Series: None
Author: Laura Carter
Published April 8th 2024 by Boldwood Books
Goodreads Synopsis
Can a fake date fix everything? On a day Abbey thought would be the best of her life – her boyfriend is surely going to propose tonight, right? – it all falls he tells her he’s met someone else. And then to make things worse, she loses her job.
In an act of reimagination, she splurges her wedding savings on renting an apartment in a building she’s always dreamed of living in and kits out her wardrobe to match.
But when her family invites her ex – a close family friend – plus a date(!!) to her parents’ vow renewal, Abbey realizes her façade won’t be enough. There’s nothing for it but to fake one more thing – a romance. And she knows exactly who to ask... her hot new neighbor...
A laugh-out-loud fake-dating rom com, with a chemistry you’ll be thinking about long after turning the last page. Perfect for fans of The Hating Game and Elena Armas.
Goodreads
Review
I received an Advance Reader Copy from the publisher. This in no way impacted on my view.
After being humiliated on the night she thought she would be getting engaged, and then losing her job as well as her boyfriend, Abbey decides to blow her entire wedding fund on six months rent in her dream apartment, and a whole new wardrobe too. However, her upstairs neighbour, Mike, is an injured MLB player, whose noise keeps her up at night. But not all is as it seems. Instead of it being Mike upstairs, it's his younger brother Ted, who has just discovered his fiancee and business partner/best friend have been having an affair. Fleeing San Francisco for his brother's New York apartment, he wants nothing to do with actress Abbey. But first impressions are never quite right, and soon both decide to help each other out with fake dating, especially when Abbey's parents announce they will be hosting a vow renewal, and her cheating ex will be there. Secrets always have a way of coming out, and both have kept more than enough from each other.
When I saw this book on NetGalley, and learnt there was a blog tour coming up for the book, I knew it was one for me. I love the fake dating trope, and both Abbey and Ted deserved to find their happiness after being cheated on by their respective partners. First impressions worked against them though, with Ted thinking Abbey was just an airhead actress, who liked spending money on clothes, and didn't do much else, and Abbey thinking Ted was actually his brother, Mike, a MLB player, with no other focus. I did hate how long Ted kept up the Mike persona, and wish he told Abbey the truth much earlier, but even though he didn't tell her his true name, he did show her his true self, and the moments they spent together, being real with one another, was perfect. I wish Abbey had had a bit more of a backbone when it came to her ex, but I understood her wanting to keep the peace when she was only home for a week or so. The ending was a bit abrupt, and I wish we could've seen more from Abbey and Ted, and more about Abbey's sister, who was the best sister she could ever ask for - maybe in future there'll be a companion book? All in all though, a great fake romance story!
Dates Read:
February 16-17, 2024
Rating
4 Stars
Laura Carter writes romance and women's fiction with a romantic slant. Exploring everyday relationships and getting under the skin of her characters is her passion. She takes inspiration from everything she overhears in cafés, so be wary of that strange woman 'listening' to music next time you're chatting over coffee. Laura lives with her family in Jersey, Channel Islands. Find her on Twitter, Instagram, and Facebook.
