Elle and August have what might have been a meet cute, but despite Elle’s attempts, it wasn’t! August is grumpy and rude, Elle’s suffering from a migraine, but August can’t deny his inner hero and takes care of her. And so begins a wonderful grumpy/ sunshine romance ! I loved Elle’s happy artist demeanor and August’s gruff fixer persona. Set in Seattle with references to other Nicole Snow characters like the Winthropes.

What's better than the stoic grump you sit beside on the plane ride from hell being the one who scoops you up when you pass out in the airport and makes sure you get home safely? When the same grump shows up the next day with a proposal to help find you a job with your favorite author and save his image... simple right? Or it would be simple if your grumpy savior wasn't hiding a soft heart under his emotional armor...
I completely enjoyed all the angst, sweetness and swoon moments in August and Elle's story.

Thank you Netgalley for allowing me to read and review this book. These opinions are completely my own.

I enjoyed the balance of story and spice in this story. Elle and August had a great relationship and the side characters were adorable.

I did find the pace dragging at times . I'm not sure why this is.

A swoon worthy story to read. August is the growly billionaire who doesn’t know how to express his feelings. Elle is a sparkly ray of sunshine who can always find a smile. This grumpy meets sunshine story is a delightful adventure from start to finish. Readers will totally love the characters as they go from one crazy event to the next. The teasing dialogue between the characters will leave readers with a smile on their face throughout the story. The plot is a marvelous show of love of all people as they are. This is a definite must read!

This was a very enjoyable read with some of my favorite tropes…grumpy/sunshine, fake relationship, age gap, billionaire romance. I loved how sweet and sunshiny Elle was and just always tried to look for the bright side of everything! There was a sad side to that but I don’t want to spoil anything. She was so opposite of August but I think he really needed that to bring him out of his self imposed isolation from real life and relationships. He has had a tragic relationship that just made it hard for him to trust but he couldn’t help but be pulled in by Elle. The whole concept of Inky was adorable! I absolutely loved how much both of these characters would do for the people they loved! The banter and teasing between them was pretty comical! I enjoyed this story! This is my honest opinion of this complimentary copy of this book

I thoroughly enjoyed this book and would go as far as saying I think it’s one of my favourite Nicole snow stories. Great characters who are multidimensional. Side characters you are cheering for and touchy subjects handled with empathy and sincerity.

"Almost Pretend" by Nicole Snow offers a familiar romance setup—billionaire businessman August Marshall and eccentric artist Elle Lark engage in a fake relationship that eventually leads to true love—but what sets it apart is the power of Snow's writing. Her poetic and evocative style transforms the common trope into an emotionally charged journey. The interplay of humor, heartbreak, and sensuality pulls readers into the story, creating a captivating reading experience.

The plot revolves around August rescuing Elle at the airport after she faints from a severe migraine attack, leading to media buzz and a fake engagement proposal from August to salvage his tarnished reputation. In return, Elle gains an apprenticeship with August's renowned aunt, children's book illustrator Clara Marshall. Their interactions are filled with contrasting personalities: August is grumpy and brooding, with a history of betrayal and public scrutiny, while Elle is an embodiment of chaos, positivity, and vibrancy.

As they navigate their fake relationship, both August and Elle face complex emotions that grow into something real. The underlying secrets and lies within August's family publication company threaten to derail their blossoming relationship, but the author's careful pacing and detailed character development make their journey compelling. Despite their efforts to resist falling in love, they find themselves drawn closer with each passing day, leading to an eventual happy ending that is both heartfelt and rewarding. The book's conclusion provides a satisfying resolution, showcasing August's transformation and Elle's bright spirit.

Elle Lark is moving back home to Washington to help the Grandmother who raised her because her Grandmother won’t rest and give her injured knee a chance to heal. Even though Elle’s parents are still alive they have never been much of a presence in her life. Ellesuffers from debilitating migraines and on her flight home she is suffering from a horrendous one. The only thing keeping her sane is the hot broody man who is her seat mate. August Marshall is a fixer in the corporate world moving in to save a struggling company then moving on to the next. He and his sister were raised by his Aunt Clara after their parents died. He is on the plane to Washing to save his family business’s children’s publishing company and keep his Aunt’s ex partners daughter from her claims that Clara stole the beloved character Inky from her father and destroyed their lives. When Elle passes out in the airport from her migraine pain, August is there to catch which propels their lives together in a bazaar fake engagement that turns their lives upside down. This is the grumpy/sunshine story that will have you laughing, angry, crying and falling in love with the characters.

