This book has it all. Small town. Military romance. Fake relationship. From the very first pages I was absolutely hooked on this story. Loved how Harper entered the town of Benevolence. Loved all the towns people. Loved how they welcomed Harper. Loved how Sophie suggested Harper staying with Luke. Loved the quick chemistry between the two. This book also has some very deep emotions and trials. I’m thankful Harper had the friends she made to support her. I loved the dogs and the role they played. Loved cranky Frank. Can’t wait to dive into the next story.

This book took me by complete surprise, but I shouldn’t have expected anything less from a Lucy Score book. What she writes, I will read it.

What she writes, will leave you breathless not just from the romantic suspense but you will be blown away by the emotional storyline hidden underneath the romance, the spice and dirty talk, and all the lovable side characters.

Both our main characters had tragic back stories and it bled into the pages. Secrets that are kept hidden at all cost come rushing to the surface. You’ll feel at a loss for words, heartbroken, frustrated, happy, and that butterfly feeling in your stomach. But, that’s why Lucy is good at what she does. She makes you feel until it’s your heart bleeding into the pages.

“𝘚𝘰𝘮𝘦𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘪𝘯 𝘮𝘦 𝘴𝘢𝘪𝘥 ‘𝘴𝘩𝘦’𝘴 𝘧𝘪𝘯𝘢𝘭𝘭𝘺 𝘩𝘦𝘳𝘦.’ 𝘠𝘰𝘶’𝘳𝘦 𝘸𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘐’𝘷𝘦 𝘣𝘦𝘦𝘯 𝘸𝘢𝘪𝘵𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘧𝘰𝘳. 𝘠𝘰𝘶’𝘳𝘦 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘭𝘪𝘨𝘩𝘵 𝘵𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘨𝘰𝘵 𝘮𝘦 𝘵𝘩𝘳𝘰𝘶𝘨𝘩 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘥𝘢𝘳𝘬, 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘐’𝘮 𝘯𝘰𝘵 𝘸𝘪𝘭𝘭𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘵𝘰 𝘨𝘰 𝘣𝘢𝘤𝘬 𝘵𝘰 𝘢 𝘭𝘪𝘧𝘦 𝘸𝘪𝘵𝘩𝘰𝘶𝘵 𝘺𝘰𝘶.”

While Luke wasn’t my favorite of Lucy’s male characters, I loved Harper. She was feisty and blunt, kindhearted and loyal, a spitfire and forgiving.

What to Expect:

🇺🇸 military man/deployment
🛏️ one bed trope
👩🏽‍❤️‍💋‍👨🏻 fake dating trope
🗣️ tight knit community
🔥 dirty talk/spicy scenes
💫 grand gestures
🐶 foster puppies

I really enjoyed this one! Grumpy/sunshine, small town, fake dating - love! I liked the banter & really liked Harper’s character.

I have complicated feelings about this book, I would give it a 3.5 star rating over all. I do think that there were some really sweet moments and I liked the female main character but I do think she ended up being a bit of a doormat for the male main character, who was A MESS. He does a lot of crappy things to her then it all just felt resolved way too quickly in the end with her absolving him of all of his wrong doings. To the synopsis!

Synopsis: Harper comes home to find her boyfriend (who is also her boss) cheating on her, and she storms out and gets in her car to drive to her friend's house 2 hours away without her wallet or phone. She runs out of gas in a bar parking lot in tiny town called Benevolence, where she finds a dude wailing on his girlfriend. Harper physically jumps in to protect the woman and ends up getting knocked out. When she comes to, local golden boy Luke is taking care of her. When Luke, a contractor and member of the National Guard, tells Harper she was driving the wrong way and is nowhere close to where her friend lives, he lets her come stay at his house for the night.

Harper finds out that her friend is out of town so she can't even go stay with her, so Luke's sister proposes a solution - Harper goes to work as Luke's office manager and stays with him at his house, and Harper pretends to be his girlfriend as his mother is desperately trying to set him up with someone before his next deployment in a month. Harper and Luke agree but of course feelings quickly develop over the month, though Luke insists it can only be physical and that they are going to have to cut things off when he deploys.

