Thank you to Berkley Romance for the advanced reader copy and to PRH Audio for the complimentary audiobook. These opinions are my own.

I had really enjoyed the Neighbor Favor so was keen to read this sequel. I haven't seen it marketed as such, but I want to highlight that this book features Violet Greene, one of Lily's sisters. You can certainly read this as a stand alone, but I was all in for following the sisterly relationship.

Violet and Xavier were high school sweethearts. But he broke her heart when he thought they were going in different discussions. They meet up during a crazy night in Vegas and end up beginning a fake marriage in more than one way.

While the set up feels a bit ridiculous, I actually really enjoyed the sweetness and depth of this book. Both of them were so real, and I loved seeing her interactions with family and his with their home town.

Aure Nash was a spectacular narrator. Benjamin Charles seemed to approach narration quite cautiously with a slow and measured pace and clear enunciation of each word. I found his spacing of pauses a bit strange and distracting. But overall, I loved the audio format.

This was definitely an enjoyable read for me, although it was nothing special. If you're looking for a breezy contemporary with some fun characters and a solid plot, this could definitely be a good fit for you!

4.25 stars. I really enjoyed this follow up to The Neighbor Favor, and actually liked it a bit more. I think this book is a good example of second change romance done well. We get bits of the past that clearly establish why these two characters originally got together and their chemistry. And in the present, the book shows how these two characters have changed over the years and does a good job of showing them reconnecting and seeing how they fit into each others lives in the present.

Violet is living her dreams as a celebrity stylist, but her personal life is a disaster after going through a very public breakup with her famous ex-fiance. On a trip to Vegas she runs into Xavier, her high school ex. He is still living in their hometown, working as a high school English teacher and basketball coach. One night of partying in Vegas leads to a drunken marriage, which they realize could actually help both of their careers. As they continue to act like a couple, the feelings they had for each other come rushing back. But can they make their very different lives work to be together?

This book was so much fun! From the Vegas wedding to the second-chance romance, this book brought me so much joy. I actually think I liked it even better than the first book in the series, the Neighbor Favor. I loved the glimpses of Violet and Xavier’s high school relationship and how it really allowed you to see how they each grew and how their relationship progressed. I’m so excited to read more from Kristina Forest!

Thank you to Berkley Publishing and NetGalley for the advance copy.

This book was really cute I liked reading about Violet and Xavier and their relationship. I’m also a sucker for a childhood sweethearts reunited trope. Violet is a celebrity stylist and Xavier is a football coach and teacher. I loved reading about fashion and Violets work as a stylist and enjoyed reading about Xavier and Violets past. I also really enjoyed the fake marriage plot overall this book was a lot of fun to read. The only thing that bothered me was I wish there was a little more romance between Xavier and Violet.

What a cute book! My only gripe at times was that it felt like the heroine was less invested than the hero but overall super fun.

Vegas

Waking up fake married to the man that broke your heart is how Violet starts her last day in Vegas.

Violet is working hard to climb the fashion stylist ladder. Xavier has his focus on securing a new job. With a fake marriage of convenience,

This book was very sweet with a small hint of spice. Two people trying to figure out how to love each other while also staying true to themselves

Okay so this book was super super super freaking cute. I loved this duo and would definitely read more by Kristina Forest. Can't wait to see what she writes next!

This second-chance, marriage of convenience romance was a fun read. I appreciated the character development of both love interests, Violet and Xavier, and thought that some of the side characters elevated the story. What bothered me about this title was Violet’s professional life. It felt over-the-top, even for a stylist to the stars, and was hard for me to believe. I would definitely read another title from Forest, as she certainly knows how to write loveable characters, but this is not a title that I would go out of my way to recommend to others.

Another amazing book by Kristina Forest! I loved seeing the Violet put down her walls and get everything she deserved. I enjoyed seeing both her and Xavier thrive in their own lanes while also coming together! This book displayed both love, following passions and never giving upin yourself and what your heart desires

This novel is such an adorably sweet Second Chance At Love Romance

As a life long devote of romance novels, I have always had a soft spot for small town, second chance at love romance novels. Kristina Forest gave me everything that I love with The Partner Plot. This novel is the story of High School sweet hearts Xavier and Violet that broke up their freshman year in college. Both have moved on to careers that they love and are living separate unique lives when a little white lie spirals out of control and they are forced to pretend to be a happily married couple. This arrangement is so that Vi can land the interview and magazine feature of her dreams. Xavier on the other hand has his eye on an assistant coaching job that hinges upon his having a spouse. The two agree to look out for each other and carry out the lie not realizing that being around each other for such an extended period of time would cause them to call in love with each other all over again.

Without giving away too much of the plot Ms. Forest has created a world and collection of characters that feel grounded while giving you that sweet happy feeling one gets from reading a great romance novel.

Thank you to the publisher and Netgalley for the opportunity!


