When a tabloid breaks a false story that I'm in a relationship with my co-star, Cody Banner, I'm positive my acting career is over before it's even begun.
I'm Done. Finished.
But approval ratings skyrocket overnight, putting the rumors on the front page of every news outlet. Now I'm forced to make a deal with Hollywood's most notorious bad boy and chain dater.
It's either go along with the fake-dating charade or single-handedly bring down both our careers. No, big deal.
If only the lines between fake and real weren't starting to blur, leaving my heart wondering if Cody's just a really good actor or if he's starting to fall for me too.
Kortney graduated from the University of Utah with an English degree and spent a few years before motherhood teaching 7th and 8th graders how to write a book report, among other things. But after a reading slump, where no plots seemed to satisfy, Kortney pulled out her laptop and started writing the "perfect" love story...or at least she tried. Writing love stories is her job...just kidding. Her real job is taking care of her five awesome kids and spending time with her husband.
Kortney loves a good romance movie or book, warm chocolate chip cookies, and traveling the world.
Talk about a happy and contented sigh during and after reading this book! It was so fun! I have watched Kortney Keisel's books be released since her first one and have wanted to read them. My friends have loved them and kept recommending me. But you know the old adage, "So many books, so little time." Well a while ago I won an audiobook from her for one of the books in her rom-com series. I listened to it and loved it so much!!! I laughed out loud and thought to myself why have I taken so long to read this author's books?!!!! So of course after finishing that book, I dived right into the other books of the series and loved them so much!!! I laughed and I cried! They were so well written. The characters pulled me in and didn't let go. Let's just say I'm a fan! I still need to read her Promised Prince series and oh my heavens, after reading this book which has plenty of references to that book and series, it has risen even higher up on my TBR pile!!!
Seriously, all the feels for this book! Yes, it's a rom-com! But it's so much more! These two characters, Jenna and Cody, have sparks and magic happening between them. Even when they were in the enemies phase of the enemies to lovers trope! They start off a bit rocky. Hahaha! Oh poor Cody! And poor Jenna! But then they become co-stars and that opens a whole can of worms for them! But never fear, you're going to love every minute of them!
The ups and downs were so delightful to read about! Especially because in those downs, they became vulnerable and had to rely on each other, which of course leads to them understanding each other better and trusting and finally giving in to those sparks! I can't wait for more from this author! And luckily I have some more reading to do of her other books!!! Woot Woot!!!
Grab a copy and sink into this delightfully funny and witty book! You'll love watching Jenna dig deep insider herself to discover who she is and learn to trust herself and shine even more! And having Cody there by her side makes it so sweet!
Content: Jenna was a model of underwear so there are references to that but nothing graphic and all clean. Some kisses. Some mild innuendos. Some references to alcohol. Overall with those subjects, I felt like it was a clean read.
I received a copy from the author. All thoughts and opinions in the review are my own.
I don't know how to review without spoiling the surprise!
Jenna Lewis is a supermodel who is dipping her toes into acting, she feels like her time modeling is winding down and she is looking to stay relevant and keep her career alive. She is cast as the lead in ___ ______ _____, a TV series where she will star opposite Cory Banner. He is a ladies man, a heartthrob, who doesn't believe in commitment.
They are beautiful together but their mutual annoyance with each other leads to a less than believable love story on camera, basically they have no chemistry.
After the show gets lots of criticism and is in danger of being dropped, the only thing the studio can do is send them away for a weekend to sort their situation out. They both want the show to succeed so they agree to to the weekend away. Where a disastrous bike ride and a game of 20 questions make them both realize maybe the other isn't so annoying after all.
Of course the paparazzi snapped a picture of them which leads to a fake dating pr stunt.
How Jenna Becomes My Dilemma is such a sweet story. There are lots of laughs and swoony moments. I LOVED the tie ins to Kortney's other books.
If you have never read a Kortney Keisel book before, you can absolutely start here, but I would suggest reading all of her previous books too!
