Pretend to Love You

The Donnellys of Dogwood Cove #3

by Julia Jarrett

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.

Genres: Hockey, Fake Dating, Sports Romance, Romance, Hockey Romance, Sports, Small Town Romance

277 pages, Kindle Edition

Published June 21, 2023

Reviews

[jessicakaitlin · Rating 5 out of 5]

A grumpy injured NHL player and his sunshine physiotherapist with NO third act breakup? Perfection. One of my favs of the year!!

This book was AMAZING!! Jude and Lilly’s story has so much swoon, heat, heart, banter and big family shenanigans. I’m obsessed with every part of it.

Jude is so grumpy and closed off but Lilly barges into his life and shows him exactly what he’s been missing. And Jude shows lily exactly how she should be loved and cared for. He stands up for her and ugh I love them. And that one bed moment 😏😏

They’ve buried into my heart and they’re never leaving. I love them so so much!

Not to mention the communication between them? They communicate so well it blew my mind.

Julia outdid herself with this one it was amazing! Thanks to Julia for the ARC🫶🏼

[Tanja OMGReads · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is my second book by Julia and all I got to say where have you been all my life?! Jude and Lily made me so happy it's hard putting into words. But I have to review so here we go: Both of our MCs have issues that are not easy to let go.

His injury has put an end to his hockey career and his back in his home town trying to find who is without it. Lily is a ray of sunshine for everyone, but only a few people know just how terrible her family is. Don't even get me started on them. If there ever was a group of people who I'd gladly push down the hill it was them. When Jude returns and is handed in her care to rehabilitate his knee, sparks fly and soon their chemistry is too strong to ignore it. The time spend in each other's arms helps them see that they are more than they thought they were and they could have it all if they'd just let themselves be cherished and loved like they deserve.
Jude is despite his grumpy side a perfect book boyfriend and I'm claiming him as mine.

***Review copy requested and reviewed on behalf of OMGReads Blog***

[Caroline Rohem · Rating 4 out of 5]

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
🌶🌶🌶

-Best friend's brother
- Fake dating
- Found Family
- Small town
- Grumpy sunshine

'' You make it hard to stay grumpy."

" The woman who brings me out of the darkness just enough that I can feel her warmth."

This is the first Julia Jarrett book I've read and really enjoyed, I'll definitely read the others in this series.

This book has the best tropes, and I loved how it was developed. Jude and Lily have an undeniable chemistry, only they try to hide. The story has the perfect amount of banter and swoon moments. I loved how Jude is less grumpy when he is with Lily. They really found, in each other, what was missing.

And I have to say that the communication between them was AMAZING.

[Emily · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is the third book in the Donnellys of Dogwood Cove series. Although these can be read as standalones I do recommend them in order!
This book follows GRUMPY Jude after a career ending hockey injury. Hot grumpy hockey player?? Sign me the fuck up!
And Lily his little sisters best friend his physical therapist! These two find themselves flung together in a fake dating rouse where things quickly are NOT FAKE! I love how OPEN their communication was! That was so refreshing! They had their own baggage but worked through it together and didn’t put it on eachother.
This was such a sweet story and I loved watching Jude and Lily’s relationship grow organically and I loved Lily always trying to break that smile out of Jude!
I can’t wait for Becketts book next!

[Morgan · Rating 5 out of 5]

So far this book is my favorite of any Julia Jarrett book I've read.
The storyline and plot, the characters, the spice... all just perfect.
I also love that the series is based on the Island I live on.

[Madelyn Healey · Rating 2 out of 5]

Ugh, it’s not good it’s really average but slightly worse.

[Jessica · Rating 5 out of 5]

After finishing Hate to Want You, I couldn’t wait to get my hands on Pretend to Love You.

There was so much to love about Jude and Lily’s story-but the banter, the texts, the brothers joking with each other, and the grumpy and sunshine vibes were some of my favorite parts.

Jude, Jude, Jude. Man did I love him. What a strong force he was, especially when it came to Lily. And Nana, what a sweet, fiery character she was! I hope she keeps popping up in the next stories!

Pretend to Love You can be read as a standalone, but I say read the whole series in order and fall in love with the Donnelly family!

[Nicole D'cruz (kiwinikilovesreading) · Rating 5 out of 5]

**ARC REVIEW**
"If you can love me despite my family, I can love you despite the moody moments. We've both got baggage, but it'll be easier to carry together."

