Review: Branding the Virgin by Alexa Riley (Cowboys & Virgins #1)


Note: This ARC was provided by Ardent PRose in exchange for an honest review.

Branding the Virgin is the latest novella from Alexa Riley, and I must admit, it's one of my favorites from this bestselling author. It's a standalone, but there's something about that leaves me hoping that it's actually the beginning of a new series, what with there being a set of siblings who I wouldn't mind getting to know more about in future novellas. This particular story is about a virgin who becomes pregnant, and no, this is not quite like the popular television show about a virgin who is mistakenly impregnated through artificial insemination. Here, the virgin in question is Mary-Jane, whose last name I don't recall being mentioned, and her pregnancy is one that she chose, using the sperm of an anonymous donor. Her dream of having a family of her own becomes a potential nightmare, however, when she learns of a hospital mix-up that has the donor having no clue his sperm was used, mainly because he never gave consent. When Mary-Jane meets Ty Jennings, their unexpected attraction to each other could complicate things further.

I liked the original feel this story had, making it stand out from the previous releases by Alexa Riley. Mary-Jane and Ty are bound together by the pregnancy and Alexa Riley's fans and readers know all about that guaranteed happily-ever-after plus the usually expected insta-love, but how the story plays out was what made it worth the read and left me with a smile on my face by the time I finished reading this quickie. Mary-Jane and Ty are highly likable main characters and I liked seeing how Ty quickly evolved form being gruff and moody to being someone who had a pep in his step. Ty's three other siblings--Trace, Blake, and Dolly--were part of the story as well and with those three still single, I found myself curious about them, hoping that they'll each get their stories told. Overall, I was left happily satisfied by Branding the Virgin, with the whole insta-love thing being the one thing that held me back from giving this five stars since it lacked that certain something that would make me believe it could happen that quickly. This gets 4.5 stars. ♥

Date Read: 18 August 2016

Learn more about Alexa Riley.

Purchase Branding the Virgin on Amazon.

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