I liked this one a lot. It’s a really fast read and I loved how easy it was to fly through. I love how Kortney Keisel writes a sensual/steamy type of read without being spicy. It was written so well in that vein and I love that vibe.
I really liked Jenna and Cody. The enemies banter was there and there were many great celebrity moments that allowed for that kind of forced proximity I love. Even the fake dating was fun to venture into to as well.
What I didn’t love was what felt like forced promotion of the authors other books through Jenna and Cody acting in movies of them. I don’t know, to me it came off kind of odd and took me out of the story multiple times.
Otherwise, an honestly good read. There were many swoony moments I loved and I thought the ending was wonderful.
I want to fangirl so hard over the Desolation series being tied into this book as being made into the tv show they are working on—it is done fantastically and I am so impressed and in love with that part! It’s a bit of struggle that I don’t feel in love with all of it. Because that was just awesome. I want to reread the Desolation series now, I probably will soon. Also, Jenna and Cody’s chemistry and banter was absolutely top notch.
I think I was struggling with that fact that was a lot of emphasis on physical stuff and taking things further with “exposure” (for lack of a better word, lol), just the perspective was different and it makes sense since Jenna is a supermodel. But I wasn’t a huge fan, and in hindsight I can see how her occupation is a difficult one to choose for sweet romcom. Cody’s arc was a little underdeveloped at the end for me, but overall it was still a good read. And I did appreciate Jenna’s growth and desire to be known for more than her body.
This book was a massive disappointment to me. I typically love Kortney Keisel’s books but this one was just not it for me. I enjoyed the first 4-5 chapters and then I just became increasingly annoyed at the characters. Their childish behavior and their supposed “hatred” for each other over assumptions and miscommunications all just made me grit my teeth and cringe. This book also felt a touch too sappy for my taste, which is also highly unusual for this author.
I fully take the blame for not liking this book because it’s probably all me being too particular for no apparent reason. It was a trial and a half to work my way through the entirety of this book and sighed in relief once it was finally over. Not to say that this book ruined the author for me because that is definitely NOT the case. I read The Holiday Stand-In while reading this book and I loved that one! This was simply one of those random books by authors I love that didn’t end up being a book I enjoyed.
I’m all over the fake dating trope and I love the way this predicament came to be. Amanda Friday and Andy Harrington are two of my favorite narrators and this dual narration is fire.
Jenna is trying to turn her career into one of acting and Cody is a veteran bad boy. As they’re filming a new TV series, their chemistry couldn’t be worse and it’s completely apparent that they don’t have warm feelings for one another at all. This author is one of my favorites and the way she creates delicious, tension-filled situations ignited with swoon, chemistry, romantic magic, and all the feels amazes me. I couldn’t get enough of this and wish this series they filmed was real.
I love the fictional celebrity world, but the practice sessions and fake dating, along with allllll the banter and wit, made this one a book I won’t forget.
Content: Jenna is an underwear model and nothing graphic is mentioned; make-outs/kissing
Some of my favorite things about this book: The Promised Prince tie in POV changes The bike scene Malibu 20 questions The accidental text “Rules” The interview Their Banter Brunch Jenna’s pep talk to herself Cody overhearing said pep talk The red dress scene THE KISS Stalking The list Epilogue It didn’t take long at all for me to warm up to Jenna and Cody. The author does a great job of helping the reader get to know them and their history before they are co stars. There were so many things I loved about this book (see above list!) This is the first book I’ve read of this author’s and it will not be my last. There were some funny moments. I’m still laughing over the bike ride scene. This book also has heart. I can’t wait to read The Promisee Prince series and everything else of Kortney Keisel’s! I received an arc from the author. All views and opinions expressed are my own.
Oh my gosh, this was actually really cute. 4.5 stars.
Plot - fake dating, enemies to lovers. I loved how realistic and believable the storyline and character behaviors were. I have a really hard time with celebrity romances because usually it’s a Cinderella story and there’s a strong power imbalance. Obvs, the Cinderella story pulls it off beautifully, but many modern celebrity + noncelebrity romance stories just don’t seem believable to me AT ALL. That’s why I loved that this story is between two celebrities who are on equal footing.
