Lynn
Written on Jun 14, 2018
When her very persuasive friend manages to convince Lola McBride to gatecrash a school reunion, she reluctantly agrees. Pretending to be someone else is fine until a gorgeous guy calls her out when he realises the woman he's talking to isn't a past girlfriend. To make amends, she agrees to go on a fake date with Luke Erickson. Only his family party awakens Lola's feelings for something and someone who will disappear out of her life.
The hot woman he's talking to seems different to what he remembers from high school until his best friend jogs his memory. Realising this reunion is far more fun than anticipated due to the mystery woman he is chatting to, he takes advantage of her and asks her to accompany him to a family reunion. In exchange, he won't expose her as a fraud. It should be simple to trick his family about his 'date', only their reaction and his own feelings make him realise he doesn't want their fake relationship to stop.
Entertaining and heart-warming, the narrative kept my attention one hundred percent as the adorable protagonists realise their fake relationship means more to them than either could have imagined. Their tentative relationship is honest and heartfelt as we discover how the past has shaped their lives. Whilst the overall mood of the novel is both light-hearted and humorous, the author manages to weave heartbreaking details in an uplifting way; the backstory for Lola's parents is beautiful.
This is my first Kerri Carpenter novel and will definitely seek out more of her titles. Although this is a standalone novel, plenty of opportunities to further develop key secondary characters are present and I sincerely hope this will happen. Overall a quick and enjoyable book with a satisfying happy ever after.
***arc generously received courtesy of Entangled Publishing via NetGalley***