Member Reviews
Only for You is a sweet, low-angst, friends-to-lovers romance set in a super cute small town.
Emily and Tim have been friends forever, but after harboring an unrequited crush for decades, Emily decides something has to change. She can't keep crushing on her best friend, so she'll just avoid him until she's got her feelings under control. Her resolve crumbles though when Tim asks Emily to be his fake girlfriend.
Tim has never really believed in happily ever afters, but that's especially true after his girlfriend dumps him on TV to help her reality show's ratings. He asks Emily to pretend to be his girlfriend to help kill some of the national media attention he's receiving.
Emily and Tim have always spent a lot of time together, but the two, who both happen to be town councilmembers, are together even more than usual since they are planning a community festival together. In their close proximity, their relationship soon loses it's "fake" label.
This story easily played out like a Hallmark movie in my mind. It was maple-syrup sweet with a fun cast of characters and a picturesque setting. The closed-door sex scenes even make it fitting for TV.
Emily Holland has been in love with Tim Fraser since high school, but he never got the hint. It seems she’ll never move out of the friend zone with him. Emily’s unrequited yearning breaks her heart and makes it impossible to move on keeping things status quo. Emily’s made it her New Year’s resolution to limit ties with Tim so she can finally move forward and find love. However, Tim’s messy, very public breakup has him proposing a crazy idea.
Tim isn’t one for a HEA after seeing how his parent’s relationship play out. He took a chance with Melissa, but that ended in disaster when she decided to go on a reality TV show and then break it off with him on camera to pursue a relationship with another guy. What a creep, right?! Well, the publicity created hype and shenanigans for Tim, and he’s hit with an onslaught of media and crazy women who want to step in and “cure” his heartache. He wants the whole thing to go away and decides that a fake relationship would help keep the propositions at bay, and his bestie Emily seems perfect for the role.
Unrequited love is a special kind of heartache! I’ve felt it personally so when I read about it, I want the characters to wake up, realize what they’ve been missing and grab on! Emily initially refuses the ruse, as she doesn’t want to risk her heart anymore, but a situation makes her reconsider. Plus, as her friend points out maybe Tim will finally wake up and see how perfect they’d be together.
My heart ached for Emily, and I was so happy when Tim finally started t see her as a desirable woman! The shake up couldn’t have happened at a better time when both Emily and Tim, as Sapphire Springs council members, are thrown into festival planning for the town’s maple syrup harvest. It’s summer and hot where I live, but all the activities made me wish I was in blustery small town enjoying the wintery festivities!
Tim and Emily spent time planning for the festival, magical dates that had them falling harder with every moment spent together! They were perfect for each other, but Tim needed to get out his own way before they could find their HEA. There was a time or two I wanted to shake Tim! Thankfully, he wasn’t stupid for too long!
Only For You was a lovely romance featuring unrequited love in a way I could easily relate to, bringing back all those feelings of longing in the past. Of course, Tim and Emily found their way to each other, this is a romance after all, and I was thrilled to take the journey with them!
Thank you @readforeverpub @netgalley for a copy of this book. I loved Forever with You and was so excited to read Tim & Emily’s story. I love how I was exposed to them in book 1 and that the story line picked up where book 1 ended. You don’t need to read book 1 but I do recommend it. I love the friends to lovers and fake dating trope and Curtis did so well with this in the story. I love all the fake dates they went on, they were all so thoughtful. If you are looking for a closed door romance, I highly recommend this.
Emily and Tim have been good friends for years. They enjoy spending time together and are just super comfortable with each other. Plus Emily has had a bit of a secret crush on Tim for quite a while. When Tim's girlfriend goes on a reality show and then breaks up with him with cameras rolling, it brings alot of unwanted attention for him. The idea for he and Emily to pretending to be together to take the attention off him seems like a good idea and she goes along with it in exchange for help with her grandmother's party. It's easy to believe they are together, so what happens when they don't need to pretend anymore?? This was a very quick and enjoyable book, which also happened to be the first I've read by Ms. Curtis. I truly look forward to reading more of her stories in the near future. I received an ARC and am voluntarily leaving my review.
Emily and Tim are wonderful, lovable characters complete with flaws. This semi-sweet love story had little in the way of anything different in the relationship between the MC’s but was good in spite of the lack of something original. I enjoyed reading this book and would recommend it to romance lovers.
