The Relationship Bargain

Willow Hill #2

by Bretta Elaine

They say the best way to get over someone is to get under someone else. But what if you just want your ex to leave you alone?

You would think practically leaving a man at the altar would be enough of a hint that you’re just not into him, but not for my ex. Instead of leaving me alone, the man has claimed squatter's rights in my home and is refusing to leave.
So desperate times called for desperate measures in the form of the six-foot-three, Clark Kent glasses-wearing jerk that is Cooper Shaw.

It wasn’t by some miracle that I was able to convince Cooper into my scheme. He didn’t agree to be my fake boyfriend out of the kindness of his own heart. No, the good-looking snake of a man wanted something out of it for himself. He needs me to make him look good with his job while I need him to chase off the loser camped out in my house.

So what if I once made a move on him, only to be shut down by his inanely handsome face? It shouldn’t be a problem. Living together? No biggie.
Sharing a bed? Not an issue.
Kissing to convince others we are madly in love without catching feelings?... Well, that might be a problem



*This is book 2 in the Willow Hill Series. Each can be read as a standalone.*

Genres: Fake Dating, Romance

400 pages, Kindle Edition

Published September 3, 2024

About the author

Registered Nurse by day, romance author by night.

Bretta loves to read smutty books and has an unabashed addiction to Coca-Cola. When she isn't reading, you can find her daydreaming about her next book, making sarcastic comments, or being a hair-braiding enthusiast.

She lives in Oklahoma with her hot-mess son and a few fur babies, including a grumpy elderly dog and a diabetic cat.

Reviews

[Liz | Bookslizreads90 · Rating 5 out of 5]

4.5 stars rounded up
Tropes-
Runaway bride
Frenemies to lovers
Fake dating
One Bed
Banter 🤣
Hilarious FMC
Swoony MMC
He has a nickname for her
Spice 🥵

“Jealousy isn’t attractive.” “You literally told me last night that Chuck Bass’s jealousy in Gossip Girl was the hottest thing that’s ever existed.” “That was Chuck… You, sir, are no Chuck.” “And thank God for that,” I mutter. “What was that?” She angles her head. “Are you saying you aren’t as crazy obsessed with me as Chuck is with Blair? Do I not drive you crazy with the intensity of your love for me?”

✨️ I don't know what Bretta put in this book to make it so addicting & hilarious, but I absolutely ate this book up. I was cracking up non-stop. The characters were so relatable. Cooper was so smitten, and Sutton was hilarious from the first chapter. I also enjoyed all the side characters and friendships. This was all around a great book! I thoroughly enjoyed it!

Thank you for allowing me to read and review!
This book releases 9/3. Make sure to give it a read!

[Kimberley · Rating 4 out of 5]

More 4 1/2 🌟 What a witty, enjoyable read full of banter and the perfect friendship group. This was an easy read with plenty of laugh out loud moments, intense chemistry and the right amount of spice. Sutton is full of sass and the complete opposite of Cooper who is super sweet, they are both so loyal to Nate and Vivian who we met in Cherry and I would highly recommend reading that one first. This was such a great read! I received a complementary copy from Book Sirens.

[Shanna Ferris · Rating 4 out of 5]

• 𝗛𝗶𝗹𝗮𝗿𝗶𝗼𝘂𝘀 𝗢𝗠 𝗱𝗿𝗮𝗺𝗮
• 𝗣𝗿𝗮𝗻𝗸𝘀
• 𝗙𝗿𝗶𝗲𝗻𝗱𝘀 𝘁𝗼 𝗘𝗻𝗲𝗺𝗶𝗲𝘀 𝘁𝗼 𝗹𝗼𝘃𝗲𝗿𝘀
• 𝗙𝗼𝗿𝗰𝗲𝗱 𝗽𝗿𝗼𝘅𝗶𝗺𝗶𝘁𝘆
• 𝗙𝗮𝗸𝗲 𝗱𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗻𝗴
• 𝗕𝗮𝗻𝘁𝗲𝗿
• 𝗥𝘂𝗻𝗮𝘄𝗮𝘆 𝗯𝗿𝗶𝗱𝗲
• 𝗢𝗻𝗲 𝗯𝗲𝗱
• 𝗠𝗠𝗖 𝘄𝗶𝘁𝗵 𝗮 𝘃𝗲𝗿𝘆 𝗱𝗶𝗿𝘁𝘆 𝗺𝗼𝘂𝘁𝗵

I haven't laughed out loud like this reading a book in a very long time. If ever. Bretta's writing was spectacular. She's a new author to me and I'm so hooked I'm ready to read her other books.

