5 🌟
2.5 🌶️

Someone said the grumpy/sunshine trope is blah. Nicole Snow said, "Here, hold my wine." With Almost Pretend, she has given us the gift of August, who is the grumpiest of grumps—not arrogant, just grumpy. He hates waking up before noon, is impatient and snarky, and generally bites everyone's heads off. So he meets Elle, sunny disposition flowing out of everywhere. She just laughs in the face of the grump in a good-natured way, and of course, he falls in love. The story that goes along with it is, at times, sad and poignant, but then again, it is hilarious at times. I so thoroughly enjoyed this book. It fits in well with all the billionaires of Seattle and Chicago and when Nicole writes them--there is no blah. It's all well worth the read. Enjoy!

Elle is moving from New York to Seattle which has always been home. Elle suffers from debilitating migraines and she is hoping that she can get to her seat on the plane before it gets too bad. Elle was born prematurely and she was not expected to live but she did. She also has anemia. Elle’s parents were never around much but her gran raised her. That’s where Elle is going now to help Gran out since she has a bad knee. Elle has found her seat but the man in the other seat won’t acknowledge her and won’t move. Elle finally gets seated and immediately takes her migraine medicine. Elle tries to introduce herself to her seat mate and he ignores her. He is very handsome but also very grumpy and she nicknames him Jet Daddy. When the plane takes off the pain is very severe and Elle is crying Jet Daddy hands her a satin pocket square to wipe her eyes. Elle sleeps most of the flight and she blacks out when the plane lands. When she comes to most everyone is off the plane. Elle gets off the plane and her migraine explodes again and she starts to faint, luckily Jet Daddy is there to catch her. August is a fixer, he fixes businesses that are failing. He is on his way home from a six month stint when he is seated next to Elle. August has already deplaned when he sees Elle faint, he catches her just in time before she hits the ground. August lost his parents when he was young and his aunt Clara took him and his sister Debra in and raised them. August is a billionaire who lost his first wife and the tabloids named him a black widow. August carries Elle out to his car while his driver Rick tries to find someone who might know Elle. Elle struggles to give Jet Daddy her gran’s address. The next day August shows up with a ring to ask Elle to be his pretend fiancée since their pictures were plastered all over the newspapers of him carrying her out of the airport. Elle eventually agrees and she enjoys pestering August because he is so grumpy. Elle is an illustrator and she has dreams of writing children’s books. She gets so excited to find out that her hero is none other than Clara Marshall, August’s aunt. August and their publishing company are being sued and that is why he wants Elle to be his fiancée. He also wants to see if Elle can bring Clara out of her funk and get her to draw again. As time passes August begins to show Elle more pleasant sides of himself. Elle begins to fall for August and they actually become friends with benefits. Whenever August and Elle have sex outside of his house, pictures end up in the tabloids. August gets a call from Rick that Clara is going to meet with Marissa, the woman who is suing Little Key and Clara for IP of Inky the character of Clara’s books. When August answers his door to a PI that he had hired. He found out that Rick was giving Marissa information. August took Elle with him to find out what Clara was doing. Clara had signed over everything to Marissa. Elle is trying to get everyone off the streets while they argue and August shattered her heart by telling her to stop being an intrusion which is something Elle has always struggled with feeling and he told her she wasn’t part of the family and she wasn’t needed. Will August ever realize how much he hurt Elle? Will August finally realize that he loves Elle? Will Elle forgive August after he broke her heart? Will Little Key be given to Marissa? Will August find the reason for Clara’s funk? Will August and Elle start over as a real couple? Will August and Elle find love and happiness in being their true selves?
I voluntarily reviewed an Advanced Reader Copy of this book via NetGalley.

Awesome Grumpy Billionaire Eccentric Woman romance!

Wow, Nicole Snow has done it again! Back in Seattle for her newest book, Almost Pretend with lead characters of Eleanor “Elle” Lark and August Marshall. Chemistry is palpable between the “grumpy” billionaire corporate “fixer” turned children’s book publisher and the sunshine-y children’s book illustrator. After people observe and blow up social media with salacious rumors and photos of August having to scoop Elle up into his arms in the SeaTac terminal after they disembark from the redeye from NYC (she passed out after dealing with a debilitating migraine for the entire flight) he proposes a fake engagement to help preserve both of their reputations. August and his sister Debra are currently trying to save their Aunt Clara’s children’s publish house and her Intellectual Property of “Inky the Penguin” from a lawsuit and the publicity is not helping. Soon they find themselves falling for each other, although August blows hot and cold for the first 50-60% of the story. His fear of being hurt causes him to lash out and push Elle away repeatedly. He truly is his own worst enemy.
An engaging tale, I finished it within one day. Highly recommend!

