Holy crap! So I wasn't expecting what I got from this book. I was expecting just a sweet little fake dating story which is partially accurate.

Spoilers possible beyond this point: Topher is hired to pretend to be dating a friend who is trying to please his Uncle and mother. But when the actual girlfriend and her family show up, she now has to pretend to be the Uncle and friends fake girlfriend. After a couple days her family end up inviting themselves to the celebrations as well. But that pushes her closer to the Uncle and the 'play time' starts and feelings start to bloom as well.

Does the truth come out? Does a new relationship bloom? What else could possibly go wrong within this three week period?

Loved this story and will definitely be looking for more books by this author. She has a unique ability to make me laugh and surprise me. This was the first book I've read by this author and I can't believe I waited as long as I did. Such a great book, well formed characters, great plot. While the plot is convoluted it is still easy to follow and not confusing at all. LOVED IT!!!!

loved this title, it had some angst which I prefer, but the i love the fake relationship trope and this one did it justice.

Such an enjoyable read -- over the top and playful and fun!

Acting Lessons is the first book in the Off Guard series by Katie Allen. It's an offer she can't refuse. Two weeks of work for enough cash to quit her day job and focus on auditions is a dream come true for struggling actress Topher. All she has to do is play girlfriend to a wealthy friend, helping him secure his trust fund. Then she meets her friend's sinfully handsome, firmly off-limits uncle, and all bets are off. Not only is Uncle James surprisingly younger than imagined, he's charismatic and hot as hell. And there's something about the wounded veteran's hungry stare that has her thinking the feeling is mutual. Topher's determined to ignore Uncle Sexy, but the forbidden temptation is too much to handle, especially after James flashes his dominant side. But surrendering to temptation is easier said than done when the plot thickens. Even if Topher can manage to fool everyone involved, she's not sure she can fool her own heart—or the man she's definitely not supposed to be falling for.

Acting Lessons is a romance with touches of the ridiculous, and more than enough steam. Topher's act of a ditzy bad girlfriend is hysterical, and the fact that she is more endearing and entertaining than annoying despite her efforts. I loved the comments she made, and I will admit to giggling out loud several times during the read, prompting my children to ask me what was so funny- although I dare not share. I got a kick out of Topher's character through the whole thing. The sparks between James and Topher were extreme, and although I do not always go for my main couple jumping into bed, it kind of worked here. The whole daddy/baby girl thing never did it for me, but James' strength and desire to take care of her worked. I also like that they actually discussed what they wanted to do or try, and set up a safe word so that if the play went too far Topher could stop it. Then there was the additional character building for the secondary characters, the danger and crazy family drama, and general likability once Topher let more of herself shine through the act is what really made the story. I could have passed on some of the age play stuff, but there are some readers that will love it. I still love the book, and will be checking out more from this side of the author.

Acting Lessons is an erotic romance with some kinks that never really did it for me, but fun dialogue that had me giggling and adults that had real conversations about what they were doing made the read wonderful. I loved it, and was delighted to discover that I was already a fan of the author, since Katie Allen is a pseudonym for Katie Ruggle. I cannot wait to get my hands on Baking Lessons, the second book in the series, which is scheduled for released in March of 2018.

Nice smooth read. Nothing that grabbed me and wouldn't let go but still a nice way to pass the time.

There were parts that I liked and thought were pretty funny. Then there was the Daddy thing. I could not get behind that. It was just not my kink. It wasn't bad if you're looking for a fast, funny insta-love/lust book.

Thanks to Netgalley for the ARC.

I am VERY torn about this book. Where I thought that the story line was creative, funny and intriguing, once the relationship between Topher and "uncle" Jamie became sensual, I had to fight the urge to throw up in my mouth.

Topher is an aspiring actress, working as a barista while trying to make it big. One of her regular customers propositions her with a paid acting gig that seemed to good to be true, pretending to be the customers crazy girlfriend. Too bad the entire acting gig went to hell in a basket the moment Topher met the uncle she's supposed to be lying to.

Jamie is the younger than expected uncle. His nephew is the customer who hired Topher. He's hated his nephews mobster girlfriend, threatening to cut him off financially if he didn't end things with her. So when his new girlfriend shows up for the holidays, he's a little happy, but also curious. That is, until everything changes in a heartbeat, forcing him to "act" as Topher's boyfriend. How did things get so messed up so quickly?

Like I stated before, this story line was super cute and creative. The "acting" starts to become convoluted at one point though. I wasn't expecting the "acting" to carry over in to the bedroom, especially after the truth was revealed and things seemed to be on the up and up. Although the bedroom scenes were actually a little bit of a turn off for me, I continued reading because I needed to see this one to the end. Mainly because despite the aloof persona by Topher, some of her comebacks and witty responses were to really funny.

All in all, I could have done without some of the bedroom manner, but in the end, it was a cute HEA. And then to find out that this isn't a standalone? Hmmmmm, I wonder. Hopefully "Daddy" won't be too present in the next one.

