Rebecca is going to New York for Thanksgiving and to celebrate her sister Laura's engagement - to her ex. Deciding that she needs to bring a "boyfriend" with her she agrees to pay Hudson, with whom she previously had a very steamy one night stand, to accompany her.
Rebecca comes across as a very tight laced workaholic Lawyer, in complete contrast to much more laid back Hudson, but this is what makes the story work. You gradually come to understand her and the reasons behind the way she is, making her way in a very male dominated world. After visiting New York she is convinced to go to his parents in Oxfordshire, and his family sounds much more what I like with a very eccentric but loving relationships. There are several very steamy scenes, so maybe not for anyone who doesn't like these, but overall this is a book full of love, even if it takes Rebecca to appreciate this. I did enjoy the book more than I initially thought after that first steamy scene and became engrossed in the story, which I finished in a day.
I received an advance copy of this book from the publisher through Netgalley, however this did not influence my review of the book.

Once again I'm a sucker for a good romance book .. I live to read these. This one was such a good pace book that I really enjoyed reading and I found myself not wanting to put it down. Just a few things that made me enjoy it ..
- Fake Dating
-Hired Wedding Date
-UK and New York location
-Single POV

I really enjoyed how Bec's and Hudson's chemistry really played out in the authors words and I love the romcom banter between the two.

I loved it! Rebecca and Hudson are adorable and two great main characters. Rebecca is a big time lawyer and Hudson is a furniture maker. Rebecca needs a date... Hudson needs money!

This book has everything you would expect in a romcom! I fell in love with both main characters and this book is spicy from the start...

Tropes:
Fake dating
Grumpy/sunshine (reverse)
One bed!

Loved this book! I fell in love with characters. The book moves a fast pace never a dull moment! First book by this author, definitely won’t be my last!

Check out this book cover, this is totally awesome and an enticing to read. This is my first time reading a book by this author and I will be reading more books by her. Fake relationships turning to a real relationship is one of my favorite reading tropes and what makes it even better is it set during the holiday season. Rebecca is not too happy about the upcoming Thanksgiving day family festivities where everyone will be asking about her love life. Rebecca also doesn’t want go alone to the festivities because it’s her sister’s engagement party and her sister just so happens to be marrying her ex. Rebecca and Hudson have a sizzling hot one-night stand. Rebecca decides that Hudson will make the perfect fake boyfriend so she draws up a contract as she is a lawyer and enjoys her work with all the bells and whistles of do’s and don’ts in a fake boyfriend contract for hire. What Rebecca didn’t count on was falling for her fake boyfriend and losing her heart in the process.

This is a cute romantic comedy that I enjoyed and I am looking forward to reading more from this author as this was a fast-paced easy quick read that was entertaining, witty, great characters and awesome plot..

I received an ARC via NetGalley and Harper Collins and I am leaving my review voluntarily.

Such a fun, fast paced read! I enjoyed getting to know Becs and Hudson as I flew through the pages. Becs was a hard worker that was always taught to put her job/level of success FIRST. After spending more and more time with Hudson, Becs found herself questioning her placement of work at the top of her mental hierarchy. Could she establish an appropriate work/life balance and fall for Hudson? Was it something in the cards for her?

I enjoyed Becs going through the motions of this internal struggle as she found it harder and harder to keep Hudson out of her life. I loved reading them get closer and closer and go from lusty strangers to more as they spent the holidays with their families! THE TOURISTY BITS IN NEW YORK WERE SO CUTE.

I wish there was a little more growth from Becs throughout the book instead of downright denial all throughout and only placing all that growth right at the finish line. I also wish there was more to learn about Hudson. I loved reading about his family life and I loved his "go with the flow" vibe meshing with Becs' "always on time/prim and proper" demeanor, but I felt like I wanted to get to know Hudson even MORE. I also felt like a character choice of his toward the end didn't feel very within character for him (I won't mention what it is as to not spoil it, but once it happened, there was no mention of it in the conflict resolution.)

I really enjoyed this book and would definitely read more from this author in the future!

Thank you NetGalley, Harper Collins UK, One Chapter, and Cassie Connor for the early copy in exchange for an honest review.

Rating: 3.75 out of 5 ✨

This one is hard to rate because I loved parts of it, I adore Hudson and he is definitely my newest book boyfriend. I also want to be friends with his entire family. I loved the whole section of Christmas with his family, it was warm and fun and everything you want in a steamy Christmas romcom. My problem with this book really lies with Rebecca, she felt like a stereotype to me. If you look up Workaholic Boss Bitch (not the good kind) there'd be a picture of Becca next to it. I think this book was trying to say you can have the dream job and a life and support women in the workplace but it fell flat for me and read more like "woman needs man to realize she can let her hair down (or leave it curly in this case)" I still really enjoyed it which is why it gets 4 stars but I didn't like that aspect of it. If you want a steamy Christmas romcom that gives you both the joy of NYC in winter and Christmas in the English countryside this book is for you!

Love Under Contract
Review Score: 4 Stars

Five Key Feels
-I love the contrast between Rebecca and Hudson.

-Their playing tourist in NYC is adorable.

-The TikTok video? Love.

