The prime reason for requesting this book on Netgalley was the title and the blurb which sounded like I should get my hands on without procrastinating. God, am I proved right? Do I like this book for what it is made of? Did I find it awe-inspiring? Is it drool worthy? Will I ever read from this author in the near future?For now, my answer is a flat, "No". You heard me. I hope you don't hate me if my opinion clashes with your positive feedback. We are all people with different tastes and preferences. Agree?

Honestly, Better to marry than to burn had me go nuts. I confess, the book blurb seduced me to read it. How I wish the inside of the book was as captivating as the outside (impressive cover image too). I am letting you know that it's not actually about the erotica part.I have indeed in sooth read quiet a few of this type very similar to this genre and found a liking for that matter. But this book made me cringe with disgust simply I have no words to express my displeasure in detail.

Male chauvinism was written all over it. Ironically, the female lead is no better. A selfish, adamant, headstrong who attempts to exert her dominance over her new husband. This she does only when he challenges her in every means possible and pushes her buttons. She can't help when her new man is pain in the ass. Both dimwits are in an unannounced competition to rule over the other. Who wins? If at least he was a gentleman!If at least he didn't prove he was a punkass! If at least he respected her! If at least he was a man of difference!If at least.......

My summary of the book- Civil war has just ended. With it, slavery of black people is finally put to rest. Now in Texas, legacy of the black has to be established. Whoever rebels against the Mayor and stays unwed will be reprimanded for their dumb decision. They must be brave enough to face the consequence of their action. Caesar King, a young widower is said to be still reminiscing his love for his deceased wife who breathed her last in childbirth. He wants no wife!What can he do when he is the one against many who welcome the idea of legacy?

Halfheartedly, he obliges to the elders. He states in his ad , love is not sought. Emotional bond isn't he is after except legacy. Mail order wife arrives at his place. From the moment, his eyes meets beautiful Queen Esther Payne , he behaves like a jerk. He manhandles her. She is well-educated, independent and demonstrative about her needs. He, on the other hand despite his love for his ex-wife, he seems to have opened his heart for her(lust of course) and feels no remorse. He expects more than a legacy.

His needs contradicts with her need. Even though, slavery has just ended for the black , Caesar King treats his mail order wife, a lesbian wanting a dignified life in the society, initially like a slave. Will she lose to him? He proves his power. She proves her power. They call it truce. Lesbians weren't entertained by the straight people those days. I had a peep into their struggle for a good life in this book. I disapprove of other things.

The steamy sexual scenes is something that I'd admit I skipped out but I read it to see anything humanely is in there. If you like reading porn stuff, you might like it. I don't encourage this kind of material ever. Should the author has written an erotica of nice people who fell head over heels in love with each other and narrated a tale of soulmates, may be I would have given a thumbs up.

The main characters try to outrage each other's modesty and are unapologetic for long. They are both shameless. I will cut to the chase. My verdict -I don't recommend the book to decent people. No one should manipulate others physically, mentally and emotionally. Those who do the opposite are fit as dead. I will conclude with a punch line. Having read the book, I'd rather like the thought of better to burn than to marry. See, how the author has managed to pull it off?🤣

Wow! Quick but great read. In just a short amount of time I feel as if I know the characters so well and rooting for their success. Very steamy which was quite unexpected! Looking forward to more great reads by the author.

Interesting book. Not what I was expecting.
Thank you to both NetGalley and publishers for inviting me to read this book in exchange for my review

In the beginning if the book, the story line was interesting in setting up the tine frame or era. The erotic portion of the story was on point. However, it was a hard stretch for me to have the beginning of the story and the erotic go together for the time period or era for the story. More of a personal preference I would imagine. The title made me want to read however it was not what I thought it would be. Disappointed it was somewhat a short read.

The description of this book is the entire story plot. Its a short novel, yet an impressive one at that. I really expected the novel to be more detailed into the story and deeper characters. Even though its a short book, the romance between characters and language is good! I really look forward for Michal Scott’s next books.
Thank you NetGalley, Michal Scott and Wild Rose Press for reader’s copy of this book. The review is based on my opinion and was not influenced.

It was a short steamy book of the mail-order-bride variety, he is an ex-slave in a conservative town seeking to build families and she is spoiled free woman from the north seeking a husband as a stepping point to independence. His ad says he doesn’t want love and she doesn’t want it either. However as things predictably go in these types of stories they meet have mutual attraction, a bit of misunderstanding and conflict and well you can guess how it ends. I’ve read read anything by this author before but I can’t complain about the writing it’s just as predictable as expected.

Very nicely worked at the beginning.. but fell a bit apart at the end for me. Also to short to really recommend.

What a saucy little novella...

