An Engagement Pact

Green Valley #4

by Noelle Adams

After my first boyfriend left me with ruined credit and without a job, I have to take a position as a dog walker and move back in with family. I try to make the best of it, but ridiculously wealthy Green Valley is the last place I want to be.

I'm focusing on working hard and getting my life back in order, and I don't need Dan Mills offering me an easy way out. Marry him, he says. He'll pay me once he has access to his trust fund. It will simply be an arrangement of convenience, and it doesn't matter if I like him or not.

To me, the plan sounds completely bonkers, but I'm tempted. I shouldn't be, but I am. After all, Dan's not a bad guy. In fact, he's kind of great. And, if we both know the marriage is practical, how much trouble could it be?

Genres: Romance, Marriage Of Convenience, Found Family, Fake Dating

208 pages, Kindle Edition

Published July 12, 2024

About the author

Noelle handwrote her first romance novel in a spiral-bound notebook when she was twelve, and she hasn't stopped writing since. She has lived in eight different states and currently resides in Virginia, where she teaches English, reads any book she can get her hands on, and offers tribute to a very spoiled cocker spaniel.

She loves travel, art, history, and ice cream. After spending far too many years of her life in graduate school, she has decided to reorient her priorities and focus on writing contemporary romances.

Reviews

[Jenn (The Book Refuge) · Rating 4 out of 5]

Noelle Adams is the Queen of Marriages of Convenience that feels real and raw and like they could happen to you. She makes the set ups feel believable and like something you could find yourself in as well.

Dan and Vicky get married for such a reason and they build a fake relationship that leads to an engagement. They both have things they need to get out of this arrangement but what they don't expect, is to feel more. But we wouldn't have a romance if they didn't.

I feel like this was a pretty solid entry to the Green Valley series and it is similar to other stories I have read from this author. I will say.. I don't know if this one is as memorable as some previous stories I've read for her. But it was a quick read and it will help pass an afternoon quite nicely.

3.5 stars (rounded to 4 stars)
2.5 on the spice scale

[BookAddict · Rating 5 out of 5]

When her life implodes and leaves her homeless and out of money, the only choice for Vicky Emerson is to move in with her aunt and uncle in Green Valley, take a job as a dog walker, and save her money for grad school. That is, until charming bachelor and the nicest guy in the world, Dan Mills, makes an offer Vicky can’t refuse.

Green Valley is lush with greenbacks, Dan's family notwithstanding, although they're not the most wealthy family in town. Still, Dan has a decent trust waiting for him. But he only gets it once he turns 35 or is married. Which is where Vicky comes in. He'll give her the money for grad school of she'll agree to marry him until his trust fund is his.

Now this may sound like your typical arranged marriage trope, but it's definitely not. It's so much more and so full of humor and heart that I couldn’t get enough. I love the personalities of these characters – their layers, their quirks, their vulnerabilities – I love everything about them. It was the ride of my life as I traveled along with them on their journey to forever. Charming, heartfelt, and wildly entertaining, this is sure to be a favorite of romance readers everywhere!

[Tiffany W · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is the fourth book in the The Green Valley series and I can see why people call Nicole the queen of marriage of convenience.

We at Dan and Vicky’s story. Vicky’s boyfriend left her in debt and horrible credit so she was basically forced to move in with her aunt and uncle, and take a job as a dog walker to start getting back on her feet. Dan needs to get married or wait until he turns 35 so that he can get access to his trust fund, of course he doesn’t want to wait so he asked Vicky if she would help him and he will give her money so that she can pay for grad school as well as other debts she has, she decides to accept his offer.. the second time around that it.

I loved Dan so much, he’s officially my new favorite cinnamon roll book bf, he was so patient and understanding even through this feeling for Vicky were much deeper than hers for him. I appreciated that he sort of meet her were she was at, literally he meet her at worked and helped walked the dogs.. really loved that! On the other hand at certain parts Vicky did frustrate me a little, I was yelling at her to let her self feel what she was feeling, but I understood the hesitation.

