Title: If We Pretend
Author: Chrissy Hopewell
Genre: sports romance

*Thank you Netgalley and Chrissy Hopewell for this ARC read*

Summary:
Reese takes her teenage daughter to a soccer camp in Scotland. Her plan is to reset and take a month to get away from her ex-husband and ex-best friend who are now engaged to each other. What she doesn’t plan is for them to show up and stay for the whole month too. Enter Oliver. He’s Reese’s daughter’s hot soccer coach and he offers the perfect solution- fake date so that Reese doesn’t have to spend time with her ex-husband and ex-best friend. Only problem: they may get more than they bargain for.

5⭐️ - I loved this book. It was a little steamy and I liked that Reese was the older one in the book. I liked the Scottish lingo. There is even a Scottish dictionary in the back. This offers romance, steamy scenes (but not too explicit), banter, and depth.

There is language and a couple scenes

As a sports fan I really enjoyed this book, loved the writing style and great character development.

If I've said it once, I've said it a thousand times: fake dating is the best romance trope there is. And because it's the best, it can be hard to find new, fresh ways to incorporate it. Chrissy Hopewell seemed to have no trouble with that!

From the very beginning, I was sucked in by the plot. A beautiful Scottish setting? Check. Realistic characters who you can't help but root for? Check. Spicy yet sweet scenes that leave nothing up for interpretation? Check, check!

I don't usually find myself connecting with characters who have children since I don't have any of my own nor do I plan to; however, both Reese and Oliver were such compassionate parents while also being realistic human beings, it made it extremely easy to become invested in their lives and stories, especially with the side plots involving their children. And their love affair, it truly felt so genuine and organic. I loved watching something as nonsensical as fake dating develop into a relationship that could've been based on a real life couple. It was both surprising yet grounding, and truly speaks to the talent of Hopewell.

The only reasons this book isn't receiving a five star rating from me is because sometimes the pacing seemed a tad bit off, though not enough to deter me from reading or enjoying the story, and the Scottish dialect in which Oliver both spoke and narrated came off a bit much for my taste, personally. Again though, none of this made me enjoy the story or the characters any less.

This is the first time I've read a book by Chrissy Hopewell, but it won't be my last.

Firstly thank you for the opportunity to read this ARC.
Not very often do I come across books set in Scotland and as a Scottish person I love books set 'at home'.

I really struggled with this 'Romcom' and would say it is more a Self discovery and break through type than a light hearted romantic comedy. There are light hearted moments but with divorce, lying, gaslighting and realisation it is not the bubbly Scottish football romance I thought I was going to read.
Overall it was a good book but I feel the MC caught feelings a bit too quickly and it made the book drag a little.

This book was one of my favorites. Their romance was believable, heart-warming, and complex. I never thought I would believe a fake dating trope could actually happen in real life, but this is as believable as it gets. Nothing warms my heart more than watching the development of characters individually in their relationship, and the female MC did just that. By the end of the book, you're happy with the relationship, but also with each of the characters' individual progress. The only thing that was difficult for me was learning all the Scottish slang/terminology as an American BUT it was super fun and I got used to it after a while. This is definitely worth a read!

If We Pretend takes us on a journey to Scotland. We are introduced to Reese and Oliver.
Reese is a divorced mother of a teenage daughter who goes to a soccer camp in Scotland. She co parents with her ex husband who happens to be engaged to her ex best friend.
Oliver used to be a soccer player who lived and breathed soccer. He got injured and that ended his soccer career. He is coaching at this soccer camp.
Reese and Oliver meet and game up to pretend to dare to help keep Reese’s ex’s away.
What happens after these two spend a whole month of fake dating? What will happen when the month ends and Reese goes back to New Jersey?
This was a sweet novel! I loved both characters. You could feel the love between them from the start.

Reese has the perfect plan: stay in Scotland for 4 weeks while her daughter is at soccer camp, reset her life after the engagement of her ex-husband and ex-best friend, and enjoy some peace and quiet!

She's tired of acting like the bigger person and tired of pretending the exes have her blessing. Four weeks away is the perfect solution to all her problems!