*I’m also over the fake dating trope but this story actually had a believable premise for the fake relationship. Well done all around.
Romance- I felt like the conflict keeping them apart was perfectly executed and legit. And the way it was overcome was totally believable and romantic. I loved Jenna’s life goals because they are the same as mine. I love how dedicated Cody proved to be. Both characters were fantastic.
Writing- well done. There were some funny parts, swoony scenes, and witty banter (esp in the end scene). Pacing was spot on. Dialogue was authentic.
Dual perspective- yes, I usually don’t like dual POV bc it reduces the chemistry, but actually, in this case I think it enhanced the story. So kudos to the author!
Epilogue- left a HUGE SMILE on my face. Holy crap, this author knows toddlers and how they embarrass parents. Loved the little glimpse of this scene. Love the addition of a newborn.
I think this is my first time reading Kortney Keisel and I think I’ll check out her other books.
Content- Language - no swearing Spice - clean with swoony kisses. He was a playboy in his past but it’s been years since he lived that lifestyle. Nothing explicit in the book.
I read this on KU The cover is meh at best. Tbh, I actually don’t like it.
Jenna is an international supermodel, trying to transition to a career in acting. She’s attracted to her costar Cody, but she’s done with falling for the bad boy type and is ready to find her forever.
Cody is a famous actor and well known playboy. He avoids feelings and he’s not interested in committed relationships, especially after the painful experiences he had with his parent’s divorce. But he can’t seem to stay away from Jenna. She makes him feel things he thought he wasn’t capable of, and that is a dilemma for him.
I really loved this book! Kourtney does an excellent job in creating imperfect but endearing main characters, and Cody and Jenna are fantastic together— whether it’s fighting for real or faking being in love. Their chemistry was wonderfully intense, and the banter and push and pull between them was so much fun!
I especially liked how they both had some solid walls built up around their hearts, but gradually opened up and became vulnerable to each other.
One of many favorite quotes: “Stop running from everything you're scared of. If you love Jenna, go after her. If you want to be with her, be with her. If you want a marriage to last, fight for it. You and Jenna decide how this all ends. The effort you put in is what makes it last. So grow up and put the effort in."
You’ll never see me turn down a Kortney Kiesel book. She has an amazing way with words, her dialogue is witty, snarky, and also tender. The characters are believable and likable.
“I can’t say for certain, but I’m pretty confident you like the way I smell. I’ve caught you sniffing me about a hundred times while filming.”
This is a wonderful celebrity RomCom that truly delivers. It has it all. This is a fake dating, close proximity story that touches on self worth, hope, forgiveness and our ability to change the direction of our lives. I liked the definition of true love. “If you really love someone, then what you want becomes irrelevant. Their wants become your wants. Meeting their needs becomes your life goal. In return, they’ll do the same for you.”
This is a clean, closed door romance, yet the chemistry sizzled right off of the page! Jenna and Cody are co-stars in the new TV series, The Forgotten Prince. On the show they’re supposed to be in love, yet doomed to be apart. In real life, Jenna can’t stand Cody. He’s everything she’s dated in the past, and she doesn’t want to be a playboy’s arm candy anymore. With the show at risk because of their obvious disdain for one another they need to find a way to bring chemistry on-set. Can anyone say fake relationship?
I loved Jenna and Cody, especially once you could see them for the vulnerable individuals they were. I loved each question, conversation, and little touch. This book had me laughing, smiling, and wanting to go back and reread more Kortney Keisel books.
Content: clean (PG-13, mild innuendo, making out, no language, no violence)
This book wasn’t quite what I expected, but I truly enjoyed every moment. Is there fake dating? Yes, but there’s also famous Hollywood co-stars, enemies to lovers, and so much more. Prepare yourself for sass and snark, swoony moments to make your toes curl, literally laughing out loud, and sighing in delight. Jenna and Cody have some major chemistry, but I loved that they both looked deeper to get to know one another. A good read- although I was dying to hear the world’s reaction to Trey and Renna’s kiss, lol.
