Review: The One & Only ( A Clean Billionaire Romance )

The One & Only ( A Clean Billionaire Romance ) by Maria La Serra
My rating: 1 of 5 stars

DNF at 27%.

First, let me say that I am having a really off time with books. I have 54 books on my Kindle and I don't want to read any of them, so this may not be all the book's fault.

This is a classic tale of rivalry, Staci Cortés is a dating columnist at a popular New York magazine she wants to write more insightful pieces so when her boss makes her co-editor of a new online magazine she is over the moon, until she discovers that her co-editor is the boss' son, and her nemesis, Greg McAdams. Clearly there is a history with Greg, probably from years ago when Staci was (I'm guessing) a lot larger than she is now, a history of which he is blissfully unaware. So this had all the makings of a fun romantic comedy in the vein of How To Lose A Guy In Ten Days, unfortunately for e the reality fell far short.

From the little I read Greg came across as a sweet, thoughtful, professional guy with a soft spot for Staci. Staci on the other hand came across as an unprofessional psycho, behaving really badly and escalating matters when Greg does nothing in retaliation. When she talks about him being a gentleman and her wondering what crazy antics she can pull off (while they are on a work date) I decided life was too short to waste on unpleasant characters.

I received a free copy of this book from the publisher via NetGalley in return for an honest review.

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Review: The Summer Retreat

The Summer Retreat by Sheila Roberts
My rating: 1 of 5 stars

DNF at 28%.

After her serious boyfriend dumps her for the woman he's been having an affair with for the last several months Celeste Jones decides to lick her wounds in Moonlight Harbor at her sister Jenna's B&B, the Driftwood Inn. As she earns her way as a maid Celeste is sucked into the small town activities like line dancing, parades and Sunday church. Her sister is determined to set her up with a nice guy, but Jenna has her own romantic entanglements.

I had three issues with this novel. First, it is all telling no showing. Second, this is the third book in a series and the author peppers the narrative with so many references to events in previous books that I feel the entire book is a recap on what happened before. Third, the characters are such caricatures that I struggled to find any glimmer of empathy for any of them.

I forced myself to read past the 25% mark to see whether the writing settled down or the plot started to unfold but at 28% I decided enough was enough. Definitely not for me.

I received a free copy of this book from the publisher via NetGalley in return for an honest review.

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Review: One Night for Seduction

One Night for Seduction by Erica Ridley
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Three and a half stars

Diana Middleton is a singular young lady. Obsessively interested in order and justice she masquerades as a barrister's clerk testing weights and measures in local shops. She has campaigned (anonymously) for reform of the anarchic weights and measures system in the UK which has 27 different definitions of a bushel.She knows her eccentricities could cause her cousin, and guardian, Thaddeus Middleton to suffer the scorn, ridicule and perhaps ostracism from the ton, should they be known. In order to avoid having her activities curtailed or prohibited she is determined not to marry and has deliberately made herself into a wallflower.

Thaddeus is one of three founders of the tavern and brewery known as the Wicked Duke, one night he laments to his two best friends, the Duke of Eastleigh and the Duke of Colehaven that his ward is unmarriageable and dares the Duke of Colehaven to find her a husband by the end of the season.

Colehaven finds Diana to be a world of contradictions, dressed in such a way that she blends into the wallpaper at society balls, she nevertheless has a keen mind and proves more than capable of engaging him in wide-ranging discussions of politics and sexism and weights and measures (of course). Pity Diana's outspokenness and appearance preclude her from being the Duchess of Colehaven ...

I'm always a sucker for a brilliant heroine, constrained by society who teaches the hero a lesson, especially when he thinks he's rescuing her and this is no exception. However, I felt the novel was too short and didn't really have time to develop the romance between them.

I received a free copy of this book from the author, via NetGalley, in return for an honest review.

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Review: The Friend Zone

The Friend Zone by Sariah Wilson
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Logan Hunt hasn't had an easy life, drug addict mother, obnoxious step-father, his only skill is playing American Football and he was on a dream trajectory until a bar fight got him kicked off the team and losing his scholarship meant he couldn't stay at school and graduate. A life of minimum wage construction beckoned until Coach Stan Oakley from Edwin O'Leary College offers him a final chance to play college football. Unfortunately EOL (or End of the Line as they call it) comes with some very strict rules, no drugs, no booze, no dating and maintain your GPA. Logan is all-in with any rules that will allow him to graduate, anything to avoid a life of construction work, he doesn't even care about getting drafted to the NFL, he wants to teach. Everything is going fine until he arrives in Seattle and meets Coach Oakley's daughter Jess, she won't take any of his cocky B-S and seems supremely unimpressed by football players in general, she has her eye on a poetry reading, math nerd called Ben.

