Publisher: Self-published
Publish Date: Out Now
How I got this book: eARC from author
One fake relationship . . .
Ginny Michaels has always been a good girl and—ever since surviving a school shooting a little over a year ago—hailed a hero. Except she doesn’t feel like a hero. She can’t even have a one-night stand with sexy Wes Dalton properly. When her big city fling resurfaces in her hometown with an intriguing proposition, she’s powerless to resist. A fake relationship is exactly what’s needed to keep her small town’s matchmakers at bay during the upcoming wedding season. If only her attraction to Wes were as easy to ignore.
Too many real kisses . . .
Wes Dalton doesn’t have many regrets, and that includes his night with Ginny. But he’s always hoped to strengthen his relationship with his estranged family. When his father’s health takes a bad turn, Wes puts his life on hold and moves to the meddling seaside town of Cape Hope. With his barriers in place—and a beautiful woman to help him hold them up—he’s prepared for anything. Or so he thinks. Despite his determination to leave as soon as the summer is over, those fake kisses are starting to feel an awful lot like the real thing.
*Blurb from Goodreads*
I’ve only read one of Patrick’s books before, but I really enjoyed it. So when I got the chance to read this new contemporary romance from her, I jumped at the chance.
Ginny has always been the good girl, but just once she would like to make a selfish decision. When she encounters a sexy stud at her cousin’s bachelorette party, she makes the hasty decision to have a quicky outside the bar. It was the one and only hasty decision she’s ever made, and she refuses to regret it, until Wes shows up in her small town the next morning.
Wes hasn’t been home to Cape Hope in years, but with his father’s failing health, he is home to help his brothers during the summer. When his dad’s neighbor tries setting him up, Wes knows his summer is going to be filled with single ladies, so he offers a proposal to Ginny: pretend to be dating to get the town off their backs. They already know they get along well, so pretending shouldn’t be difficult. But when real feelings get mixed up in their pretend relationship, someone is bound to get hurt.
I really liked this story. I thought that both Ginny and Wes were wonderful main characters that had so much growth to go through during their romance. I loved the history of Ginny’s character, especially as it related to her job as a teacher. I thought it was such a different and interesting situation for Ginny to have lived through, and I thought it added such an interesting twist to the overall story, and to Ginny’s character. I thought Wes’s past with his father and brothers was really well done as well. I loved the way they stood on rocky ground, and how Wes really had to show them that he was around to stay, that he really wanted to pull his own weight and help out in anyway he could. Watching him get enfolded into the family was so sweet!
I thought the romance in this was great too. While it was definitely a slow burn, and it felt as if much of the story was about Ginny and then Wes, and then back to Ginny, the two were always in each other’s thoughts. I liked the way their relationship started with a quick romp, but then worked it’s way back to friendship and more. I loved the way they were pretty honest about their feelings, and how Ginny wasn’t willing to continue with the fake dating once she realized just how much she truly cared for Wes. They had a very adult and mature relationship–after starting off as a fake couple. 🙂
I also liked the little suspense plot that was added in. It wasn’t something that took over the story, and it also didn’t feel like an afterthought. I thought it was the perfect combination of sub-plot and intrigue for the book. I loved the way it all wrapped up, especially as Wes and Ginny were able to see just how much they meant to each other.
All in all, I thought Patrick wrote a wonderful contemporary romance book. It was sweet, sexy, and had just the right amount of drama and humor mixed in. I adored Ginny and Wes as individuals, and together as a couple I thought they were perfect for each other. I can’t wait to see what Patrick has in store for Cape Hope next, as the secondary characters were all wonderful as well.
I give 4 Weddings and a Break Up a B+
This one sounds fun, I will keep an eye out for books from this author. Thanks for the review!