However, Harper starts getting comfortable in Benevolence and in Luke's house, making friends throughout the town and bringing home dogs for her and Luke, helping him get furniture for the house, etc. When he deploys, Luke asks her to stay. For the 6 months he is gone, Harper throws herself into being the best girlfriend she can be - managing his business and even helping some of the contractor's onsite, helping out his friends, and making his house a home. But then she finds out a big secret that Luke has been hiding from her, and when he comes back the secret and him feeling stifled by Harper causes him to push her away, breaking her heart. But even though he insists that they being apart is the best thing for them, neither can deny the way they feel.

Review: This book was pretty long and it felt like A LOT happened. I think that the part that was the 6 months of deployment ended up going on for a long time - it was very focused on Harper as Luke wasn't around. I guess some of it was necessary though to show how much effort Harper was putting in, just to have her heart broken by Luke when he returns.

I didn't really like how Luke is constantly thinking that Harper is a mess and that it's his job to take care of her/protect her. Of course leaving her house without her cell phone and wallet wasn't the brightest move, but Harper is a super sweet and caring person who is always trying to help him and everyone else. Even when she finds out Luke's big secret, she is totally understanding but then HE freaks out. Luke is constantly pushing and pulling Harper in and out of his life, going back and forth between wanting her and not thinking she should be in his life. He's so hot and cold and I felt so bad for Harper because they man could not communicate his way out of a wet paper bag with a gun to his head. When he's back from deployment and pushing her away, he's soooo nasty to her but then makes one big gesture at the end and is instantly forgiven.

I will say that there are some very nice steamy moments between Luke and Harper, and I think the part of the book pre-deployment and the big secret coming out is actually pretty cute, but then the big drama makes it way too messy. I do also love the big cast of secondary characters and the relationships that they all form with Harper, who is such a selfless person.

I really enjoy how Lucy Score writes her FMC’s. I was hooked immediately and wanted to learn more.

This book features so many of my fave tropes too:

• Grumpy/Sunshine
• Small Town Romance
• Fake Dating

I think if you’re in need of a fun, guilty pleasure read you can never go wrong with Lucy Score

3.5/5⭐️

3.75 ⭐️ rounded up! Thanks to @netgalley and Sourebooks Bloom Books for this ARC in exchange for an honest review.
At first, I didn't realize it was originally published in 2018 and is just a rerelease with a brand new GORGEOUS cover. Today is official PUB DAY for the new version. Pretend You're Mine is the first in the Benevolence series. It's full of fabulous tropes like fake dating, small town romance, and only one bed- just to name a few. Harper and Luke are complex characters but also very likable. I really enjoyed seeing their relationship develop. This is a cute yet steamy read that's perfect for fans of Tessa Bailey and Elle Kennedy. It was my first Lucy Score book, although I have two of her other books on my physical TBR shelf. I am looking forward to reading them after enjoying this one. Oh and I will also read the other books in the series, which will also be getting a new cover face lift! I’m excited to read about Gloria and Aldo’s love story in Finally Mine, the next book in the Benevolence series.

I’ve read a few Lucy Score books before, including the second book in this Benevolence series, a little over two years ago. I purchased this book, Pretend You’re Mine, at the same time, but unfortunately it sat in my Kindle library and others piled up on top and it was forgotten… I do enjoy Score’s writing, but her books are generally very emotional reads and I definitely have to be in the right frame of mind.

Harper and Luke’s story runs concurrently with Gloria and Aldo’s story (the second book, Finally Mine), the one I’ve already read, so it felt like I came back to something familiar but slightly different - seeing it from a different angle. Just as with the other, it was heartbreaking. I’m not an emotional reader, but this, as with the other, had tears streaming down my face, and not just once! This never (and I’m not exaggerating) happens! She writes in a way that made me feel everything the characters are experiencing, and like I’m part of the story. Many authors make me read like I can visualize it as a movie, but Score has me feel like I’m one of the characters.

