Daphine Davis is driving back to her hometown town which is on an Island. She is feeling down after her fiancé broke up with her, and she lost her job. Always the rule follower, she is now driving with mint chocolate ice cream between her legs when she gets pulled over. It is by her new boss, the sheriff, who was also her tormentor during high school. Calvin Flint cannot believe it is Miss Perfect whom he is pulling over. He lets her go, but every time after this, she ends up doing something to embarrass herself when she is with him. The goes on and they both realize that they had a different look at the way things were in high school. They become more than friends, and then Daphine decides she wants to be part of her family and wants to get her grandmother's cast iron Dutch oven, which is actually in his mother's kitchen, which just adds more to this story. A really good story with excellent characters and very much worth the read.

I loved this book and I couldn't put it down once I started reading it and I was hooked from the very first page. I loved the chemistry, attraction and the banter between them was really amazing.

Accountant Daphne Davis has returned home to work for the local Sheriff’s department, not expecting to see the new acting Sheriff, Calvin Flint. He was her nemesis in high school and now he will be her boss. She is tasked with finding out where the money, scheduled for the new addition, went. Calvin had turned his life around from the boy who didn’t care if he graduated to the man he is now, but still there are times when he doesn’t believe that he deserves happiness. Daphne had lost her job and was dumped by the man she had planned to marry. She is the quiet one, but her grandmother manages to involve her in a plot to retrieve a stolen pot, yes, a pot that makes the best bread…and crust. Calvin is falling for her once again, but will she be staying in town or head back to the city? Her involvement with the group of elderly citizens, including her grandma, may lead her to one of craziest things she has ever done. She is not a risk taker, but maybe she will soon learn that she is braver than she thought. Laugh out loud at times, but with a definite hint of tenderness as Calvin proves that he believes in her, but she needs to believe in herself as well. I received an advance review copy at no cost and without obligation for an honest review. (paytonpuppy)

Hallmark movie vibes with cliche settings and characters. I was disappointed by the campy and predictable storytelling when the plot had the potential to deal with more complicated issues and feelings that would have set it apart.

Daphne is whiny and her thoughts are endlessly repetitive. Calvin is more interesting - I feel like he deserves better! Not bad, but it doesn't stand out.

Thank you to NetGalley & the publisher for providing an eARC for review.

Daphne is definitely not a shy, good girl that she pretends to be and Calvin, the reformed bad boy, is the only one who sees the real her and brings her out of her shell. The banter between them was so fun right from the start.

A series of events leads them to end up fake dating and the fun continues. But the fake soon turns real with Calvin going into protective mode over Daphne’s safety. Unfortunately (or fortunately), she gets into plenty of trouble which allows them to get closer.

I enjoyed seeing smart Daphne at work, and when they paired up on their investigation, it was a perfect match. Though the heartbreaking scene was painful to read, it did made the ending so much sweeter. I wished though that the will they won’t they portion was slightly shorter.

Four Steps To The Perfect Fake Date is the enemies to lovers romance between accountant Daphne and Sheriff Calvin who knew each other in high school only to meet again as adults when she is hired to look into fraudulent activities occurring during construction to the Sheriff's detachment. Add in the plot by Daphne and her grandmother to steal back their family's bread pot which has been taken by Calvin's mother and you have the makings for a hilarious romantic comedy. This delightful romance has amazing characters, hilarious self-talk, witty banter, laugh out loud situations, a little suspense, and a slow burn romance which has always been brewing. I highly recommend this enjoyable book which is well written by one of my favorite authors, Lillian Monroe.
I received a copy of this book by netgalley and am voluntarily leaving an honest review.

This book was an absolute joy to read! Calvin and Daphne were at school together and both thought the other disliked them. When Daphne returns to the island where her family lives, she and Calvin get to know each other as adults and realize they are attracted to each other. Both find it hard to relate to their families, but by pretending to be dating, they start to bond. Daphne’s misadventures, as she tries to break out of her ‘good girl’ role, are simply hilarious! Her grandmother, sister and friends make great sidekicks along with Calvin’s little sister CeCe. I found this a wonderfully satisfying small town rom com and can’t wait to read more in this series!

3.5

The story follows Daphne, who suddenly finds herself facing a reality she never thought possible: unemployed and dumped by her long-time boyfriend for being “boring.” So, she decides to return to her hometown island to lick her wounds and figure out what’s next. As if her bad luck wasn’t enough, she ends up crossing paths with Calvin—her high school nemesis and former bad boy—who’s now the island's new sheriff.

