I want to thank Entangled: Crush and NetGalley for providing me with a free copy for an honest review. I'm also really excited to be on the Blog Tour for The Sweetheart Sham by Danielle Ellison. I was drawn to this book as soon as I saw it contained a fake relationship and was set in a small southern town. I was hoping it would give me the same kind of vibes as one of my favorite, guilty pleasure shows, Hart of Dixie. I love cute little romances and small town settings.
I thought The Sweetheart Sham was really cute! Super cute! It also was a very fast read that I just flew through. I loved the setting of Culler, South Carolina. And it did end up giving me some very faint Hart of Dixie feels. There were a couple of characters that gave me Lemon Breeland vibes.
The story was told from the two viewpoints of Georgie and Beau. I think I enjoyed reading Beau's chapters a little more than I did Georgie's. Beau had more conflict, and just more going on.
The fake relationship aspect was very background and minimal, which could maybe disappoint some people.
I also feel like the author had a message that she very strongly pushed, and depending on how you feel or view things, it could be a bit of a turnoff. I won't say I went into the story really focused on that, I was more into the sweet romance than wanting to be hit over the head with that message.
I'm not sure how much I really like Georgie's character. Sometimes she could be pushy, sometimes a pain, sometimes a drama queen. I enjoyed Beau more than her.
There was a little over the top drama near the end, which kind of felt a little eye-roll inducing, but then just reminded me I was dealing with teenagers.
All in all, I thought this story was sweet, cute, and fast. I enjoyed it. I definitely want to come back to Culler and hear more stories. It was a cute little romance. I would recommend it to people wanting a sweet romance read. Thank you again Entangled: Crush for providing me with an early copy to review, and Chapter by Chapter Blog Tours for letting me be on the Blog Tour. The Sweetheart Sham was very cute, and I enjoyed reading it.
BOOKCITEMENT LEVEL 3.7/5
Very Cute!

The Sweetheart Sham (really not a fan of the title) has a Southern setting, which I usually love, and a fauxmance, which I usually love, and the backdrop of a wedding, which I usually love. But the pace felt pretty slow to me. The fauxmance was mixed with a coming-out story, and I thought theses two stories deserved to be separated. I really did love Will's story of finding love with a guy in a small Southern town - in some ways I thought it was a more moving and powerful story than the main plot - Georgie's abrupt abandonment by her former crush Beau and his subsequent return to town. The reader has to wait a long time for the reveal of why he left without really saying goodbye and it wasn't as much of a reveal as I hoped.

In sum, this book had a setting I enjoyed but wasn't a huge stand-out for me. It looks like others have enjoyed it more, so please be sure to check out other reviews.

There's a certain movie I love and can watch again and again. It starts with two Southern kids growing up together, drifting apart, then reuniting thanks to a wedding. It's filled with sexy accents and charm and dancing. It just so happens to have a very attractive man in it, too. Of course, I'm talking about Sweet Home Alabama, starring the amazing Reese Witherspoon. That film is one of my go-to heartwarmers.

The Sweetheart Sham might not be set in Alabama, but it has all the same winning ingredients: spunky girl, charming guy, a reunion, plenty of chemistry, and a wedding to plan. (Not either of theirs, by the way.) It also has a fake relationship trope with a twist; instead of two people entering into a fake relationship and realising they have feelings for each other, it's done to protect a secret the town's golden boy isn't ready to reveal yet. So there were two plots going on: Georgie and Beau's second chance romance and Will's coming out story.

I loved all three main characters in The Sweetheart Sham. Georgia Ann was kind, smart, and fierce, proving you can be both a tomboy at times and a girly girl at others. Will was definitely a charmer with lots of confidence on the outside, but he was also super cute and giddy when it came to his secret relationship. These two best friends showed again and again how much they cared for each other and had each other's backs. Finally, Beau. Ugh. Wonderful Beau. No, he wasn't perfect, but he was definitely a conscientious guy who wanted to make the people he cared about happy.

The three of them had different experiences of love, and each had to learn about being true to themselves and what they wanted, and that love is possible. Will wanted to be accepted for who he loved. Beau struggled to believe in love because of what happened with his parents. (You have no idea how relatable Beau's experiences were...) And Georgie? She just wanted what her parents had.