Super cute! I don’t know if I’ve read a celebrity trope where both leads were famous! I thought that was a fun aspect to the story. I liked how they met while filming a movie together. The whole enemies to more and fake relationship trope were handled well. Fun chemistry and I thought it flowed well. Entertaining story!
Content Rated PG Clean romance, kissing. No language or violence
Dos celebridades están en un espectáculo que comienza un poco duro pero definitivamente no termina así. Jenna y Cody tienen una química fuera de serie y fue muy divertido verlo y sentir cómo se desarrollaba. Fue muy divertido ver el día a día de la escena de Hollywood. Me encantó verlos trabajar juntos en este proyecto y cómo sus éxitos afectaron sus vidas personales y públicas. Especialmente cuando dicha vida pública los obligó a entablar esta relación falsa y también el hecho de que estaban filmando un programa de televisión del Príncipe Prometido.
Me encantó cómo nos dio vislumbres de la angustia que se suponía que debían sentir al interpretar a esos personajes y detrás de escena, por así decirlo, mire el tira y afloja de cómo esa historia se fusionaría con la de ellos.
Kourtney hace un excelente trabajo creando personajes principales imperfectos pero entrañables, y Cody y Jenna son fantásticos juntos. Su química era intensa y las bromas y el tira y afloja entre ellos eran muy divertidos.
Holy. Cow!!!! This book was amazing!! I have not read a book this good in a long time. The chemistry was insane! I also laughed a ton. It was such a perfect combination. If you love a good rom com… read it people!!
This book was sweet, tender, and funny. I love that it can be read as a stand-alone, but included so many characters we’ve seen in past books. It was like running into an old friend.
This book also made me feel like i was a part of the hollywood scene—so well written!!!
“Cody's hand on the banister inches toward mine until the tips brush against my fingers. And oh my lanta! I don't even know what a lanta is, but Cody's simple touch has it ohhing.”
I have always loved Kortney’s style of writing. She puts an edge in her books that’s flirty, fun and brings all the heat without the spice! And his one definitely has the heat! Oh, la,la!!
I couldn’t wait for Jenna and Cody’s story! From the first chapter, the romantic tension was off the charts! Their enemies to lovers banter was wonderful and had me laughing so many times. I enjoyed the flashbacks, which gave a little backstory on their history together.
Cody was the celebrity playboy who just wanted to change. I loved his transformation and how he wanted to be a better man to deserve a sweetheart like Jenna. Deep down he was a gentleman at heart, and he tried to show that to Jenna through his actions. They had some sweet, tender scenes that showed his vulnerable side.
Jenna was the All-American sweetheart that only wanted someone to love her for who she was and not her image. And Cody was this man in so many ways! Jenna was beautiful, caring and afraid to put her heart out there only to get hurt again.
I couldn’t get enough of these two! I loved their chemistry and their flirting. I laughed so much and grinned till my cheeks hurt. I was so happy to see them finally get their HEA!
Things I Loved: 🎬Enemies to Lovers 🎬Forced proximity 🎬Fake dating 🎬Batik pants 🎬The bike ride 🎬20 Questions 🎬The accidental text 🎬Dance lessons 🎬All the flirting 🎬No rules 🎬The full-size bed 🎬The red dress scene 🎬The kiss scene 🎬Grandma Gia-again! 🎬The Qualification list
Thank you to the author for the complimentary copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.
WOW!!!! This book was EVERYTHING I want in a celebrity romance and more!! I loved it so much!!
Two celebrities are in a showmance that starts out a little rough but definitely doesn’t end that way! Jenna and Cody had off the charts chemistry and it was so fun watch it and FEEL it develop.
I loved that we were on the red carpet and filming scenes on set with Jenna and Cody. It was so fun to see into the day to day Hollywood scene. I felt like I could picture it all and had a blast the whole time I was reading. Seriously, it was the absolute best!!!
