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Aster Bay #2

Just for Show

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He doesn’t want a fairy tale. He just wants his son’s ex-girlfriend.

This will be the year Kyla Mitchell puts herself first, walking away from the boyfriend she doesn’t love and pursuing her passion for boudoir photography. She didn’t plan on being turned down for the loan she needs to start her business. When a new reality dating show comes to town and announces that the winner will receive $100,000, it seems like the answer to all her problems. Now all she has to do is outlast the competition and she can finally have her very own fairy tale ending, complete with Prince Charming.

Gavin West is a good father, and good fathers don’t fantasize about their son’s girlfriend. Even after they break up, Gavin knows falling for Kyla would betray his son’s trust, so why is she the only woman Gavin’s wanted in years? Determined to shake off his attraction to Kyla, Gavin agrees to star in the new reality dating show filming in his hometown. When the very woman he’s running from ends up competing for his heart, he wonders if maybe she was meant to be his all along.

When the cameras are gone, Gavin and Kyla have to decide what was real, what was just for show, and what’s worth fighting for.

Just for Show is a standalone, steamy, small town, ex-boyfriend’s father romance featuring a reality TV show, forced proximity, a curvy heroine, and a guaranteed HEA.

366 pages, Kindle Edition

Published May 7, 2024

23 people are currently reading
194 people want to read

About the author

Cara Dion

9 books53 followers

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5 stars
46 (34%)
4 stars
57 (42%)
3 stars
22 (16%)
2 stars
7 (5%)
1 star
1 (<1%)
Displaying 1 - 20 of 20 reviews
Profile Image for Maggie Morgan.
595 reviews2 followers
October 15, 2025
lost a star for the "gotta keep things from her to protect her" trope
Profile Image for Natalie Brown.
643 reviews37 followers
May 2, 2024
Just for show did not disappoint 💜

Kyla and Gavin are so perfect together. There are so many elements in the book, and I loved them all. I mean, a reality tv show were 'Prince Charming' is your ex's dad, who you have had a crush on since you met only to find out he feels the same. (GRABBY HANDS)

I loved the development of Kyla and Gavins' relationship and how he made her feel so comfortable and confident in a way no one else ever had.

As always, the side characters are amazing, and we got to see some we had already met and also got to know kylas friends, too.

This book was so easy to read. It was sweet and funny and had all the things we love about small town romance all mixed together with some spicy spice.

I love Cara's writing she always gives us strong FMC's and sweet but dirty talking MMC's 🤌.

I am obsessed with the world of Astor Bay, and I can't wait to see which one of our eligible bachelors falls next.
Profile Image for Taryn.
414 reviews5 followers
December 23, 2025
I am in love with this series. if you havent already i would suggest reading it. a mix of cute, drama, spice and small town romance. I love the characters and the way they all are intertwined ! I gotta go and keep reading the next one im excited
55 reviews
June 25, 2024
Loved it! Five major stars!
Profile Image for Nicole 》 thesmuttykindle.
192 reviews51 followers
May 6, 2024
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️.5
🌶🌶🌶

This is book 2 in an interconnected series. While it's not required to read Book 1... you should because it's AWESOME.

Gavin and Kyla are from a small town in RI. He's a marketing professor and she's a bakery assistant/aspiring boudoir photographer. She's alsoooo his son's girlfriend 😈 when they both end up on the reality TV show being shot in Astor Bay, things heat up fast and they can't deny the chemistry they've been trying to ignore.

Cara absolutely NAILED the reality TV show setting. It was such a fun/different plot point and really played into the forbiddennes and drama of the ex's dad trope. And I LOVED that Kyla was a Boudoir Photographer. It was portrayed in a really meaningful way and her talent and passion oozed from the pages. I also really enjoyed Kyla & Gavin's connection. The progression of their feelings was absolutely believable and when they got to the "f*ck it" point 😮‍💨😮‍💨 these 2 were hottttttttt. Also...did I mention there's a kink club? 😈 and Kyla is a voyeur.

