This book actually surprised me a lot.
I thought it was just a run of the mill mediocre romance with not a lot of depth to it and that is why it took me so long to read and review it.
It was cheesy at times and the romance was very sweet but it had a lot more depth to the story than I thought and I really liked it a lot.

It is a small town romance with a great heroine (Emily) who decides to use the inheritance she got from her parents to get her out of a very abusive situation. The inheritance is an old house in the town of Maple Hill which she wants to renovate into a Bed and breakfast. But is that really what she wants to use it for and what if the towns people goes against her on this new rebuild since she can’t go back to her old life she is kind of stuck? She meets the contractor Cooper Merrick and his family and falls in love but is he willing to open up to her after having lost his wife a couple of years earlier?

Emily and Cooper is a really great fit for each other and I understand why Cooper falls for Emily. She is so strong and brave and they are both in a kind of limbo with their lives so they need each other to figure out how to move on. I loved Cooper’s family too. They were so funny, acted like matchmakers but also helped Emily and Cooper through the hard times. I also loved that they took Emily in as one of their own right away.

The story contains a very sweet quant town, a sweet romance, a great hero and heroine, found family but also abuse both physical and emotional, and talk of death of family.

I can definitely recommend this book.

I got this book through Entangled publishing and Netgalley. This is my honest opinion and my voluntary review.

The Boyfriend Contract was a fun and emotional ride all wrapped up in one! I love the dual POV, especially in these types of more emotional stories. I really enjoyed the dynamic with turning the old house into a boutique hotel as well.

Wow wow wow!!! This is the first book I have read by Victoria James and it won't be the last!!!

This book is captivating!! The plot is filled with drama, romance, friendship, strength and angst. I genuinely could not put the book down!!! I devoured it in one sitting!!

Emily is sick of her own life being ruled by men! When she inherits her grandmother's old house Emily takes this opportunity with both hands!! She will show her brother she can do things herself.

Cooper, Emily's hot contractor, has his own demons to deal with! Emily might just be that person he needs to get himself out of his depression!

This book is absolutely amazing, thank you entangled publishing for providing me with this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Rating 4.5/5*
This is another great contemporary romance from this talented author.
Emily Birmingham has always worked hard to earn approval from her parents and is devastated when, following their untimely death, she doesn’t inherit half the family’s hotel business she’s worked so hard in, instead it is all left to her bullying brother. She is left her grandmother’s home which has been shut up for years and is now in desperate need of renovation. She decides to invest her money in creating the large property into a boutique hotel and make a fresh start. That’s how she meets the Merrick family as they’re the builders working on the renovation. Cooper Merrick is a widower not looking for love but the attraction between him and Emily is magnetic. However, she’s wary after how the men in her life have treated her and only agrees to go out with Cooper if he agrees to sign a contract setting rules for their relationship. He agrees and the stage is set for a touching, sweet romance.
Sometimes you just want to escape into a lovely, easy to read and engage with, story and that is just what this is. The characters have experienced drama in the past and are wary of what the future for them might hold if they risk their hearts. Their relationship development is beautifully and poignantly portrayed, making it a pleasure to escape into this book. I have no hesitation in highly recommending it to anyone who enjoys warm, well written, contemporary romances and hope you enjoy the surprise at the end as much as I did!
I requested and was gifted a copy of this book via NetGalley and this is my honest review after choosing to read it.

Honestly? There were parts of this book that had me in tears, I made such a connection with the story. Not an ugly cry, just a “water is gently leaking from my eyes” type of situation. Why? Because of the emotion which is laced through this book. You can’t help but feel for each of the protagonists, each with their own demons to fight.

But its the slow burn build up which the author created which really pulled me in. No brashness. No flashyness. Just a smoldering narrative which fans to flames. Cliche? Maybe. But true nevertheless.

Truly engrossing.

I voluntarily reviewed an advanced reader copy of this book.

This book was so cute and adorable. I read it in one sitting. Cooper and Emily were a delightful couple.

4 stars

The Boyfriend Contract by Victoria James is a beautifully written romance and I really enjoyed it.

The storyline is easy to follow, it's well paced and I enjoyed getting to know all the characters.
Cooper and Emily are likable, relatable characters that made me smile and swoon watching them fall in love.

Overall, The Boyfriend Contract is a sweet and romantic read and I highly recommend it.

