Thank you so much for the opportunity to read this title.

This moved quickly, but was very dry. There was just a disconnect for me with the writing style. I felt that it was too passive, and was not "show", but "tell". I couldn't connect with the characters and the suspense was hurt by the third person passiveness.

This was a good filler read to pass the time with. I do have a thing for SEALs so that helped. It was predictable mostly, but sometimes that’s a good thing with romance novels.

I thought the idea of this book was okay. The plot was very weak, and the relationship left a lot to be desired. I have read a lot of Romance books this year and so far, this is rated the lost for me. I just struggled to want to continue this book. The smut wasn't even there. It felt predictable and rushed.

This is a good book. The two main characters are Cherie and Reese. Cherie has been coming to an island off North Carolina for several years for vacation but now she has decided to relocate there. Cherie is planning to go back to college in the spring but first she wants to decorate her new house and get settled. Reese is a sheriff on the island. There is an instant attraction. They each have their own issues but together they work them out to fall in love and marry.

Thanks to Netgalley for a copy of this book for an honest review.

Nice, short romance with further family stories to come.
This one, about Lori (the PI) and Neal (retired SEAL) is a good starting point.

A big thank you to NetGalley and Relay Publishing for the ARC. I am voluntarily reviewing this book. This is the first in a new series. For me, this one was just ok. Lots of angst and family drama. 3 stars.

The first book in a new series by North. Private Investigator Gary Ward suddenly dies and his middle son Neal sticks around, even though he hates the business that kept his father away too much of the time, when Gary's secretary (Lori) shares her suspicions that Gary was murdered. Lori and Neal start fake dating to try to solve the murder which turns into something more. This is a fast paced book and the romance is great.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.

SEAL's Pretend Girlfriend
Ward Investigation #1
by Leslie North

This book is the first in the series about the sudden death of PI Gary Wade which quickly turns out to be a murder and his middle son stays after the murder to investigate along with Lori. His father’s assistant that soon becomes more as chemistry builds between the two .

If you are looking for a quick light read with romance intrigue and little bit of steam then Leslie North is for you.

The only disappointment is the story is only partially resolved obviously leading to subsequent books. 3.5/5

This is the first book in Ms North's new trilogy, Ward Investigation, and it is off to a great start. Neal grew up with a father who gave more time to his PI business than he did to his son. As a result, Neal grew to resent the business and didn't want anything to do with it. When he meets Lori, his father's secretary, at his funeral, she shares her suspicions that someone killed his father. They agree to pretend to be dating so they can work together to find out the truth. What starts out fake develops into something real which they both can't deny. Lori and Neal were great together and their chemistry real jumped off the pages. Filled with drama, danger, and suspense, the story pulled me in from the start and kept my interest all the way through. This is looking to be a great series and I can't wait to read more!

I received a complimentary copy from Netgalley and am voluntarily leaving my review.

When I think of romance, I think of books just like this one, that gives all the feels and satisfies every romance junkies' heart. This is a perfect books to snuggle up with on any day. North is a go to for this genre.

This storyline centers around an ex-Navy Seal dealing with his father's death. His father ran a private investigation office. Neal meets his father's assistant at the funeral, where she drops a bombshell on him. Lori tells Neal that she believes his father was murdered even though it appears he had a heart attack. To get to the bottom of this, Neal will need to do something he had vowed never to do: get involved with private investigations because he believed his father chose his work as a PI over his family. In order to help Lori discover if his father was really murdered, Neal will need to team up with Lori and pretend to be her boyfriend. This is the start of a roller coaster ride of emotions, along with the real dangers the two discover as they dig deeper into the death of Neal's father. It is a face-paced good read with his two brothers and Navy Seals being called in for backup as things heat up. It includes murder, mystery, and romantic suspense. It is a great start, and I am looking forward to reading the rest of the series.

I thought this book was a great mix of action, mystery, suspense and romance. I would like to give it 4.5 stars, and if insta-love and some relationship drama is your jam, then you'd like it even better. I still enjoyed it even though that's not my thing, because there was a lot more to the story than that. The book was more about being in a relationship than most fake trope books, but I liked that relationships were portrayed as work and appreciated that the characters resolved issues relatively quickly.

The book ends on a great note for Neal and Lori, but some of the storyline continues into the next book of the series with the focus on Neal's brother. I would not consider it a cliffhanger, there's just more to the Ward Investigation story. This was my first Leslie North book, but not my last. I intend to continue reading the series.

