Another Fantastic read from the amazing Rachel Van Dyken! Cheater is the story of Avery Black, who after losing her job ends up working as an intern for her sister's ex-fiance Lucas Thorn, who pulled out of the wedding the night before after being caught in a compromising situation with the 3rd sister Brooke. This is turn destroyed both families and broke friendships.

Lucas Thorn is a serial womaniser, who now has a different woman for every night of the week (except Sundays). Avery has no choice but to continue to work for Thorn despite her hatred for him. However, it doesn't take long for Avery to see a different side to Lucas and to find out why he acts the way he does.

This book was brilliant! I absolutely loved Avery! She was a great character and felt so real, especially with her love of food! I loved the way that RVD slowly peeled back the layers of the past, slowly giving readers a glimpse of the back story between Avery and Lucas and their relationship.

I do have to say though that I totally agree with Lucas on the subject of cheating! The other girls were aware of each other and they were not exclusively in relationships, so it's not really cheating and just sex.

Looking forward to the next book in the series!

***4 Lucas Thorn Stars***

I almost passed this one up because, as with most people, I wondered how a cheater could be redeemed since most of the time there is no good reason for it, even if you understand why the person felt the need to cheat. But then I read the blurb and something just grabbed me and I figured, Why the hell not? And whadda you know? I thoroughly enjoyed this RomCom. Though there were some things that were just too over the top for even me, I found Cheater to be a funny, sweet, smexy and even heartwarming journey.

I’m putting this here so we have a clear definition of what it means to cheat ~ just for reference sake.

Definition of Cheat:

1a : to practice fraud or trickery <denied the accusation that he cheated>
b : to violate rules dishonestly <cheat at cards> <cheating on a test>
2: to be sexually unfaithful —usually used with on <was cheating on his wife>
I loved Lucas Thorn (did ya see I used his full name ;) ) And quite honestly didn’t see him as a cheater, at least not as defined above, the man was a true manwhore and I know that there will be a great debate on that, but if I’m not supposed slut shame a woman for being sexually open and prefer to have multiple partners, then I’m definitely not going to do it to a man. Lucas has rules and he sticks to them. They may seem callous on the surface, but he has his reasons and I honestly appreciated them because underneath it all was a man who, yes liked variety, but also cared about those women and to me that was the important thing and what endeared me to him because he really did have a huge heart, but didn’t know what to do with it. As for his “cheating”, not his best moment, but there is so much more to and I felt my heart bleed just a little for him.
Avery is a spitfire and I spent half the book loving her for it and the other half wanting to slap duct tape over her mouth. The girl seriously has verbal vomiting skills to rival my own. But beneath all of that sass and snark is a girl with insecurities brought on by years of being made to feel second best by those who were supposed to love her the most, well not all of them, but enough that she simply wants to show everyone that she can stand on her own two feet. That determination combined with her huge heart and snarky mouth had me loving her.
Holy sparks flying all over the damn place. Lucas and Avery were nuclear together in every way possible, which was an amazing thing and a painful thing all that the same time. How can that be you ask? Simple. As their past is revealed you start to understand what their relationship was and why the hurt runs so deep ~ on both sides ~ and it makes you root for them while questioning if they can truly navigate their way around the sink holes in their journey and not only forgive but be absolutely honest with each other. If of course happens, but not without the “help” and believe me I use this term loosely, of some crazy ass characters, and I have to say that I loved how things ended up with them.
The funny thing about this book is that I know that people are going to be divided on it for one reason or another, as can already be seen by the early reviews, and that’s all good. Your opinion is your own. The funny thing is I had no issue with the whole cheating/manwhore thing nor with the issue falling in love with your ex-fiance’s baby sister, my biggest issue was the over the top antics of some of the characters. This is RomCom and Ms. Van Dyken did well, hands down, but some of the things I had to do a bit of speed reading because it hurt my head ~ “Are you fucking kidding me?” popped out of my mouth a few times (Which in all honesty can be looked at as a good thing since I did react) But outside of the crazy, which there is a lot of, I enjoyed the story and the characters, one I want to gut with a spoon even as it makes me giggle a bit that we share the same name, and am looking forward to what the next book will bring us.