I received a complimentary copy of this book from the author and Forever (Grand Central Publishing) through NetGalley and was under no obligation to leave a favorable review. All opinions are my own.
I loved the faux relationship/arrangement turning to friendship and then true romance plot line. It was written flawlessly, and I really loved the smooth and natural progression. It wasn't an instalove story and I liked that. I'm not a fan of instaloves so this one was preferable. The characters and storylines were on point.
I enjoyed the first book in Barb Curtis' Sapphire Springs series, but Only For You is my new favorite!
Tim had his heart broken on national TV and doesn't plan to fall in love again. In order to get attention off him, though, he starts a fake relationship with his friend Emily. Problem is she has had a crush on him for years. Soon, feelings start to change and their fake relationship isn't so fake anymore.
I like Barb's writing style, and I was drawn into the story from the beginning. The combination of friends to lovers and fake dating tropes worked really well. Their relationship developed at a nice pace and it was sweet seeing their friendship become so much more. I am already looking forward to the next book in the series!
After his girlfriend breaks up with him on reality TV, Tim swears off love. Except that suddenly, female fans of the show are coming out of the woodwork hoping to mend his broken heart. In desperation, he asks his friend Emily to pose as his girlfriend until his fifteen minutes of fame are over.
Emily has been in love with Tim since high school, unbeknownst to him. Pretending to be his girlfriend is a heartbreaking and mortifying prospect. But she needs a huge favor from him, and so agrees as part of the bargain. Now that they're thrust together in romantic situations, will Tim's affection for her turn to love?
This book is a small-town romance with a bit of a rom com tone. It's smart and fun and heartfelt. Tim and Emily are relatable, grown-up characters, and it was a pleasure to read their story.
Thanks, NetGalley, for the ARC I received. This is my honest and voluntary review.
Emily Holland has had a crush on Tim Fraser since eleventh grade. They have become best friends after Tim’s girlfriend Michelle broke up with him on national TV. Emily has decided that that is all he will ever see her as and has decided to move on but when the shows fans were unhappy with Michelle, they started to come in droves to try to get Tim’s attention as well as blowing up the internet. He has asked Emily to be his fake girlfriend hoping to drive them away but it only made things worse. Will he ever see her past friend to something more and will she get her chance at love. I voluntarily reviewed this after receiving a free copy.
When Tim Fraser’s breakup on a television reality show goes viral, he has nowhere to hide in his small hometown. What he needs is a diversion to keep his new fans away. He has only one idea.
Tim and Emily have been best friends for years so it seems only fitting that when Tim decides he needs a fake girlfriend, he would turn to Emily. The only thing Tim does not know is that Emily has had a crush on him ever since they were kids. Will this fake relationship turn into a real love story?
I really enjoyed the plot of this story by Barb Curtis. The television reality show brought some much humor and drama into the story, and it was a fresh fun story to read. I loved the characters and how they developed throughout the story. I enjoy small town romances, so this was just the perfect book to curl up with. I am looking forward to more books in the Sapphire Springs series and Barb Curtis is quickly becoming one of my favourite authors. Many thanks to Forever ( Grand Central Publishing), Netgalley and Barb Curtis for a advanced readers copy.
I flew through this book because I absolutely adored these characters. Tim and Emily were fun, they had great chemistry, they were very real people (despite some less-than-real-problems such as a reality TV show dramatic situation LOL). It was nice to "reconnect" with past characters from the first book in this series, and once again, I really enjoyed this small town vibe with hilarious supporting characters obsessed with their committees and meetings etc. etc. It is very Stars Hollow that way and if you enjoy Gilmore Girls, this could appeal to you as a reader.
The ending of the book was swoonworthy and I was quite caught up in the romantic storyline. Can't wait for more from this author!!
Thank you NetGalley, Barb Curtis and Forever (Grand Central Publishing) for the book Only for You. This is my personal review.
This is the first book I have read by this author. It is the second book in the series, but I had no problems with the characters.
I love reading books set in wonderful area with people who make the story just flow off the pages. Only for You did exactly that for me.
I am going to read the first in the series to get to know everyone better. I look forward to more from this author and series.
I liked that this beautiful, love story between friends was not perfect so it felt very real and believable. The characters were warm and a lot of fun to read about. I enjoyed that Tim and Emily were best friends pretending to be in a relationship when deep down that is what they both wanted even if it took Tim a long time to realize that Emily, his best friend, was his anchor.