This is a cute, sweet teen story of two people desperately trying to deny their attraction while Logan tries to Cyrano de Bergerac Jess in her relationship with Ben. Oh and there's a mean girl, a costume party, crazy golf and french films!

I received a free copy of this book from the publisher via NetGalley in return for an honest review.

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Review: The Austen Playbook

The Austen Playbook by Lucy Parker
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Freddy Carlton is a West End (of London) Theatre actress, she comes from a long line of actors and writers, practically theatrical royalty. Her father is her manager and is pushing her into taking on ore serious roles, particularly in plays written by her paternal grandmother the famous Henrietta Carlton whereas Freddy loves, and excels at, the lighter shows - musicals, comedies - she likes to entertain people and make them happy.

Against her father's wishes Freddy has signed up to act in a live TV production of an interactive murder mystery based on the characters of Jane Austen, where viewers can determine the outcome of the story through voting on an app, called The Austen Playbook. The show is being rehearsed and televised from the stately home of one of theatre (and Freddy's) harshest critics, James Ford-Griffin, whose physical similarities to Slytherin's favourite son Malfoy Draco are made abundantly clear.

Let me start off by saying I love Lucy Parker's theatrical romantic comedies and this is no exception. I love Jane Austen, I love country house romantic comedies, I love romance between a sunny, bouncy, Pollyanna-esque heroine and a grumpy, acidic hero. I also loved the mystery which Freddy and James solve about the notorious affair between their respective grandparents. I suppose you could level the accusation that Lucy Parker's heroines are kind of similar but I don't care, I loved it, it was a feel good romp of the best kind.

I received a free copy of this book from the publisher via NetGalley in return for an honest review.

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Review: A Cornish Summer

A Cornish Summer by Catherine Alliott
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Fiona is a single mother, divorced for 17 years but still madly in love with her ex-husband, even though he has been happily married to his second wife for 15 years. Persuaded against her better judgment to paint a portrait of her former father-in-law she returns to her ex-husband's family home in Cornwall for the Summer. Soon it seems as though everyone else has also come to Cornwall, Fiona's son Peter, Fiona's best friend and fellow artist Celia, Fiona's ex-husband Hugo, his wife Christina and their two children, Hugo's best friend the American ladies man Tommy Rochester with his 'friend' Janey, Hugo's parents Roger and Belinda, Roger's mistress Babs and his sister Iris.

Forced into close proximity with Hugo and his family for the first time in decades Fiona is finally forced to confront her own feelings and reconcile her teenage feelings for the young boy she fell in love with, with her adult emotions now. But Fiona's feelings aren't the only things drawing to a head as the summer continues and more family secrets may be forced into the open.

I enjoyed this but I would take issue with the blurb that describes this as a hilarious romantic comedy, I wouldn't even say it was funny per se. That's not to say this was all angst, angst, angst, Roger in particular was a fun character with his booze and his boats and his trysts with Babs, but as tensions between townies and the locals, the big house and the village, the Brits and the Yanks come bubbling to the surface Fiona starts to realise that she has been wrong about a lot of things.

If a novel about spending the summer in a big Cornish mansion with a gaggle of weird and wacky family members, horse-riding, sailing, walking the cliffs, painting and finding romance is your idea of heaven then this is your perfect holiday reading.

I received a free copy of this book from the publisher via NetGalley in return for an honest review.

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Review: More Than Anything

More Than Anything by Natasha Anders
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Three and a half stars.

Ten years ago Tina Jenson and Harrison Chapman had a one night stand, the culmination of all her hopes and teenage dreams about the handsome sexy older guy, Tina is devastated to find out that Harris only slept with her as some kind of sick bed the fat girl bet with his mates.

Cut to the present day, Tina's BFF Libby is married to Harris' twin brother Greyson but things have gone badly wrong. Tina has spent the last ten years bouncing from one dead end job/big scheme to another, her family of slim, perfect, successful people look on her as the family failure and constantly belittle her. When she and Libby decide to open a restaurant in the small South African town of Riversend she sees it as her last chance to turn her life around.

