I loved this book! I'm a sucker for romance tropes and this one had them! One bed, grumpy/Sunshine, small town, fake dating, who hurt you, alpha male. Lucy Score is the queen of romance! This is a big book, but the story picks up really fast. I'm so glad I got the opportunity to read this and will be talking about it for awhile. 5 stars!

I need to start by saying this is the first book I’ve read by Lucy Score, and I went into reading this knowing of the author but not being super familiar with her writing style. “Pretend You’re Mine” is a romantic fiction novel that is much heavier on the romance than it is on substance. While the overall story was entertaining, this book was not for me.

Harper Wilde is a woman who gets into a lot of trouble. While running from a cheating boyfriend, she stops in Benevolence long enough to stop an abuser and get beaten up herself. She’s helped by Luke Garrison, a military man who has a history of his own that he’d rather not talk about. Both of them decide to help each other; for Harper, she gets a job and a place to stay for a month before Luke deploys for his next assignment, and Luke uses Harper as a fake girlfriend to get his family off his back. What they don’t expect, however, is how cozy things get during their arrangement.

To be fair, I think my issue with this book has more to do with not vibing with the style than the actual story. I enjoyed the interactions that each character had with family and friends, especially the relationship that Harper and Aldo form. I didn’t expect the twist at the end regarding Harper’s history but it definitely had me reading to find out what happens. I thought the ending was adorable.

I didn’t like the possessive tones that Luke used about Harper in many parts of the book. I didn’t like how sex was used to show connection instead of ANYTHING else…there’s very little substance between Luke and Harper besides their physical attraction. There were parts of these scenes that got a little rough that I also didn’t think was necessary.

Since I am not the target reader for this author, I wanted to remain as neutral as possible with the score to be fair, hence the 3 star read. Those who normally like Lucy Score will probably enjoy this book, but it’s not for every romantic fiction reader.

**Thank you so much to Bloom Books and NetGalley for the advanced copy of this book for my honest review**

Harper rolls into a bar parking lot in Benevolence on literal fumes, phone-less, wallet-less, running away from a cheating boyfriend and immediately throwing herself into a fight with a dangerous man to protect a stranger. Knocked out, Harper opens her eyes to Luke Garrison, town military hero, grump, and her savior. With limited resources for the time being, Harper takes up Luke’s sister’s suggestion of staying with him temporarily until she can get back on her feet. In exchange, she’ll pretend to be his girlfriend in order to get his family off his back about his serious lack of a love life. A few nights turns into more, and as Luke’s next deployment approaches, things begin to heat up between Harper and him.

Things aren’t quite as it seems with Luke, with his feelings running between hot and cold constantly, and obvious secrets being kept about his past. Even as Harper opens up about her own sad history, Luke won’t reciprocate, making Harper seriously consider whether sticking around Benevolence for the next six months until he gets back is even worth it. When Luke does return, will it be more of the same cold distance between him and Harper, or will he finally let her in?

—--------------------------

The first in a series, Pretend You’re Mine introduces us to the Garrison family and their friends, as well as the town of Benevolence and all its quirky characters. Lucy Score always does such a great job of creating fictional small towns full of fun and interesting places and people. She weaves family dynamics and humor seamlessly and drops all the little nuggets you need to clue in to the next couple in the series.

There is a lot of back and forth between Luke and Harper with his reluctance to commit to a real relationship, but not tell her why. I had some initial frustration at the timing of the reveal. We only find out a little over half way through the story why Luke has closed off his heart, and the reveal comes at Harper’s own discovery, not even through his honesty. It’s a little disappointing but Score makes you feel so much empathy for Luke that eventually I understood his motivations. Harper tugs on Luke’s sense of protectiveness, and her sparkling personality draws him in. He can see a home being created around him and he wants it while pushing it away at the same time. I think Luke is a character you will either love or just be continually annoyed with by his indecision.

