Zane Phillips mistook me for his dog walker. It shouldn’t surprise me that the man with a suit more expensive than my rent would assume that I was there to serve him. The positive? I put him in his place. The negative? I missed my job interview because of it.
Now I find out he’s a rich Australian entrepreneur, and he wants to make up for tanking my interview. Yes, he’s impossibly hot — but he’s also an arrogant jackass — so... no thanks.
But after a little white lie I tell spirals out of control, I’m somehow offered the chance to play Zane’s girlfriend to help promote his new dating website — and the best part? He can’t say no because he’ll get caught in his lie too.
Little did I know this would entail sharing a tour bus with him for the next few months. The fact that the bus has just one bed isn’t the most ideal of circumstances, but this spokesperson gig might be the kick in the pants my career needs, so why not take a chance?
Famous last words.
Now I’m crisscrossing the country — and sharing that bed — with the one guy I can’t stand. And even worse, my traitorous body is wondering at every turn what it’s like to be down underthe gorgeous Australian. But as the miles unfurl, so does our passion… and if I’m not careful, I might end up believing that fairytales really do come true.
My very favorite troupe is the fake relationship. I've enjoyed a lot of them. But I think I've found my favorite. This book does this troupe so very well!
The elements that need to be in place for this troupe to work is smokin' hot chemistry. Check. A disagreement as to the couple working for some reason. Check. And the reason they should fake it has to be believable. Double check.
Zane doesn't really believe in love. He sees no reason to have only one women when he can have many. So it is a strange fit for him to be starting an online match maker service. Yeah, there are some secrets behind that. But he's doing it and putting a lot of effort into it. He's also a demanding self made guy that expects a lot from those around him. And when we first meet him, he's less than charming. Less Than Charming. But I see more in him almost immediately. And I fall for him.
As for Harlow? She's trying not to be attracted to him. Her heart is not going to get involved. A job, that's all she needs. She's not really a believer in love at this point. Her dad taught her that. And Zane is a jerk. Hot, gorgeous and a jerk. There is no doubt that she's struggling with keeping her heart out of things. And watching them both try so hard not to fall was really fun.
Now one of the most important aspects of this troupe is why they are faking. And I loved how this story was a unplanned group effort by these two. Neither planned it and neither of them wanted it. Both were trying to get what they wanted and put one up on the other. And they fell right into the faking it situation that was just made for them both. I loved that. It was both of their faults. It was beneficial for both of them. It made it all the more believable.
And of course, these two journey to get through the experience without falling for each other. Yeah, that's not going to happen. What does happen is that they become friends. They care about each other. They share secrets. They develop a relationship while they still believe this will end. And then there is a moment for each of them where they realize what has happened. It's really perfection.
There were some interesting twists in this story that added to the depth of the relationship between them. There was also a surprise that made me smile.
There were some interesting twists in this story that added to the depth of the relationship between them. There was also a surprise that made me smile.
I could listen to this story over and over and be happy with it. That's when I know it's a five star book. When I finish it and just want to read it all over again.
This book released as an Audible Original. It releases in paperback in January 2019. It's such a great audio book. If you've ever wanted to give audio a chance, this one is the one to do it with. I really enjoyed both of the narrators. They added to the story and I could listen to Rupert Channing all day long.
I'm pretty sure this book has ruined me on this troupe. It is the new standard by which I will measure those to come. Love it.
This sounds so good! The faking trope is always such fun! Gotta check this one out. Great review!
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