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.

Overall, I liked this book, but it wasn’t my favorite.

I like Violet and Xavier individually as characters and their relationship conceptually. They live very different lives but they complement each other well. And when they get back together, I like that they have better communication as adults and they can acknowledge and appreciate how the other has grown in the years they’ve been apart.

But the book lacked a lot of romance, and I didn’t feel fully invested in this couple. I wish there was more development into their journey of falling back in love. Or at least, having Xavier regain Violet's trust. I think Violet gave in too easily and jumped right back into the relationship without them working towards building a stronger bond.

Considering that this is a second-chance romance, I would have loved to see them confront more conflict and angst during their journey together as well. However, most of the conflict in the book was internal and not between the two characters. This book was more focused on their individual careers than their relationship. It felt like the relationship was the secondary plot instead of the primary one.

I’m so sad because I wanted to love this book. 😩
3.5 ⭐️

Fairly predictable rom com but it was still a good read that I enjoyed. And of course it's the whole what happens in Vegas stay in Vegas but not really troupe.

Kristina Forest is fast becoming one of my favorite novelists. I loved the Neighbor Favor so I was very excited to continue the adventure with the Greene sisters!
This book is the story of middle sister Violet and the rekindling of her romance with her first love Xavier. I loved both characters so much and it was easy to root for their love to persevere.
Although the book contained some familiar troupes (second-chance romance, one bed, fake relationship), I thought it was done in a very realistic way. It was very refreshing. The couple dealt with the very real pitfalls of trying to fit someone into your life that you truly love, and realizing how difficult that can be. They both have career plans and are on their own journey and have to learn how to expand their focus to include love, because they truly believe its worth it.
I love how rich the writing is and that all of the characters were developed well. This was a romance that felt less predictable because you could relate to the characters doubts and fears, especially if you've been in love and not had it work out before.
I am excited about reading the next installment and would highly recommend this book to anyone that may be a little tired of the typical formulaic romances that don't focus as much on character development as they do on the troupes. This book will stay with me for a long time and I am thankful to NetGalley and Berkley Publishing Group for the advanced copy of this book!

Violet Greene is always on the go. As a celebrity stylist, she's always moving from one thing to another, but the exhaustion is worth it to live out her dreams. While her professional life is thriving, her personal life is in disarray after her ex-fiancé cheated on her right before their wedding. Violet is determined to focus on her career, but one little white lie turns her world upside down.

Xavier Wright had big plans for himself when he was a teen. He was going to play ball in the NBA, and he was going to marry his high school sweetheart, Violet. Instead, he's a high school teacher and basketball coach who rarely leaves his hometown. When Violet and Xavier unexpectedly run into each other in a Vegas hotel, they spend the night reliving their youth and wake up with rings on their fingers. Could their impulsive decision be the shake-up they both needed?

I read Forest's previous book and adored it, so I had high hopes for this one. Marriage of convenience is one of my favorite romance tropes, so I was ready to eat this up. It was cute and had its moments, but ultimately fell short. I liked the characters. I thought Violet was independent and driven, and Xavier was smooth and level-headed. Their lives are so different, but they complement one another so well. Because they had a history together, the romance felt natural. My biggest issue was with the pacing. It felt too slow, and this is a personal preference, but I don't think romance books should be over ~350 pages. It makes the story feel drawn out. Still, I'd recommend this if you enjoy second-chance romances, but it dragged a little too much for me.

I have to say that second-chance romance stories are one of my favorites. I’m not sure why. Maybe it has to do with the fact that we always had that one that “got away”. The one we cared for deeply even when it never worked out right.

The author gave this story a unique twist with the female lead character being the successful one, and the male lead character having to reevaluate his life and learn to find happiness with his situation.

Slight twist on a familiar wake up married plot, this twist has them fake married, but they’re able to continue living the lie due to several sets of circumstances.