"I don't want to be someone's opportunity; I want to be everything, like Momma is to Daddy. She may annoy him to no end sometimes, but I know when he looks at her that he loves her. I want to be looked at the same way."

It's also worth noting that the families were adorable. I loved Georgie's dad the most. The rest were loving and always in your face, so great from a distance, though it would drive me up the wall if I was there.

While it's cold and miserable in London, The Sweetheart Sham kept me oh so warm. I've been Southern Charmed.

In the small town of Culler, South Carolina, anything that makes you stand out from the crowd can be enough to ruin your life. When Georgia Ann’s best friend Will starts dating another boy, he knows that he needs to do something to deflect suspicion, so he proposes that the two of them pretend to date. Georgie’s more than happy to oblige, but when her longtime crush Beau returns to town after disappearing for two years, she starts to regret her decision.

Honestly, I just love Entangled Teen books. There’s something about them that’s always so cute and heartwarming. I don’t think I’ve ever finished one of their books in anything less than a stellar mood.

Georgia Ann was such a strong character who just wanted to help everybody, even at the expense of her own desires. Despite her crazy summer, she never goes back on her promise to help her mother plan the wedding of the century. She never goes back on her promise to keep Will’s secret. But she also doesn’t just blindly forgive people who’ve wronged her – which is a great message to see in a YA novel!

Beau was also great, a respectful, responsible gentleman who would never even consider breaking up a relationship, not even for a girl he’s pined after for years. He had his own issues to work through when it came to his family and I thought that they were handled really realistically and believably.

And can we talk about Will for a second? What a guy. I simultaneously want to adopt Will and be his best friend. One tiny thing that bothered me was Georgia Ann constantly pressuring Will to come out – he should do that in his own time, when he’s ready, and certainly not just because it’s convenient for his friend. I guess there would have been very little conflict in the book if not for that, but it did rub me the wrong way.

This is one of those books that dropped me right into the setting. By the middle of the first page, the voice in my head was reading this book with a southern accent! The author did a great job of setting the scene and creating the perfect ambiance for the story.

This was my first book by Danielle Ellison, but I will happily keep an eye out for more from her.

Final rating: ★★★★☆

Georgie is a sweet girl and loyal friend who keeps the pain of a rejection deep in her heart when she agrees to be Will's girlfriend to cover up her friend's relationship with another mysterious boy she never imagined would ever meet again with the boy who destroyed her dreams a few years ago. And the worst of all is that she can not say that her dating is a lie.
Beau returns to the town of Culler for his cousin Drew's wedding and ends up having to face ghosts from the past in addition to meeting with the girl he always liked who is dating his best friend.
The story is pretty cute very CRUSH style but with some moments of crisis and tension. Narrated in the first person by the protagonists, the writer makes us feel very well the dilemma of the couple and their relationship with friends and family. I really liked Georgie, but I found Beau quite selfish and confused, at times I wanted to get into the book and shake him. Now it is quite true that the final surprise and redemption made up for my irritation.
I loved the character Will and his conflicts and the way everything unfolded for him and especially his relationship with Georgie.

