First rule of a marriage of convenience? Don’t get knocked up.
When I tell off my new boss after he cuts in line, I think he’s about to fire me. Instead, CEO Harry O’Donnell proposes.
He wants me to marry him and move in for six months. See, Harry needs a wife to inherit his family business. I need a windfall to pay for my mom’s medical bills.
How hard could playing wifey be? very. From Harry’s touching vows at our sham wedding, To the sly glances he sneaks when he thinks I’m not looking, One thing's clear. Our no funny business agreement won’t last long. Neither will the ten-foot wall I built around my heart.
Now, against all odds, I’m pregnant. And I want Harry to love me—and our baby—for real.
Rule number two? Never, ever, fall for your temporary husband.
The Wedding Hoax is a steamy standalone with a swoony HEA! No cheating or cliffhangers. 18+.
I only finished this because … well, I am not a quitter (often) but since WE knew there would be a baby a few things were just … dumb: - Simone was never told she could not have kids. It would be HARD and a low percentage. - Harry calls her a … gold digger when he finds out. - He married her to GET A MAGAZINE AND PAY HER MOMS MEDICAL BILLS. it was just plain … dumb. - Harry parents: it was an oddly written relationship. Either make them mean or make them loving but this “we put pressure on him bc he is about to be 40” was just … silly.
I just finished to finish but I skimmed the last 15%.
I love it when an asshole has to grovel. But Harry is not an asshole. He jumps the queue to get a coffee before Simone. At work, there seems to be a perception that he fires staff, and yet he never does. His family won't let him keep the one thing he loves doing, ceo of his company, unless he is married. So he and simone get married, him to keep his company and her to pay for medical treatment for her mom. They don't know each other at all. Harry is clear in his words that he does not want children, although in his mind, he seems unsure. Simone tells him that it is impossible for her to get pregnant due to endometriosis. There is a fallout when he accuses her of having an affair when text messages pop up on her phone. She is upset by his snooping, a bit hard not to when they pop up on the phone. And then she accuses him of having an affair because he works all the time, just like her ex. This felt wrong as while there was foreshadowing of infertility, there was none of cheating. There is another fallout when he discovers she is pregnant and accuses her of being a gold digger. She never explains that she always wanted children, so when he finds out she is pregnant, i can see why he would think that. She said she couldn't, and all of sudden she is. It is Harry who apologises and grovels to win her back. They still don't know each other. There is no chemistry between them. Simone does little to support Harry, other than sex and a bj. She also tells him that he does not appreciate what he has repeatedly. Meanwhile, he buys her flowers, gives her time off work to be with her mom, moves her mom in making his home accessible for her, worries about her, and is always trying to make her happy.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
The Wedding Hoax is third book in the Faux Loce Billionaire series. A full-length standalone novel with no cheating or cliffhanger and complete with a happily-ever-after. A well written story with extraordinary characters and a plot written storyline that captures your attention from the beginning and keep you hooked and turning the pages until the very end. This is Simone and Harry story. Simone was recently hired at LA Now. The company was one of the top magazines in Los Angeles. She was hired as their staff writer and was starting her new job. On her first day she was experiencing some nerves and to get those nerves out her system she decided to go and check out the trendy coffee shop across the street from the building. She was at the counter but was indecisive on what type of milk to get in her coffee and was annoying the bored barista Sandy, when a handsome tall drink of water of a man decided to cut in front of her and placed his order. She was so mad that she tells him off and gave him a piece of her mind and tells him to get behind her in line. The man was annoyed with her but was also intrigued because no one has ever spoken to him in that manner before. While at the coffee shop her best friend Taylor came and sat beside her in the booth. Taylor is LA Now editor and was also the why she got the job. She was worried that she might get fired on her first day. Taylor told her that the CEO Harry can be a little moody as well as an a$$hole but not a complete one. However, Simone had already started off on a bad foot. Because she had already managed to piss off Sandy who was really very sweet and everyone loved, and to matters worse she cussed out Harry who's their boss. Simone was very attracted to Harry even though he made her mad with his sense of entitlement. The feelings was also mutual because Harry could not get her off his mind and wanted to see her again. He was having visions of sexual encounters with her. Harry has been at the company for years and running it hard at work and saved it on the brink bankruptcy. But his family is always pushing him to settle down and get married. They have a tradition that in order for him to get the company he must be forty years old and married. If he's not married by his fortieth birthday will not be officially handed the keys to company and it will be handed over to his brother Sean. His dad will