If We Pretend by Chrissy Hopewell
Release Date: October 10th
4/5 Stars
Thank you Chrissy Hopewell and Fox Hollow Publishing for my advanced copy in exchange for my review.

Fake dating has always been one of my most favorite rom com themes, and the fact that this one takes place in Scotland (first location on my travel bucket list), I knew I was going to not only read it, but enjoy it.

Reese finds herself in Scotland for the summer while her daughter takes part in soccer camp. What she doesn’t plan on is that her ex-husband and his new fiancée (her ex-best friend) would also have the same idea. When assistant coach, and former bad boy, Oliver recognizes her distress, he comes up with an ingenious plan: they will fake date for the summer. Reese will have protection from her ex-best friend’s reconciliation plans, but he will have a “safe” girlfriend to help him with his own reconciliation plans. What they don’t factor in is their insane chemistry. The summer just got more interesting for the both of them!

This book was the quintessential romantic comedy. Reese and Oliver had attraction and chemistry from the start, so their love story felt real and organic. Their motivation was clear, even as their relationship got more murky. The only real issue I had with the book was Reese’s continued insistence on mending fences with her exes. With every character telling her she didn’t need to forgive, I found myself agreeing more and more. However, this didn’t stop me from enjoying the book, and I would certainly read it again!

This book needs 10+ stars ************
I loved this book soooo much. Fake dating is 1 of my favourite tropes so I have read quite a few books on it and this one has been by far the best I have read all year maybe even it was Awesome!
The characters were great, the chemistry was fire, there was 1 spicy scene and they didn't overload it too much. Sometimes they just add way too much and miss out on the sweet moments you know.
Reese's life has so much going on and I felt so bad for her, but she is a kick-butt person and I loved that. She needed a reset and this time away (vacation was supposed to give her that time) while her daughter was training at soccer camp. Then she finds out that her best friend(ex I guess you could also say) and her ex-husband also is staying for the same time and kinda close by. Her friend wants to spend this time recovering their friendship but Reese really doesn't want to be around either of them and I definitely understand that. Well, this whole story gets soooo good and entertaining.
Enters Oliver, her daughter's soccer coach and fake-date. They are sooo adorable together and there are so many fun things that they do. This is the part where I can't say anymore bc you just have to go read the book and you def need to. I think if you like from coms, you will enjoy it but def if you like the fake-dating tropes.
Go read it!!!!! You will not regret it :)

I am so glad to have been given the chance to read this book in advance (ARC), thanks to the publisher and to NetGalley, such a great book. The above is my opinion/review. It's honest and voluntary.

A very cute read. One can never go wrong with fake dating. Their story was so enjoyable to read, and i loved the length; not too long and not too short either.

Hot Scottish ex football player fake dates divorced Mum. A cute rom com with likeable characters and great chemistry!
Reese is looking forward to spending some time in Scotland while her daughter is at soccer camp. She is hoping to get away from her ex and his new fiancé who is Reece’s bff! When the ex and bff turn up she hatches a plan to fake date the hot soccer coach to get through the awkward situation.
Oliver is trying to get his life together after his professional career ended. He has a son he never sees and needs to find out what he wants from life. Then along comes Reece and sparks fly.
This is such a cute heartfelt comedy! The characters are detailed and well rounded. There are no good guys or bad guys. The way that the two main characters develop their relationship is sweet and the problems they have are solved with sense!!!!!!!
Oliver is the perfect MMc with his protective charm and insecurities and Reese is a strong female who doesn’t realise how amazing she is and learning to create boundaries.
Highly recommend this one!
Thank you to the author, publisher and netgalley for this arc in exchange for an honest review.

This book had me smiling, laughing, crying and giving me all the feels! Chrissy has just become a must read author for me. Some of my favorite tropes is sports and fake dating/romance and this book did not disappoint.
Reece's relationship with her ex's is crazy and I am here for it. So is Oliver! LOL
Oliver has his own past and things to get through. Him and Reece together makes me swoon - fake or not. The story keeps you going and wanting to finish it before you put it down.
Even the side relationships in this book are so good.
If you like the fake relationship trope, don't sleep on this book!