-Hudson’s family is so sweet, I love their interactions with Rebecca.

-The ending is so cute.

——

Love Under Contract was kindly provided as an ARC by Netgalley and HarperCollins UK, One More Chapter. Thank you for allowing me to read this wonderful book!

Release Date: 11/1/22

Love Under Contract was SO fun. I loved it. The chemistry, the premise, the characters. The fact that it was set around the holidays too just added to reading the story at this time of year.

I also loved the contrast in Rebecca and Hudson’s families, and the recognition that no particular way is the right way to do things, and sometimes you can learn from the contrasts to make what works for you.

I also loved the discussion of Rebecca’s work, and how, even now, women often struggle to have it all, or are expected to choose one particular path in their life.

If you are looking for a fun, sexy, and thought provoking book, Love Under Contract is the perfect read!

I could not read this book quick enough it was good fun to read and for a change it was the female character who was the grumpy high flying professional. Rebecca and Hudson are characters with chemistry and produce so much fun with their love story. The writing by Cassie Connor made me laugh and fall for these two and so made reading a real joy that it was impossible to put down once I started.

Love Under Contract takes two very different characters, throws them together and - perhaps rather unrealistically - shows them to be a perfect match.
Lawyer Rebecca Madison is uptight, wedded to her work and determined to not let anyone close. When she meets furniture designer Hudson Strong in a bar they have both been stood up. The physical attraction between them is obvious. They have a one-night stand and then get themselves into a bizarre situation.
Rebecca hires Hudson to be her date at her sister’s engagement party. He reciprocates and asks her to keep up the pretence for his family Christmas. From start to finish it’s rammed down our throats that they are perfect for one another and just need to realise it.
We suspect where this will go. There’s plenty of sex, and there’s the ultimate romcom set-up to keep most happy.
Thanks to NetGalley for letting me read this before publication.

If you enjoy a good meet cute and slow burn romance then I would suggest you read this book! Cassie Connor has created a story of a young woman trying to be successful in her career and ended up finding a way to have balance in her life. We follow Rebecca Madison who, trying to save face with her family, decides to make a contractual agreement with Hudson Strong to accompany her to a family celebration.

Throughout the story Rebecca struggles to make sense of her professional aspirations and how it may be possible to have a relationship and family life alongside this. Something many of us also struggle to achieve.

This book is a mixture of sweet, spicy and thoughtful. The reader quickly becomes engaged in the story making you not want to put it down.

Many thanks to @NetGalley and Harper Collins UK, One More Chapter, for the opportunity to have access to this advanced copy for an honest review.

Thank you for letting me read this. Overall I found the book enjoyable. Bec and Hudson's relationship was fun to watch develop. However when she went to his table at his exhibition to give him the contract she finds him and a girl giving him a kiss. She wonders around then goes back to her apartment where they tell their feelings but that girl kissing him was never addressed so I found that a bit confusing. Would recommend.

Thank you to Harper Collins UK, One More Chapter, and NetGalley for sending me this ARC in exchange for an honest review!

Under Contract is the perfect Christmas rom-com with spicy Hallmark vibes. It has some of my favorite tropes such as fake dating and the one bed trope. It even has grumpy/sunshine where Rebecca is the grump and Hudson is the sunshine character. You also get to experience Christmas in New York City as well as the UK which is really magical.

Rebecca is known as an uptight lawyer who prioritizes her career over relationships. Throughout the book we get to see her loosen up a bit and find who she really is instead of just who she feels like she has to be. I really enjoyed watching her come out of her shell and my only issue is that it too her a very long time to have the emotional intelligence Hudson deserved. That would be my only complaint though because I honestly really loved Rebecca and Hudson together.

Hudson is definitely the cinnamon roll character and someone who I would compare to a golden retriever. He becomes friends with everyone he meets and is always making people smile and laugh. He’s incredibly sweet and treats Rebecca so well plus he was great in all of the spicy scenes too. This book had more spice than I was expecting but I loved it!

I would definitely recommend this book to anyone who loves Hallmark movies, Christmas, and rom-coms with spice!

This was a tricky one for me because I LOOVE the fake dating trope, I looove reverse grumpy sunshine but there was something about Rebeccas character that really dragged this book down for me. Hudson was a dream, the perfect sunshine romance boyfriend, but Rebecca was just too mean, and I think in the real world Hudson would have said goodbye before the 50% mark. Good concept, and I loved the little details of meeting Hudson's family.

An unexpected gem! Love Under Contract is a swoony fake-dating opposites-attract romance with a smart, funny narrator and a page-turning plot.

The premise is a bit wacky - British lawyer Rebecca needs a date to her family's NYC Thanksgiving, which is also a celebration of her sister's engagement to her (Rebecca's) ex-boyfriend, so she hires down-on-his-luck furniture craftsman Hudson after they spend a steamy night together. But the relationship that builds between Rebecca and Hudson feels real. And the other characters feel real, too. Although Rebecca's mother and sister at first seem like stereotypes of status-conscious and emotionally barren old money, their personalities emerge in layers, and Rebecca's relationship with her family, especially her sister, is very compelling. As their fake-dating ruse starts to get away from them, Rebecca and Hudson spend Christmas with Hudson's family in the country. These characters serve as a pleasant counterpoint, but aspects of the story's third act felt rushed. This is unfortunate because I enjoyed this book so much I would have happily read another hundred pages!

