"The Partner Plot" by Kristina Forest is a delightful blend of romance, second chances, and the unexpected twists life can throw at you. Violet Greene, a successful celebrity stylist, finds herself at a crossroads in her personal life after a public breakup. The story takes an exciting turn when she unexpectedly reunites with her high school sweetheart, Xavier Wright, during a birthday trip to Vegas.

What starts as a chance encounter leads to a night of celebration and a surprising twist the following day – they wake up married. The impulsive decision, initially seen as a complication, becomes an opportunity for both of them professionally. As they navigate the charade of a happily married couple, the novel explores the complexities of relationships and the blurred lines between reality and acting.

Forest crafts a story beyond the typical romance novel, delving into the challenges of balancing personal and professional lives. The characters, Violet and Xavier, are relatable and endearing, making it easy for readers to invest in their journey. The author's writing style is engaging, with humour and warmth sprinkled throughout the narrative.

"The Partner Plot" is a feel-good read that keeps you hooked from the first page to the last. It's a story of rediscovering love, taking chances, and finding unexpected joy in twists and turns. Kristina Forest beautifully captures the essence of romance and self-discovery, making this novel a delightful addition to the genre.

Cute story, high school sweethearts who break up and several years later unexpectedly hook up and after a couple of unfortunate incidents they end up pretending they got married. I liked the book, but it wasn't one that I just wanted to keep reading.

(3.5 Stars)

"Partner Plot" by Kristina Forest serves up a delightful blend of romance and second chances that had me hooked from the first page. Violet Greene and Xavier Wright's unexpected reunion in Las Vegas sparks a whirlwind marriage of convenience that neither saw coming! What follows is a roller-coaster of emotions as they navigate the complexities of their past relationship and the newfound dynamics of their present situation.

Forest's characters are refreshingly real, each grappling with personal and professional struggles that add depth to the story. I appreciated Violet's resilience in the face of a very public breakup as well as Xavier's dedication to his students and community. I really found myself rooting for them as they grew into a more mature relationship!

While the initial premise sets the stage for an engaging romance, I found myself wishing for a bit more tension and conflict in the latter part of the book. In addition, the small-town setting adds an extra layer of charm and authenticity to the story, making it feel like a cozy escape into a world where everyone knows everyone else's business.

Even with it's small quirks, "The Partner Plot" is a heartwarming and engaging read that will leave you smiling long after you've turned the final page. Kristina Forest's writing sparkles with wit and warmth, making this a fun read for fans of contemporary romance.

There wasn’t a question on whether or not I would like this…. It was more of a how much. And this one ended up being a whole helluva lot. So much so that I think I liked this one more than the first. And I didn’t think that could happen.

When I read the first one, it was a book about books with an epistolary, secret identity type vibe. And if you know me, you know I feel just about books about books alone. So finding something that I like more was mind boggling lol But the fake dating alongside a marriage of convenience was so good. And to put the icing on the cake, it was also had a second chance romance too. All of these are my favorite tropes. And yes I know that tropes don’t matter, it’s how the story is written, but still, it worked for me because Forest is one of my all time favorites and I knew that whatever it was she wrote, I’d be good with it lol

And of course, I was right. The journey between Violet and Xavier was such a sweet one to watch. Tho some might call it repetitve, I loved seeing them fall in love over and over again. Especially since they were falling for each other as teens. That’s how they really are, so it really felt like accurate representation. The main characters were really great together and I LOVED how they allowed each other grace to do what they wanted, but also still made sure to take care of each other when they needed. Xavier had a bad habit of always giving Violet what she wanted, and I adored it lol

The characters were cute together, but one thing that will make or break a romance is how the characters are apart. And Violet is one of my favorite characters so far. She was driven and knew exactly what she wanted to do since her beginning and I admired that. I also thought Xavier’s character was pretty realistic with the way his life turned out. I admired that he was most upset about the fact that she was always busy, not the fact that she made more than him. Because let me tell you, I was expecting that to be the reason they weren’t going to make it. And since that never crossed his mind, I fell for him even more. He did think it, but that wasn’t what almost ended them.