Fans of Kortney Keisel’s writing will love all the references and fun nods to her other books. I may have to do a reread of the entire Desolation series very soon! I adore those books and Jenna’s story helped me relive and remember why I loved them so much.
There are some stinkin’ hilarious scenes and all sorts of swoony moments! I highlighted a ridiculous number of quotes. It was all just so good!
There are too many amazing things to name that I adored, but a few favorite things were the flirty banter, Malibu, red dress, filming, and the list. And Kortney knows how to write a memorable meet cute!
Don’t miss this story! Kortney has outdone herself and lived up to everything I love about her writing! I laughed and smiled during the entire book.
This is the second book in the Famously in Love series but can be read as a stand-alone. But I loved Jenna’s brother Trey’s story too and I would highly recommend both.
"What's a good showmance without some red carpet PDA?"
This book is full of all of my favorite things...enemies to lovers, forced proximity, fake dating all wrapped with not one, but TWO celebrities in the limelight!
Cody is a reformed bad boy/player and looking to make a change from what the public thinks and expects of him and there's no one better to do that with than his co-star who hates him :)
**Cue the sparks**
This book takes off from page 1 with flashbacks to the first meeting (which is not a meet-cute by the way lol) to them working together. It sets this book up perfectly for a perfect enemies to lovers vibe.
Cody's flirtatious banter is hilarious and was exactly what I have come to love about Kortney's writing. I felt like everything he said helped us see Jenna for who she really is. Jenna's character arc will make you love her and just want to give her a big hug.
The forced proximity allows for amazing romantic tension from both characters trying to one-up the other and it's SO WELL DONE!
From start to finish this one is a keeper!
Thanks to the author for the copy. All thoughts in this review are my own.
Content: family difficulties/strain/pressure/abandonment, bad boy/ladies man reputation and mention of past behaviors, mild innuendo, celebrity/hollywood life, great banter/flirtation, and kisses.
Can we talk about what an awesome flex it is for an author to be able to use one of their previous books in the plot line of their current book?? I loved that Kortney could do that and that I had read it so I knew what was happening. No spoilers on that part of the story but WELL DONE with that move, Kortney. As to the rest of the story, it was just beautiful. So many people in the entertainment world look so perfect but reality is often so different. Kortney showed us this world and how hard it is for them to live life as regular people. I loved how she didn’t shy away from the tough conversations and topics but made them important to the plot. Her characters really grow in the pages of her stories and I loved all of it. Plus she added in a fantastic romance that has plenty of swoon and fire without being open door. And her perfect touches of hilarity/banter were the cherry on top of this fun read. Definitely a must for your TBR , friends. I highly recommend it!!
I received a complimentary ARC of this story from the author via BookFunnel. I am not required by anyone to write a positive review and the opinions expressed herein are entirely my own.
How Jenna Became My Dilemma by Kortney Keisel is the second book in the Famously In Love series, but can be read as a standalone. You have a good girl supermodel who falls for the bad boys, the bad boy actor who wants to be better, and a romantic TV show. The banter between Jenna and Cody. It has some of my favorite tropes, enemies to lovers, and fake dating.
Favorite Moments * The bike ride in Malibu * The Red Dress scene * Fake Dating with no rules * 20 questions * Real Or Fake
I will definitely be reading more from Kortney. It has made me an instant fan.
I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving my honest review voluntarily.
I really loved this book. It seems like most celebrity romance stories are between a celebrity and an average person. It was fun to read one that was between two celebrities. Jenna, a supermodel trying to transition into acting, and Cody, an established actor, and well-known playboy, were co-starring in a tv series together. Jenna was wary and guarded because of Cody’s reputation, and he responded in kind. “It’s hard to create chemistry with a person when all they see are the worst parts of you.” Their antagonistic relationship affected initial reviews of the show, so a fake dating relationship (inspired by some paparazzi photos of them together outside of work) was manufactured to help the show and their careers. But, as they do, the fake relationship started to feel more real than either of them was prepared for. “We fake being in love for the show. And we fake being in love for real life. We’re like the movie Inception - two levels deep, a dream within a dream. And I’m starting to lose my grip on reality. I need a spinning top to help me differentiate between it all.”
