High school sweethearts Violet and Xavier had their entire lives mapped out but fate forced them apart once they reached college. Now adults, Violet is a talented celebrity stylist and Xavier is an English teacher and basketball coach in their hometown. The two run into each other in Las Vegas, and despite not seeing each other for almost a decade, the spark they had ignites instantly. When they wake up the next morning, there’s a hazy recollection of the previous night and two shiny new rings on their fingers. Lucky for them, the wedding was not legitimate but both Violet and Xavier have reasons for wanting to keep up the blissfully married charade. Will their fake marriage lead to a successful second chance at love, or will their separate paths cause them to drift apart once again?

I simply adored Violet as a female MC. She is unabashedly driven in her career and it was a joy to see her continue to thrive even as she hesitantly entered back into a relationship with her former love. I thought her and Xavier’s growth from tumultuous teens to sensible adults was done well and the way they communicated showed their maturity. There was a strong focus on consent and boundaries within romantic relationships and I’m so glad these themes are becoming more prevalent in the genre. I do wish we’d gotten to see a bit more of Violet and Xavier’s rekindled relationship since a lot of the plot focused on them skirting around their present feelings for the other.

The Partner Plot by Kristina Forest delivers on the delicious nuances of the fake dating and second chance lovers tropes. This is the second book in the Greene sisters series but can absolutely be read as a standalone. It also sets up the next book in the series and I CAN’T WAIT to see what Forest has in store for eldest sister Iris!

Thank you to Berkley and NetGalley for providing me with a digital ARC in exchange for my honest review.

The Partner Plot by Kristina Forest is an enjoyable and lighthearted romantic comedy that is sure to captivate fans of fake relationship narratives.

This is a sweet, second chance love story with a fake marriage thrown in. Violet and Xavier were the high school "it" couple and they had big plans for their futures - he was headed to University of Kentucky to play basketball with hopes of going pro and she aimed to be a celebrity stylist. Ten years later, Violet has made her dreams come true through lots of hard work and she is the stylist for several celebrity clients including a famous musician; however, an injury sidelines Xavier and his path moves in a different direction and now he's an English teacher and assistant basketball coach at his high school. When the two cross paths in Las Vegas, things get crazy and they wake up the next morning married. They quickly realize it's a fake marriage, but they both soon realize that pretending to be married could be good for furthering their respective careers. But what happens when real feelings get involved and when everyone finds out the marriage was fake?

This is the second book by Forest in this stand-alone series featuring the Greene sisters. The love story between Violet and Xavier was sweet but I found the spark to be largely missing between them. I appreciated seeing a woman killing it in her career trying to figure out how to have success while also taking the time to have a healthy relationship but in the end we also didn't really see the sacrifices she makes in her job in order to make her relationship with Xavier work.

Overall 3.5/5 rounded up to 4
Spice 1/3

What would you do if you bump into your childhood love in Vegas? Get fake married of course!

When Violet’s High School sweet heart breaks her heart she throws herself into her career. The one time she tries to open her heart again she is played for a fool by her cheating fiance and client. While working in Vegas she happens to run into her high school sweetheart who she has honestly never stopped loving. Xavier knows he messed up when he broke up with violet. his life had just taken a drastic turn and he didn’t want to hold her back. When she finally sees her for the first time in vegas he wants to show her he still loves her. This leads to a fake marriage of convience for the both of them. They have to share a space for four weeks and they both soon realize they are still in love with each other but can their different lifestyles work out.

I loved this book and the main characters. I wanted to reach out and hug Xavier, he didn't realize how important he was right where he was. He didn't have to be rich or have a fancy job to make Violet happy. It was the little things that counted. This book showed that all though things don't go the way you planned, life can still be great!


Thank you NetGalley and Publishers for sending me a copy of the book in exchange for an honest review.

I just knew that I was going to love this book even more than the first book in the series. Why? Because it just hits hard when it’s a second-chance romance story. We get all of the feels between the characters: pain, heartbreak, angst, longing, a new beginning, slow burn, and passion. All of it.
I genuinely love the main character, Violet. She is true to herself, no matter what. Some may not love her since they consider her too much, too loud, or too focused on her career. But to me, she is her true self, doing what she loves the most: fashion. And thank goodness, her former love, aka childhood sweetheart, always loved her as her true self.
I know that I may be biased, but I just love Xavier for Violet. He never tries to change her in any way. He has always loved her, no matter what. He tries his best not to break her or hurt her, even though he did when they broke up a few years ago. He learned about himself. He knows who he is, even though he had doubts about his career (but who doesn't?). And he knows that Violet has always been for him; no one can compare.

Violet and Xavier were high school sweethearts who haven't spoken since their college breakup. After Violet's fiancee cheats on her, she vows to never fall in love again. On a chance night in Vegas, the two reconnect and wake up the next morning with rings on and a picture of them in front of a Vegas chapel. Soon both realize that this "marriage" is something that could help both of their careers.