A funny and affecting romance with a little bit of holiday cheer and a lot of heat. 5 stars!
[I received a complimentary ARC from NetGalley and the publisher. Opinions are my own.]

If Cassie keeps writing like this, she will be a NY Times Bestseller in no time! Cassie’s debut novel Love Under Contract has everything you want in a romantic comedy: quirky lovable characters, grumpy vs. sunshine storyline with a fake relationship twist, smoking hot scenes, fantastic banter, and a happily ever after that leaves you wanting more.

Reading the summary on the back of the book, you believe you have a fairly good idea how the story is going to unfold. To my surprise, this book isn't what you expect it to be. For starters, the premise is satisfied about halfway through, leaving the reader flabbergasted on what else could possibly happen. As you continue to read, you find yourself drawn further into the book, deeper into the characters, and so invested that you reach the end before you realize you haven't let out a full exhale in quite some time (well...maybe when you were yelling "WHY?! What is wrong with you" to a particular character at certain moments).

What I liked about this book: I absolutely LOVED Rebecca. While some readers may see her character and think “no one can be that determined, that focused, that cold”, I know her way of thinking, her way of logically arguing a scenario, overanalyzing, her drive, and stubbornness. She is intent on making her mark and standing strong in a male dominated world. Her "take no prisoners" attitude strikes a cord with any woman in today’s society that is called frigid, cold, heartless, or worse when she is focused her achievements, goals, and prospects. What I loved about her character is that while she was constantly determined to argue against the world, her own internal logic played devil’s advocate, catching her in moments of weakness, allowing the opinions of others to seep in, coercing her inner voice, cracking the facade and giving her new perspectives.

I absolutely ADORED Hudson! Cassie literally took every single quality of Rebecca and did a 180. His ability to get under her skin and repel the attitude/approach that has worked so successfully for her was endearing. He really was the perfect match for Rebecca. I mean honestly, what do you do when you are with someone who takes themselves so seriously, do the exact opposite! He knew how to push her buttons, how to bring her out of her shell, how to make her feel as if she was in charge, in control, winning even when he was better at the game than she was. Their back and forth banter kept me in stitches.

What I didn’t like about this book: The one thing that bugged me was who was Hudson with at the exhibition? I understand that moment was introduced as the final piece to break Rebecca but then it never came up again. Did Hudson move on? Was he seeing someone else? Was that his former business partner? Was she just a friend? For some, it may not been relevant but for me, especially with her kissing him, I wanted to know as much as Rebecca - seeing that he later shows up at her door (did he just leave the woman at the show?!) Again, I get the need for this scene as it was a much needed tipping point for Rebecca to finally get over herself but to just blatantly ignore it when they see each other again left a bit of frustration, distracting from their reunion.

This book was truly a surprise and such a pleasant read. I didn’t think I would love it as much as I did. I will warn that it starts out fast so don’t think you are just going to casually slip into a relaxing read with a slow build. It grabs you, holds on tight, and takes you for one heck of a ride, leaving you with a satisfying smile plastered on your face and desire to read whatever Cassie writes next.

I received this ARC in exchange for my honest review.

This is a classic feel good hallmark type book to give you all the Christmas coziness. It of course follows some predictable plotlines but was unique enough to be fun and fresh.

I received this ARC from net galley and am loving it! This is a great holiday read.

Rebecca Madison has her life together- her dream job, a great social life, but can’t seem to find Mr. right. She’s dreading her Thanksgiving “home for the holidays” without a boyfriend again. In walks a handsome man to the bar, and cue the one night stand. She decides to hire him to go spend the holidays with her family, what could possibly go wrong?

This one is steamy, will make you laugh out loud, and has a great story line. It’s a perfect holiday read! I definitely recommend grabbing this one when it is released on November 1. ❤️

4.5/5 Stars

This book was adorable! I was super invested in what the details were behind the contract between Hudson and Becca. This was definitely like a Hallmark Christmas movie and i was here for it! Although some of those movies can be predictable, they’re always completely adorable, sincere, sweet, and somehow you stay watching until the end! This book is perfect for the upcoming holiday season. Immediate spice, steamy- with a Christmas warmth all in one. A light and easy read, which is perfect at the right moment.

*I haven’t yet posted a review publicly, but i will be on Pub Day! i’ll paste my instagram site beneath. be on the lookout soon- November 1!

LOVED THIS!!

I.genuinely rolled my eyes about 2-3 chapters in, man and women meet at a bar, they go back to one of their hotel rooms... typical story opening but NOOOO that was not this tale at all. Fantastic writing by the author with twists and turns along the way.

I really want to see how the other characters in the book - especially Hudsons sisters - get on too.

I would also love to know who the woman that kissed him at the exhibit was... it wasn't explained and Rebecca was very quick to forgive and forget... I may have missed it in my eagerness to get to the ending but it felt missed, anyway, amazing, loved it and pray there is more to come!