It is a ‘high school sweethearts, second chance, marriage of convenience’ romance novel. And as soon as i saw that synopsis i was like gimme it pls.
It was soo fun omg. I loved that this did not disappoint one bit.
4/5

This book exemplifies why people say what happens in Vegas stays in Vegas. Violet Greene and Xavier Wright were high school sweethearts who experienced a bad breakup. Violet is bouncing back after a scandal with her ex-fiance when she runs into Xavier in Vegas. After a night of partying, they find themselves married. Realizing their "marriage" could benefit them professionally, they decide to keep the charade going. I was hesitant when reading the plot summary if I would like this setup. The marriage of convenience aspect adds a plot point to the story that makes it enjoyable. Outside of that, I think this book compared to the first book in the series needed more plot points to bring the characters together. Xavier and Violet's romance heavily relies on their past together and I felt that they needed more present-day moments to bring it together. Overall, I think this book improves on the series as a whole and I can't wait to read the next book about Iris.

Thank you to NetGalley and Berkley Publishing for the e-book copy!

Kristina's romcoms are always adorable and fun to read. The setup of this - second chance romance and marriage of convenience between high school sweethearts, was well-crafted. Their relationship and world felt lived-in, and I loved the celeb stylist angle.

I'm not really a romance novel person but I occasionally pick one up that I enjoy. This book happened to be that one. I think that I have a hard time suspending my disbelief with romance and that always brings my rating down. There's no way you're trying to tell me that these two people who dated for like 2 years as teenagers are still madly in love with each other a decade later..... Otherwise, I still enjoyed their banter, seeing the characters just exist, and I was really excited that the third act conflict wasn't just some stupid form of miscommunication! I think I would be interested in reading more from this author but I would probably need to see positive reviews first. The writing was really good, I thought the characters had very distinct voices, and I thought this was really fun even though I really hate smut.

I don't consider myself a second chance romance girlie, but this was pretty cute (though I didn't like it quite as much as The Neighbor Favor). I'm very excited for The Love Lyric.

A fun premise that ultimately fell a bit flat for me. I kept feeling like we were on the edge of conflict or tension, and then the characters would have a mature conversation and resolve the situation instead (which is very healthy, but not necessarily engaging to read). Violet and Xavier both have the potential to be interesting characters but they needed to be a bit more flawed to add some real depth. The chemistry also felt inconsistent — one moment I really bought into them as high school sweethearts and the next they felt like strangers. Overall, this had a lot of great pieces that felt too surface level to really pull me in.

I absolutely adored this second-chance romance/marriage of convenience!! This was my first ever Kristina Forest novel but I 100% plan on reading more.

This book follows Violet and Xavier who were high school sweethearts but fell apart in their college years when life seemed to be pulling them in different directions. Now, Violet is living her dream as a celebrity stylist while Xavier works at the high school in their hometown. They bump into each other in Vegas and end up reconnecting for a night. But, after a little white lie from Violet, the two have to pretend to be married.

What I loved most about this book is the ease of Violet and Xavier. They just fit together. Kristina Forest did a great job of making me believe that these two people are meant to be. I’m both the past and present, I understood the longing & the love between Violet and Xavier, but it was woven into the story so well. It all felt so natural, and it was incredible.

Another thing that Kristina Forest did so well is allowing both Violet and Xavier to grow without sacrificing their individuality for one another. There was growth as a couple, but also on their own, and that made it feel like an even healthier love story.

Violet’s job was a lot of fun to read about, and I loved the details Kristina Forest included about the different stylings & celebs!! It was fun to visualize in my head.

I loved the side characters and am so excited to hear that Violet’s sister Lily already has a book, and Iris’s is next!!

The only reason this book wasn’t 5 stars for me is because I would have liked to see a bit more tension in situations where they had to fake their marriage, but overall I loved it!!

🌸🌸🌸
📖Book Review📖
4.5🌟
📖Book 7/100

💫Genre:
Romance
✍️Author:
Kristina Forest

📝Synopsis 📝
Violet and Xavier are the cutest and most adorable high school couple you can think of. They have laid out their dreams and future plans. He will be in the NBA and she will be a fashion designer and when they are ready they’ll marry. They go on to college and start working on their goals until one of their dreams comes to an end. Hearts are broken and then fast forward 9 years later, and they run into each other in Vegas.

My thoughts 💭
Omg this was such a great second chance at romance story. I loved both Violet and Xavier and rooted for them all the way. I couldn’t put this one down and felt like a chismosa from their small town wanting to know how it would all pan out for them. In this case what happened in Vegas didn’t stay in Vegas, and I was all for it 😆🙌🏻 Read if you love reading about high school sweethearts, fashion, basketball, teaching, second chances, and small towns mixed with the busy world.

🌸Thank you so much @netgalley @berkleyromance @berkleypub
for approving this eARC in exchange for an honest review.

✨Publishing Date:
February 27, 2024

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3.5 stars

I am a sucker for a fake relationship so that plot thread coupled with the cover had me really excited for this story.

I really liked Violet and Xavier. I loved their history and how that played out in the current versions of themselves. They’re both loyal and loving people who work hard and it was fun reading them find their way back to each other. I loved Violet’s sisters and Xavier’s mom was so sweet.

Plot wise, it was good. There are a lot a lot a lot of passages of inner monologues and descriptions of fashion choices for each character, so that did get a bit repetitious. I enjoyed how often Violet and Xavier had open conversations and admitted their actions were wrong. It really showed how they were growing, both as a couple, as well as who they needed to be in order to make the relationship work.

Overall, it was a cute read with a cute epilogue and characters who were easy to root for.

**Huge thanks to the publisher for providing the arc free of charge**