Pretending at Love

by Karen Thornell

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It's all fun and games until you have to kiss your fake boyfriend.

A random run-in brings old friends April and Jackson back together. A not so random run-in with April's stalker starts a short charade of Jackson posing as April's boyfriend. Just a few minutes of pretending.

At least, that's how it started, until Jackson needs a date for a destination wedding. And who can say no to a free Hawaiian vacation?

But they never expected to be forced to do every single activity together... from yoga on the beach to kissing for the wedding photos. And pretty soon, those lines between fake and real start to get hazy.

The second book in the series, Pretending at Love is a clean romantic comedy with a happily ever after that can be read as a stand alone story.

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Book Details

Genre

Romantic Comedy

Subgenre

Beach, Destination / Vacation

Series

Greenbank Romances

Audience

Adult

Bell Peppers

🫑🫑

Profanity

2 Mild

Violence

3 Moderate

Drugs, Alcohol, Tobacco

1 None

Publication Date

April 2, 2022

Language Versions

English

Fiction Form

Novel

Sensitive Themes

Stalking or harassment

Editorial Reviews

"I loved this book!! Fun premise, fun location, great characters, and awkward situations that lead to a wonderful build-up of chemistry and tension??? Don't miss this one!" -Cindy Steel, Author of That Fine Line

Darling story

This story was darling and witty. I really enjoyed Karen's humor. The romance was sweet with just the right amount of drama.I did feel like April's clumsiness was less of a quirky personality trait and more like an unnatural plot device. But it didn't make me like her any less, the characters were really fun.There were a few too many blatant innuendos for my taste, but overall it was a charming friends to lovers romance.

The Japril we were looking for

Are you a Grey's Anatomy fan? A Japril fan?This book has nothing to do with medicine, but it is the April and Jackson love we all needed. hahaJackson needs a date for his best friends wedding and April has a stalker. When the two of them bump into one another after many years, they quickly settle into their friendship from high school. Jackson jumps in to save April from her stalker and in the end, April decides it would be good to get away for a time, if only she could. Jump in Jackson and his need for a date. But the wedding isn't just one day. It is a two week vacation paid for by the engaged couple in Hawaii. April says yes, and after some scary encounter with her stalker, is grateful for the getaway.If you like forced proximity, fake relationship, and one bed tropes, this will tickle your fancy. I appreciate the secrets they give each other to fight for the bed. Pretending to be seriously dating adds a level of forced proximity that forces April and Jackson to take a good look at the state of their fake relationship. There were so many funny moments in this book, and I fell in love with the side characters as well, especially the bride to-be.Who wouldn't want to fly in an airplane to Hawaii and get to ride horses through the beautiful landscape of Maui? A person that is terrified of horses and airplane toilets. That's who. Two moments that start out hilarious end up with touching moments of comfort and the relationship is forged stronger and closer.I love a good friends to more trope as well, which this has. But in any relationship, admitting your true feelings can be scary. Doing that with a friend you don't want to lose, can be down right terrifying. April and Jackson both have to tear down some pretty strong walls to even come close to admitting those feelings to themselves, let alone their best friend.Karen made the perfect contemporary romance here. Definitely a must buy, must read.

Charming Getaway Romance

Pretending at Love is completely charming and delightful, the perfect concoction to get me out of what felt like a pending slump. It's sweet and funny and engaging.April can't get a guy to stick except for this one creeper who is rapidly turning into a stalker. Jackson has turned into the joke of his friend group as the solo single guy. The easy solution? A fake relationship and getaway to Hawaii for Jackson's friend's wedding and festivities.Karen takes on a friends-to-lovers, one-bed, forced proximity, fake relationship and keeps the door firmly closed. It's so well done even if I did want to yell at them to just kiss already! #SorryNotSorry I love swoony kisses. I've been to Hawaii, but not the way they did it, so I'm now on the lookout for some wealthy friends so I can go back and do it right. :)Thank you to the author for the advanced copy. All thoughts in this review are my own.

Super cute RomCom!

This book is so much fun! It’s chock-full of awkward, hilarious, swoony moments that make it a great book. I enjoyed it from the first page and devoured it as quickly as possible.April and Jackson are protagonists you can’t help but love from the beginning. Their friendship was sweet and there are some really great moments of tension between them both that are fantastic.The fake dating done so well and was believable! Friends-to-lovers is my favorite trope, because the depth of the relationship is more palpable, but it does usually mean slogging through a decent amount of miscommunication. I didn’t feel like that was as much of a problem here, though. April and Jackson do talk, and there is clearly attraction between them. They both recognize it. But for reasons outside of their friendship, they don’t think they should pursue their feelings. I liked how that was done.The setting is so lush and vacation-y, I’m ready to go to Hawaii! If only I had a rich friend who could foot the bill for a stay at an all-inclusive resort.The side characters add some great layers to this book. I loved Cheryl! I’m super curious about Damien and would be interested in a book from him in the future. Daryl is creeeeeepy! And I really liked how well Karen was able to write this creepy dude into the story, without weighing the book down.Some other things I loved:•The horseback riding scene. The entire thing is so swoony! I dare you to contradict me.•Pie•The photo shoot. More swoon.•Beach picnic•Helping zip the dress•That *one scene* with Jackson and Daryl. IYKYK•Couple’s massages. So dang funny!•Mediation. Ha!•The inflatable soccer game.•Jeff! Cutest nickname ever!•The Marvel Movies. I’ve never wanted to watch them more than I do now. (And no, I have not seen them.)•Sweetest wedding•The big confession scene.I am in love with Karen’s writing and can’t wait to read even more from her!My 11 year old also read this delightful book. Here are her thoughts:🌺 I really love Natalie. She’s so fun!🌺 This book is sooo good. But I don’t really care too much about the lovey-dovey parts. [note from me: the “lovey-dovey parts” are sooo good!]🌺 What are commitment issues?🌺 Why would someone play soccer with beach balls?🌺 Mom! I finished it and there is a little bit of a cliffhanger. HOW CAN THERE BE A CLIFFHANGER IN A ROMANCE?!🌺 I feel bad for Em. I hope we get her story!🌺 If we get Em’s story, I hope it picks up at the dinner. I want to know what happens.📚When she finished the book, she noticed the list of Karen’s published books at the back. She said, “mom! How have I not read all of these?!” And immediately asked for Christmas in Love, because she just had to “read all of her books right now!”When asked how many stars she’d give this book, she said, “5 stars! It’s sooooo good! Like, really good.”**Many thanks to the author for an advanced copy of the book. I voluntarily wrote this honest review, which opinion belongs only to myself.Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️💫