Book Talk Review; Rearranged

 

I adored these two

Rowan McAllister is an obedient son. He went to the schools his parents wanted. He walked the path they set him on with no complaints. Then he even agreed to marry the son of a long time family friend. When he marries a complete stranger after his bachelor party in Las Vegas, it’s the craziest, yet somehow also the sanest thing he’s ever done. But if he’s finally taking charge of his life, why does he feel so out of control?

Sid Wallace is literally the red-headed stepchild. Marrying a stranger is the latest in a long list of rebellions Sid has staged. Right from that first night, being with Rowan feels as if it’s more than a rebellion. Staying married to the handsome stranger isn’t a hardship for Sid, but Rowan’s parents are adamant that he needs to annul his marriage to Sid.

Everything Rowan does is for his family. Everything Sid does is despite his. Rowan is used to toeing the line and Sid is used to crossing it. How can two men who are so different fall in love so fast and can they make a marriage work when it happened on a whim?

*

Rearranged by EM Denning is a squishy book. Sid and Rowan are such adorable characters. I loved them both so much and they were perfectly written. 

I love arranged marriage books, they’re fun to read and I love watching two people who are resigned to their fate find what they need in each other. That is not this book. Rowan is supposed to marry the man of his parents’ choosing. He’s supposed to marry Harrison and while they had a plan to endure it, Rowan throws it all away one drunken night in Vegas. Instead of getting an arranged marriage book we get an “I accidentally married a stranger in Vegas so now I don’t have to marry my childhood friend.” 

Sid is the literal redheaded stepchild. He’s had no one in his corner his entire life except for his best friend. But Sid needs love. He needs someone to love him and put him first. An unexpected trip to Vegas has him meeting and having dinner with the soon to be married Rowan. Very soon to be married Rowan, sooner than Rowan expected to be married and not to the man he expected to be married to. I can’t say he got a better deal, as Harrison doesn’t seem like a bad person, just bad for Rowan. Sid however, is perfect for Rowan. He’s a little damaged, a lot lonely, and so sweet. He’s probably my favorite character from EM Denning. He’s adorable and funny and loves Rowan so much. 

Rowan is adorable in his own right as well. He’s very much a people pleaser which is why he almost married his good friend Harrison. He needs someone to help him stand up to his parents who are awful. I wanted to hurt them because they didn’t deserve how wonderfully kind and selfless he is. He’s lovely and perfect for Sid. They give each other what the other desperately needs. They fight for each other and they love each other in all the ways that they deserve. 

Rearranged is soft and squishy and it’s perfect. Rowan and Sid are such perfect characters. They’re flawed in many ways. They have faults and weaknesses and need help in certain aspects, but that’s what makes them perfect. They need each other and they don’t fight that. While their relationship might be something neither of them ever expected, it’s also what they both needed. EM Denning did an amazing job at writing these boys. Their story was perfectly balanced with love, heat, snark, and squishy boys. 

*Quote- 

“Rowan thought he might show Sid that he was worth thinking about.” 

“Rowan was a flame, and Sid was a moth. He’d probably end up burning himself, but it would be worth it. The way Rowan had been with him last night, the way he’d kissed him like he was the only man on the planet worth kissing, Sid wanted that again. And if he had to take Rowan to the very corner of the world and hide them away, he’d get it.”  

“It was like he’d woken up one day as a different person. Someone who was no longer content to sit in the groove other people carved out for him.” 

“Rowan leaned in and pressed his mouth to Sid’s. Their kiss was sweet and chaste. It felt like home and safety. Like love and understanding. He wanted to live in it forever.”