not break tradition for him and it doesn't matter that Sean works at the Front Stoop, a company who's their direct competitor. Harry is against married and prefers sending his time pouring over financial spreadsheets and quarterly reports. But his dad believes that he doesn't have the capability to commit to anything other than LA Now and if so he doesn't deserve to be handed to his company. Because he wants the O'Donnell legacy to go on. His dad was pushing him against the wall with this tradition thing and because he was about to turn forty in two months he had to act fast him he wanted to get the company and not let go his hard work goes down the drain. He knew that he had to hire someone to be his fake fiancee and to fake his own wedding. He felt all type of wrong about the idea but he didn't have a choice. Simone lives at home with her mom and helps take care of her after. She loss the use of her legs and is now paralyze. Her dad was instantly killed on impact during the accident and only her mom survived nine years ago. Harry couldn't stop thinking about Simone and how refreshing and honest she was. He hadn't meet anyone like her in years. He thought she would be the perfect candidate to be his fake wife. He knew that she would not be after his money because she was a goody-two-shoe type of person. He made the proposition to her, to be his wife for six months and he would pay her one million dollars and both parties would sign a contract. She was so stun and pissed off that she got up and ran out his office as if she was being chase by someone or something and her life was on the line. He was wondering if he had committed career suicide and if she was telling the rest of staff his business or on the phone with a lawyer. But when she came back asking him how it would work if she agreed and how she would get the money. He instantly thought that he was wrong and that she was after his money. But after she explained that she wanted the money to help her mom to get some mobility back and possibly help with the pain he was relieved. She told him that the surgery was experimental and that insurance would not cover the cost. She agrees to be his wife but demanded her own room at his house and tells him that they would be no sex involved ever and if it's not in the contract they would be no deal. However, our best laid plans doesn't always work out as we would like them to be. Because they consummated their marriage on the night of their honeymoon and kept on doing it. Because their attraction for each other is so magnetic and electrifying they can't help but to succumb to their desires. It was suppose to be all fake but the more time that they spend together they can't help but to catch feelings and before long it all started to feel real. Simone melt that block that was in his heart and for the first time he wanted something more than work. Simone mom was able to get her much needed surgery and Harry was such and an attentive husband and son-in-law. The Wedding Hoax is filled with anger, secrets, family rivalry, angst, tension, passion, emotions, family issues, lust at first sight, protectiveness, relationship that got started on a contract, billionaire romance, steam, revelations, betrayal, fake relationship, fake marriage, misconceptions, survival, surprise pregnancy, crazy traditions, tradegy, trauma, heartaches, forgiveness, broken heart, twists and turns, mystery, contemporary romance, healing, and love.
I received an advanced copy of this book via Booksprout and I am voluntarily leaving a review.
I don't think I've read any of this author's books before, but I think I'll read more now that I've found her.
I was cautious when I began this book because the plot pieces were ticking off pings in my mind of elements from other authors and books I've read. Years ago I recall reading an author's blog where she was talking about another published author who had been plagiarizing her books. Of course, no specifics were given but it's stuck in my mind all these years. This novel is not that book.
Ms Monroe writes this couple with so much warmth and tenderness. It had all the good feels and the realism of the nasty disagreements and misunderstandings.
Pretty sure the author forgot her own plot. Simone says no sex, and literally the first day they're together they have sex. There was no debate over it either. Like, "we shouldn't do this! It's supposed to be fake!" Nope just immediately have unprotected sex right off the bat.
He tries to get Plan B but she's all, I can't have kids and he just accepted that.
Then they take a honeymoon to a fancy hotel in Malibu. But she had time to call and book an appointment for surgery while she was waiting for the plane at the airport. You live in LA. Why was there a layover, why was there an airport at all?
I gave up after this at 29%. Not the most egregious offense I just didn't want to waste anymore time.
I enjoyed Harry and Simone’s story. Simone is all sass and says it like it is and when these two cross paths, let’s just say Harry has never quite met anyone like her. With his career hanging in the balance, he has a brilliant idea which he proposes to Simone. This could change her life and her mother too. Both are non relationship people due to their past but the more they spend time together things start to change. They both feel it but are too afraid to say anything for fear the other doesn’t feel the same. There is a lot of miscommunication, and a secret Simone has that could ruin everything when it comes out. Such a great read by this author and I found it on BookSprout.
