I got this as an e-arc from Netgalley and I just stayed up until 6am reading it.

Cuuute!

Annie and Cameron have known (and secretly liked) each other since high school. When Annie's ex get engaged too soon after their break-up, Cameron helps her out with a fake dating scenario.

They quickly realize that their feelings are far more real than they had counted on.

One of my favorite side characters was Whitney. The meta romance novel talk was a nice touch. I know she's going to be Jenny's next heroine, so that should be fun.

One thing I want to warn of is your 90's playlist may grow to be bigger than your TBR pile after reading this book. This was another fun read from this author. She sneaks in characters from previous books but you won't be lost without reading them first. However, I highly recommend reading those. I had a hard time putting this book down.

3.75/5 stars
Tropes:
- Fake dating
- Childhood friends
- Gigolo
- Small town romance
Review:
I really liked this reading I have not read a book where the heroine was tall so it was surprising in a good way. Let me tell you I *freaking* love Cameron even though of his past relationship he was so sweet and romantic with Annie. The stuff I did not like was mainly that at some point the relationship happened so fast but overall Is a sweet and quick read with a HEA.

➳ <i>Rate:  4/ 5 stars</i>

First time reading this author! This story was very cute. I immediately got curious about plenty of the side characters and need to look if they have books, published or on the way.

I really fell in love with our hero from the beginning. He was a womanizer but he was such a good friend and honest. I love how big a crush he had on our heroine. It made everything even cuter.

The heroine was super sweet too. I love how she wanted to show her ex what he was missing but soon realized she was so much better off and could do much better! And that better came in the form of her new fake boyfriend.

I loved these two together and the friendship they had that grew them closer and blossomed into a great relationship.
They were adorable! I’m really hoping that how this book ended means those two will get a book next because NEED it.

Fake dating to make her ex boyfriend jealous turns into love for this couple. Cameron grows up during this story and it was great to hear Annie stand up to her ex and his father. The two raccoons and Olive are so cute. A lovely read, I would recommend it.

Annie and Cameron have known each other since high school, but haven’t talked much since then - even though they have both held small crushes on the other over the years. When Annie needs a date to her ex’s engagement party, and Cameron needs help from Annie to plan a work event, they make a deal — and the sparks start to fly.
I really enjoyed the book. Annie and Cameron were sweet together and while there was some conflict, it wasn’t too intense or long-lasting. Their friends and family contributed in a way that added to the story - especially Emily and Olive.
This is the first book I’ve read from Jenny Bunting, and I look forward to reading more on the future.
Thank you to NetGalley and the author for this advanced copy. I am leaving this review voluntarily.

Note: I plan to share this review on Instagram (@what.beth.reads) on publication date. Thank you!

Annie is every former nerdy, high school bookworm's relatable past. She is independent, motivated, and successful, Her recent heartbreak has caused her to question her dating history, but it is that very heartbreak that leads to a rediscovery of a past crush.

Cameron Finch has a reputation as his small town's Casanova. He is upfront with all his women: he is not interested in anything remotely serious. And yet, when he finds his former high school math tutor in disarray at the local watering hole, he can't help but offer some serious help.

While the plot to fool the town into thinking they're in love works as planned, the stars really do align for this unsuspecting pair. Annie makes her former boyfriend jealous and Cameron gains Annie's assistance planning the party of the year for his family's brewery.

Full of romance, genuine laughter, and good-natured flirtation, this novel kept me on my toes.

**I received a digital copy of this book from the publisher, through Netgalley, in exchange for an honest review.

I am so hungover from this book, it spoke to every single corner of my heart and I couldn’t have loved it more! Every single thing in this book just made me so freakin happy. It was E X A C T L Y what I needed in my life.

It has been a long time since I binged a book in less than 24 hours. I wanted to live and breathe only this book. I couldn’t get enough. It was so funny, so steamy, so empowering and the 90s nostalgia was utter perfection. The songs and movies mentioned made me want to watch every 90s rom-com I grew up with and the Spotify playlist Jenny made for this book is *chefs kiss*!

Cam and Annie are explosive together! The growth in both of these characters y’all, THE GROWTH!!! I am here for it. I loved that they were better people together and I loved that they both stood up for what their worth is. I felt proud of Cam watching him change and become a better man. I felt empowered watching Annie stand up for herself and not take shit from any man.

The tropes are some of my absolute favorites-fake dating and small town and they were superbly written. I got butterflies and goosebumps multiple times, Fools Gold gave me all the feels.

5 stars are not enough for this book. I want to go to Costco and buy stars in bulk just to give them all to this book.

Thank you kindly to @jennybuntingbooks and @netgalley for my advanced readers copy!