The plot was cute, but I thought it was so dumb lol Like girl you lied to a magazine and thought no one was going to know?! Seriously? Like at the very least you could have used less details. But no, you had to do too much lmao No it wouldn’t have made a great book, but it would have shown that Violet had common sense lol I also thought Xavier needed a smack upside his head because of the way he wasn’t listening to anything or anyone when they were telling him about that job. I wanted to shake him. He had to know why they were going through so many of them,

This was so cute! I already want to read both of them all over again. They both bring cool things to the table and I enjoyed seeing them realize this and bring their coolness together. They had me swooning from small things like tattoos, they had me laughing from small things like talking to their parents, and so much more. I also enjoyed that we are given a small glimpse into who the last sister will be with. i hope it ends up something like this one.

Thank you Berkley for my copy of The Partner Plot! All thoughts are my own.

One of my favorite books from last year was The Neighbor Favor by Kristina Forrest so I couldn’t wait for the next book in this interconnected series! I thought the set up for this book was so cute and I absolutely LOVE the cover. The pink pops off the page and made me even more excited to read it.

I didn’t love this book as much as the Neighbor Favor, but it is still a great read that explores second chances, changing dreams, and forgiveness.

Synopsis:

“To Violet Greene, fashion is everything. As a successful celebrity stylist, she travels all over the world, living out her dreams. Professionally, she’s thriving, but her personal life is in shambles. After surviving a very public breakup with her ex-fiancé six months ago, Violet is now determined to focus on her career. But life hands her something—or rather, someone—that might derail everything…Xavier Wright did not expect to run into his high school girlfriend Violet—the girl he once thought he’d marry—on a birthday trip to Vegas. As a high school teacher and basketball coach, he rarely leaves his New Jersey hometown, so what were the chances? But when the initial shock wears off, they decide to celebrate together. They feel young and reckless as they party the night away—and reckless they clearly were when the following morning, they wake up beside each other with rings on their fingers.Their impulsive nuptials might be a blessing in disguise, though, when they realize that both of their careers could benefit from the marriage. So they play the part of a blissfully wedded couple. Yet when their passion comes hurling back, they realize their feelings are just as real as they were back when they were teens. But are their lives too different to stick it through or will they finally get a happy ending?” —NetGalley

What I Liked:

The Set Up—I love a book that starts in Vegas. Have I been to Vegas? No. But the stakes are always quite high! I also loved how the book started with a prologue of sorts, featuring the characters when they were younger.

The Characters—Xavier and Violet were a delight to spend time with, but I love all the side characters in this series!

The Tropes—Second chance romance and fake dating? High! Stakes!

What Didn’t Work For Me:

The Pacing—This book had all the ingredients to make me fall in love with it, but there was something with the pacing that just missed the mark for me.

Character Authenticity: 4/5 Spice Rating: 1/5 Overall Rating: 3.75/5

Content Warnings:

infidelity

Yet again, Kristina has done it! Making me swoon over a couple just wanting them to be together! I really enjoyed reading this book and I am invested in the lives of these three sisters! Violet and Xavier just belong together. You will never forget your first love! I am so happy to have gotten an arc of this even though I read it late but am very happy with it.

2.5 stars. The Partner Plot is a second chance romance between highschool exes! And while this is described in the blurb as a marriage of convenience, it isn’t at all. They do run into one another in Vegas, and they do wake up finding wedding rings on their fingers the next morning, but immediately after that they realize they did a fake wedding ceremony. After going their separate ways they realize if they pretend they really did get married, it would help out both of their careers. So it’s a fake relationship and not a marriage of convenience at all.

I loved the first book in this series, The Neighbor Favor was even one of my fav reads of 2023, so I fully expected to love this one as well. And this book just didn’t live up to that at all sadly. This book took me soo long to get through and I kept moving on to other books instead and coming back.

Basically we see Violet and Xavier when they first meet in highschool and hit it off, we see the ups and downs of their budding romance, lots of breakups and silly fights, but a lot of love. Violet was always seen as “too much” by adults and couldn’t wait to live town, move to the city, and become a celeb fashion stylist. Xavier dreamed of leaving town and becoming a NBA player but when real life steps in and shook up their lives in college, they split. Now they run into one another almost a decade later in Vegas, where her dreams have come true and he’s a teacher and basketball coach at their old highschool.

I just kept waiting to fall in love with this book and characters and it never happened. We get a lot about Violet and her career and thoughts and I felt like we needed more from Xavier or maybe even more time with them together. Like we get a lot of time with both of their careers and I just wanted more of why they wanted to be together. I guess I just didn’t get what they liked about one another. And the reasons for them wanting to pretend to be married and how it all went about just didn’t hit right for me.