*I received this from the Jeep Diva in exchange for my honest opinion.

Topher/Coco was from a rich family but she didn’t want to work for her stepfather. So with this decision Topher was on her own and had to support herself without help from her family. Topher is a struggling actress she has always wanted to be an actress.Topher is a barista to pay her bills until she can get a breaking into acting. Danny is one of Topher’s customers when she is a barista. Danny needs a fake girlfriend who is worse than his real girlfriend Barbara. So Danny offers to pay Topher to act as his fake girlfriend to be hated by his family. So Topher is to be Danny’s new annoying girlfriend through the Christmas holidays. Then Barb will be more acceptable. Also Danny’s uncle Jamie won’t cut him off financially. Danny’s uncle jamie is serious but he is also forgiving , sexy, and sometimes over the top. Topher agrees to act as Danny girlfriend. But then Danny’s real girlfriend shows up with her family. So now Topher had to act like she was Jamie’s girlfriend Jamie looks at Topher’s acting with a grain of salt. There is a hot chemistry between Jamie and Topher. So Topher has to keep acting like a bimbo not like herself but Jamie sees through her as time goes on. Topher breaks through Jamie’s veneer and he can relax with her. Then Jamie’s ex girlfriend shows up as well as Topher’s parents.
I enjoyed this book a lot. This made me laugh at times and that is always good. I liked there was also some drama in this book. I also liked Topher was a good addition to Jamie’s life. I also like that though kinky they manage to work things out together I really liked Jamie and Topher together I also enjoyed the unique ending. I would have liked a little less hardcore sex. But this did not stop me from reading and finishing this book. I loved the characters and the ins and outs of this book and I recommend.

Reviews by the Wicked Reads Review Team

Avid Reader – ☆☆☆☆
M/F Romance
Triggers: Click HERE to see Avid Reader’s review on Goodreads for trigger warnings.

So this is a very involved story with a lot going on, but I thoroughly enjoyed it. You start out with Danny desperately needing a fake girlfriend who is worse than his current girlfriend, Barb. Danny knows that Topher (Coco) is an aspiring actress and thinks that he's come up with a fool proof plan... pay Topher to be hated by his family. Easy peasy. Well, what follows is a series of unfortunate yet hilarious events, some serious events, and major drama.

I loved the relationship between Topher and Julia. They were both sarcastic, hilarious, and they each had a great sense of humor. When they have to spend the day with women who are vapid, annoying, and just too hoity toity, it brings out the snarkiness, which is awesome.

Danny is really just an immature boy who is learning how life works. He wants to have his uncle's approval and his mom's, but his idea of what love is... well, it's underdeveloped. However, I did like how his relationship with Topher was before he dragged her into his mess.

Then you have Uncle Jamie... he is serious but forgiving, sexy, and sometimes a little over the top. He takes Topher's acting with a grain of salt and brings out the sexiness with her and himself. It seems that at first, he takes himself very serious, but Topher is able to break through that veneer and he is able to relax more with her. She and Jamie are a great couple who find that their kinks align. They have great chemistry and I love that you get to see their relationship outside of Topher's acting.

The secondary characters are important, if not annoying, and the big twist in the book is somewhat predictable but still made the story enjoyable. I think that without all of the drama, this story would not have been as hilarious.

I can't wait to see what's next.


Mary – ☆☆☆☆
While coming from a family with money, Topher didn't want to work for her stepfather, so she had to go it on her own. And that meant paying her own way. And being an actress is what she has always wanted to do. So when her friend, Danny, wanted her to be his pretend girlfriend, he was going to pay her to act as one, she agreed. But things began to fall apart after they arrived at his uncle's house. Such as his real girlfriend and her family showing up. So she has to pretend to be Uncle James’s girlfriend. And James’s ex-girlfriend shows up. And then Topher's parents showing up. It is so fun getting inside Topher's head as she has to keep telling herself that she has to keep pretending to be a ditzy girl, so the others will believe her.

While James is trying to understand why his nephew has brought the ditzy girl home, she is beginning to grow on him. He has never smiled so much. And then they drop the bomb, Danny's real girlfriend is coming. Now James has to pretend that Topher is his girlfriend. As they spend time together, James begins to see the girl under all that ditziness and he is liking it too. So he wants to see if a real relationship just might be something they both will enjoy and maybe continue.

This story was fun and had me laughing most of the time. I really enjoyed it. And I am looking forward to the next one in the series.

https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/2172658934

This is not the usual wounded hero romance but I’ve enjoyed its nervous energy. Yet I’m a bit undecided about it. I guess I was expecting something more substantial, mostly about the hero, until the end, and was a bit disappointed because it never happened.
There’s a lot of hardcore sex mixed with kissing, cuddling, humor and laughter; sexiness and tenderness were well balanced enough to keep me interested.
The Tophie character was a bit tiresome.
As for the hero, he had so much potential! I would have liked to know more about his motivations. The humor around his disfiguring injuries is refreshing but the take on the wounded hero, albeit different, is lacking, for example, in displaying the impact of being blind in one eye on daily life.

