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Not Until Tonight

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Every day after work, Haley goes to the bar across the street from her apartment to get a drink. It's the only time she gets to see Skylar, her bartender and crush. She would like to get to know him as more than a friend but she's afraid he won't be interested and she'll have to go elsewhere for her after work drink.

When Skylar asks Haley to pretend to be his girlfriend for a night, she is more than happy to oblige. She finally has the chance to make something happen without risking anything. But pretending proves to be more difficult than she thought. She's not sure she can resist the pull any longer with her feelings growing stronger, and it seems like Skylar is feeling the same way.

At the end of the night, will they be willing to turn a fake relationship into a real one?

61 pages, ebook

First published May 23, 2014

2 people are currently reading
168 people want to read

About the author

Jessica Sankiewicz

2 books161 followers
Jessica L. Tate is the author of YA, NA, contemporary romance, and poetry.

Jessica spends most days marathon watching TV shows, often ones she's already seen more times than she can count. She has a fondness for lemurs and their conservation. She also loves baking, especially chocolate chip cookies from scratch.

She lives with her husband in Ohio, along with her pet rodents.

Sign up for her newsletter to stay up to date with her upcoming releases: http://eepurl.com/c3Hacj

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5 stars
17 (29%)
4 stars
22 (38%)
3 stars
10 (17%)
2 stars
4 (7%)
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4 (7%)
Displaying 1 - 24 of 24 reviews
Profile Image for Superfly Gibson.
28 reviews17 followers
May 27, 2014
Quick, sweet, fun... It's a novella and (I believe) part one of a series. Its entirely from the girl's POV.

Great for an afternoon read. It reads fast, the overall tone was light---and it left me wanting so much more. I wanted to dive deeper into Skyler (the love interest) and Tyler (the other bartender)'s characters. I was left with so many questions about the guys. It's only part one of a bigger story so it's hard to say more that.

Great start! Need MORE!
Profile Image for Susan.
299 reviews57 followers
June 19, 2014
A charmingly sweet and fun read, filled with wonderful romantic chemistry and sizzling appeal. The characters are interesting and realistically portrayed and the narration makes it easy to get wrapped up in the novella easily. If you enjoy reading New Adult books, then you will enjoy this short and sassy novella. Written by a beautifully talented and amazing author, Not Until Tonight, will knock your socks off and ignite the night on fire!

Right off, I love that the synopsis is completely enough to draw you in, but also doesn't give too much of the story away. Like, there's a little room left for you to get to enjoy the few little surprise elements that Jessica Sankiewicz so cleverly managed to pull off. Like I said once already, Not Until Tonight, was just a really fun, quick, and sassy read that I totally enjoyed. Haley and Skylar were too cute, although, I was more proud of Tyler for literally slapping Skylar's head at the end because dude what a douche move man! lol.

The friendship between Angie and Haley was written really well and I totally love how fun and easy to get along with Haley seems. Even though it was an awkward situation for her to be in and she kind of had a hand in putting herself in it, she was awesome enough to just strap on a pair and take on night no matter where it ended up or just ended.

One tiny little small thing, is that it would have been nice if there could have been a little bit more background build up for both Haley and Skylar would have been nice.Maybe instead of "one night" it could have been a week because A LOT can happen in a week. But, I think that's what Sankiewicz is already saying with the just one night thing, A LOT can happen in one night. So, it's a very tiny little minor thing and it can easily be overlooked in the sense that the whole novella was a lot of fun to read and I absolutely could not put it down until I finished it and then I wanted to go back and re-read my favorite parts again, which would probably be everything Tyler/Angie, Tyler, and the Tyler/Skylar head slapping because he was being an idiot. lol.

The emotion was pitch perfect and spot on, the being unafraid to take the night into your own hands no matter where it ends up was also awesome too, but it was the characters and the little unexpected bits that was the most entertaining.