“𝑺𝒉*𝒕 𝒖𝒑, 𝑪𝒐𝒐𝒑𝒆𝒓, 𝒚𝒐𝒖’𝒓𝒆 𝒌*𝒍𝒍𝒊𝒏𝒈 𝒎𝒚 𝒐𝒓𝒈*𝒔𝒎 𝒃𝒚 𝒕𝒂𝒍𝒌𝒊𝒏𝒈,”

These two characters were HILARIOUS. The way they could just roll with a sarcastic conversation had me cracking up!

Sutton was so playful and witty. Her inner dialogue was so much fun to follow! The things this woman thought or even said out loud had me busting out laughing. I absolutely love a witty FMC and Sutton was definitely that and more.

“𝑺𝒐𝒎𝒆𝒐𝒏𝒆 𝒊𝒔 𝒈𝒓𝒆𝒆𝒅𝒚. 𝑩𝒖𝒕 𝒍𝒖𝒄𝒌𝒊𝒍𝒚, 𝑰 𝒍𝒐𝒗𝒆 𝒕𝒐 𝒈𝒊𝒗𝒆.”

Cooper was an absolute dreamboat! Even when their relationship was rocky he was willing to just roll with every verbal punch she threw at him and still take the best care of her. And this woman could dish out some verbal punches! He just kept such an even head throughout the whole book. Every crazy stunt she came up with he went along with. I just adored his character so much!

“𝑾𝒉𝒚 𝒂𝒓𝒆 𝒚𝒐𝒖 𝒍𝒐𝒐𝒌𝒊𝒏𝒈 𝒂𝒕 𝒎𝒆 𝒍𝒊𝒌𝒆 𝒕𝒉𝒂𝒕?”
“𝑨𝒎 𝑰 𝒏𝒐𝒕 𝒂𝒍𝒍𝒐𝒘𝒆𝒅 𝒕𝒐 𝒂𝒅𝒎𝒊𝒓𝒆 𝒚𝒐𝒖?” 𝑰 𝒇𝒍𝒖𝒕𝒕𝒆𝒓 𝒎𝒚 𝒍𝒂𝒔𝒉𝒆𝒔 𝒂𝒕 𝒉𝒊𝒎.
“𝑵𝒐.” 𝑯𝒆 𝒔𝒄𝒐𝒘𝒍𝒔. “𝑵𝒐𝒕 𝒘𝒉𝒆𝒏 𝒊𝒕 𝒍𝒐𝒐𝒌𝒔 𝒍𝒊𝒌𝒆 𝒚𝒐𝒖’𝒗𝒆 𝒃𝒆𝒆𝒏 𝒘𝒐𝒓𝒌𝒊𝒏𝒈 𝒂𝒕 𝒅𝒊𝒈𝒈𝒊𝒏𝒈 𝒂 𝒔𝒉𝒂𝒍𝒍𝒐𝒘 𝒈𝒓𝒂𝒗𝒆.”
𝑰 𝒘𝒊𝒈𝒈𝒍𝒆 𝒎𝒚 𝒆𝒚𝒆𝒃𝒓𝒐𝒘𝒔. “𝒀𝒐𝒖 𝒔𝒄𝒂𝒓𝒆𝒅?”
“𝑻𝒆𝒓𝒓𝒊𝒇𝒊𝒆𝒅.”

I wanted so badly to take my time reading this book. But once I got to the 30% mark I couldn't put it down. I just loved the relationship between the MCs and even the side characters. I can't wait to read the previous book I've missed in this series.

Bretta is now an auto-buy author for me. And it only took this book!

If you love hilarious banter and pranks, this book is for you!!!

“𝑾𝒉𝒚 𝒅𝒐 𝑰 𝒇𝒆𝒆𝒍 𝒂𝒔 𝒊𝒇 𝒚𝒐𝒖’𝒗𝒆 𝒕𝒉𝒐𝒖𝒈𝒉𝒕 𝒂𝒃𝒐𝒖𝒕 𝒑𝒐*𝒔𝒐𝒏*𝒏𝒈 𝒑𝒆𝒐𝒑𝒍𝒆 𝒘𝒊𝒕𝒉 𝒍𝒂𝒙𝒂𝒕*𝒗𝒆𝒔 𝒐𝒇𝒕𝒆𝒏?”
𝑰 𝒃𝒆𝒂𝒎. “𝑴𝒂𝒚𝒃𝒆 𝑰 𝒋𝒖𝒔𝒕 𝒕𝒉𝒊𝒏𝒌 𝒕𝒉𝒂𝒕 𝒔𝒉*𝒕𝒕𝒚 𝒑𝒆𝒐𝒑𝒍𝒆 𝒅𝒆𝒔𝒆𝒓𝒗𝒆 𝒔𝒉*𝒕𝒕𝒚 𝒕𝒉𝒊𝒏𝒈𝒔 𝒕𝒐 𝒉𝒂𝒑𝒑𝒆𝒏 𝒕𝒐 𝒕𝒉𝒆𝒎.”