Gosh I had such a great time with this book! What Kristina Forest does here is take common tropes (marriage in Vegas, Second Chance) and really turns them on their heads and uses them in ways that feel unique. For example, the MC's were high school sweethearts who broke up in college - but their breakup really isn't about a miscommunication, instead it was that Xavier didn't feel like he was enough for Violet and that he was holding her back. Some people might call that a miscommunication but I really don't think it is and I also think it feels really authentic to the characters, particularly for characters that age.

I was rooting for Violet and Xavier the whole time and was really curious how they'd achieve their HEA with such different lives. I was really satisfied by the conclusion to their story and was SO glad there wasn't a 3rd act breakup and instead they really worked on communicating with each other and figuring out how to show up for each other.

Read this for:
- Marriage in Vegas (kinda)
- One Night Stand
- Second Chance
- Celebrity Stylist and High School Teacher/Basketball Coach
- Two people learning how to be together
- No 3rd Act Breakup!

Thank you to Berkley Romance and Netgalley for the eARC. All thoughts and opinions are my own and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

A second chance romances jumps right to a Vegas wedding in this tale of Violet, a stylist, and Xavier, a high school teacher. These two reconnect at a time when they're both feeling vulnerable and while the wedding was totally unplanned, it forces then to take another look at one another now that they're adults. Yes it's trope-y but you'll find yourself rooting for them. Thanks to Netgalley for the ARC. A fun read,

If there’s one thing Kristina Forest will do, it’s make you fall in love with her characters. In The Partner Plot, we’re following Violet Greene who is a celebrity stylist and despite her recent breakup, her career is booming. Everything comes to a halt though when she reunites with her former high-school sweetheart, Xavier.

The two left on bad terms yet start to pick up right where they left off. Since they’re in such different places in their lives, they decide to go their separate ways. However, things get messy when Violet tells a magazine that the two are married and then ends up having to stay with him since she gets injured.

From there, the two agree to continue to be “fake” husband and wife to help benefit each other’s careers. While it takes a while, Xavier and Violet slowly start to fall for each other but it’s not all sunshine and rainbows. Xavier and Violet are both struggling with being good enough and realizing their self-worth which can be hard to read at times.

Regardless in typical Kristina Forest fashion, she makes these two feel incredibly real and it’s almost like you’re watching two friends of yours fall in love. They have some unexpected hurdles yet the two handle everything together. It’s truly beautiful to watch them grow, change, and mature as both individuals and a couple.

I truly have nothing to complain about with The Partner Plot. The characters were amazing and she featured incredible moments of character development. The romance was incredible and so was the writing. The Partner Plot was simply dazzling from start to finish.

Another Greene sister, another great romance read from Kristina Forest! I'm not huge on second-chance romances, but there's something about Violet and Xavier's reconnection that had me rooting for them hard. I do love a marriage of convenience trope, however! Yes, The Partner Plot is a continuation of the Greene sisters' trilogy, but I consider a standalone. But why do yourself a disservice and not read The Neighbor Favor? Looking forward to Iris' story in 2025!

“She didn’t have to decide whether or not she’d give her heart to Xavier, when it had been in his possession all along.”

Violet and Xavier are ex high school sweethearts, reunited by coincidence in Vegas where they (mistakenly, drunkenly? lol) get married. These two may have been in different places in their lives when they meet again but it doesn’t take away from the magnetism they feel towards each other. As they follow through with this marriage of convenience, we get to see them figure out how to make their lives fit one another and through that, we see maturity and growth on both of their parts.

Of course I loved the writing and I cannot wait to read Iris’s story next.

thank you berkley so much for the arc!

omg omgggggg! when i was reading the neighbor favor i just knew that violet’s book would be my favorite because of how violet is! she’s a firecracker and such a strong character. and oh my daysss, xavier?? DREAM! he’s literally perfect. the flashbacks we got in the prologue really allowed me to feel connected to these characters! i was rooting for them from the jump and this book didn’t disappoint! kristina is phenomenal!

I was really looking forward to The Partner Plot because I enjoyed The Neighbor Favor so much, but this one didn’t land for me. I love second chance romances and Vegas marriage plots but I can’t put my finger on what was missing for me.

Thank you Netgalley and specifically whoever granted, d me access to one of my most anticipated reads early.

General Description:
If you were given a second chance with your first love, would you take it? Well, only if it would further your career of course! Violet and Xavier were in love in high school, but Xavier ended it. Now, years later, they see each other in Vegas, and what happens in Vegas, doesn't stay there. After a Vegas 'marriage', Violet and Xavier head back home. Violet is still reeling from her broken engagement and in order to avoid continuing to focus on the past, Violet claims she got married. Of course, her small hometown, where Xavier teachers, celebrates the news, even though Xavier has no clue. However, he can use this fake marriage to further his coaching career. How long will the marriage stay fake and once real feelings come in, can they stay together without hurting each other again?

