Lucy Score provides the reader with an engaging, funny and emotional read with great characters.

Harper is one of those heroine's you wish was your best friend. She was so down to earth and lovable, even when you were completely jealous of of her life and her choices. Enter Luke, the military man wrought with guilt, sorrow and desirable above all. Like Harper, it was easy to fall for the man and to want to be the one that fixes him.

Thank you for the opportunity to provide an honest and unbiased review, and thank you to Lucy Score, NetGalley and SOURCEBOOKS Bloom Books for the ARC.

DNF'ing at 25%

I am so bored. Please stop begging a man to be with you after he says he does not want to be with you. Also, a woman relying on a man she's known for exactly 10 min for not only a place to live but also a job when he has told her multiple times already (by 25% into this novel) that he doesn't want to be with her in any other way except physically? Hard pass.

"Pretend You're Mine" by Lucy Score is a heartwarming and steamy romance novel that will leave readers swooning. The story follows Harper, a woman on the run, and Luke, a National Guard member about to deploy, as they embark on a fake relationship to keep Luke's family off his back.

The chemistry between Harper and Luke is electric, and their relationship quickly goes from fake to real. However, their pasts threaten to tear them apart, and they must navigate their feelings and secrets to find a way to be together.

Score's writing is witty, charming, and full of heart, making the characters and their relationship feel authentic and relatable. The small-town setting adds to the cozy feel of the story, and the supporting characters are endearing and add depth to the plot.

Overall, "Pretend You're Mine" is a delightful and satisfying read that will leave romance fans smiling and wanting more.

Okay, I have a lot of thoughts about this book. Let me just start with the fact that I enjoyed reading this. I got through it quickly, laughed out loud at times, and was heartbroken at times, BUT (here's where all the thoughts come in), this book could've been so much better if it was edited down.

Harper is our sunshine, ever so optimistic and resilient, female heroine who comes into a small town and basically becomes the town sweetheart. Luke is our grumpy, moody with a secret past, male hero who can't love anyone, least of all Harper. Now, add every trope you can possibly imagine to the storyline and you have this book.

I enjoyed reading this for the good parts: Harper's resilience, her big heart, and her speech about being enough without the need of someone else. She worked on herself and her own self worth which was a great message. Luke, in his good moments, was a sweetheart to her. I loved their banter and how their lives seemed to fit together so well.

Unfortunately, there are so many things that could've been better which makes it hard for me to give it a fair rating. This book read like a guilty pleasure of tropes and drama and I swear every thing was thrown in half heartedly. I was just here for the ride. Secret past(s)? Check. Check. Check. One bed? Check, but not all that big of a deal. Pretend relationship? Check, but it was short lasted. Orphaned character(s)? Check. Life threatening encounter(s)? Check. PTSD? Check. Grand gesture? Check. Singing? Check... Wait, what?

It just KEEPS coming and I had a hard time keeping up with what the heck was going on. Did I feel like I just read an entire season of a soap opera-ish teen/YA television show? YES. Have I enjoyed shows like that in the past? Also yes.

So yeah, I liked the book. Was it a good book? I can't say that it is. The pacing was really off, there was a lot of fluff, and the characters do a lot of stupid stuff that is really hard to overlook (Luke, you freakin' dumb*ss). Will I continue with the rest of the series? Maybe. Sometimes fluff is just want I need. *shrug* And I'm interested in whether or not the author's other books are like this.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the free copy in exchange for an honest review.

BRB, packing up my things and moving to Benevolence. This is a sweet and spicy small town romance with fake dating, deployments, and tragic pasts. Harper is amazing- I want to be her best friend. She has the patience & forgiveness of a freaking saint to deal with Luke more or less stringing her along the whole time. I mean, this man is tormented but has ZERO communication skills. Luke is convinced he cannot love her, but also can't let her go (Tate & Miles anyone??) I loved the small town vibe & found family, but found it hard to believe that NO ONE mentioned Luke's past?? These nosy towns people don't name drop or throw the girl a bone all while becoming her besties.

