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.

3.5 rounded up

There was a lot to love in this story and just a few things that bothered me. I loved this one more than the first one. I am a fan of Xavier. I liked Violet but she wasn’t the best in a relationship….at first. I was a fan of their past and getting back together. One thing I thought would happen: the elopement would end up being real.

Tim was a jerk and I was glad that didn’t work out at Riley. Eddy was a loser and I hope he gets what’s coming to him. Alex, Karina, and Bianca were good friends.

Please let Angel and Iris be the next series!

I read The Neighbor Favor last year and it was one of my favorite romances of 2023. So when The Partner Plot was announced, I was ecstatic. I received an ARC of The Partner Plot courtesy of the publisher and Netgalley. I also received an early finished copy of the book courtesy of the Berkley Influencer Program.

While reading it, I was having a good time. It is a fun and entertaining read, but my main issue stemmed from the fact that I didn't actually believe that Xavier and Violet are in love. It didn't feel like there was any real chemistry between the two. I can believe the history that they have, but the love and chemistry didn't feel like it was there.

Other than that small fact, I had a fun time reading this. I always love a good second-chance romance. There were also the fun aspects of there only being one bed, forced proximity, and fake marriage/marriage of convenience.

Even though this wasn't my favorite installment, I will still be reading Violet's book because I love Kristina Forest and I have loved this series and these characters.

4.5

I loved this book so much. It was the perfect fun second chance romance. Vi and X were so perfect. I could definitely see this being made into a movie that I’d put on “must watch once a year” list

Full disclosure: I have yet to read The Neighbor Favor, so The Partner Plot is my first Kristina Forest read. In tandem with The Neighbor Favors's glowing reviews and The Partner Plot's gorgeous cover, I knew it was a must-read. I was also drawn to the book because of the marriage of convenience and second-chance romance tropes. Ms. Forest did a great job showing the realistic side of second-chance romance as the two MCs must confront their need for better communication to have a healthy relationship. Violet is such an interesting FMC. I loved getting an inside view of her career as a fashion designer and found myself very entertained and engaged when we met her family members. I liked the idea of Xavier(high-school basketball coach) , but it was tough to root for violet and his relationship …… when it felt like, as adults, they were incompatible. The strongest sense of romance I felt came through from the snapshots of their whirlwind highschool romance.
The romance within their adult years/“fake marriage” wasn't as developed or prominent as I would have liked. Sometimes, it felt like I received more information on their careers than their rekindled romance. If you love realistic romance, you will adore this book!
Thank you so much, NetGalley, Kristina Forest, and Berkeley Romance, for an advance e-arc copy in exchange for an honest review.
Final rating 3.50

What happens in Vegas doesn’t always stay in Vegas. Especially when two former high school sweethearts unexpectedly reunite and wake up with rings on their fingers. The rings are fake, but the resurfaced feelings are anything but, which becomes abundantly clear when the exes agree to stay “married” to help both of their careers. It’s a fun, second-chance romance with great banter and supporting characters.

Okay I’m typically not a second chance girlie, but this book had me changing my mind. You had second chance, fake marriage, forced proximity, and a whole lot of TENSION. 4.5⭐️

We start with a flashback of when Violet and Xavier meet in high school and have their on and off relationship. With dreams of Violet being a fashion stylist and Xavier playing for the NBA, Xavier ends their relationship out of the blue as sophomores in college.

Almost a decade later, they bump into each other in Vegas (small world, isn’t it?) and party a little too hard that leaves them married (but it was a fake wedding??) and with a massive hangover.

They both realized that it was a mistake and both go their separate ways, until Violet is back home recovering from an injury which leads to questions from family members and her and Xavier agree to be “married” to help each other out.

I thoroughly enjoyed every page of this book, even with their third act break up (which really wasn’t a breakup, just fear and anxiety of not being good enough). Violet and Xavier’s love for each other is so strong even after all this time.

“Their love was enough to stand the test of time through decades spent apart. Their love was more than enough…He’d waited nine years to find her again. He could wait a little longer.”

Thank you Berkley Publishing and NetGalley for an arc for my honest review!

Tropes:
-second chance
-(fake) marriage of convenience
-forced proximity
-“I’m proud of my wife”
-hurt/comfort
-invisible string by Taylor Swift vibes

Synopsis: “The Partner Plot” by Kristina Forest is a second chance romance featuring high school sweethearts Violet and Xavier. Violet has desires to be a fashion stylist and snagged internships at the top fashion magazines. Xavier was a star basketball player with dreams of heading to the NBA until an injury left him feeling like he was dragging Violet down – breaking her heart when he suggested they go their separate ways. Violet and Xavier bump into each other miles away from home in Las Vegas, get intoxicated and have a fake wedding. When Violet is accosted by a reporter the next day about her ex-fiance who left her for one of her styling clients, Violet freaks out and says she’s moved on to – and married her highschool sweetheart. Now, Violet and Xavier are figuring out if they can keep the fake marriage going to further their careers.

Tropes: second chance romance, one bed, fake marriage, forced proximity, first loves, return to hometown romance

Review: The story is light hearted and fun, but at times the narrator's voice felt juvenile. Both characters are in their twenties with careers, but came across as teenagers for most of the story. Personally, I prefer a bit more maturity in my romance books – it’s not bad, but not my preferred taste.

I am in the stratosphere from this book, oh my god!! Violet and Xavier’s story was so chaotic and swoony and PERFECT. The matching tattoos, the silliness of their marriage of convenience, the epic slow burn, I cannot come down from this.

I loved this book so much and am impatiently waiting for Iris’s story!

This book had me smiling from ear to ear the ENTIRE time, I never wanted the book to end. Violet and Xavier were a couple who truly demonstrated that true love is endless, and will always return when the time is right. I genuinely loved the way that Xavier loved Violet, both in his actions, and in his consistency throughout the entire book.

Kristina's writing is incredible, I cannot wait for this book to be released out into the world!

The Partner Plot is the first book I’ve read by Kristina Forest, and to be honest, I 100% picked this book up because of the cover. I’m a sucker for a married in Vegas/marriage of convince romance. It just screamed ‘fun’ to me. It was a fun book, but it also had a lot of depth and character development.

Violet and Xavier were high-school sweethearts who planned to be together forever, but once they were in college and long distance things changed for them. Especially when Violet was on the career path she always planned on, but Xavier had an injury that changed the trajectory of his NBA plans. They parted ways and it has been almost ten years since they’ve seen each other.

Fast forward to them in their late twenties, both in Las Vegas for different reasons, and out of all the people in that big city, they run into each other. It’s fate. One of the things that I loved about this book is that it didn’t just focus on the couple, it focused on their individual growth and career paths. That compromise was needed, but neither one of them expected the other to give up their goals and dreams for the other.

I adore a sweet second chance romance, and this had the forced proximity and marriage of convince troupe that I enjoy as well. Forest’s writing was engaging and easy to read and I found myself flying through the last half once I got into the story. I’m happy I picked this one up and will be checking out more from this new-to-me author.

3.5 stars. I'm not sure what it was about the first half of this book, but it felt a bit slow to get through. I didn't immediate connect with the main characters the way I did in the Neighbor Favor. It's also always a bit hard to believe that a high school relationship "ruins" someone's outlook on romance for life. But once I got into it, I enjoyed this book. Violet's growth was some of the most realistic I've seen in the romance genre in a while.