Why have I never read anything by Julia before??? I loved this book!!!

This is book #3 in "The Donnellys of Dogwood Cove” series! Another series where I haven't read the first two books but it was easy to read as a stand-alone novel.

My rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Spice: 🔥🔥🔥

If you love these tropes, you will love this book!!
- Hockey romance (injured player)
- Grumpy x Sunshine
- Fake dating
- Best friend's older brother
- Age Gap (8 years)
- One bed
- Dual POV

Jude Donnelly's has just been given the worst news ever that he most likely won't be able to play hockey anymore due to how many injuries he has taken. He is in a dark place as he has no idea who he is without hockey and everyone seems to abandon him because he can't play hockey anymore. This makes him return to his hometown, Dogwood Cove, so he can recover as most of his family are still living there.

Lily Chapman is best friends with Jude's sister so she has been very close with the Donnelly family. She has always had a crush on Jude but nothing has happened between them before. Lily is also a physiotherapist. I felt so bad for Lily as her family are so cruel to her and all they do is degrade her and dull her sunshine

Lily ends up becoming Jude's physical therapist but she calls him Mr Grumpy as he is depressed and doesn't smile for anyone. She makes it her mission to make Jude smile while at the same time trying to keep a strictly professional relationship with him.

Both of them can't deny the attraction they have for each other and when Lily needs a date to her cousin's wedding, Jude agrees to go. Following events that occur at the wedding and everyone thinking they are an item, they decide to fake date so Lily can make her nana happy and Jude can make his family stop worrying about him.

My favourite quotes:
"I've got nothing to offer any woman, much less someone like Lily. She's sunshine and I'm darkness. The two can't exist in the same place."

"Does he know he's sexy even when he's being a grump? Probably not..."

"I told you, sunshine, you're working miracles on more than just my knee."

This was such a beautifully written love story of two people bringing out the best in each other. I can't wait to read more from Julia!!

Thanks to Julia and Literally Yours PR for kindly sending me the ARC. This review is my own honest opinion on the book :)

[nat. ❦ · Rating 3 out of 5]

Eh, es como todos los otros libros grumpy-sunshine + fake dating y todos los demás tropes base que cualquier romance tiene, lo cual hace que no se sienta nada original, es lindo pero también me faltó conexión, no sé, se sintió muy “formula”, al final me terminé saltando escenas :(

[Christine · Rating 3 out of 5]

3,25 ⭐️
What I liked:
Not having a 80% break up.
Kindness between Jude & Lily
Jude’s family

What I thought could have been better:
More conversations between Jude & Lily so an emotional, intellectual closeness could have been more recognisable and not only the sexual attraction.
Good places could have been: drive to the wedding, the evening after the wedding… no conversations 😢

Cute read with potential to be even cuter

[Katy · Rating 5 out of 5]

(I received an ARC for this book)

Trigger Warnings include:
family gaslighting, parental emotional abuse

As a hockey fan, my heart broke for Jude from the first page. His heartbreak and pain very quickly became mine. And I suffered right along with him. He goes back to his hometown, trying to escape as much as he can. Just trying to find some kind of comfort while his life crashes down around him. I fell in love with Lily just as quickly as I fell in love with Jude. I loved that she had no issue riling him up. Making sure things remained comfortable between them given their situation. She never treated him differently just because he’s famous for lacing up his skates. And now, Lily’s the only one not treating him differently as he questions his life and future. Jude doesn’t want to be a burden, and this causes him to only become more grumpy. Except with Lily. Never with Lily. He doesn’t hesitate to jump to her rescue, and this opens an all new can of worms between them. Jude knew he wanted Lily, but he never wanted to dim her sunshine. He wanted to protect her anyway he could, even if that meant from himself. He never wanted to disappoint her. Jude wanted to be the man she deserves. Lily’s self doubt nearly buried her alive. But Jude never hesitated to reassure her, to prove her worth. And to tell everyone else all about it.

sunshine: 37

My Favorite Quotes:
• “You make it hard to stay grumpy.”
• “Those aren’t the lips I want.”
• “You make me happy.”
• “Now that I’ve had a taste, there’s no chance I’ll be able to resist coming back for more.”
• “They’re very deep and very real, and I’m hoping like hell yours are, too.”
• “That’s my good girl. Come for me. Now.”
• “I happen to love kissing you any fucking place on your sweet body I can reach.”
• “Let me fill you up so you can feel how much I love you.”
• “Give me another. Wreck me.”
• “We’ve both got baggage, but it’ll be easier to carry together.”
• “You’re gonna be mine forever, okay?”
• “A part of me knew even then that the most important thing in my life was no longer hockey. It was you.”
• “You’re mine and I’m yours. I’m fine with the world knowing that.”