Except, the exes had a similar idea and now they're in Scotland for 4 weeks, too, and they want to spend the time with Reese.

<i>"I truly dinna want to witness a murder on day one of camp."</i>

Oliver is trying to repair his life after an injury ended his pro-football (soccer for us Americans) career, a bender ruined his reputation, and poor choices led him to all but abandon his son.

When a beautiful American woman, and mother to one of the players he's coaching, seems to go into shock on the field, a strange urge to protect her surfaces. Soon, the two become unlikely friends, and Oliver makes a modest proposal...

...pretend to date to protect Reese from her nosy exes and help Oliver repair his image. Reese will be gone in a few weeks, so there should be no chance of feelings developing, right?

<i>"And I tell you how the past month has been the happiest of my life, knowing I would get to hold you in my arms and kiss you and tell you everything that came into my head."</i>

There are so many layers to this story. Reese is finally learning to set boundaries with two people who screwed her over but somehow want her to accept their friendship. She's trying to be a good mom, a good friend, and has completely lost sight of who she is and what she wants.

Oliver's character is my favorite, though. He made so many terrible choices in his past, and he's coming to terms with them and trying to grow. More than that, he lets Reese help him realize that those terrible choices don't define him, and he's still worthy of love and affection!

If We Pretend is a delightful, and surprisingly deep, romance for fans of sexy Scottish accents and women rediscovering who they are! Be prepared to swoon while the unlikely pair unwittingly falls in love while dealing with real-life issues.

And the grand gesture is perfect! It isn't over the top or cheesy. It allows Oliver to be who he wants to be AND allows them to be together. Bravo!!

Thank you, Chrissy Hopewell and NetGalley, for the opportunity to read this book! All thoughts and opinions are my own.

A sweet romance between a divorced mother and a former football player searching for a new goal in life, “If We Pretend”, by Chrissy Hopewell (Fox Hollow Publishing), features genuine characters with vulnerabilities and flaws that make them relatable.
I liked that both Reese and Oliver display their doubts and insecurities and are honest about them.
Oliver is an approachable hero, going through changes in his life and trying to connect with Lucas.
The struggles and issues about the career changes and the anxiety and anguish it provoked, is realistic. The fears about Lucas were also interesting. The fact the boy turns out to be so receptive is endearing, highlighting how parents can suffer because of their children.
Reese isn’t the typical woman Oliver would date and I liked that detour from the norm, the stereotype.
I also liked how the fake dating turned slowly into affection and love.
There was a lot of thinking and talking about the processes the leads go through. Having them describing basically unconscious actions (like biting one’s lip) was a bit distracting.
I couldn’t entirely understand how some aspects were so delayed – connecting with Lucas or Reese distancing herself from insufferable Britt.
Goodreads - 09/03/23.
Amazon - release date.

Super sweet, cute read! I think I went through it in a couple of hours and was overall very happy with it.

Reese needs a reset on her life and what better way than to accompany her daughter to her month-long soccer camp in Scotland. I mean men in kilts? That's an automatic: YES PLEASE. But suddenly, when her ex-husband and ex-best friend (now fiancé) show up and try to restore the old friendship, Reese is desperate to get out of it but her people pleasing persona isn't offering any of options...until Oliver Vass, her daughter's coach steps in.

An international fake dating romance that you'll devour.

What I liked:
-Scotland & Soccer
-Realistic co-parenting emotions (for the most part)
-Some spiciness

What I Didn't Like:
-I need her to unload a little anger on her fellow co-parents when she comes to terms with being gaslit
-The fake dating a soccer coach and he doesn't have a teaching her how to slightly play scene? Not necessary but I just wanted that kind of scene with some foreplay.
-I feel like they got to 'love' too quickly.

My thanks to NetGalley and Fox Hollow Publishing for this eARC in exchange for my honest review.

I was lucky enough to receive an ARC copy of If We Pretend by Chrissy Hopewell.
Thank you Netgalley, Chrissy Hopewell and Fox Hollow Publishing LLC for giving me the opportunity to read and review this book!