4/5 stars

Georgie was the only person who knew Will was gay. Will was Georgie’s best friend. Georgie had been telling Will to come out of the closet for months but Will was the Golden Boy of the town and didn’t want a lot of drama about his sexuality. Will and Georgie had known each other since before birth. Will was a Montgomery whose ancestors were the founding family of Cullar. In Cullar everyone knows everything about everybody just the way it was in the small town. Everyone in town had been betting on Georgie and Will eventually getting married. Georgie;s mom is the only party planner in Culler. She was now busy working on Drew Montgomery's wedding. Chloe had become her mother’s assistant. Then Georgie thought about how it used to always be the three of them. Georgie, Will, and Beau. Beau had been Georgie;s first kiss and kind of first boyfriend but then he broke Georgie’s heart. Beau was suppose to take Georgie to the Sweetheart’s dance and they would make it known they were a couple but he never showed up . Beau and his mom Kerri Ann left town and Beau didn’t even say goodbye to Georgie. Beau had called and tried to talk to Georgie after to explain to her but all she said was you broke my heart Beau stopped trying after that. Beau was also the only secret Georgie had ever kept from Will. The Night of The End Of the Year party Will said he had met someone but the other boy also hadn’t come out of the closet either. The young men both wanted to see each other again but they had to figure out how, Beau thought he would never be in Culler again but he would be for the whole summer as he was going to be a groomsman in his cousin Drew’s wedding. Georgie had always been Drew’s fantasy girl and he had screwed that up. Georgie was a tornado as far as Beau is concerned: unpredictable, fierce, and mesmerizing. Or she had been two years ago when Beau had last seen her. Will’s, Georgie;s and Beau’s mom Kerri Ann had been the Trio they had been best friends forever, sorority sisters, neighbors, and partners in crime until Kerri Ann had left with Beau after Beau’s father had lied and cheated on Kerri Ann and then they had divorced. Georgie wants the best for Will and then Will comes up with Georgie being his pretend girlfriend so he could get away without being questioned to meet up with the guy he liked. Beau believes Georgie is seeing Will now. Also his relationship is strained with his father as he hadn’t forgave his father for what he had done that had forced his and his mom to leave. But Beau really wants Georgie to forgive him.
I enjoyed reading this book. I liked how the author displayed Will’s torn feelings about being gay and letting everyone know. I loved how loyal Georgie was to Will. This did drag at little for me at times but not enough to not finish the book. I felt there was a lot of realism in this book. I liked that we got to see both Georgie’s and Beau’s POV s. I also liked how it showed growth in Beau as the book went on. I loved Beau’s determination to make things right with Georgie. I really enjoyed the small town atmosphere of this book. I really enjoyed all the characters and the ins and outs of this book and I recommend it

**I got this book from Entangled Publishing and NetGalley for my honest review**

I have so many thoughts about this book. Most not so good ones, unfortunately. I’ll do a mini review here and a full review on my blog (maybe BookTube) to go up Saturday December 16th.

Point breakdown:

Writing: 3/4

The writing itself was fine. There weren’t too many mistakes that couldn’t be fixed in proofreading. The story kept going and to me, was written fairly well.

Pacing: 3/4

Despite the fact the story kept going, I felt myself losing interest a few times during the “slow” parts.

Characters: 2/4

The character I felt were done decently. Most were fleshed our enough and consistent. Some seemed to do a complete 180 at the end and not in the way they should have. Not in a way that made sense. Some of the characters I despised despite the fact I should have liked them.

Story: 1/4

Unfortunately, I did not like the story. I can’t vouch for the gay rep in this book. I am not a closeted gay teenage boy living in southern America. But I personally feel like this book was not done well for the overall coming out of Will. I personally feel that there was a subtle undertone of him being pushed out so Georgia could find love. (Spoilers?) And she ended up blaming him for her love not working out. I did not feel that was a good portrayal for people to be reading. But the beginning of the story was good. I loved that.

Personal: 2/4

I loved the beginning but after about halfway, I ended up getting very mad and I knew where this story was going to go. It mostly went there but not completely. I just can’t bring myself to give this any higher than a 2 points in personal.

I loved this so much!
The Sweetheart Sham is a beautiful coming of age story about love, faith and courage.
It's a story about moving on from past mistakes and accepting the people we love most. A story about a small southern town with all its charm and quirkiness.
Simply beautiful and heartwarming.

I am in love with the book. But actually, no that's not right. I am in love with the characters.
If we look at the storyline, it's nice. It was wonderful to read. But not something super exciting. It's paced just right, there were no big surprises. It doesn't need that, however. It was a love story alright. But the story isn't just about the love between Georgie and Beau. But it's about all kinds of different love. So the relationship dramas, while I liked the swoony parts a lot, it was secondary.