Harper and Luke are some of the most damaged, real and hard to relate to characters I’ve come across in a book, but I was so incredibly invested in the story. The love they had and that he was so resistant to - this was a beautiful, if heartbreaking, experience. I definitely recommend it, but have those tissues and wine ready!! If I’m never a crier and you are, be prepared for a lot of waterworks.

I received an advance review copy from NetGalley and SOURCEBOOKS Bloom Books, and this is my honest feedback.

Some of my favorite tropes

Boss employee
One bed
Fake dating

All the feels in this book. Looking forward to reading the next book

Ok, I’ve officially added a new author to my favorite authors list. This was my first book by Lucy Score and it did not disappoint. Harper’s free-spirit and Luke’s alpha male were the perfect combo. They both have emotional baggage- Harper from her childhood and Luke from his early adulthood. He’s protective of her right from the start and she slowly begins to bring him back to life and feeling things he had shutdown for many years. The tension between the two had me eagerly reading through to get more of them. The book had so many of my favorite tropes:

🔸 Grump Sunshine
🔸 Alpha Male
🔸 Fake Dating
🔸 Forced Proximity
🔸 Small town romance
🔸 Found family

This book really has it all and I absolutely loved every part of it!

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ / 5
Spice Level: 🌶️🌶️🌶️ / 5

This was my first time reading anything by Lucy Score and I can't believe I waited this long to try her books! There were so many things going on in this book, between Harper and Lukes' pasts, their friends and family - it's at times funny, heartwrenching, romantic and steamy. Definitely won't be the last I'll read from Ms. Score!

This is the second book I've read by Lucy Score and I can honestly say she is becoming a favorite of mine. I'm not the biggest fan of romance novels and reading lengthy sex scenes,. This book has plenty of those, but it doesn't take away from it's true purpose. This book involves many beautiful, heartwarming love stories - the developing love between two people; between friends, new and old; between an entire small-town community; and between man and K9 companion. I instantly fell in love with the characters. There are several of them, anyone reading this book is bound to relate to one of them. For the most part, this is a lighthearted read. It's cute, witty, and funny, but there are also tense moments that had me staying up way too late at night because I couldn't put it down. I hope you enjoy this book as much as I did. Now, I'm on to the next in the mini series, Finally Mine.

OMG, this book has ALL.THE.FEELS! Harper and Luke both have very traumatic pasts but they deal with it in very different ways. Harper lives in the here and now and doesn’t take too many things very seriously and Luke cannot stop living in the past and won’t let himself appreciate what he has.

You cannot stop rooting for Harper to finally find a forever home and you desperately want it to be with Luke! If only he would get out of his own way. These two are not the best communicators, but when Luke lets his guard down, you cannot help but melt. I loved how Luke’s family immediately adopted Harper and saw how wonderful she was for Luke, even as he was pushing her away.

These two have crazy chemistry and you don’t have to wait too long for the spice. The town is fulll of quirky characters just as you would expect in a Score book. And there is always a bit of mystery lurking as well.

Great story. Can’t wait to devour the next in the series!

Lucy score does it again!

I loved this book so much! Harper is an absolute force to be reckoned with. I loved her life perspective, grit and absolutely adorable heart. Luke was a character that grew on you and under his pain, was every women’s dream guy.

This story of love and loss is one that kept me turning the page. Such a good read and very spicy!

I have never read Lucy Score before, but I hear a lot of people recommend her books, so I thought I would give this a shot. I have to say the beginning started out decent and grabbed my attention, even if the concept was over the top and unbelievable.

Harper jumps in her car to drive long distance to her friends after she catches her boyfriend cheating, except she leaves without her wallet and phone. I mean, that's unheard of. She gets lost and stops at a bar where she stops a guy from beating on his girlfriend by jumping in fighting...crazy. She gets knocked out and saved by the super sexy Luke. He let's her crash at his place, and then they decide to do a fake dating thing so she can stay and work for him till he gets deployed in a month. He doesn't want his parents trying to set him up anymore.

