Avery just graduated from college and needs a job ASAP! So when the opportunity for an internship came along she took it. Turns out the VP that she would be working for was her almost ex-brother in law, Lucas.

Avery has been in love with Lucas forever! Avery feels torn going to work with a man that cheated on her one sister with her other sister. It has been four years since they have seen each other.

Lucas now has a different girl for every day of the week besides Sunday and two on Tuesday. It's not cheating if they all know about each other right?! Lucas has a big secret of his own.

Can Avery be the girl to change Lucas's cheating ways? Does she want to be?

Words can not describe how much I love Rachel's writing!!! Cheater was amazing and I can not wait for the second book in the series!! I could not put this book down!!!

***I received this copy from the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.***

One drunken mistake at his wedding and Luca Thorn is a sexy man whore. He has it all a great career, good looks, and a different girl for each night. Then Avery Black walks in his door and his world is flipped upside down. Suddenly a different girl each night isn't something he wants anymore, but can Avery get over what he did to her sister years ago? This book is sexy, hot, and delicious, it's another great book written by Rachel and I cannot wait for the next one!

This book turned out not to be what I was expecting, it turned out better than I thought. At first I did not like Lucas at all, but as you get further into the story you get a better understanding of who he is and why he is the way he is. I just couldn't put this one down, there were some emotional moments and some very laugh out loud moments. I truly enjoyed this one.

I received this copy from the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

**SPOILERS**

LOVED IT!!! When the H/h get together again after years of separation, it becomes a hilarious disaster!

Avery, the heroine, is so damn sassy and full of hatred for the man who cheated on her sister the night before they were supposed to get married. She is strong and such a smart***, you just can't help but to lover her.

Lucas, the hero, has no clue what is happening when it comes to Avery. He hates what he did to her sister, and in his head, it was a case of mistaken identity. He is supposed to be an intelligent jerk, but he's just naive and doesn't have a clue.

Then, add in their mothers, and watch all hell break loose!

I would recommend this book to everyone I know. There is absolutely no reason that anybody should say no to this book. It's hilarious, sweet, sexy and downright sinful at times. Buy this book. Trust me.

Although I don’t condone cheating in real life, I don’t usually mind reading books with that plot point in them. And I did enjoy this book for the most part. I did think Avery was a little too quick to accept the fact that Lucas routinely cycles through 7 girls (this system and the rules he has remind me a little bit of the movie Maid of Honor). Now even though I will admit to him being a cheater, I don’t see these relationships as cheating but more as open relationships since everyone involved is informed and goes into it willing. On the other hand, he did emotionally and literally cheat on Kayla with her sisters so yes he is a cheater, no matter what he will try and convince people. What I can’t really wrap my head around isn’t the fact that he falls for Avery who is Kayla’s younger sister, but the fact that she is her younger sister by 11 years. That doesn’t seem like much in the scheme of things when they are at their current age but when you take into consideration that he grew up helping take care of her and was basically an older brother to her, it kind of throws me off. I mean when Lucas and Kayla were seniors in high school she would’ve been in like 2nd grade and I know he didn’t like her then but he did start to like her when she was 17 and he was 28 so it’s still a little weird to me. And his mom? When she was going on and on about she always knew he was with the wrong sister I was just like uh, when did you know this? When she was like 17 or younger? I think I would have enjoyed this book more if their age range was a little closer. Like I said if this book had been him being the age he was and meeting her at the age she was I wouldn’t have been weirded out. It’s more of the fact that he grew up with her that’s throwing me off. The more I think about it the more it weirds me out. Also both families were so quickly willing to forgive him and just accept that he was now with the final sister since he already had history with the other two? Really?

This was a humorous, sexy read, pitted here and there with angst.

What happens when you’re engaged but fall for someone else who’s somewhat forbidden?

“She should have zero effect on me. And yet. She did. More than any of the women I was currently seeing.”

Lucas Thorn was the all-round good guy. Gorgeous as sin, in a committed relationship since high school, the star QB on the school team, well-loved. Everyone thought it was just too good to be true. So when he fell spectacularly from grace, no one was really surprised, but one drunken mistake turned him into a cheater, with a revolving door of women for nearly every day of the week.

“He had me. He’d always owned me. I just didn’t know it until now.”

Avery Black once hero-worshipped Lucas. Ten years older, he’d been in her life since she was a little kid. As she grew older, he became her best friend, her rock, and her secret crush. His one mistake not only broke her sister’s heart, it broke hers, too.

Four years later, Avery has grown from a gawky teen into a stunning young woman. Unfortunately, she’s been made redundant from a well-paid post-grad job and, to avoid going back home to live, she’s applied for a low-paid internship. She’s determined to prove her worth and get back onto the employment ladder any way she can. However, when she comes face to face with her boss, everything goes to hell.