8/10 Dirty Birdy
3/10 Age Gap
5/10 Fake Relationship
5/10 Forced Proximity
6/10 Friends to Lovers
5/10 Sister’s BFF
10/10 Sports Romance

[Yami’s Bookshelf · Rating 4 out of 5]

Julia Jarrett's "Pretend To Love You" delivers a delightful and heartwarming romance that will make you believe in the power of unexpected connections. With its engaging storyline and endearing characters, this book is a definite winner.

The story follows the journey of a retired hockey player, whose career was cut short due to a devastating injury. Returning to his hometown, he finds himself entangled in a fake relationship with his sister's best friend, who also happens to be his physical therapist. As their charade continues, they soon discover that their feelings for each other are far from pretend.

One of the book's strongest aspects is the chemistry between the main characters. The author masterfully builds their relationship, allowing it to blossom naturally and steadily. Their interactions are filled with genuine emotions, witty banter, and heart-melting moments that will make you root for their love to prevail.

Julia Jarrett's writing style is engaging and immersive, effortlessly drawing readers into the small town of Dogwood Cove. The picturesque setting and vibrant community add depth to the story, creating a charming backdrop for the unfolding romance. The author's attention to detail and vivid descriptions make it easy to visualize the characters and their surroundings.

Moreover, the exploration of the characters' personal growth and inner struggles adds emotional depth to the narrative. The retired hockey player, grappling with uncertainty about his future, finds solace and hope in his connection with his sister's best friend. Their journey of self-discovery and overcoming obstacles resonates with readers, making the story relatable and heartfelt.

While the overall plot follows a familiar romance trope, Julia Jarrett brings freshness and authenticity to the story through her well-drawn characters and skillful storytelling. The book is brimming with heartfelt moments, gentle humor, and a palpable sense of love and belonging.

If you're a fan of small-town romances that tug at your heartstrings, "Pretend To Love You" is a must-read. Julia Jarrett has crafted a captivating love story that will leave you with a warm and satisfied feeling. Prepare to be swept away by the enchanting world of Dogwood Cove and the magic of unexpected love.

[Jill (readinginpjs) · Rating 5 out of 5]

I really loved this - I’m definitely a sucker for a best friend’s brother, fake dating, and a care-giving type of relationship 🥰

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
🌶️🌶️

Following a hockey career-ending injury, a grumpy Jude returns to his hometown to heal. His new physical therapist just happens to be Lily, his little sister’s best friend - but she’s not so little anymore.

They end up in a fake relationship - both to appease their families in different ways. Both are insecure from past relationships, thinking no one could want them for who they really are.

I devoured this book in one day, I couldn’t put it down! Nana was one of my fav characters. Lily’s mother and entire family (besides Nana) are just awful, and the way Jude stands up for her and supports her completely melted my heart.

Pretend to Love You is the 3rd book in the series The Donnellys of Dogwood Cove. I don’t feel like I’m missing anything jumping in without reading the others, but I definitely want to go back and do so!

⭐️ Best friend’s brother
⭐️ Grumpy sunshine
⭐️ Fake dating
⭐️ Injured Hockey player & Physical Therapist
⭐️ ONLY ONE BED
⭐️ Found family
⭐️ Small town
⭐️ Dual POV/first person

Thank you to author Julia Jarrett for an advanced copy for review. All opinions are my own!

[Idalia Helaena · Rating 5 out of 5]

“Pretend to Love You” is the third book in Julia Jarrett’s The Donellys of Dogwood Cove series, and it focuses on the second oldest Donnelly sibling, Jude, and Lily, his little sister’s best friend. I really loved Jude and Lily’s love story, and I thought that even though their relationship started out as a ruse, it became very real very quickly. Jude and Lily were both broken in a way, but their love and acceptance for each other also managed to help them heal. Jude was definitely a grump, but I loved the fact that when he spent time with Lily, he was really, truly happy. I also loved that Jude was able to convince Lily of her worth, especially since she doesn’t have the best relationship with her family (except for her Nana). I would definitely recommend!!!