It was a cute setup, and I liked Harper even though she doesn't make good choices and is almost TSTL (too stupid to live). She falls for Luke super fast, and he continuously turns her down or pushes her away. They finally get together, but they are separated for 6 months for his deployment. This part of the book really dragged for me.

I enjoyed the side characters and the found family in this book, but I could not stand Luke. He was constantly going back and forth, hot and cold with her. He totally used her and then through it in her face that he could never love her. He was needlessly cruel to her, even after she took care of his home, office, family, and best friend while he was away.

He also should have had to grovel WAY longer, in my opinion.

Fake Dating
Found Family
Only One Bed
Small Town

Thank you, NetGalley and SOURCEBOOKS Bloom Books, for providing this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

This was my first Lucy Score book. The beginning felt rushed for me. Things happened a little to fast, but then when everything settled in, I really ended up enjoying this book and the story revolving around Luke and Harper and the residents of the small town of Benevolence. Luke was not easy to like, he was so closed off that I didn't really feel much personality from him, although he was fiercely protective and loyal, especially to those he loved. Harper was likable and won everyone from the small town over in a matter of days. I will be reading the next book in this series and am looking forward to checking in on the residents of Benevolence.

Thank you netgalley for this opportunity! I'm NOT a typical reader of Lucy Score: so this is really a blind review
1) The spice. OH this is spicy. Borderline smutty. If that's not your thing: steer clear. It normally isn't mine, but I did find myself sticking with this.
2) I'm not entirely sure what this story was supposed to be, which is why I'm a solid 2.5/3 stars. I thought Harper and Luke's initial arrangement was a stretch for 'single bed' trope and I was on board when it seemed like just a silly take...but then it got very deep with some of the more traumatic storylines. Then the leads were forced apart by a deployment for a good 1/3 of the story, then the leads were forced apart by a typical romance subplot, then everything fixed itself...I think the whole thing was just a bit chaotic.
A VERY sexy, very smutty, very quick read. But just not a clear and logical story.

The story had my attention from the beginning. Watching Luke and Harper’s relationship unfold, was frustrating at times. Luke deserved a good slap to the back of the head. Does he figure it out? But his character is well-written; you feel his pain and how he is trying to move forward. Is fake dating ever the right solution?

I love the small town big, family series; bring on the next book.

Thank you to NetGalley and SOURCEBOOKS Bloom Books, Bloom Books for the advanced copy; this is my voluntary review.

This book was very different from Things We Never Got Over, but in a good way. We have 2 adults, acting like 2 adults for most of the book.
Luke has a lot of grief to deal with in this novel, and you will want to check up on the triggers because of that. I will leave them at the end of this review for those who don't want to know. I really loved the journey that he goes on in so many way. He has to learn to move on from his loss.
Harper has known nothing but loss, and it effects how she is able to handle the things Luke is going through. She blows into town like a tornado on one of the worst days of her life, and didn't expect Luke, and his matchmaking family.
I enjoyed the grand gesture of this one, and you can see the third act breakup coming. I'm excited to read the other books in this series.

I am a huge fan of Lucy Score and her books have been very popular at my library. Patrons have been putting her books on hold for weeks now. I'm excited to share this new book by Lucy Score with my patrons and will definitely be recommending it for purchase! I think this might be her best book yet and I loved it!

This book had everything I needed: Small town, meddling family (I love those), fake dating, grumpy/sunshine and over protective/brooding hero. It took me a while to really get into it and started off kind of slow for me. I loved Harper from the start though. I loved how strong and lively she was and how she’s a take no bullshit person. I had a harder time connecting with Luke. Yes I know that’s how his character is but it just took me longer to warm up to him. Once I hit the halfway point though.... I devoured it. It was so good and really go into the story. I loved seeing how even though the distance was there, the MCs really connected together. I loved seeing Harper’s growth and really settling down and making roots for herself but the best part was seeing Luke really click on how he’s been living his life vs how he should be living it. This story was a story of resilience, letting go of the past and making a life for yourself. I liked how characters brought each other up and meshed well together and would love to see more of the life of the other siblings eventually. This book had a medium slower pace in my opinion and the banter was good but not as good as TWNGO.