I've been living in Hallmark & Lifetime Christmas movie land for a while now ... it was only a matter of time before I read a book that was their equivalent!
All she wanted to do was make Troy see what he was missing out on ... She didn't plan on falling in love with him!
When Chloe Winston finds herself crushing on her business partner, she tamps down the flame of attraction because falling for Troy Martin could spell disaster for their business. But, when Troy needs a fake fiancee for his sister’s Christmas wedding, Chloe agrees to fill the role, if only to show him what he’s been missing out on all these months. Little did she know that her eyes would be opened to the joys of spending the holidays surrounded by family in the heart of Snow Valley.
Troy isn’t looking for the love of his life, heck, he isn’t looking for love at all—a fact that grates on his mother’s last nerve. In order to avoid yet another lecture about the necessity of marriage for life-long happiness, he makes up a fiancée. Chloe is perfect because she doesn’t pose a threat to his bachelorhood. But when she shows up in a red dress that would stop traffic and gives him a kiss that stops his heart, he can’t help but wish she was his fiancée for real.
In order to keep Chloe in his life, Troy will have to come clean and risk alienating his tight-knit family. He’s not the only one risking something though. Chloe has to be willing to turn her heart over to the guy she’s been protecting it from for months.
Things heat up between the business partners but they’re going to need more than mistletoe to get out of this one.
This story is cheesy. It feels like it was ripped from a smattering of Hallmark movies. And I couldn't stop reading it!
Chloe and Troy are both likable characters, and they have great chemistry. I also loved Chloe's interactions with Troy's family—Chloe's time with Troy's father is the one place where this book goes a little deeper.
One thing I need to mention: there are quite a few typos in this book, and those typos did pull me out of the story. For example, Troy is once called Tory (I can see how that happened) and once Travis. A few times, the wrong word was used, and, well ... just look at the cover. Not only does the woman on the cover look nothing like the Chloe of the book, but fiancé is used instead of fiancée ...
I found author Lucy McConnell through the site Clean Wholesome Romance, which is exactly what you'd expect: a website promoting clean romance reads (some are Christian, but I'd say that most are not). This is the first of her books that I've read, and I'm sure I'll be going back for more!
Bottom line: There's absolutely nothing original about His Wedding Date Fake Fiancée ... but it's still an enjoyable read when you're looking for something clean, sweet, and fluffy to take your mind off whatever is happening in reality. 3-1/2 stars.
Buy the book (free on Kindle Unlimited).
Award-winning author Lucy McConnell loves Christmas, romance, chocolate and Elvis.
After graduating from the University of Utah, she became an editor at an advertising agency before moving on to teach in the marketing department of the local community college. She loved teaching and often misses the academic environment.
Lucy retired from teaching and began to write articles and sweet romance novels. She has been published in national magazines, newspapers, short story compilations, and she writes cookbooks under the name Christina Dymock.
If she's not at the computer, you can find her trying to keep up with her husband and four kids on the ski slopes, on a bike, in the kitchen, or on a horse.
Disclosure of Material Connection: I borrowed this book and chose to review it. The opinions expressed are my own. Also, some of the links in the post above are “affiliate links.” This means if you click on the link and purchase an item, I will receive an affiliate commission. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission's 16 CFR, Part 255: "Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising."
It's lots of fun :-) Happy reading!
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