All in all if anyyyyyy of the below things interest you, you should absolutely read this! Ive read every single one of Cara's books and am never disappointed.

Read if you like:
- Ex's Dad
- Boudoir Photographer
- Small Town
- Reality TV Show
- Sëx Club
- Voyeurism/Exhibition
- Plus Size FMC
- 3rd Person POV
Profile Image for Sam &#x1f5a4;.
62 reviews9 followers
May 7, 2024
⭒ ⭒ ⭒ ⭒


✨JUST FOR SHOW IS OUT TODAY ON KU!!✨

It’s the year of Kyla and she has ✨GOALS✨ Some of which include trying something that makes her uncomfortable, opening a space for boudoir photography… OH and break up with her horrible boyfriend 😬 The latter hopefully making her forget about his dad 🫣

But whoops! A reality dating show is coming to town and guess who their Prince Charming is? Not to mention who one of the princesses is 🤗

This was a cute take on the reality show trope while including one of my favorites, ex boyfriend’s dad 🥵 Kyla and Gavin have extreme chemistry and the fact that she continued to date his son for another year feeling that way is wild 😅 I love how supportive Gavin was of Kyla and how he was always encouraging her to push her own boundaries… 😉😉😉

Unfortunately, for some reason I can’t pinpoint, this book had a really hard time keeping my attention and some parts I really had to push through 😔

🩵𝙻𝙸𝙺𝙴𝚂🩵
•ex-boyfriends dad 🥵
•small town
•reality tv show
•Jo, Kyla’s friend
•dual POV

🩵𝙳𝙸𝚂𝙻𝙸𝙺𝙴𝚂🩵
•kind of felt like Gavin disliked his son ✨too✨ much


Thank you so much to Cara Dion and her team for this ARC 🫶🏻
Profile Image for Brittany.
575 reviews15 followers
April 29, 2024
Just For Show - Cara Dion
*Arc Review/Book Rec*

"𝑯𝒐𝒘 𝒍𝒐𝒏𝒈 𝒘𝒆𝒓𝒆 𝒚𝒐𝒖 𝒅𝒂𝒕𝒊𝒏𝒈 𝒎𝒚 𝒔𝒐𝒏 𝒂𝒏𝒅 𝒕𝒉𝒊𝒏𝒌𝒊𝒏𝒈 𝒂𝒃𝒐𝒖𝒕 𝒎𝒆?"

Daddy Gavinnnnn!! Cara does it again! The SPICE, the story line and the swoon all just were 🧑🏼‍🍳💋 I absolutely loved these two together! I loved that their story started early on and there was PINING! you know me and pining lol. Also, while this is an age gap it didn't read like one at ALL which for me is huge.

"𝑾𝒐𝒖𝒍𝒅 𝒚𝒐𝒖 𝒓𝒊𝒅𝒆 𝒎𝒚 𝒕𝒐𝒏𝒈𝒖𝒆, 𝒔𝒘𝒆𝒆𝒕𝒉𝒆𝒂𝒓𝒕? 𝑾𝒐𝒖𝒍𝒅 𝒚𝒐𝒖 𝒍𝒆𝒕 𝒎𝒆 𝒕𝒂𝒔𝒕𝒆 𝒚𝒐𝒖 𝒘𝒉𝒆𝒏 𝒚𝒐𝒖 𝒄𝒐𝒎𝒆?"

"The Year of Kyla" started with breaking up with her mediocre relationship because she knew she deserved more...she just didn't know more was his Daddy 😏 Gavin, single forever Gavin, goes on a reality TV show in his own small town not knowing that Kyla is one of the women vying for his attention. Let the reality drama ensue!! If you're a fan of reality TV, smex club romance and Daddy vibes then look NO further!

