There are books you enjoy, books you love... and then there are books you come back to. The Wrong Bride is one of those for me.

I read it for the first last year and loved it! The angst, the emotional tension, the quiet strength of Raven and the slow, reluctant unravelling of Ares icy Armor—it all stuck with me. So I picked it up again, and honestly? I think I loved it even more this time around. This was the first Catherine Maura book I had read and I have gone on to read a few of her other books too :)

Synopsis 

The Wrong Bride follows Raven and Ares, two people caught in the middle of a powerful family alliance gone wrong. Raven was never supposed to be the bride—her sister, Hannah was. But when her sister runs away right before the wedding, Raven is pushed into marrying the ruthless, cold-hearted heir, Ares.

What begins as a loveless, transactional marriage quickly evolves into something layered, messy, and incredibly emotional. Both characters are battling internal scars, and their forced union brings those vulnerabilities to the surface in unexpected, heart-breaking ways.

Okay. Let's talk about Ares first.
He is so cold in the beginning. Like, borderline cruel at times. But the way Catherine Maura peels back his layers little by little? It had me hooked. He’s broken in all the typical romance-hero ways, but somehow it still felt believable. I didn’t love him right away—but I loved watching him change. He respected Raven’s boundaries and stuck up for her throughout the book even when he was still in love with Hannah, I love how he reassured Raven when she doubted herself and when she was feeling insecure. 

Raven is strong, vulnerable, loyal and always trying to protect the people she loves even when it hurts her. I felt her fear, thoughts and heartbreak all through this book. I love feeling the characters emotions when reading romance books- like I’m not just reading their story, I’m living it. I want the ache, the tension, the vulnerability to settle deep in my chest, which is probably one of the reasons why I wanted to reread this. It’s the kind of book that crawls under your skin and stays there long after you’ve turned the last page.

The slow burn in The Wrong Bride? Painful. Tense. Absolutely perfect.

Ares and Raven don’t fall fast—they fight it. Every glance, every silence, every near-touch is loaded with tension. It’s not insta-love—it’s a slow unravelling of walls, pride, and pain.

If you love your romance with angst, tension, and payoff that feels earned, this book is for you.

Rereading The Wrong Bride reminded me why I fell in love with it the first time. It's not just a romance—it’s a story about broken people trying to build something real out of pain, duty, and unexpected connection.

If you're someone who loves emotional slow burns with strong heroines and complicated, guarded heroes, this book is everything. And if you’ve read it once? Read it again. It only gets better.

More books in the Windsor Series

The Temporary wife

the unwanted marriage

the broken vows ( Release date 5th aug 2025)

the secret fiancé ( Release date 18th Nov 2025)

the devious husband 

These are all also available on kindle unlimited!