This is not my first book by Rachel Van Dyken, so I was expecting this to be funny, and holy sh*t, it was! The book is told in dual POV, first person, and while it takes place exclusively in the present, it does have some flashback scenes so we know what happened in Avery and Lucas’ pasts. I really loved the writing on this one, it was hilarious and quick and witty.

I loved both characters right away. Look, I know a lot of people will have issues with connecting with Lucas Thorn because of his past and his lifestyle, it just really didn’t bother me. While what happened in the past was wrong, it was understandable from the start – for me-, and his present didn’t actually make me cringe. Maybe because I actually think that if everyone knows and things are clear from the start, you can’t really call it cheating… Either way, I loved him. He was broken, that much was clear, but he came alive when he was with Avery and those moments were wonderful.

Avery was AWESOME! She was super strong and with an amazing sense of humour and she wasn’t scared to fight for what she wanted. I loved her.

And these two together? All kinds of amazing! The chemistry was very much there, and they always seem to have some sort of fight going on, that made them even hotter. It reminded me a bit of The Matchmaker’s Replacement, which I also loved.

The plot was great. Again, some people might have some issues with some parts of the plot, especially from the past, but I understood it and I never actually saw it as wrong. Like I said… I loved it.

For me the only issue was the very short timespan of the book. The whole book happens in about 2 weeks, and some things felt a little too fast and rushed for me. I would have liked to see their feelings and relationship have more time to develop.

So, to sum it up, while I think that not everyone will love or even like this book, I still recommend it, because it was a hit for me.

Cheater. Curious Liaisons #1 by Rachel Van Dyken. "Lucas Thorn," said in my most breathiest voice. My what a tangled web you weave. Engaged to one sister, almost slept with one sister, and fell in love with another sister. "Cheaters aren't born, they are made." Keep this in mind while you read this book. I might get some flak for this review, but is anyone going to take Thorn's side? Anyone? Honestly, I disliked his character at the beginning, but throughout the book, the author does a wonderful job of reflecting back on his past and giving us insight into his character as to why he is unable to commit to just one woman. "It's not cheating if they all know." Lucas Thorn is unable to commit to one woman because he is in love with Avery. (Stay with me here). Has been in love with her for a while. He's made mistakes of epic proportions and he owns up to his flaws and transgressions to be the man that she needs. It's a bumpy and winding road full of humor, sarcasm, and redemption. This book isn't a dramatic, angst inducing read with complicated love triangles. It is however, an entertaining contemporary romance bordering on romantic comedy and can be read as a stand alone. I understand that this may not be everyone's cup of tea, but if you've enjoyed other book by this author, give this one a chance.

2.5 Stars
I wanted to love this book. I love the author, the blurb sounded great, but unfortunately it just didn't work for me. I disliked Avery from the start, and never changed my mind about her. She was immature, and quite honestly a little b*tch. She was so superior and pompous, but her behavior was horrible. And then she refuses to take responsibility for any of the fallout, but she is the whole reason they end up in the predicament. Drove me batty. And he's all oh well, this is what you deserve. Grow a backbone! Just didn't work for me.

3.5 stars

I received a free copy in exchange for an honest review by the NetGalley.
I clicked on this book in NetGalley but I thought: "they aren't going to approve my ARC, it is a Rachel Van Dyken book." What a great surprise I got when I found it on my Dashboard! I loved The Matchmaker's Playbook so I hoped it would be as good.

I loved the concept from the first moment, as I've always wondered if there was a way to justify cheating. The answer I found in this book wasn't satisfactory, but at least it was interesting!
I really liked the main character, Avery, as she wasn't whiny and was very independent. Also, the fact that she loved food doesn't hurt. Lucas Thorn (even his surname sounds good), was hot as well as hilarious, especially when he was with her because of the situations they get into together. I don't want to spoil it, so I'm only going to say: awkward dinner.
The only bad thing I can say was that it lacked that little bit of something special, maybe dig a little more on the issues of a cheater? I don't know.

To sum it up, it's a great, light, funny book for fans of romantic comedies!

My 4 star review is posted n Goodreads and linked below. It will be posted on blog and social media upon release and links will be updated at that time.

