Author Barb Curtis returns to Sapphire Springs with this heartwarming romance where a small-town bakery owner finds herself in a fake relationship with the man she's always pined after.
Will a fake relationship between two friends lead to true love?
After having his heart broken on national television, Tim Fraser knows only one way to stop the gossip about his love life-a new girlfriend. The problem is, he's done with romance forever. A fake relationship with his friend and Sapphire Spring's sweetest baker, Emily Holland, seems the perfect solution to getting rid of his newfound fame, but their fleeting fauxmance is stirring up the kinds of feelings Tim has sworn off for good.
Emily has secretly lusted after Tim for years, but pretending her feelings are all for show never factored into her fantasy. Still, her decades-long crush makes it impossible to say no to Tim's proposal. But with each date, the lines between pretend and reality blur, giving Tim and Emily a tantalizing taste of life outside the friend zone . . . if they can find the courage to give real love a chance.
Barb Curtis writes an engaging friends to lover’s romance for Emily Holland and Tim Fraser. Tim and Emily appeared in this first book in the series- Forever With You – I couldn’t wait to read their story!
Emily Holland has made two New Year’s resolutions. She is reorganizing her life –she’s tossing out her old clothes and shoes. And, she’s determined to kick her secret crush to the curb with the Goodwill bags. Tim Fraser has vowed never to fall in love again after his actress girlfriend dumped him on her reality TV show. Tim is so over the unwanted attention and publicity. His solution? Ask his friend Emily to pretend to be his girlfriend.
Emily’s secret crush combined with Tim’s new found social media fame entertained me from the first page. Emily’s romantic nature, her love for her family and friends and her community spirit appealed to me. Emily’s feelings for Tim resonated with me—it reminded me in a good way of a past friendship. Tim is a complex, flawed character. He believes he disappointed his late father when he left the Navy. Tim serving in the Navy was his Dad’s dream, not his. He also believes that romantic Emily is looking for a perfect Prince Charming. Tim intrigued me—I couldn’t figure out if he was afraid to commit, disappointed in love or afraid to trust his heart—and I love how his story unfolded during the novel.
Loved the sexual chemistry between Emily and Tim and the romantic buildup this story. The fake dating relationship enables the author to push the friendship boundaries… to see what might happen. This plot choice worked perfectly in this novel from their first kiss to the last page—it added drama, tension and emotion throughout the novel. Loved the author’s descriptive voice and the use of imagery throughout the novel. The characters are not perfect, they make mistakes and learn from them. Loved catching up with Layna Jay and Rob and meeting Tim’s Mom and Emily’s Dad who make significant contributions to the storyline. I love the small town feel of this series, the sense of community, the lifelong friendships and the quirky characters.
Emily and Tim’s journey is romantic, emotional and tugs at your heartstrings. I was invested in Tim and Emily’s story from the first page of the book. There were several time I wanted to tell Tim—hey, buddy—OPEN YOUR EYES- your soulmate is right in front of you!!
If you are looking for a small town romance with engaging characters --this is the book for you!
Reviewed by Susan Gorman ARC provided by Forever
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