Thank you Bloom Books and netgalley for a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review!

This book was so good! It had me on an emotional rollercoaster!! I was sobbing and laughing and giggling the whole time. I was captivated from the very start and could not put the book down.

I can't wait to check out the rest of the series!

Pretend You're Mine: ★★★★☆ (4)

"Pretend You're Mine" by Lucy Score is a delightful and heartwarming romance novel that skillfully combines fake dating with genuine emotions, creating a story that's both sweet and steamy. This book is a perfect escape into a world of small-town charm, relatable characters, and the power of love to heal and transform.

The story revolves around Luke Garrison, a strong, brooding National Guard member about to be deployed, and Harper, a woman who's been on the move, searching for a place to call home. When their paths unexpectedly cross, Luke hatches a plan to use Harper as a decoy, a fake girlfriend to fend off his family's well-intentioned meddling during his deployment. What begins as a pretend relationship quickly evolves into something much deeper as the two characters discover an undeniable chemistry and a shared desire for love and connection.

Lucy Score's writing is engaging and filled with witty banter that adds humor and charm to the story. Luke and Harper are both endearing characters with their own vulnerabilities and past traumas, making them relatable and easy to root for. Luke's protective nature and Harper's resilience create a perfect balance in their relationship, and their journey from strangers to lovers is beautifully portrayed.

What sets "Pretend You're Mine" apart is the emotional depth and authenticity of the characters' experiences. Both Luke and Harper carry scars from their pasts, and their individual growth and healing add layers of complexity to the story. The author handles their personal challenges with sensitivity and grace, highlighting the power of love and acceptance in overcoming obstacles.

The small-town setting adds a cozy and welcoming backdrop to the romance, and the secondary characters, including Luke's family and friends, contribute to the warmth and community spirit of the narrative. The book captures the essence of a tight-knit town where everyone knows each other's business, but also looks out for one another.

As the fake relationship starts to feel all too real, the sexual tension between Luke and Harper sizzles, leading to steamy and passionate moments that will leave readers breathless. The chemistry between them is palpable, and their love story is both heartwarming and intensely satisfying.

In conclusion, "Pretend You're Mine" is a feel-good romance that will tug at your heartstrings and leave you with a smile on your face. Lucy Score has crafted a story that combines the charm of small-town life with the power of love to heal and transform. It's a tale of second chances, trust, and the beauty of finding home in the arms of someone you never expected. If you're a fan of contemporary romance with genuine emotions and a dash of humor, this book is a must-read.

All the small-town feel-good vibes!!! The story follows Harper who runs away after she catches her boss/boyfriend with another woman, she runs off without even grabbing her things and has no idea where she is going. She ends up in a crazy situation that leads her to meeting Luke.

Harper was feisty, confident, goofy and all around so much fun to read about. Luke and Harper decide that it would benefit both of them to start "fake" dating. They both have their reasons for wanting to fake date each other, but what happens when the lines are blurred and fake starts feeling a lot more like real. You could feel the chemistry between these two coming off the pages!! I thought my kindle was on fire!

The banter between the two, the small town found family and the set up for the next book were really well done. I am excited to see what comes next.

I adore Lucy Score, but this series was just not it for me. So much cringe, and it was really hard to believe in the insta-love. Not to mention, the series of events in this series just seemed super unrealistic.

I really enjoyed this small-town romance! Some of the dialogue was a bit cringey, but overall, I enjoyed the story and the side characters. The romance was way too insta-love for me, but the side characters made up for the speedy romance (the side characters really made the book for me, to be honest). Overall, I'd recommend this if you don't mind insta-love.

I dnf'd!! you can tell this is an older book of hers...... i sure hope this ins't the lucy writing that everyone loves at least.

I made it to 30%_… you can tell this is an older title of hers, she’s a much better writer now. I had to stop after they mentioned his “heavy sack” twice in the span of 5 pages.

I did not finish this one, it was not for me, I couldn't relate to the characters, and just did not care for the story.

Summary: Harper is trying to reinvent herself, yet again. She stumbles into a town and meets Luke. He convinces her to be his fake girlfriend and offers her a job while she figures out her next steps. Everything is going fine until their feelings start to blossom but both of their pasts hold them back from exploring a future.

Thoughts: What a ride this book was! It starts off very charming but a little simple. There was A LOT of the whole “pick me” girl vibe going that I was notttt into.

By the halfway mark though, it really starts to redeem itself and from there I didn’t want to put it down.