4 stars

Lucas Thorn has a checkered past. He might have been caught in a compromising position on his pre-wedding night with his bride-to-be's older sister. He also just might have had feelings for their younger sister. He imploded all of their lives and family relationships, and received the title of cheater. But he has his own way of running his sex life now that involves women assigned to each day of the week except Sunday. So there are no secrets, lies, expectations, or commitments...and in Lucas' mind since they all know about the others there is no cheating going on. And this worked just great for him until...

The youngest Black sister, Avery, returns to his life as his new work intern. Yeah, the one that he was lusting after in the past. The one that was his best friend. The one who he hurt right along with her sisters. The one that now seems to loathe him. Avery is angry, feisty, and snarky, but underneath she is still insecure and hurt. She always felt that she did not measure up to her sisters and never felt good enough for Lucas to see her as more than a kid sister. But she was guilty of having a big crush on her sister's fiance too.

In the present, their relationship is full on antagonistic, challenging, and thrives on teasing, taunting, and even threats. But there is also attraction that never went away and serious sexual tension. Not only do they have to work together and try to at least pretend to be professional when others are around, but they find themselves in an even worse predicament...a little white lie goes out of control and it leads their families to believe that they are together. But the more time they spend together, the more they remember why they liked each other in the first place.

But what happens when old feelings emerge mixed with the guilt and pain from the past? Avery doesn't trust Lucas, and Lucas does not even trust himself. They have a ton of baggage, fears, and insecurities. Avery doesn't even know the full truth of what happened in the past. And his new "girl-a-day" lifestyle does not make him seem like a good bet. They both think they know what they want , but at the same time are terrified of taking a chance on getting it. They are quite a mess of mixed emotions and volatile chemistry.

This was a humorous, sarcastic, adversarial friends-to-enemies-to-lovers story. It was fun, sexy, silly, sometimes frustrating, and fast-paced. It was told in dual points of view and both characters had strong, dynamic personalities. Some of the humor was laugh out loud funny, but sometimes it was a bit over the top. But it definitely kept things moving along and entertaining. I will admit that I got frustrated at times with some of the situations and the whole cheating vs. not cheating premise. But I liked both of the characters and their banter. And they grew on me more and more as the story went on, and I saw more of their vulnerability and true feelings under all of the humor, anger, and deflection.

The characters for book two, Cheater's Regret were introduced and their drama was set in motion. It sounds like it will fun and feisty too.

Extremely Funny!

What a great book! It's light, sexy and extremely funny. Just what I needed. Avery is hilarious, her banter with Lucas makes this book. Yeah Lucas is a cheating jerk but he loves Avery and actually always have. He actually wasn't cheating because all the girls know about each other. Haha

Avery and Lucas are wonderful characters. Their story is light hearted and really really good. Can she be the one to stop him from cheating? Can he devote himself to only her? You'll have to read it to see. Be expecting lots of laughs and a great story. The writing is phenomenal. Thanks Rachel this is just what I needed.

I thought this was a little formulaic, but good. I'm a little over the whole over-the-top family thing, to the point that it's not realistic. Because, I'm sorry but having two mothers plotting about their children getting together, jumping to conclusions that they're pregnant (when they didn't even know they were hanging out), forcing the daughter to go to the gynecologist WITH the mother of her bf, screaming in a restaurant about putting your legs up after sex to ensure the swimmers will swim properly is just not realistic. It's so far beyond comical that it's annoying, at least for me. Plus, it's been done in multiple other books by Rachel Van Dyken. Oh and the scene at the gynecologist, when you find a 22 year old woman has only gotten a pap smear once, is scared of them, and generally finds the doctor awful is just childish. This screamed an immature NA-YA to me.
That being said, it had more emotion than some of her books, it explored the concept of "once a cheater, always a cheater" with surprising depth, and aside from the vapid sister trope, it explored the concept of him switching from one sister to the other (over a span of 4 years) with surprising maturity.

I was intrigued by the premise of this book. Done right it could have been a great read, however it was tediously contrived.

Neither of the main characters had much depth to them, almost gimmicky. Avery likes two things: food and Lucas Thorn. And that's about all there is to her. Lucas felt a touch more developed, but not by much. Their "banter" was hardly engaging and was quite childish. It felt more like I was reading high schoolers trying to flirt rather than a 22 year-old and a 32 year-old fall in love.

