This fake relationship / forbidden love story has a pretty shaky foundation. The “need” for a fake relationship was weak and they hop into bed pretty darn quick for two people who claim to think the other is off limits. Overall, it was a fine read but not really my cup of tea.

(I received this ARC from Netgalley in exchange for my honest review.)

:::3 stars:::

🌶🌶

This story was a simplistic small town romance that gives off very warm and fuzzy vibes. The MCs were two people that had similar damaged backgrounds from past relationships. The common tropes in the book were fake relationship and forbidden love (best friends sibling). The whole premise of the fake relationship seemed a little unnecessary. There was no true reason behind the need to fake it, so that was a little annoying. The story also started to drag towards the end. I loved some of the side characters such as the old lady gang, the barbershop cronies, and little Zachary. This book felt old school and took me back to the days I would sneak and read romance novels.

Thank you kindly to Joy Avery, Montlake publishing, and NetGalley for this advanced review copy.