The writing style is simply on point. It's a bit soppy at times- (hello I am still me cold-hearted as ever! lol) - but just the right amount of it. It is an ode to having faith in love.
As Beau puts it:
"Something I'm learning is that love requires faith"
In a nutshell, that is what the book is about. A group of friends learning to have faith in each other and their family. Plus the super hot basketball player to swoon over

This thrives on the character-building. I want more of Culler and it's residents. soon, please? I have no idea where Ellison is going next with the series. I have some ideas.. but well, I don't even care. I just would like more of Culler.
The whole book is written from Beau and Georgie's POV, there are also back flashes thrown in. And it took the last interlude of the past to actually get why Georgie acted the way she did through half of the book. I kept thinking, she is so self-involved. And she was that and drama queen at times as well. But then who isn't at that age? In the beginning, I wasn't a huge fan of her. But she grew quickly on me. She is very loyal and honest. A strong female lead, learning to find balance and to see others situation. I love her relationship with Layla. By the way can we please get a book with Layla? She is such an interesting character (I would love to see her with Jack for some reason lol)
Beau is swoony. Like seriously. All broody, yet super sweet. He is so honest, so set to do the right thing. I could totally relate to his fears, his hurt and his insecurities. But he isn't just hot and all that. The best part is how he changes in this book, how he accepts that sometimes people make mistakes. It was heartbreaking and moving to see the change in his relationship with his dad.
The relationship between Will and Georgie is priceless. I love the trio and their bond. In fact, I liked the whole gang. I like the easy camaraderie, but more than that, their teasing and yet their support for each other.
Then there are the families... well I could go on. Let me just say, the character building is brilliant. Ellison brought interesting and intricate characters to life with her writing. I feel like I got to know Culler, it's quirky history and surroundings, but most of all its residents. And I want more!

So definitely a must read.
And when is the next book coming out?
4.5 I want so much more of this star

5 ★ – DELIGHTFULLY SWEET AND AMAZINGLY SWOONY

Set in a charming small Southern town filled with quirky and lovable characters, The Sweetheart Sham is a wonderful story about friendship, family, forgiveness, and love. It’s extremely adorable, delightfully sweet, and amazingly swoony you won’t be able to resist.

This book tells the story of a sassy southern belle, Georgia Ann Monroe, her handsome gay best friend, Will Montgomery, and the gorgeous boy who broke her heart, Beau Montgomery. It’s a second-chance romance, a coming out journey, and an uplifting narrative about acceptance, honesty, taking risks and LOVE. The plot was refreshing, absolutely dazzling, hilarious, and utterly heartfelt. There were so many wonderful moments that filled my heart with so much excitement, joy and hope that I didn’t want it to end.

The characters put such a big smile on my face. They’re beautifully complex and flawed, positively delightful, and so darn lovable. Not to mention, they’re so vibrant, fun, witty, and so full of heart. I thoroughly enjoyed getting to know each and everyone in Culler.

I adored Will with all my heart and felt for him throughout the entire time. He’s genuine, loyal, kind, and just wanted to be happy. I’ve always been a believer that love is love and everyone regardless of who they are and what they believe in deserves to feel all the love and happiness.

Georgia Ann was such a fantastic and very likable character. I loved her spunk, perseverance, and dedication to the people she cares about. Having said that, her relationship with Will was absolutely endearing. They wanted each other to be happy no matter what and were willing to do anything to make that happen. I enjoyed their inside jokes, their bantering, and all the tender moments they shared. Their friendship was so heartwarming and sweet and just made me aww over and over again.

Beau was a bit angsty and broody, but also ridiculously charming, funny, and caring that you can’t help but swoon over him. While he did frustrate me a bit, I can honestly say that Beau became the kind of guy I would fall in love with — the one I would bring home to meet my whole family and be my plus 1 forever. I loved his imperfections, his determination, his sincerity, and his gentle heart. The romance between him and Georgia Ann was delicious, sexy and totally steamy! They were just the sweetest sweethearts and the ending scene will surely make your heart melt.

I am so incredibly head over heels in love with this book! I smiled, laughed, cried, and felt so many wonderful emotions that left me craving for more. It’s intoxicating in the most amazing way and I honestly cannot wait to read the next installment.

With heartwarming characters, a charming setting, and swoon worthy romances, The Sweetheart Sham by Danielle Ellison is a lovely addition to Entangled Teen Crush books! Definitely adding this to my favorite YA contemporary reads.

