Lucy Score kills it when writing small town romance. Only reason so didn’t give this one 5 stars is because I enjoyed her novel The Things We Never Got Over more. I absolutely loved the chemistry between Luke and Harper and the relationship Harper had with Luke’s family. Below were some of my favorite quotes from the book:

“You made my house a home, you took away the chaos at work, and you gave me what I didn’t know I needed.”

“You can’t put your worth in someone else’s hands like that. Whether those hands are stroking you or hurting you. It doesn’t matter. Your value comes from inside. Whether you mean something to him or not has nothing to do with how inherently valuable you are.”

“An adult has reason and logic. They can understand the concept of never seeing someone again.” “There’s no logic behind death and loss,” Harper argued. “Trying to reason it out can take you to some pretty dark places. Guilt. Blame. Hiding from your pain by distracting yourself with work, booze, sex, shopping.”

Thank you NetGalley for the e-book in exchange for my honest review.

I was new to this author but I found this book to be really something! I enjoyed every moment of it and immediately read the next book!

This was a super cute small town romance that features the found family trope, fake dating, and some grumpy sunshine vibes too! The two main characters are falling fast and hard for each other but as expected things end up blowing up… I did think the resolution was a bit rushed and the heroine accepted the apology a bit too quick but overall really enjoyed this romance!

Review Posted to Storygraph and Goodreads on June 10, 2023

3⭐️

This book was a sweet small-town romance following Harper and Luke. Harper embodied the kind of heroine you yearned to have as your closest confidante. Her down-to-earth nature and undeniable charm made it impossible not to adore her, even when you couldn't help but feel a pang of envy for the person she shared her nights with. And then there was Luke, a military man burdened with guilt, sorrow, and an undeniable allure. Similar to Harper, it was effortless to become captivated by him and yearn to be the one who could heal his wounds. This book was just okay in my opinion, I am not always the biggest fan of military/police romances and this one didn't do it for me as much.

Favorite Quote:
"Love and pride flowed through her veins, feeding her heart. The was the man she had always dreamed of."

Special thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for giving me an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.

3-4 Stars. Thank you to Bloom Books and Net Galley for the ARC of this book. This book looks like it was originally published years ago and is being released again. I hadn't read it before so Luke and Harper's story was new to me and both endeared me immediately. Harper jumped in between a guy and girl outside a bar when the guy was manhandling a woman. Meanwhile Luke jumped in when the guy swung at Harper. Immediately we know both of these characters are strong willed and also care about others. The bar is located in Luke's small hometown where Harper happened to stopped to make a call on her way to a friend's place a few hours away. She's actually kind of desperate in that she left her home quickly after catching her boyfriend(also her boss) with someone else so she ran out without her purse and phone.

Alot happens in the first few chapters and without giving details I'll share that Harper stays in town. There's definitely some instant attraction between Luke and Harper and we watch things develop between them but you sense an elephant in the room. We get dual POV's which I like so we can connect more to the characters. With that said though I felt like I was going a little through the motion and being told more of how these two felt versus feeling them. Harper is definitely as strong through the book as she was in the beginning but her confidence from how she grew up has taken some hits. I really liked her and so did most of everyone else in the story.

Luke meanwhile was also someone I liked and you can tell he has a heart of gold. Something is holding him back and from his family/friends reactions to Harper's entrance into his life, you feel like everyone is rooting for her except for him. Yet you can tell he likes her. He ends up deployed in the story which was kind of interesting to throw into the book. It didn't detract from anything and I won't share more on what happens.

I liked the author's writing and she's very descriptive so there's not much you miss out on as the reader. There's quite a few smexy moments and in those you do feel the connection between these two. My heart did go out to both because once you realize what's going on you wonder how it will end. You'll need to read the book to find out!

Lucy Score is one of my fave authors and this one was great! I love these characters, they feel like family. The bd tee and sizzle in here is amazing! Definitely 5 stars.. I am literally reading every single book by L.S.!!!!

Imagine you leave you house hastily without your purse, to crash at your out of town friend's house. You get lost, and are really low on gas. You pull off the road just as your car runs out of gas, into a bar parking lot and as you roll into it, you see a woman under attack from her boyfriend, and you intervene. You get knocked out, naturally. When you come to, you’re in heaven. Nope, it’s just the town of Benevolence and a strong, solid, army guy, who reluctantly asks you to be his fake girlfriend in order to get his mom off his back.

This story has so much going for it: fake dating, one bed, a little grumpy/sunshine, and a lot of funny. And definitely spicy. In true Lucy Score fashion, this story has really strong characters that drive the narrative and will keep you reading just to see what they do next.

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.