What could be hotter than a hot, broody hometown hero who is getting ready to deploy once more. Luke Garrison doesn’t get involved with women and his mother won’t stop matchmaking. When a vivacious and beautiful woman explodes into his life, he offers Harper a place to stay when she has none. Then he decides to use her as a decoy to keep his mother off his back.

Harper is running from an unfulfilling and ruined relationship. Luke just needs to last a month in a house with Harper before he deploys. Well if you’ve read a romance novel before there is no doubt where this is going.

What did I like about this book? I like the connection and chemistry between Luke and Harper. I liked Harper’s compassion not just for Luke, but for others she meets in this new town. I loved the way that strangers in a new town took her under their wings and welcomed her so openly.

What didn’t I like? I didn’t like that Luke was keeping major secrets from Harper and that he blew hot and cold so often. I didn’t like that Harper forgave him so easily. I hated that Luke treated her so badly. I wasn’t happy when Harper spied on Luke when she opened his secret door, but I understood her desperation.

I have just discovered Lucy Score in the past year and have enjoyed very much the books I have been reading from her backlist. This one is eight years earlier in her career, and I found it too angsty for my tastes. I can attest that her talent has improved greatly over these eight years.

Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the opportunity to read this book in exchange for my honest opinion. I gave this book three stars.

Thank you to NetGalley and the author for providing me with an eARC of this book in exchange for an honest review. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

This was my first Lucy Score novel and it did not disappoint. I really liked this, even though I wanted to yell at Harper and Luke many, many times throughout. Despite it all, I understand why they are the way they are and I found myself totally immersed in this book. You will experience ALL of the emotions - this is a fantastic read and I can't wait to get book two!

I absolutly loved this book! 10000/10 recommend. I went in not knowing to much about the book but I have never been more impressed it exceeded all expectations I didn't even know I had. This is one of those books I wish just never ended. I loved the characters, I loved the community, I loved everything about this book.

Pretend You're Mine is Lucy Score's lastest drama and I LOVED it. I read a review that said "this book absolutely wrecked me" and the reviewer was spot on. This book is fantastic and the sequel is too!

Shockingly, this was my first Lucy Score book, and let me tell you, I am a huge fan now! I love a small-town romance because I can visualize it better since I am from a small town. I loved that there were so many layers to this story that the MCs dealt with: small-town gossip, military deployment, death, abuse, grief, and so many others!

Thank you to NetGalley and Lucy Score for an ebook in exchange for an honest review!

Rating: 4/5 Stars

I loved this book! Such a cute and fun romance book that definitely had depth to it. A lot of tropes, but fun nonetheless.

Netgalley Review✨

Pretend Your Mine
By Lucy Score
My Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐/🌶️🌶️

This story follows Luke, a small town guy, and Harper, a woman who stumbled upon Luke's small town because she drove the wrong direction. Pretend Your Mind follows their fake dating storyline which has it's ups and downs.

Here's my issue....Harper is way too trusting. And Luke is an ass. Luke lost his wife in an accident and is determined to not let love creep into his life again. He treats Harper with love one minute and like the dirt next, all due to his misguided thinking.

I did find the town of Benevolence charming and the people even more so. They are what saved this book for me.

Thank you to @netgalley for giving me the opportunity to read Pretend Your Mine in exchange for my honest review.

My first book I read by Lucy and overall I see why people love her writing. Plot was good, a bit slow and exaggerated at some points for my personal taste but that is a personal thing and absolutely nothing against her! The ending definitely left me wanting to read the next one so I’m thinking things will even out a bit more for my taste! I still would recommend it to my friends.

I am a fan of Lucy. But I couldn’t really get into this story. Harper drove me nuts, she is a push over. And Luke I did not like. He was so hot and cold.

This book is an emotional rollercoaster with captivating characters and intense chemistry. Harper and Luke have troubled pasts, but their contrasting approaches to life make their journey even more compelling. Rooting for Harper to find a home with Luke is inevitable, despite their communication struggles. The town is filled with quirky characters and a hint of mystery. Overall, a captivating and deserving 5-star read. Can't wait for the next book in the series!

This is a new edition of the first book in the benevolence series. Harper finds her livein boyfriend sleeping with another woman. She flees, and runs out of gas and ends up at small town bar. She meets Luke, where she agrees to be his fake girlfriend. Of course they end up developing feelings and they work to see if they can figure it out between the two of them.