Harris has spent the past ten years trying to apologise to TIna for that night, he was drugged and out of his head but he loved every second that he spent with Tina and has always carried a torch for her. When his brother tries to win back Libby Harris accompanies him to keep an eye on his brother and his friend, but mainly to try once again with Tina.

Can Harris and Tina uncover the secrets of that night and can they cope with the fall-out?

I like Natasha Anders, she has a fresh writing voice and I like that the novels are set in South Africa, although TBH there isn't much in this novel that screams South Africa. Harris was a saint. he has spent 10 years trying to apologise to Tina, putting up with her ignoring him, scorning him and blaming him for everything that has gone wrong with her life in the past decade. He just keeps coming back for more, apologising and putting up with her attitude.

Tina on the other hand is crippled by the aftermath of that night, so much so that she has panic attacks and pretty much self-sabotages. Now I understand procrastination but not looking at your takings when you are running a restaurant, avoiding fixing mistakes and basically hiding under the duvet like a five year old when you are the boss seems a bit pathetic. I just didn't understand what Harris saw in Tina, it seemed like a case of Tina has a secret which excuses her bad behaviour to everyone - sorry that just doesn't wash with me.

So overall, I liked it but I didn't love it - I am however champing at the bit to read Libby and Greyson's novel.

I received a free copy of this book from the publisher via NetGalley in return for an honest review.

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Review: Devil's Daughter

Devil's Daughter by Lisa Kleypas
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

I have really enjoyed Lisa Kleypas' historical Wallflowers series and the first three of the Ravenels series. Sadly I just couldn't get into the fourth book (I guess I like my historicals to feature Dukes and not detectives as this has been a common issue for me with historicals with more ordinary heroes). Anyway, that's beside the point.

Phoebe, the widowed Lady Clare and her two young sons travel to the Ravenels' family seat to celebrate the wedding of Phoebe's brother Gabriel to Lady Pandora Ravenel. Phoebe is dreading meeting West Ravenel as he bullied her late husband mercilessly when they were at school. However, when they first meet the sparks are palpable.

West led a thoroughly disreputable life of debauchery and self-indulgence until his older brother Devon inherited the Ravenel estate and title. Now a reformed character he runs the estate for his brother but still feels deep shame for the marriages he ruined and the appalling way he behaved when he was younger.

This novel gave me all the feels. West and Phoebe have some fabulous sparkling repartee, West is amazing with Phoebe's sons, he's a hard worker, he listens to the tenant farmers, he's interested in new ideas, and he's drop-dead gorgeous to boot!

Loved the romance, loved the plot, maybe could have done with a smidge less smexy times (I always find it a little out of place in a historical novel although realistically I know that things weren't that much different) but overall this is what I love from a historical romance.

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Review: The Promise of Us

The Promise of Us by Jamie Beck
My rating: 2 of 5 stars

I have come to the conclusion that I just don't like Jamie Beck's style of writing and characters and I should just do us both a favour and stop requesting ARCs.

Claire McKenna had a promising future as a tennis player until a random shooting left her with a pronounced limp. She and her family have retreated inwards, afraid to leave their home town of Sanctuary Sound. Claire has her book club and her family and her struggling renovating/decorating business with her best friend Steffi.

Then Claire's childhood crush Logan Prescott returns to town with his sister Peyton in tow. Peyton ran off with Claire's boyfriend/fiance but he dumped her when she got cancer. Now the two of them are back in town demanding that Claire forgives and forgets. Logan tries to manipulate Claire into speaking to Peyton by playing on her childhood crush (which he knew all about) and bribing her to decorate his New York apartment. Logan is everything Claire is not, he's a free agent who travels the world taking award winning photographs of tragedy and injustice. Unlike Claire, although his family is the wealthiest in Sanctuary Sound they are not close and he has been estranged from his father for many years.

I reread some of my reviews of Jamie Beck's other books to understand what I did (or didn't like) about them and unfortunately the same complaints arise in this book. There's just so much angst: shootings; cancer; family divisions; fear of travelling; old rivalries. As a reader I was just drowning in angst. Also, in most of my review I found the 'hero' to be completely unlikable and I felt the same way with Logan. He bullied and manipulated Claire into everything, he shamelessly leveraged her childhood crush and forced her to do things she was not comfortable with. I honestly wonder if a psychologist read this book what their views would be of the impact of his behaviour on Claire's mental health.