I have never used the word ‘plucky’ before to describe a heroine, but Harper is that. She has had a rough life and yet she persists with a sense of humor and an attitude that things will work out somehow. I liked that she had a big heart, was impulsive, a hard worker, made friends easily, and was so clearly charmed by the Garrison family as a whole. She is someone you want to wrap in bubble wrap to protect, but at the same time watch to see what she does next because it is bound to be amusing and interesting.

I never have to worry about language and dialogue being stilted or odd in a Score book. She writes interactions and fights and silly moments in a way that makes me feel I’m talking to friends. Pretend You’re Mine came across as a classic contemporary romance- lots of swoon, angst and spice paired with a happily ever after.

Tropes- fake dating, forced proximity, grumpy/sunshine

4 stars and 2.5 spicy peppers

I recieved this ARC from NetGalley. I enjoyed the story. I hated the miscommunication between these characters. I did love the tension and attraction between the MCs. I thought the banter between FMC and side characters was fun. The spice was great!
Im giving this a 3.75☆ and 4🌶

Pretend You're Mine is book one in the Benevolence series by Lucy Score and I don’t think I stopped reading it once I started.
She has easily became one of my go to authors.
Score is an outstanding author, and her stories never ceases to amaze me!

Luke and Harper were amazing characters. I loved everything about their chemistry, relationship and personality.
It's got some angst, it's got some humor, it's got the feels, everything you want in a book…. this book has it.
Lucy Score once again proves why she is damn good at what she does.
Her writing is beautiful and she is exceptional at storytelling.
A phenomenal story that I wished lasted just a bit longer.

"I received a complimentary copy of this book. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own."

Thank You NetGalley and Bloom Books for your generosity and gifting me a copy of this amazing eARC!

3.5 stars for me! There’s a lot i loved about the book. Love the military deployment plot and thought that was well done but honestly Luke and Harper both kept pissing me off. Harper was so patient but also super impatient with him and he was just a dummy sometimes lol. The Steam is A+ and I think that I loved most was their sexual tension at the beginning. One bed, grumpy/ sunshine so some great tropes.

CW: death of spouse, military in Afghanistan, loss of limb, child abuse, violence, domestic violence (briefly on page).

Pretending becomes Real
“Pretend You’re Mine” is Book 1 of Lucy Score’s Benevolence series. My first Lucy Score read, and while I don’t usually read books in 3rd person, I was pleasantly surprised. “Pretend You’re Mine” is a small-town romance with all the sweetness and the build-up of heat from two characters who temporarily believe they are with each other. Luke (MMC) needs a girlfriend, and Harper (FMC) needs a place to stay. So both agree to fake date each other.

There were moments I disliked Luke, but once secrets of his past were revealed and explained why he was the way he was, it was more forgiving. Harper, on the other hand, was very Pollyanna-like. Everyone was drawn to her. Very likable. She was sweet and funny.

Overall, “Pretend You’re Mine,” though quite lengthy and angsty was a sweet read.

I was confused when I got approved for this arc, because when I looked it up on GR I saw it came out in 2015. Once I realized they were being re-released I decided to give it a try. It was… fine. I’m not big into the military/deployment vibe but I think my biggest issue was how quickly things kicked off. For example staying at a stranger’s house you literally met that day- but it was a light, spicy read with a bit of plot (that did seem to drag on a bit).

I have been enjoying the books by this author. This is my second and I can see myself adding het to my must read list. As with the precious one, this has a lot going for it, romance, sexual tension a funny town, supportive friends and family. Harper has had a sad past but is moving forward and stops in the town of Benevolence on her way to a new life. In this quaint town she meets Luke who has a tragic past. It takes a town, friends and family to help them find their way.

I love Lucy Score’s books so much. They are the perfect blend of romance, spice and humor. I do typically find myself at the 3/4 mark wondering how/why things are going to get screwed up but I still wind up loving them in the end.

I loved the story of Luke and Harper and the whole Benevolence town.

Thank you to Net Galley for providing me with a copy in exchange for an honest review.

Thank you to NetGalley, the publisher and Lucy Score! I absolutely loved this romance with everything in me! From start to finish this was an absolute masterpiece! Lucy score has quickly become one of my instant buy authors because I know anything she writes will be an automatic 5 star read, and this one is no different!