[Caroline · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.5 ⭐️

This book was short and sweet but also full of spice and steam! Let’s be real…how could I say no to a grumpy/sunshine based in Canada?! I definitely couldn’t lol. Jude - doesn’t smile for anyone and Lily makes it her mission to get him to smile (spoiler alert: she succeeds)

She ends up needing a date to her cousin’s wedding and Jude volunteers…which eventually turns into this whole fake dating thing. I love how organic their relationship grew to wanting more than fake dating. They’ve practically known each other their whole lives and grew up together but now….there’s something MORE.

Who can resist a hot bearded hockey player?! Not this gal, that’s for sure. And while I don’t mind a 3rd act breakup…it’s always refreshing when a book doesn’t have one!

[Books Wine and Besties · Rating 5 out of 5]

4.5 stars
Lighthearted fun and spicy. Fake dating with grumpy/sunshine… in a small town. I mean… what more can you ask for?!?
“sunshine, you look good wearing my name,”
Injured hockey player and his physical therapist…. Yessssss.

[Belle · Rating 2 out of 5]

This was definitely… a book.

I got a sample and liked it, and since it’s not on KU, i bought it. It wasn’t worth it to me, unfortunately.

The first few chapters sets up an interesting premise, an injured hockey player going back home for physical therapy, and the physical therapist is his little sisters best friend. I dug that, but the book is way too short for any real development.

Things jump from one thing to another without any warning. We’re told they went on a few walks/dates, but not actually shown it so you’re just like? Feelings developed overnight. It was just so abrupt i couldn’t feel any sort of chemistry between them. This is a book, we need to be SHOWN the falling in love, the walks and conversations.

The fmc had always had a crush on him, but he’s 8 years older. Thankfully she wasn’t hung up on him, and had boyfriends and what she says “fuck buddies.” I liked that, bc too often we just have women who are paused waiting.

The H was a grump bc of his injury but it’s like there was nothing else. He smiles some and surprises the fmc but? Nothing else.

After they have sex, it seems like that’s it. There’s several chapters toward the end where that’s all it ends with.

If this series were on KU, i probably would’ve DNF’d this book. I’d still try the other books, but $4.99 for each book would be a little too much for something that i may not even like if all the books are this short and lacking development.

[Lauren Nesic · Rating 4 out of 5]

Grumpy/Sunshine, Fake Dating, Best Friend's Brother and Injured NHL Player this book is essentially the most iconic tropes possible in a book. Lily is Jude's physical therapist and when sparks fly I mean they fly (like met me in the pouring raining, kiss me on the sidewalk, kind of sparks fly). Jude's career could be cut short from his injury that brings him back to his hometown to then seeing Lily. They agree to fake date for her cousins wedding and then they soon realise that their feelings are extremely real. This was my first Julia Jarrett book and it will not be my last, I loved her writing style and her ability to make the most realistic dynamic characters, ones that you love and ones you hate. She also didn't give me an unnecessary third act break up so she will forever be iconic for that. Both characters went through so many challenges and growth and I absolutely love to see that. Jude became the sweetest sweet angel, was the fiercest protector of his sweet Lily girl that he called 'Sunshine'.

Tropes: small town, best friend's brother, grumpy/sunshine, fake dating, NHL player, 8 year age gap
Triggers: toxic family

The Donnelly's of Dogwood Cove
1. Dare to Kiss You - TBR
2. Hate to Want You - TBR
3. Pretend to Love You - ⭐⭐⭐⭐
4. Promise to Marry You - ⭐⭐⭐⭐.5
4.5. Dare to Marry You - TBR
5. One Night to Win You - ⭐⭐⭐⭐.5

[Kyla Baeseman · Rating 3 out of 5]

5/10. Started another random romance book to make me feel something during a cold, dark winter. And this one wasn’t it for me.
It’s cute! It’s a very quick read. The premise is intriguing for sure- a grumpy NHL player facing retirement after multiple knee injuries and an upbeat, bubbly (like he literally calls her Sunshine) longtime family friend who happens to be his new physical therapist.
But it’s boring. The characters don’t have.. well, a lot of character. Or personality. They’re one-dimensional without any depth. There’s not enough description and I found myself being confused about what was happening and who was who in the story. Certain scenes moved much faster than would be possible/make sense. I wanted more substance behind Lily’s family issues and her decision to cut them all off. And longer, more drawn out conversations between her and Jude to help build tension. We are told in the story that they’re hanging out, but not shown.
Overall, meh. No bueno.

