Review by Booklist Review
Laurie is stunned when Dan, her boyfriend of 18 years, leaves her. He claims he's suffocated by the life he sees them creating, from marriage, to kids, to him providing for the family. Having to see each other every day at work just adds salt to Laurie's wounds. Then, in what feels like moments after his breakup speech, Dan has a new girlfriend--and she's pregnant. All Laurie wants is revenge for her heartache, which comes in the form of a fake relationship with the office playboy, Jamie Carter, who needs a more respectable image in order to make partner at the firm. McFarlane is back (after Don't You Forget about Me, 2019), with a light and somewhat predictable read that nonetheless pulls emotional punches, as both Laurie and Jamie have some deep-seated family issues. Readers who swarm to contemporary romance authors like Christina Lauren and Tessa Bailey (though McFarlane's work is far less steamy) will enjoy this title.
From Booklist, Copyright (c) American Library Association. Used with permission.
Review by Publisher's Weekly Review
McFarlane (Don't You Forget About Me) brings a welcome dose of reality to the fake office romance trope with flawed, honest, but still endearing protagonists. After Laurie's boyfriend of 18 years, Dan, abruptly leaves her and then confesses that he and his new girlfriend are expecting a child, Laurie dreads having to see him every day at the law firm where they both work. When Laurie gets stuck in an elevator with Jamie Carter, a notorious playboy who also works at the firm, they realize they can help each other: Jamie wants a promotion and needs to impress the partners by appearing to have grown out of his womanizing ways; Laurie wants to quell the office gossip. They agree to fake a relationship to achieve both goals, but as the inevitable real feelings bubble up between them, Laurie wonders if her heart is too broken to take a chance on new love. McFarlane's arch humor and earnest characters make this familiar plot feel fresh, fun, and genuinely moving. This is a delightful rom-com full of sass, sparkle, and heart. Agent: Doug Kean, Gunn Media. (Mar.)
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Review by Library Journal Review
Laurie Watkinson's boyfriend of nearly two decades has suddenly left her, his new girlfriend is pregnant, and, to top it all off, Laurie gets stuck in the office elevator with Jamie Carter, work-place cad. But while stuck, and at drinks after, the two hatch a plan to pretend to date; Laurie can make her ex jealous and Jamie can prove to the firm he's able to commit. Almost immediately, the keep-it-simple plan for their fake relationship gets more complicated than expected, and Laurie is surprised by how much she's enjoying spending time with Jamie. Things can't keep going smoothly, however, and when jealousy and bad reputations rear their ugly heads, Laurie must decide if she can trust her and Jamie's feelings. VERDICT Readers will certainly fall for Laurie and Jamie's shenanigans in McFarlane's (You Had Me at Hello) latest. While the recognizable beats of the familiar plot are all there, Laurie's arc stands out.--Kellie Tilton, Univ. of Cincinnati Blue Ash
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Review by Kirkus Book Review
A jilted British attorney gets more than she bargained for when she agrees to a fauxmance with the office playboy.Laurie Watkinson has a corporate law job she loves, dear friends, and Dan, her dependable live-in boyfriend who works in the same firm. When Dan sits her down one evening, Laurie expects anything but to hear him say he's moving out; and then to hear soon after that he has a new girlfriend. Hoping for a bit of revenge, newly single Laurie agrees to pose as "Phony Goddess" to "Greek God" Jamie Carter, her new colleague and a known "soulless womanizer." Jamie is gorgeous and charming but needs to appear settled to secure a promotion, and he thinks earning the affection of Laurie, the firm's "golden girl," is the surest route. Jamie and Laurie are attracted to one another, make each other laugh, and, they learn, have childhood trauma in common. Jamie is a classic playboy felled by love who's written endearingly and convincingly: "I scoffed at the idea anyone could make you see your life through new eyes and I'm so, so glad to be wrong." Laurie's intelligence and acerbic witespecially as they relate to navigating English society as a woman of colorare strengths that can obscure uncomfortable feelings. Thanks to a selfish, absentee father, an unconventional mother, and, she now realizes, a partner who never encouraged her to grow as a person, Laurie puts her own desires last. Giving the novel an expanded palette beyond the romance, Laurie's friendship with Jamie is just one of several changes in behavior and attitude that help her to regain a sense of her own agency and importance. McFarlane's gift is writing romantic comedy that depicts a recognizable worldin this case, the culturally diverse world of young professionals in Manchester, Englandwithout dimming the luster of shining moments of humor, love, and connection. McFarlane has created a very funny, very romantic story with deep emotional impact. Copyright Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
Copyright (c) Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