ALLL the goods:
- The faking marriage trope is executed SO well.
- I absolutely loved the character growth in both Xavier and Violet.
- This takes the classic Vegas story and flips it on it's head, making it fresh and fun to read
- The dialogue between all characters is quick, heart felt, and enjoyable to read
- The scenarios our couple is put through feel realistic, while also keeping the joy in every scenario.

Overall: If you're looking for your next favorite romance author, seriously don't sleep on Kristina Forest and pick up The Neighbor Favor and The Partner Plot ASAP.

Ok, the prologue definitely through me off cause it was so long and boring. This happened and then this and this and this. And that unfortunately continued.

The writing just didn’t work for me. And I felt like it wasn’t that romantic? Second chance is my favorite trope, but I didn’t feel it.

I love a dual POV in romances. I think it makes the story multi dimensional, so I appreciated that. But overall, I wanted to feel love in this book, and I didn’t.

Violet Greene and Xavier Wright were high school sweethearts with dreams of making it big outside their suburban New Jersey homes. She planned to be a stylist to the stars, while he had hopes of playing basketball in the NBA. Fast forward a decade and she has realized her dream, but finds that too often she is running on fumes, even though she loves her work. Xavier's dreams were cut short by an injury in his first year of college, and he finds himself back in that same suburban setting, teaching high school English in their alma mater. When they meet again by chance in Las Vegas, the sparks between them are still flying and they end up getting (fake) married after an evening of drinking too much and lusting after each other. The story really starts as they go back to their usual lives and, through a series of circumstances, pretend that they really are married for their career advancements. As they deal with the adult versions of each other, they realize how much they respect and admire the person the other has become. And of course, the chemistry is still there, in spades. I loved how the two of them navigated the challenges that their lives presented to each other, and how they were able to make it work by the end. This is the second story in the Greene sisters series, following The Neighbor Favor, and it is well worth the read.

Loved this even more than the first one! It’s so swoony and Xavier is such a fab lead - sweet and sensitive and someone who has grown and changed since high school. I loved the second chance vibes in this too - felt realistic for sure. And Violet with her inability to slow down also felt realistic.

Kristina created such a fun family here too, and great side characters in Karina and Angel and Alex and Iris and Lily. The small town drama also got me giggling.

Read this if you like: only one bed, second chance, characters who are living lives with fun careers, messy small towns, messy families, messy heroines who hate being vulnerable. Absolutely loved this one!

This was such a sweet second chance romance. I really loved seeing these two characters come back together, and I really appreciated the lack of a third act breakup in this book in particular. I thought there was such great character development with both of them and I enjoyed their career journeys along with their romantic journey.

My first novel by Kristina Forest is The Partner Plot was centered on their professional and personal development. This book is a second chance, forced proximity, and marriage of convenience romance tropes that I love. High school sweethearts Violet and Xavier had always known they would be together forever. After they started college, their plans were changed. Violet was following her career path as planned, while Xavier's NBA aspirations took a different turn due to an injury. They split up shortly after. Let's fast-forward to Violet and Xavier meeting in Las Vegas by chance. Once I got into the story, I thought that Forest's writing was captivating and easy to read, and I quickly finished the second half. I'm going to read more writing by this new-to-me author.

Thank you to Berkley Romance & NetGalley for the advanced reader copy.

I loved The Neighbor Favor and was so excited for The Partner Plot. And while I think Kristina Forest is a talented author, I didn’t love this one like I loved her debut.

Violet and Xavier separately were great characters and I always love seeing MCs with unique careers (celebrity stylist and high school basketball coach). But I didn’t feel the chemistry between them. And most of the book, they felt a bit like separate entities. It felt like we focused more on their individual growth and didn’t spend enough time on their relationship growth as well.

Even still, this was a fun read and I’m still excited to see what else Forest writes. I just didn’t love this one like I had hoped.

The role of Las Vegas of this romance just *worked* for me! I love the allure and nostalgia of what Las Vegas represents, and think even though people generally think it is an unserious and goofy place, I actually really love it. I love the shows, the high-end shopping that no one can afford, the way it feels like you are in a faux-Paris or faux-beach at Mandalay Bay! It's electric and it's an absolute treat. I think Kristina Forest used that setting in the first 25% of this book so well.

I really enjoyed this book so much more than her last one actually! I adore the second chance romance and the first love being someone you simply cannot forget. Xavier and Violet’s connection was hard to measure up to, and I’m so glad they found their way back to each other. The Partner Plot really won me over. I think her writing will only improve with each book, and I'm excited to see what comes next from her.