I was excited about this pairing since we met them in The Bribe. Everly Christian followed her best friend, Lucy, from Nashville to Montana and inadvertently set off a tragic event. Months later she is dealing with the after-effects. She has lost her passion for singing, has no purpose, is anxious, and is just sitting around watching the world go by while she isolates herself. She was searching for calm and peace, but is now stuck in a rut. 

Reese Huxley has not had an easy life. Mistakes made when he was young led to circumstances that cost him everything. Sixteen years later he is still fighting to make amends and spend time with his child. He runs an art gallery and is passionate about his art, but otherwise lives a solitary existence and lets very few people in. 

One night. One hot hookup. A short no-strings fling. That was all it was supposed to be. But when Everly overhears some of Hux's troubles, she offers something totally unexpected. Marriage...fake of course. 

This sets these two off on a journey they never saw coming. But along the way dynamics are shifting. They have challenges, trust issues, miscommunication, hurt feelings, and misunderstandings. But broody loner, Hux is finally feeling some hope and even sort of smiling again. And Everly is finding purpose and filling the void in her life. 

They are both so damaged by their pasts that they have lingering triggers and issues. Hux is a man very set in his ways and can retreat back behind his walls when challenged. And Everly has some pretty big walls herself and can withdraw or run when hurt. They never planned on things escalating or any attachments forming.

Will it continue to be a short-term marriage of convenience or will they find a way to let each other in and build something new together?

This is an emotional, passionate, hot-as-he*l, fake-marriage, and redemption story. It just really grabbed me and I could not put it down. I love a grumpy hero especially when there is a softer heart buried under that gruffness. But I will admit there were times that I just wanted to shake sense into him. But there were also times that he just had me swooning so hard. And Everly was such a caring and spunky heroine. Together they lit up the pages with their smoking chemistry. But it was the intensity of their fragile emotional connection that kept me turning the pages. 

I have fallen in love with the town and people of Calamity, Montana. I could almost visualize his artwork and the gallery on the quaint Main Street of the snowy little town. It brings back our friends from the previous stories and features his daughter, Savannah.  I would love to see a future story for her someday. It also teases her friend, Kerrigan's book The Brazen that is coming next. I can't wait for more!

Everly Christian is still reeling after a decision she made caused havoc for herself, her friend, and an innocent. Though the small town life is vastly different from her life in Nashville, she has still closed herself off from the world, preferring to watch rather than risk putting herself out there again. She is unsure of her next moves: she knows she doesn’t want to return to her music career, but isn’t sure what she will do instead. 

Reese Huxley would leave this small town if he didn’t have his daughter tying him here. There isn’t anything else left for him in his hometown except the art gallery he established to sell his work. The town won’t let him forget the mistake he made years ago when he was nearly a kid himself that sent him to prison. 

A one night stand turns into a marriage of convenience when Everly overhears a conversation and offers Hux a fake marriage to help his cause. She has her own reasons for jumping into a fake marriage, but as long as they can keep from falling in love the plan should work perfectly!

I loved every moment of this book. Both characters intrigued me when we met them in The Bribe. Everly is looking for something and as she inserts herself into Hux’s world she begins to find purpose and interest in things again. Hux doesn’t want to hope too much, but if this marriage gets him his daughter, he’ll put up with sharing his life for the few years he has until Savannah turns 18 and can make her own decisions. 

Their chemistry is immediate, as evidenced by the out-of-character (for both of them) one night stand. As they begin to put together their fake life together, they find a physical attraction may be the least of their worries. 

This is the second full length glimpse into the world of Calamity, Montana (and third if you count The Booty) and each time I return I fall in love with the town even further. We meet a few more members of the town, including Everly’s friend/landlord, Kerrigan, and also her afternoon lunch date. Each little thread of the town weaves itself deeper, feeling more and more real each time a new book comes out. I can’t wait for the next book, The Brazen, where we will learn more about Kerrigan and her situation.