I love Lucy Score, but I think her Knockemout series has spoiled me. I approached the Benevolence series thinking I would devour these books in the same way, but unfortunately that didn’t happen. The main hero and heroine, Luke and Harper, are likeable characters, but their relationship felt “off” to me. For instance, Harper slept in the same bed with Luke only a few hours after meeting him and she knew nothing about him. Would most normal women do that? I don’t think so. (At least, I hope they wouldn’t). Harper also decides to jump right into a fake relationship with Luke the very next day to appease his family, whom she’s never even met. It just felt like Harper was TOO trusting. Also, throughout most of this story, Luke is emotionally tied to another woman, but he kept stringing Harper along on his emotional rollercoaster, and that bothered me. I’m not giving away any spoilers, but let’s just say there comes a time when you need to move on and try to love again. Anyway, on the plus side, as per Lucy Score, I laughed out loud many times while reading this book, and I teared up several times too. Knockemout will always be my favorite book series by this author, but I would still recommend this series too.

Pretend You’re Mine pulled me in from the beginning. Harper is starting over and landed in Benevolence.

Where Harper is spirited, sassy, and wants a home Luke is against all of it. He does agree to a fake relationship to hold off his family matchmaking.

This book has so much packed into one book. From one bed, loss of a family member, ptsd, grief and loss, military deployment, found family and all the feels.

I laughed out loud, I cried, and a hoped for all to heal and find their happy ending. It pulled every heartstring! I also loved Aldo and Gloria and can’t wait to read their story next!

I really enjoyed Pretend You're Mine by Lucy Score. I really liked the main character, Harper, who was always upbeat and approached life with humor and grace. Luke, the other main character, left me feeling hot and cold at times. Once I finally got over his demeanor, I did enjoy their story. Once thing I wish was that Harper didn't forgive Luke so quickly. She could have made him work a little harder to win her over. Overall, this was a cute read and I would read more books by this author.

I really enjoyed the set up for this story. I like how Harper jumped in to protect Gloria without knowing anything about her or her situation and how Luke was there when she woke up. It did seem a bit odd that Harper was willing to stay the night at Luke's and even share a bed with him after just meeting him. She had no where else to go and clearly Luke is a trustworthy guy but it still seemed a bit too trusting especially when later on in the book we learn more about Harper's past. Despite that, I had a really fun time reading this book. I found myself rooting for both characters and hoping that Luke could get over his past trauma to have the life he deserves. I can't wait to read the next book and am dying to learn more about Aldo and Gloria's relationship that we see starting to take shape in this book.

I absolutely loved this book, as I love all Lucy Score books! Diving into the first chapter feels like pulling a warm blanket up over your lap. Her writing style, in my opinion, is distinct among romance authors, and the predicability never detracts from the plot or story. I give ratings based on how much I enjoyed the book and if I'd recommend it to others who enjoy the same genre, and this is absolutely a five star read for me!
Thank you to NetGalley for the arc of this book, all opinions are my own!

I will definitely say I liked Things We Never Got Over better than this one? But it wasn’t a terrible read. I probably won’t read the second book because I wasn’t that invested in it? But as a small town romance, I can see how people would enjoy it. Tragic backgrounds and coming together in the end.

I really enjoyed reading this book, it was both fun and emotional. Harper was an amazing character, so easy to relate to and love, while Luke was a hot military man who had been through a lot of pain in his past. The fake relationship they entered into soon turned real, and their connection grew into something deep and passionate, making me cheer for them all the way. I loved how the author incorporated classic romance tropes like one-bed and fake dating, but gave them her own unique twist that kept me completely hooked. The best part of the book for me was the author's writing style and humor. It was easy to read, and I found myself laughing out loud on more than one occasion. Overall, this is a great romance novel that strikes the perfect balance between humor, heart, and steamy moments.

Having recently read "Things We Never Got Over" by Lucy Score, I was beyond excited to dive into "Pretend You're Mine." I was expecting something that would draw me into the story and keep me captivated from beginning to end, and in a way it succeeded in doing so. However, while I absolutely adored the main and side characters from TWNGO, I didn't feel that connection with some characters in "Pretend You're Mine."