“My heart would never be the same. Because when we both pulled away from one another, I could have sworn I saw her grab the still beating vessel from my chest and hold it in the palm of her hands.”

This was such a fun story that also tugged at the heartstrings. I loved the banter between the sassy, irreverent Avery, and the gorgeous, flirty, unfiltered Lucas. The chemistry between them was intense and irresistible! Even when they rubbed each other up the wrong way, the sparks still flew between them. I adored how they couldn’t keep their hands of one another.

I loved how the full story of their shared past emerges, as each layer is revealed through flashbacks, until it becomes painfully clear how Lucas came to live his present lifestyle. A fab read!

I have given Cheater 5 stars.

So I'm a newbie to Rachel Van Dyken but I honestly don't know how I have never picked up any of her books. Her clever style of writing draws the reader in and hooks them from the very first word.

The title of the book suggested something much deeper than we actually get. Cheater is light and funny despite the serious nature of this book. It was humorous, witty, clever and I found it so entertaining that I couldn't put it down. The banter between Lucas and Avery was off the scales funny and often had me laughing out loud at their witty comebacks.

And the chemistry! Oh boy, the chemistry! Several times throughout the book I had to stop and cool myself down. I thought I might self combust from the heat emanating from the pages.

Despite Lucas's "asshat" tendencies, I actually really liked him. Hiding behind his "reputation" of a cheater lies a man with a broken heart and Avery was just so funny, you can't help but fall in love with her character. She's a real fire cracker and her sense of humor is just wicked.

When I opened the book, I didn't anticipate how much I would enjoy this book, but I did! Every single word.
It's a little bit of the top but absolutely fabulous nonetheless.

***Cheater is not what you think*** I absolutely hate cheaters and novels about them, but this book went in a different direct. Rachel Van Dyken spins a tale of regret, love, family, and more. Definitely worth the price, in fact, I already have it preordered. I highly recommend and cannot wait for everyone to fall in love with Lucas Thorn. Get "Thorned", I promise you won't regret it.

Arc received for an honest review - thank you!

Rating 3.5 stars

Okay, so I’ve seen a few reviews of people bashing the book (without reading it) due to there being cheating in it – heads up people, the book is called ‘Cheater’ and the blurb is quite clear in telling you that Lucas is a cheater… so bashing the book for doing exactly what it says on the tin is a bit silly – just saying.

Anyway, on to my review:

I was intrigued by the blurb and thought this one would be a bit difficult to read due to the nature of the plot – I expected it to be a bit angsty and difficult to like the H but I couldn’t have been more wrong. This book was a really easy read. It was funny it was sexy and it was really sweet in places.
I picked it up quite late in the evening with the intention of just getting a start on it before bed but found myself reading the whole book in one sitting.

Yes, there are parts that had me rolling my eyes at their silliness but I did it with a smile on my face.

And shocker… I really liked Lucas. He was funny and although I thought he was a pig with his ‘Schedule’ I can kinda see why he thought it was okay.

Avery was absolutely hilarious… some of the things she said and did had me really laughing out loud and Lucas’ parents were just crazy.

Overall an enjoyable RomCom and I can’t wait to read Austin and Thatch’s book.

This is not at all what you think when you read the title. You are going to fall victim to the Lucas Thorn effect trust me.

Lucas is a man that you hate and love at the same time. Avery is just the one to throw Lucas off track and I enjoyed it the whole way through. There are so many funny parts to this story, some parts made me wonder what my spirit animal is. Some parts I was laughing so hard my dog got up and moved. I really enjoyed it. I was kind of worried but I'm glad I dove right in. Now I'm intrigued to see where Thatch's book leads us.

It's laugh out loud funny, not just parts the whole book. You think you are are gonna hate Lucas Thorn but then u cant help but to fall in love with him. It's definitely the "Lucas Thorn effect".

I have been binge reading books now for well over two years--the need to start a new one immediately after I finish the last page of a book is so out of hand that I now enter contests and joined netgalley to win ARCs--to then review on my new blog, ha! Thank you netgalley (& Skyscape and Two Lions) for allowing me to read this book before the release date, as promised my honest review is below.....

I just have to say right off the bat, Rachel is a repeat author for me--I enjoy the way she writes her characters, the dialogue and there's usually just the right amount of humor added to the story that you end up laughing out loud at **least** 4 times before you are done. This book is no different. (Sidenote- you should know that I am not a fan of giving away too much in terms of specifics, I rather let others enjoy the story without knowing too much, so basically my reviews will be kind of vague in that sense.)

