Blurb:

One month. One fake boyfriend. One shot at forever.

I’ve got four weeks to cross one thing off my bucket list—and it isn’t exactly PG.

I’m not the type to take risks, but when a friend battling cancer dares you to go big, you don’t say no. My mission? Lose my V-card before my baby sister’s wedding.

Did I mention she’s marrying my high school crush? Yeah. There’s no way I’m walking into that ceremony as the awkward, untouched older sister.

Enter single dad Ian Barlowe—my sinfully hot, NFL legend neighbor, who owes me big time after his daughter breaks into my house. He offers to make amends by playing my fake boyfriend. How can I say no?

It should be easy enough—except nothing about Ian feels fake. The chemistry? Explosive. His unexpected sweetness? Heart-melting. And the way he seems to like me just as I am? Ruh, roh.

Here’s the thing—I don’t do vulnerability, and neither does he. But as the line between pretend and real starts to blur—especially in the bedroom—I wonder if happily-ever-after is a game we can win.

I set out to score one for the bucket list, but now I’m playing for keeps. And if we’re not careful, I might lose my heart in the final play.

Buy Link:

https://a.co/d/9RsZkOH

Available in KU

*****

Review:

There were moments of humor, some of feels, and a little frustration. Ian and Sadie together are enjoyable, with his support of her and working to improve her confidence. Ian recognizes that she’s giving and loving, sacrificing for others, but that it’s not recognized or returned. I do wish that by the end she’d have been more appreciated by the people around her. She’s getting there and maybe we’ll see more thru the rest of the series.

Ian is working hard at being a good dad, settling into retirement and a new town. He’s trying and it’s obvious, as is his struggle with being loved. This is another one of those moments where I wish we’d gotten a bit more. He has reason for struggling with relationships – his childhood as well as past relationships – but it needed just a little more … explanation? Examples? Just a bit more show not tell, I guess?

It was obvious that we were going to get a third act breakup due to some misunderstanding or miscommunication. These two are struggling so much with their feelings, past hurts, and insecurities. And neither is confident enough to put themselves out there or get advice from someone else.

Overall, though, I liked what Major does here. The characters are interesting and the plot has a good mix of angst, humor, and steam. Looking forward to seeing what happens next for the citizens of Skylark.

(There was a moment that I really had an issue with – Ian and his brother talk about people with an Only Fans account and suggest that they are bad people. I was hoping we’d be past looking down on sex workers. Surely they could have found another way to do this.)

*****

Author Info:

USA Today bestselling author Michelle Major loves stories of new beginnings, second chances and always a happily ever after. An avid hiker and avoider of housework, she lives in the shadow of the Rocky Mountains with her husband, two teenagers, and a menagerie of spoiled furbabies. Connect with her at http://www.michellemajor.com.

Connect with Michelle Major:

https://www.instagram.com/michellemajorauthor/

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