All in all a good, easy read. I was laughing one minute and having my heart tore out and put back together another.

Thank you to NetGalley, the publisher, and Lucy Score for the opportunity to read this arc.

I always enjoy a Lucy Score book. This was a quick, spicy, and sweet read. If you like small town romance, along with fake relationship troupe, you’ll enjoy this read.

guys i literally could not stop crying. this made my heart so sad but so happy. this book is BEAUTIFUL. i absolutely adore luke and harper.

harper has such a beautiful soul and i just wanted to wrap her up and protect her heart.

something about small town romances written by lucy score>>>> like she does them so well and the side characters. I ABSOLUTELY ADORE

patiently waiting for my luke garrison now

5/5

This book follows the story of Luke & Harper, that fake romance, plot twist and romance made this book so enjoyable!! immediately after I read this one I knew I was not going to sleep tonight because I'll be reading book two!!

Another amazing Lucy Score book! This was a long one but I definitely didn’t mind. There were so many places where I thought it would end but there were plot twists often which I enjoyed. The characters were perfect and I loved reading their development and stories. I cannot wait to read the rest of the Benevolence series!!

Pretend You're Mine is the first book in the Benevolence series and follows the story of Luke & Harper. For hometown hero, Luke, the last thing he was looking for was love before he deployed again. But, when Harper blew into his life, he realized she just might be what he needs to keep his family off his back. When it comes to love and fake relationships, what could possibly go wrong?

If you're looking for a sweet fake relationship romance with just the right amount of drama, angst, and twists, you won't want to miss Pretend You're Mine.

This was my first Lucy Score book and now I finally understand what the hype is about! This was a cute small town story with a fake dating storyline (which of course doesn’t stay fake for long). I would give this a very solid 4.5/5 stars. Other tropes in the story include: one bed, unrequited love, military romance.

The romance component was spicy. The main characters were dynamic; as she is the narrator, we get Harper’s backstory early on, but I did not expect Luke to have such a sad past too! I found that the side characters were people I would want to hang around—specifically Aldo, Sophie, and Gloria. I also like how Score tackled and incorporated the Army National Guard component of storyline.

Overall, yes I would recommend this and yes I will be reading more of her books!

PRETEND YOU'RE MIND is a quick, sweet and spicy read. Harper happens to stumble across a small town, lost, and ends up creating her life and home there. A month of a fake dating relationship turns out to be more than what Luke and Harper bargained for in the most delicious way. I enjoyed the emails back and forth during Luke's deployment and how they complement one another.

Thank you to Sourcebooks Bloom Books and NetGalley for the ARC.

To be honest, I am obsessed with Lucy Score's writing. So, it is no surprised that I absolutely loved the story of Luke and Harper. We've got the under one roof trope, forced proximity, and so much more. This is a beautiful story about grief, found family, and moving forward while honoring what is left behind. 12453412/10 stars. Recommend!

Thanks to Bloom Books and NetGalley for the opportunity to review this book.

I have found a new favorite author. It’s been a while since I gave Al 5-star review but this definitely deserves it and more.

Whoa this book is INTENSE but in the best way! Harper is such a phenomenal character - I am blown away by her constant optimism and outlook on life despite her many tragedies. Luke - mmmm this man sucker punched my chest and tore my heart out with his incessant brooding and stubbornness that when you finally learn why, you feel like shit lol. He was still tender and sweet and sexy in all the right moments that make this trope one of my absolute favorites.

The plot was superbly written - I mean that opening scene?!? Come on! I couldn’t have done it any better. What a way to reel you in and keep you there with a stunning cast that you fall in love with EVERY. SINGLE. PERSON. Including Angry Frank!! LOVE LOVE LOVED THIS!