August and Elle are complete opposites but my loooord, they are a d o r a b l e together.

While August refuses to admit that Elle is making him feel alive, Elle is fangirling over her idol. Who just happens to be August’s aunt.

The push and pull between these two are enough to keep you on the edge, waiting for that perfect rele- moment they finally give in to their feelings.

The downside is that this book is a slow burn but once the spice starts spicing… 😏🥵

Spice: 3/5
Character Development: 4/5
Overall:4/5

I couldn't put August and Elle's story down, Nicole Snow did a fantastic job on it, the plot was strong, it was written well. Elle and August, their journey was a bumpy one, they had their ups and downs, August needed someone like Elle, she was perfect for him, the two were actually well matched even though they were complete opposites. The connection was strong, they were drawn to each other, the chemistry was sizzling, they were perfect together. Their journey had it's challenges but they were strong. This is a great story, I'd recommend reading it, plus, you could never go wrong with one of Nicole Snow's book, she's very talented, love her stories. I'm looking forward to reading more.
Thank you, Nicole Snow. Wonderful work ❤️

4.5 ⭐️s…What a delightful, LOL, fake engagement, grumpy/sunshine romance filled with witty banter, fun & flirty, what the heck am I doing, chemistry filled journey for August and Elle. Will August figure it out before he loses Elle to his past? Loved it!

I love when there is a new grumpy billionaire out there who has just been waiting for his other half to bring some sunshine to his life. In this case August Marshall is the billionaire grump and the ray of sunshine is children's illustrator Elle Lark. Their first meeting happens on a plane, poor Elle suffers migraines and this is an area I personally resonate with and was handled extremely well. August becomes her unknowing knight in shining armor and then her fake fiance all in the space of a day.

There is always great emotions with her characters and a bunch of fun animal references and as always my favourite part of all these novels are the epilogues that have the best HEA moments that always wrap up these stories leaving a giant smile on my face.

Thankyou to netgalley for access to this arc.

Nicole Snow has been one of my auto read authors and this did not disappoint! Super easy to read and I love how fun the plot is

Those familiar with Nicole Snow’s billionaire series will recognize her signature style in this book. She’s the best at writing alpha-holes who are so much more than they seem. This book is no different.

August Marshall is a billionaire grump-ahole, who’s lost his zest for life after being betrayed by his ex-wife. Hes sworn off love altogether. He’s wounded and lashes out as his protective armor. August meets Elle Lark, an upcoming book illustrator, on a flight. Both are heading home to help their families. Elle suffers from debilitating migraines and gets one while on the flight. August reluctantly rescues her at the airport after she collapses. His heroics go viral. To save them both from the media storm, August suggests they fake an engagement. August convinces her of the engagement by allowing her to work with his grandmother who is Elle’s favorite childhood author. His grandmother has seemingly given up her most famous character and is carrying around secrets of her own.

Elle is bubbly and vivacious and tends to be impulsive. She’s also not afraid to say what she thinks. But she often uses her smile as a mask, which August notices immediately. As August and Elle spend time together for appearances, August finds her intriguing as well as exasperating. Elle sees beneath August’s gruff demeanor to the good man he is inside. If only he’d see himself the same way maybe they could have a real relationship.

You will love this book if you are into grumpy/sunshine, billionaire, age gap and hidden family secrets. August and Elle are quite different but wounded in ways they both get each other. They are perfect for each other. And their banter is quite entertaining. Grumpy/sunshine books like this can almost seem predictable but the journey from beginning to end is what keeps us coming back for more again and again.

Thanks to NetGalley, Montlake & Nicole Snow for the ARC opportunity.

*4.5

I love stubborn men who struggle to say they're in love. He was so obsessed with Elle and I love it. That girl was so good for him and she got him to open up. This book was really cute.

I received an arc through netgalley.

I put off reading this book because I knew I needed to be in the right mood, and it was worth the wait. Firstly, as someone who suffers from migraines, I was so happy to see that not only represented by Elle but also to see how August and her family took it seriously. It's a small thing but people don't always understand and his response showed how much he cared about her from the very beginning. The writing style was easy to read and the story flowed so well that I had a fun time reading. A guaranteed HEA but it did require some work on our main characters parts, the groveling and grand gestures had me smiling from ear to ear. I look forward to reading more from this author!

