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Can she trust a man who pretends for a living?

Horror author Quinn Buzzly knows all about the dark side, but when she meets actor Jack Decker, she’s moved to explore something completely different—at least on paper. With his sexy good looks, intriguing manner, and charming Irish-tinged English accent, Jack is the perfect model for her next hero. Quinn decides to spend one year in London writing a historical romance inspired by him. Until real life butts in…

Jack’s jealous ex-fiancée sparks a media storm when she accuses him and Quinn of having an affair. But Jack knows how to play this game. At his insistence, Quinn agrees to go along with the faux romance until the chatter subsides. Then they’ll stage a quiet breakup and go their separate ways. Yet Jack is a shameless—and irresistibly convincing—flirt, and Quinn has to remind herself it’s an act. Or is it? If Jack means business, he’ll have to find the words to convince a wordsmith that their love is the real thing…

73,056 Words

208 pages, Kindle Edition

First published April 14, 2015

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About the author

Roxanne Smith

20 books199 followers
Roxanne Smith lives in a small North Carolina town, nestled in the Smokies. She reads a lot.

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5 stars
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28 (31%)
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Displaying 1 - 21 of 21 reviews
Profile Image for Miriam.
738 reviews40 followers
September 18, 2015
A horror-turned-romance author and an actor. You think you've read it all then a new author comes along and surprises you. Well done, Ms. Smith!

When it came to her career, Quinn was almost fearless taking a risk by changing genres. When it came to her heart, she was definitely iron walls and snipers keeping watch. I couldn't blame her though. Her ex took her for one hell of a ride having an affair for five years while they were married. That's be enough to give anyone a complex, make them doubt their ability to maintain a relationship, have them question every little thing in any relationship they enter into. Her heart was broken; Jack had his work cut out for him if he was ever going to have it.

Jack was an interesting actor. He wasn't arrogance or name dropping (he did it once but it wasn't to gain something) or an ass. He was laid back, easy to talk to, and talented beyond acting. His feelings for Quinn were obvious from their initial meeting, and I was surprised they didn't dim after she unceremoniously told him he needed to be gone after their amazing night together.

But that's okay. Their separation gave Quinn time to decide on her trip of a lifetime: move to England to study its history so her romance story was as authentic as possible. The trip was a brilliant idea. It felt like the right move for her, not just for her career as an author but for herself. More than anything, she needed to do it for herself.

Of course, trouble followed her across the ocean. Reconnecting with Jack was a surprise. The problems that followed probably would've sent a lesser woman scrambling for cover. Quinn was made of hardier stuff and she stuck to her guns through the media hurricane Jack's ex-fiancée created. She made a sound decision regarding her son who was stateside with her ex and his wife. But all of that was done with her head. Her heart she kept just out of Jack's reach. Self-preservation? Absolutely. But I questioned her motives when her sister started whispering negativity in her ear.

There were plenty of laughs as Jack and Quinn navigated the murky waters of their relationship, what with his dry humor and her penchant for sarcasm. And it took a lot of arguing, explanations and a second separation before they were on the same page but they were ready for it. Their happy ending was the kind I want every fictional couple to experience, the ending that's filled with promises of a future filled with love and laughter and the occasional sarcastic remark just because they can.

This is a great debut for Ms. Smith. Her writing style is quick and snappy when the moment calls for it, but deep and insightful when emotions run high. Her characters will make you smile, maybe laugh, maybe tear up a time or two. But if you're willing to experience whatever trauma she puts her characters through, you'll discover what I did: the only kind of love worth having or experiencing in life is the kind worth fighting for because it's the kind that will last.

(Received from NetGalley via Pump Up Your Book for an honest review)
Profile Image for Pansy.
2,228 reviews24 followers
April 11, 2015
4.5 out of 5 stars
I am shocked. Two people who each make a living with words – one as a writer, one as an actor – still missed out on communication 101. *grin* It made these two famous individuals delightfully human. I loved it.

Of course it did not help having so much helpful support from friends, family and everybody else. Such is the life of the famous. Everyone thinks they have the right to butt their nose in. Little wonder lack of communication can happen among the main characters. They have so many people whispering, or shouting, in their ears. Hard to hear.

I rather enjoyed this couple, Quinn and Jack.

Quinn is a writer of grisly murder horror stories. She got excited about a display of maggots. Really. There is a whole discussion about it after a visit to the Natural History Museum in London. Doesn’t that sound like a fun date? She is also recently divorced from a lying, cheating, douche-canoe! If it wasn’t for her fourteen year old son, Seth, she would totally wash her hands of him.

Quinn meets Jack one night when her soon to be former manager takes her to a fancy Hollywood club, that she hates, in a bid to seduce her. Jack kind of comes to her rescue and saves her evening. I have to say, we all need a little Jack in our lives – and I don’t mean the drink. I loved him. He may have been an actor, but he was real and sweet. He loved his mother. He cops to being a bit of a “mama’s boy” even. Definitely my book boyfriend for the week. *sigh*

Although Quinn still has a great distrust in men and relationships and asks that he be gone by morning, Jack left behind some manger inspiration for . . . You guessed it. A romantic book boyfriend. Honestly, from the little peaks we were allowed of that book, I would have liked to read it. But alas, there is only this one.