[Melissa * bookedwithmel · Rating 4 out of 5]

Jude Donnelly. The grumpy NFL hockey player. There are so many tropes in this book that made me jump at the opportunity to read an ARC of this one. I love sports romance. And how could I not jump and a best friend’s little sister story?

Lily is a physical therapist who gets assigned to help Jude recover from his hockey injury. They try to keep their professional distance, but of course it’s not that simple.

I absolutely love this series and the whole Donnelly family.

[Payton Sheffield · Rating 3 out of 5]

I liked the book, I wasn’t totally loving it. There was a bit of a disconnect between Jude and Lilly to me. There was some chemistry but to me not enough for there to be undying love. Almost like it went to fast without them moving closer. Towards the end of the book I could start to see it but even then it wasn’t what I needed it to be.

[Valeen Robertson (Live Thru Books Blog) · Rating 5 out of 5]

Universal



Jude's injury has effectively ended his hockey career and now he's back in his small hometown to rehab and figure out how to live life without hockey. When his new PT turns out to be local girl and his sister's best friend, Lily, her sunshine grabs a hold of him and never lets go. Now they've somehow landed themselves in a fake relationship situation and both of them are finding just how quickly fake can turn seriously real. Can this grump find love with a ray of sunshine who hides a lot of pain beneath her warmth?



Oh these two! I wanted to wrap them both in a big hug and tell them how wonderful they were. Jude is such a lovable grump, so depressed and adrift now that his career was almost certainly over. And then Lily...such a beautiful soul who just saw him hurting and wanted to heal him, both physically and emotionally, and she was hiding her own pain and still wanted to just love him and heal him. Her family is the absolute worst, but thankfully Jude came along with his grumpiness and saw the real her and fell hard for her and helped her stand up to them and break free from their horrible treatment of her. I adore this couple, adore their story, and cannot wait for more Donnellys and more of their small town.



ARC provided by Literally Yours PR for an honest review.

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[Natasha Deen · Rating 5 out of 5]

Jude and his Sunshine! A 4.5 definite must read.

How have I only now discovered Julia Jarrett?? This is the first book I ever read by this author and OMG it was so good that I could not put it down! Julia Jarrett did an excellent job with this book. It was heartwarming, heartbreaking, swoony and oh so steamy!!

My heart broke for both Jude and Lily and the situations they were both dealing with but they were the absolute perfect match. They complemented each other and provided the support they both needed to overcome and move pass their troubles.

Lily's light and sunshine was what Jude needed to break him out of the darkness and sadness he was drowning in. She helped him come to terms with his situation and to learn to smile and enjoy life.Lily was definitly the balance he needed for his grumpiness. She showed him that he could be loved and cherished for who is was and not because of his profession.

I fell in love with Jude! He was all tough and stoic on the outside but a soft marshmellow on the inside who made me swoon! He was the support and strength Lily needed to stand up against the hurt and abuse from her family. He showed her that she needed to embrace all her good qualities and success. Jude's affection and adoration for Lily shone through by his actions, he showed her that she was his endgame and that she was worthy of a forever love.

Their attraction oozed off the pages and when they finally gave it they were explosive. Jude was the epitome of hot , smoldering and sexy!!

I loved Jude's family, they were so loving and supportive and brought a lightness to the book. And we can't forget Nana, I want me a Nana ! Her love for Lily was so unconditional that it was heartwarming.

This book definitely gave me all the warm and fuzzy feelings! I can't wait to read the next book in this series and start to binge all of Julia's other books!

[Kaya · Rating 5 out of 5]

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. **

[Kira · Rating 5 out of 5]

Title: Pretend to Love You (Donnelly’s of Dogwood Cove)
Author: Julia Jarrett
Hero/Heroine: Jude & Lily
Tropes: Sisters Best Friend, Grumpy x Sunshine, Fake Relationship, Hockey Player, Small Town,

tw/cw: toxic family, gaslighting,

✨the good ✨

When you take a grumpy, injured hockey player and add the cutest grey kitten, it’s a pretty sure fire way to have my ovaries in a chokehold. Jude was hot enough as is, adding a cute kitten in need of a home and I was done, stick a fork in me done.

After one too many hits to the head and knee, Jude finds himself unsure of what his future in hockey will look like. When he goes home to Dogwood Cove to brood and recover, he ends up spending time with his sisters best friend, Lily, in both a professional and personal capacity. Lily, in need of a date to her cousins wedding, ultimately finds herself in a fake relationship with the wonderfully broody Jude.