While I did like Harper, finding her to be very likeable and spirited, I did find her at times to not be assertive enough in what she needed and wanted in a relationship. While I may not have fully supported some of her decisions or actions, I do have to admit that I admired her sense of compassion and understanding. On the other hand, Luke was for a majority of the novel hung up on someone else and it almost felt like his past was never properly resolved before getting committed to Harper. I mean you can honestly feel Luke's pain in relation to his past, it was still a bit difficult to read.

With that being said, it truly was a nice book to read especially during the spring. If you enjoy small towns full of kind-hearted people then I would recommend checking this book out.

eARC was kindly provided by SOURCEBOOKS Bloom Books via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review. Thank you!

This was not at all what I was expecting with a small-town romance. It was wonderfully surprising! I couldn't put it down once I started it! Sleep was far less important than staying in this author's world. And it helped that it included some of my favorite tropes, such as fake dating, one bed, and, of course, small town. This was far spicier than I thought it would be and it thrilled me to see that! The 'darker' elements gave it a needed boost, keeping the book from ever feeling monotonous or drawn out. In fact, I wanted more at the end. I wanted just a few more pages! I loved this. It's outside what I normally would have as a five-star, and I'm so glad I got the chance to read it! I can't wait to read other works by this author!

I feel like this book had a slow start for me, but once I got into it I didn’t want to put it down. Military romances are not my favorite romance books, but I have read other books by Lucy Score and loved them so I thought this would be one I would enjoy and I was right! Lucy Score’s main characters steal the show just like normal and her wonderful townspeople are always a hoot for adding extra drama or comedy to the story. I loved reading about Luke and Harper’s relationship growing, as they pretended everything happening to them was just fake. This is a very cute small town romance!

I love Lucy Score books and was very excited to be able to read and review Pretend You're Mine. I really enjoyed the story and the town of Benevolence. Harper was heading through town - might have been because she drove the wrong direction without realizing it. She pulls into a bar, saves a life, and gets a concussion while doing so. When she comes to, gorgeous Luke is staring down at her. Harper has nowhere to stay so bartender Sophie (also known as Luke's scheming sister) suggests she stay with Luke.

When Harper gets to Luke's house it looks like he just moved in. One night turns into more when Luke realizes that Harper can pretend she is the girlfriend his family keeps trying to find him. While there is chemistry, Luke avoids getting involved with Harper. Luke and Harper only need to fake it for a month until he deploys with the National Guard.

What will happen when Luke deploys and will Harper ever figure out why Luke doesn't date and why it looks like he just moved into a house that he has been in for a while? You'll be shocked at the reason!

The only thing I did not care for in the book was how angry Luke was, but still recommend it!

Thank you to Net Galley and Bloom Books for an advanced copy to read and review.

I had the pleasure of reading this book during it's original release. I enjoyed reading the story, who doesn't love a fake relationship that turns into a happy ever after? This is a cute story that had me hooked, I read it in one sitting. Perfect for a romance book lover.

I first read this book in March, but didn’t review it. I decided to listen to it on audio to see if I adored it as much as I did when I read it. The answer is a resounding YES. I loved this book from cover to cover. It has everything I look for in a romance. It had a tortured hero, a loveable yet quirky heroine, a small town that you couldn’t help but love, and secondary characters that only added to the story. This book was everything.

Harper was a force of nature. Once you got in her path, she didn’t let you go. Harper first meets Luke after a barfight that leaves her unconscious. When she wakes up, she sees Luke Garrison & thinks to herself that nothing could look as amazing as he does. They instantly click, but Luke is closed off in some ways. When his sister, Sophie, suggests that she stay with Luke for the night, she can’t turn down the offer. She has no money, no cell phone, and her car is running on its last leg. Harper has no idea what she’s in for when she decides to stay in Benevolence.