The chaos stirred up by ex’s in this was epic. And with a sister like this one, who needs an enemy. I will be most interested to see how the author redeems this rather unlikable character in the next book. It promises to be just as fun and interesting as I found this one.

Not only was there a wonderful, well developed cast of characters, but the story moved along at a very nice clip. There was nice mix of drama and alone-getting-to-know-you time for Quinn and Jack. I found the story to be completely engaging, even though the couple times they had sex it was behind a closed door. It made no difference, I didn’t want to put it down.

I think this is another one of those stories that the fans of Notting Hill will enjoy. Unlikely couple completely falling for each other. It was sweet and wonderful.

I was provided a copy of this in exchange for an honest review.
Profile Image for Sue "DavinciKittie" Brown-Moore.
393 reviews58 followers
April 14, 2015
See the full review, including Memorable Quotes and Suggested Similar Reads at GraveTells here: http://gravetells.com/contemporary-ro...

Men Like This was a flirty, addictive, engaging read regardless of having zero shag time. It's a romance, pure and simple: Men Like This focuses on the characters and their relationship rather than the minutiae of their physical couplings. Good news for chick lit fans, a strike to the heart for erotic romance fans, who would probably sweat blood for intimate insight on Jack Decker. In case it's not yet clear, let me make it crystal: this book has no sex. Zero. Nada. None. And you know what? The narrative still sparkles and charms itself right off the pages. Who knew I would enjoy a closed-door romance so much? Huh!

These characters have serious panache. I freaking love Jack, and Quinn has a natural dry wit that mingles perfectly with his exuberant personality. And Jack's accent is delivered perfectly! I could practically hear the man's Irish-English brogue whispering in my ear. Jack reminds me a little of Mal from Kylie Scott's Stage Dive series—the charming Mal we met in Lick rather than the crazy manic he became in Play.

Let's not forget chemistry. Even though the sparse sex between Jack and Quinn is solidly behind closed doors (which may as well be steel-reinforced, industrial-grade concrete - can you tell I'm really sad about this?), they mesh beautifully as a couple.

The secondary characters stand out in their own unique ways too, none too staid or boring and each with his or her own unique signature. Gotta say though, I absolutely hated one of them. I won't spoil the story by telling you whom, but the ending manages to wrap it all up nicely.

Men Like This author Roxanne Smith's writing style is a little reminiscent of Tiffany Reisz's, minus (thankfully) the scary intensity of a personality like The Siren's Soren. Memorable characters, smart dialogue, and fresh perspective beautifully elevate the contemporary romance of Men Like This in a genre where movie star and rock star stories are practically, tiredly, the new black.
Profile Image for M.L. Sparrow.
Author 22 books162 followers
December 23, 2015
Roxanne Smith's first book in the Long Shot Series, Men Like This, is a beautifully romantic story about a best-selling horror author and a man she meets by coincidence at a bar in L.A. After a one night stand, Quinn doesn't think she'll ever meet Jack again, yet he inspires her to write something that it totally out of her comfort zone - a romance, with the hero based on him. Having recently gone through a divorce, Quinn decides that a break from L.A is exactly what she needs, so she moves to London for a year to write her novel. In London fate conspires to bring Jack and Quinn together, but a jealous ex-girlfriend, Quinn's over-bearing sister and her own doubts aren't going to make their relationship easy.

Wow, I absolutely loved this story; I honestly don't think there was anything I didn't like about it! Quinn and Jack were amazing main characters that you could easily relate to and fall in love with - at the end there were a few times I wanted to slap Quinn for being blind, but at the same time, her reasoning was completely justifiable when you think of her past experience and the fact Jack's a famous actor. The writing was pretty much flawless and I was amazed that Roxanne Smith could write a beautiful romance, such as Men Like This, and yet have such a grasp on horror writing, which is Quinn's preferred genre! For me though, the dialog in this book is what sells it; the banter between Quinn and Jack is hilarious and Roxanne Smith got Jack's speech spot on with all the English phrases and wording. In short, I really enjoyed this book and can't wait to read the next one.

This review was written by ME for Readers' Favorite.

For more reviews and to see my favourite quotes from this book, check out my blog at http://mlsparrow.wix.com/mlsparrow
4,871 reviews16 followers
April 16, 2015
**I received an ARC of this story in exchange for an honest review
Quinn is an author. Her pen name is Clementine Hazel. She had been writing ten years. She was Richard's client. She had known him for many years. One night they were at a night club in Hollywood. Quinn didn't like Hollywood and turns out Richard had lied to her. Jack Decker is Irish but has been brought up in England and started talking to Quinn at the bar. Jack and his mother had read her books. Quinn was the goriest author of their generation. Clementine has social obligations and gets around. Quinn leads a very quiet life. Quinn released Richard as her agent and started new with Carla Darby and was now trying to write a romance novel.
Quinn has more than one side to her. There's the part that wrote the gory stories. There's the woman that likes to lead a quiet life, and now there's the one determined to write a romance novel. Quinn has to learn to trust again. She can be very determined once she sets her mind to something. She is honest, loyal and loving. Jack is a very determined man, but can also have some self-doubts. He is caring and loyal. I enjoyed the growth shown in this story. I loved the twists and turns. I found it to be more than just a romance to me.
Profile Image for Heather andrews.
9,520 reviews163 followers
February 10, 2015


