Single Sundays: While this blog may be focused on reviewing book series as a whole, we can’t forget about the good ole’ standalone novel! On Sundays, I will review a novel that is considered to be a standalone novel. Here is this week’s offering:
Synopsis for Fake-ish (from Goodreads):
Always a bridesmaid, never a bride—and that’s the way I like it.
I may be anti-marriage, but I’m still pro-romance. Case in point? That sexy curmudgeon I met last year during my cousin’s tropical bachelorette getaway.
That grump was Dorian, the groom’s old college roommate, there for the bachelor party. I couldn’t get enough of his messy brown hair and gorgeous turquoise eyes. We connected on a deep level—emotionally and physically.
But the timing wasn’t right. So we made a pact to reconnect in two years. Now I’m starting a new “job.” It’ll take a lot of work and pays really well—I’m talking seven figures here. All I have to do is pretend to be my boss’s new fiancée…and spend eight weeks with his family on their private island. How hard could it be?
Turns out, a lot harder than I thought. Because the man I’m pretending to love? He’s Dorian’s brother, and now all bets are off…
A sizzling romance about two people who fall in love, go their separate ways, and then try to reconnect against all odds.
SERIESous’ Top Picks: Must Read Author
Author: Winter Renshaw
Genre: Adult, Contemporary, Romance, Second Chances
Heat Rating: Warm
Point of View: First Person, Alternating
Publication Date: December 5, 2023
Source & Format: Author–eARC
Why I Picked it Up / My Expectations:
I basically read anything Winter Renshaw writes. I love her ability to transform some of my favourite romance tropes into a story that has me eager to see what happens next.
The Plot:
As I said above, Winter’s books always start with a basic trope but morph and evolve into something more complex as you continue to read about the characters. And just when I think I’ve got it all figured out, I’m thrown a curveball.
I enjoyed the drama of a family layered with secrets all spending the summer on a private island. It adds to the suspension and tension of the plot as well as the romance.
The Characters:
Because the “present” chapters of the story take place with a small cast of characters, the side characters do play a vital role in developing the story as well as our leads.
The Romance:
I really enjoyed the alternating chapters between the past and the present. Without it, I don’t think you’d truly understand the connection Dorian and Briar shared. You need that background to emphasis those unresolved feelings influencing the present.
My Rating: 4/5
Everything is just executed well from start to finish. You could easily devour this in one sitting because it digs its hooks into you as finish chapter after chapter.
Read if You Like: second chance romances
Avoid if You: dislike contemporary romances
- Dear Stranger by Winter Renshaw (Papercuts Series #3)
- Fake Fiancé by Ilsa Madden-Mills
- The Bet by Rachel Van Dyken (The Bet Series #1)