Ok back to CHEATER--Lucas Thorn, he's a HOT thorn in my side, that's what he is, really for most of the book your mouth will be open and your eyes will be bugging out of your head as a result of his antics🙀. Then there's Avery Black, based on the description on Goodreads you know early on who she is. The way these two are forced back into each others lives again is pretty funny to me--I wouldn't know whether to laugh or cry or kill if I were in their situation.

The story is told in dual POV, which I actually really love in general because it allows you to understand the feelings of both characters. In this case there are a TON of feelings to share and most of the time I found myself agreeing with what they were feeling. And the banter back and forth is fun to experience when it's written in with a dual POV--you get to see what really sets them off their rocker this way, which happens a lot.

SEXUAL TENSION....When written well, the build up is gradual and you are itching to see what the next move will be. I would say not all of the books I have read in the past have the sexual tension thing down, some unfortunately fall flat. Rachel though has a way of making that work well in her books, Cheater is no exception.

By the end of the book, I think you too, will become a victim of the Lucas Thorn effect....

Fave Quote "His low-slung jeans and chiseled stomach were inches from my face. It wasn't fair; I cursed fatness on him, his family, his dog, his cow-"

Dated the oldest sister basically forever (8th grade to age 27)then got engaged to her
Got caught in bed with the middle sister night before the wedding
Is now with the h (youngest sister)

That their parents were ecstatic about this new relationship was just weird to me. Obviously these people need therapy. If my sister started dating my ex especially one I was with for that long I'd straight up slap a bitch. And the age difference when he first fell for the h weekend me out, she was 17 to his 27.

4 years later that age gap no longer bothers me the sister thing is still weird though.

The best part of this book is the banter between the H and h that was spot on.

3 stars -- I received a free copy through NetGalley in exchange for an honest and unbiased review/opinion.

Oh dear. I've had a hot and cold relationship with books written by this author. I've read books that I really loved, but I've more often read books that just rubbed me the wrong way. Strangely, this one wasn't a full on hate, but it's just not a Lenore book. It's not that I can't see why people would enjoy it, it just wasn't a good fit for me. I have a few other books by this author that I'll give a shot, but I think I'll steer away from her normal contemporaries, or romantic comedies, b/c I just don't think I have that sense of humour.

Oh, and yeah, this was kind of a weird one to request for me b/c cheating is one of my button issues (I just don't have a good tolerance for cheating in books, and it will likely make me dislike a book), but I thought perhaps in exploring the topic it wouldn't be too bad. And actually, the cheating wasn't the part that really didn't work for me. The author didn't delve as deep into the reasoning as I had hoped, but it still addressed some interesting questions.

So what didn't work for me? The humour in this book was cringe-worthy. I'd been telling my husband about it, and quite honestly the two MCs were just too over the top for me. So much yelling. There's quirky characters, and then there's these two...particularly Avery. I cringed through parts of this book. It was like watching Meet the Parents. I could understand why people would find it funny, but I just couldn't. And quite frankly, I ended the book and I couldn't help but think that if these people existed in real life, the people surrounding them must be so exhausted.

And the crazy humour kind of got in the way of their chemistry with each other. There just weren't enough moments that got to my heart and made me feel for them. And for *this* particular reader, that was a shame. I like my humour mixed with more depth I guess. I would see glimmers, and then one of them would say something outrageous.

Now don't get me wrong, it's not that I didn't laugh at all in this book, or that I didn't enjoy parts. But I just got tired after awhile. I guess I just do better with moderation. *shrugs*

Oh, and on a strange side note, the author would use dramatic periods in weird ways. You know, where someone is trying to emphasize their point and so they break. The. Sentence. Up. But she would use them in places that didn't make sense, at least to this reader. Was I the only one that noticed that? And mostly in the beginning of the book too.

So yeah. I can see this book being popular, it just wasn't the right fit for me.

I really liked the characters and the general story, although I did find it a little yucky that 27-year-old Lucas was attracted to 17-year-old Avery. Even if she had been a few years older when all that happened, it would have been less squicky. The story also would have been served better if it had taken place over a longer period of time than just a week. Regardless, I enjoyed it and would read more by this author. I'd be interested in reading Thatch and Austin's story next.

Here's a link to my review on Goodreads. I'll happily add the review to Amazon when it goes live.
https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/1909358902?book_show_action=false&from_review_page=1

I've read a lot of Van Dyken's books. They have all been 3.5 star ratings or higher for me. I have found them to always be quick reads, fun, and entertaining. So when this title came up on Netgalley to review it was a no brainer to pick it up.