So, yes, in short I'm telling you that it was AH-MAZING read, so go out and buy it now!
Profile Image for Lan Chan.
Author 22 books198 followers
August 19, 2014
Not Until Tonight is a novella that manages to pack everything into a short amount of words. It's a cute New Adult tale of Haley and Skylar that is both sweet and fun and doesn't try to get our attention by shoving an angsty, broken heroine and hero in our faces which is something that NA tends to do a lot. Who among us haven't visited a bar with a cute bartender serving drinks and haven't had a fantasy about falling in love with said bartender?
I have to also give Jessica points for writing a good female best friend dynamic and for being able to give the other secondary characters real charm in such a short book. I'm glad that Skylar's ex who brings about the need for the girlfriend charade isn't painted as some scheming harpie who is trying to claw Skylar back. This book is really about Haley and Skylar taking things to the next step and being brave enough to give their feelings a chance. I enjoyed reading Not Until Tonight and if you're looking for a quick and fun read I would recommend it.
Profile Image for Destiny.
91 reviews5 followers
January 2, 2015
Definitely a page turner. I believe this is a novella and part one of a series. This being part one. Very light easy read. I enjoyed this book very much, did leave me wanting to know more and I did have a lot of questions on what happens next, if anything happens with the other characters, more of the back story, and most of all what did the friends think when Tyler made a bit of a scene.

Basically, "Not until tonight" is a story about a girl who frequents a bar across the street from her apartment. By frequent I mean the people who work there know her name (Haley). Her and the bareneter there grow a friendship, but like any bartender he flirts with her listens to her problems, how her day was. But in the back of her mind she doesn't know if he's interested or being a nice guy and doing his job. Because in fact she has a huge crush on him (Skylar), but doesn't want to ruin something good, her go to place away from her apt. Till I proposition comes to play, and now there no turning back.

(I did receive this e-copy for my honest opinion)
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
Profile Image for Molli Moran.
Author 7 books228 followers
May 14, 2014
NOT UNTIL TONIGHT is a super fun, very swoon-worthy New Adult contemporary romance. With a lovable and very relatable main character (Haley) and a charming, slightly devil-may-care love interest (Skylar), I loved this novella right away. As noveallas do, NOT UNTIL TONIGHT is paced quickly, but realistically. Hayley steps out of her comfort zone, and learns that outside it is where life happens. I loved her banter with Skylar and how Jess brought the "pretend relationship" trope to life. There are several great, funny moments, and several steamy kisses that definitely held my attention. Also, the side characters are really well developed, and the dialogue is realistic and priceless. I loved NOT UNTIL TONIGHT and I can't wait for the next novella.

(Note: I beta-read this title for the author, but this is my honest review.)
Profile Image for Mlpmom (Book Reviewer).
3,198 reviews411 followers
May 28, 2014
If there is one thing I have come to expect from Jessica's writing it is that I just know I will get an incredibly sweet and endearing read whether that read is in novel form or a short story, it will be well written and lovable.

Even though this was a short story it was packed with a whole lot of punch. So much so that I fell in love with the characters and cared about them before I was even half way through the story. I was rooting for them the whole way through.

Jessica managed to deliver so much in such a little story, this was well written, well executed and believe it or not, the perfect length.
Profile Image for Jessica.
Author 2 books161 followers
July 22, 2021
The journey of this novella has been a wild ride, but I'm quite pleased with where it all ended up. I'm even more pleased with how this series is going to be, the connections between characters (*cough* Tangela *cough, cough*). Skylar and Haley hold a place in my heart and I'm super excited to share their story (FINALLY) with you.

Thank you all for your ongoing support and love!
Profile Image for Sarah Darlington.
Author 23 books591 followers
June 25, 2014
Loved this! Great novella...when is the 2nd one out??
Profile Image for Angie.
2,849 reviews15 followers
May 16, 2014
Synopsis: "Haley has spent the last year going to the bar across the street from her apartment every day. It's the only thing that winds her down at the end of a long day at work. She gets to have a drink and talk to the gorgeous bartender, Skylar. Her little crush on him is starting to drive her crazy. She wants to take their friendship to the next level but she doesn't want to compromise what they already have.

When Skylar asks Haley to pretend to be his girlfriend for one night, she doesn't hesitate to say yes. This is her chance to finally experience what it could be like, even if it's just for one night. But pretending becomes difficult when their real feelings surface and the pull is too strong to resist. And neither one of them prepared for that.

At the end of the night, will they be willing to turn a fake relationship into a real one?"


My Review: I beta read this book for the author and here is my honest review.

You know what I love about NA books? The fact that they take place in a stage of life where there is so much hope and excitement about the future, when you are old enough to have fun but the stresses and worries of adult life have yet to drag you down. This is a perfect example of that feeling. This is a novella so it is a little short and the storyline moves along quickly but Jessica did a great job of building up enough of a back story to support it. I loved the setting, so many of us have had that bar where it felt like home, and we spent a good amount of time in. Honestly the story brought back a lot of fun and happy memories for me. The characters were interesting though at times the sub-characters (will most likely be featured in more novellas in the series) did outshine the main characters and that was the one draw back for me. That said this is definitely a great book to pick up and relive some of those fun, carefree and reckless times in your life.
Profile Image for Renee Cook.
37 reviews1 follower
July 12, 2015
I received this book for free in exchange for an honest opinion. That, by no means, changes my opinion at all.