Life hasn’t always been easy for Luke Garrison. Losing his high school sweetheart on the day that he comes home from Iraq is something that he hasn’t moved on from. He is immediately drawn to Harper & her openness. You don’t ever have to wonder what Harper is thinking, because she tells you. He is worried that she will kill herself one day. It would be an accident of course, as Harper tends to be accident prone. It doesn’t take long for Harper to be fully immersed in Luke’s life & he doesn’t know how he’s going to let her go when he leaves for his next deployment. Then he doesn’t because he asks her to wait for him.

This was a very interesting book insofar as some of it takes place when Luke is overseas. Harper knows she loves Luke, just as she knows that he’s closed himself off from loving anyone. She doesn’t know what his story is, but she hopes that he will tell her some day. Then she finds out his secret on her own. I loved that she didn’t freak out. Harper was just such an amazing character. I loved both Harper & Luke, but it was Harper that really stood out for me. Like I said, I loved everything about this book and think that it’s the best book in the Benevolence series.

Rating: 5 out of 5.

I really liked this book but realistically a NG soldier is NOT ever going to become a captain with 12 years of once a month and a couple deployments in the guard (military spouse of 11 years here). Otherwise it was good. I didn’t like skipping ahead months and then dragging out silly stuff when the book could have easily stayed on a timeline that didn’t crunch stuff together and drag other things out. Overall, it was pretty good.

I am so happy this book + series is getting a much improved face lift! I think fans of Lucy Score's more recent Knockemout series (if they weren't already fans, they would definitely be now) tl;dr if you liked those books and want to read a military romance, grumpy hero x strong/cinnamon roll heroine, fake dating, and found family - this book is for you. This one isn't told in dual POV but in third person (limited omniscient), which was new to me for her books specifically, but I didn't mind it for this story. She was still able to convey each characters emotions and wit, which is all I really care for.

Although this book was originally published years before Knockemout, I can definitely see subtle changes and differences in Score's writing style. I found myself subconsciously comparing the couple in this story (Luke + Harper) and Knox + Daisy. The couples' dynamic and the grumpiness of the male hero felt familiar. Not to mention the fictional small towns you can't help but wish was real. But that's pretty much where the comparison ends...

I want to say it was a bit insta-love initially, but the fact that 30-45% of this book was about Luke's deployment (because he's a Captain of the National Guard) they were separated, but falling more in love with each other despite having the opposite of forced proximity... forced distance (is that a trope?) 😂

I would give this book 2 ratings, if I could. If I was rating this with heart, it would be an easy 4 stars because of the visceral emotional reactions this book elicited. But if I was rating this with my head, it would be a 3.5, because Luke (Chapter 45) deserves JAIL TIME. 🥹 That third act break up was so painful. I will never think book boyfriends groveling with be sufficient enough... lol

Anyways, I definitely recommend this book if Lucy Score is your cup of tea. If there's one thing she can consistently serve it's grumpy small town men. 🫡

Thank you to Bloom books, netgalley, and Lucy Score for the ARC!

Pretend You’re Mine is written by the bestselling author Lucy Score and was written in 2018. Having read (and loved) her more recent novels, this one does seem like she's since grown into being a writer more. It also has more of the heat of books like By A Thread, instead of her most recent ones, which I enjoyed.

Harper was a pretty easy character to like. She’s had a tough life, her parents having died when she was young so she grew up in the foster care system. She wants to belong somewhere, but things never seem to work out for her. She agrees to pretend to be Luke’s girlfriend because he makes her feel safe and she is attracted to him.
Luke is just about to go back to the National Guard for a six-month tour of duty. He lets his sister talk him into this but he doesn’t really want someone in his life. Of course, that all changes as their relationship progresses.

Lucy Score always writes great secondary characters in her novels and this one was no different. I can easily see how Benevolence became a series of books because there are some great characters that need their stories told.

I received a copy of this book through NetGalley for an honest review.

Loved Loved Loved this book. It wasn't a total 5 star read but I would rate it a solid 4.5 stars !

