Tag: fake relationship

REVIEW: The Wedding Ringer by Kerry Rea

REVIEW: The Wedding Ringer by Kerry Rea

Posted on by Jaymie

[I received a free electronic review copy of this book from Netgalley and Berkley in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.]

Summary

Willow caught her best friend and fiancé in bed together, and it was like someone yanked a rug out from under her feet. Losing her fiancé was awful. But losing her best friend was devastating.

So yes, she’s lonely. Yes, she’s living in a spare room at her sister and sister-in-law’s house. She dresses up as a princess for birthday parties for spoiled brats. But that doesn’t mean she’s ready to be a friend for hire.

But Maisie is lonely and desperate. And she’s offering Willow big money to pretend to be her long-time friend and be a bridesmaid in her wedding.

The idea of anything wedding-related makes Willow want to throw up. But Maisie’s money could be just what she needs to leave town and make a fresh start somewhere new.

Review

This was so good! It’s like a fake relationship romance, except the fake relationship is a friendship. And bridesmaids for hire seems to be a thing we are hearing about more lately – I’ve seen that set up in a couple other books recently. And I love both “tropes,” so this was a must-read for me. But what makes this special – more than just a collection of story features I like – is the HUMOR! This literally made me laugh out loud. The writing is great as are the characters. Willow is dealing with her crushing losses with withdrawal and self-protection. But she’s still someone you empathize with. You long to see her find her way through the darkness to true friendship – and maybe even love.

This book really has everything I am looking for in a great story. I was completely in sync with these characters from the start. I loved the deep dive into friendship questions. Sure, there’s a romance I enjoyed. But the relationship between Willow and Maisie is the focus – and the star – of the novel. And I loved that. It’s also an identity story as Willow tries to find herself and re-define herself after her losses. And finally, this is FUNNY! Snappy and sarcastic and self-deprecating. And I loved it!

I highly recommend this one! (Language)

Rating: ♥♥♥♥½*

*♥♥♥♥½ = I loved it! Would re-read.

REVIEW: The Dating Plan by Sara Desai

REVIEW: The Dating Plan by Sara Desai

Posted on by Jaymie

[I received a free electronic review copy of this book from Netgalley and Berkley in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.]

Summary

Ten years ago, Liam destroyed Daisy’s fragile teenage heart when he stood her up for the prom and disappeared from her life. Good riddance!

But now he’s back. Just when her family is pressuring her with yet another fix up. And her ex is still hooking up with her ex-boss. Introducting Liam as her fiancé, in the heat of the moment, was… temporary insanity.

If Liam wants the chance to inherit the business that has been in his family for generations, he has two months to get married. If not, his brother will raze it to the ground. Even though Daisy hates him, maybe she’d be willing to take this pretend engagement to the next level.

Liam and Daisy are both getting something out of this fake relationship. Thanks to their upbringing, each of them has significant relationship baggage that keeps them from making a real commitment to anyone. And they both are perfectly fine keeping this fake relationship purely business. But what happens when their feelings about each other become all too real?

Review

This was fun! I thoroughly enjoyed the main characters, both alone and together. Their work, their families, and their history were fascinating. And I was absolutely invested in seeing how they pulled things off. But I would have liked a little more time spent on dealing with the last “secret” Liam was keeping. (It was pretty obvious in the reading, but I expected it to have a bigger punch in the reveal.) After waiting so long for it to be revealed, I wanted a meatier scene or response for it. The ending, though, was supremely satisfying.

This is the first book I have read by the author even though this is the second book in the series. I don’t feel like I was missing anything having not read the first book. I do have book 3, The Singles Table, on my wish list though. It sounds fantastic!

This was fun and funny and sexy with a happy ending – everything a reader could want from a romcom. I love fake relationship stories, and this is a great example of the trope. Don’t miss this one! (Language, sex TW: domestic violence, child abuse/neglect, abandonment)

Rating: ♥♥♥♥*

*♥♥♥♥ = Great! Might re-read.

REVIEW: 10 Things I Hate About Pinky by Sandhya Menon

REVIEW: 10 Things I Hate About Pinky by Sandhya Menon

Posted on by Jaymie

[I received an electronic review copy of this book from Netgalley and Simon Pulse in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.]

Summary

Samir had been so excited about this internship at a major DC law firm. It was prestigious. He was one of their top candidates. And it got him away from his helicopter mom for the summer. He loved her, but after she beat cancer, she became so smothering. He needed this summer away. Then, on his first day, he found out the internship fell through.