The latest novel in her fabulous Faux Love Billionaires series, Crystal Monroe's The Wedding Hoax is a swoony, steamy fake relationship romance that you won't be able to put down. Despite being complete opposites, Harry and Simone have chemistry from their amusing meet-cute. They both need something from one another, and a marriage of convenience solves both of their problems. If only those pesky little things called feelings wouldn't get in the way ;) With electric chemistry, a swoon-worthy leading man and and a sassy heroine, The Wedding Hoax is a must read.
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
A delightful addition to the series. What was suppose to be a temporary marriage becomes more when close proximity made it hard to ignore their chemistry. Harry needed a way to keep his status as CEO of their family company and when he gets a sparks of interest when he meets Simone he got a plan. What happens next was a cute romance story that didn’t disappoint. I enjoyed the likable characters and how their relationship evolves to so much more. This was another fun addition to the Faux Love Billionaires series.
Harry and Simone loved them both.The attraction was instant. They get into a marriage of convenience.Harry to keep his inheritance and Simone to help with her mum's medical bills. Sleeping together is not in the contract,but they break that rule. Along the way their feelings get involved,but they both cannot admit to them. Enjoyed the banter,fights, romance and chemistry between them. The family support and friendships were great and it was all worth it when they got to their happily ever after.
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
Boring book. I finished it because I got nothing else to do.
MMC is 40 y.o FFS, and let his parent dictate his love life. Plus, I don't understand his family dynamic. He hate his brother when his brother did nothing but being a brother to him. The parent also welcoming, but he act hostile towards them. Ungrateful, spoiled MMC. No wonder his first reaction would be an asshole when finding out FMC pregnant.
FMC, well she keep her pregnancy a secret and thankfully not easily swayed by MMC when he did something unthinkable. I didn't see her rule follower-ness in the book, but whatever.
What are the odds of that chance meeting turning into something beautiful.
Family always turns up for us against all odds and Harry finds that out in the most beautiful way. A wonderful read from start to finish as Harry' actions from the very start speak louder than words although Simi just was not seeing it.
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
What started out as an confrontational encounter at a coffee shop ended up with Harry being her new boss and asking Simone to enter into a marriage contract.
Things get real but both are keeping their growing feelings to themselves. When Simone gets pregnant she is shocked being that it was nearly impossible because of a severe medical condition.
Cute, sweet and sexy with a side of crow when horrible things are said that almost ends them.
I hope I do not give any spoilers in this.....First, I hated Harry's parents.....selfish, manipulative, and controlling! Second, I feel that Ms. Monroe created Harry as a 40-year old child. This was not believable for me....really far fetched. Simone came across as a spoiled brat....a really unattractive trait! Now, the last 5 chapters were the best of the whole book! I usually love Ms. Monroe's books, so this one was really disappointing for me!
What a fun story. These two literally met at a coffee shop, not necessarily in a good way. As it turns out, they are like oil and water, he needs a favor and she is the perfect person to help him out. There is humor, and constant feistiness, some back and forth bickering between them and lots of sparks. Enjoy their wild journey.
This was a great read that hooked me from the start. All the way through I found myself smiling. Harry was such a wonderful character he was a sweetheart behind a bit of gruff exterior. Yes he made a few errors but realised his mistakes quickly. All characters were likable and it was an easy to read book. My favourite in the series.
Cute story that progresses as expected. I did love the bond that Harry developed with Simone's mom and how he helped her with all her medical issues. Good spice level, lots of banter. His reaction to the pregnancy was definitely not the best with the things he said to her. He definitely needed to do more groveling in my opinion.
This was so cheesy. It was like a raunchy Hallmark movie where everything happens too fast! They also had a lot of drama which is to be expected given the length of time that they dated. I think they made a good couple sometimes but other times had me scratching my head. Also, I think he just gave so much more in the relationship and Simone just took, took, took.
The Wedding Hoax is a fun, enjoyable read! Harry is a grumpy workaholic who feels pressured by his family to marry. Simone, a writer, with a whole different familial relationship decides to help Harry out. What ensues is a delightful romance.
It skimmed through the whole story, they met, they were engaged next day, married the next page….. I mean a tiny bit of character and background would have made it less hurried! No chemistry
The premise seemed good so I picked it up to read. The characters felt more like they were in high school in how they talked to one another and rationalized things. There was no depth to them really or to the other characters.