Overall I really enjoy the pacing of this story, the timeline in which everything happen felt very naturally. That dates Dan planned were extremely thoughtful! I loved everything about the trip to Las Vegas especially the wolf convention and the friendship they made in such a short time.

The ending was just perfect! Now I loved this one so much I must go back and read the first three books in this series.

[Sandra R · Rating 3 out of 5]

A feel good fake engagement/marriage romance. Nicely written as usual by this author. Steamy but realistic sex scenes. Part of a loosely linked series in a small town, but it's a complete stand alone re the story. Some previous H/h's appear briefly, so possibly mild spoilers for the romances in those books.

[Emma B · Rating 2 out of 5]

2.5 stars!

[Valeen Robertson (Live Thru Books Blog) · Rating 4 out of 5]

Amazon / B&N / Apple / Kobo



Vicky's had to move in with family and take a dog walking job after her ex left her in debt. Her new small town is rife with rich people, and when one of them asks her to marry him to help him access his trust fund, she can't say no. She needs to get out of debt, and she needs a way to pay for school. She shouldn't have any problems with Dan - he's not only the sweetest cinnamon roll ever, but she knows she won't fall in love him. Sounds like an easy way to make money and not involve any kind of feelings. Except she really underestimated the whole situation, because now she's falling hard. Does he feel the same?



Dan knows he's not able to let himself be vulnerable to people. He hasn't been able to connect with anyone on a deep level, thanks to his own emotionally distant parents. But when he first sees Vicky, something about her jolts him and he's a goner. If only he knew how to open his mouth and tell her that their marriage of convenience is very real for him, that he wants it all with her.



Two people with walls as high and strong as theirs, should have meant that Vicky and Dan shouldn't have worked, but they really did. Oh, not without obstacles, not without bumps in their journey, but they finally got to their end in sweet, so sweet fashion. Dan's a big sweetheart and Vicky's the perfect woman for him, the one who finally taught him how to love and connect. I can't think of a sweeter couple than this one, and they've made me really want to go back and read the rest of this series.



ARC provided by Wildfire Marketing Solutions for an honest review.

Review / Release Blitz: Live Through Books Blog.

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[Jean · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is book four in The Green Valley series and it is Dan and Vicky’s story and it is definitely a must read. When Vicky’s boyfriend left her up to her neck in debt and no job she decided to take a job as a dog walker while moving back in with her family so that she could try and clear debt while trying to move forward with her life and get it back in order. Dan needs to have a marriage of convenience so that he can get access to his trust fund so he asked Vicky if she would help him and he will give her money so that she can pay off her debt and also be able to do a grad program which had been her dream and when she is told that all she will have to do is make there marriage look real in public Vicky decides to take Dan up on his offer as it is only for a short amount of time and it will also give her security. Dan and Vicky start spending time together so it looks like they are a real couple but what happens when fake starts to feel very real between them which then starts to cause many complications along the way. The relationship between Dan and Vicky had many ups and downs and it definitely wasn’t plain sailing but they are so perfect together and for each other and when they eventually communicate with each other about exactly how they feel they will then get the happiness and future that they both want and deserve especially after everything that they have both been through. I absolutely love this book so much and it was so addictive that I couldn’t put it down and read it in one sitting and I look forward to reading more books by Noelle Adams in the future because she is an amazing author and writer and her books are definitely worth reading.

[Mary Lynne · Rating 5 out of 5]

An Engagement Pact is all about two people who have a tough time breaking out of patterns they’ve set for themselves. Vicky is a once-burned, twice-shy dog walker who’s digging herself out of a financial hole left by a horrible ex-boyfriend. So when Dan offers her six figures if she’ll marry him temporarily so he can gain his inheritance, she decides to risk it so she can jump-start her life again.

