(Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for an early read in return for an honest review!) I absolutely loved this book! It was so amazing, the characters had so much depth and it felt like I knew them personally from the first few chapters. Sam and Cooper’s story was so well paced and I really appreciated the bond between Sam and Emily.

What a sweet fake dating romance! I loved the first book so so much and this didn't disapoint. the opposites attract, the chemistry. all of it was great

I thoroughly enjoyed this sequel to The Love Rematch, and do recommend you pick that story up first before reading this one. This book was filled with some of my favorite rom com tropes -- reality tv, fake engaged, force proximity, small town boy/city girl, twin swap, and more. There were times where the tropes were very heavy handed, but it did not keep me from smiling through the pages as Sam and Cooper's love story unfolded. There was instant chemistry that stayed throughout the entire book and I was rooting for them to find their way to each other and their happily ever after!

The Love Lie is a feel-good, fun, easy to read, romance that will leave you smiling and swooning. The story revolves around Cooper, a handsome cowboy who runs his family's ranch, and Sam, a career-driven New York City girl who finds herself out of her element on a reality TV show. Don’t want to give anything away…When circumstances lead to a fake engagement between them, the two are forced into close proximity in a luxury hotel room in the Maldives. Classic opposites attract and the chemistry between them is undeniable, enhanced by their witty banter and gradual realization that they might be exactly what each other needs. You can’t help but root for their relationship from the start.

“The next time I kiss you, Sam, it won’t be because of someone else. It won’t be because you’re upset. It won’t be out of fear. It’ll be because you want it. It will be because you’re begging for it. It won’t be for anyone’s benefit but your own.”

It’s a perfect choice for anyone looking to escape into a world where love always finds a way. This is the second book in this series, can be read as a standalone, but definitely recommend reading the first one The Love Match. And if you enjoyed The Unhoneymooners by Christina Lauren this is for you.


Thank you NetGalley, Kay Marie, and Xpresso Book Tours for sending this eARC for review consideration. All opinions are my own.

Thank you to Kay Marie and NetGalley for this ARC!

I read book 1 in this series last year and was OBSESSED with it and I think this book was such a great sequel! If you are a fan of The Bachelorette of The True Love Experiment, I think you'd really love this series. The Love Rematch follows Emily, who was nominated by her mother on national television to be the next lead in a popular dating show, The Love Match, but is completely shocked when her ex is one of the producers for the show. It ends with Emily and her twin sister, Sam, having to swap places so that Sam can break up with one of Emily's show love interests, Cooper. Now in The Love Lie, Sam is unable to go through with the break up which leaves her and Cooper (and Emily) in a very interesting predicament.

I loved how feisty Sam is and how her sassiness is an attribute that Cooper absolutely adores about her. Their chemistry is off the charts and they are so different, but they work perfectly together. I am excited to see if this series continues! I love the reality TV trope- it always makes for such fun and chaotic storylines. I would absolutely recommend this series!

Read if you like:
- secret identity (not to the mcs)
- opposites attract
- enemies to lovers
- city girl / country boy
- fake dating
- reality tv plotlines

First I want to thank XPresso Book Tours for giving me the ARC to this book on NetGalley!

"The next time I kiss you, Sam, it won't be because of someone else. It won't be because you're upset. It won't be out of fear. It'll be because you want it. I'll be because you're begging for it. It won't be for anyone's benefit but our own."
"And if that never happens?" Her lips caress the pad of his thumb.
"It'll happen."
"What makes you so sure, cowboy?"
"Were inevitable, darlin".

Let me start off by saying, that I did not know this is the second in a series. I only just noticed when I looked the book up on Goodreads. But the first novel in the series, The Love Rematch, is now on my TBR. But not having read the first book did not affect my reading experience at all!

I gave this book 3.5 stars. It was a fun holiday read, but very predictable. That doesnt have to be a bad thing though. This book would be perfect for someone who is looking for a cute summer read that you can easily finish within one week (yes, even with school and exams!).