I keep hoping to fall in love with a Lucy Score book but this one didn't do it for me. I tried. I found the characters to be blah and the plot just ok. Thanks to NetGalley for the ARC. Just three stars from me.

I love anything that Lucy score writes and this one did not disappoint. The dynamics between Harper and Luke kept me enthralled till the very end. The supporting characters added to the story and I hope some of them get their own stories too.

so this was literally ugly love?

the mmc is a complete douche who makes me wish i had extra middle fingers and the ability to give him a good ‘ol nutpunch

harper was a pushover who let him continue to use and degrade him, making the readers, and me quite frankly, feel disgustang and just BLEH no no no. not cute

I received this ebook from Netgalley in exchange for my honest opinion and review. I have to say, I am blown away by how beautifully written this story is. When Harper finds herself stuck in a town she doesn’t know, she finds herself in a sticky situation. Luke swoops in and gives her a place to stay and their love story begins from there. I do have to say I think Harper forgave him way too quickly at the end, but nevertheless, I’m happy they ended up where they needed to be.

I’ve only read one series by Lucy Score, but I love the angst she puts between characters so I knew I needed to read another small town romance by her!

Harper is stopping through small town Benevolence after her boyfriend cheats on her. She left her home with no real plan. She runs out of gas at a bar and spots a man abusing a woman and she jumps him to get him off her. She ends up knocked out, and when she opens her eyes Luke Garrison is standing over her.

He goes all protective mode on her and takes her to his house to make sure she is okay overnight. But he only has one bed so they end up snuggling all night 😂😂

But then he needs a favor from her — be his fake girlfriend for family dinner and she obliges. But we all know the fake dating always leads to real dating, right? Luke is leaving on a 6 month deployment soon so he literally doesn’t want to start anything and tells her that over and over. But then he asks her to stay.

Luke and Harper both have really big secrets they’ll have to discuss before they can move on with their relationship. And I think I loved how Lucy incorporated the real life emotions when it comes to trauma. Such a good read!

Tropes:
Close proximity (my fave)
Fake dating
Long distance relationship
Small town romance
Slow burn

Spice 🌶️🌶️

What a great read! I laughed.. I cried!! This is definitely not your average fake-dating trope! The character development was so good and I absolutely loved falling in love with the small town of Benevolence! Can’t wait to read Finally Mine!

Ugh I don’t know how to feel about this book. I love Lucy Score, and that’s why I requested this book. I didn’t know this was a military book and as a military spouse, it made me dislike this book. But I also didn’t enjoy the main characters.

Luke was in his feelings and honestly just really shitty the entirety of the story. All he seemed to be interested in was sex and when Harper wanted more, he told her he didn’t but then continued to lead her on? Then got mad at her because she found out about his lie and was trying to help him fix it?? He was aggressive for no reason, and treated Harper like shit. He was a selfish, cowardly man and I could not stand him.

And then the issues with Harper, who didn’t stand up for herself and basically let Luke use her the entire story. She knows Luke can’t love her and chooses to stay? He chooses Harper over his dead wife in the last 5% of the book. And the story about her past is just randomly thrown in to add some drama to the story.

There was no connection between the characters and I hated all the military talk and how dramatic Luke made it all seem. Honestly, not a fan of this one but to each their own!

I read my first Lucy Score book a few months ago, and I've read so many since then - now a must read author for me, so I was so excited to have this opportunity to read a new one! I enjoyed the love story (of course), but also the extended cast of characters and this wonderful town. Another hit!

This was okay. The plot was somewhat unrealistic the military aspect doesn't work that way with "Captains" and only a six month deployment, I can say this because I am in the military. I thought the plot line was really dragged out and some things could been taken out. I loved the foster aspect of it and wish more books would discuss that side. I really felt like the male was "gaslighting" every second he could and it really bothered me. I get it he's been through a lot but after like the third or fourth time of being gaslighted most women will walk away especially after what he did to her as the end some things you just can't go back to. I love the author's notes on why she wrote this book and i love the romance and found family theme at the end i just think some things weren't healthy.