Book review/ ARC: If We Pretend by Chrissy Hopewell

4 stars (rounded up from from 3.75)

I love football (I refuse to call it soccer 😅) and really think there aren’t enough books yet that revolve around this sport - romance novels in particular because, oh the stories that one could tell & link them to football! Sooo… naturally, when I heard about If We Pretend by Chrissy Hopewell, I requested an ARC IMMEDIATELY- and was psyched when it was approved!

Reese is freshly divorced and decides to “reset” in Scotland where her teenage daughter is joining a football camp. She didn’t expect her ex-husband and his new fiancé (Reese’s former best friend, yikes!) to show up as well. Thank God for Oliver, her daughter’s coach and retired football player who is struggling to find his place after his career has been cut short due to an injury.

This was a really cute and entertaining read. I loved the setting (Scotland, hello!!) and thought the struggles that both MCs face and obstacles they have to overcome felt real and relatable. While I’m not always a fan of the fake dating trope, I thought it worked fine here; in the end, Reese and Oliver helped each other grow & brought out the best in each other - and I was totally here for it.

(Oh, and you don’t have to be a football fan to enjoy this one; it’s still easy to follow even if you have no clue what offside, penalty shootout, injury time etc. means. Personally though, I think that you should know what it means! No, just kidding!)

Thank you @netgalley, @chrissyhopewell and Fox Hollow Publishing for the gifted ARC. If We Pretend is out today!

*4.5

Oliver and Reece are cute together. They could not fake date for anything, the attraction was too real. I liked that wasn't his reason for being a better person but she kept him on track. I do wish that we saw more of him and Lucas but considering he was a bad dad for the first 10 years, the progression makes sense.

I received an arc through netgalley.

Reese Hart is escaping to Scotland to reset her crazy life while her daughter is off at soccer camp for part of the summer. She's still dealing with the emotional fallout of her ex-husband and her ex-best friend hooking up. She ends up meeting Oliver Vass, an ex-soccer player trying to get his life back together, while she's there.

When Reese's ex and his fiancé show up in Scotland, too, it's easy for her and Oliver to come up with a fake dating plan. It's good for his image, and gives her a way to avoid her ex. The banter and the chemistry between Reese and Oliver is delicious. Great spicy scenes, but not too much. Fun plot, great characters, believable relationship building. I love a good fake dating romance, and this one was so much fun!

Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for the advanced digital reader's copy (ARC) in exchange for an honest review!

Football (soccer for Americans), faking dating and romance? Yes please!

Reese is a 37 year old divorced, single mom of 16 year old Chelsea. Oliver is 32, Chelsea's soccer coach, and rebuilding his life while attempting to reestablish a relationship with his son Lucas. They decide to fake date in order to help each other.

I really loved this book. I laughed. I cried. As with most fake dating books, their relationship felt real the entire time. Their chemistry was undeniable 🔥 and it was beautiful to experience their deepening connection. Reese and Oliver brought out sides of one another that they desperately needed but weren't able to actualize without the other. I found the book to be realistic without being overbearingly so. Conflicts were resolved in meaningful ways. I just adore this couple and am really looking forward to reading the deleted scene when it is released!

5⭐️

Honestly, what more could I ever want in a book? Swoony romance? Soccer sub-plot? SCOTLAND SETTING? This romance is everything. Normally the single parent trope is not one I enjoy, but I really appreciated how sympathetic it made Reese and really elevated her character arc. AND FAKE DATING? Perfection. I can't wait to reread this!

Reese needs to reset. Her divorce is finalized and her husband is already engaged: to her (former) best friend Britt. Reese's daughter Chelsea has gotten a spot at a prestigious soccer camp in Scotland, so Reese figures a month in Scotland is the perfect way to reset.

The only problem is her husband and his fiancée had a similar idea, and now they're all trapped in Scotland. When Reese initially sees him, she almost drops to the floor, but Oliver, one of Chelsea's coaches, keeps her steady.

Oliver and Reese become friendly and Oliver proposes a crazy idea: what if they pretend they're dating to keep Reese away from her ex and ex-BFF who keeps making overtures to become friends again? The deal doesn't only benefit Reese: Oliver needs to improve his image and wholesome, lovable Reese is just the thing to make him seem like a grown up. Of course they need ground rules, one of which is: the fake relationship ends when Reese flies home.

