ARC Review: Blame It On The Champagne by Fiona Cole

There’s only one thing to do when you wake up, married to your brand new boss, whom you hate but can’t resist: You blame the champagne.

I blame the bubbles for my wild night with a masked stranger.

Who cares if it’s nothing this good girl would normally do–with a man that turns out to be my horrible boss?

Who cares that I’m promised to someone else?

I blame the alcohol for agreeing to marry him.

As long as my new husband keeps his mouth shut, I can survive five years of our little arrangement. It’s too late for anything else.

But our impromptu wedding leads to so much more than I bargained for. His dirty promises warm me. His kisses make me lightheaded. His respect slips past my best defenses. The hate turns to friendship, and makes me dream of more. He’s like the most dangerous kind of champagne.

That’s why I blame him for making me fall in love with him.

But when I find out our marriage was nothing more than revenge, what’s to blame for my broken heart?

My Thoughts

“We may be small, and we may be young, but we will shake the world for ouBe kind to your hearts through it all. Love is a dangerous game with many rewards. So when you have it, fight hard to keep it.”

Blame It On The Champagne, Fiona Cole

 I would like to thank the author and Valentine Pr & Literary Management for sending me an ARC of this book in exchange of an honest review.

This is my first Fiona Cole book, and it definitely left a lasting impression to me. Blame It On The Champagne is just as what I expected its blurb would be – a very sexy, angsty marriage of convenience office romance that would always keep me on my toes. If you’re into this type of romance books, I would definitely recommend this one to you. The title alone obviously already says a lot about a ton of impulsive and bad decisions made throughout this novel.

This is a really fast-paced novel that would engage you from start to finish. Things were really moving quickly in between chapters, so it lingered more on the important parts of the story rather than dragging it out. However, even with the fast pace of the book, it did not compromised the author’s writing style and thought. Conflict-wise, I do always enjoy a good revenge plot sequence. It was pretty straightforward and clear-cut, and definitely drove the story’s progression.

I really enjoyed the highly feministic theme surrounding this novel about how a woman should be the one to take control over her own life and not to be dictated by others – even her family. Vera Mariano lived up to that theme, and I loved seeing her fight her way in this very patriarchal world she lives in – both in her family and outside of it. Even though she kept up with her powerhouse image, she obviously still has shown her vulnerability at times. On the other hand, Nicholas Rush was the typical alpha male CEO that most would root for. I actually found him a huge asshole for the first part of the book because his attitude towards Vera I thought were a bit uncalled for (almost bordering on excessive), but as the story progressed, I started to appreciate his personality and beliefs more, and how he treated Vera as an equal which she deserved to be.

The romance between Vera and Nico is obviously off the charts! It was very steamy and angsty in a very decadent way. I really enjoyed how their initial encounter to their next encounter was paced out so long for the readers to keep wondering when it would happen, but also get a lot of the plot’s important points across during that time. While I like detailed sex scenes in my romance novels, I would often cringe if it has a lot of dirty talk in them. Sure, this book has it too, but it was done tactfully and with purpose so my cringe level was not that hard. It actually sort of suited both characters’ personalities well. I also really lived for the tender moments between them, since those were the parts that really showcased their personalities and histories better, thus getting to enjoy their characters even more.

I honestly am thrilled to read this novel, and I can’t wait to read the next books to come out in this brand new series, especially since they would be featuring Vera’s spunky best friends!

 “We can make it our own tradition.”

Blame It On The Champagne, Fiona Cole

My Rating

Blame It on The Champagne is now currently out in the world, or read free for with Kindle Unlimited!

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About The Author

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Fiona Cole is a military wife and a stay at home mom with a degree in Biology and Chemistry. As much as she loved science she decided to postpone her career to stay at home with her two little girls and immersed herself in the world of books until finally deciding to write her own.

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