Katie Allen is one of my favorite authors but I'm on the fence about Acting Lessons. I felt the book could have used more character development and the plot was a little gimmicky. Although, I definitely laughed out loud a lot while reading this.

4.5 stars for a comedic gem of a read!

This book was irresistibly engaging. I fell in love with the two MCs instantly, and I laughed the whole way through. Katie Allen’s Acting Lessons has clever turns of phrase, characters who become your best friends, and oodles of secret surprise sexy times!

Topher is a struggling actress working in a coffee shop. When one of her customers offers her money to act like his horrible girlfriend, Topher can’t turn it down. She wasn’t expecting, however, the man's Uncle James to be so blazing hot.

This was actually a very light read, low on drama, but heavy on comedy. Everything evolves, others converge, and this really became a comedy of errors that kept me laughing my fool head off. Let me tell you, there's no telling what will happen next.

Topher stole me from the get-go! This girl goes on these spiels that are always so honest but hilariously crafted. You always know what Topher’s thinking and that’s what I loved about her. She's up to her eyeballs in acting and it's fun watching her adapt to each new situation thrown at her.

One of those being hot Uncle James! He's a high-profile businessman, mega rich, and might have a dominating side that lights Topher up. (By might, I mean YES, DEFINITELY!) Topher's got her finger pressing his total-alpha-button left and right. I loved how on board he is with Topher's quirky monologues, too.

Oh, I loved him!

Anyway, James's holding his nephew's purse strings and James absolutely hates his nephew's real girlfriend. Topher's part is to make the real girlfriend look better to Uncle James. Only she wasn't supposed to be so into the uncle.

As you can imagine, things go awry rather quickly. And then came the super-secret sexy surprise plotline. Or as I like to call it, SSSS. I had to stop reading and squeal because: Could it be?? Had I really stumbled across my favorite one-click element??

I'll let you read and figure it out for yourselves. The progression of it, however, just made sense.

I do wish we had an epilogue here, however. It didn't feel 100% complete, and I sat there wanting more. I took off a half point for that, but I still loved what's here so much that I didn't mind it.

Hands down, I just adored this book. If you like romantic plotlines with heavy sexy times and lots of laughter, you’re going to want to pick up a Katie Allen book. Acting Lessons shines on all of these things and has made this author an auto-buy for me.

Clearly I'm the odd one out; I didn't care for this book at all.

First...I felt deceived that the blurb mentioned nothing about age play. Yes it says that Jaime has a dominant side but that leaves the door wide open to what that means. Before you say anything, I've read other books with age play in them without an issue. I just felt that this should be in the blurb or at least hinted at.

Second, Topher was annoying and incredibly immature. She wants to be taken seriously but even when the "bimbo act" (her words) isn't needed, she's still incredibly immature. Honestly, it felt like she was a teenager rather than a 23 year old woman living on her own, working multiple jobs and trying to get an acting career going.

Third, I liked Jaime's character but I felt he needed more of a backstory.

Fourth, Dan...what was his deal? Where are his parents? Why was his include in charge of his funds? So many unanswered questions.

Fifth, very little closure. It needed an epilogue.

Acting Lessons is an overall good romance with an interesting plot. GOod!!!

It’s a quick and easy read which readers are going to love and want to get there hands on. It has everything you could want in such a great story that you won’t have to stop reading. Author has done amazing job with this book. Would recommend

Funny, Sexy and Hot! I loved this story. This is another book that will be making its way to my favorites list. Topher is hilarious and the interaction between him and James is amazing. I can’t wait to read more by this author and will be recommending this to readers.

My dislikes for this book was it started off slow and I didn't really get into it until chapter 3. Also I hated the name Topher. And lastly I would've liked to see more of an ending or happily ever after at the end. Now in stating my dislikes I really found I enjoyed his book more then I anticipated.
Tophers character was absolutely amazing. I loved everything about her. She just rolled with the punches. And James was like her missing link. And as for Danny I just didn't like him.

I found myself reading this book in one sitting. Once I got into it I couldn't put it down. Topher takes a job pretending to be Danny's girlfriend so he doesn't get cut off from his funds. Topher could really use the money so she takes the job. She can pretend to be a bad girlfriend for a few weeks. Except Danny's uncle isn't an old crotchety uncle like she expected. No, James is quit the opposite.

I don't remember when did I laugh so much by reading a book. This one was so funny on. Topher is one of a kind character first I didn't know what to think of her when does she act when is she normal. Because what everything she said and done hilariously. James is a character we don't see much of the background we don't see his POF so it is very little reviled of him and of his past. We do see that he holds love toward Thoper in a way he cares about her. The story is intertwined with so many unpredictable events and a lot of improvising from Thoper sied. Ther are also very dirty hot scenes in the book and a few things I didn't quite understand but goes definitely in some psychiatric evaluation of the situation.
I volunteered to review an ARC of this book for Netgelly