Luke and Harper are in a relationship or are they? This is the first book in the series and I thoroughly enjoyed it. Harper has gone through loss and trauma but doesn't let that impact her life views. Luke has shut down since his loss and doesn't let any relationship go to far because he needs to protect himself. A solid 3.75 star read.



**********************************I received an ARC for my honest opinion from NetGalley.******************************

* I received an e-copy of this book from NetGalley. Thank you NetGalley and Bloom Booms for this book. All thoughts are my own.

I really liked Harper, and look forward to Aldo and Gloria’s book, but Luke just really got on my nerves. And I don’t think it was necessarily that he was healing from the past but just his character in general. There was such a lack of communication in this book but also an insta-love vibe that felt real odd. Luke let’s Harper stay at his house because she’s lost and can’t make it to her friends house that night, and then immediately they start this friends with benefits-esque relationship thing that just all sounds like a bad idea. With that comes a LOT of spicy scenes! Of course she falls in love with him after a month, he’s definitely in love with her but won’t admit it, and the plan was to break off their relationship when he leaves for deployment but then at the last second he decides not to break it off. Then the ending was so incredibly rushed that it made my head spin, with a surprise twist that only sort of made sense to the story.

I’d recommend other Lucy Score books, just not this one. The cover is also really cheesy looking and keeps reminding me of a YA novel and throws me off each time I see it.

"Pretend You're Mine" by Lucy Score is a heartwarming romance novel that will leave readers swooning. Luke Garrison, a hometown hero and member of the National Guard, is ready to deploy again. But when he meets the beautiful Harper, he realizes she is the perfect decoy to keep his family off his back until he deploys. Harper is on her way to starting a new life when she stumbles into Luke's life. Soon, one night of sharing a bed turns into something much more, and Luke can't keep his mind or his hands off of Harper.

The chemistry between Luke and Harper is undeniable, and their love story is heartwarming. Luke's dark past and Harper's secret add to the tension, making the story even more captivating. The author does an excellent job of creating believable characters with relatable issues that readers will connect with.

The small-town setting adds to the charm of the story, and the military aspect brings a unique angle to the romance. The writing is engaging, and the pacing is perfect, making it a quick and enjoyable read. Overall, "Pretend You're Mine" is a must-read for fans of romance, military fiction, and contemporary fiction.

The pacing of this book was wild and the third act twist was VERY random but sigh, I do love a Lucy Score book! I loved the town and the events and the characters and the main couple. So sweet, I’m glad I read! 3.5/5, rounded up.

I should have known better when I only “kinda” liked the first Knockemout book. I didn’t love the cheesy lines and toxic relationships in that one and they definitely continue in this one.

Okay so I have a lot of feelings about this book. I will start by saying, I think I love Lucy Score’s romances. Admittedly, this is only the third one that I’ve read but, despite my mixed feelings about the content, I’ve been immediately drawn into every fictional relationship I’ve read so far. She has a rare of talent of good writing, a solid love story and A+ spice.

That being said, there was a lot going on in this book. You can tell she’s really honed her writing and voice since this came out. Even some of her spicy language has changed since this published (it was the “feeding” and “heavy sack” that gave me the ick). The pacing wasn’t great, and truly I think insta-love is hard to write and make it feel believable and get the reader invested in the relationship to see it through a third act breakup.

I struggled with the military aspect at first, but I found as the story went on it became less of a thing for me.

Until Luke’s unchecked PTSD and shoved-down grief legit made me want to shake him. He’s repeatedly called a dumbass through the last part of the book and that is 100% accurate. Just because you say you can’t let yourself love someone and can’t say the actual words while you’re simultaneously saying you can’t breathe without them and then borderline stalking them to make sure they’re okay… buddy, you’re in love. He strung Harper along for the majority of the book and fucked with hers (and tbh the reader’s) feelings.

I genuinely liked Harper and I didn’t find she was overly (annoyingly) sunshiny to Luke’s grump. She knew her worth, she was resilient and she was able to stay optimistic without falling into the toxic positivity camp. And while there was half a moment where I wanted to shake her for taking Luke back so quickly, she knew what she wanted and I also felt like she wouldn’t stand for less than what she knew she deserved.

Tropes included: insta-love, one bed, fake dating (tbh I kinda forgot the book started as fake dating by the end)

Oh and spice in the first 30%? Heck yes.

⭐️⭐️⭐️ | 🌶️🌶️

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for a copy of the book in exchange for honest review.

Lucy does is again! I have found I love anything she writes. The writing is thoughtful & intentional, and the characters are believable. I appreciate that because I usually look to reading a Lucy Score book when I’m taking a break from my usual fantasy reads. 5 stars in my book.

I don’t know what it is about a mean hero, but I love them. Luke was such a jerk but I warmed up to him after a while. The heroine was so likable and always had a positive outlook on her situation.

Lucy Score does is again. “Pretend You’re Mine” is a spicy but emotional romance that will certainly be a book-tok favorite. Add this to your list!

4.5 stars from me.

I loved this. All throughout this book I was laughing, I was crying, I was getting angry at Luke. It was honestly a roller coaster of emotions built into a great story line.

Harper is an incredible character. Despite everything she’s been through she’s tough, resilient, and still has such a positive outlook on life. She didn’t give up on Luke no matter how many times he pushed her to do just that and she was just all around a wonderful character to read about.

I did love the romance between her and Luke. Even if he was an idiot most of the time. It was still a sweet, healing love story and I enjoyed every minute of it.

This book was awesome. Swept me along from the first page. Harper is down on her luck, running from her past when she meets Luke, and the rest of the town. What starts out as a friendly gesture of a place to stay for a night, turns into a job, a family, and friends. For the first time in her life, Harper feels like she belongs. That is ,until Lukes past comes between them.
The story was heartfelt and had it all - family, love, friendship, and second chances. Truly a wonderful read.
I received an advance copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.

Most of my personal preferences were avoided in this book and my annoying troupes were evident, however the friends I read with loved it. I wouldn't let it deter you from giving it a go. Lucy Score tends to write about 100 pages too much for me so I find myself skimming a lot.

We all love a flawed hero. Here ya go!

Harper finds her way to the small town of Benevolence after accidentally taking a wrong turn. Her firecracker personality quickly catches the attention of everyone in town, especially Luke. The two enter into a (supposedly) fake relationship in order to placate his family when it comes to his dating life and make sure they know the relationship will end when he has to leave for a 6 month deployment with the military.


I’m learning that even if the characters make me roll my eyes, I cannot put Lucy’s books down. The stories fully captivate me and make me want to keep reading. Luke could easily be one of the best book boyfriends out there, if he’d just calm down a teensy bit and reel in his asshole-ness.

I loved every single side character who kept Harper and Luke in like and all of the fun side stories. There were also plenty of twists and turns to keep the story interesting throughout! Highly recommend this if you can over look Luke and his caveman personality!

Thank you SO much to Sourcebook Bloom, Bloom Books, and #netgalley for an eARC of this reprint in exchange for an honest review!!

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