What’s interesting in The Partner Plot is the small-town family connections and the tight-knit community which makes it hard to deliver the truth. This allows the lie to perpetuate and grow.

One thing that kind of bothered me was the fact that most of the romance was internal. Violet admittedly loves him, but could only think of excuses. She frustrated me a lot. The same with him although he was a lot more verbal about how he felt, it was still about holding her back and why he is not worthy.

It seems that most of the book was about how not to be in love and try to move on instead of embracing the fact the love never went away and trying to figure out how to make it work.

Overall, The Partner Plot is an entertaining, feel-good story that showcases strong women and good men who support them for a refreshing outlook.

When I saw there was another book about the Greene sisters, I was so excited. I really loved Lily's story in The Neighbor Favor, and her sisters intrigued me a lot when I was reading that book, so I was excited for the opportunity to read about Violet. The Partner Plot was even better than I imagined. Violet is such an interesting character, and she doesn't allow herself to be pigeonholed. She's a strong woman, which was really nice to see in a romance. I loved that she was so career-driven and that she didn't change that for any man. It was nice that she was aware enough to see her own flaws when it came to her work ethic. I also loved the romance. Xavier is such a cutie pie, and I loved hearing about his job at the high school. I kind of wish there were more scenes of that, because it was cute to see him interact with the kids and fellow teachers. I definitely would recommend this book to many people, I think a lot of people would enjoy it. Thank you to NetGalley and Berkley for this ARC!

The Partner Plot is such a fun time!

Violet and Xavier were high school sweethearts who planned to stay together forever. When something unexpected happens their sophomore year of college, Xavier breaks up with Violet and they haven't seen each other since... until now. A random run-in at a Vegas hotel, a drunken night out, and a possibly real marriage means these two are up to their old antics. Now, they need to figure out what happens when they go back to reality.

This book was so much fun. Violet and Xavier are both such big personalities and I loved getting to know them over the course of the novel. Their chemistry is off the charts, and the flashbacks to the past let the reader know it's always been that way!

A great book to start 2024 off with! Looking forward to Iris's book :)

This book was cute! I thought that the marriage of convenience could have been a little bit more convincing honestly, but I still think that Violet and Xavier were a cute couple. The miscommunication trope didn’t really come into play with this story which I love because that is hands down my least favorite trope. We love a couple that will actually talk to one another!

I thought that the discussions around Violet’s intense work life and schedule was so interesting and I loved that we got that inside scoop on what she did for work. Made me wish I was a bit more of a fashionista myself honestly… As I sit here in my leggings and oversized hoodie.

Anyways, this one was cute. I loved watching Xavier and Violet fall back into love and thought that they were both mature while also still struggling to not fall back into their teen selves. The tension was done really well! Make sure to check this one out in February once it’s released!

Closed Door Mods: Chapter 19 & 22

Thank you to @berkleypub for this advanced reader copy! 🫶

A fashionista and an almost famous basketball player walk out of high school madly in love... It seems like a tale as old as time when the two most popular kids in high school are in love right? They're dramatic, full of promise, and massive life aspirations!

But reality smacks us all in the face, and when it hits our protagonists, Violet and Xavier, it hits them hard. Your first love rarely survives anything. I don't know many people who have actually married the first person they dated.. and maybe that's cynical because we know and see those stories on the news - but we all hope we're going to be the exceptions, not the rule!?

What I love about 'The Partner Plot' is that the characters are adults without illusions about how the world works. They've grown past the point of innocent childhood love.. and maybe they just need to pull back from the pessimism a bit to find true happiness? They're not running headfirst into silly situations with miscommunication peeking around the corner of every conversation. They're pragmatic about their places in the world... and yet we still get our happy-ever-after ending!!

NOTES:
- BIPOC Literature / Contemporary Romance
- Childhood friends to lovers to enemies and back to friends and lovers again!

**Thank you to Berkley Romance & NetGalley for the advanced reader copy. I received this book for free, but all thoughts are my own. – SLR 🖤