Rating: 3.5/5

I have read a few Lucy Score books before and this one was not my favorite. Harper is a bubbly lovable FMC with an unfortunate past. Luke is a classic grumpy guy but his behavior was annoying for most of the book. I also felt the book was a slow burn and dragged on a bit in the middle.

I did love all the side characters. Sophie and sweet Aldo were my favorites. Sophie kept me laughing and Aldo was such a great friend to Luke. The whole town was so warm and welcoming to Harper and that was great throughout the story. Overall, I enjoyed it and was entertained during some parts

Tropes: Small Town Romance, Grumpy vs Sunshine, and Fake Dating

Please check out trigger warnings before reading. There are mentions of Domestic Violence, death and child abuse.

Thank you to NetGalley for this Advanced Copy.

Lucy Score is a favorite author of mine, but this is definitely not one of my favorites of hers. It was a quick and steamy small town romance - what Lucy is known for but it's rerelease of one of her earlier books! I really liked Harper, the FMC, but I wish she had more confidence in herself and what she deserved. Especially since Luke, the MMC, is convinced he will never love again because of his dead wife....from many years ago. I felt for him, but didn't care how he treated Harper for most of the book. He needed to do way more groveling than he did since he kept saying he would never love her yet pulled her closer every time.

Like most Lucy Score books, I loved the small town and all the quirkiness involved with it, even if it's not super believable. It was fun to suspend disbelief for a bit and enjoy Benevolence! And the spice was on point for the most part too - so know that going in!

I would give this a 3.5 star rating, but rounded to 4!

Thanks to NetGalley and the Publisher for an ARC. All opinions are my own.

Thanks to the publishers for the advanced copy.

The author's descriptive writing style was a real gem! Let me tell you, there's no shortage of spicy moments between Luke and Harper. When those passionate scenes hit, their connection becomes very real. You can practically reach out and touch it. Brace yourself! Both characters will tug at your heartstrings once you uncover the juicy truth, leaving you hanging on the edge, dying to know how it all pans out. Don't just take my word for it, though. Dive into the book yourself to uncover the conclusion!

Pretend You're Mine is a quick, enjoyable, character focused read. Admittedly, I am not much of a romance reader, but Lucy Score sure knows how to do it.

This one was a total grumpy + sunshine / fake dating / small town trope train.

I've only read one other book by Score, but she also knows how to add a small element of suspense to her books.

If small-town romance, strong characters, and found family are your thing, it's worth checking out.

I had a hard time getting into Pretend You’re Mine at first because everything felt a little too convenient/fast in Luke and Harper’s relationship. The joke’s on me though, because I ended up getting sucked into their story and I couldn’t put it down! Harper and Luke were so sweet together and I loved the epilogue and how it all tied back together.

Oh Queen Lucy, I refuse to hear any criticism about anything she writes. This book had me hooked from the beginning and left me feeling all the feels!

Lucy Score never misses!! This was such a beautiful, emotional story that ripped my heart to pieces and then put it back together again. I loved following Harper and Luke (and love a fake dating trope) while they tried to conquer/overcome their pasts. And I love that this not only focuses on the two of them and their romantic relationships, but all other types of relationships in their lives as well! It gives the book the extra “it” factor that we all need!

At times Like was soooo frustrating to read about (actually, so was Harper), but with the past they both have, it’s understandable. The character development was great!

Also loved the alternating POV to be able
To look inside the minds of both sides of the story!

Well by the time I was done this book I looked like a raccoon. Why you asked? Well for two reasons; I couldn’t put it down so I stayed up until the early morning hours until I finished it and second of all because I had tears in my eyes both sad and happy at different times.
The story pulled every emotion out of me that you can think of. Yes there were times of frustration so bad I wanted to throttle the hero, Luke. Yet I could feel his pain. Harper, oh Harper, such a strong female character. I don’t do spoilers. I feel it’s not fair to the author. You can read the blurb and get the gist. Better yet read the book. It’s my job to tell you how I reacted to a book. This is a story that deserves to be read. You deserve to find out every little detail going on in this story.
The secondary characters are almost as important to the story as the two main characters. There’s a lot going on in Benevolence. You’ll get everything you’re looking for and so much more, smiles, laughs, tears, that good ole hometown feel, heat, heart thumping moments, intrigue, drama and hope. Yes, your heartstrings will be pulled in all directions. One of my favorite parts was the correspondence between Luke and Harper. For the most part it put a great big old smile on my face. This book brings up a lot to think about and how people handle things differently in their own time. Thanks Lucy for always getting to the heart of a matter. You never seem to disappoint!