*Thank you to the publisher via Netgalley for the advance copy.*

After her parents death, Emily wants to be away from her mean spirited brother, and plans to start afresh in Maple Hill. She plans to renovate her grandmothers house and open a five star inn there.
Cooper is content with his life, or as content as one can be all alone, or as alone as his overbearing family lets him be. He is not interested in any relationship after losing his wife, 5 years ago. But nothing prepares him for Emily or the feelings she evokes in him.
The boyfriend contract is a beautiful read. It will make you smile and teary eyed. I enjoyed reading Cooper and Emily let go of their pasts for a future with each other. It is an emotional yet sweet read that had me glued to its pages. I hope we get to read Coopers siblings stories too.

Ahhhhh this was just such a great read. I just didn't want this book to end and I was sad to turn the last page. I'm so excited to see what's next from this author.

This is a voluntary review of an advanced copy.

Wow, so much emotion going on in this story and such a sweet romance with Emily and Cooper. You just know that their road to the HEA is going to be rocky as Cooper really has not recovered in the five years since he lost his wife and Emily has her own past hangups to work through.

I loved that Emily started to move past trying to show her brother up and really make her own mark in the world and do what she wanted instead of what others thought she should do.

Most books do not make me feel the pain between the couple and this story brought me to tears and I could feel Emily's pain and Cooper's regret and maybe even realizing that he had thrown away something precious.

Fortunately, Cooper came through and helped Emily see that he made a bad choice and he really did love her. I also like that part of her past with her father was cleared up and she found out that he really did not betray her and only was looking out for her.

One of the best books that I have read this year!

emily birmingham is starting over. and she has big dreams. ones that will allow her to reach all the potential she's wasted on her ungrateful family. remodeling her grandmother's old home into a bread & breakfast that will launch her foray into the hospitality business is not going to be a small task, lucky for her cooper maverick is more than up to it.

he finds emily charming if somewhat eccentric, but he's drawn to her in some inexplicable way. enough to risk asking her out, something he hadn't thought he'd ever be ready to do after losing his first love at tragically young age.

when emily insists on the boyfriend contract, he figures he has nothing to lose by signing it. but soon his feelings and hers are more complicated than what can be dictated by a piece of paper. and if they'd only get out of their own way, they'd figure out how to get to this happily ever after place.

**the boyfriend contract will publish on september 23, 2019. i received an advance reader copy courtesy of netgalley/entangled publishing (amara) in exchange for my honest review.

I'm not the biggest fan of widow stories, so I don't know why I keep picking them up. But that being said, I enjoyed this one. The portions of the story that I didn't like also had to do with the widow aspect of it. I still really enjoyed the story and I think it was a nice read. I liked both the characters and rooted for their relationship.

I recommend it if you're looking for a romance with a bit of a harder hitting backstory for each character.

The Boyfriend Contract is the story of Emily and Cooper, as she has her house remodeled. And Cooper takes on the job. I enjoy the home improvement elements of this story and thought their relationship was cute. A fun light read. This is my first book by Victoria James and I’ll definitely check out others.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for the opportunity to read and review this book.

Rating: 🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟
5 Maple Stars!

My first Victoria James, read and I love it!😍
This is written in third person.

Emily Birmingham, is a twenty six year old gal who had her whole life uprooted in a snap due to a family tragedy. Her whole life she was her father’s shadow in their business, it is where she feels she matters and has her father’s attention. But life was tough for her, aside from her older brother who did nothing but belittle and control her, she was also fighting off her own insecurities and proving her worth to everyone. Until she decided to up and leave her old life and start a new one.
A fresh start in Maple Hill. Different community. New Emily. 💕

Cooper Merrick, has seen it all in a young age. To have fun, to love and be loved, to meet his soulmate, to plan for the future, to marry the love of his life, and to lose everything. The upside of growing up in Maple Hill is that it’s like one big family, everybody knows everyone. The downside of living in Maple Hill is that everyone knows everything about you, too. Five years wasn’t enough for everyone to forget, starting over was not in his cards so he can only move forward.💪🏻
Until Emily came along.

I am beyond surprised with the story of Emily and Cooper. I thought this was going to be a simple rom-com read, based from the blurb. But I was in for a whirlwind of emotions! I LOVE damaged characters, but Emily and Cooper, are probably one of my favourites now because they are almost too real! I love how Victoria have written their characters consistently, their thoughts and actions in line with who and what they are. And I love how they battled their own demons for themselves, and for one another!🥰 Plus, they made me cry. 🙈

This story was just the sweetest, as emotional as it is! The ending was amazing!
I wish the epilogue was a bit more longer!❤️ I’d really like a second book about them too, I’m excited to see how their new life and project will come about.✨




Thank you, Victoria James and Wildfire Marketing Solutions, for my ARC in exchange for my honest reciew and opinion.

