The last time I saw Lexington Montgomery, he held my sister in his arms as my fiancé left me at the altar.

Neither one of us knew it would be two years until we saw each other again. Or that it would be the last time my sister was part of our core group.

Grieving, I’m back in Colorado trying to start over. I have no family and have no intention of dating ever again.

Only fate has other plans because Lexington Montgomery is my new neighbor.

I want to stay away from him, but there’s no chance of that now. Especially when his ex shows up to rub her new husband—and the chance at his dream job—in his face.

I didn’t mean to do it, but now I’m Lex’s fake girlfriend over the holidays and there’s nothing fake about the attraction between us.

Except once we finally give in, it turns out the past I ran from wasn’t so far away after all. And the dangers we never saw coming might end what we have—fake or not—before we even have a chance.

Lexington and Mercy have been friends for years. But the last time Mercy saw him, her fiance was leaving her at the altar, and her sister was in Lex’s arms in a medical emergency. Returning to Colorado wasn’t easy, but she has nowhere else to go and needs to start over. She doesn’t imagine she’ll run into Lex again, it is a big area, but as luck would have it she learns he is her neighbor. When his ex shows up bragging about her new family and dropping hints about Lex’s future business possibilities with her family’s company, Mercy jumps in to save him by claiming to be his girlfriend

Lexington and Mercy have a lot going on -- a fake relationship for business purposes, dealing with grief and loss, and some weird hangup phone calls. Add in that the fake relationship is based on a real friendship and real suppressed feelings, and there is a lot to love about this story!

I loved watching them navigate the issues that come up from pretending when they are both feeling real feelings the other is unaware of. I’m a sucker for a good fake romance, and this one hits all the right notes.

This is an entertaining, heartwarming, and hopeful story as they navigate feelings they have ignored for a long time. Wires get crossed in the fake label, and they explore what could have been if Lex had spoken up sooner (years ago).

I don't know how Carrie Ann Ryan continues to make each story stand alone and feel so fresh, while also tying things together and building suspense and expectation about future couples even as this family continues to grow. The teaser at the end has me so excited for the next in this series!

Carrie Ann Ryan is the New York Times and USA Today bestselling author of contemporary, paranormal, and young adult romance. Her works include the Montgomery Ink, Wilder Brothers, Promise Me, and Elements of Five series, which have sold millions of books worldwide. She’s the winner of a RT Book of the Year and a Prism Award in her genres. She started writing while in graduate school for her advanced degree in chemistry and hasn’t stopped since. Carrie Ann has written over one hundred novels and novellas with more in the works. When she’s not losing herself in her emotional and action-packed worlds, she’s reading as much as she can while wrangling her clowder of cats who have more followers than she does.