REVIEW- COUNTED
Stars: ♾️/5⭐️
Spice: 🌶️🌶️🌶️
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🩵Marriage of Convenience
🩵Care Taking
🩵Forced Proximity
🩵Recluse MMC
🩵No Third Act Breakup
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I received an advance copy of the book and am leaving an honest review. All opinions are my own. 

OMG. YOU GUYSSSS. You know I’m absolute trash for marriage of convenience stories, but this one? GUTTED ME. Noelle girl, you did not have to go that hard. This had me ugly crying but then begging for more.

This follows Jude, who is told that he has a brain tumour and has 3 months to live and Eve, who agrees to marry the guy who’s gonna die. Suuuure Eve, I’ll let you think you can get out of this unscathed and not falling in love.

This story was just beautiful. I loved Jude and Eve’s relationship and how much they both relied on one another. There was some back and forth with miscommunication but it never lasted long and they ended up really opening up to each other. They brought out the best in each other. I didn’t want the book to end. They were sooo sweet to each other and so supportive. I have nothing but amazing things to say about this book 😍

I don’t want to give anything away, but I did relate to Jude a bit in what he was dealing with. MOC stories always have some unbelievability to them but I thought this was realistic and so well written.

This isn’t my first book by Noelle Adams I’ve read and it won’t be the last. She just knows how to pull you in and tell a story. If you haven’t checked out her backlist, I highly recommend her Trophy Husband series after you read Counted!

Whoa the spice 👌🏻
Hello sexy explicit but romantic orgaaaaaasm!!!!
I wasn't expecting all the spice in this book, but I was all in, love a good steamy story. Just that be aware there's too much of it. I would rather more romance than all that steam but it was okay.

Loved both characters and how they connected to each other!!! The story is cute, really cute!!! Until the end. I didn't like the end. Now, hahaha I didn't want a catastrophe to happen but I did expect it to be less absurd at that point. Romance okay, steam okay, end wasn't for me. Loved 90% of the book, that's it.

What a fantastic read. I don’t want to give anything away but the love story here was so sweet and heartbreaking at the same time. Thank you NetGalley for the copy of this book.

I enjoyed reading Counted by Noelle Adams. You will fall in love with all the characters. I received a free copy of this book via NetGalley and the publisher. This is my honest and personal review. Happy Reading!

Thank you so much netgalley and of course Noelle for the arc.

It was a beautiful story and I loved the relationship between the two main characters. When I tell you I cried, I cried. Ugly crying through 100 pages.

That twist had me absolutely shook!

4.75🌟

This book ripped my heart apart. It was heart warming, poignant and so addictive.

Eve and Jude knew each other since childhood but they were never close and didn’t have anything in common. Jude a typical introvert and Eve his opposite.
But when tragedy struck Jude turns to Eve and it’s because of her huge heart she agree to become Jude’s wife for three months.

Both Jude and Eve were matured and compassionate so it showed in their relationship too. The hardships they faced made me cry many times but they both were so strong and accepting.

I loved the progression of their relationship. First they were less than casual acquaintance then slowly they bonded and became friends and each other’s strength and somewhere along the way, they fell in love. They both worked for their bond.

It was really hard to see Jude’s suffering. It made me realise how blessed we all are and health is the greatest blessing of all.
So when the twist came I was so damn relieved and happy. Epilogue was so peaceful and much needed.

Jude Gregory knew that he was dying, maybe in three months, and knew that he didn’t want to die alone. His mother had died from a brain tumor and he had received the same diagnosis. Before she died, he promised his mother that he would marry, but the only woman he could think of to marry, was Eve. Eve Carlyle knew Jude, but only as the son of her father’s client. When Jude contacts her, she can’t believe what she is hearing, he is dying, has probably three months to live and he wants to marry her. Eve has never had a serious relationship, at least one that made her feel loved or special, and so she agrees. Will her caring for him turn to love as she suffers with him through his debilitating headaches? They plan the next months; to travel and time for him to finish his book, but no visits to doctors. He had accepted his fate, but now after knowing Eve’s love, he doesn’t want to die, he wants more time with Eve. Beautiful, emotional love story! I received an advance review copy at no cost and without obligation for an honest review. (paytonpuppy)

First of all, I'm not crazy. Yes. I did read that blurb and noticed the probable impending death towards one of the main characters, I did continue to go ahead and reach out for an ARC.

I just feel dead lately. And oh Boy, this one helps.

This book took you on a journey. And less of the tumour diagnosis, let me tell you one thing about this book that won me over.