While cheating does come in many forms, it is different than being in an open relationship. Which is what Lucas seems to has with his women of the week. What induced the most eye-rolling was how grateful these women of the week were to be on Lucas Thorn's calendar.
-"Thank you. For allowing me to take the open position"
-"Just remember you only get him for one day, and then everyone else gets a shot.... I know it sounds crazy, but just give it a chance"
At one point on women even introduces herself as "Lucas Thorn's Wednesday". This kind of storyline is completely unrealistic. While I don't doubt there are people with rotating partners, the fact that the women's identities become a day in the week is just ridiculous.

Naturally it is a fauxmance that brings the two characters together. However, the ridiculous situation is elevated by the way the families take the news. At one point they claim this relationship is "a way of righting a wrong" and that it "may help heal" the divide between the families. These secondary characters so unrealistic in their actions and unbelievably trope-y. It made hard to even want to finish the book.

Usually an age difference doesn't bother me much, but when that difference is at one point between a 17 year-old and a 27 year-old.... well, that's got statutory vibes all over it and didn't sit well with me.

It's not a book I'd recommend to anyone.

Lucas Thorn has a different girl for every day of the week…except Sundays. That is the Lord’s day after all. He literally has a calendar with a schedule and he has regular girls who fill those spaces. Each knows that he has others, and even if they pretend to be okay with it, they know upfront it will never be anything more. Ever.

Four years ago on the eve of his wedding to his childhood sweetheart, Kayla, Lucas ended up in bed with her sister Brooke. Wedding off, drama commenced, hearts were broken. He never set out to be a cheater, but he obviously is, so he might as well keep living his life this way.

They say every man has a story.
Mine started the night I was found in bed with my fiancée’s sister.

Avery needs this internship. She’s about to be homeless and on the street if this doesn’t pan out. She’s filling in for eight weeks for an internship and it may turn out to be a permanent position at Grant Learning. She’s given a warning that no matter how tempted she may be; she needs to keep things on a business only aspect with her boss…do not engage. I repeat..do not engage.

“If he talks about you becoming one of his girls, say no. Curiosity kills the cat and all that. Besides, he’s your boss, so no sleeping your way up. Not only would that kill your chances with the intern program, but he reviews you in the end. You want to be reviewed on your actual performance,” She blushed. “In the office.”

So imagine her surprise when she sets eyes on her new boss and he’s the same man who broke her sister’s heart. Lucas can’t believe it either. It’s been four years since he’s seen Avery and memories come rushing back.

But it was her expression on the eve of my ill-fated marriage to her oldest sister, Kayla, that I remembered most. The one that said I was no longer her hero and, in the span of minutes, I’d turned into the villain people always suspected I was.

Avery needs to suck it up, she has no choice. But learning about his calendar and the way he lives his life, well that’s a tough one to swallow. Especially if she just may have some feelings for Lucas herself.

I have to admit, there was more than a few times that I really disliked Lucas. There are complicated reasons that led him to living the life he did, but he screwed up more than a few times and it wasn’t just his heart that suffered damage. Cheater is funny and sexy and has more than a few angsty moments. The next story about Thatch and Austin is set up at the end-I may have to throat punch that cheater when I get my hands on his story!

“You can’t judge our future by my past!”

Only Rachel Van Dyken can make you route for the guy who has a different women every day of the week; it's ok since they know about each other. I adored Lucas Thorn as he was an butthead with a heart of gold. Avery Black has the most diabolical mind when it comes to ways to punish Logan for his past behavior. Cheater is hilarious, crazy, and makes you appreciate the one who got away.

I couldn‘t wait to read this book and I enjoyed Lucas and Avery‘s story so much ♡
To unravel their history was addictive and I wanted to crawl inside my kindle and hug them both.
Rachel van Dyken is a go-to/1click-author to me because her writing ALWAYS makes it so easy to forget time and place, get lost in her words and I just love diving in her stories and leaving reality behind for a few hours.
Experiencing Lucas and Avery‘s journey was at times heartbreaking but also so much fun, I did not want it to end.
Okay the moms were a tiny bit over the top for my liking but I read those parts with a „wink“ ;)
Can‘t wait to find out what‘s up with Thatch.
I received this copy from the publisher via NetGallery in exchange for an honest review

CHEATER so not how it sounds!!!