I also liked the other characters in the book and felt they really added to the story. It was fun reading this small town romance because I really enjoyed Sapphire Springs and its fun festivals and activities that small towns are known for. I need to go read more books in this series! I received an advance copy of this book and I willingly chose to write an honest review.
I really loved the first book in the Sapphire Springs series and was so happy to return to this charming town and see Emily and Tim find their happily ever after. Longtime friends, they start a fake relationship when Tim needs to get the media off his back when he's publicly dumped on the reality show his ex was participating in, and it quickly becomes a real relationship. There are, of course, bumps in the road- a real relationship, real problems and the deep connection he feels to Emily scares Tim, but their finale is sweet. I enjoyed the quirky small town problems, and Barb Curtis does a great job writing closed door romance that still has excellent chemistry. Looking forward to the next visit back to Sapphire Springs!
I thought this was a very sweet story. I loved meeting Emily and Tim. It was fun hanging with them as they lived their lives in Sapphire Springs. This town has lots of festivals, which I love. Besides running their own businesses, sitting on the town council and helping with a wedding there is a reality show thrown in the mix. This was so fun reading and going along with them. I loved the story and the characters. I received this book from NetGalley, but my opinion is my own.
The second book in the Sapphire Springs series is about Tim and Emily. Is a fake relationship ever really fake? One of the two always has a few feelings going in as Tim and Emily risk their (good friends for years) friendship on the folly.
We still get all the charm and likable characters as in the first book. I enjoyed the small-town feel, the strength of Emily, and Tim’s cluelessness!
An excellent sophomore book. I am looking forward to the next book in the series.
Thank you to NetGalley and Forever(Grand Central Publishing); this is my voluntary review.
A new author for me but I'll be sure to check out other books in the series. Sapphire Springs was a small town and Tim and Emily had been friends forever. She realized she wanted to be more than friends in 11th grade but they never moved beyond the friend zone.
Flash ahead 15 years and now Tim comes up with a scheme to ward off his ex and her reality tv show producers by asking An to be his pretend girlfriend. What he doesn't count on us developing deeper feelings and realizing Emily is the one for him.
Can they both be on the same page moving towards a real relationship or are there too many obstacles? Perfect beach read!
I received a free ARC eBook from Net Galley and the publisher in exchange for my honest opinions.
I think this cover is just what I'm looking for in a summery read! I want to be on one of those sailboats on that lake, pronto.
Cracking it open had me laughing that the majority of the book is in the snow. Which, let's face it, it's so hot and humid, I needed the picturesque cool down. What wasn't cool was the great chemistry between these friends-to-fake-relationship-to-more.
Tim is coming off a nationally broadcasted breakup and is bombarded with the publicity. He doesn't want one second of fame, let alone ten, so he propositions his friend, Emily, to fake it. Her New Year's resolution to steer clear of Tim and her unrequited crush is bound to lead to disappointment.
I was eager to read a book by @barb_curtis_writes. Besides the seasonal about-face, it more than met my expectations. I loved the quirky small town and the interwoven humor throughout. I will definitely be pining for the next in the series about Tim's best friend, Rob. In the meantime, maybe I can find something maple flavored to tide me over.
Thank you Forever and NetGalley for the advanced copiy. All thoughts in this review are my own.
Small town romances, fake or real, appeal to me and I enjoy the nuances that I know well from growing up in a small town. This is the second in the series but is a stand alone and can be thoroughly enjoyed without reading the first one.
Emily has crushed on Tim for years but never made those feeling known to anyone. When he returns to town after a reality show fiasco, they agree to ‘fake’ date to keep the Hollywood hounds from hassling him about another show. Feelings start to get in the way and things getting tense. Ah, but you know the HEA will come around and it does! Enjoyed the twists and turns.
I received an ARC from the publisher via Net Galley in exchange for an honest and unbiased review.
I was really looking forward to this one after enjoying Barb's first book and this did not disappoint! Emily and Tim are such great characters and they are perfectly set up for a friends-to-lovers story.
Emily's actions are perfect for someone who has secretly loved her friend for years and her struggles with trying to move on from him are incredibly believable. Tim is written in such a perfect way to believably be unaware of Emily's feelings to the point that he sees nothing wrong with the idea that they pretend to date. It's made so believable based on her struggles with the plan and his all-in belief that it's the perfect scheme.
You can't help but root for Emily and Tim, especially through their down moments, and Barb rewards you with the perfect ending. I loved this book!