Through Logan's brute force interventions (accompanied by Claire's crying and panic attacks no less) Claire starts to break down some of the barriers which she and her parents have imposed on her life, to make small changes. Heck she even agrees to speak civilly to Peyton and makes other concessions. But listen to what Logan's own sister says about him:

Just promise me you aren’t expecting Logan to make the kinds of personal changes for you that you’ve attempted for him this past month. As much as he must like you, he’s a charming wanderer who likes his life as it is.

Yes, that's right, Logan isn't willing to make a single change to his behaviour, his attitude or his outlook on life.

Logan is just a spoilt, petulant manchild

“he destroyed her self-esteem, and now, because I won’t make false promises, she’s got her guard up.” He was pouting. Pouting never looked good on anyone, but he couldn’t help it. Disappointment had him in a tight grip. “I get that she got hurt, but people date and break up all the time. Ryan and Steffi are the exception, not the rule. Just because a relationship doesn’t lead to a diamond ring doesn’t make it a mistake. But even if she were willing to roll the dice, my loyalty to you is also a problem. Apparently, she can do the forgive part, but not the forget.”

Claire foresees that Logan's loyalty to his sister could be a stumbling block to their fledgling relationship when she still feels incredibly betrayed that one of her best friends would steal her boyfriend? How unreasonable!

But don't let me vent all my ire on Logan. Claire is a thirty-something year old woman who allows her parents to call her EVERY day and curb her freedom by urging her not to travel, even to the neighbouring town, not to drive at night, not to go into unusual neighbourhoods, not to go on a yacht cruise on the river. She has all this pent up resentment and anger at Peyton but she lets it slide because she has a crush on Logan. She talks a big talk but when it actually comes down to it Claire falls for Logan's pretty cheesy lines and just does whatever he tells her to.

Finally, 320 pages and really nothing happened, just endless talking and friends interfering and telling everyone else what to do (or not to do). It always amazes me that all these characters have so much insight into everyone else's lives but absolutely none into their own.

So there you have it, yet another gibbering rant, if you loved Jamie Beck's other books then I am sure you will enjoy this latest novel. Unfortunately I don't appear to have learned that her style fo writing isn't for me.

I received a free copy of this book from the publisher via NetGalley in return for an honest review.

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Review: Miss Mechanic

Miss Mechanic by Emma Hart
My rating: 2 of 5 stars

I only managed to finish this by gritting my teeth and honestly I wish I hadn't bothered. Thank goodness I got this as a kindle deal for 99p I would hate to have paid full price for this.

Jamie is a female mechanic. Her father lost his garage so when she sees the new owner advertising for a new mechanic she decides to apply. The new owner Dex is a complete chauvinist, even when he realises Jamie isn't applying for the role as receptionist he is rude, dismissive and obnoxious. Unfortunately, that didn't really change, all that happened is I also started to dislike Jamie too. I don't really understand why Dex was such a chauvinist considering he had a strong aunt and sister and niece that he was close to.

This was two 'adults' acting like 12 year olds, deliberately behaving badly and unprofessionally.

I have read several reviews on Amazon and it seems I am not alone in finding the main characters irritating and unlikable.

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Review: Probably the Best Kiss in the World

Probably the Best Kiss in the World by Pernille Hughes
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

If you are British you probably recognise that the title is a riff on an advertising slogan for a well-known Danish lager, which kind of encompasses the concept of this novel.

Jen Attison works in marketing for a local firm which sells eco-friendly incontinence pads, it's not her passion, that's brewing her own beer, but it's local and she's good at it and it allows her to look after her younger sister Lydia who lost a leg in the accident that killed her parents. She has also been dating her bosses' brother Robert for the past six years although she has known him since she was a child when he and his parents came to her father's car repair shop or her mother's dressmaking shop. Robert came to Jen's assistance when her parents were killed and he has been a quiet supportive presence ever since.

When Robert springs a proposal on her Jen is surprised and a little bit shell-shocked, on her forced hen-weekend in Denmark she falls into a canal and is rescued by a gorgeous Danish man, called Yakob. Jen and Jakob spend the afternoon and evening together, talking about beer and Jen's pet hate, the global brewing company Kronegaard, which is headquartered in Denmark (any similarity to Carlsberg is probably intentional), they part on a kiss and Jen never thinks she will see Jakob again, until she runs into him at a brewing conference.