[Rosemarie Fudge · Rating 4 out of 5]

The banter in this book is chefs kiss! ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ banter! I squealed when they mentioned svu and twilight! It’s a super easy read! And I love it!
Sutton is fun and dramatic!
Cooper is serious and sweet!
When I started it and she was walking down the aisle I was like nope because cheating is a hard pass from me but there is no cheating. OMD is big though! I love that Cooper knew she was the one from the first encounter and I love that he joined in on all her pranks!

I received an advance review copy for free, this review is 100% honest and voluntary!

[DrawnByBooks · Rating 3 out of 5]

I received ARC for this one! Thank You.

Humor and Spice: This book had me laughing out loud from the first chapter to the last! 😂 It's a perfect blend of humor, spice 🌶️, and heart.

Sutton and Cooper's Chemistry: Sutton is a fiery, sassy character 💁‍♀️ who knows how to keep things interesting, while Cooper is the calm, sweet counterpart 🕶️ who balances her chaos perfectly. Their fake dating scheme turns into a delightful rollercoaster filled with witty banter, hilarious pranks, and sizzling chemistry. 💕

Unforgettable Side Characters: The dynamic between Sutton and Cooper is electric ⚡, and the side characters add depth and charm. Sutton's friendship with Vivian is absolute #friendshipgoals 👯‍♀️, and the playful, outrageous interactions make this book such a fun ride. 🥳

Unique Touches: The quirky pop culture references (hello, Twilight and Gossip Girl fans! 🌙👑) add an extra layer of enjoyment.

Cooper’s Moment: The text thread from chapter 9? 😍 Gah, Cooper stole my damn heart with that one. 💘 Cooper is not just boyfriend material; he is husband material. 💍

Overall Feel: If you're looking for a spicy, laugh-out-loud romance that doesn’t take itself too seriously, this book is a must-read. 📚 Sit back, enjoy the ride, and embrace the wild journey of love! ❤️‍🔥

[Tori Herzberg · Rating 5 out of 5]

The banter, the spice, the pranks 10/10. This was such a fun book to read! I was cackling the entire time. So so funny. Like seriously LOL-ing. My husband kept asking me what was going on 😂
I already loved Sutton from book 1, but delving deeper into her mind was even better! Cooper was such a mystery from the start, but I quickly fell in love with his sweet self.
The spice was just spicy enough and I am all in for it. However, I love that the author included a way for readers to skip the spice and still enjoy the book.
If you want a fun, totally not serious read, then this is the book for you!


Tropes:
Fake Dating
One Bed
He Falls First
Pining
Frienemies to Lovers



I received a free copy of this book to read and this review is 100% honest.

[The Sewist's Bookshelf · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 ⭐
2.5 🌶️
Tropes: fake dating, one bed


At the last second, Sutton realizes that marrying Dillon is a huge mistake, but instead of moving out and moving on, Dillon hunkers down in their shared home and refuses to leave. So what’s the best way to get him out? Annoy him out, and the best way to do this is to convince Cooper, the bestie of her bestie’s husband, to move in right away and fake a relationship with him.


There were a lot of hilarious moments in this book, like pretending to have sex to “prove” they were in a relationship, and using Twilight for car shopping advice.
The “Dicktionary” is brilliant and I want to start a petition that this is included in all spicy romance books. The dirty talk and spicy scenes are also excellent.


However, I did feel like the story ventured into the unbelievable at times and while I love snark and witty banter, it did get a little too cutesy and childish for me at times. I felt like they were constantly talking about how their bestie is their “ride or die” and it got old. Along with that after a while Sutton’s character wasn’t really funny anymore but seemed more emotionally immature instead. But maybe that was the point?