I received a copy of this book at my request, and the opinions here are my own.

SEAL's Pretend Girlfriend (Ward Investigation #1) by Leslie North
Publisher: Relay Publishing
Genre: General Fiction (Adult), Romance
Published March 24, 2022

SEAL's Pretend Girlfriend is the first book in the Ward Investigation trilogy by Leslie North, featuring the Ward brothers (who are all Navy SEALs!).

This book tells the story of Neal, who was medically discharged from the Navy and is working in private security while he figures out what he wants to do with his life. He returns home for his father's funeral and that's where things get interesting.

Neal and Lori have incredible chemistry and a wonderful dynamic that I could not get enough of! I loved the story and the mystery was awesome! This book is fast paced and I could not put it down!

I'll be jumping into the next book tomorrow because I couldn't get enough of this one! If you're looking for a steamy romance, look no further! This one is a winner!

I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

Thanks to NetGalley and Publisher for providing the eARC in exchange for an honest review.

This is the first book in the Ward Investigation series and it looks to be a series with each of three brothers (all SEALs natch) having their own book. Based on book 1 it looks like the investigation will span all three books. I decided to read this book based on the fake relationship but it lasts about half the book.

Lori and Neal make a nice couple. The conflict between the two of them is clear from the beginning and gets resolved a bit on the facile side. Look - this is a fun quick read but nothing special. It's fine. I don't expect the read books 2 and 3.

This book started out very strong, it's mysterious which makes you want to read on. I flew through the pages, it is a quick read. Leslie North knows how to keep you attention with the story. Her smooth writing style quickly gets you lost in the book. I liked Lori and Neal both as characters but together I did not really like them. I'm a bit dissapointed that the fake relation aspect died so quickly in this book. I expected more of this, especially because of the title. The relationship between Lori and Neal moves so quickly that I missed the chemistry between the two. The plot of the book is thrilling and there is a lot of focus on that in particular. The events follow each other quickly which keeps it exciting. I really enjoyed this and I'm very curious about the other parts in this series!

Thanks to NetGalley and Publisher for providing the eARC in exchange for an honest review.
Neal comes to the funeral of his absentee father and is enraged to hear others share a piece of his father he never had. Lori, a PI who used to work with his father suspects that his father could've been murdered. Neal and Lori pose as lovers to deceive others and proceed with their own investigation. When things escalate so does their relationship.
There's not really anything unique in this story considering the mishmash of the tropes that every romance reader would've stumbled upon. Both Neal and Lori, even with their great background always tend to jump on something and then retreat after a light bulb moment. Considering their skills and maturity level, that just felt absurd. Though the threat over their lives no longer hangs over their head by the end of the book, the mystery/investigation is not even close to complete. Probably it will follow over to next couple of books where Neal's brothers handle it one after the other, all the while falling in love with someone. Overall it was pretty average and I don't think I'll be continuing the series.

I received an advanced copy from NetGalley, but the review is my own. This was the first Leslie North book I’ve read, and it was a fantastic, quick read. I usually prefer historical romances, but the modern romance with mystery was so good I read it in one sitting. There is less “mystery” to the story of who killed our hero’s father, and I’ve read steamier romances, but I don’t need to solve mysteries when reading this genre and the romance was just right for the book. You understood and cared from the main couple, and the cast of supporting characters (though few) were engaging. I will definitely read the other books in the trilogy. 4.5/5

A complimentary copy was provided for my honest review and opinion. This book goes from zero to hotness in a snap! A great read for some alpha hotness! ARC provided by NetGalley.

This first story in the series, quickly grabs your attention.
Neal Ward, a former Navy SEAL never wanted to be part of his father’s PI business. But all that changes with his father’s sudden death.
A death that PI Lori Hart suspects was not an accident. She’s determined to investigate the death, making Neal feel responsible for her and therefore joins her in the search for the truth.
As they pretend to be a couple, not only feelings develop in the midst of the danger surrounding them, but also Neal discovers why his father was never around.
This was a good start for the series. One that I will continue to follow.
I was entrusted a copy of this book by Netgalley. The opinions are solely my own.

Seals Pretend Girlfriend, is left with a cliffhanger. Lori and Neal find out who is trying to kill Lori but not who the big guy is that he was working for. One of Neal's brothers will be picking the story up in book two. The fake relationship was made believable because of the chemistry they shared. I can't wait to see what happens next.