Julia Jarrett knows how to write a damn fine hero. Jude was the ultimate grump, yet I couldn’t help but love him. Experiencing a crisis of confidence regarding his self worth outside of hockey, he found a kindred spirit in Lily, who was in the exact same situation with her toxic family. She was just as wonderful as Jude, and I loved that she was the only one that could make him smile. I loved witnessing both of these characters slowly come into their own and find their feet, both independently and as a couple.

Pretend to Love You was an absolute joy from start to finish, and I adored reading more about the loveable Donnelly’s. Jude, if you could hand my ovaries back, that would be great, thank you.

✨ the bad ✨

Lily’s family. I’ve never hated a group of people more. Apart from her Nana, she was the shit.

Thank you to the author for providing me with a copy of this to read. This is my honest review.

✨overall thoughts: sweet and sexy fake dating romance, I had the biggest smile on my face reading this
✨ heat level: 🌶️🌶️🌶️
✨ star rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

[Bex_Book_Revieux · Rating 5 out of 5]

Lily and Jude are an amazing couple!! I love Julia Jarrett's depiction of this couples strength and devotion to each other.

Jude is a hockey player down to his last surgery, and while he should have been planning ahead he wasn’t, so when his doctor tells him he'll probably never skate professionally again he goes into a deep depression avoiding his family, and sneaking back home without telling anyone.

Lily is an amazing physical therapist who has been friends with Jude's family for a long time, and only one real problem. Her family is AWFUL, like conceited, arrogant, selfish, treat Lily like gum on the bottom of their shoes awful. And Lily has never told anyone they treat her like that. So when Jude walks in on a conversation between Lily and a family member about her cousins horrible upcoming wedding he gets a clear sense of what they're like, and decide to support her by aggreeing to go to the wedding with her.

Lily's cousin's wedding is the predictable amount of horrific with her mother, her cousin, AND the groom giving her grief in public until Jude sees this happening and embarrassed the groom while he was going off on Lily. And then the rumors start spreading like wildfire that they're together, and well... why not go with a good thing while they're ahead??

Lily and Jude treat each other like gold, each one careful with the others tender spots, and once the mood is opened up for sexy times, OMW!! They get together like a house on fire, except neither one expects those feelings to be so strong and when Jude has to make a decision about his career, Lily might just run because she doesn't want to get left behind again.

I adore the Donnelly clan, the side characters, Judes brothers and how they try so hard to get him out of his grumpy stage. I could be best friends with Kat if she were a real live person. Ms. Jarrett writes some of the best small town, family based romances I've read lately, and I can't WAIT to see who's going to fall next!!

*I received an ARC in exchange for an honest review*

[Toni Benton · Rating 5 out of 5]

Aaaahhhh…best friend’s brother 😍😍

I may be a little partial about this book, but it is one of my absolute favorite tropes. And this best friend’s brother journey is so cute, & so sweet, & just so perfect.

Jude Donnelly has had a good career in the NHL. But his latest injury just seems to be the proverbial nail in his career coffin. Talks of retirement are not what he wants to hear…so he’s determined to work even harder to come back even stronger. But he needs to clear his head of the hype…enter stage left, a trip home to Dogwood Cove.

Lily Chapman is best friends with Kat, Jude’s little sister. She’s always been around, so she’s just part of the family at this point. She’s the black sheep of her family, & has chosen to branch out to be a physical therapist. And she’s a dang good one at that.

When Jude is in need of PT, but doesn’t want any fanfare involved, he relies on Lily & appreciates that she treats him like any other patient. She puts him through the ringer, which is exactly what he needs. And when Lily’s needs present themselves, he jumps in to help her by accompanying her to her cousin’s wedding. A disastrous forced proximity fake date (only because of her black sheep status), turns into fake dating, which then just keeps morphing until they both realize that they can depend on each other way more than expected.

These two characters where, quite frankly, made for each other. They are the epitome of soulmates, even though they’ve never seen it before. Lily helped Jude look past his injury, & Jude helped Lily see how worthy & loved she was by so many. Their respective futures seem to be reliant on his ability to heal, & her ability to maintain professionalism. But when lines are crossed, & hearts are involved, the future is clear to see…they just have to look.