It was so interesting to follow along in the sort of meta process of the filming of a tv series based off of one of the author’s actual books. A cool little twist. (And it made me want to stretch out of my usual genres and read that series.) I found both Jenna and Cody really compelling. Their lives and worlds were so far removed from mine, but the struggle to feel valued and relevant, and to believe that people really can love you for who you are is pretty universally relatable. They both had influences from their families and pasts that played into some of the less desirable choices that they made in relationships. I loved that some of the story was set in Alberta. Fun to see them visit Calgary and Banff. The story had some pretty funny moments and mishaps. And of course there were many swoony and intense moments of attraction, touch, and sizzling kisses. The epilogue was exactly what I wanted, and I adored it.
There were cameos from characters from other books by this author. While this story connects to other books, and is technically the second in a series, it reads very well as a standalone. In my opinion this book is a bit more fade to black, rather than closed door (at least, as I define them), as there is a stronger implication of intimacy and more innuend. The author describes it as PG-13. There is no harsh language, but a few “expletive adjacent” words or abbreviations.
Ahhh!!!! I loved this cute book so much! Every toke Kortney Keisel writes a new book, I’m here for it! From dystopian, to Christmas, to rom-com, I’m a fan!!
Jenna’s and Cody’s story had so many of my favorite storylines: celebrity romance, enemies to more, he falls first, lots of laughs, and some perfect kisses!
I really loved Jenna’s character. She was smart, driven, talented, sweet, and overall such a good person!
Cody was handsome (of course!), tough on the outside and super sweet on the inside. I loved that despite his playboy past he was trying to turn his image around.
These two were seriously so cute with their back and forth love/hate relationship! I was so happy to see them find their HEA!!
This was sweet, funny, so charming and both the MC's were well done and likeable. If you liked "To Hate Adam Connor" by Ella Maise, you'll enjoy this one. Jenna is supermodel who is trying to get into acting. She is paired in tv show with the amazing, handsome Cody Banner who yes, REALLY likes himself a lot. Her first meet with him goes very wrong as she has sworn off the hot player types due to her past. This goes badly for their show as their on and off camera chemistry is awful, stiff and forced which affects their premiere with low ratings. Enemies to lovers, fake dating and real feelings. I listened on audio from the library and the narrators were great. A light rom-com with some real laughs and a HEA, perfect balance of humor, emotion and light drama.
Loved this! What a great twist to have it be a double celebrity romance! Jenna and Cody both brought their own expectations and baggage into their working relationship, which caused tension and drama between the two of them and led to the need for the fake relationship.
I loved seeing them fall for each other, although Jenna sure did resist as much as she could. Her stubbornness at times sabotaged some of the progress that she and Cody were making as they got to know each other and began to fall in love. But, she was still a character that I liked a lot.
I loved that Cody was so much more than Jenna had pegged him to be. Even though he still had some hard things from his past that made him reluctant to recognize that he was in love, he was truly such a good guy and wanted Jenna to be treated right.
I listened to the audio book version of this story and loved it! Having read Jenna's brother's story in How Trey Let Me Get Away, it was fun to catch up with those characters in this book, as well.
This book brought me to tears and laughter! It made me say “aww”, then it made me lean back in my chair with shock and secondhand embarrassment at the hilarious hijinks that happened. Jenna and Cody’s relationship was so much more than the bad boy/good girl trope. Cody wanted to be a better man for her and Jenna was willing to let him in and do that. As a bonus, the book took place in a city/area I’m very familiar with, so as an Albertan I felt very seen! Thank you to the author for my ARC; all opinions are mine.
3.25⭐ this book was so cute! i'm literally OBSESSED with this author's writing- every romance she writes is so cute and fun! I felt like I didn't really connect with the characters as much as I was hoping to, but I still really enjoyed myself and recommend this author SO much!