I received an advance reader copy of this book from the publisher in exchange for a fair and honest review. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

This is the perfect YA romance,..small town, second chance at love and fake relationship. Georgia Ann is a southern young lady living in a small town blessed with a good looking bestie named Will. Will has a secret and the secret is something that he needs Georgie's help to protect and of course being his best friend she agrees. Their "relationship" makes their families happy but when Will's cousin, Beau, returns to town things begin to fall apart because Georgia Ann and Beau had a connection before he left town. Sparks fly and the romance is adorable, but the other story about Will, his secret, and family acceptance really made this a great YA read. Looking forward to more!

the town of culler, south carolina in the sweetheart sham reminds me a lot of bluebell, alabama in hart of dixie. it's one of those quintessential southern towns. small. traditional. where the old families still rule society and everyone knows everything about everyone. except will montgomery has a big secret. and georgia ann monroe, his best friend in the world, is the one other person who knows. he's gay. and he isn't out.

but when he meets someone who is struggling with the same things he is, he asks georgie to pretend to be his girlfriend so he can date his boyfriend in relative secrecy and peace. this would be fine, except for the fact that beau montgomery, will's cousin and georgie's almost boyfriend and definitely the boy who broke her heart, is back in town after a two-year absence. he wants to make amends with georgie. and he's horrified to realize she's dating his cousin.

georgie is pissed at beau. but she's also glad he's back. and she wishes she didn't have this enormous secret to keep because it's totally getting in the way of reconnecting with beau. even if she's still not sure she can trust him with her heart. time and time again he shows her that he's paying attention. but there's no way he'd hurt his cousin by moving in on his girl. and georgie knows that telling beau isn't going to go well when he realizes that she's been lying to him. because beau has, with good reason, no tolerance for liars.

they can get past these things, but beau has to show georgie that he has staying power. she doesn't want to find herself abandoned, waiting for someone who isn't going to show up. and he kind of needs to grovel about this, because if there is one thing beau does well, it's run away from his problems.

**the sweetheart charm will publish on december 4, 2017. i received an advance reader copy courtesy of netgalley/entangled publishing (crush) in exchange for my honest review.

The first thing that jumps out about this book is that it is set in the south, South Carolina to be exact. I really loved all the southernisms in this book. The two main characters are Georgie and Beau. Georgie is a people pleaser and wants to help everyone even if it ultimately hurts her. She is loyal to a fault. Her best friend Will is gay and when he meets someone that he wants to date in secret, she agrees to be his girlfriend so no one is suspicious. Georgie is happy to do this until her old friend and crush, Beau, comes back to town. Beau left town two years prior standing Georgie up on the night they were supposed to go public with their relationship. The two have been estranged ever since. Beau’s sudden return has brought up old feelings for both parties, but Georgie is in a “relationship” with Will. Beau is mostly a good guy, but he has some trust issues (rightfully so) due to his parents’ divorce. Aside from the main characters, I love all of the family dynamics. All of the familial characters have such strong personalities and it is great to see how they all interact with each other. I also really love Georgie’s friendship with Will. It is obvious they really care about each other and I adored their bond. This book is about friendships, love, family, figuring out what you want, and how much you are willing to sacrifice in order to get it.

4 SWEETHEART SHAM STARS!! This is a fun sweet story with all the feels. I loved the fake relationship and southern charm. It was fun learning Georgia and Beau's story, it was so enjoyable. Looking for a great book to read here you go. I voluntarily reviewed an advance reader copy of this book from publisher via NetGalley.

I truly enojoyed the friendships in this book. Georgia and Will's friendship is so great and right away you see it.
Will has a secret about himself that he doesn't want out and enlist Georgia his best friend to help him to keep the secret. Georgia right away helps him even if she thinks he should tell his family. Will doesn't think they or anyone in town will understand especially his grandfather.
Everything is going as planned Georgia is helping her mother plan a wedding and summer is great.
Until Beau comes home for his cousin's wedding. See he has a secret as well. He wants to get Georgia to forgive him and give him another chance. And explain why his mother and him left two years ago.
Georgia sees Beau and is happy and angry to see him. No one knows about that summer when they kind of dated. Then him and his mother moved away one night. Georgia hasn't even told Will about it.
But before this summer is over will everyone still be friends and more?
Georgia thinks her and Beau are becoming friends again and maybe more. But how can they even start again when she's with Will her fake boyfriend. All Beau wants is for Georgia to be happy even if it is with his cousin Will. All Will wants is to be himself and happy, how long can he keep up this lie? Will wonders if there is something between Beau and Georgia, but how can he give up the fake relationship now when things are going so well?
I think everyone should read this book to see how it may be for people coming out and the friendship that go far beyond what you expect. Love can be found anywhere and forgiveness can be obtained.