Pinky was spending the summer on the East Coast with her cousin Dolly and their families as usual. And as usual, Dolly was the perfect child while Pinky always earned the side eye. If anything went wrong, everyone assumed it was Pinky’s fault. She was sick of being the outcast and the problem child.

When Pinky hears about Samir’s internship woes, she makes him a deal. Pretend to be her boyfriend for the summer – he’s exactly the kind of guy her parents would love – and she’d get him a new internship with her mom’s law firm.

But if they keep fighting all summer, it will be more likely they’ll kill each other than they will convince anyone they are a couple!

Review

This was a fun addition to the series, following When Dimple Met Rishi and There’s Something About Sweetie (♥♥♥♥½). I loved Samir. He shows Pinky that a guy can be attractive AND fun and loyal and decent. Just because he’s stable and polite, and already knows what he wants to do with his life, doesn’t mean he can’t be boyfriend material.

Pinky was harder to like. She’s defensively abrasive, something Samir calls out when he sees it. She has a big personality, naturally, but she’s learned to also use it to get attention or to rebel. Once you see where some of her behavior comes from, she’s easier to like and root for.

Samir, Pinky, and Dolly get caught up in an effort to save a butterfly habitat from developers. This adds a plot to the story beyond the fake relationship, and it also gives Pinky’s toughest relationships – with Samir and with her mother – something to interact with. I didn’t enjoy that part of the story as much as I loved the back and forth of Samir and Pinky figuring out their feelings. The relationship parts of this were especially rich.

Fans of the previous books should definitely pick this up. I don’t think these have to be read in order, though, to be enjoyed.

Rating: ♥♥♥♥

BONUS REVIEW: If I Never Met You by Mhairi McFarlane

BONUS REVIEW: If I Never Met You by Mhairi McFarlane

Posted on by Jaymie

[I received an electronic review copy of this book from Netgalley and William Morrow Paperbacks in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.]

Summary

Laurie and Dan have been together since they were teens. They’re each other’s first and only love. They work together; they live together. And after 18 years as a couple, it’s time to have a family. At least, that’s what Laurie thought. Dan, however, is thinking he wants something else. No only does he not want kids, but he doesn’t want to be with Laurie any more.

After the break up and clear evidence that, instead of pining over her and wanting her back, Dan has moved on, Laurie can’t escape the aggravating scenario. Everyone at work knows. It’s clear that Laurie and Dan are at the top of the gossips’ list of hot topics. And it’s only getting worse.

Jamie Carter has an interesting and cynical view of long term relationships. And it could cost him a big move at work. The partners find his cavalier, different-woman-every-weekend lifestyle unsettling. They’ve actually come out and said he needs to find someone steady and conventional.

When Laurie and Jamie spend a couple hours trapped in an elevator and then go for a drink afterwards, the idea strikes. If they pretend to have a relationship together, he gets the respectable match the partners want, and Laurie can rub Dan’s nose in her own “moving on.” Once they both get what they want, they “break up.” Everyone wins. What could possibly go wrong?

Review

When I started this, I wasn’t a fan. I didn’t care for Laurie or Dan, and we didn’t really get any time with Jamie until the book was 25% done. My expectations for this to be like other fake relationship books did not serve me well either. This isn’t like other fake relationship stories.

This is really more of a self-discovery, self-recovery story for Laurie. And once I realized that, I grew to like it. I enjoyed watching her puzzle out the break up with Dan. Where did it come from? What signs did she miss? What does the break up say about her as a woman and as a romantic partner?

The foreshadowing of the fall out over this fake relationship is blatant. When Laurie’s friend challenges her about the lying and asks how she reconciles a fake relationship at work with her general integrity, it was startling. It put me on edge (in a good way) waiting for things to fall apart. It gave a whole new sense of the story at that point.

I also enjoyed the fact that the fake relationship was not physical. It allowed Jamie and Laurie to process her break up. If this had had a lot of physical moments rather than emotional ones, I think I would have liked the story less.

The change in Jamie’s philosophy of relationships was abrupt for me. The author uses it for the plot well – Laurie doubts the change is real, adding to the conflict between them. But I didn’t feel we got as much of Jamie’s transformation over time as we do Laurie’s. It’s really more HER story than THEIR story.