Despite that, I do recommend this book. I really enjoyed how the feelings developed between Sutton and Cooper, and Cooper is the perfect book boyfriend

I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

[Brittany Johns · Rating 5 out of 5]

5⭐️ 3.5🌶️

Okay I want to start off by saying that this book was fricking HILARIOUS! I was cackling so hard through the whole entire book. Cooper and Sutton are my kind of people, I personally am in a marriage where we roast each other, so this dynamic brought the biggest smile to my face. Cooper’s very dirty mouth also made me gasp and blush, so if your into that sort of yumminess I 10/10 recommend. “The Relationship Bargain” is an interconnected stand alone, the first book in this series was “Cherry” and let me just say that the friendship that these girls have is of epic proportion. This series is about the love interests, yes, but it is also about nonsexual soulmates and how deep and healthy friendships can be. Sutton and Vivian had me laughing so damn hard I almost woke my husband up while trying not to laugh out loud. If Romcom is your jam, please read these books. I was fortunate enough to be able to ARC read both of them and both are 5⭐️’s for me.

[Julie Booklover · Rating 4 out of 5]

A book that had me laughing the whole time. An easy read, fast paced, with laugh out loud moments. I would love to be friends with Cooper and Sutton or just be in their orbit. Sutton is full of sass, and her mind, wow! What she goes through to get rid of Dillon, the bad penny ex, who will not go away!

I need to go back and read the first book, and I plan to read this author as long as she keeps me smiling with her books.

Thank you to the Author for the advanced copy; this is my voluntary review

[Bookish Venturess · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was such a good book. I loved the characters and the story. This is kind of like an enemies to lovers but only she thinks they are enemies he has always wanted her. The fact that the two main characters come up with evil ways to remove an ex out of the main female characters life was so funny to read. This book is funny, serious, romantic, spicy, and so much more. I loved everything about this book.

[Megan · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.5 ⭐️ // an easy fast paced read full of whit, banter, all around funny moments.
There was serious chemistry between the two main characters and I liked the build up to when they finally admitted what they (Sutton) wanted from the relationship. i highly recommend & cooper is definitely husband material!

[Carly · Rating 5 out of 5]

Another amazing book from Bretta Elaine!

I was excited to read Sutton's story after reading Vivian's and I was excited that Vivian and Nate played a decent sized role in this book.

This is a pretty steamy book, and I enjoyed the premise of fake-boyfriend for the purpose of getting rid of an ex who won't move out.

I recieved a free ARC of this book and am leaving this review voluntarily.

[Cheryl Casey · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is hilarious from front cover to the back cover!! This lengths that Sutton goes thru to get rid of Dillon, her ex that just wont go away are priceless. I almost, yes almost felt sorry for Dillon until I reminded myself that he definitely deserves what he gets. I really liked Cooper from the get go, I was definitely in his corner when it came to Sutton. With Sutton and Cooper teaming up to rid themselves of Dillon, plus please his boss at work the sparks fly, the plot twists and I laughed myself silly!! Great Book, Well done!! I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

[Larissa O · Rating 3 out of 5]

I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

This book is SPICY. I was forewarned by the author, so I feel bad leaving a 3 star review. But the spicy scenes started to feel gratuitous. Without the scenes, it would have been half as long and as much as I like a little sizzle, I enjoy a fully rounded story as well and felt the characters could have been developed more. What I liked was the friendship group, Sutton and Viv and Cooper and Nate had such a fun, deep friendship with each other. The banter between them was entertaining. An easy, relatively light read, but be warned if your spice metre prefers the lower end of the scale.

[Lili · Rating 3 out of 5]

I hesitated when I started to rate this book and write the review, because the characters are a strange mix of stupidity and brilliance. But then, isn't this what life is, especially when we're young? Before life teaches us balance, we swing wildly between extreme naivete and the best version of ourselves.

One thing is for sure - you can be a very good professional, but a faulty human. Were some of the premises of this book far-fetched? Absolutely! The way HR specialists are trained should have taught the FMC to read all the red flags from a mile away. The fact that she blatantly disregards her best friend's opinion and lets things get this far… hmmm…

Anyway, there were also good parts in the story, and I liked the writing (even if the plot was not really tight) and I enjoyed the humor.

I received an advance review copy for free via BookSirens, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

[Sarah · Rating 4 out of 5]

4/5 Stars

I enjoyed the friendship group of Sutton, Viv, Cooper and Nate. They had good chemistry with each other, I have not read book one but this did not impact the plot or the flow of the book.