I loved the initial chemistry between Daphne and Calvin—their banter was so much fun! The fact that they already knew each other made it even more interesting to discover why they couldn’t stand each other in the past. The whole work proximity setup, with them teaming up to solve a case, worked so well in helping them shift their perspectives about each other—especially Daphne toward Calvin. I loved seeing how their behavior changed when they were together, revealing sides of themselves they didn’t even realize they had, especially Daphne. The flashbacks to their past were a nice touch too—I honestly wouldn’t have minded a few more of those, just for personal preference.

One thing that really surprised me (and made me laugh) was the amount of bad luck Daphne faces in the first part of the book: between a black eye and a sprained ankle, it seems like the protagonist can’t stay away from misfortune. This detail made me smile because it’s not the kind of situation I expect in a contemporary romance, even though, given the mystery subplot, it makes sense that there would be risky moments. But I had assumed the person getting hurt every time wouldn’t be the protagonist. LOL

These circumstances, however, give the two protagonists the chance to get to know each other better and deepen their relationship, which had been on hold since high school. I loved how their relationships developed and the little spicy moments scattered throughout that fueled their connection. Their relationship is well-developed, and some scenes are truly touching, while others are adorable.

Although Calvin is described as Daphne’s nemesis, I think “problematic guy” is a more fitting. After reading his POV, I’m glad he managed to climb out of his abyss and give himself a second chance. I liked seeing how his perception of Daphne evolves throughout the story, moving from the memory of her as a high schooler to the woman she is now. I truly adored him as a character, especially for how he cares for his little sister when he could resent her for living the life he once wanted. Instead, he worries about making sure she has everything she needs. On one hand, this situation is sweet and admirable, but on the other hand, the rebellious bad boy and Daphne’s nemesis side didn’t feel very “present.” Let me explain: given his past, I expected that some people wouldn’t accept him or would be wary of him because of his role as sheriff. But instead, everyone was very kind to him. Maybe it's just my perspective, but in a small town where gossip is part of everyday life, I expected there to be more "drama" surrounding this.

On the other hand, I found Daphne interesting in the first part of the story, and I quickly grew fond of her “change,” which seemed to be shaped partly by fate and the circumstances around her. However, by the time I reached the middle of the book, I started to perceive her narration as repetitive and monotonous, which weighed down the protagonist. I wished that, during those moments, she would have confided in a friend who could have pointed out the potential she had, instead of leaving her to wrestle with her thoughts.

The plot is pretty simple, but the touch of mystery adds a nice spark and keeps things moving without losing that light, easygoing vibe. I especially loved Daphne’s grandmother and her group of friends—they brought such a fun and heartwarming energy that balanced out the story perfectly. The ending was sweet and satisfying, just right for anyone craving a romantic story with a bit of emotional depth.

Overall, Four Steps to the Perfect Fake Date was a really enjoyable and engaging read, even though a few repetitive moments made the pacing feel a bit slow at times. That said, while I did enjoy the story and the dynamic between the characters was nice to follow, there were moments when I wasn’t fully convinced by the development of Daphne and Colin’s relationship.


Thank you to NetGalley and Montlake for the opportunity to read this e-ARC

We all have our "Daphne" days—grabbing that pint of ice cream to distract ourselves from life's whirlwind. Daphne's chaos, though, is on another level: breaking up with a fiancé who thinks she’s boring, losing their dream home, and a job gone up in smoke. With so much on her plate, she retreats to her small hometown, feeling defeated.

Returning home brings its own share of complications, especially when Daphne lands a short-term job as an accountant at the local police station to investigate some financial discrepancies. The twist? The sheriff just so happens to be none other than Calvin—her high school rival. Calvin lives for teasing Daphne, teasing her just enough to get a rise out of her. Their quick-witted banter as they clash (and occasionally collaborate) over the investigation was an absolute delight—it had me laughing and hooked throughout.

As the story unfolded, I loved watching these two drop their walls, share their vulnerabilities, and find a way to connect amidst all their personal baggage. Calvin masked his own struggles, while Daphne worked to regain her lost confidence. Their vulnerabilities unfolded in such a heartfelt way, as they slowly let down their guards, revealing their true selves. The drama caused by the grandmas only added to the charm and hilarity of the story.

This wasn’t just an enemies-to-lovers tale; it was a story of growth, understanding, and forgiving one's past. Their banter was the perfect mix of humor and heart, and the backdrop of a small-town police station made their journey all the more unique and memorable.

I have grown to love Lillian Monroe’s books. Her stories have so much heart along with crazy adventures and this book was no different. Daphne and Cal had both moved back to their hometown some decades after having gone to high school together. Cal had a hard upbringing and was terribly jealous of Daphne and her “perfect family” or so Cal thought. He was now acting sheriff of the small town and Daphne was an accountant brought in to the sheriff’s department to go over their accounting as there was money missing. There was a lot of family trauma on both sides, a mystery to unravel and crazy hijinks with Daphne’s grandmother and her friends. A fun, easy read with a good romance.