I cannot wait for the rest of the Finch Family series, and literally anything else Jenny has in that beautiful mind of hers!

Another sweet and sexy story from Jenny Bunting! Fool's Gold is the start of a new series but we see characters from her Here in Lilyvale and Stuck in Love series. Annie is the super-organized PowerPoint and Excel-loving (I FEEL THIS) event planner and Cameron is the care-free man-child who needs to grow up. They form a plan to make Annie's ex jealous but it quickly transitions into something much more. I really like the author's writing because they feel like they can be your best friends. I also really like that she keeps it real like when Annie asks Cameron to get tested (bc let's be honest- she needed to). While it is not without some conflict, Fool's Gold is low-angst and just a fun read!

I received an early copy for review.

Jenny Bunting has been in my Top 5 favorite authors since I read her first book. She's one of the very few authors I just know for sure will make me laugh out loud with the craziest situations, witty dialogue and characters I can't help but love from the moment they start talking. Fool's Gold wasn't the exception, in fact, it was a confirmation of what I knew already: Jenny Bunting writes GOLD.

First, I need to say I am blown away by seeing how far Jenny has come as an author. I've always loved her writing, but I can see her getting stronger with each book, the essence of her style and humor are intact, just more. Think about it as your favorite coffee order with an extra shot. I loved how introduced the new series giving a glimpse of the previous ones, the way she interconnected them all made my heart flutter and I was so happy to read familiar faces while falling in love with new ones.

It was the perfect setting to introduce a couple so perfect like Annie and Cameron. They were sweet while being sexy, funny while being adorable and the way they fell for each other and fought to be together made me squeal like a school girl from start to finish.

Cameron made me laugh from the jump. He was cocky, witty, smartass mouth and hot as hell bad boy, but he wasn't the typical one. He was soft, sweet, smart and thoughtful. He loved with his all heart and the only thing he wanted was to prove himself so Annie and his family could be proud of him. He had it in him, he just needed to believe in himself and a little push and motivation to be the person he wanted to be and not what other people saw in him. I loved how respectful he always was about Annie and her feelings. He appreciated everything about her and felt unworthy of having a woman like her, which made him 100% deserving. He wanted to be good for her, wanted to be the man he knew she deserved even when people around him didn't think he could. The way he fell for her was so swoony, he made me feel all the feels to see him switching from a non-committal guy to a hopefully in love book boyfriend!

"If I dated Annie Stewart, I would take out an advertisement in the paper. And a billboard. Maybe wear a sandwich board around town with a bell. If I dated Annie, everyone would know she was my woman. I don't date, but if I did, it would be a woman like her."


Annie was so relatable, the perfect girl-crush! She was smart, funny, sweet and beautiful, she just didn't believe it because of many people who made her feel she wasn't worthy of being someone's entire world. I loved seeing her coming out of her shell, building up her confidence, not only because of Cameron but because she realized how amazing she was and how much she had to give to the world. I loved how passionate she was about everything she did, and how supportive she always was to Cameron. She truly believed in him and helped him to see himself with different eyes. I loved her relationship with Whitney, it felt so familiar in many ways and also the Romance bookworm dream! I can't wait to see them developing their friendship in future books.

The transition between fake-dating to real feelings was so beautifully written. I loved how the relationship developed, how they got to know each other so deeply and how great their chemistry and connection was in and out of bed (yes, this book is just how I love them: hot and steamy). It made me swoon hard to see them exploring and learning what they needed, what they liked and enjoying a safe, consensual and responsible sexual relationship that hit me right in my heart. It was hot and sweet in the same measure and I loved to how it made their relationship stronger.

Annie and Cameron are one of a kind couple. I cannot describe how much I loved them together. The conflicts they faced, the mistakes they made and how they learned to handled them with maturity and courage made their love story one of my favorites from Jenny Bunting... probably my favorite till now. They not only found real love, but they also became better people, more understanding and more aware of how deserving they were of being happy in their own terms without forcing things and learning that everything good in life comes at the right time and is always worth the wait.

The small town vibe and banter was amazing. I said it before and I say it again: Jenny Bunting makes me laugh out loud. I laughed to tears in several occasions, so much that my mother had to shush me a couple of times in the middle of the night. The introductions to the town and the rest of the Finch family made my heart explode with anticipation for the rest of the series, which I already know they will be just as good.

This story was funny, sexy, wholesome, hopefully romantic and full of absolutely everything I look for in a Romance book. The book hangover is heavy.

A million thanks to Jenny Bunting and NetGalley for gifting me an early copy of this amazing book. I cannot recommend it enough and I can't wait to have a paperback in my shelf joining the rest of Jenny's books.