This was an easy, spicey and relatively light read, I read it in one sitting by the pool. If you do not like spice please refer to the “Dicktionary”. This is a great idea and this includes the dirty talk and spicy scenes.

*ARC kindly given for a honest review

[Vickie · Rating 5 out of 5]

Love is a funny thing. You never know where you will find it.

Breathtakingly beautiful. Loved it, the humor.

I received an advance review copy free and am leaving this review voluntarily.

[from maggie’s pov · Rating 4 out of 5]

i love cooper and sutton!!!!!

he’s so obsessed with her even tho he wants to hate her but it’s the cutest thing ever. I loved how Sutton was such a strong woman but let Cooper take care of her too 🥹

the whole prancing her ex to get him to move out was so funny imo it was just a fun book to read i didn’t want to put it down!!

[Daniela · Rating 3 out of 5]

The story starts with a wedding gone wrong and fortunately the unknowing escape driver is already outside the church. That’s the start of a somewhat classical trope, that often turns out to be entertaining. However the - in my opinion - a bit strange way the bride handles the situation should have been the first clue, that it would be difficult for me to develop a good connection to the characters and the story line of this romance novel.

The main heroine’s personality is also a difficult one to understand, because her behavior is more often on the immature side than not, and unfortunately some of the other characters have that in common with her.

From experience I know, my personal sense of humor is probably a bit different from the majority of people. Therefore take the following sentences with a pinch of salt. The humor in this novel sometimes seems a little crass to me and the pranks happening are not always funny. For example I think, it’s not really ok to put laxatives into someones food, but well, even if they are somehow over the top I liked the idea of the t-shirts (but not all the texts on them), and yes, he had it coming and deserved it. But as it often goes, escalation is already knocking on the door and will bring more drama into the story.

Cooper, the male main character however is very supportive and such a good and lovable one, he seems simply unreal. But he is in love with Sutton, the heroine and has, as you might can imagine, some suffering to put up with.

The spicy scenes play a big part in this book and I got the impression, the author tried to write them extra special to make the book more exciting, but, maybe I am a prude, they only ensured, that I simply browsed a few pages further on. But great to know, the author was very thoughtful about that and had even some alternatives to offer for sensitive readers.

The whole story and how it develops till the end is not very realistic, it’s pure fiction. But all novels in the romance genre have that somehow in common, some more and some less.

Readers also have different tastes, so I suppose, please draw you own conclusions and you might find the story hilarious and simply a great read.

I received a free advance reader’s copy of this romance novel and am voluntary leaving this review.

[Makenna Lakey · Rating 5 out of 5]

💜𝒜𝑅𝒞 𝑅𝑒𝓋𝒾𝑒𝓌💜

The Relationship Bargain by Bretta Elaine
Now available on KU & Amazon

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
🌶️🌶️🌶️

This book had me laughing out loud probably for about 90% of the entire book I loved every second of it. The pranks that were pulled during this book were hilarious and as I was telling my friend about them I couldn’t stop laughing and wished I could reread about them. Bretta is a new author to me but I will be reading more of her books.

“𝑶𝒉 𝒎𝒚 𝒈𝒐𝒅, 𝑰 𝒕𝒉𝒊𝒏𝒌 𝑰’𝒎 𝒂𝒄𝒕𝒖𝒂𝒍𝒍𝒚 𝒆𝒙𝒄𝒊𝒕𝒆𝒅 𝒇𝒐𝒓 𝒐𝒖𝒓 𝒔𝒍𝒆𝒆𝒑𝒐𝒗𝒆𝒓.”

Both Sutton and Cooper were hilarious and their banter was everything starting from page one. They would bullsh*t through any conversation and every conversation had banter in it and had me kicking my feet and giggling. Sutton was so witty and I loved her dialogue throughout the entire book and every SOS text message she sent to her best friend was perfect! The things she said always came out of left field and she had no filter which made everything 10x better.

𝑻𝒉𝒊𝒔 𝒘𝒐𝒎𝒂𝒏 𝒊𝒔 𝒊𝒏𝒔𝒂𝒏𝒆. 𝑪𝒆𝒓𝒕𝒊𝒇𝒊𝒂𝒃𝒍𝒆. 𝑴𝒂𝒚𝒃𝒆 𝒉𝒆𝒓 𝒎𝒐𝒕𝒉𝒆𝒓 𝒘𝒂𝒔 𝒓𝒊𝒈𝒉𝒕 𝒂𝒃𝒐𝒖𝒕 𝒏𝒆𝒆𝒅𝒊𝒏𝒈 𝒕𝒐 𝒈𝒆𝒕 𝒉𝒆𝒓 𝒄𝒐𝒎𝒎𝒊𝒕𝒕𝒆𝒅. 𝑻𝒉𝒆 𝒐𝒏𝒍𝒚 𝒑𝒓𝒐𝒃𝒍𝒆𝒎 𝒊𝒔 𝑰 𝒍𝒊𝒌𝒆 𝒉𝒆𝒓 𝒃𝒓𝒂𝒏𝒅 𝒐𝒇 𝒄𝒓𝒂𝒛𝒚.