Rachel Van Dyken did it again in this sassy, flirty and fun book. Do worry though she will take you on a roller coaster ride full of questionable morals, have you questioning who was really wrong and wanting to slap and hug the male lead in Book.

Lucas Thorn is living a life of a male whore Monday thru Saturday. He made a HUGE mistake four years earlier hurting the people he loved. Including and possibly most importantly Avery Black. Lucas's and Avery's parents neighbors, former best friends only wave in passing after Lucas betrayed Kayla, Avery's sister the night before his planned wedding. Not an excuse but Lucas who was totally drunk ending up in Kayla's sister Brook's room and as I'm sure you guessed it ended this relationship that began in eight grade. Avery the younger sister by ten years has had a crush on Lucas that formed from true friendship and respect for each other. Fast forward four years and Lucas is a success in his professional life and believes he's living the life dating a different woman Monday thru Saturday leaving Sunday for his family mainly his sister. Believing he has nothing but charm and good looks to offer anyone he lives what he believes is a care free life. If everyone knows about each other he preaches it's not CHEATING. Avery is shocked when she shows up for a paid internship she needs desperately or she'll be forced to move home back to her childhood bedroom. She discovers she'll be working for none other than Lucas Thorn the man who crushed not only her but those she loves. Always feeling small and imperfect campared to both her sisters that have always shined and been popular she doesn't realize her worth. These two have serious chemistry but can they overcome the obstacles in the way? Can Lucas stop cheating? Is what they could have worth fighting for?

This book had all the feels, however the characters are fun, strong and easy to like. Written in dual POV. This book flows well and before you know it the books ending but leaves you wanting so much more.

I solemnly swear what I'm about to write is the truth and nothing but the truth.
I loved it! I love all the characters! I love the approach the author took on the whole comedy Romance in this book. I loved the hate and Love relationship between the leads. It was fun and exciting. Is been to long since I have giving a book 5 stars.
I usually read a few reviews before posting mine because I want to read what others thought of the books. Sadly I saw a few with lower ratings but I wish those don't scare readers to read this book because it was amazing. Yes the whole being engaged with the older sister of the lead is a big no no to some, him being 10 years older and him crushing on her when she was a teen (17) is immoral. Yes he did something else that even when I read it was like hell no! But I moved those things aside because Is been years that I read a book where I had so much fun and excitement when I was reading. A few years back I read her Seaside series and loved them. I read a few of the Eagle Elite books, but the whole mob thing wasn't for me. So I stop but I am glad I had the fortune to read this amazing book. I will be waiting to read the next book of this series, I hope that is as fun and exciting as this book.

Lucas Thorn wasn’t born a cheater. All it took was a single moment—say, a certain disastrous incident on the night before his wedding—and boom. Reputation destroyed forever and always. So now he owns it. He has a lady friend for every night of the week (except Sundays—God’s day and all), and his rules are simple: No commitments. No exceptions.

But a certain smart-mouthed, strawberry blonde vixen is about to blow that all to hell.

Avery Black has never forgiven Lucas for cheating on her sister. And suddenly being forced to work with him is pretty much a nightmare on steroids. Of course, it does afford her the opportunity to make his life as difficult as possible. But no good revenge scheme comes without payback. Because he didn’t become the Lucas Thorn without learning a few things about women.

Now Avery’s lust for vengeance has turned into, well, lust. And if Lucas stops cheating, it’s definitely not because he’s falling in love…

This book got me out of my book slump...I loved this!!! Avery and Lucas were great together. At first, after the Prologue Lucas was a pig...he had a woman for every day of the week except Sunday. Sunday was his sisters day lol. When he screwed around with a woman in his office in front of Avery, it made me want to reach through the kindle and beat him to death. There were times when you just wanted to shake him...with a hot iron - upside the head :)

Avery was one of those characters that's just snarky...she has a sarcastic remark for everything Lucas says. I love that she doesn't take any junk from him. It comes out that he liked her from the beginning and that she's the reason that he didn't marry her sister. He doesn't believe in monogamy and staying with one woman and doesn't realize that one by one he's getting rid of each of the women from his "days of the week." There's some angst, some sex, some love, some sarcasm, some humor and Van Dyken does ALL of this really, really well. She is a master at storytelling and doing it in a humorous way! It's a book you won't want to miss. I know that I'm going to reread it the first chance I get that I'm not speedreading!!