Even though it was not perfect, there were many things I liked about this book.
1. The Pace
This novel was very fastpaced, to the point where it felt a bit rushed at some points. When starting Sam and Coopers story, the reader is immediately thrown into the story. The backstory and how they got to the point they are are explained over the course of the first few chapters.
2. Dual POV
This novel is written from two povs and has an omniscient narrator. Usually I don’t like this, because the boys perspective is oftentimes written in a weird way, but Coopers perspective was great. His POV could easily be distinguished from Sams without feeling like a different novel.
3. The FMC
Sam is relatable and has real struggles, while still being brave and funny. She is the version of myself, that I could be, if I were more courageous. She is strong, likeable and, most importantly, written like a real woman, with doubts, problems and a job she hates but can’t quite bring herself to leave.
4. The language
This novel is written in a funny and descriptive way, which makes it really easy to read. Even half asleep I could follow the plot. This is great for people, such as myself, whose first language is not english.

What I did not like:
1. The first half
If you are looking for an emotional book, you are not going to find that in the first half of this one. There was A LOT of tension and hints at emotional backstories, but they are not discussed yet. This is why the first half bored me a little bit. It does get better in the second half though.
2. The Plot
As I already mentioned, this one was a bit too predictable for me. Especially with it being advertised as enemies to lovers, there was not enough pining, not enough time passed before they caught feelings. The book basically starts off with both of them being like: “wow, they are hot!”, then thinking it for 100 pages without really doing anything.

Overall I still enjoyed reading this. I think I finished it within 5 days. It is a great beach read for your next summer vacay, but not the emotional rollercoaster I expected it to be.

As always, this review will be available on Goodreads, Storygraph and NetGalley!

This book has a cute premise but struggles with the too many tropes not enough character development problem that is plaguing a lot of books recently. We have a grumpy cowboy, a fake engagement, enemies to lovers, and twin sister swap. The love story was sweet however there were several plot holes and the ending seemed so unrealistic it was hard to connect. I enjoyed the making of the bachelor style shows and some ofthe banter from the characters but the overall drama was a bit much.

Imagine a world where the parent trap grows up and mix it in with The Bachelorette… that’s exactly what this book is! This is the second in the series where we see Sam, identical twin of book one’s lead Emily, fall in love.

But it’s always got to be more complicated than that with reality tv. You see, Sam and Emily pulled the old identical twin switcheroo at the end of book one (which you should absolutely start with; it’s called the love match). Sam was supposed to break up with the final two suitors and then enjoy a week in the Maldives.

She absolutely rocked the breakout with the villain of the season but when the charming cowboy came out… Sam may have accidentally said yes?!

In this book you get to follow all of the hilarious moments between Sam and Cooper as they make their way through a fake engagement. The antics are fantastic as they fight their real feelings. If you’re looking for a romantic comedy, this is a good one!

I loved The Love Rematch but this was even better. Adorable, hilarious, steamy. I was begging Sam to leave it all behind for this man they deserve each other.

THE LOVE LIE by Kay Marie
⭐️ rating: 7/10

read if you like:
🙋🏻‍♂️The Bachelorette
👩‍❤️‍👨 Enemies-to-Lovers
🌊 Tropical settings

summary:
This book is about Samantha, an investment banking analyst and Type A city girl, who gets roped into switching places with her twin sister, Emily, on a popular reality show. She finds herself trapped with Cooper, her cowboy fake fiancé, on a celebration trip, sponsored by the network, and quickly realizes — she hates him. Will they learn to work together and get along so they can BOTH come out on top in this crazy situation?

This book is a cute story with a great enemy-to-lovers plot line set in an amazing location. Their chemistry is fun to read, their characters are heartwarming and real, and the situations they find themselves in make you laugh out loud. The underlying backstory mocking reality tv shows is also fun, as I personally have never really been a fan of the Bachelor/Bachelorette! The manipulation and set up behind the scenes was always a little too much for me, and I felt like this book highlighted the back room drama and staging that these shows are known for in a real way.

I also just love how both characters grow with each other. They both learn more about themselves through each other, and their growth feels genuine, which adds a layer of emotional connection to the story.

Thanks to @kaymariebooks for the advanced copy, and check this out when it releases on Sept 24!

Rating: 3.5/5

𝙽𝚘𝚝 𝚎𝚟𝚎𝚛𝚢 𝚌𝚘𝚠𝚋𝚘𝚢 𝚗𝚎𝚎𝚍𝚜 𝚝𝚘 𝚛𝚒𝚍𝚎 𝚊𝚕𝚘𝚗𝚎.

The plan was simple … at least it was supposed to be.