The Prologue starts off with Lucas saying "This is my story. You will hate it. You will hate me." Boy, is that the truth! Within in the first 10% of the book I'm cringing because of the flippant way Lucas treats women....a different woman for every night (or day) of the week. But then again, he's open and honest about it with each of them and they know what they're getting in to. The question then begs, why on earth would these women settle for a womanizer like Lucas Thorn?! Is a cheater any more admirable just because he admits to it and lives up to the title? Gag! But hey, I'm all about redeeming characters in books.

Set in Seattle, Lucas is a 32 year old successful man who loves his work (oddly enough working with on apps for kids) and he loves his revolving door of women. No commitments, no attachments, no strings attached. Friends with benefits perhaps? He's seriously jaded though and has the reputation for ruining his parents relationship with their best friends - the middle school sweetheart he had beginning in the 8th grade and engaged to early in college. The problem is that he mistook one of her sisters for the wrong girl the night before their wedding and that effectively severed a lot of relationships that had grown to be very important to him.

Avery, the youngest of the three Black sisters, is now living in Seattle as well. At 22 years old she refuses to go back home to live with her parents so she accepts an internship only to discover she'll be interning for Lucas Thorn. She's well aware of his reputation and even has to help with his "other calendar". The problem is that she used to be very close to Lucas and if she's being honest, her feelings for him never really went away. Thankfully she values herself more than to be another of his days of the week.

One of the biggest eye rolling irritations for me with this story was the mother of Lucas. She was too emotionally over the top and as such it was too unrealistic for me to accept her behavior.

If you're looking for a fast and fun romance, this book will give you a few laughs and you'll enjoy the crazy ride with Lucas Thorn.

Book two should be fun too as it tells the story of Avery's childhood best girl friend, Austin, and a fellow womanizer (ie cheater) friend of Lucas', named Thatch. Both of these are side characters briefly introduced in book one.

Favorite Quotes:
"Because that's what friends do when they don't screw you over and destroy your life by betraying your trust. They stay loyal, friends for life and all that."

Hating him was difficult. Being attracted to him was inevitable.

"One day you were my friend, and then you became something completely different. Because I wanted you. Because I've always wanted you. Because even when it was wrong - and you were only seventeen years old - I wanted you."

The way a man is supposed to love a woman, with such blind madness that nothing made sense when she wasn't in my world.

Language Rating: 2 (medium)
Mature Content Rating: 2 (medium)
Final Rating: 3.5 stars

I'm a huge fan of Van Dyken's work, so when I saw Cheater up on Netgalley I clicked 'request' as fast as I could. Sometimes, when you build a book up in your head, it can disappoint, but that was not the case at all with Cheater. Classic Van Dyken, it was everything I expected and more. Lucas Thorn is the perfect anti-hero... at least to start with. He's pure alpha-hole, breezing through life without giving a sh*t about the women he hurts along the way, not even realising he's doing it. Then Avery comes along and turns everything he believed in on its head. The back-story in this one is involved and impressive, giving the story great depth and making it work in a very special way. The plot is farcical at times, but not in a bad way - more in a funny and touching way. It enables Lucas and Avery to become a couple when in reality, there's no way in hell it should be possible. A hugely enjoyable read, and one that I look forward to coming back to time and time again.

3.5/5 stars

Cheater is a contemporary romance. I would say that the book is somewhere between New Adult and Adult. It is the first book in the Curious Liaisons series. However the second book has different narrators.

The story takes place in Seattle. The narrators are Avery and Lucas.

Avery Black is 22 and has only been out of college for a few months. She applies for a paid internship at Grant Learning (her division would help assign tutors to kids at local schools).

Lucas Thorn is a 32 year old player. He is a VP of Marketing and seems to have quite a bit of money.

Going by the title and the first paragraph of the book blurb this book was quite different from what I was expecting. We are told that Lucas is a cheater and that he has a different woman for every day of the week. And while that is true, the book really isn't him constantly having sex with different women. There is a reason why Lucas acts the way that he does.

I know a lot of readers have a problem with cheating. IMO him having so many women should not bother those who dislike cheating (because of how the author writes this into the story). However, there is something to do with him having dated someone close to Avery that could upset some readers. The way it was handled made sense and did not bother me.

The book is light, fun and funny. Lucas is a playboy, but also a bit of a gentleman. The book is a bit sexy. But he is supposed to be a manwhore, yet the reader does not get to really experience this, which surprised me a lot.

Something happens with Avery and Lucas that forces them to pretend something. And I could not decide whether I found this scenario to be funny or stupid.

Overall, the book is filled with lots of flirty banter. It is fun. This book is a light fun romance that is silly and funny. It was an enjoyable read. But I wanted more twists and less predictability. However that said, the next book does sound intriguing (we find out who the narrators are at the end of this book).

3.5 for this forddiden rom com with a hidden message.