Caesar King, a recently freed black man living in Douglas, Tx has been told by the high-minded Mayor and his wife that he must marry or leave. The town has chased out all the prostitutes and is trying to create a town focused on building a legacy. Caesar is a widower and has no patience for this nonsense. Instead of entering a bridal lottery, because he feels it's too similar to slavery, he puts an ad out for a bride. "...Marital relations as necessary. Love not required nor sought..."

Queen Esther Payne, a freeborn black from Philadelphia, has been virtually extricated from her family for her unapologetic love of loving women. She has been told she must marry. She too wants to take matters into her own hands rather than accept someone assigned to her.

Caesar and Queen soon find that they are both strong-minded and equally matched. I really liked the push/pull between Caesar and Queen. Queen was strong and for the most part, knew what she wanted and wasn't afraid to take the reins or give them back. (Honestly, that is the mark of a truly strong person, knowing when to give a little).

Again, I was pulled into reading this one by the cover art and the blurb. I can't help it. I like pretty things.

The novella was extremely short but I really like what I read. I'm not sure that adding more page time could add more to the premise of the book, however, I would still like to read more.

*ARC provided in exchange for an honest review.*

Not really for me, it seemed to need a lot of work , character, story and writing wise. It was hard to keep interest because of this.


Thanks to netgalley and the publisher for a free copy for an honest opinion

Wife Wanted: Marital relations as necessary. Love not required nor sought...

A bridal lottery seems the height of foolishness to ex-slave Caesar King, but his refusal to participate in the town council’s scheme places him in a bind. He has to get married to avoid paying a high residence fine or leave the Texas territory. After losing his wife in childbirth, Caesar isn’t ready for romance. A woman looking for a fresh start without any emotional strings is what he needs.

Queen Esther Payne, a freeborn black from Philadelphia, has been threatened by her family for her forward-thinking, independent ways. Her family insists she marry. Her escape comes in the form of an ad. If she must marry, it will be on her terms. But her first meeting with the sinfully hot farmer proves an exciting tussle of wills that stirs her physically, intellectually, and emotionally.

In the erotic battle of sexual one-upmanship that ensues, both Caesar and Queen discover surrender can be as fulfilling as triumph.

Better to Marry than to Burn by Michal Scott an author I haven't read before. This book was a very short read probably took me less than 1/2 hour. A spicy read with a okay storyline I think it could have been a little longer.

I knew it would be bad but the positive reviews gave me hope. The plot was terrible, and the dialogue worse. I should have DNF’ed it but at least it was only about a 20 minute read.

This is a novella that reads very quickly. Given the brevity of the book, there is little time for significant character development. However, I still felt like I understood a great deal about the two main characters in Better To Marry Than To Burn. Caesar and Queen married because of necessity. Caesar needed a wife in order to keep his land and Queen needed to marry because women really had little choice in that time period. However, from the minute they meet, it's a battle of wills and you aren't quite sure which one of them will come out on top.

I would have really enjoyed seeing this storyline expanded past the limitations of a novella. I believe these two characters had a lot to work with and were rich with potential. Also, I like things written during that time period and really liked the fact that this book was written from the viewpoint of a newly freed slave and his new wife who was born free. However, as a woman during that time period, she wasn't totally free to live her life the way she wanted because she had to marry to be "protected."

Even though I wanted more from this story, I realize it is a novella and as such, was not meant to have the level of detail I was looking for.

Thank you to NetGalley for this review copy in exchange for an honest review.

What a beautiful, passionate story!

All the best parts of a great love story are included in this short novella. Caesar King, a widower, is living in a post-Civil War black community in Texas that has decided to protect their legacy by requiring all men to be married. A carefully worded ad, an intriguing response, and an inviting acceptance letter all lead to the arrival of Queen Esther, a woman from Philadelphia who has her own reasons for seeking this unusual marriage of convenience. The rest of this story follows our young couple as they first get married within minutes of meeting then begin to negotiate their way through the remainder of first day together.

Both of these are strong-willed people; one who has never known a master and is determined that she never will, and one who steadfastly refuses to ever have another. The fight for control and dominance in this new marriage is tempered and at times very tender and sweet, as they both learn that compromise is not defeat and working together is the only way to make a marriage work. Both of our romantic combatants are highly educated intellectuals, giving weight and meaning to even the smallest act or statement. Before their wedding night is over, they have settled all that needed to be addressed and the future looks very bright for their fledgling dynasty.

As strong as the emotional element of this story is, it's definitely not for pearl-clutchers. These two do most of their negotiating sans clothing, using every tool in their arsenals to convince and control the other. Still, not a word or phrase is superfluous as each step in the laying of this marital foundation is essential.

It's a rare thing to find such a short book that still contains all the passion, all the emotional impact, and all the character development necessary. This was a delightful read, and one I can highly recommend. I voluntarily reviewed an ARC of this book.