I really liked this one. I am a sucker for the grumpy/sunshine trope and this one delivered. Throw in the fact that he’s a billionaire brought me to my happy place. This author is a fabulous writer. Her descriptions are always on point and had me fully invested in the story. I could see the story play out in my mind. It was a very enjoyable story.

It was a true honor to read this book by Nicole Snow. August and Elle have my whole heart. Elle falls into August life and disrupts it in the most beautiful way. He is a hurt and guarded man, and she is all sunshine and light. The way he wrestles with his feelings while trying to be an honorable man is so well written. Elle is also a woman who has had disappointment in her life, but chooses to always smile and see the bright side of things. She pushes August to the limit, bringing that chaos to his life because she sees the man underneath the rough exterior. While August is trying to keep his aunts company and legacy together, he is haunted by tragic memories that make him believe that he is not able to love another person fully.

“Frankly, I don’t know what the hell I’m doing with you, Elle. Something just started moving like a freight train out of control the moment I saw you tonight. I had no prayer of stopping it, even if I wanted to-and I didn’t.”

I highly recommend this book to anyone looking for a well developed story, and beautiful prose. Snow will leave you breathless, raging, crying, and jumping for joy in “Almost Pretend”

Tropes:
Age Gap
Grumpy sunshine
Fake engagement
Billionaire
Opposites attract

3.5 stars
Nicole Snow is one of my go to authors and I always enjoy her stories. This was the first time it took me a bit to get into the story. The first part of the book just wasn't grabbing me but I stuck with it and am glad I did. The second half of the book I totally loved and enjoyed. A nice little twist towards the end was good too.

A fun, grumpy/sunshine, opposites attract, fake relationship romance with lots of steam!! Elle is a bubbly illustrator who suffers from bad headaches and August is a broody, grumpy Billionaire. The meet when Elle blacks out and he catches her. To avoid a media frenzy, August asks Elle to pretend to be his fiancee. So begins a fake relationship that will benefit them both. Lots of steam and fun banter with great characters. I really enjoyed the story.

Humorous, steamy, twisty and age-gap romance with many touching moments
Ms. Snow has done it again! I think I say that after reading every one of her books but it is true. This book was so well-written that I could almost feel Elle’s migraine headache. Elle is a freelance 23yo illustrator who has a passion for one very significant cartoon character from her youth, Inky who was written by her idol, author and illustrator, Clara Marshall. Completely by accident she meets Clara’s nephew on a flight back home to Seattle and falls right into his lap. August Marshall at 34yo has a past that the tabloids thrived on so when Elle and he end up being caught together, August thinks up a weird solution. Stranger still, Elle goes along with it. If you like humor in your age-gap romance with lots of passion and a significant twist, you will surely want to read this one. I thoroughly loved it! I volunteered to review an ARC of this book through NetGalley.

I loved Gruffykins and the brat aka August and Elle!

This was a great story and I loved how he went from silent ‘jet daddy’ and then slowly opened up to show us his softer side. Elle, her friend and Gran had a great dynamic and I loved how how all the characters interacted with each other.

Another winner from Nicole Snow.

From the first page this had me. It’s a fun read and I enjoyed the banter and interaction between the characters, the storyline was good even though the subject has been done a few times this author did it well.

Elle and August will capture your attention from the minute she faints on him. A media frenzy begins, and that's the last thing he wants or needs. He's a grumpy billionaire and she's an illustrator. To calm things down and get the press off them, she suggests they marry. They're as opposite as can be, but she tends to soften him up. Their banter is fun, and the story is told from a dual POV. A fake relationship becomes real and there is an HEA and no cliffhanger. I read a free arc via Net Galley and voluntarily chose to review it.

I enjoyed the best of both worlds by reading and listening to Almost Pretend, written by Nicole Snow. My favorite thing to do is start reading a book at home and then be able to continue on with it when I need to leave the house. I'm so thankful to have had that ability this time and was able to enjoy this with minimal interruptions! This book made me smile and laugh often, but there were heartbreaking moments as well.. August and Elle are perfect for each other. A great HEA that made my heart warm with contentment.