I want to thank Netgalley, the author and the publisher for giving me a chance to read this book...

I loved it! When a chance at being someone's heroine turns into a "pretend" relationship it was a good beach read

This book really just took me for a ride. I loved the build up, the character development, and the writing. I would definitely read more from this author!

I love Lucy! All of her books are great. Although it wasn't my favorite book of hers, I did thoroughly enjoy it!

This is my first Lucy Score book and it will not be my last. I fell in love with her writing and how she creates these adorable small town families. I loved Luke and Harper and their relationship. They grew so much together and it was so much fun to read. I also was just never bored while reading this, which is rare for a romance that is over 400 pages long. I loved all of the side characters and their relationships that they created with Harper, especially those who are Luke's family. I can't wait to read more in this series!

I just struggled to get into this one. I did not finish it. I can see where others will enjoy it though.

This was *SHOCKINGLY* (I know!) my first Lucy Score book! I know this was a re-release but I'm truly so happy I was able to read it this time around. She creates beautiful characters, and engaging plot and a seemless storyline. I loved this small town romance where Harper and Luke could find their happily ever after. Had everything from spice to sweet. Loved this one!

Thank you to Lucy Score and Netgalley for the ARC in exchange for my honest review.

Lucy Score can do no wrong. This was a reread for me for the release and I loved it just as much this time around! Highly highly recommend.

Personally, I didn't love the book. A lot of the chemistry that was supposed to be between the characters just wasn't there. Like, it was extremely strained. And to be honest, she seemed way to good for him. For instance, he got mad at her for everything, and was hypocritical about secrets when he had a very important one, too. It just didn't seem that put together to me. The ending was a bit rushed, in my opinion. This just didn't have the same power to it that Lucy Score usually has. I love her books, read them almost religiously, and this one was a let down to me.

I do enjoy this author but compared to some of her other books (like Things We Hide from the Light and Things We Never Got Over), I just wasn't as excited about this read.

Lucy Score books have deep stories and this one is included in that! The characters are complex and the plot is engaging. I'm so glad I got to read her two new books!

Thank you NetGalley and Lucy Score!

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for this Advanced Copy of Pretend You're Mine by Lucy Score.

Thank you to NetGalley and Sourcebooks Bloom Books for the ARC of Pretend You're Mine by Lucy Score.

Pretend You're Mine tells the story of Harper Wilde who after a truly terrible day discovers that she has been driving for hours in the wrong direction and has run out of gas. She gets out of her car in the middle of a domestic dispute and without a second though launches herself at the guy. Harper gets in a few hits before the guy lays her out. Harper comes to with the most gorgeous guy ever leaning over her. He takes her into the bar whose parking lot they're in to get cleaned up. His name is Luke Garrison and his sister, Sophie, happens to be tending the bar. It comes out that Harper is homeless and has no money for gas so Sophie suggests Harper crash with Luke for the night. Luke begrudgingly agrees. Despite living in a gorgeous huge house, he only owns one bed and a crappy couch so they end up sharing the bed. They eventually decide to be in a pretend relationship for the month until Luke deploys to give Harper time to get on her feet and Luke a chance to get his family off his back. Of course, the two have a huge attraction to each other and the fake relationship line is continually tested.

Pretend You're Mine is a perfectly fine romance. It is longer than a typical romance novel so the characters are well-developed and there are plenty of opportunities for growth. I didn't find anything groundbreaking in the story but enjoyed reading it.