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BOOKWORM REVIEW: Pretend to Love You by Julia Jarrett

 

RATING: ⭐⭐⭐⭐.5
SPICE: 🔥🔥🔥

“A part of me knew even then that the most important thing in my life was no longer hockey. It was you.”

Jude is grumpy and depressed. You can't exactly blame the guy since his hockey career was cut short by a leg injury. Now he is back home at Dogwood Cove and has somehow gotten into a fake-dating situation with his sister's best friend and therapist.

Lily is in a tough position. You can't exactly blame her either when her family is not the warmest and her cousin's wedding looms on the horizon. Now she must find a date to pose as her fake boyfriend, and her best friend's broody older brother seems to be the best candidate.

Julia Jarrett, where have you been all my bookworm life? This was a phenomenal story about two broken kindred spirits who put each other back together. I love the dynamic between Jude and Lily from the get-go, and that chemistry builds nicely to memorable spicy scenes. I am a sucker when one of the main characters stands up for the other against their awful family, and despite being the dark cloud in this story, Jude shone nicely in that scene.

If life didn't interrupt my reading time, I would have devoured this in one sitting. The pace, the storytelling -- it drew you in and kept you in this book world. That is, until someone in the real world pulls you back.

This is my first read in the Dogwood Cove series, and this was totally fine as a standalone. I will be going back to the previous reads as this had me sold.

** I am voluntarily reviewing an advance copy of this book. Thank you to Julia Jarrett and Literally Yours PR for providing an ARC. **

ABOUT THE BOOK

My all-star hockey career is over. All because of a busted leg from one too many hits into the boards. Coming home to Dogwood Cove to heal and figure out my next steps feels like the best option I’ve got.

Then somehow the first step I take is to wind up in a fake relationship with my physical therapist, who also happens to be my little sister’s best friend.

It starts out simple enough. Lily needs a date to a family wedding, one that promises to be more torture than celebration. Now, thanks to an overbooked hotel with only one bed, two gossiping bridesmaids, and a three minute slow dance… the entire town, including our families, thinks we’re dating.

To save face we decide to keep the ruse going.

There’s just one problem: What I’m feeling for Lily is anything but pretend.

Falling for her wasn’t part of the plan, but she’s a ray of light that pierces through the dark clouds surrounding me.

She thinks my future is still in hockey, but I know differently.

My future is with her.


MEET JULIA JARRETT

Julia Jarrett has a passion for writing sexy, sweet, contemporary romance novels that are full of relatable heroines, and the swoon-worthy men who fall in love with them.

Julia is a busy mother of two boys, a happy wife to her real-life book boyfriend, and the owner of two rescue dogs. If you’re looking for her, she’s probably sitting in a comfy chair somewhere, drinking tea and dreaming of a sunny vacation.

Connect with Julia

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