Cooper was absolutely everything and the perfect boyfriend and perfect man! Even when the relationship went through a slight bump in the road Cooper kept a level head. He let Sutton do whatever so wanted either in the bed or outside of the bed when they were in a verbal sparring match. He took such good care of her when she got hurt and made her dino chicken nuggets (which are my favorite). He accepted all of her quirks and made sure she felt seen and put in the effort when he needed her to. I loved this character so much and need a man who will wash my hair and make me chicken nuggets in bed when I get hurt.

If you love banter, pranks, fake dating, and spice this book is for you! I can’t wait to read the next book and the previous book as well.

Thank you, Bretta and Luna Literarcy for the opportunity to read this ARC 💗.

[Morgan Plott · Rating 5 out of 5]

The Relationship Bargain
Bretta Elaine

🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟
🌶️🌶️🌶️🌶️

The Relationship Bargain is a fake dating romance and I loved every freaking moment of this book. Sutton and Cooper are frenemies who enter a fake relationship that benefits both parties. Sutton wants to get rid of her live-in ex finance, Dillon, and Cooper’s job thinks he’s in a long term committed relationship. What could possibly go wrong?!

Sutton is a firecracker of a main character. Sutton and Vivian, her bestie, are truly platonic soulmates and I LOVE their banter. Sutton’s mom isn’t a major character, but I love their relationship so much. It reminds me of my mom and I.

Cooper is the, super hot, best friend of Vivian’s husband. Cooper knew Sutton was something special from the beginning. He is the calm to Sutton’s storm.

The banter in this book literally made me laugh out loud more times than I can count. The spice….HOT, the Twilight references…excellent. Overall, this book is wonderful!

Thank you so much to Bretta and Luna Literary for sending me the ARC.

Favorite Quotes: “Stop putting words in my mouth and listen to me, you infuriating woman.”

“And your life with me? ‘It shines. It’s like the night sky is filled with millions and millions of stars, and I don’t feel small in this vast galaxy. I know that there’s something out there. There’s something more, and it’s you. There’s wonder and endless possibilities as long as you’re by my side. You’ve broadened my horizons in so many ways. You’ve made this world seem less lonely. My life’s not so dark anymore because you brighten it.”

[Lauren Curley · Rating 5 out of 5]

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ - 5 stars
🌶🌶🌶 - Spice Level

Sutton is about to make the biggest mistake marrying her fiance, which opens the book. She decides not to sign the marriage certificate as that would be legally binding. Sutton knows Cooper through her bestie Vivian, who is married to his best friend Nate. Cooper actually admitted to Nate after meeting Sutton that she was the one but wasn't attending the wedding as he said he lost his chance for her. Cooper is in a bind at work where he's lied about being a married financial advisor. Sutton came home to find her ex fiancé doesn't want to leave the home she shared. Both Sutton and Cooper agree to a fake relationship to see if they can push out the ex from the home. There's a little fun pranking that ensues on the ex.

Obviously, 1 bed, 2 people in a fake relationship becomes real! 😍 You realize Cooper has been standing by after he fell first for Sutton. He's quite the Simp for her. I truly enjoyed rooting for Sutton to figure out she's in love with him. The side huddling with her bestie after every little change in their relationship is exactly how it goes with my besties. Like, "Give me dirty the details, and I'll give you advice or a shoulder to lean/cry on." Now, when Sutton and Cooper finally get down to "business," the scenes are spicy like Cayenne peppers. Cooper is open to trying new things with Sutton, and so is she. She ends up being able to stroke his spot 😉 with some assistance, and that scene was 🥵.

I absolutely recommend this read for some 🌶, laughter, and everything nice.

Thank you, author, for the ARC!

[Tori | mycoffeeandkindle · Rating 5 out of 5]

Please note: I feel like most reviews just recap a story and I can read the blurb from the author to know what a book is about. I always want a review to tell me why I should care or read a book or what tickled my fancy as a reader so that is what I hope to provide here.