Unfortunately, it's clear pretty early on that neither of them are faking it and they have a real connection. But long-distance can't work when Reese's life in is NJ and Oliver's life is in Scotland.

This book was delightful to read. Reese and Oliver's chemistry was wonderful and I loved that the conflicts were (mostly) handled as a team since many romances fall back on the miscommunication trope. I was hoping that Reese would start screaming at Adrian and (more specifically) Britt, but she's less vengeful than I am I suppose. I had a great time reading this, and I will definitely be recommending this for purchase and RA.

Thank you to NetGalley for an ARC.

This was a fun book by Chrissy Hopewell. I found the beginning entertaining and despite feeling a little lost in the middle I enjoyed the ending. Thank you for the light, summer read.

This is an absolute charmer! First, who doesn't love a hot Scottish guy? Second, both characters are over the age of 30, which is a MAJOR win IMO. Beyond these superficial wins, though, this is a sweet and funny pair I was so happy to root for. Also, again, hot Scottish dude!

Gosh, I really loved this one. Fake dating is such a fun read and this book is so wonderful because of it! This book really got 4.5 stars and then I rounded up because it was just so wonderful!

I loved the main characters, Oliver and Reese. Oliver is a former pro-football (soccer for us Americans) and he’s trying to restart his life. He’s learned from mistakes and he’s working towards correcting them. Reese is in Scotland with her daughter for her football camp, to reset her life too. Unfortunately, her ex husband and ex best friend showed up too. Just the perfect set up for a great story!

A few warnings: A little spicy, but nothing too raunchy. There is a little bit of language. But those things flow with the storyline.
Their banter is so fun and fabulous. And the supporting characters and so fun (minus the exs).

Such a great book! Thank you to NetGalley, publishers, and the author for allowing me to read this one!

This Dual POV Sport Romance was a fast paced, fun read. It had a beautiful setting, and made me reminisce about my time in Scotland. The character growth was heart warming and realistic to read; they consistently seemed like a genuine couple trying to solve real life problems. Overall it was so sweet and had some great spice too.

Single Mom
Sport Romance
Dual POV
Summer Fling
Fake Dating

Thank you for the chance to read this!


I will not be posting a review to Instagram grid however I am happy to keep this in my stories and keep promoting this cute book.

A lovely story, I really enjoyed this book and I loved the main characters and their love story. Some of the side characters were insufferable and I was glad when the FMC finally put her foot down and removed them from her life. A good romcom set in Scotland

This was actually really lovely. I don’t love a fake dating story, but this so much more about finding yourself and being honest with yourself and with those around you. Also perks for having millennial MCs who didn’t fully have everything figured out!!

Oliver and Reese were just both so perfectly imperfect and perfect for each other. I adored watching their story unfold and watching them support one another.

This was a super easy and addictive read, which I finished in the span of just a few hours. This story was also unexpectedly, deliciously spicy which I loved!

I was given an ARC by NetGalley and the author. All opinions are my own.

This book sets of with a bang, on vacation with Reese in Scotland.

She is in her 30s with a lot going on (including parenthood).

Her daughter is on soccer camp for the month.

Oliver is a former professional soccer player who is currently helping out at the camp.

They have such a sweet connection makes you swoon.

This was such a sweet read. Reese and Oliver were absolutely adorable. I loved they were both a little bit lost but in different ways. It was great the plot wasn't rushed. They got to know each other through their fake dating, they spent so much time with learning about one another and it was sweet to read about it.

I loved Reese helped Oliver to see he was more than what he thought himself to be due to his parents. And I loved that Reese also grew as a person, learnt to stand up for herself.

It was also great how supportive Reese's daughter was and the same for those close to Oliver, the people who really cared for him.

I really liked this sweet little read and I agree with Oliver, it's football, not soccer.

Oh my goodness, this was wonderful! As a soccer mom myself, I couldn’t help but love “If We Pretend”. Thanks to @netgalley for the chance to review it! Divorced mom Reese heads to Scotland for a reset while her daughter is at soccer (football) camp. She meets Oliver, former soccer star. Her ex-husband (and ex-best friend) also arrive, so of course, a fake relationship must be planned!! Super sweet and pretty spicy, this was an absolute pleasure to read!