Release Blitz: The Almost Romantic: Lauren Blakely
Lauren Blakely
Release Date March 14, 2024
Goodreads
Goodreads
Audible
Single Dad
Fake Engagement
Most romantic fake proposal ever
Marriage of convenience
My wife
Found family
Former pro athlete
Starts with a bang
Possessive Hero
Single Dad Fake Engagement Most romantic fake proposal ever Marriage of convenience My wife Found family Former pro athlete Starts with a bang Possessive HeroA brand new fake-engagement-turns-into-a-marriage-of-convenience romantic comedy from #1 NYT Bestselling Author Lauren Blakely…
“Marry me.”
They were the last words I expected to say to my fake fiancé, but I’m the kind of guy who doesn’t back down from a challenge.
Pretend I’m engaged to my gorgeous and talented business partner to secure a business deal?
No problem.
Agree to a no-touch rule even though she’s been driving me wild since I met her?
Challenge accepted.
Resist grinning like a damn fool every time that same big-hearted, sunshine-y woman laughs with my little daughter?
Done.
So, yeah, when my fake fiancé’s vindictive business rival threatens to expose our make-believe romance, I can handle that too.
I’ll prove our engagement isn’t fake – by marrying her for real.
A marriage with an expiration date at the end of the year.
But that’s when I run smack dab into the biggest challenge ever – not falling madly in love with my wife.
Elodie Starling owns a chocolate store, is raising her little sister, and has a whole lot on her plate. But her romantic or sex life has been more of a solo journey lately. She can't help herself if the hot bartender makes great eye candy and she can't help but flirt while waiting on a to-go order. Or that he inspired some fantasies. She never expected him to find out. But an unexpected set of circumstances sends him right into her own shop.
Gage Archer usually does not pick up women in the bar he owns. He is smart, responsible, and tries to avoid drama. He is raising his eleven-year-old daughter who is his priority so romance has not been on his agenda. But there is something about Elodie that makes him bend his rules. And when an opportunity presents itself, he just has to do what needs to be done.
They embark on an unexpected adventure from the almost perfect first date, to a brilliant business idea, to pretending for a good cause. They have such great rapport and chemistry. And they have so much in common in regards to being single parents and business owners and having to deal with all the chaos of life. Rules are supposed to keep their business partnership safe, but resistance is hard.
This is a witty, wonderful, heartwarming, passionate romance all mixed up with business and pleasure and family and special edition situations. They are in a unique place to help the other's dreams come true even if it is unconventional and is supposed to only be a short time commitment. But they have challenges and obstacles to navigate and plenty of people are interested in their relationship. And sometimes life just does not go quite as planned.
Gage Archer usually does not pick up women in the bar he owns. He is smart, responsible, and tries to avoid drama. He is raising his eleven-year-old daughter who is his priority so romance has not been on his agenda. But there is something about Elodie that makes him bend his rules. And when an opportunity presents itself, he just has to do what needs to be done.
They embark on an unexpected adventure from the almost perfect first date, to a brilliant business idea, to pretending for a good cause. They have such great rapport and chemistry. And they have so much in common in regards to being single parents and business owners and having to deal with all the chaos of life. Rules are supposed to keep their business partnership safe, but resistance is hard.
This is a witty, wonderful, heartwarming, passionate romance all mixed up with business and pleasure and family and special edition situations. They are in a unique place to help the other's dreams come true even if it is unconventional and is supposed to only be a short time commitment. But they have challenges and obstacles to navigate and plenty of people are interested in their relationship. And sometimes life just does not go quite as planned.
I absolutely loved these two and was totally engaged in their story. Gage is responsible, determined, and thoughtful, but also passionate, protective, and possessive. Gotta love it when a guy cares enough to get growly possessive. For someone not sure about love, Gage is a completely swoon-worthy hero with creative and thoughtful ideas. I fell so hard for him and he has become one of my fave LB heroes.
Elodie is sassy, spunky, sweet, and just wants to be the best mom and find big love. They were a refreshing couple because they acted maturely, talked to one another, and appreciated and supported each other. Sure they had issues both individually from their pasts and present, and they had some things that they were facing together.
Their chemistry is amazing. Their banter is strong. The back stories have depth and have really shaped them and affected their lives and thought processes. They are generally good, caring people just trying to do right by everyone even if they have to sacrifice themselves. And they both grow so much individually and together. They gradually start to find hope and maybe a promise that they can have more than they thought was possible. But it is also about risks and rewards and they not only have to worry about themselves but also their children.
I enjoyed their relationships with their family and friends. They are a big part of the story and provide humor and support as needed. There are also plenty of fun cameos from the LB universe, but this can easily be read as a stand-alone. This story just made my heart so happy and I loved every page of it.
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Elodie is sassy, spunky, sweet, and just wants to be the best mom and find big love. They were a refreshing couple because they acted maturely, talked to one another, and appreciated and supported each other. Sure they had issues both individually from their pasts and present, and they had some things that they were facing together.