🥂Sutton is a gift to readers. Drunk Sutton makes me laugh so much (literally out loud). Sutton alone is reason enough to read this book.

🥂That best friend friendship is total #goals I loved them in book 1 but Sut and Viv have the greatest best friend banter and it is turned up a notch in this book. So good.

🥂 I really loved that this was not a traditional runaway bride. It was such a clever way to handle that breakup. “Now if you’ll excuse me, I have a reception to ruin” 👏🏻

🥂I adore Sutton’s mom. She is total #momgoals between suggesting Vivian and Sutton be together to threatening a 72 hour psych hold, she just made me so happy.

🥂 The text thread from chapter 9. Gah, Cooper stole my damn heart for real with that one.

🥂 I loved how Coop showed up slowly and steady and consistently for Sutton. Top tier book boyfriend material.

🥂I liked that this did not have a traditional third act break up but rather an oh shit moment. I loved how Coop remained steady for Sutton throughout that even though she totally spiraled.

🥂 I was sad it ended but smiled when it was done. It was such a cute, but spicy, hysterical book. I loved it.

[Katie Kilber · Rating 5 out of 5]

HAPPY RELEASE DAY The Relationship Bargain 🪩🫶🏻💜

On her wedding day, Sutton Hale realizes she about to make a HUGE mistake. When she doesn’t agree to sign her marriage license, her low life (now) ex fiancé refuses to move out of her house. She finds herself enlisting her bestie Vivian’s husband bff Cooper as her new live in boyfriend…only catch is they both (think) they can’t stand each other. What they quickly come to realize is even tho Cooper might have rejected her a year prior…maybe there was something there all along. ✨

Seriously this book was so much fun I cannot get over it. I LOVED all the quirky characters. Vivian and Suttons friendship, Nate & Coopers friendship, the banter, the spice, the relatable-ness. I seriously need Sutton to be my BFF. I also just LOVE when a MMC falls completely head over heels for the FMC and let me tell you our boy Cooper is DOWN BAD for our girl Sutton and she deserves nothing less. 👑

Sutton & Copper brought out the best in each other and just wanted each other to be the best version of themselves and I ate it up.

If you love…
💗fake dating
🪩banter
💗forced proximity
🪩spice
💗super cute friendship dynamics
🪩runaway brides
💗quirky characters
🪩enemies to lovers.

Then you will want to check this one out! I had so many LOL moments. It available TODAY on Amazon & on Kindle Unlimited!

Thank you again for the eArc Bretta & Luna Literary Management, I really enjoyed it!

[Jen | The Jenny Edit · Rating 5 out of 5]

My favorite thing about reading arcs is that I get to discover authors that I never would have discovered otherwise. Bretta is a perfect example of that — and this new release is one that I think everyone who wants to laugh and swoon in equal measure should read!

Why you’ll love it…
🤍 Truly hilarious
🤍 Swooney frenemies to lovers storyline
🤍 Fake dating
🤍 Pranks and antics galore
🤍 Steamy AF

Why I loved it…(4.5 ⭐️):
It takes a special kind of talent to be able to write romantic comedy and make it actually funny. Like, laugh out loud, jump off the page, realistically hilarious humor. Bretta has done that here in so many ways and with a kind of expertise that I have really only found with a couple other authors, who are among my favorites. I don’t like to compare authors, so I won’t mention names, but suffice to say, if you’re a fan of a particular author who writes hockey players and billionaires, not to mention bridesmaids, like no one else, you will absolutely love Bretta‘s work. 😉

Both of our main characters, Sutton and Cooper, are so likable, so relatable, so hilarious and so amazing to read. Their frenemies to lovers storyline was often hilarious, constantly swooney, super hot, and definitely a fun read from beginning to end.

I think you’ll love not only them but all the other characters in the book, especially their best friends, Nate and Vivian, which I’m now discovering have their own book (Cherry), which I am going to dig into as soon as humanly possible because Bretta has a fan for life in me now!

[lauren dedinsky · Rating 5 out of 5]

5⭐️
3.5🌶️

oh my god! obsessed is an understatement!!!

bretta elaine what did you put in this book? it's so addicting and hilarious. this book had me kicking my feet, giggling and straight up cackling throughout the entire book.

when i tell you that i couldn't and wouldn't put this book down i mean it. i wouldn't put this book down even if my life depended on it😂. like seriously, the house could have been on fire and i wouldn't care because this book was my priority.