**** POTENTIAL SPOILERS****










Reese is a single mom who decides to vacation in Scotland while her daughter attending a soccer camp there for the month, Reese decides to take that time to find herself and get away from the drama back home. Her plans are cut short when her ex husband and his new fiancé (her ex best friend) are also in Scotland.

Oliver is a former professional soccer player and helping out as a coach at the camp after an injury forced him to retire. I found him very charming and also liked how he navigated through his own family drama and finding out who he was outside of being a soccer player.

The two have a sweet connection and their chemistry is off the charts. Oliver was quick to step in and play the part of fake boyfriend so Reese doesn’t have to face an uncomfortable situation with her Ex Husband and Ex Best friend.

There is a little bit of spice and a whole lot of witty banter between the two.
I love a good fake dating trope and this one was an easy and fun read!

-Single mom
-Fake dating
-Soccer

Reese & Oliver’s story is categorized as a romcom, but there are some questionable themes that care more angsty than romcom: for example, her best friend and her ex-husband got together within weeks of the divorce becoming final. (Apparently they bonded over CrossFit, which Reese hates). And she’s barely upset about it, agreeing to hang out with them in Scotland.
I cannot with Reese. She's beyond a doormat, she's a red carpet. Ugh.
Also she spewed her tale of woe to Oliver after not even cursorily getting to know the man. And he was cool with that? Intrigued even?
Something else that bothered me: Reese, a 37-year-old woman, has more bizarre squeaking sounds emanating from her throat in a few short chapters than I believe I have had in my entire life.
No bueno.

I received an advance reader copy of this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

I read the quick synopsis about the book and was immediately interested. After reading this book, let me tell you.. it is definitely five stars! I do not usually give this high of rating but I loved this book. Yes it is a typical fake dating where the characters capture feelings type of story. This story has so much more! I loved the character development and the setting. I felt as if it I was in Scotland with Reese. I felt everything that each character experienced, and just fell in love. I kept turning each page, wanting to slow down so I could enjoy it but also read on to see what happened. This book is 100% worth the read, and I can’t wait to read more from this author.

Check out my Tik Tok Reel on this book: https://www.tiktok.com/t/ZT8YCWVuQ/

If We Pretend by Chrissy Hopewell

Thank you to Netgalley, Chrissy Hopewell and Fox Hollow Publishing LLC for an ARC of this novel in exchange for an honest review.

Wow, this was good! Oliver and Reese have a complicated life and they entangle when they decide to fake date so that Reese can get out of interacting with her ex-husband and ex-best friend. But things start getting real soon enough!

I absolutely loved the character development. <spoiler> I loved how Reese made Oliver realise he's not defined by what his job is and how Reese realised she didn't have to be perfect at the same time. I really appreciated Chelsea when she told Reese she shouldn't let Britt and Adrian gaslight her into being friends. I understand the couple had no ill feelings towards Reese, but they seriously didn't understand how toxic they were to her. They just couldn't let her be because of their own guilt. I loved the scene where Reese finally stood up to them and told her what she feels.
Oliver's side of family drama were also depicted very nicely. Though I was wary of Cat, I liked her more when I read the chapter of Lucas' birthday.</spoiler>

I thoroughly enjoyed and appreciated the story and would love to read more from the author!

Thank you to @netgalley and the publisher for providing me an E-ARC of the book in exchange for an honest review.
Reese travels to Scotland for her daughter's soccer camp and also for a "reset" of her life. But when her ex-husband and her ex best friend also find their way to Scotland, she stumbles in the arms of her daughter's hunky soccer coach. To help each other out, they agree to fake date, which of course does not end they way they expect it to!

If We Pretend was such a fun and spicy read! There was great chemistry between the two MC and I liked that the author used Scottish dialect; made it that much more enjoyable!

I blew through this one, it was easy to do with the likable MC's and their realistic love story.

Reese has decided to take a month-long vacation to reset in Scotland while her daughter is at soccer camp but that all blows up in her face when her ex-husband and ex-bestfriend show up with the same idea. Oliver, the hot tattooed ex-professional soccer player is the coach and now Reese's fake boyfriend who helps her enjoy Scotland and deter the unwanted attention from the new arrivals.