Rock Engle is a new to me narrator. He did an excellent job! Carly Robins is an excellent narrator who I've enjoyed listening to in the past. They brought this audiobook to life with emotional performances that had it rolling like a movie in my head.

Thank you NetGalley, Montlake, Brilliance Publishing, and author for the ALC and ARC I'd this book/audiobook. This is my voluntary and honest opinion.

She's a Lark, he's a billionaire...

It feels like its been way more than a hot minute since I last read a Nicole Snow.
Dang! I need to catch up....because she's so good! Almost Pretend is a grumpy/sunshine with Eleanor Lark being the super young 23 yo, chipper sunny to August's older, grumpy, avoids all the women throwing themselves at him. Eleanor tries a slightly different tactic...with her fainting at the airport and August catching her...she's a problem he can't just walk away from, again and again.
I really liked August, as they embark on yet another faking trope.
Recommend. Fun, foxy and entertaining.

Though I found parts of the story to seem unrealistic or a bit on the dramatic side, over all I enjoyed this one. It was a quick read that kept my attention. As a fellow sufferer, I was excited to see migraine representation in this book.

I loved Elle’s upbeat vibes, and sunny disposition. She was quirky and fun. It balanced nicely with August’s ultra grumpy demeanor and really made for a good opposites attract narrative.

You had me at Grumpy Sunshine...

This story is a quick witted feel good romance.  Elle and August are opposites. Elle is sunshine in  human form and August is a thundercloud.  Their meet cute was far from cute.  It would have been so romantic if Elle actually swooned for August, but realistically speaking, she literally fainted in his arms because of a severe migraine.

The repartee between these two was a joy to read.  August is thrown for a loop by Elle as she always seems to delve into his inner most thoughts and really know how he feels. This story was lighthearted, entertaining and spicy.  A laugh a minute is always guaranteed in a Nicole Snow story.

Almost Pretend written by Nicole Snow. Here is a fake fiancée story with Elle, who is an out of work children's illustrator and the sexy grumpy CEO August, who comes to her rescue and finds himself stuck in a net of his own doing. These two burn quite hot and I loved reading of all their little barbs and snarky comments to each other. I love the story of the child author and how she brought them closer together. I love all of Ms Snow's books and I never miss a new release. Do yourself a favor and put her on your TBR list!

This book is one of the most humorous and entertaining I have ever read...Elle Lark and August Marshall, what a pair! He's a grumpasaurus and she's like "A small, fuzzy-hell raising bunny." (Those are Nicole's colorful descriptive words) This is now my favorite Nicole Snow book. August needs Eleanor to pretend to be his wife since she passed out and he swooped her up in his arms before she went down, which was extremely kind of him. But wait...he's not a kind person. He's a crabby grouch with no filter. The only thing going for him is he's extremely handsome AND a billionaire. Eleanor on the other hand is gorgeous and has a delightful personality, although a little bit on the quirky side. I loved every character in the story. Nicole Snow has written a book that will capture you from the first page and not let go. I hated it to end! Kudos to Nicole for writing another amazing story.

Almost Pretend is a grumpy billionaire, contemporary romance that is another delizioso read from author Nicole Snow.
I’ve found myself enjoying this genre lately and Ms. Snow is one of those authors that does it just right.
The MFC in this new one, Eleanor, suffers from intense migraines and barely makes it through one on a flight seated next to billionaire August Marshall who keeps their interactions to a bare grumpy minimum.
In the terminal after landing she has another attack and surprise, surprise who catches her as she passes out but August.
Trouble soon follows as the media turns the incident into all kinds of speculations as to their relationship forcing August to come up with a plan to soothe the savage beasts.
This story was well written, very emotional, and heart tugging good as an MMC you love to hate, and MFC who is more than the sum of her parts embark on a journey that brings enlightenment to them both, BUT the road won’t be an easy one, and I was kept very much entertained along the way.

Elle is chaos personified, everything August finds detestable in his life but after coming to Elle's rescue at the airport when she passes out from a migraine, August needs her help. Being August's fake fiancee doesn't seem so hard so Elle agrees but when she starts to get feels for the sexy grump she knows she is in trouble. August needs to learn to open up if he wants a future with Elle or he could lose her forever in this fun read.

I absolutely love Elle's character and all of her quirkiness. Love the connection between Elle and August and how Elle pulls August out of his funk. Love their ending.