I don’t love him. I don’t even like him.
I just want him.
Eli Loveless was my nemesis from the first day of kindergarten until we graduated high school. Everything I did, he had to do better – and vice versa. The day he left town was the best day of my life.
Ten years later, the day he came back was the worst.
Now he’s my co-worker.
Grown-up Eli Loveless is sexy as sin. He’s hotter than asphalt in the summer. The irritating kid I once knew is gone, and he’s been replaced by a man with green eyes, perfect abs, and a cocky smile.
It’s bad that I want him.
It’s worse that he wants me back.
There are looks. There are smirks. There are smiles that make my panties burst into flame.
And then there’s a shared kiss that leads to the hottest night of my life.
This is no office romance. This is a five-alarm fire.
What’s a girl to do when the man I can’t stand is the one I can’t stop lusting after?
Enter into a friends-with-benefits agreement, of course.
No dates. No relationship. Just blisteringly hot sex, because if there’s one person I could never fall for, it’s Eli.
…right?
| Title: | Best Fake Fiancé |
| Author: | Roxie Noir |
| Series: | Loveless Brothers (Book 1) |
| Pages: | 418 |
| Genre(s): | Contemporary |
| Trope(s): | Enemies to Lovers Small Town Romance Office Romance |
| Point of View: | |
| Location: | Sprucevale, US |
| HEA: | ✔️ |
| Release Date: | 15th May, 2019 |
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An absolute delight
Ohmigosh this book was so much of everything! It was fun, funny, sexy, and gave me that lovely little flip of butterflies in my stomach. And did I mention the banter? I do so love the enemies to lovers trope anyway, but this book is the shining example of how it should be done.
Our couple are Violet and Eli. There’s no doubt that these two hate each other and have done since they first met back when they were kids. They’re always at each other’s throats. They always have to one up each other. They always have to win at the expense of the other.
From the first scene I was laughing. And I don’t just mean smiling and puffing out a little laugh – I mean actually laughing out loud. The whole book was like that and that’ on top of the hilarious banter. Sometimes the whole scene was funny – sometimes a laugh was surprised out of me. At one point, I was even tearing up with how sweet a scene was, only to be startled with a very funny moment. It was the remedy whenever I felt a little down.
Violet’s personality just drew me in immediately – snark, sass and all. She was tough but she was vulnerable underneath – and the story was rich with details that gave her enough of a backstory without going heavy into the presumably heartbreaking details of her past. Every thing that happened to Violet seemed true to life. She didn’t just change her opinion or immediately accept when she was wrong – she acted just like you or I would, being grumpy, defensive and then grudgingly accepting her due. It made her real and highly relatable.
Eli was a bit of an enigma, to be honest. I expected Violet to be the bookworm and Eli to be the hot jock from school – and for this dynamic to continue throughout the book. But Eli was actually as much of a bookworm as Violet – and that was half the reason for their constant battles in school – competing for the same accolades and prizes. It was quite unusual dynamic and back story but I liked it. And of course he’d grown into a hot, cocky man. Mmmm-hmmm.
“I devoured this book and couldn’t (and didn’t want to) put it down.”
In most books with an enemies to lovers dynamic, I find that once there’s a shift in the character’s relationship, the couple start to act completely differently around each other. Not so Violet and Eli. They continued to snip and bicker – but the undercurrents were now a bit more flirtatious and steamy. That’s why the love story seemed so true, I think. They didn’t change who they were to find love with each other. They were themselves from beginning to end.
Their slow, shaky descent into love was a glorious ride to be a part of. And I loved how – understandably – they were both reluctant to admit that their feelings and the terms of their bargain had changed for them. But fear not, everything works out and every loose end is tied up that’ll leave you feeling happy – and bereft at the same time since you won’t be spending any more time with these characters. However, this is book one of the Loveless Brothers’ series and I see Charlotte and Daniel will be up next in Best Fake Fiancé. And from the very minor teases of that upcoming story in this book – WANT!
The sex in this book hit the mark again and again. Yes. Yes. Yes. As I said, you’ll get those lovely butterflies in your stomach and feel very happy after reading.
And I’m sure you’ll be unsurprised to hear, from my praise of this book, that I found Ms Noir’s writing style to be engaging, funny and heartwarming. I devoured this book and couldn’t (and didn’t want to) put it down.
Roxie Noir is a new name for me but it’s one that I can’t wait to read again. Since reading this book, many of her backlist are sitting on my wishlist ready to buy, I’ve signed up to her newsletter and followed her on social media. The next book she writes – I’ll be ready and waiting. 5 stars.
I love writing sexy, alpha men and the headstrong women they fall for.
My weaknesses include: beards, whiskey, nice abs with treasure trails, sarcasm, cats, prowess in the kitchen, prowess in the bedroom, forearm tattoos, and gummi bears.
I live in California with my very own sexy, bearded, whiskey-loving husband and two hell-raising cats.
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Loveless Brothers Series:
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