We’re already halfway through 2024, so I’m taking the time to reflect back on my 15 favorite books of the year so far. You’ll find my original review and some quotes from the book below!
Pretty Woman meets Succession in this deliciously playful and sexy fake relationship romance. It would make a great movie, but it was an equally entertaining read – filled with moments that made me laugh and a few that made me fan myself. I loved our slightly outrageous, pink-haired heroine, who does a fantastic job of keeping the buttoned-up hero on his toes. When they entered into a marriage of convenience in college, neither could’ve anticipated that they’d have to act like a happy couple while enduring a decadent yet tedious tropical wedding. As opposite as they come, I loved the fish out of water element and how our heroine keeps things grounded, providing a surprisingly steady source of support for the hero. He was also an unexpected delight, and I loved watching him reveal new sides of himself. Their banter and chemistry leapt off the page. Together, they made this a fun, fresh, and fiery read. I loved it!
The story follows Anna (25), a woman whose life is falling apart around her. Her career seems to be going nowhere and she’s drowning in bills, so the surprise reappearance of her “ex-husband” is a shock to the system. Nearly five years ago, Anna married West because he needed to secure an inheritance and she needed cheap housing, so the two near-strangers made a deal that benefited them both. Anna hasn’t thought of West (31) since they signed “divorce papers” three years ago, and she soon realizes that she probably should’ve looked at the paperwork better. Turns out, they’ve been married this whole time, and Anna doesn’t even know the guy’s actual first name. That’s how little they know about each other. Even worse? Their deception is on the verge of coming out, and West – or Liam, actually – needs Anna to accompany him to a family wedding and act like they’ve been married this whole time.
It’s such a fun premise, and I loved the idea of a marriage of convenience gone awry. Anna was (platonic) friends with Liam’s brother in college, and that’s really the only thing they have in common. They could not be more different, and it’s clear that they never took the time to learn anything about each other… which could prove disastrous for their current situation. It’s a play on Pretty Woman in that Anna is being paid to look like a woman who would be married into such a wealthy family, and it’s got a Succession-like feel because of the dynamics within Liam’s family. The combination of the two was insanely compelling, and this writing duo puts their own fresh spin on things. I loved the way Anna and Liam became a team, growing closer because of the forced proximity on a tropical vacation. There’s also a great “there’s only one bed” situation and an undercurrent of slow-building sexual tension. These two were so good together once they got past the initial hurdles, and I was engaged the whole way through. Another very solid read from this writing duo, and easily one of my new favorites from them.
Amazon: https://amzn.to/41A3Nbz
Blurb:
Christina Lauren, the instant New York Times bestselling and “reigning romance queens” (PopSugar), returns with a delicious new romance between the buttoned-up heir of a grocery chain and his free-spirited artist ex as they fake their relationship in order to receive a massive inheritance.
Anna Green thought she was marrying Liam “West” Weston for access to subsidized family housing while at UCLA. She also thought she’d signed divorce papers when the graduation caps were tossed, and they both went on their merry ways.
Three years later, Anna is a starving artist living paycheck to paycheck while West is a Stanford professor. He may be one of four heirs to the Weston Foods conglomerate, but he has little interest in working for the heartless corporation his family built from the ground up. He is interested, however, in his one-hundred-million-dollar inheritance. There’s just one catch.
Due to an antiquated clause in his grandfather’s will, Liam won’t see a penny until he’s been happily married for five years. Just when Liam thinks he’s in the home stretch, pressure mounts from his family to see this mysterious spouse, and he has no choice but to turn to the one person he’s afraid to introduce to his one-percenter parents—his unpolished, not-so-ex-wife.
But in the presence of his family, Liam’s fears quickly shift from whether the feisty, foul-mouthed, paint-splattered Anna can play the part to whether the toxic world of wealth will corrupt someone as pure of heart as his surprisingly grounded and loyal wife. Liam will have to ask himself if the price tag on his flimsy cover story is worth losing true love that sprouted from a lie.
Amazon: https://amzn.to/41A3Nbz
About the Author:
Christina Lauren is the combined pen name of longtime writing partners and best friends Christina Hobbs and Lauren Billings, the New York Times, USA TODAY, and #1 internationally bestselling authors of the Beautiful and Wild Seasons series, Autoboyography, Love and Other Words, Roomies, Josh and Hazel’s Guide to Not Dating, The Unhoneymooners, The Soulmate Equation, Something Wilder, and The True Love Experiment. You can find them online at ChristinaLaurenBooks.com or @ChristinaLauren on Instagram.
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