We do get a bit of the setup for the next book in the series, so I might still check that out since the first book worked so well for me and just lower my expectations.

I received an ARC from the publisher, all thoughts in this review are my own.

Y’all know I’m a huge second chance romance fan so The Partner Plot was just the book I needed.

Briefly…two former high school sweethearts get a second chance in this marriage of convenience romance.

First of all this cover is just gorgeous and fun! I just could not pass it up. The author did a great job with setting up the backstory romance which is soooo important. You could feel the spark of first love. It kind of reminded me of the movie Love & Basketball. Cue the marriage of convenience and I am here for it. Seeing Xavier and Violet rekindle their love was just the sweetest. I really enjoyed the character arc for Xavier and how he grew professionally. Loved it!

If you are looking for a sweet second chance romance you definitely should check out The Partner Plot!

Thank you NetGalley & Berkeley for the ARC

First the cover. I saw the cover and had to get the ARC. So colorful.

The MCs were likable. I was concerned there was going to be an unnecessary third act break up but was pleasantly surprised. The story was entertaining. I was expecting Iris story next since I peeped the vibe between her and Angel at Violets anti wedding party. But this second chance/ fake marriage was a nice surprise. I was hoping for a little more angst between Vi & X; he did break her heart after all. Their high school to early college history was very well developed though. The mystery of their drunken night in Vegas should've played or longer man's more unbeknownst to them that it was a pretend marriage. But overall good read. Can't wait for Iris story!

easy romcom to dive into, love a good ol splash of Vegas drama to stir things up. lighthearted read but didn’t stick with me for long.

"The Partner Plot" was an absolute delight from start to finish. Kristina Forest has crafted a story that's both cute and fun, making it impossible not to fall in love with Xavier and Violet. Watching these two characters grow both individually and together was a highlight for me.

One aspect of this book that stood out to me was the lack of a third-act breakup, which is way too common. Instead, Forest chooses to explore a healthier dynamic where the couple faces adversity head-on, communicating and working through their issues together. This not only felt refreshing but also so much more realistic and relatable.

This book is a fun, cute, and lighthearted read. As someone who can't resist a good second-chance romance, "The Partner Plot" hit all the right notes for me. The chemistry between the characters, combined with their emotional growth, made this an entertaining read.

I would recommend "The Partner Plot" to anyone looking for an enjoyable and easy read. Whether you're a fan of second-chance romances or just in the mood for a feel-good book, I'm sure you'll love this one!

Thank you to NetGalley and Berkley for this arc in exchange for an honest review.

If you loved The Neighbor Favor, you are in for such a real treat with The Partner Plot!!

I am a sucker for second chance romances and this one was done right! Violet and Xavier were high school sweethearts, and now almost a decade later they run into each other while out in Vegas and spend the night reconnecting. When they wake up with rings on their fingers they soon realize this marriage can benefit both of their professional lives. As time passes and old feelings resurface they realize they have a chance of happily ever after.

Violet and Xavier were such fun protagonists, and I loved seeing how in tune they still were with one another while also learning who the other person is as an adult. I love seeing how they have each grown and how they are now able to be the best partner for one another.

Last year, Kristina Forest's adult debut, The Neighbor Favor, made our "Best of 2023" list. The Partner Plot, her follow up, is on track for 2024, because it was SO GOOD.⁠
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This is a second-chance romance between high school sweethearts. Back then they were the school's "it" couple: the on again-off again prom king and queen who seemed destined to end up together. They both had big dreams: Violet was going to be a stylist for the stars, and Xavier was going to make the NBA. Except in his first semester at college, Xavier suffered an injury... and broke up with Violet over winter break.⁠
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It's been ten years since then, and Violet she really IS a stylist for the stars! Xavier, on the other hand, is back in their home town working as an English teacher and assistant basketball coach at their high school alma mater. They run into each other in Las Vegas, get drunk, and wake up the next day fake-married (it is, in fact, not /that/ easy to get married in Vegas, but it is VERY easy to have a fake ceremony). When Violet, up for a 30-under-30 list in her industry, claims to be married to her English teacher high school sweetheart, she starts the ball rolling on a contemporary fake relationship. ⁠
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The book is so much fun to read! Like in her adult debut, Forest avoids common contemporary romance pitfalls (there is no 3rd act breakup!!) and gives us two sincere, decent characters who really care about each other. This is a true pleasure to read! Highly recommended.⁠

This objective review is based on a complimentary copy of the novel.

