You can’t escape the enemy…
when you’re his wife!

After she spent a lifetime destitute and alone, Bianca Mason’s delight at discovering the family she never knew existed turns to dismay. Her dying grandfather commands her to wed Luca D’Alabruschi. The ruthless Italian who once put his billions and his privilege before her…

Though she has no choice but to act the benevolent bride-to-be, Bianca won’t forgive or forget the pain Luca caused. Except as each day passes, more memories of their ill-advised affair return… And it’s clear the hate between them is only hiding the agonizing passion still simmering beneath!

This is an adult 18+ story that contains language, possible violence, and/or sexual situations geared to an adult audience.

Title:  Marriage Made in Hate
Series:
Author:  Julia James
Published:  July 29, 2025
Publisher:  Harlequin Presents
My Rating:  4 stars

Marriage Made in Hate is one of those novels where I’m torn on how I feel about the story or the characters.  This isn’t the first book by Julia James that I’ve read, and for the most part, I’ve enjoyed myself getting lost in her stories.  I just… Luca is just so unlikable, I kept reading, hoping for something to happen that would redeem him, make him more human and less like the villain in the story.  And, yes, by the ending, he was better.  Yet, I couldn’t have cared less if he got a happy ending or not, since for most of their story, he belittled, ignored, or insulted Bianca.

Bianca had stars in her eyes when she first met Luca, convinced that they were destined to be together, forever.  When, according to Luca, it was time that their fling ended, she was devastated, and any love she once had for this man quickly turned into hate.  She spent the next several years remaking herself through education, through personal growth, and in her mind at least, plotted revenge on her former lover.  Funny how things work out.  With the discovery of an unknown relative, Bianca’s position in life took a sharp turn… into wealth.  Yet, every silver lining has some stormy clouds.  She’s being “encouraged” to marry a man of her relative’s choosing… Luca.

At its core, I believe Marriage Made in Hate by Julia James is a good story.  That I could not fall in love with the hero is on me, not the author.  I’m not going to bash an author’s work, their blood, sweat, and tears, simply because I could not like or care about the hero.  Any review is really just one person’s opinion; your experience with this story might be vastly different than mine.  The only way to know is for you to read the story for yourself and make up your own mind.  I wanted to like Luca, but I just couldn’t.

*I received an e-ARC of this novel from the publisher via NetGalley, and I sincerely thank the author or publishing house for their trust.  It is my choice to leave a review giving my personal opinion about this book.*

This title is available at Amazon (affiliate link)