Jack at times I didn't know if he was joking or being serious, "so, killing Blake. How do you want it done?" He's the type of man that isn't afraid to put his heart on the line, " not only celibate, but a bloody, sobbing mess on top of it. Even if I'd been searching for it, no woman would've had me." I liked this book. I liked the type of man Jack was.
Profile Image for Geri Reads.
1,232 reviews2,137 followers
May 6, 2015
No rating yet. Full review to be posted closer to the release date.
1 review
April 23, 2015
I really enjoyed this book! The humor and romance in this book kept me turning the pages! I read the whole thing in one day because I couldn't put it down! Can't wait to read her next book!!!
Profile Image for Kati.
932 reviews11 followers
August 12, 2019
This book was terrible. The main characters Jake and Quinn were ok sometimes, but other times Jake's constant joking around and Quinn's terrible motherhood worked against them. The secondary characters were just caricatures. Quinn's terrible jealous sister, Jakes conniving ex-girlfriend, Quinn's asshole ex-husband. The rah rah best friend that makes an appearance, drops off the face of the earth, then makes another appearance without railing at Quinn for basically cutting off all contact. Quinn's kid shows up and suddenly Quinn realizes that she ran off to England without really thinking how it would affect Seth.

The plot just went on and on and on and on with what felt like no end in sight until bam, book over. The writing was hard to follow, scenes switched without warning, the dialogue ran together and I couldn't tell who was speaking and the whole story was just ridiculous.
Profile Image for Gina Nilsen.
16 reviews
May 16, 2017
I really enjoyed this book! I was worried it was going to be too cheesy for my taste but it was definitely not. I liked the characters, and I enjoyed following them on their journey.
112 reviews2 followers
December 9, 2015
When I first started this book, it moved a little slow for me…but it quickly picked up the pace and entertained me. I enjoyed the struggle of our main lady, Quinn. She’s an author who writes mainly horror novels but decides to strike out into the romance genre. Watching her struggle with the novel was entertaining, but watching her argue with her feelings for Jack was completely hilarious. I loved how she was just as confused as Jack was and how there seemed to be some situations that would be perfect in Comedy of Errors. Jack was just as amusing; he tried all the tricks up his sleeves to get Quinn to admit her feelings but forgot the most important thing: telling her the truth about his love.

The story was nicely sewn together, although there was a moment when I questioned Quinn’s sister Emily and her motives. It seemed like she had a bigger ulterior motive than what she said and I feel that maybe her intentions could have been said a little different. How I’m not sure, only that Emily came across a spoiled, immature brat who was jealous of how successful her younger sister is. I was also a little confused as to why Veronica suddenly gave up her pursuit of Jack and her crucifixion of he and Quinn. I was hoping for some fireworks between the three of them and that didn’t really happen.

Regardless of those little issues, I would recommend you pick up a copy and fall in love with Irish Jack.



***Review has been done in conjunction with Nerd Girl Official.
Profile Image for Darien.
696 reviews3 followers
June 9, 2019
Interesting character dynamics and good characters, but pulled down in my final rating by the later actions (or inaction) of protagonist. My favorite stories are about people who are smart, learn from their mistakes and make their own changes in life.
Profile Image for Jennifer Hajdics.
246 reviews4 followers
June 9, 2016
I did not enjoy this book at all. The blurb was totally misleading. Quinn is American, Jack is Irish. The blurb makes it seem like Jack is some big-time actor in Hollywood. It's the exact opposite! He's semi-popular in the UK. Jack and Quinn came off more as best friends than attracted to each other. There was no passion, and in case you want to know: There's no sex in this book. None. Not one scene, just breakfast the morning after. The story skips ahead months at a time and leaves pertinant details out. You can't expect a reader to fill in the blanks instead of write them yourself. I hate giving bad reviews. I truly do. Be proud that you wrote a book, but take what your readers write about the story and remember it for the next one. Maybe you'll have one less reader who wishes she could get a refund.
Profile Image for Lisa Swinton.
Author 27 books197 followers
August 12, 2016
Men Like This is my first read by Roxanne Smith.

The premise is pretty entertaining. Horror writer meets famous Brit actor and how their paths recross throwing them in an unusual situation of faking a relationship, which of course leads to blurred lines and deep feelings.

The story is well crafted with strong emotional arcs for the characters. Side characters are well developed. Pacing is quick, moving the story and relationship along. Characters have the right balance of flaws and redeemable qualities to make the story believeable.

It has an edgy witty vibe.
Fair warning, the characters have off page sex, where it belongs IMO. Passionate kissing.

The cover is an excellent representation of the book.
Displaying 1 - 21 of 21 reviews