The communication. Or at least the start of it. I love how these two people interacted with each other, learning about one another. And how that slowly builds up that communication skill between them. Because let me tell you, some other books, they don't even know that a good communication could fix their relationship. I love their honest talks with each other, how caring and nurturing and how they perfectly complimented each other. Hell, this author has managed to convince me that these two have truly fallen in love and that yes they can definitely last.

Yeesh. Just love this couple and what a healthy pair also, considering I've just finished four books about fucked up relationships.

Anyhow, it's a sweet succinct with a tug of heart plot (that might squeeze out a few tears from you). But this couple? They got it guys. They have the thing to make it work.

*P.s. In case you missed it, I have received an ARC copy of this book from the publisher and willingly (give my sanity towards tearjerkers-type books) to review this. On my own volition. ✌🏻

Grab your tissues and be prepared to ugly cry, happy cry, and cry just for the fun of it. First of all I LOVED this book. While I'm not used to such a high-stakes premise in my usual rom-coms (life and death), this ticked all the boxes for me. Eve agrees to marry Jude as his dying wish, so they both know that their days together are "counted." I don't know if it's because of the added tension of this relationship having an expiration date or not but let me tell you that these characters have serious chemistry! It is quite spicy, but you will definitely grow attached to this couple.

Thanks to netgalley for the advanced digital copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.

#netgalley #Counted

2.5⭐️ rounded up to 3⭐️

I loved how these characters were so determined to show care for each other. While communication was certainly not their strongest suit (and something I do hope they would go to therapy for), their devotion to each other is clearly felt in the acts of service they carried out for each other. I did find parts of the storytelling a bit repetitive and thus feelings of boredom led to some page skimming (constant self-deprecation based out of insecurity with almost no progress in this character’s development; excessive bowel movement descriptions; miscommunication covered completely by appeasement sex). The fervent religious aspect of reconnecting to faith was also a bit jarring in contrast with the steamy content of this book so this took me out of the story a few times.

I didn’t love the direction the ending took after the big plot twist but I did enjoy Jude’s character development and appreciated getting to see him enjoy life as he wished on his journey with Eve.

Overall, a quick and easy read but left me wanting for more in a non-satiated way.

Thank you to the publisher Victory Editing and Netgalley for a digital copy in exchange for my honest thoughts.

I am a huge fan of all things written by Noelle Adams. As soon as I saw this book available on NetGalley, I didn’t hesitate before requesting it. I went into this book blindly, I never read the description, because I knew if she had written it, it had to be good.

I will not give away the ending, but I’m ever so grateful for how it was handled by the author. I had so many emotions while reading this story and was afraid that it was another Me Before You plot. The entire story was so realistic and I kept finding myself wondering when I could find the time to read more. I hope the author writes a sequel to this book.

It Counts....

Dang it! Now I have to read the Blue Castle.
Jude has three months left to live. There's three things on his bucket list.
Finish the book he's writing. Travel more (he's been getting more and more reclusive) and three: Get Married. To Eve. Oh, not because he's in love with her. Its because they sort of know each other and as he is the only son of a billionaire, Eve is the only choice.

Eve has known Jude for years, but there is nothing romantic between them, though they are a lot alike. Both are scholarly, both into books, both kind of reclusive, both are dreamers and both want to get married. The timelines are the only difference. Jude is out of time, with only three months and Eve it was a someday thing. Someday is now.
A lovely read with a hint of steam.
Recommend.

3⭐️

✨ terminal illness
✨ marriage of convenience
✨ religion/faith

This book posed an important question; if you were given three months to live, what would be on your bucket list to cross off during that time?

I’m typically a sucker for a marriage of convenience love story, but Counted was a bit heavy for my liking. Perhaps it’s because I have personal experience with losing a loved one to a similar illness, and this story hit a little too close to home. We all have unique experiences that books can expose, so I tried very hard while reading this one to not let my own sadness paint a dark cloud over this beautiful story.

In the face of a devastating prognosis, Jude Gregory took a leap of faith and proposed to Eve Carlyle, knowing he only had three months to live. He didn't expect anything more than a fleeting experience, but little did they both know that their shared time would ignite their love.

✨Thoughts✨
This story had a bittersweet tone, tugging at the heartstrings. I found myself empathizing with Jude's desire to seize the moment and break free from the chains of fate. Eve, with her kind and inquisitive nature, was a perfect match for him. The conclusion of their story was somewhat foreseeable, but it was precisely that anticipation that kept me engrossed.

This story teaches us an important lesson: illness always forces us to confront our own mortality, and Noelle Adams skillfully encapsulated these emotions through Jude's journey. Her portrayal was so poignant that it resonated deeply within me.

If you're drawn to stories that whisk you away in a whirlwind of emotions, this is an exceptional choice. A special thanks to the author and Victory Editing NetGalley Co-op for providing me with this ARC.