This book truly resonated with me. The raw, unresolved trauma between the main characters creates an undeniable tension, a compelling push and pull of both love and hate. While each are dealing with significant family issues, this added complexity brings a level of emotional depth and believability to the story. One of my favorite aspects of this book is the exceptional character development! The enduring love of the MMC adds a heartwarming element, though I wished for a bit more spice. I've always said that I love books that make you FEEL, and this one did not disappoint! If you're looking for an emotionally-charged read, this is definitely it!

📖✨ Book Review ✨📖

🌟🌟🌟✨ (3.5, round to 4)
I couldn’t put it down—the writing is easy to read, the story moves quickly, and the characters have so much depth. I did not expect to devour this book, but I finished it in less than 24 hours! 😍 I absolutely loved them together! 💕

Beyond the romance, the light mystery added a fun twist without taking itself too seriously. 🕵️‍♀️ The small-town setting and its quirky residents were so cozy and entertaining—I felt like I was right there the whole time! 🏡✨

Overall, this book completely surprised me in the best way! I really hope it blows up when it releases because I know so many people will adore it. 💖

Thank you to NetGalley & Montlake for the ARC!

#BookReview #Bookstagram #RomanceBooks #CozyMystery #SmallTownRomance #TBR #ReadingChallenge #ARCReview #NetGalley #Montlake #BookLover

Enemies to lovers is my favorite trope and this one hit the spot, except Calvin never really hated Daphne. Great tension between the MCs combined with lots of banter made for a good time. Daphne’s grandma and her friends brought in the funny to cut some tension.

Thank you to NetGalley, Montlake, and Lilian Monroe for the opportunity to read an ARC of this title. An honest review was requested but not required.

I'm new to this author but I was very pleasantly surprised but this book, and I'll be back. Strait-laced accountant Daphne Davis has moved back to the Pacific NW island where she grew up, taking a temporary job to get back on her feet. She's currently unemployed due to downsizing; she's also single due to her boyfriend breaking up with her for being too boring. She's basically hit rock bottom and as a result, her inner wild girl is primed to break out. After all, playing by the rules hasn't gotten her very far. Meanwhile, Calvin Flint, high school loser, has turned his life around and is now the island's sheriff... and Daphne's new boss. They strike sparks immediately which, in a *literally* insular small town, is big news.

Daphne is attempting some forensic accounting to try and find out what happened to the sheriff department's missing funds; the mystery snowballs and Daphne and Calvin are forced to work together to solve it. They are simultaneously forced to pretend to be dating - while I like this trope it usually feels really contrived, but I'll give Ms. Monroe credit, because she made this setup feel like a natural progression. There are some side characters (mostly Daphne's screwball family members) that are really funny and one particular scene where I dropped my phone and scared my kids laughing so hard.

I will say that I found the plot line with the cast iron pot to be absolutely over-the-top ridiculous, and quite a bit of the angst could have been resolved if the two MCs would have just TALKED to one another, but the reasons for keeping to themselves were actually fairly understandable.

All in all I really enjoyed this one. It was a nice change to have two regular people featured: not a billionaire in sight. I'm happy to round 3 1/2 stars up to 4 for GR. I'll be on the lookout for more from Ms. Monroe.

I adored Calvin and Daphne. The romance is sweet with just the right amount of steam and angst. I immediately wanted to go read the first book after finishing this one. I yelled at my kindle and laughed till I had tears. I really enjoyed this story.

This book was amazing! It was emotional, swoony, fun, and had many moments that caused me to groan from second-hand embarrassment. I enjoyed the wacky situations and quirky side characters. I loved the banter and chemistry between Daphne and Calvin. I cried and laughed while cheering for Daphne and Calvin to get their HEA!

First and foremost as always thank you to the author, publisher and NetGalley for the advanced copy of this book. This was an incredibly good read! The story was beautifully written and the characters were flushed out really well! Loved this! Definitely worth the read!

This book cracked me up and was a lot of fun to read. I enjoyed Daphne and Calvin’s relationship. They had great banter and chemistry. Their flaws were huge and something both had to overcome to truly be in a relationship with each other. I really enjoyed Daphne’s grandmother and her grandmother’s friends and Calvin’s little sister. I liked the others too and fake dating is always my jam so I really liked this book!

A fun read, the story of Daphne and Calvin. I liked how it.was told.from both points of view, and the characters like grandma Mabel were great.

This was an enjoyable and very entertaining book. I liked the main characters and really enjoyed their bantering. I felt for Daphne at first since she feels like the odd one out being "boring" in her family of very outgoing personalities but it got old after a while. Also the story with the crockpot was a bit over-the-top for me. Still the book was very entertaining and romance was sweet and I rooted for Daphne and Calvin to have their HEA.