The Imperfect Marriage: Quentin & Vivian's Story

The Davenports, Book 2

By: L. Steele

Narrated by: Shane East, Stella Hunter

Length: 13 hrs and 29 mins

Publisher's summary

Quentin Davenport is my ex-boyfriend’s father ...

And my new marriage of convenience husband

When my boyfriend leaves me at the altar

Quentin offers to marry me!

No way can I accept it,

Especially since Quentin is much older than me

He's a tall, dark and tattooed former Marine,

Whose grumpy disposition leaves much to be desired.

But this way I can salvage my dignity...

Also, I can get back at my ex.

Besides, it’s a fake marriage.

So there’s no fear of developing feelings... right?

When he offers to put my younger sister through college....and pay for my father’s medical treatment.

I can’t refuse him.

Only he has conditions:

I must live with him, as his wife.

I must pretend to be his.

I must convince his family that I love him.

Living under the same roof as man and wife, I see a different side of my husband.

The pretend marriage begins to feel very realI begin to dream of a future with him.

I am going to get my Happily Ever After...

But what happens when I walk into his office and see him with the mother of his son...?

This is a marriage of convenience, ex-boyfriend's father, forced proximity, billionaire romance, with an HEA. There is no cheating, no OW/OM drama, and no third act breakup.

©2024 Laxmi Hariharan (P)2024 Laxmi Hariharan

Fascinating story!

Vivian has been unceremoniously dumped at the altar, in a text message sent to the best man, so Quentin, the father or the groom, offers to marry her. He has an ulterior motive since his father is handing the company over to one of his heirs upon the contingency that he's married. Quentin is 26 years older than Vivian, but it often becomes an impediment in Quentin's inner thoughts. The author has used this basic template for many of the books in this series. It makes sense, because it's a series with an ongoing arc contributing to the depth of the story. The women are mostly insecure at the start and the men have the power, but as the story continues, there's a unique exchange in which the men aren't alpha, they become alphaholes! The conflict is almost always a push and a pull with the alphahole saying this is not going to work or I'm not good enough for her. And the women almost always go bada$$ on their men, but it's still a while before they make up and profess true love. This story was heavy on the sex to the extent that there was little plot. It might sound like I didn't like the book, but that would be a wrong assumption. With only a few things that were annoying, I truly liked Vivian and Q. Shane East and Stella Hunter are a wonderful team of narrators. Their 5* dynamic voices fit the characters so perfectly and put heart and personality into their work. 

Imperfectly perfect

The imperfect marriage was anything but, imperfect. In fact, it was so good. Quentin offers Vivian an out when his son leaves her at the alter. Does Vivian take him up on the offer? Older man + younger woman, contemporary romance, fake relationship, beautiful and so worth the read.

Bottom line: It's nicely enjoyable; great narration.

Vivian is a jilted bride who was going to marry her best friend for (as yet) unknown reasons. When the bridegroom doesn't show up, his father proposes marriage to Vivian and our story begins.
I had mixed feelings about the book. The writing is great with wonderful dialog and nicely steamy scenes.
The narration is great! I love the dual narration ❤️.
The storyline was good, but a bit too angsty for me. He was all "'I need to win her at all costs' but then 'I'm not good enough for her'" and she was "I'm desperate to get him back but once I do, I need space". Overall, I think if you like steamy contemporary romance with miscommunication, you'll like this one but I don't feel like it is a standout book that will stick with you for years.

Bottom line: It's nicely enjoyable; great narration.

Surprise Inside

The first few lines had me hooked. I chuckled! That was enough for me to hear Quentin and Vivien's story. An age gap of twenty-six years is not a problem for true love. This audiobook was narrated in a duet style, which I adore by the talented team of Shane East and Stella Hunter.

The Perfect Audio Marriage

Shane East and Stella Hunter are consistently my top male/female narrators and I love it when they perform together! Their delivery of these complex characters was spot on. Overall, I really enjoyed it. The performance was great, the spice was perfectly spicy, and I loved that Raven wasn't a stick-thin supermodel type but rather a real, curvy woman. I can't wait to read the story about Raven's sister, Lizzie - loved that little spitfire!

I liked that in this age-gap story they brought up real concerns about this kind of pairing (ex. length of life left together) so it didn't feel too fantastical. Raven/Vivian is a relatable character, especially for those of us who aren't skinny minnies. She struggles with body image, hard life choices, and being the rock in her family. I would have given the story 5 stars, but there were a few places that seemed to drag a bit or that could have been cut to tighten things up, but again, overall I enjoyed this book.

Another great addition to the series!

The Imperfect Marriage is book #2 in the Davenports series. The sons must marry to receive their trust funds and gain control of the company. When Vivian is left at the altar, her ex-fiance's father proposes. Quentin is 26 yrs older than Vivian, but that doesn't stop their chemistry from setting every place they go on fire! I love a story that has two faulted main characters that heal from the other and Ms. Steele certainly delivered. There is heartbreak for some side characters that we know from past books, witty humor from the brothers, a greedy baby mama, and plenty of smexy spice that drifts towards BDSM (Dom/Sub). And the teaser at the end has me looking forward to Knox's story! *rubs hands together)

The duet narration with Shane East and Stella Hunter was perfection. These two know how to drag all the emotions from you, twist your heart around, then piece it back together. They are truly a dynamic duo. 5/5 stars!

Amazing Audio

Quentin and Vivian were written in the stars. The way they loved each other was so beautiful but also scary for both of them. The chemistry was amazing. Vivian was fierce and was not going to give up on them, and I loved that. Q was protective and possessive and was everything Vivian needed and craved. The Imperfect Marriage was full of drama, emotion, and lots of spice.

AUDIO: This was a duet narration by Shane East and Stella Hunter. Shane is quickly becoming a favorite narrator of mine! He was absolutely perfect for Quentin! He brought the rough, possessive, alpha energy that was needed for Quentin. Stella was amazing as well. I love these two together. Their voices complimented each other so well, and I really enjoyed listening.

OMG!! Heartbroken

You can never go wrong with L. Steele!! My deepest sympathy to Michael Sovrano and his babies. However I am very happy for Vivian and ‘Q’ on their nuptials! Glad thar ‘Q’ came to his senses and that Vivian is a strong and no nonsense person! Worth the credit! Can’t wait for Next Davenport to fall!LOL

Omg! Unexpected

I really enjoyed this story, had a different flare than the others. I can’t wait for more Davenport stories. I was devastated with the part of Michael/Karma and the kids. Michael needs another book!!! I love these series.

Before its Too Late

Agreeing to marry your ex-fiancé's father was not what Vivian expected when she was left at the altar but how can she resist the pull and financial stability that Quentin wants to give her? Shane East's performance will give you goosebumps as his voice draws you in with Quentin's personality and tone coming to life. I absolutely loved this performance and did not want to stop each night to sleep. Vivian was not to be outdone with Stella Hunter's performance as she was able to capture the emotional ups and down that occurred with this storyline.