Her parent's accident has had a profound impact on Jen's attitude to life, making her risk-averse and leading her to seek security. She gave up her dreams of being a brewer to look after Lydia but will she settle for boring Robert and his plans for her to give up work and live in a big house by the golf course or will she take a chance on her heart and the mysterious Jakob?

I really enjoyed this, it was quirky, contained loads of detail about brewing and was a funny, light-hearted, feel-good romance. Jen wasn't perfect, as the novel progresses the reader discovers Jen is over-protective and controlling when it comes to Lydia and too passive when it comes to Robert and his (frankly) appalling family but she feels real, she makes human decisions and mistakes.

Recommended if you like quirky British romances about choices and following your passion.

I received a free copy of this book from the publisher via NetGalley in return for an honest review.

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Review: Kickin' It

Kickin' It by Rachel Van Dyken
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Three and a half stars.

Matt KIngston is a former soccer player turned agent, a multimillionaire, approaching 40, and big brother to his much younger sister Willow. When Willow phones him at the crack of dawn trying to get him to agree to her apprenticing as an agent to him he is distracted by a lack of caffeine and a bust schedule so he has no idea what he eventually agreed to ... until Willow's friend Parker Speedman turns up at his door saying he has agreed to let her and Willow stay in his LA home.

Parker Speedman is a star soccer player, issues with her last coach culminated in her punching him in the face on live TV and have unfairly given her the reputation of being a hot-head, now Willow wants Matt to represent Parker and get her a place on a new team.

Matt is drawn to Parker immediately. She's beautiful, talented, funny, smart, everything he could ever ask for, she's also significantly younger than him, his client and living in his home - off-limits in so many ways!

This is a typical NA sports romance, heavy on the romance and angst and light on the sports aspect. I enjoyed the banter, the smexy times and the romance but didn't hit the heights of say Kulti and Matt wasn't Gabriel Scott from the delicious Managed. It was a light, enjoyable read but I thought this would be Kulti meets Managed and it wasn't.

I received a free copy of this book from the publisher via NetGalley in return for an honest review.

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Review: Challenging the Cowboy

Challenging the Cowboy by Jeannie Watt
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Zach Marvell has been running the family ranch since he was 15 years old. In the last 21 years he may have become a bit autocratic, convinced he's always right, fond of laying down the law. When his younger brother decides to get married he runs into his brother's sister-in-law to-be, Finley James. She's the oil to his water, a horse trainer who has never settled down, she goes as the whim takes her. She wouldn't say she's fond of laying down the law, but she has no trouble telling people the raw truth and she won't hold back. It's a match made in heaven (not).

Zach and Finley clash at their siblings' wedding, she tries to teach him about training one of his horses, he tries to warn her to keep her opinions to herself at her new job. A few weeks later Finley has been fired for telling off one of the rich clients and has nowhere to go, her only hope is that Zach is still looking for a horse trainer. Suddenly her much vaunted freedom and lack of ties seems to be a castle built on sand.

As circumstances throw them together maybe they can find something in common?

I liked this, it was a variation on the traditional romance where the wandering cowboy settles down with the homebody. In this case Zach is the homebody and Finley is the wanderer. As they are forced to work together their mutual attraction overrides their mutual antipathy.

I liked Jeannie Watt's books. If you like gruff farmers who can cook (and clean), horses, stables, lots of hot sweaty farm work and snarkiness then I'm sure you'll love this.

I received a free copy of this book from the publisher via NetGalley in return for an honest review.

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Review: Tomboy

Tomboy by Avery Flynn
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Perfect if you are looking for a cute sports rom-com.

Fallon Hartigan is a nurse. She is roped into helping Ice Knights defenseman Zach Blackburn when he gets a dose of the flu by her BFF. They have already met but she found him rude and obnoxious. Plus, as a rabid fan, she like most of Harbor City hates his guts because since he joined the team he has played really badly.

Zach doesn't trust anyone, he has no friends, not since his parents and so-called managers swindled him out of most of his money and took out loans at terrible rates in his name. Now he's paying down a mountain of debt, reliant on the Knights to pay for his accommodation and unwilling to trust anyone.

As a reluctant thank you for looking after him while he was ill Zach gives Fallon rink-side seats for his next game - and the Kings win! Now, because all hockey players are rabidly superstitious, the press are dubbing her 'Lady Luck' and Zach wants her at all his home games. So they strike a deal, Fallon will watch his games if he makes some personal appearances at fund-raisers for a local charity that Fallon supports.