“Jealousy isn’t attractive.” “You literally told me last night that Chuck Bass’s jealousy in Gossip Girl was the hottest thing that’s ever existed.” “That was Chuck… You, sir, are no Chuck.” “And thank God for that,” I mutter. “What was that?” She angles her head. “Are you saying you aren’t as crazy obsessed with me as Chuck is with Blair? Do I not drive you crazy with the intensity of your love for me?”

i truly cannot recommend this book more! 10/10 reading experience!!

set a reminder because this incredible book comes out tomorrow and you need to read this!

read if you like:
- runaway bride
- frenemies to lovers
- fake dating
- one bed
- banter
- he has a nickname for her
- spice

thank you so much luna literary and bretta elaine for this arc to read and review💛

[Azra · Rating 4 out of 5]

📚💖 OMG, just finished “The Relationship Bargain” and I’m still laughing! This book is hilarious—like, actual laugh-out-loud funny. Sutton and Cooper are just the best. Their fake-to-real relationship saga is pure entertainment. 🌟

Sutton’s got an ex who seriously needs to get a clue, and Cooper? He’s the Clark Kent-esque guy who comes up with a plan that helps them both. Their banter is everything, and let’s just say Cooper doesn’t hold back with his words—if you know what I mean. 🔥😉

What I really loved:

• The dynamic between Cooper and Sutton is hilariously perfect. Their witty exchanges are the highlight of the book.
• The friendship vibes in this series are goals. Sutton and her friends are friendship #squadgoals, bringing even more laughter and warmth.
• The plot is a true romcom. Fake dating, living together, sharing a bed—classic romcom gold, but with twists that keep you hooked!

If you’re into romcoms that pack both humor and heart, “The Relationship Bargain” should be next on your list. It’s a feel-good, laugh-out-loud adventure in romance that you won’t want to miss! 📖💕

[Marie · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a story that really just keeps you reading, because everything Sutton does she just seems to make matters worse. All the time and effort she put into her wedding only to then walk away before signing the licence. Then to make matters worse her now ex decides he's staying put in her house. So now she gets Cooper to move in and be her new live in boyfriend. The problem is they have only ever had a love hate friendship, can they convince people this relationship is real. Now the fun really begins between convincing her ex, her mom and his work colleagues this story just keeps you hoping that she can open her eyes. Cooper is caring, sensitive and protective bit will Suttons snarky comments and sassy behaviour finally be to much. I love the chemistry between these two and the steamy moments really show the fine line between love and hate. Although this is the second in a series I haven't read the previous book and I didn't feel as if the story was lacking. I look forward to more in this set

[Spicy_bookcorner · Rating 5 out of 5]

🎉Happy Release Day @nursingagoodbook 🎉

This is book two in the series and I need to read it because oh my gosh, this book is absolutely amazing.

Sutton is a runaway bride and her ex refuses to leave their shared home so she shacks up with Cooper in hopes that Dillon will leave. The only problem with Cooper, is that they shared a moment before and she despises him.

This book was funny. I absolutely howled at times. Sutton is such a great character- she was extremely bad ass! I loved her sarky personality and the way she winds up Cooper is just brilliant. I loved the whole plotting of pranks on Dillon and that was just genius.

Cooper was delicious. I loved how he cared for Sutton but also pushed her buttons. Their relationship was top tier and hot as. There’s a certain pègging scene which I felt showed the trust that these two have and the after care was just beautiful.

I loved the plot; it was engaging, the pacing was spot on and I literally devoured it.

I cannot wait to read book 1 and more from the author.

🌶️🌶️🌶️🌶️/5

[Meg’s Filthy Fictions · Rating 3 out of 5]

**Review of The Relationship Bargain**

⭐⭐⭐

"The Relationship Bargain" features a sassy young protagonist who finds herself at a pivotal moment in her life—almost marrying a guy who turns out to be a total douche. Thankfully, she has the presence of mind to back out just in time, which sets the stage for her personal journey. The chemistry between her and the male lead, who exudes that lovable "golden retriever energy," provides many lighthearted moments throughout the story.

While the book succeeds in delivering humor and relatable situations, I found myself wishing for a deeper plot. The character development and emotional complexities that could have added more depth to the narrative seemed a bit underdeveloped. Overall, it’s a fun and enjoyable read, but it left me wanting more substance. If you’re looking for an easygoing escape, this could be the perfect choice, just don’t expect too much depth from the story line.