Vicky doesn’t trust, while Dan, who grew up with uncaring parents, is emotionally cut off. They’ve both built sky-high barriers out of illusions—they both appear immensely likeable to others while they don’t feel that themselves. An Engagement Pack is one of Adams’ classic marriage-of-convenience stories, and it’s a likeable charmer.

This story is told entirely from Vicky’s POV, and Adams is a master of letting us know what the hero thinks of the heroine when said heroine is completely blind to it. There are also some delightful touches in this book, from a hilarious choice for Vicky and Dan’s wedding to their amazingly steamy encounter in a location both unusual and nostalgic.

I also like that An Engagement Pact showed people with “normal” incomes in Green Valley (the millionaire/billionaire trope flourishes in this town), with Adams acknowledging how wildly well off the folks in these stories are for the most part. This book continues Adams’ winning streak with this series.

[Carvanz · Rating 5 out of 5]

There is no doubt in my mind that Noelle Adams is the queen of the marriage of convenience trope. The Engagement Pact is a perfect example of it. This is not just a sweet, charming story, it has characters that matter and a relationship that feels real. I loved watching Dan and Vicfky’s relationship development from acquaintances into a couple that lit up the page. The steam between them was fire but the emotion was everything I love about this author’s work.





This was a fast read with a pace that kept me turning the pages. I loved the background both the hero and heroine had as well as the bit of history they had together. This is low angst, great fun, and high enjoyment. Perfect for the summer.

Heroine POV
Safe no ow/om drama; h not a virgin; H not a manwhore
Triggers no apparent triggers
Steam 4 /5; explicit; birth control used

[Quinn Fforde · Rating 5 out of 5]

I am a sucker for marriage of convenience stories, and this author is my favorite for that trope. This is a fun one because these characters appeared in a previous book, and we already know that Dan is attracted to Vicky. She doesn't know that, and she was a bit freaked out when he asked her the first time to marry him. Some time has gone by, and one of the dogs from Vicky's dog walking service gets Dan all muddy. This reconnects them, and the marriage offer comes up again in a way that has Vicky rethinking things. She has asked around about Dan and found out that he is a really nice guy, so they begin a fake relationship that will result in marriage. During their fake dates, they start to talk and realize that they have some very important things in common. Emotions begin to get involved, and chemistry does too. Then there are the wolf people, which are hilarious. I got very invested in these characters, and I was rooting for them the whole way. I loved seeing the previous characters from this series in here, too. I really enjoy these low-angst, high-romance stories.

[Mrs R · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book is a standalone within a series, you don't need to have red the others but characters from the previous books do make an appearance.

When we start the book, Vicky has already been asked by Dan to be his fake wife, I've not read the other books but I get the impression thst it may have happened in the previous book in teh series. We are some time after the original proposal and these two reconnect over muddy paw prints.

Its clear to see that Dan is besotted with Vicky, but its so cute to watch her be oblivious to it all. Until she start catching feelings. I loved watching these two tip toe around each other trying not to overstep their arrnagement.

I think my favourite part is where they decide to get married, definatley unusual but fitting for the situation.

This is a low angst book, which I am so happy for, I'm not a fan of the break up and this book is prefect as its all about them getting to know each other and then figureing out how to continue the relationship beyond the original plan. Sweet romance!

[Elizabeth Mazzie · Rating 5 out of 5]

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

An Engagement Pact by #noelleadams (Part of the Green Valley Series) but can be a standalone read

“I’ve been crazy about you from the first time I saw you, and I’ve loved you for almost as long. I know we got together for practical reasons, but my heart was in it long before I was brave enough to admit it.” -Dan

You meet Vicky and Dan when he on the spot offers her a way to solve some money issues when he ask her to marry him so her can get his trust fund. They play it off as dating, engaged and then married. Neither along the way expect to fall in love with each other. As they build their relationship, their trust in each other and learn what real love you follow into their lives. They are just two very normal people trying to help each other. But really their are helping themself build who they need to be. A great love story, easy to follow along and very well write.