This was funny and sweet and full of grumpy hockey players, loud families, snark and hockey. I loved it just as much as the first two books in the series.

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Review: American Witch

American Witch by Thea Harrison
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Four and a half stars, I knocked one off because I didn't want it to end.

Molly Sullivan is a normal housewife, married to a lawyer, used to entertaining her husband's colleagues and clients. Until one day she finds another woman's panties in the marital bed, on the night they are hosting a big reception for her husband's clients. Angered beyond belief Molly experiences some strange phenomenon and creates a massive scene in front of her husband's senior partner and the new District Attorney. A woman scorned she may be, but Molly is smart enough to empty the family safe when she leaves, even if she doesn't remember to bring both her left and right shoes or toothpaste!

Josiah Mason, the new District Attorney, isn't all that he seems, in fact he is a powerful witch and he is not best pleased to find that his plans for revenge are jeopardised by the emergence of a new, very powerful witch in the area. But his attempts to coerce Molly into joining forces fall very flat until Molly discovers secret papers from the family safe which put her life in danger - who else can she turn to but the District Attorney who also happens to be a witch.

I feel like this is a new genre, a hybrid of a contemporary romance and your more traditional paranormal romance but I can't put my finger on why. Maybe because, although there is a lot of magic and Molly learning her craft, the novel is firmly focused on the relationship between Molly and Josiah.

Anyway, I loved it. Authors, if you want to know what a strong woman looks and sounds like, look no further than Molly Sullivan. She was assertive, she didn't take any of Josiah's macho posturing or throwing around orders, but she also wasn't one of those heroines who puts themselves in danger. She was smart, funny, sassy, thoughtful and very powerful. I cheered her on several times when I was reading this novel, when Josiah tried to get her to stay away from danger, when he told her what to do, when he tried to make decisions for her and she slapped him down each and every time with wit and logic.

I just cannot wait for the next book in the trilogy - will it follow Molly and Josiah or will it focus on another member of the coven? I just don't know.

Warning, this isn't a cliffhanger per se but there is definitely a 'to be continued ...' with the overarching plot.

I received a free copy of this book from the author via NetGalley in return for an honest review.

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Review: Second Act

Second Act by Nancy Herkness
My rating: 1 of 5 stars

DNF at 26%.

Jessica Quillen and Hugh Baker were young lovers until the expectations of his job as a movie star tore them apart. Now she is a vet for an animal charity and he is world famous. They run into each other again after several years when Jessica accidentally ruins a shoot by chasing a stray dog across the alley where they are filming. Hugh realises that he made a huge mistake and will do everything he can to win Jessica back.

I just couldn't get into this and I found the way that Hugh booked a hotel room for Jessica and ran her a bath just to give her some down time was more creepy than charming. Overall, I found his OTT charm offensive a bit cloying and her melting in puddles of goo a bit off-putting.

I stopped and restarted reading this several times but decided my head wasn't in the right place to enjoy this book.

I received a free copy of this book from the publisher via NetGalley in return for an honest review.

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Review: Hidden Hollywood

Hidden Hollywood by Kylie Gilmore
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

Claire Jordan is a Hollywood actress, filming the first of a trilogy of films (think FSoG) financed by her own production company. She has bonded with the author and joined her book club, something she never thought she would do, finding friends among the very different women she meets there. She can't find love and now she needs the world to believe that she and her co-star are an item to generate publicity for their film.

One of the book club members, Hailey Adams, is a wedding planner who wants to pair off all her friends, she offers to set Claire up on a date with her 'go to' guy for first dates, barman Josh Campbell (who is also a brother of one of the book club members), she can be incognito as 'Hailey's friend Jess' with a wig and contact lenses. Josh's identical twin Jake is a billionaire tech CEO, he and Josh agree to a twin swap like they did when they were kids. He will go on a date with Hailey's friend Jess while Josh goes on a date with his frenemy Hailey.

What is supposed to be a safe date with a gentleman turns into a steamy one-night stand, unfortunately 'Josh' wants another date, but the more she spends time with him the less Claire wants to pretend to be Jess.

This started out as a sweet actress pretends to be normal to date a normal guy, even if the guy isn't really normal himself, romance. Unfortunately, once Jake stopped pretending to be Josh he turned out to be an arrogant man who was too self-centred to understand that Claire needed the world to believe she was dating her co-star, he deliberately acted without even consulting her and jeopardised her career and her life savings. He didn't ever say sorry.

If you like bossy men then this is for you.

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