Fake Engagement 2 / Fake Dating 4
My thirst for this trope is unquenchable
ICYMI, here are the previous roundups of this trope I’ve done:
Onward to a new trio!
Hothead by Stella Rhys. The first romance book my friend Christina (and podcast cohost) ever recommended to me! I’d been harassing her with recommendations for months and she got a Kindle Unlimited subscription when they were offering one month free since her local library is under construction and besides it’s too small to be on Libby (a shame!). She sent me this book and one other from the same series, describing some of the absolutely bonkers hot (and bonkers bonkers) sex scenes, and I ran (not walked) to read them. She was right! Then I devoured the rest of this series and more. But let’s focus on Hothead for now.
It’s enemies to lovers, it’s fake engagement, it’s revenge on an ex, it’s controlling the out-of-control bad press for a celeb (a famous baseball player), it’s refusing to settle for anything but absolute loyalty and devotion.
Drew is a the hotshot hothead major league baseball player with an attitude and reputation problem. He’s causing a lot of drama, drama comes to him anyways, and after a paparazzi catches him arguing with Evie at a mutual friend’s party, there’s speculation for even more. But Drew’s agent and friend convinces him this could be an opportunity to turn things around, and besides, Evie could kind of use a break from her life (recent breakup after a long relationship, recent collapse of her career dreams, you know the drill), so they fake lock it down. Evie moves into Drew’s fancy NYC apartment, Drew keeps his head down to play his game, and both of them mutually agree this is just a mutually beneficial, platonic if not friendly, then NOT platonic but definitely still not romantic, arrangement.
Rating: 4/5
How hot? 🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥
The Billionaire's Fake Fiance by Annika Martin. Tabitha is a hairdresser in NYC who comes to you, and one of her long-standing clients, billionaire businessman Rex, is secretly kind of her favorite. He’s rude and gruff but he’s more than meets the eye, she’s certain of it, and not just because she’s obsessed with soap operas and can spin up a convincing sounding conspiracy theory at the drop of a fancy hat.
Tabitha is also nursing a wrist injury that means she’s had to hand off a lot of her clients to her contractors, and is worried about the loss of income for a while until she can heal. So when Rex, after being impressed upon that a big business deal he’s anticipating is more complicated if he’s seen as an unattached playboy (classic), proposes he fake proposes and she accompany him on a yacht to help him close the deal for a fee, it’s a huge relief.
And when she thinks there might be some soap opera level intrigue on the big fancy boat, even better!! Even if Rex is being a real stick in the mud about everything.
While not quite as strong as the first two books from this series, this is still a fun, funny, sexy, ridiculous romp through the world of the rich and famous.
Rating: 4.25/5
How hot? 🔥🔥🔥🔥
Always Be My Duchess by Amalie Howard. Another day, another duke, another guy who wants to make a business deal but whose unattached status is working against him. Since Lord Lysander Blackstone has no interest in REALLY falling in love, not after a series of betrayals and disappointments he won’t open himself up to again (nope!!), it’s convenient that his life is accidentally saved by Nève Valery, a down-on-her-luck ballerina who’s beautiful and in desperate need of employment by a non-creep. It’s a business deal, plain and simple, and will give Nève the cash she needs to start over. But what if her fresh start has already occurred, and she can hope for more than simple survival?
Amalie Howard is consistently excellent, and this book is no exception.
Rating: 4.25/5
How hot? 🔥🔥🔥🔥
Next week, I’ll be recommending books with curvy heroines!
What should I be reading next? Let me know in the comments!