Actual rating: 4 stars.

Not Until Tonight (This Night, #1) by Jessica Sankiewicz

Not Until Tonight is the story of Haley and Skyler: two friends who, as a favor, pretend to be a couple and realize they both harbored feelings for the other.

Haley spends her days in an office cubicle and her nights sitting at a bar before going home. The alcohol isn't her main reason for going there each night; Skyler is.

Skyler bartends at the bar that Haley goes to and enjoys the time he's able to spend talking to her. He finds out from one of his friends that his ex, Chelsey is in town, and she wants to see him. The last thing he wants is to get back together with her, so that's where Haley comes in. Skyler asks her to pretend to be his girlfriend to throw Chelsey off of him.

**

I really enjoyed this novella thoroughly and was completely disappointed when it ended. I'm hoping that Haley and Skyler's story doesn't end here and that they get their own full-length novel, along with being background characters in the rest of the books in the series.

I liked the way the book flowed. It didn't drag on and it reached it's point fairly quickly. The characters were surprisingly likable, especially since you don't get to know them as well as you would in a full-length novel. I also really enjoyed the couple background characters that we were introduced to and look forward to continuing their story in the next book.

If you're looking for a read that's short and sweet and leaves you wanting to know more, this is the book for you!
Profile Image for Lesley.
354 reviews26 followers
December 14, 2014
I received a complimentary e-copy of Not Until Tonight in exchange for an honest review.

Haley has a secret crush on Skyler, who is a bartender at the bar that she pops in at, everyday on her way home from work, but she knows that he just sees her as a friend. One night Skyler hears that an ex-girlfriend of his is back in town and gearing for a night out with their mutual friends and he's not happy about that. The last thing he wants to do is ward off her advances and his friend has the perfect solution. Haley can pretend to be his girlfriend for the night, and without even thinking the whole thing through, she agrees. But now she's wondering if she made the right choice - does she and Skyler have a chance at a real relationship or are they destined to just remain as friends?


I have a special place in my heart for tales that involve pretend relationships so of course when I had the chance to read this, I jumped right on it. And it did not disappoint!! It's a short story, only about 61 pages, so I was a little skeptical that we wouldn't get the full effect it definitely delivered. It was easy to imagine the whole story playing out on the big screen with Haley wondering how she was going to keep her true feelings to herself just in case Skyler was only pretending and the bet with Tyler and then with Skyler's reaction to the whole evening to the final scene!! Very well written and I am hoping to read more by Jessica Sankiewicz - maybe even something a little deeper into Angela and Tyler's friendship.
Profile Image for Patricia Lynne.
Author 22 books108 followers
December 23, 2015
There were things I really enjoyed about the story, but others annoyed the crap out of me. More than once I wanted to smack Haley for being too cautious about Skylar. Of course, if she didn't, it wouldn't be much of a story! I enjoyed the cast and from my understanding other books in the series will focus on them. I would have LOVED to get into Skylar's head and have the story be longer with a dual POV. One thing I did enjoy was how the author didn't go too cliche.

One big complaint I have is the description says "pretending is proving to be more difficult than she thought" Haley was pretending, but early on she decided to go for it, so she was hoping it would become real. I feel like that makes the description misleading.

Otherwise, the novella is a fun read. It's lighthearted and nice for a bit of before bed reading.
Profile Image for Nora.
18 reviews1 follower
December 29, 2014
Not Until Tonight by Jessica Sankiewicz - 4 1/2 stars

Such a cute story! This novella is very short (wish it was longer!) but I got a good sense of the characters in only a few pages. That doesn’t always happen, even in longer books! Some stories you just click with from the start, and I loved this one the whole way through.

Haley is a regular at a local bar where she has a crush on the bartender Skylar. He hears that his ex is visiting and Haley offers to be his pretend girlfriend for the night. Yes, I know, it’s a bit of a NA cliche, but the writing is great and the banter is quick and witty. Even the side characters are entertaining and well defined. The plot also makes sense. At no point was I screaming at my kindle because of some dumb and completely avoidable pointless plot device. Yay!