Sam had two things to do: 1. Secretly step in filming for her twin sister Emily, the lead on a reality dating show and 2. Say no to Coopers proposal. Only Sam took one look at Cooper Kelley and said sure .. and a moment of temporary insanity leaves them accidentally engaged. In a ploy not to blow their cover, the only solution is to stay fake engaged until the final taping, where they then can call off their engagement. When Sam & Cooper start breaking the boundary rules they’ve set in place, lines aren’t the only thing becoming blurred.

I loved the idea of the plot and I was a huge fan of both Cooper & Sam - I was rooting for them their entire journey! Their chemistry was never a problem (or was it? LOL) and it only got better throughout. Their continued banter brought out playfulness to their characters and relationship. I’m a huge fan of reality dating shows, I’ve seen them all! So I love the idea of them being thrown into books. This was a quick and fun romance read & you can never do wrong throwing in a cowboy ;)

I know the whole premises of this started with a twin swap and that’s how it obviously had to end, I just thought realistically it wasn’t realistic? I don’t want to give spoilers away, however for reference, i’m talking about the final taping and the plan that Sam and Nina come up with. I think there’s too many plot holes for it to be the truth (Sam’s job, other people knowing, etc).

~ Just my own personal thought (and did not deduct from my rating) - I wasn’t initially aware this was the second book in the series, following the first book, The Love Match. I found myself a little confused at times, so I would suggest reading this as a series and in order to understand the background of it all. ~

✨ Fake Engagement
✨ Reality Show
✨ Cowboy Romance
✨ Twin Sister Swap

TW: mentions of cancer (past), loss of parent/grief

Thank you to NetGalley and author Kay Marie for an advanced reader copy in exchange for my honest review.

I loved this book!!! I loved the dual POV. The characters had depth and the book was well written. Looking forward to reading more from her!! Thank you so much for the opportunity to read it!!!

I absolutely loved The Love Match and The Love Lie did not disappoint! Sam and Coopers story balanced sweet and spicy and was just what I was hoping for when I finished reading The Love Match! The Love Lie combines Cowboy Romance, a boss FMC, forced proximity, dating shows, secret identities - something for everyone!

I do think these do need to be read as a series and in order so that it makes sense, it’s definitely worth it!! Another great read from Kay Marie!!

Thank you Kay and NetGalley for the ARC!

The Love Lie by Kay Marie was such a fun read! Her first book The Love Rematch left Cooper and Sam’s story on a cliffhanger and I have been excited to read this since last summer.

Samantha is a smart, sassy, bad ass who lives in New York City working in finance and trying to help her sister launch her jewelry business. Cooper is a smoke show, smart ass cowboy, cinnamon roll from Nebraska trying to save his family’s cattle ranch. How do these two find themselves engaged? A dating show on national television of course! Sam flies to the Maldives when her identical twin sister Emily is the lead of the bachelor style dating show The Love Match because of family meet and greets, etc. but Emily has rekindled her romance with her high school sweetheart Jake who happens to be a producer on the show. So what do they do so Em and Jake can run away and be together? The girls switch places obviously! Which leads us to the beginning of our journey…on the beach in a beautiful dress staring at the hottest man she’s ever seen down on one knee with a diamond. All of the sudden the plan to politely reject him rides off into the sunset and she says yes! And he’s kissing her and it’s HOT! And now they are stuck in an only one bed bungalow on the beach for 5 days pretending to be an in love engaged couple and stick to rules to keep their chemistry at bay and make sure they don’t catch feelings for real. Cooper is falling hard for Samantha and Samantha is trying to protect her heart, because she doesn’t see how they can ever find a happily ever after when he owns a ranch and she works in a city…but with the help of a meddling producer they are in for a wild ride of a romance.

I love this book! I could not put it down. I absolutely recommend adding it to your TBR!!

Some excellent tropes:
Cowboy Romance
Fake Engagement
Only One Bed
Twins

this was just a delightful romcom that brought all the smiles and swooning. I loved the first one in the series and couldn’t wait until I got Sam’s story! Identical twin switch >>>> best trope. Cooper is THE perfect cowboy and I loved him so much! I think I liked the first book more, so this one is 4 stars for me, but I would definitely recommend as a sweet rom com with a fun and creative storyline :)

Thank you to NetGalley and Kay Marie for providing this book, with my honest review below.