I was given a copy of this ARC from the publisher on Netgalley for a honest review. All of the above comments are my express opinions and no one else's.

I did not want to like this book with a title like cheater, but Rachel wrote it so I must read it and love it! Lucas is engaged to the wrong sister. He loves the youngest, Avery, but has only ever been with Kayla, the oldest. Avery's sister's are brutal. But her need for food and not being a homeless person lands her a job with Lucas as an intern. The one man she had a hopeless crush on as a teenager and who as an adult hates for cheating on his sister, and destroying her family. The humor in this story and the insights into the human condition are amazing. Love both Lucas and Avery! 5 stars

"When you love someone, you let them win—not every battle but at least the ones that matter."

It's my first time to read Rachel Van Dyken book. There are some parts that did not click to me (over exaggerating scenes) but Lucas and Avery are great together. They are both funny and adorable--together, especially the banter.

The story is about Lucas who's engaged to Kayla (Avery's sister) four years ago. Unfortunately, poor Lucas got drunk and stumbled into Kayla's sister room, Brooke (who's a bitch, I don't like her!) and thought they had something going on, the engagement was off the night before the wedding. He then stand and live to what people think about him, being a "cheater". But he believes that if all the girls (from Monday to Saturday, yes, different girls everyday) knows about it, it is not cheating.

Avery is desperate not to go back home. She doesn't want to live with her parents, with her sister living there. She's Lucas old friend, best friend. Lucas was her 'hero' and be his girl, which was impossible at that time.

I like the twists in the story. Lucas decide not to marry Kayla and give a shot to Avery (which I think is weird because Kayla and Avery are sisters). But, I think Lucas stayed in relationship with Kayla because everyone was expecting them to marry. I mean he loved Kayla but he loves Avery more.I understand why Lucas behaves like that, because he can't move on. However, he had a choice!

I thought Avery will revenge? But WTH? What happened? There is no revenge except where she said that they were in a relationship in front of Lucas's sister, which I think was not the best revenge of all time.

I had fun reading this. Lucas and Avery were really funny! I also like how the story goes on and how Ms. Rachel wrote. It's entertaining and was not expecting the outcome of the story. Good plot! We can't really judge a book by its cover. Literally.

Cheater by Rachel Van Dyken

This book was an unexpected surprise - a good one! I wasn't sure I'd actually like this book, given the title and the assumptions that go along with it, but it wasn't exactly what I expected. I expected that Lucas Thorn was a serial cheater. He wasn't. He did, however, have a different girl for every day of the week excluding Sunday which was reserved for his sister. When his new intern arrives, it turns out to be the little sister of his ex-fiancé - who he'd started to develop strong feelings for before the wedding that never was. Naturally, Avery hates Lucas on (second) sight but needs the internship more than anything.

I really enjoyed the characters. Avery has such a quick wit and sharp tongue and I just couldn't get enough of her! She might be a few years younger than Lucas but she wasn't having a bar of his b.s. and didn't hesitate to call him out on it. Lucas was quite the shithead but I still liked him! I get it, he has a different girl every day but he truly didn't think he was doing anything wrong because 'it's not cheating if they know about it'. I wanted to smack him a time or two but realized that something made him the way he is and he obviously doesn't think he deserves any better.

I love a good RomCom and Cheater had so many ridiculous one-liners that had me snorting in bed because I just could not hold the laughter in. Some of the things that happened were so farfetched that the mind truly boggled, but if you just read the book as a light-hearted, romantic, enemies to lovers, you'll enjoy it for exactly that. Don't over-analyze. I'm looking forward to reading the next book in this series especially knowing who it'll be about.

*arc received from publisher in exchange for honest review.

**Reviewed by Melinda for Joandisalovebooks Blog.