"... he was falling for a woman who made him want to believe in forever again."

Rich with emotions and well developed characters, The Boyfriend Contact makes you fall for Emily and Cooper, and the little town of Maple Hill. Filled with heart, humor, and emotional journeys that sweep you up from beginning to end, and have you hoping for more stories to come.

3.5 stars

I received a complimentary copy of this book from Entangled Publishing via NetGalley and I am voluntarily reviewing it.

This was a wonderful story. Emily inherits her grandma's beautiful but neglected house and nothing else. She is hurt and betrayed by her father. She helped to run the family business of boutique hotels. Upon her parents' death, her hateful brother inherited it all. She will show them. She will turn the rundown house into an inn. It will be the start of her business. She hires Cooper's family contracting business to do the renovations. Cooper is intrigued with her spirit and determination to over come the town's rejection of her business. Cooper is a widower. His wife, Catherine, was his childhood sweetheart. He was devastated when she passed away. He doesn't want to go through that again. He doesn't want to get close to Emily but her loving caring heart just draws him in.

The road to Emily and Cooper's HEA is full of road blocks and misunderstanding. This book is written in my favorite dual POV. Having an insight into the character's thought process really helped me to thoroughly understand and connect to the characters. It really helped to humanize them and bring them to life. It was like a movie coming to life in my mind.

This is a sweet, clean romance that is full of angst. I would recommend this story to anyone. It almost brought me to tears at times so beware.

Simplicity. Uncomplicated. Sweet. Sometimes that is all we need in romance. I love the heat, but I also love the tenderness. This was my first book by Victoria James, and I was very pleasantly surprised.

Emily and Cooper each have their internal demons they must deal with. Emily is starting over and fighting self-esteem issues. Cooper is still in mourning. As these two go through the process of discovering each other, learning to fall in love and finding their normal we are granted access into the mind of a great storyteller.

Five stars for the normal, the simplistic, the romance of love.

I'm so glad that I got the opportunity to read this book. It's not often that I find a story that is set in a familiar area of Ontario, Canada, which makes it so much easier to picture the landscape and weather conditions! Even better, though, is the story of Emily and Cooper. Both of them are struggling to overcome hurt and pain that has profoundly affected their lives, which makes their meeting and subsequent romance that much sweeter.

The book is so much more than a simple romance; it makes the reader sit up and take notice of the relationships (good and bad) around them and consider how they might make a difference in the lives of others.

Victoria James has written a book that will stay with me long after the last page.

Thanks to the author, #EntangledPublishing, and #Netgalley for the opportunity to read an advanced copy of this book in return for an honest review.

I enjoy this author a lot, so when this book came up for review, I jumped at the chance. The Boyfriend Contract is a story about a city girl (Emily) who is betrayed by her father who has left the family business to her over bearing brother, and left her his mothers home in Maple Hill, a small town far away from the busy city life. Cooper Maverick is in a family contractor business with his brothers and father, so when Emily comes into town to turn her grandmothers home into a upscale Inn, Cooper and his brothers are there to make it happen. Chemistry between these two is interesting, both have their challenges, Emily has insecurities because of her overnight bearing brother, and what she believes is her late fathers lack of believing in her. Cooper has suffered a great loss five years earlier when his wife passed away from a short illness. He doesn’t think he ever wants to risk his heart again to love, only to lose that person to illness. The only thing I didn’t enjoy about the story was Emily’s continued insecurities with self image, I think we the readers got the just of it, so it didn’t need to continually brought up. Overall, loved the story, especially loved the ending, truly had me in tears!

I voluntarily reviewed an ARC copy of this book

The Boyfriend Contract by Victoria Jame is a very sweet contemporary romance.

Emily moves to Maple Hill to find herself. She inherited her grandmother's old house, and she has big plans for it and herself. Emily has major self-esteem issues when it comes to men because of her abusive brother growing up and has trouble feeling like she belongs. Cooper is one of the contractors hired to work on her house and from the start there's an instant connection between them that they both try to ignore. The last thing Cooper is looking to do is fall in love because love only leads to heart break.


The Boyfriend Contract is a total Hallmark movie in print form. Emily has the nicest heart ever, she is always thinking about others even if she isn't physically or emotionally okay herself. Cooper lost his wife and it destroyed him, and he fights the feelings and connection he feels with Emily. The "drama" at the end made my heart ache for both Emily and Cooper.


If you're looking for a sweet, emotional, clean contemporary romance with Hallmark vibes then The Boyfriend Contract is what you're looking for!