This is part of a series, but the book itself is a stand-alone. I will definitely check out Jessica’s other books! If you’re looking for a quick read that’s going to make you smile, this is it. Also, it’s a clean novel, which is a nice change.
Profile Image for Aline.
2 reviews3 followers
December 27, 2014
Given by the author in exchange for a honest review ... Thanks Jessica Sankiewicz!
A loved this novella it's
A great book it's really fun, clean and does not makes the readers lose theirs patience it goes directly for what the readers want that is the love story! and I loved Haley and how she is this independent lady that out comes her fears and go live her life and the story between her and skyler and the fact tha not even with intension he really was the one to make her feel like he liked her and he did after all.
The only thing that a would point as a downer is that a would like to now what happened to the other characters and that I felt like the end was a little bit forced and the book could go on because its to small I feel like it had so Mutch more story to be told (but maybe I felt tha way because a never want good story's to end).
Profile Image for Babbling Chatter  Reads.
962 reviews31 followers
September 29, 2020
I received a copy of this book in exchange for my honest review and opinion. Thank you Jessica!

Recommending this 4.5 stars read! It had me hooked since the beginning and I enjoyed every part of it. The uncertainty of giving into your feelings to someone you are crushing on and not knowing how they feel.

“Crushes are for high school and celebrities. Based on what I’ve heard, he’s as smitten you as you are with him.”

You never know what will happen unless you take a risk right? This is Haley’s and Skylar’s. A romance that will leave you swooning over flirting banter and debating whether to go after something you think you cannot have because you are too afraid to lose it all and/or get hurt at the end.

Being a novella it was short and to the point. I would LOVE to read more about their story after what happens that night. ;) Hint hint. :)
Profile Image for Krystal Smith.
97 reviews3 followers
January 13, 2015
***I received this book from the author in exchange for an honest review***
This was a quick little love story that takes place over less than 48 hours. Haley gets the opportunity to pretend to be the girlfriend to a bartender she has been crushing on. It was an easy read with a fun story line, I found that I didn't really connect with any of the characters - not sure if it is because of the length of the book but it felt a little choppy to me. If the series continues with a full length book I would definitely give it a chance. I was left a little curious about some of the other characters.
Profile Image for Heather.
1,023 reviews313 followers
December 22, 2014
*I received a free copy of this book in exchange for an honest review*

Haley has a crush on bartender, Skylar. Every day she stops by to admire him. Then one evening Skylar asks Haley to be his pretend girlfriend for the night. Of course, she says YES! This was a fantastic novella! I enjoyed every minute of it. I loved reading about their relationship going from crush to love in the matter of hours. Don't we all wish our crushes would be that awesome?! I just hope/wish there will be more to this short story....a lot more.

5*
Profile Image for Crystal Collier.
Author 5 books183 followers
May 30, 2014
Two Great Things:

1. This novella was clean! Yay! That hardly ever happens in NA.
2. It was just right--not too long, not to short.

Did I say just two things? I liked the characters and the set up was enough to leave some things to the imagination, but also full enough to build a truly believable dynamic.

Recommended to anyone who wants a quick romance fix.
Profile Image for Jenna.
312 reviews
December 16, 2014
I received a copy of this book from the author in exchange for a honest review -

Such a cute, clean, fun book (well technically, novella)! I really enjoyed it. The only complaint I have is that I wish it was longer.:) I loved the characters and found myself wanting to know more about them. I really liked the whole atmosphere and settings. Definitely a good, quick read.
Profile Image for Josie.
103 reviews14 followers
December 17, 2014
**Given by the author in exchange for a honest review**

I really enjoyed this novella. It is a great way to start a series..

I think it was well written, fun, and romantic. I'm looking forward to reading the next part.
Profile Image for Briana Pacheco.
Author 8 books163 followers
June 2, 2014
A quick, clean NA read that will leave you wanting more. It's not too short, not too long (perfect seeing that it is the first in a novella series) Highly recommended!!
Profile Image for Jenny.
1,007 reviews1 follower
August 31, 2014
Cute little story. I liked the tension between Skylar and Haley. The only reason it doesn't get more stars is because I'm not a huge fan of short stories.
Profile Image for Nadine.
493 reviews13 followers
August 6, 2014
Ah,fake/pretend relationship,my weakness *g* I found the set-up here a bit contrived and I really would have wanted a bit more character development,just a few pages more,but overall I enjoyed this :)
Profile Image for Cameron.
34 reviews
February 20, 2015
This was really not even worth my time to read. It was fine, but when I read a novella there has to be something special about it. This wasn't special.
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