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Engaged in Deception
A fake engagement, amnesia, friends to lovers, billionaire romance by USA TODAY bestselling author Kim Lawrence.
The truth of their diamond deception:
The passion is real!
Tormented by her parents’ disastrous relationship, innocent Clemmie Leith vowed not to marry. So, waking from an accident with no memory yet wearing Joaquin Perez’s billion-dollar ring, she’s astounded. As far as Clemmie is aware, they’ve never acknowledged the attraction simmering beneath their friendship…
Letting the world and his overbearing family believe they’re engaged suits committed bachelor Joaquin. Except deceiving Clemmie is another matter entirely. Because now there’s nowhere to hide from the untouched best friend and fake fiancée, who is the object of his every secret desire…
From Harlequin Presents: Escape to exotic locations where passion knows no bounds.
The truth of their diamond deception:
The passion is real!
Tormented by her parents’ disastrous relationship, innocent Clemmie Leith vowed not to marry. So, waking from an accident with no memory yet wearing Joaquin Perez’s billion-dollar ring, she’s astounded. As far as Clemmie is aware, they’ve never acknowledged the attraction simmering beneath their friendship…
Letting the world and his overbearing family believe they’re engaged suits committed bachelor Joaquin. Except deceiving Clemmie is another matter entirely. Because now there’s nowhere to hide from the untouched best friend and fake fiancée, who is the object of his every secret desire…
From Harlequin Presents: Escape to exotic locations where passion knows no bounds.
- GenresRomance
256 pages, Mass Market Paperback
Published February 25, 2025
19 people are currently reading
9 people want to read
About the author
Kim Lawrence
813 books212 followersThough lacking much authentic Welsh blood, Kim Lawrence comes from English-Irish stock. She was born and brought up in North Wales. She returned there when she married, and her sons were both born on Anglesey, an island off the coast. Though not isolated, Anglesey is a little off the beaten track, but lively Dublin, which Kim loves, is only a short ferry ride away. Today they live on the farm her husband was brought up on. Welsh is the first language of many people in this area and Kim's husband and sons are all bilingual she is having a lot of fun, not to mention a few headaches, trying to learn the language! She is a keen gardener and cook and enjoys running often on the beach, as living on an island the sea is never very far away. She is usually accompanied by her Jack Russell, Sprout don't ask, it's long story!
With small children, the unsocial hours of nursing didn't look attractive so encouraged by a husband who thinks she can do anything she sets her mind to, Kim tried her hand at writing. Always a keen Mills & Boon reader, it seemed natural for her to write a romance novel. In 1995, she published her first novels and now she can't imagine doing anything else.
With small children, the unsocial hours of nursing didn't look attractive so encouraged by a husband who thinks she can do anything she sets her mind to, Kim tried her hand at writing. Always a keen Mills & Boon reader, it seemed natural for her to write a romance novel. In 1995, she published her first novels and now she can't imagine doing anything else.
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Displaying 1 - 3 of 3 reviews
November 22, 2025
Clemmie and Joaquin.
Such a strange story. The “best friends” apparently have been attracted to each other for years, but the MMC has a Madonna/whore complex, so he sleeps with other women but rejects her advance (after which she doesn’t make the same mistake twice). (Sex he can get anywhere, he says, but he doesn’t want to jeopardize his only source of female conversation. 🚩)
Then a car accident & injury open a Pandora’s box. And once they start sleeping together, it’s a quick, boilerplate wrap up.
The strangest thing about this premise was that the writing wasn’t consistent with the “best friends” background. At times, the dialogue came off very much like “just friends”—unusual in a romance novel. But apparently the MMC’s complex extended to never speaking about dating or related topics with Clemmie, so he didn’t even know if she was dating anyone. Whose “best friend” doesn’t know something so basic? And he never told her about his family home in Spain? Like, what do these “friends” even talk about?
And as the sexual involvement developed, there were just lots of instances where it felt like the author was writing a “strangers fall in instalust story”, and forgot her characters (should have) had a long history, with feelings and knowledge that went deeper than “he’s so hot!”.
Beyond that, the MMC felt like no prize. Hot and rich, but not much else going for him as partner material. He’s a “marriage is terrible, love doesn’t exist” MMC. Tries to pitch Clemmie a “casual sex doesn’t mean we can’t stay friends” deal, when that long been his own fear. There’s a point where he’s like, “sleeping with your virgin, best friend suffering from amnesia is not right.” And then goes ahead and does it anyway. Well technically moments after she regained her memory, but she was still injured and coping with everything. He never really redeems himself. (“I know I‘ve blown it.” And “I don’t know what kind of husband I’ll be, but you won’t regret it.” aren’t really high notes to end on.)
Overall, it was pretty meh.
Such a strange story. The “best friends” apparently have been attracted to each other for years, but the MMC has a Madonna/whore complex, so he sleeps with other women but rejects her advance (after which she doesn’t make the same mistake twice). (Sex he can get anywhere, he says, but he doesn’t want to jeopardize his only source of female conversation. 🚩)
Then a car accident & injury open a Pandora’s box. And once they start sleeping together, it’s a quick, boilerplate wrap up.
The strangest thing about this premise was that the writing wasn’t consistent with the “best friends” background. At times, the dialogue came off very much like “just friends”—unusual in a romance novel. But apparently the MMC’s complex extended to never speaking about dating or related topics with Clemmie, so he didn’t even know if she was dating anyone. Whose “best friend” doesn’t know something so basic? And he never told her about his family home in Spain? Like, what do these “friends” even talk about?
And as the sexual involvement developed, there were just lots of instances where it felt like the author was writing a “strangers fall in instalust story”, and forgot her characters (should have) had a long history, with feelings and knowledge that went deeper than “he’s so hot!”.
Beyond that, the MMC felt like no prize. Hot and rich, but not much else going for him as partner material. He’s a “marriage is terrible, love doesn’t exist” MMC. Tries to pitch Clemmie a “casual sex doesn’t mean we can’t stay friends” deal, when that long been his own fear. There’s a point where he’s like, “sleeping with your virgin, best friend suffering from amnesia is not right.” And then goes ahead and does it anyway. Well technically moments after she regained her memory, but she was still injured and coping with everything. He never really redeems himself. (“I know I‘ve blown it.” And “I don’t know what kind of husband I’ll be, but you won’t regret it.” aren’t really high notes to end on.)
Overall, it was pretty meh.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
March 18, 2025
A lot of unnecessary confusion and angst.
October 1, 2025
Don't know why I picked it up to begin with. There was a chance I might like it, the premise was okay, potentially good but I found it boring, the writing didn't make the premise worth reading.
Displaying 1 - 3 of 3 reviews