This book started off more than well, I liked the premise and I liked that Eleanor acted more or less her age, since August is more than 10 years older than her, even though they made a good couple.

The story and all the little mystery about who wrote the children's book about a penguin (yes, a penguin) was what kept me reading, also I liked everything about the fake engagement, although let's face it, they pretend to like each other, but I didn't see much effort on either side, and thank goodness we had August's point of view because if not, we would not even know that he has feelings towards Eleanor, the chronic pain part is something that I liked how it was presented, as a person who has a family that suffers from migraines and knowing that those pains can be even worse, I liked how the author handled that topic.

The book was a bit slow and at the same time long for everything that happens and almost at the end everything was rushed, but still it was a good read that made me laugh and sigh.

thanks to the publisher and netgalley for the e-arc in exchange for my honest review.

The best thing about Almost Pretend by Nicole Snow is the simplicity of the plot and the power of the writing. It's a story you have probably read a million times as s romance reader. A grumpy billionaire, an eccentric sunshine artist and their fake engagement for the sake of a greater cause becoming a great love story. But the reason you should still pick Almost Pretend is to experience Nicole Snow's beautiful writing. The way she effortlessly delivers all consuming feelings in every page. The way she makes everything poetic, even the heartbreak, even the hot scenes. Before I knew, I was invested into this heartaching story with brilliant contrast of humor.


When billionaire businessman August Marshall rescued Elle Lark at the airport when she fainted from the severe migraine attack..they didn't know it will become a media sensation. Now August proposes a fake engagement to her to save his already unfairly tarnished reputation..and offering her an apprenticeship in his family publication company under his aunt and the legendary children's book illustrator Clara Marshall. She is Elle's inspiration for being an illustrator herself. August need to save the company and Elle wants to save him.


August Marshall is so deceptively grumpy and brooding. He is a man who has been betrayed, hurt, dragged through the mud of public court. He cannot afford to fall in love and definitely not with a storm like Elle. She is exactly opposite of his controlled calm world. She is pure beautiful chaos. With a big heart and bigger personality. She is sweet and adorable and witty and totally unfazed by August's grumpiness. She has seen grief and abandonment too but she has still chosen to see the brightness of life while August hide in the shadow. The publications company comes with secrets and lies those didn't unfold till the very end and it almost ruined everything but the execution was on point. August and Elle came closer slowly with each day they spent pretending together. They both felt the very complicated emotions deep in their heart but for the sake of saving themselves from pain, they tried to ignore and resist. The author placed each piece of their puzzle with meticulous care and intention and I was completely lost in the process. There were lots of ups and downs. Elle forced August to face the scary ways of falling in love and like all great book boyfriends, he finally lived upto the task. Elle deserves nothing less than the all consuming obsessive devotion from a man like August. The HEA was so swoony and sweet.

I reviewed an early copy voluntarily

I really liked Elle and enjoyed her story. She was my favorite character, along with Aunt Clara, and I especially loved Inky the Penguin!

Elle and August meet during a flight from NYC to Seattle as seatmates. Elle is trying to be friendly despite the debilitating migraine she's suffering while August is the typical grumpy billionaire who refuses to give her the time of day. Until he sees her collapsing in the airport when he rushes to catch her and then takes her home. The next morning, the papers and social media are blowing up at this girl the reclusive single billionaire has rescued and he turns up at her door to strong arm her into pretending to be his fiancée for the next few months. Part of her compensation will be working alongside her childhood heroine, illustrator and writer Clara Marshall, who just so happens to be August's aunt.

Their fake relationship is barely mentioned over the rest of the book as they both start falling for each other and things between them become real, despite August's attempts to push Elle away. He has some demons from a previous relationship that he refuses to admit to himself, but eventually he's able to work through his issues and realise he's in love with Elle and doesn't want to live without her. Her chaos to his quiet.

I felt like some parts of the story weren't fully explained, but the main storyline about the publishing house and the intellectual property thankfully was completely resolved.

I enjoyed the story but Elle and August both felt a little flat as characters, there wasn't really any real depth to each character. Ok they both were raised by a family member other than their parents and they were always the weird kid in class but it seems to stop there. We don't really know anything else about them which makes it hard to connect to them.

Thanks to NetGalley and Montlake for the opportunity to read and review this ARC.