"𝑰 𝒅𝒊𝒅𝒏'𝒕 𝒕𝒉𝒊𝒏𝒌 𝒊𝒕 𝒘𝒂𝒔 𝒑𝒐𝒔𝒔𝒊𝒃𝒍𝒆 𝒇𝒐𝒓 𝒚𝒐𝒖 𝒕𝒐 𝒍𝒐𝒐𝒌 𝒎𝒐𝒓𝒆 𝒃𝒆𝒂𝒖𝒕𝒊𝒇𝒖𝒍, 𝒃𝒖𝒕 𝒚𝒐𝒖'𝒗𝒆 𝒏𝒆𝒗𝒆𝒓 𝒃𝒆𝒆𝒏 𝒑𝒓𝒆𝒕𝒕𝒊𝒆𝒓 𝒕𝒉𝒂𝒏 𝒚𝒐𝒖 𝒂𝒓𝒆 𝒏𝒐𝒘, 𝒄𝒐𝒗𝒆𝒓𝒆𝒅 𝒊𝒏 𝒎𝒚 𝒄𝒖𝒎."

🩷Age Gap
🖤Ex's Dad
🩷Small Town
🖤Voyeurism
149 reviews1 follower
July 12, 2024
This book was just smoking hot. Ex boyfriend’s Dad will forever be a favourite of mine, and combining it with the forbidden nature of a reality TV show (cameras everywhere!) truly elevated this trope.
Gavin was just dreamy, just wanting to do the bet by everyone including his son.
I loved the build up of the relationship. A lot of it happened off page before the book began, but their history was so clear in their interactions and the chemistry was just delightful.
The spice was also TO DIE FOR. The sex club scenes, and the sneaking around, just made the whole thing unbelievable sexy.
Kyla was such a great character too. She was also unbelievably hot, and I loved that she knew her worth and was going after what she wanted. She might have had some doubts and insecurities, but she always saw herself as Gavin’s equal and for that I loved her.
1,094 reviews9 followers
May 10, 2024
Picture perfect! Gavin’s wait for Kyla: ❤️warming!

I just love Gavin and Kyla together! Their hearts and souls are in sync even as they work through life. Gavin’s commitment to his son felt like a lot of guilt, but he truly loves Brodie. Kyla’s relationship with Brodie was never fully developed: they weren’t right for each other. The emotional connection between Gavin and Kyla is intense, spicy, and deeply felt. I love how they appreciate each other, how they share their feelings, and the sensitivity they show for each other. Cara Dion knows how to write a beautiful love story that has it all: a dirty talking guy and an exquisitely gorgeous woman! I love the bonus chapter!!
Profile Image for Ginny Moore.
Author 10 books108 followers
May 5, 2024
Finally, real love on the set of a reality show! As soon as this was available to buy, I snatched up a copy. The tension between Kyla and Gavin has been simmering since she dated Gavin’s son, but neither were willing to act on it. These two are so hot for each other that when the slow burn (Dion only slow burns for so long) catches fire, it scorches! Cara Dion delivers a spicy romance without sacrificing the emotional punch. She is an auto-buy author for me!
21 reviews
May 31, 2024
Swoony and Steamy

This books was so much fun! It had everything I wanted, including my favorite microtrope, the hero rubbing the ache on his sternum. I loved the main characters, and the side characters are delightful. The author moves the story along, not making you wait for action or stretching out conflict longer than necessary. It was my first read by her but I’m hoping she writes more about Aster Bay. There’s nothing I’d change, the feelings and spice are all top notch!
Profile Image for Sarah.
621 reviews
March 1, 2025
This was fun! It wasn’t like anything I’ve read or seen before which was refreshing. Cute age gal love story, I liked the character development of the FMC. Very easy read- I wish it wasn’t in third person but that’s just personal pretence. Loved the nickname little goddess as well, best one I’ve heard in a while!
Profile Image for tia.
385 reviews10 followers
June 5, 2024
Oh this was so fucking CUTE.

Gavin? Fucking hell I want. This man? THIS MAN!! Ugh yes.

And Kyla. Oh sweet sweet Kyla. You deserved everything you got, sweet girl. Thank you Cara for letting me arc read this for you!
Profile Image for Spicy_bookcorner .
491 reviews8 followers
July 11, 2024
📕BUDDY READ REVIEW📕

@paris.browne.books absolutely loved this!!

