Christmas tree.”

“If you’re not here to grovel, I’d head to the door before she sees you.”
“I’m here to grovel.”
“Good… Head on back.”

“I’m sorry. I said it earlier. I meant it.”
“I know. You don’t say things you don’t mean… I don’t want a nanny. I want to be the one to change diapers and puree baby food and get up in the middle of the night.”
“Are you sure?”
She nodded. “No nanny. I’m going to be selfish and keep all of my baby’s moments for myself.”
“Just share some with me, okay?”
“You can have the poopy diapers.”
I chucked. “So generous.”

If you’re looking for a sweet romance with a side of sass, then definitely try this!

Rating: 4-4.5 stars. Contemporary Adult Romance. Can standalone.