[Jean · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is book three in The Donnellys of Dogwood and it is Jude and Lily’s story and omg it is definitely a must read. Jude is a professional hockey player in the NHL and after being severely injured his whole career is at stake so he decides to go home to Dogwood to rehabilitate and think about his future. Lily is a physical therapist at the clinic in Dogwood Cove and she is also Jude’s sister Kat’s best friend and had a crush on Jude for a long time not that it would do her any good as he just sees her as his sister’s best friend and nothing else. When Lily is assigned to help Jude recover from his injury they end up have a fake relationship to get Lily’s hateful family off her back but things start to change between Jude and LIly and feelings start to be involved but will it be enough for them to get the happiness and future that they both deserve. This book takes you on a rollercoaster ride of emotions that had me in tears so many times with everything with everything that was happening and what they were going through and my heart broke for Lily and how her family treated her just because she wouldn’t conform to what they wanted and her mother was the absolute worst person especially as family are supposed to love, care, support and be there for there children regardless of what career they choose instead Lily was constantly ridiculed, made to feel inferior, talked down to and made to feel unloved and i really loved how Jude came to her rescue and supported her regardless of everything that he was going through himself and they were absolutely perfect together and deserved happiness and a future together. This book is definitely a must read and you will not be disappointed because Julia Jarrett is an amazing author and writer and she certainly knows how to keep her readers attention while reading her books and I can’t wait to read more of her books in the future.

[Leslie || original book nerd · Rating 5 out of 5]

Pretend to Love You – The Donnellys of Dogwood Cove #3 - Review
 
Couple: Lily Chapman & Jude Donnelly
 
Author: Julia Jarrett
 
Tropes: hockey romance, small town romance, sister’s best friend, best friend’s older brother, finding yourself
 
Review: I have been waiting for this book! Jude’s story is finally here after that nail biting epilogue we got at the end of book 2. This is a found family and dual POV romance that will leave you swooning over the man its about
 
Jude is back home in Dogwood Cove after he sustains a major injury that derails his professional hocky career. We quickly learn that he is drawn to the quiet physical therapist he is assigned name Lily who happened to be his younger sister’s best friend. Jude’s character is so raw that all of hi broodiness is forgiven due to his circumstance. I loved reading about his journey to happiness and really enjoyed the growth of his and Lily’s feelings.
 
Lily on the other hand is the black sheep in her family and I was there for it when Jude takes up his role as protector when they are confronted by Lily’s mother and cousin. Lily’s character was written so perfectly and the growth she has in this book with her family and Jude was phenomenal. I enjoyed reading how she grew her backbone and stopped caring about what her parents wanted and also realized it was not her that was in the wrong.
 
The chemistry in this book is off the charts. Jude is an alpha-hole who has a lot of cavemen tendencies as well as a top grade dirty talker. I loved how he brought out Lily’s dirty side and in turn she brought out his softer side.
 
The parts I really enjoyed were when we saw Kat and her hurricane tendencies blow through the couples attempt to be platonic. I also loved how we saw the prior couples and the other Donnelly brothers in this book.
 
Rating: 10/10, best book in the series yet!

[Jessica · Rating 5 out of 5]

Pretend to Love You is the third book in the Donnellys of Dogwood Cove series, but can be read as a stand alone. When Jude experiences a career-ending injury, he returns home to heal and figure out what comes next. Lily is a family friend, his physical therapist, and now they’re in a fake relationship, but what starts off fake quickly turns into some very real emotions. But is Jude’s time with Lily just a fling for recovery, or can they find out what love really means?

This is the type of book that you get emotionally invested in the characters right from the very beginning. I felt like I could only read this book in bits and pieces, otherwise, I’d just want to skip ahead to the end to watch them fully fall in love and triumph. But their journey was so worth the emotional tears and hurts so that we could see them not just fall for each other, but find their own inner peace and acceptance of who each of them are. I loved this book. If I could give it more than five stars, I would. I couldn’t help but fall for both characters and want to scream at them to just open up a little bit and see the potential for so much more, but Lily and Jude were incredible together! I loved Lily and how she was bold and fearlessly herself, but how much that hid her inner insecurities. I was so happy she had someone to cheer for her successes and provide her comfort and love. Jude quickly became that person for her. I loved that he was so grumpy at first, but I also loved that he started falling for her first, too! They had some amazing chemistry together, but my favorite part of them in a relationship was how they softened out any rough edges and only strived to build the other up. Happiness was a huge theme in this book. This was my first book from Ms. Jarrett and I can guarantee it won’t be my last!