I am not joking when I say that I did NOT read the description of this book before diving in. I literally looked at the cover and said "This looks interesting." Because the title itself is intriguing. The word SHAM always grabs attention. What comes to your mind when you think of this word? Exactly. Georgia and Will are very close friends and both are hiding a secret. One thing leads to another, Will and Georgia are now in a "relationship" that could mean trouble for Georgia.

I LOVE the name Beau. I once had a crush on a guy in a show this that name. When Beau's character is brought into the story, everything Georgia is doing to protect Will is beginning to fall in shambles. As the story grows, it tugs at your heart. I think what I loved most about this book was Georgia's loyalty to her best friend, Will. She was willing to put aside what she wanted in order to help him. That's the greatest friend anyone can ever have.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for providing a digital ARC in exchange for an honest review.

3.5 stars for this cute "fakeship" story. The book has a charming, southern small-town setting, along with much of what is to be expected with that. While it's a cute romance overall, the author uses a light touch to bring in some deeper issues without turning it into an issues book. All of the major characters are easy to like and relate to, and I loved the friendship between Georgia Ann and Will. It's as much a book about friendship and family in ways as it is about romantic relationships. Cute book that I would recommend to readers of the genre.

The Sweetheart Sham by Danielle Ellison. I’m immediately drawn into the story because of the lovable two main characters, best friends Will and Georgie. Georgie is protecting Will’s secret. She will do anything to help him and when an old beau returns to town, the secret and Georgie’s loyalty are challenged. I love how the author approaches Will’s secret and the different points of view in the small southern town. This realistic situation with all of the stresses and anxiety rings true. One of my favorite scenes of the book is the escape of Georgie from Beau when they run into each other in Charleston while she’s supposedly on a date with Will; classic fun! The author brings a poignant story into our hearts and gives readers food for thought with the friendship, loyalty and honesty of wonderful and complicated characters. Young adult romance worth 5 stars!

I love it when Entangled Crush advances me a book on Netgalley. I enjoy their marketing, their covers, and their final products. It's true the books aren't difficult to read, and are often predictable, but who doesn't love a great HEA? Even though the focus is on bringing the two main characters together in a sweet and young teen friendly way, authors often slip in a few issues to challenge readers. These can be social, particularly friendships or the use of technology, or environmental, like sustainable living or conservation. But most often they deal with family dramas and identity crises, which with most young readers can identify.

In The Sweetheart Sham, Ellison develops a gay character, Will. who is too scared to come out. Will is a Montgomery, and in the small Southern town of Culler, this is a very big deal. He and protagonist and best friend, Georgia Ann, watched the only out boy leave town, and Will is horribly worried his conservative grandfather will reject him. To be able to spend time with his new secret 'mystery boy', Will convinces Georgie to go on fake dates with him. There are valid reasons why Georgie agrees - it's summer, the wedding of the century, run by her mother, is stressful and going off with Will gives her much needed breaks, and there isn't anybody she wants to date.

Except Beau. But he left town two years ago, breaking Georgia's heart. So naturally, as soon as she agrees to this set-up, Beau appears for the summer, to re-connect with his estranged father, and to secretly see if his feelings for Georgia are true. Oi Vey, what a mess! 

We are given both Georgia's and Beau's points of view, as well as flashing back to the past, when the heartbreak occurred. They both have come through some dark times - his parent's divorce, and her mother's cancer, and there's a lot they don't know about each other. But the attraction is undeniable and their secrets could break what's left of their friendship. This aspect of the story is well handled, and even though we wish Georgia would come clean, it's difficult to not applaud her loyalty to Will. Beau is charming and thoughtful, Georgia is feisty and kind, and of course, Will deserves the space to reconcile his identity in his own time. Ellison deals with this very compassionately.

