REVIEW: The Twins that Bind by Jackie Ashenden

In The Twins that Bind by Jackie Ashenden, billionaire Aristophanes is on a tight schedule. A schedule that is completely thrown off when he witnesses a woman trip in the cold, wet street in front of his car one night. He runs to check on her and is shocked at the instant connection he feels between them. As a man who refuses to give in to his heart, he does his best to push that thought aside. But still, he should probably keep an eye on her overnight. That’s the right thing to do. That’s all.

Waking up in the arms of a sexy billionaire was just the icing on the cake after preschool teacher Nell’s rotten evening. A billionaire who refuses to let her go lick her wounds in private no less! But things do start to perk up after things unexpectedly heat up in her apartment …

It may have heated up a little too much though and one slight oversight in the moment has resulted in not only one baby on the way, but two! Aristophanes decides the answer is obvious: A marriage of convenience. After all, they have amazing chemistry and can’t keep their hands off each other. Nell, however, won’t settle for anything less than love.

This was a pretty standard Presents. It met all my expectations: An alpha who can’t figure out how to have emotions and needs to be broken down (as always, yes please!), exotic locations, and financial security. However, I think I need more. It’s more character driven but even such I found myself wanting a little bit more plot and had trouble sticking to it after the midpoint. There were a lot of conversations, but not much happening around them. Obviously communication is important but I would have liked to spend more time out doing things in the places the characters were rather than sitting at a table having various discussions.

I’m still not entirely sure how I feel about Nell. One of the things that’s mentioned a few times about her is that her intelligence is supposed to be middling. This is supposed to be an offset to Aristophanes’s need to only be around intellectually stimulating women. But that particular line of character development wasn’t entirely necessary for the plot so it came off slightly insulting towards Nell. That being said she certainly works hard to hold her own against Aristophanes’s bossiness and is generally very sweet.

Aristophanes is the show stealer here. He had a very sad childhood that forced him to never love anyone again in case they left him. He tries to be domineering and cold, but then we learn things about him like how he saved a kitten when he was a child. Clearly he’s got a good heart if only he would let himself use it! Nell also fully breaks him and he’s forced to pick himself up again as he completes his character arc. (Chef’s kiss!) He did grovel slightly, but I could have used more here. A lot of grovels in Presents lately have taken place in a hotel room or a living room. These men are billionaires! I need a bigger grand gesture here! They can afford one!

The actual writing in this book is great. Things are described in a very creative and intelligent way that I enjoyed. The first few chapters also do a great job of really throwing you into the story. And the sex scenes… holy moly. Quite spicy. I would gladly pick up another book by Jackie Ashenden.

If you love a baby romance, marriage of convenience, and/or an alpha brought to his knees then pick up a copy of The Twins that Bind!

Book Info:

Publication: December 24, 2024 | Harlequin Presents | Scandalous Heirs #2

A surprise twins, proposal of convenience, rags to riches, billionaire romance from Jackie Ashenden. Claiming his two heirs… with one diamond! Preschool teacher Nell Underwood’s pulse is racing as she makes an agonizing confession to Aristophanes their intoxicating encounter left her pregnant—with twins! But the Greek’s marriage demand shocks her to her core. She knows firsthand that babies deserve love, not convenience. No isn’t a word billionaire Aristophanes is used to. Haunted by his own childhood abandonment, he’s determined to claim his heirs. Yet using their blistering attraction to persuade Nell to accept his proposal proves futile—she wants more. Can Aristophanes unlock the chains that have forever surrounded his heart?