This book ripped my heart out in the most beautiful way possible. I enjoyed reading it a lot and the characters were great. Even though you knew how it'll end it wasn't dull. The only thing I wish we got more of was the backstory of the characters. Them being short on time was kind of the breakpoint of the book, I'm aware of that but that's how I feel about it.

Noelle Adams was my most read author in 2o23 so I was ecstatic to read her newest release.

The great thing about Noelle Adams books is that she writes series in a very standalone way, so it benefits the reader greatly to read the whole series but also it makes total sense without doing it. I didn't read the first one in this series so went in very new. Overall, this marriage of convenience story was a solid read. It was touching, had an amazing slow burn but also had spicy scenes. But I really couldn't get over the fact that this man of means went to great lengths to avoid facing certain truths. With the amount of money that both characters had, it just didn't make any sense to me.

For the length, I also wish there was more of a history established between the MCs in the beginning just to get a sense of the world and platonic relationship between the two. The MMC had said that the FMC was a "safe" choice for a marriage of convenience but why specifically seek her out (twice)? What is it about their upbringings that had them so okay with the situation? Was it a childhood connection or shared interests in the same world? Even unreciprocated pining would have been a predictable but understandable reason.

All in all, I still recommend this book for a solid low angst Noelle Adams read but wish that it had been fleshed out more.

I received an ARC in exchange for an honest review. Thank you Netgalley!

This thoughtful novel gives us two things that cannot be simultaneously true: Jude has inoperable brain cancer. This is a romance with a happily ever after. Which will it be? The author’s note explains Noelle’s inspiration and gives us a context so we can just savour it all. This works really well and it’s such a fresh way to give the novel the context it needs.

Eve and Jude have known each other forever and when Jude gets a cancer diagnosis he asks Eve to marry him so they can work through his bucket list. There’s so much tenderness as they get used to each other. Initially it’s very pragmatic, even their first steamy moments are negotiated. Their relationship grows and their feelings change as Eve takes care of Jude. It’s thoughtful and full of small moments of care. All the focus is on the progression of Jude’s illness, and we can feel their insecurities through the third person POV.

Recommended. It’s not dramatic or high in angst, but the seriousness of Jude’s diagnosis means this is not always a light read. In the end though, these two are so much better together!

Rounded up to 🌟🌟🌟🌟 - thank you NetGalley, Victory Editing and Noelle Adams for the ARC. Opinions are my own.

This book starts off seeming like a boilerplate marriage of convenience trope. Jude has an inoperable brain tumor with an estimated three months to live. His mother's dying wish was for him to be married, and now that he's facing his own mortality, he's able to convince lifelong family friend Eve to become his wife and see him through the end of his life. It would be easy to take the book from here, sprinkle in mutual pining, mutual attraction, and miscommunication until the book reaches its boiling point. Instead, Noelle Adams weaves in the ultimate hurt-comfort trope on *top* of everything else.

The way Eve takes care of Jude throughout this book is epic. His illness is the third main character, and it is relentless. Jude suffers physically, and that draws out the tension and angst as he and Eve fall desperately for each other, both in secret, knowing that their marriage has a very rapidly advancing end point. One might argue that Eve as an FMC is a bit too perfect; she's the ultimate caregiver. She has endless patience. She is small, timid, beautiful, and kind. I really loved her anyway, though if I were to give one criticism of this book, I guess it would be...maybe make her a little bit frustrated, a little bit impatient, maybe even once.

This book is small in that there isn't much to it beyond the way the characters confront and handle Jude's illness. There isn't much by way of secondary characters. You don't have a villain, you don't have side characters scheming or engaging in girl talk. But it's also expansive; the characters travel across continents, and the way Eve and Jude handle his bucket list is well-paced and interesting to read.

You'll really go for a ride on the emotional rollercoaster with this one; you'll want to smack the characters to talk to each other, and you'll want to pass them some tissues. I really enjoyed the ride.

Thank you to NetGalley for providing an advanced copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.

I love this author’s books. Counted really hit me in the feels and I loved watching Jude and Eve fall in love. Definitely one of my favorites from Noelle.

COUNTED is a deep, emotional, and sincere love story that captivated me from the first page. I found the premise intriguing, and I was thrilled to find that the bool has everything I could hope for in a romance. Given the brief length of the novel, the narrative quickly dives into establishing Eve and Jude's history. I liked how much information was provided on their marital and family lives. Although I don't typically read third-person point of view, the writing was so good that I hardly noticed. All in all, I enjoyed reading the story, and I really liked how Jude and Eve fell in love. How they looked out for one other.

Thank you NetGalley and Victory Editing NetGalley Co-op for providing me an arc copy of the book in return for my honest opinion.