Their chemistry is amazing. Their banter is strong. The back stories have depth and have really shaped them and affected their lives and thought processes. They are generally good, caring people just trying to do right by everyone even if they have to sacrifice themselves. And they both grow so much individually and together. They gradually start to find hope and maybe a promise that they can have more than they thought was possible. But it is also about risks and rewards and they not only have to worry about themselves but also their children.
I enjoyed their relationships with their family and friends. They are a big part of the story and provide humor and support as needed. There are also plenty of fun cameos from the LB universe, but this can easily be read as a stand-alone. This story just made my heart so happy and I loved every page of it.
Gage is a single dad running a bar and looking to expand in the hopes it helps him be able to better support his daughter. He is struggling with the concept for a second location though - his vision for the new location keeps changing and isn’t clear.
Elodie owns a chocolate shop and has a reputation for her confections but is considering selling to her competitor in order to help pay for her sister’s art school. She is crushing on the bartender at her favorite local bar, and a mistake has her sending him a gift she intended for herself.
Though they have known each other in passing, it wasn’t until he returned her toy that they ramped up the flirting and brainstorms a business idea that could help both of their establishments gain the footing they are working for. But if they are going to be business partners, it’s better to keep things platonic, until their new landlord mentions wanting to lease to a committed couple and a fake engagement spins together. That fake engagement has a short timeline, especially as pressure from the competition has them considering a real walk down the aisle to lessen the pressure.
I love a good single parent romance, and add in a fake engagement AND marriage of convenience and this was magical! I loved watching them navigate the fake image they were projecting to the world while they hid real growing feelings from each other. Gage’s daughter and Elodie’s sister were a fantastic duo and I loved watching them bond as they directed certain aspects of their grownups’ relationship. This was the perfect combo of sweet and spicy as they navigate what was real and what was fake in their hasty public relationship.
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✦ Audible ➜ https://geni.us/
Narrated in duet by Vanessa Edwin and Teddy Hamilton!
All are standalones
My So-Called Sex Life
How to Date Your Enemy
(How to Date #1)
Add to Goodreads
Buy Here
How to Date Your Enemy
(How to Date #1)
Add to Goodreads
Buy Here
(Audible Narrated by Vanessa Edwin & Sebastian York)
Our reviews
Our reviews
One trip across Europe. Two arch enemies. And seven nights with only one bed in the room in a spicy new standalone romance from Lauren Blakely!
The last person I want to be stuck with anywhere for one night, let alone seven, is the too-sexy-for-my-own-good Axel Huxley. I tried to work with the cocky grump once upon a time, but we’re like vodka and good decisions. We don’t play well together.
Only now, our publishers are sending us on a joint book tour across Europe on an old-fashioned luxury train. And thanks to a booking snafu, I have to share a sleeper car with the man who’s made a sport of infuriating me.
You guessed it–there’s only one bed.
I’m not sure I can survive the next seven days and nights with my dangerously sexy enemy and all our fiery tension.
Which explodes one night in a desperately needed hate bang.
But the bigger plot twist is this – the more time we spend together, visiting the most romantic cities in Europe by day and discovering each other at night, the more I’m forced to face our past.
To let go of the hurt.
To see the man he’s become.
And when I do, I wonder if it’s too late to write a new happy ending for us?
Plays Well With Others
How to Date Your Best Friend
How to Date Your Best Friend
Add to Goodreads
Amazon and KU |
(Narrated by Erin Mallon & Teddy Hamilton)
Our reviews
Am I fake dating my best friend? Hear me out…
So I'm throwing myself a breakup party, a glittery fete where I envision I'll lift a glass and celebrate being free and single again.
What I actually do: Drink too much champagne and blurt out to my best guy friend that I’d really like to get back on the horse.
But what I truly don’t expect is Carter’s answer – he volunteers as tribute.
With his sinful brown eyes and too-good-to-be-true body it’d be no hardship for me to say yes, though I certainly don’t want him to feel obligated to, um, service me, just because my failed, loveless marriage was a s-e-x desert.
But since the charming and confident pro football star owes five public dates to his dating app sponsor, we make a deal to help each other out.
Pretty soon, our public how to date lessons turn into, ahem, very private ones. And I’m a star student, graduating quickly from flirty banter and lingering looks to toe-curling, sheet-grabbing, mind-blowing hours of physical education.
The problem? Turns out learning to date again feels a lot like the real thing. Can our friendship withstand all these late-night bedroom sessions?
Expected June 27, 2024
Wilder's Story
How to Date A Billionaire
(How to Date #5)
Goodreads
Amazon
Expected December 31, 2024
Wilder's Story
How to Date A Billionaire
(How to Date #5)
Goodreads
Amazon
Expected December 31, 2024
A #1 New York Times Bestselling, #1 Wall Street Journal Bestselling, and #1 Audible Bestselling author, Lauren Blakely is known for her contemporary romance style that’s cute but spicy. Lauren likes dogs, cake, and show tunes and is the vegetarian at your dinner party.
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