Overall Thoughts:

As a military wife who has gone through my very fair share of deployments and separation, I knew what I was going into when I picked up this book. Maybe that’s one of the reasons I connected to these characters so much. Maybe it’s because Harper is equal parts reckless and amazingly strong, or that Luke is equal parts idiotic and incredibly sexy. Idk. All I know is that these two characters (and really the entire town of Benevolence, MD) are permanently branded into my brain. I love them so much.

Even though this book involved some of my least favorite tropes (insta-lust/love, unrequited love) I still thoroughly enjoyed it. There was even a bonus small plot twist and a few chapters that felt very thriller-esque.

About 25% through this one I thought I was going to loathe it. I didn’t feel connected to the characters and I really don’t jive well with insta-lust and it was allll over this one. By the end of the book? Torn apart in two pieces, ruined, put back together again, ruined again, and now I’m a puddle on the floor trying to recover from these emotions.

More Detail, But Beware of Spoilers:

Luke is a piece of work. He strings Harper along the entire book knowing that he is still healing from the loss of his wife. He tells her and himself that he will never love her, but their physical attraction to one another keeps them coming back for more. Which brings me to Harper. She’s either as much of a massive idiot as Luke or the saint I wish I could be one day. She’s patient with him. She doesn’t react in anger to all the punches thrown her way. I don’t know if it’s from her past trauma or what, but I’m glad she toughed it out and Luke is a damn fool for not seeing how incredible she is and not toughing it out for her, too. As I’m writing this, I’m realizing what a selfish idiot he is, and how selfless Harper is the entire book.

So tell me why I still love Luke with all my heart?! I’m honestly confused and tormented by these feelings.

Bonus Thoughts:

A soldier with the last name Garrison? Possibly a bit too on the nose for me.

Was there anything other than physical chemistry between Luke and Harper? No, not really. Did that matter to me? No, not one bit.

Every time Luke used the pet name “baby” I about gagged. Didn’t work for me here. It rarely does, though.

Tropes:
Grumpy Sunshine
One Bed
Fake Dating
Insta-Lust
Unrequited Love
Military
Small Town
Found Family
As you can see, this one comes with a LOT of tropes! And honestly, I’m here for every single one of them.

Spice: 🌶️🌶️🌶️🌶️ This had so much chemistry, along with the fmc trying at least one new thing she never had before, and an alpha-male taking control minorly. It was hot and I enjoyed every single bit of it.

Plot Twist: Yes, minorly

POV:
Third person, mostly focused on Harper but we did get some of Luke’s perspective as well.

Trigger Warnings:
Abuse (Domestic & Child)
War
Child Death

I received an advanced copy of this book from the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. My thoughts and opinions are my own.

I loved it from page one the author grabs your attention from the first paragraph. She makes it feel like you are right there beside the characters going through the same emotions and struggles as they are. I will definitely recommend this book to all my friends once it hits paperback. I didn't want to stop reading until I knew what the ending was.

Tropes: Fake dating, one bed, grumpy sunshine, small town romance, 3rd person POV

I really liked this book! It was cute and spicy, and had the slow burn from the relationship even though it was more of an instalove from the sexual chemistry perspective. The characters could be frustrating at times, especially when it felt like Luke was emotionally manipulating Harper. That being said, I thought that there was a good amount of time between the conflict and resolution so that I fully felt the angst of the characters.

This is a rerelease of a great book with a great new cover. Pretend You’re Mine was my first Lucy Score book and will always hold a special place in my heart. So it was a pleasure to get this ARC and reread this book. (It’s been several years.) I love how strong Harper is despite the hardships she’s gone through. Who doesn’t love a sweet and grumpy military/construction man! All of Luke’s family is great and so is everyone in Benevolence.

Thank you to NetGalley and Bloom Books for this ARC. ~I was given this book and made no commitments to leave my opinions, favorable or otherwise~

DNF at 20%. This went from 0-100 in like 10 pages and, unfortunately, it just was not working for me.

Beautiful small town romance with some of my favorite tropes. One bed, fake dating, and grumpy sunshine all rolled into a wonderful love story.