This is the second book in the series- the first one is Whisking It All (review is a few squares back) and this focuses on Gavin and Kyla. Gavin is Aster Bays’ most eligible bachelor and decides to enter a dating show, which Aster Bay is hosting. Issue: one of the contestants is Kyla, who is his son’s ex-girlfriend.

What Paris said:
This book was just smoking hot. Ex boyfriend’s Dad will forever be a favourite of mine, and combining it with the forbidden nature of a reality TV show (cameras everywhere!) truly elevated this trope.
Gavin was just dreamy, just wanting to do the bet by everyone including his son.
I loved the build up of the relationship. A lot of it happened off page before the book began, but their history was so clear in their interactions and the chemistry was just delightful.
The spice was also TO DIE FOR. The sex club scenes, and the sneaking around, just made the whole thing unbelievable sexy.
Kyla was such a great character too. She was also unbelievably hot, and I loved that she knew her worth and was going after what she wanted. She might have had some doubts and insecurities, but she always saw herself as Gavin’s equal and for that I loved her.

What I think:
@caradion.author has done it again!! I absolutely loved this book. Daddy West. Yes please. He is everything I am looking for in an older man. I loved Kyla and the fact she is plus-size made me happy. I cannot wait for more in the series!! Their relationship was super duper hot and Gavin’s appreciation of Kyla was top tier.

🌶️🌶️🌶️🌶️/5
Profile Image for Michelle.
71 reviews6 followers
July 1, 2024
It was a great story

Great story, great characters, and very spicy. My only issue is I abhor reality shows and this an accurate depiction of one. So during those moments, it was hard to read.
Profile Image for Katie Word.
148 reviews1 follower
April 29, 2024
Cara Dion did not let me down with this one. 🤩

This is the second book in the Aster Bay Series and it was even better than the first, IMO! “The Year of Kyla” was SO much fun to read. The way this curvy FMC came into herself made me feel all the things!

Stepping outside her comfort zone Kyla signed up for a reality dating show (that she helped bring to her small town). Little did she know her ex-boyfriend’s dad was going to be Prince Charming. Watching Gavin and Kyla’s love story unfold made me laugh, smile, and cry a few happy tears.
Profile Image for Bárbara Sandoval.
15 reviews2 followers
January 1, 2025
Amo un buen romance con diferencia de edad y Cara Dion no falla al entregarnos a esta bella pareja de Gavin y Kyla...
Profile Image for Brittany selken.
753 reviews37 followers
May 27, 2025
If you haven’t read this series already it is a masterpiece. I ate this story up in a couple of hours I couldn’t stop reading it. And let not forget the spicy stuff to yes please
Profile Image for Grace Barnard.
170 reviews1 follower
August 4, 2025
love island but with one guy and loads of girls yet one contestant is his sons ex girlfriend

yet again, a new genre of couple for me. I think it was done well, and I did ship the two characters but that was also because her ex (his son) was annoying. And I just love reality tv in books.
Profile Image for Jess | The HEA Bookworm.
359 reviews41 followers
August 18, 2024
I absolutely adored this book! Gavin and Kyla were drawn so sharply that I felt like I was hanging out with friends. Setting the book within a The Bachelor-type show was ingenious and as a fan of that kinda show, I really enjoyed seeing the behind the scenes and the nods to reality tv. I also felt like how the story plays out - how they fall, the third act drama and the resolution - was exactly how it should have been.

Cara brought alllll the dang spice - Gavin is filthy mouthed and g o n e for Kyla. The mutual pining was just perfectly executed 🤌🏽

If you love reality tv or are just looking for a romance book with 𝘀𝗼𝗺𝗲𝘁𝗵𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗱𝗶𝗳𝗳𝗲𝗿𝗲𝗻𝘁 - this is your book. Cara is the only person besides Tessa Bailey that writes third person pov in a way that hooks me hard. 4.5 ⭐️ for one of my faves of the year!
Displaying 1 - 20 of 20 reviews

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