Ellison makes a lot of points about the dangers of keeping secrets. Will and Georgia are also keeping secrets from each other - that she is (and always has been) attracted to Beau, and Will refuses to give up the identity of 'mystery boy'. Beau is thoroughly confused by Georgia's mixed signals, and through all of this, wedding plans go awry and need sorting. It's a terrific set up, and we learn lots about all of the characters, ensuring the town of Culler comes alive for readers.

Of course, at the wedding of the year, everything is resolved wonderfully. If I have one niggle, i was disappointed there wasn't a final scene between Will and Georgia once all the drama has died down: one quiet conversation where they forgive each other, and cement their best friend status. It would have been the icing on the (wedding) cake (so to speak). 

Recommended to readers who already enjoy romance novels offered by Entangled, and who like small town shenanigans. The town is filled with quirky oldies who know everything and have no hesitation in telling the young 'uns how they should live their lives. There is very little focus on the future, which is a nice change, and all the parents are supportive and avoid stereotypes. Thanks to Netgalley and publisher for this advanced copy. The Sweetheart Sham will be out on December 4.

I am always happy to read an Entangled romance, because I can expect a sweet romance filled with likable characters and an HEA, and once again, Entangled delivered.

•Pro: This was a second chance romance AND a small town romance, which are two things I fancy.

•Pro: Speaking of small towns, I loved getting to know Culler and all its denizens. We were introduced to the founding families, and also got a very nice tour of the town. I was able to attend many town-wide events, which rounded out my Culler experience, and I have to admit, it seems like a really nice place to live.

•Pro: At the center of this story sits a long-standing friendship, which had evolved and changed, but was still quite strong, and you know I am a sap for life-long friendships. Will and Georgia was so fabulous together. You could totally see why they were besties, but I was really happy when the third amigo returned to Culler and finally slipped back into his former bestie position.

•Pro: There was this wonderful theme of honesty in the story - being honest with the people you love and with yourself.

•Pro: I am a northern girl with a southern heart, and enjoyed the little bits of southern culture we got in this book.

•Pro: One of the major storylines was a coming-out story, and I thought it was done quite nicely. I liked the way Ellison shared Will's fears and how keeping this part of himself secret affected him. I loved sharing his joy as he was falling in love for the first time, and was really happy for him when he chose his moment to aver his love to his secret boyfriend. It was very sweet.

•Pro: Georgia and Beau were pretty easy for me to ship. My heart broke with the way things ended the first time, and that they each carried around this hurt for two years.

•Pro: I was quite fond of the family focus. We spent a lot of time with family, often with three generations at once, which totally won my heart.

•Pro: The ending was so sweet. Who doesn't love a grand gesture? And well, we actually got TWO grand gestures in this book. What more could a girl ask for.

Overall: A delightful story of family, friendship, and love, which left me eager to revisit Culler.

Georgie and Will are best friends that decide to pretend they are dating because Will is homosexual and is still in the closet. They both live in a small town in the South so you can’t blame him for wanting it to stay a secret. I really enjoyed this story by Danielle Ellison because it promotes acceptance of everybody regardless of race, gender and sexual orientation. It also reminded me of my sisters best friend who was brave enough to come out to me a few years ago and how much courage it took him to tell me that about himself. I’m happy that this author wrote a book about to topic yet she didn’t make it feel like a public service announcement either which I loved.

As the story progresses the lies and secrets become a strain on Georgie when old feelings for Beau resurfaces. Beau had left town two years ago just when things were starting to progress with him and Georgie. Now that he’s back he wants to see if they can start again just to find out she’s “dating” Will. Beau was a very complex character at times. He always seemed like he had the weight of the world on his shoulders and I wanted him to loosen up a little and be a teenager. I did like the banter between him and Georgie and they are a cute couple.

This is the first book that I’ve read by this author and I really enjoyed the story, the message and it’s cast of characters. I can’t wait to read more and see how the gang is doing in the future.