This book had a touch of suspense, an adorable town, a fun cast of characters and a heart wrenching story. I loved the story being about a soldier without following the typical storyline there.

This book had all my emotions flowing, I was sobbing at one point. I absolutely loved the heroine and how the small town takes her in as one of their own. Cannot wait to read on in the series.

I absolutely loved this story. Generally, military is a big no for me because it hits too close to home but I really enjoyed this one. I also usually prefer romance novels to be a little shorter but I was sad this one wasn't longer!

A small town romance with all the feels! This book was an emotional read for me! I happy cried sad cried! I overall love this book the the female lead is AWESOME!
I also want to thank NetGalley for an ARC of Pretend You’re Mine by Lucy Score.

Small towns are great. I think that’s the best piece of this book - the whole cast of townsfolk that band together in such quirky ways. Sure, Luke and Harper are sometimes sweet, but they are all the time tumultuous. I struggled with a few themes in the book being just glossed over and I really feel like we barely got any Harper back story. Overall, an ok romance with a great small town.

Thank you NetGalley, Bloom Books, and author Lucy Score for the ARC in exchange for my honest review.

This was a fun, small town romance!

Harper finds her boyfriend cheating on her, and jumps into the car (without her phone, purse, money) in the direction of what she thinks is her friend's house. Two hours later, she realizes she was going the wrong way, is out of gas, in basically a small, middle of nowhere town. The opening scene was absolutely hilarious to me, and caused Harper to become a hero of sorts to the locals.

She ends up staying in the town, finds kindness from strangers, and accepts the opportunity to be Luke’s fake girlfriend. I don’t typically enjoy fake dating tropes, but this one was cute and had me smiling throughout.

Read this if you like
❤️Fake dating
🌶Spice
🇺🇸Military romance
⚡️Insta-love

Thank you to NetGalley for this copy in exchange for my honest review.

Not for me, I'm sorry. Too long. The hero was too much of an asshole and the heroine too much of a pushover. Almost felt abusive. I didn't get the romance.

I didn't post this publicly because I prefer to only share positive reviews. Thank you for the chance!

Unfortunately had to dnf this arc. The characters were obnoxious and the storyline wasn't very interesting.

Wow I don’t even know where to begin for my review. I couldn’t put this book down. The chemistry of Harper and Luke was off the charts! And the spice was holy moly, so hot! I loved the characters of the town and the small town setting. The plot was great and overall I enjoyed the hell out of this book. I knew I loved Lucy Score and her writing, especially her alpha male characters but this book took me by surprise in such a good way!

I’ve loved every book I’ve read by Lucy Score and PRETEND YOU’RE MINE was no different! This was a fun and quick read with great characters, a well-developed storyline, and just a breeze to get through.

Thanks to NetGalley and Bloom Books for the opportunity to read and review PRETEND YOU’RE MINE.

Short synopsis: Luke Garrison meets Harper after she breaks up an abusive relationship in a bar parking lot. Swearing to just fake date to get his parents off his back until he’s deployed he falls hard, and quick.

My thoughts: Wow this one had a lot to unpack. Heartbreak from the loss of a previous relationship, deployed National Guard Hero, abuse, fake dating, just once to get it out of our system, small town romance, tragic past and I can go on and on. No wonder this one was so thick!

I enjoyed the majority of this, Luke was a pain in the butt! He needs therapy and I say that with the best of intentions. He was sweet and caring (and possessive) when he wanted to be, and a total jerk when things got rough. Harper was sunshine, mystery, and hard headed.

I really liked all the side characters in this one, and I know we get Gloria’s story next (which I’m worried and excited for).

This was quite a bit (okay a lot) steamier than I usually read. Just giving you a heads up, it’s easy to skim through the open door scenes if it’s not your thing.

Read if you love:
- Small town romances
- Tragic pasts
- Fake dating
- Just one time to get it out of our system
- Deployed heros

Lucy Score is my mew favorite author. I read my first Lucy Score book in 2023, and I have a goal to read all her published books. Loved Pretend You're Mine with all my heart, just as I have wholeheartedly loved every single one of her other books!

Trigger warnings in the book

I wanted to like this book. And at times I did.. but there were also times I did not.
The main character Harper is a little too optimistic and too cheerful, making you feel she can't be real at all. She is too good to be true. , actions she lost her parents at the age of 6 and grew up in foster care, she was hungry for love. That is why, my heart ached for her. I cried for her so many time.
But the writing just wasn’t for me.