If you enjoy the fake relationship trope, but you want it to play out in some new ways, don’t miss this one. (Language, sexual references, off-page sex)

Rating: ♥♥♥½

REVIEW: The Unhoneymooners by Christina Lauren

REVIEW: The Unhoneymooners by Christina Lauren

Posted on by Jaymie

Summary

Olive has known Ethan for a couple years now, since her twin Ami started dating his brother, Dane. She’s never particularly liked Ethan. There’s usually a simmering hostility between them.

When Ami and Dane plan their wedding, Olive and Ethan are right there, maid of honor and best man. And while Olive considers herself a bad luck magnet, Ami is the opposite. She loves entering sweepstakes and contests, and she often wins. In fact, most of the wedding – and the 10 day honeymoon in Maui – are things Ami has won.

Olive and Ethan are the only two people at the wedding who don’t partake of the seafood buffet at the reception. Therefore, they are the only two who do NOT get food poisoning. Since the honeymoon trip is a contest prize, there is no way for Ami to postpone the trip. So she begs Olive to take her place and enjoy the vacation. And Ethan is going, too. Now Olive has to pretend to be married to her nemesis in romantic Hawaii. How is she going to pull that off?

Review

This is laugh-out-loud hilarious, at least for the first half of the book. It’s an absolute delight. Olive completely cracked me up – so brash and honest. It’s fantastic. I love a story that makes me laugh.

This would be perfect as a Hallmark movie. You’ve got the enemies-to-lovers situation as well as a fake relationship, two of my favorite romance tropes. And if you have a story where people have to hide who they really are, there’s always a moment where things fall apart. When that happens, the humor of the story pulls back and leaves room for other emotions. And this book hits those emotions just right.

Through everything – the snarky, hilarious beginning, the blossoming romance, and the dumpster fire when everything falls apart – Olive shines. I loved her. She tries to learn from her mistakes. She’s honest to the point of almost blowing their cover multiple times. And she evaluates and stands by her instincts, even when they cost her almost everything. While the whole story is a treat, I stayed with this one because of Olive. Don’t miss her story! (Language, sex)

Rating: ♥♥♥♥

REVIEW: The Fill-In Boyfriend by Kasie West

REVIEW: The Fill-In Boyfriend by Kasie West

Posted on by Jaymie

Summary

Gia is stunned. Who gets dumped in the parking lot before prom? But that’s what happens. Her college-aged boyfriend, Bradley, drives 3 hours to join her for prom, and then breaks up with her before they even get in the door. That’s pretty bad. Even worse, though, is going to be Jules’ reaction.

Gia’s been feeling like Jules is trying to undermine her with her friends. She’s been vocal about her suspicions that Bradley isn’t even real. Gia’s desperate to hang onto her friendships and put Jules in her place. When she sees a guy drop off another student for the dance, and sit in his car, she wonders if maybe he would agree to be fake Bradley.

“Fill-in-Bradley” does an amazing job. There’s a slight glitch when his very real sister approaches him and almost blows his cover, but they improvise. He provides Gia a fake break up and the ruse is over.

Except Gia can’t stop thinking about fill-in-Bradley. She doesn’t even know his real name! His real sister, though, feels like Gia owes him and talks her into posing as HIS fill-in girlfriend at a party for his ex.

What could possibly go wrong with all these secrets and lies?

Review

This was delightful! I enjoy the fake-relationship trope, and this is a great example of it. I loved Gia and Hayden (fake Bradley) together. He was really a good influence on her. I appreciated Gia’s growth over the course of the book. I empathized with her desperate need to hold onto her friends at the start of the book. Jules was awful and manipulative and catty. And then, as Gia starts to become more self-aware and wants to make some changes, she becomes even more like-able.

The contrast between Gia’s family and Hayden’s family was fascinating. Hayden’s home and family become a safe haven for Gia to explore some feelings and test her new insights.

Gia’s “friends” were the most uncomfortable part of the story for me. I knew we were headed toward a big confrontation where the full truth would come out. And I half dreaded it while also half welcoming it. I knew they would only see the betrayal but wouldn’t appreciate the personal growth Gia gains. I was more than ready for Gia to discover some new relationships with people she hadn’t noticed before when she was more shallow and driven to be perfect in the eyes of everyone around her.

On one level, this is a darling contemporary teen romance. And it’s lovely on that level. But this is SO much richer in emotional awareness and growth. Highly recommend!

Rating: ♥♥♥♥½