I love lucy score books and was excited to start this series. Thank you netgalley for this arc!

i really enjoyed this book! although the characters had their moments, i really did like them and i also love the grumpy x sunshine trope which this book had! however, i’m not a fan of the whole “i’m gonna be an asshole to her to push her away so she stops liking me” thing bc why do u think u know what’s best for her??? i did like the many different layers the characters had because it definitely enhanced the plot and made the story more interesting.

overall, i really enjoyed this book despite a few hiccups here and there. if you’re a fan of lucy score and haven’t read this book then i definitely recommend this!

I realized that I actually read this a year ago and they just changed the cover. 😐 Quick review- Luke and Harper don’t really fall into meet cute, more like WTF! However, after some very bad not-exactly- planning, Harper finds herself stranded in Smalltown USA, at a bar, facing off against an abusive asshole (not for her, but a stranger) and having Luke step in to kind of save her. From there the story takes ALOT of turns, some sweet, some sexy, some funny, but most heartbreaking. It takes (again) ALOT for out two to get through and overcome. Many stops and starts. Some plot twisty things and (again) some heartbreaking revaluations of forgiveness and acceptance. Definitely, have a few tissues handy.

I enjoyed the first half of this book but lost interest in the second half. Just an ok read for me. Thanks netgalley for the arc!

Pretend Your Mine was my introduction to Lucy Score. And can she ever deliver!
Harper arrives in town and makes a great first impression; Attacking Glenn in the parking lot as he goes after poor Gloria, again. Luke decides to give her a place to stay while she figures things out. But when Luke comes to the conclusion that Harper could be the perfect "girlfriend" to get his family off his back until he deploys, he makes Harper a deal she can't turn down. But what neither of them saw was the un-denying connection between the two of them. Luke has so much history that he has long buried and has no intention of digging up. Harper has secrets locked away in a closet too. Can they both pull this off for a month?
I just added Lucy Score to my list of "Have to read authors". She is so much fun to read. This book made me happy, squeal with delight, cry and share in their sadness; all the emotions! I can't wait to read the next in the Benevolence series! I will be recommending Pretend You're Mine to all my book loving friends and will be looking for all works by Lucy Score! Special thanks to NetGalley, Lucy Score, and SOURCEBOOKS Bloom Books for the advanced digital copy in exchange for my honest opinion. 5 stars for me!!

You'll go from laughing to crying to angry so many times in this story. You'll fall in love with the characters immediately! This is one of those stories that you wish you could read for the first time again. It was soon f'n good 😍😍 also, military romance and fake dating!!!

Cute read - where some was hyper predictable, there were other twists and developments that weren't and they were welcome. The town characters were fun and I'd like to visit them again.

#arc
#netgalley
#pretendtobemine

Pull the alarm, this book is spicy! Pretend You're Mine is beyond good. This is book by Lucy Score is a spicy, funny, easy read story that you won't want to put down. Main character Harper is one tough chick who is forced to move on yet again. She stumbles upon a violent situation and intervenes, landing her in the arms of broody Luke Garrison. Luke convinces her to stay a while and "pretend" to be his girlfriend before leaving for deployment to satisfy his families desire to see him happy. Their pretend relationship evolves into a spicy, complicated, one sided feeling filled mess. This book is an enjoyable, steam-filled read that you won't want to put down. Lucy Score continues to impress!

There is a lot to unpack here.

Let’s get to it! Harper is obviously #hotmessexpress, and Luke is hung up on his dead wife (that sounds harsh— I’m aware.) The whole thing is overwhelming, and reminded me of Colleen Hoover and her trauma dumping. Harper falls in insta love with Luke, he’s adamant he will never love Harper in which he insists for 90% of the book. You begin to doubt that there will be an HEA.

It’s got small town vibes, but not in the adorable cute way. I was hoping for more like Score’s Maggie Moves On.

The fake dating trope is one of my favorites, but this one fell flat for me. The trauma the characters were going through, made them unemotionally available to make me root for them. It felt like it was drawn out and could have been tightened up a bit. There were slow parts that overall I struggled to get through.

I'd like to thank Netgalley and SOURCEBOOKS Bloom Books, Bloom Books for providing this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

I'm all about a second chance at love book and this one did not disappoint. I loved Harper who seems to persevere no matter what comes at her. She's not afraid to stick up for those who need it and seems to throw herself in to everything she does.

Then along comes Luke - who falls for her but has secrets and hang ups of his own. Even though I kind of loved him he's the reason for my 4 star. He was just back and forth with Harper. Pull her in and then push her away. It was frustrating. He could also be cruel so when Harper just goes back to him it was kind of disappointing with knowing her nature.

There were a lot of twist and turns in this book which kept you guessing what would come next. There is also A LOT in the spice department. Happy Reading!!