Harper is this drifter who left her boyfriend abruptly due to having found out he was cheating on her. As she's passing the outside of what looks like a bar in the small town of Benevolence where she sees a girl being choked by a huge man, she doesn't think twice before slamming into him and getting herself knocked out in the process. But upon waking up she's met with most beautiful pair of hazel eyes, it's Luke Garrison, local hometown hero, needless to say.

Luke is a commander in the National Guard and is extremely recluse which is something that has come to be of concern to his family. So when Harper drifts through and almost literally just falls into his life, it seems like at least the perfect opportunity to give his family the perception that's he's happy and has finally left his dark past in the past.

Ugh. I just couldn't get over just how much I loved this book and this sweet sweet story. It was also my first Lucy Score book and has made her an automatic read whenever I come across her other titles.

Pretend You’re Mine is written by the bestselling author Lucy Score and was written in 2018. Having read her more recent novels, this one does seem a little less structured and has a LOT more heat between the sheets. Harper was a pretty easy character to like. She’s had a tough life, her parents having died when she was young so she grew up in the foster care system. She wants to belong somewhere, but things never seem to work out for her. She agrees to this crazy scheme of pretending to be Luke’s girlfriend because he makes her feel safe and she is super attracted to him. Luke is just about to go back to the National Guard for a six month tour of duty. He let’s his sister talk him into this but he doesn’t really want someone in his life. He has a secret in his past that holds him back from allowing him to feel something for Harper. Of course, he does despite his best interests but he has an internal battle on his hands before they get their hea.

Lucy Score always writes great secondary characters into her novels and this one was no different. I can easily see how Benevolence will have a series of books because there are some great characters that need their stories told! I’m looking forward to reading the other books in this series. ❤️❤️❤️❣️

I received a copy of this book through NetGalley for an honest review and it was honest!

4/5⭐️

“You’re the light that got me through the dark, and I’m not willing to go back to a life without you.”


tropes:
fake dating
grumpy x sunshine
forced proximity/roommates
only one bed
unrequited love
small town

summary:
after catching her ex boss/boyfriend with another woman, harper wilde planned on staying with a girlfriend, but finds herself driving 4 hours in the wrong direction. her car breaks down in the small town of benevolence and finds herself stranded with nothing but her car and keys.

she meets some of the townspeople, including luke garrison, who works construction and is in the national guard. he’s back home, bidding his time until he’s deployed again.

with no place to stay for the night, she stays at luke’s. he helps harper get her personal things back from her ex’s and is back in benevolence still with no job, no money, or a place to live. sophia, luke’s sister, suggests she pretends to be luke’s girlfriend to get his parents off his back in exchange for a temporary job and home.

it was only supposed to be temporary, but with them in such close quarters, neither of them could resist the temptation.
a month later, luke is to be deployed for six months and harper planned on going to fremont, which was her original plan. she decides to stay in town, but discovers details about why luke has been so closed off about his personal life.


review:
harper comes rolling into the town of benevolence and leaves a wild first impression on its people. that’s what i like about small town romances is that you not only love the mc’s but also the people that surround them.

despite her tragic past and a hard life growing up, harper still sees the beauty of the world and all it has to offer. i admire her for the positive outlook she has on life, even with the bad cards she’d been dealt with. i love her character so much and her optimism

“I can still be sad. But I don’t have to wallow or completely ignore the good that is still waiting for me. That’s careless and wasteful.”

understanding why luke was so back and forth with harper was truly heartbreaking. but as much as sad as his backstory was, he said a lot of hurtful and what should be unforgivable things to harper, but she did anyway because that’s the kind of person she is: in the end though, he finally confesses his true feelings and and despite him not opening up right away, i really loved how caring he was the moment harper came into town and showed how much he loved her.


thank you so much to netgalley & the publisher for providing me with an e-arc <3

This book was moving, beautiful and a fantastic read. I really loved these characters - how they met, how they grew together - regardless of distance and their determination to make it work.

Although heart wrenching, some of my favorite scenes were while there was a distance between Luke and Harper….their growth, trust and perseverance.

I really enjoyed this book and I have the next one in the series ready to go!