#fakeromance
#billionaireromance
#enemiestolovers

[Kim · Rating 2 out of 5]

I love this author and buy everything she writes under both pen names, but this one is a rinse and repeat. Fake marriage/marriage of convenience and “no one knows the real me”. Maybe if I didn’t read everything she writes, I wouldn’t notice how often she comes back to this trope. I long for something different, but she’s apparently planning another fake marriage/marriage of convenience series. :(

[Simone Haeseler · Rating 5 out of 5]

I liked, that she had the insight to reflect on her jealousy and after a peptalk to herself come to terms with it and wasn’t hateful or jealous anymore. I liked Dan, he was such a nice guy and to her and her feelings to start slow. It was a really feel good book. All in all a nice story with not much drama and a sweet couple.

[Savannah · Rating 4 out of 5]

Los matrimonios por conveniencia son la mejor trope que Noelle Adams escribe. Sin dudas. Y esta fue una muestra más de esa premisa.
También percibo un cambio en el estilo de la autora.
Me encantó ver a los otros personajes que viven en Green Valley. Estuvo genial.
Creo que la rubia que ve Vicky es el personaje principal del siguiente libro.

[FireSerene Reads · Rating 5 out of 5]

I've always liked the marriage of convenience trope. Dan and Vicky's relationship progressed naturally despite their forced circumstances, and the introspection from both characters added a lot of depth to their connection. The story's unique elements were fun, and I enjoyed the throwback to that event at the end.

[Kerry · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was just the romance that I needed. I'm not always a fan of the marriage of convenience trope, but I know it will always be a win coming from this author. I really liked Dan and Vicky and appreciated that you could sense his feelings for her from the very beginning. The tension felt realistic and I liked how they handled things as a team. It felt like they really understood each other, and it provided a great foundation for their romance. This was a fun book and I can't wait for more!

[Wioletta · Rating 5 out of 5]

I enjoy reading stories about marriage of convenience.
Noelle Adams, knows how to write them.
In this story Dan asks Vicky to marry him, they both need each other to gain something.
Loved the storyline.

[Alice · Rating 5 out of 5]

good read

Another good read by Noelle Adams. We finally get Dan and Vicky’s story.
It was well written and cute.
Probably not my favorite Green Valley couple.
It was nice to see some of the former couples in the mix.
It was a fairly quick read.
Nice

[Sydney S · Rating 3 out of 5]

My least favorite in the series, but it’s not a bad book. I didn’t connect to these characters as much and the plot felt too slow. Loved all the dogs though. And the conference was my favorite part.

Also, I actually read the epilogue! For once. And enjoyed it!

[C bond · Rating 5 out of 5]

I liked both Vicky and Dan. The book flowed at an easy pace.

[Leyns · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 stars.

A cute story. The characters and their experiences felt genuine. Overall I liked it, not going to re-read though. I did prefer her cousins book - Savannah.

[Kim · Rating 4 out of 5]

this author could write 100,000 more marriage of convenience stories and i would read (and probably love) all of them.

[Jennifer · Rating 5 out of 5]

cute!

Totally cute just like all of the other books! I could not put it down! I really enjoy this group of friends and am looking forward to the next book!!

[Simone · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.75 stars

[Ramona · Rating 4 out of 5]

Charming

Dan proposes a business arrangement to Vicky, about a year later he proposes again, she says yes. Great story, transforming from strangers to forever. Great characters!

[nicolewalls · Rating 5 out of 5]

great book

great book in series, want to read more.Thank you will be buying other books from her other series. Love her as a writer.

[Nic2416 · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 stars

[BereniceFrench · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5 stars
Decent marriage of convenience and fake relationship. Not amazing and probably won't remember it much.

[Stacie Marquart · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great read. Loved it