I adored Reese and her relationship with her daughter right away. I hated to see her struggle with her ex-husband and the pressures her ex-best friend was putting on her and was glad to see with the help of Oliver her confidence bloomed.

The fake dating trope was done well especially since before it was introduced you could see the chemistry between Oliver and Reese and they genuinely had me smiling and laughing during all their interactions.
The spicy scenes weren't overdone and since these two are in their thirties with responsibilities and priorities involved they had to overcome realistic problems but solved them like mature adults.

I highly recommend this easy, fun-to-read romantic story that stands out amongst the rest and will be sure to give you all the feels.

Thank you Netgalley, Fox Hollow Publishing, and Chrissy Hopewell for the arc in exchange for an honest review.

What a great romance! I'll definitely be buying a physical copy when it comes out because I'll be reading this one again!

This book has such an adorable beginning in an amazing setting. Right off the bat, we’re on vacation with the protagonist Reese in Scotland. Yes, please!

The characters are sympathetic and realistic adults. I love that Reese is in her later 30s and as such has a lot going on in her life, including parenthood. Then the relationship between Reese and her love interest Oliver (the other protagonist as this is a dual perspective novel) grows in a realistic way that makes both individuals and the relationship healthier. I was so invested in whether they would make it work and how.

It has a very spicy scene! It fits into the story in a way that doesn’t feel gratuitous.

This isn’t my first fake-dating book, and I particularly enjoyed The Unhoneymooners. However, I liked this even more because this book never stressed me out, kept the length perfect to the genre, and felt more realistic throughout. Like The Unhoneymooners, it had me smiling and laughing a lot. This is my favorite fake-dating interpretation.

I adored this book! Right off the bat I felt a strong connection to Reese, who just wanted a little break after her husband and the father of her teenage daughter divorced her and is now engaged to her best friend. Planning to enjoy her time in Scotland while her daughter is attending a soccer camp, Reese is horrified when her ex-husband and ex-best friend show up, wanting to hang out and be besties. Cue Oliver, the younger former professional soccer (ahem, football) player and coach at the soccer camp. Not only is he hot (can we talk about those tattoos?), but also he’s so ready to step in and play the part of doting boyfriend so Reese doesn’t have to face those exes alone.

The relationship between Oliver and Reese was lovely. There was plenty of heat but they also had this loving, warm friendship underneath it. This book will definitely appeal to readers looking for a sports romance (but without too much sports), for Scottish romances, and to anyone who enjoys reading about sticking it to an ex and an ex-best friend. Highly reccommend!

I really liked this book and oh my god did it make me miss Edinburgh.

I loved how the relationship blossomed and their growth within the relationship too. I appreciated how the problems within the relationship were real life problems that were solved together, realistically.

There were a few spicy scenes, which fit in well within the book and added to the plot rather than just being there for the purpose of adding spice.

I'm not usually a big fan of stories where the MC's have children, but the portrayal of the children was realistic and the relationship between the FMC and her daughter was cute and again, realistic.

I also appreciated how the priorities of the MMC weren't thrown away for a woman.

Upbeat, realistic, lovely story. Characters are believable and pleasant; a real joy to root for well-written parents. That’s a rarity. I typically dislike fake-dating tropes, but this one was palatable. Their reasoning was sound if silly, and the transition to not-so-fake was lovely to read. Conflicts in the story are non-traumatic, real-life problems that would impact any reasonable person. Unlike most romance novels, the characters don’t just bumble around making obviously crap decisions and creating problems where none exist; these two had an actual issue that was eventually solved in a mature, yet romantic, way. I’m not that into “steamy scenes”, but the few this book has are well written, realistic, and admittedly hot. They’re also not overwhelming to the narrative— it’s a cute book with steam, rather than a dirty book with some dialogue in between. I don’t give 5s that often, but I read this book cover to cover in a few hours and I’m still smiling. Well done, Chrissy Hopewell! Looking forward to reading more.