The Love Lie was a satisfying romance / comedy and I will be coming back to it when I want a comfort read. In a world of lots of romances I love the unique premise and the writing and love story were done so well you can’t go wrong picking up this book.

Sam decides to fill in for her twin, Emily, on a bachelorette like reality show - but just for the finale. Her initial aim is to let Cooper, cowboy and all around good guy and heart throb, down gently to extricate herself and her twin from the show and bring some press attention - in the right way - to her sister’s jewelry line. That plan doesn’t quite go as envisioned to the delight of this reader. This was a part destination romance (I loved my visit to the Maldives and was initially drawn to recapturing that, which I did, with this book), part still waters run deep. This isn’t just about the romance but Sam’s own discovery of what makes her happy while Cooper proved himself to be more than just a cowboy.

Highly enjoyed! I won’t say this will shake up romances for anyone, but it shines amongst its sisters and brothers in the genre.

Title: The Love Lie

Author: Kay Marie
Genre: Romance

Rating: ★★★★


A city girl. A country boy. A fake engagement in front of 10 million viewers. What could possibly go wrong?….Well a lot!

To some, a proposal in the Maldives is the stuff of dreams. For Samantha Peters, it’s a certifiable nightmare. Why? Because she’s pretending to be her identical twin sister on a wildly popular reality TV show, and her potential fiancé is an infuriatingly sexy cowboy named Cooper, who never lets her win an argument. When a moment of temporary insanity leaves them accidentally engaged, they're stuck figuring it out together.
Their plan? Simple. Spend a week in paradise sharing the same bungalow to keep the producers from discovering the truth. Break up as soon as the cameras go down. Then live happily never after.

There’s only one problem: between jet skis, yacht tours, romantic dinners, and sunset parasails, these two opposites start seeing each other in a new light. Maybe Sam is more than just a workaholic with an iron heart, and maybe Cooper isn’t just a cocky cowboy with a restless spirit. But no matter how big the attraction grows, the rules are clear.

What I Loved:

Kay Marie’s The Love Lie is an absolute delight for fans of romantic comedies and fake engagement tropes, tropes that I love!

The chemistry between Samantha and Cooper is electric from the start, making their constant bickering as entertaining as it is sizzling. The setup of pretending to be someone else on a reality TV show adds a fresh twist to the enemies-to-lovers trope, keeping the readers hooked.

The exotic setting of the Maldives provides a breathtaking backdrop for this whirlwind romance. The vivid descriptions of their adventures—from jet skiing to romantic dinners—transport you right into the heart of paradise, making the story even more immersive.

I also appreciated the dual POV format, which gives readers a peek into the minds of both Sam and Cooper. It’s fun to see their misconceptions about each other unravel as they start to see beyond the facades they’ve built. Their character development is well-paced, and by the end, you’re rooting for them to break the rules and give love a chance.

Kay Marie masterfully combines humour, heart, and heat in this second instalment of The Love Match series, making it a must-read for romance enthusiasts. If you’re looking for a fun, lighthearted escape, this book is definitely for you!

Thank you to The Author Kay Marie & Netgalley for an advanced reader copy (ARC) in exchange for my honest review.

2.5 stars - fun while it lasted but cliche in a lot of ways.
I really loved the plot, characters, the writing style wasn't my favourite but it made for quick easy reading.
There were a lot of interesting tropes that could have been utilised more, such as the fake engagement only really played into very few scenes.
He was a cowboy so naturally the hat rule made an appearance (iykyk) but even that would have been nice to see more understanding stem from it.
It felt very rushed and shallow - the plot could have been drawn out more and maybe more tension would have been built, mentions of struggles and grief did appear but however natural they also felt like they were skimmed over and inserted in to give more depth.
It was entertaining and I kept reading but didn't give me much more than that.

Thank you to NetGalley, the author and the publisher for an advanced reader copy in exchange for an honest review.

This was a good romcom. I enjoyed it greatly. I think most romcom readers will enjoy it and I recommend it highly.

The Love Lie is a fun and light romance with great main characters. It's definitely a spicy love story in the making in am amazing setting. And, I love that he knew it was Sam immediately, and the connection they have.

Thank you NetGalley for an arc of The Love Lie by Kay Marie