The Partner Plot follows two former high-school sweethearts who run into each other in Vegas and end up accidentally married. Violet is a celebrity stylist which was a really fun plot to follow. I also really enjoyed Xavier's perspective, who is figuring out his career that has not gone in the way he imagined. It felt so relatable to feel stuck when a dream doesn't work out and when you have to find out where to turn next. This book is dual-point of view which I enjoyed. I really like Kristina Forest's writing- her characters are always relatable and well-rounded.

This was a light hearted cute and fun second chance romance. The characters were so bold and it made the story enjoyable. Would definitely recommend

I absolutely loved her last book, The Neighbor Favor, so I jumped at the chance to read this one. I didn't even read the synopsis.

I'm going to be honest, the second chance romance trope is probably my least favorite, but Kristina Forest has seriously made me love this trope.

This is second chance with a fake marriage and it was so good.

The dual narration was superb, I highly recommend the audio as it really brings the characters to life.

This is such a great book! It’s a sweet second chance, fake dating romance that brought back memories of that first intense love in high school. The story flew along, the writing is well done and I loved the characters.

Violet has always loved fashion, and knew that she’d end up working in that field someday. Her HS boyfriend, Xavier, planned to play basketball in college and go on to the NBA. They broke up when they were both in college and haven’t seen each other since.

Violet made good on her dream, she’s a successful stylist to the stars. Xavier is a high school English teacher and basketball coach for their NJ high school.

After a chance meeting in Las Vegas where they wake up together wearing fake wedding rings, their old feelings come back.
Xavier is looking for a new job and Violet is being profiled in a magazine. They pretend to be married to show their stability, but the longer it goes on the more real it feels.

I highly recommend this book, 4.5 stars.

Thanks to Berkley Romance and NetGalley, I received a complimentary copy of this book. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

I enjoyed this second chance story between Violet's and Xavier. Their story checks off more than one romance genre boxes - second chance romance, marriage of convenience, etc. The random and bit of luck that led up to them reconnecting in Vegas was set up nicely. I enjoyed some of the interactions between Violet and her colleagues and how they were also really good friends. I liked Xavier's interactions with his students because they seemed realistic and believable. I had a few laugh out loud moments throughout the book from some of these conversations. I really loved that this story didn't include the expected instances of miscommunication and keeping secrets that would eventually led up to a third act break up between the two main characters.. While some things were predictable, I was also surprised when some things I expected to happen did not happen. While overall, there didn't seem to be a lot of romance going on in this story, it also didn't have a lot of unnecessary drama which was a plus for me.

I really enjoyed The Neighbor Favor so was excited to see where this one would go. And I do love a fake relationship so I had high hopes, and was not disappointed.

Violet and Xavier were each other's first love, dating in high school and planning their lives together. But when college puts a lot of distance between them, and life doesn't go as plans, Xavier ends the relationship and leaves Violet heartbroken.

Fast forward ten years, life has moved on and they both end up in Las Vegas and, oddly enough, run into each other. Violet is a success in her career, and Xavier's NBA hopes were dashed after an injury, and he is back teaching and coaching in their hometown.

One thing leads to another and they wake up together. When Violet is in an interview and panics and says they are married, then gets injured, they decide to play along that they married in Vegas.

I enjoyed this one so much and look forward to more from this author!

Many thanks to NetGalley and Berkley Publishing for an ARC in exchange for my honest review!

I give this book a 4.25! I loved this book. I relate to it a lot more ways than what I care to share on the internet. I loved that even though we got a peak into the past it wasn’t a past/present story format (I simply wasn’t in the mood for that lol). I love second chance romances but often times the authors let too much time lapse between the characters but Kristina got that perfect.

What kept me from rating this book five stars was one, I feel like I wanted to know more about Violet & Xavier. I feel like they were both just all about work & each other. we see a little bit of violet’s strained relationship with her mom but even that felt like in passing. Secondly, I thought the characters were a little too old to think love is enough to sustain a relationship.

Definitely a recommend book overall & I will be going to buy the neighbor favor!