What’s a girl to do when her longtime hockey crush offers her a marriage of convenience? Say YES. Obviously.
I’ve spent three years lusting after Grammercy Graves on my (supposedly anonymous) hockey romance podcast—breaking down his stats, his plays, that panty-melting Cajun accent...
The entire internet knows he’s my dream guy. What they don’t know? I’m a broke single mom who just lost her job—and the health insurance my daughter needs.
When Grammercy finds me crying in a supply closet at a team party, he offers the wildest Fake marriage. Real benefits. One year. No strings. No S-E-X. Just shared coverage and a room with my name on it.
But he’s so good with my daughter. So generous, so funny, so kind. And when it’s just the two of us? He treats me like I’m someone special.
Like I’m his.
Soon, every kiss for the cameras turns into a kiss we can’t stop, and it’s getting harder and harder to remember this is all pretend.
There’s just one secret that could ruin it all—my podcast, the one that proves I wasn’t telling the whole story when we first “met.”
When he finds out, will he walk away… Or make my wildest fangirl fantasies come true?
Author of over forty novels, USA Today Bestseller Lili Valente writes everything from steamy suspense to laugh-out-loud romantic comedies. She can't resist a story where love wins big. Because love should always win. She lives in Vermont with her two big-hearted boy children and a dog named Pippa Jane.
*Lili rarely visits this site as it is a site intended for readers, not authors. If you have questions, the best way to reach Lili is through her website contact form. Happy reading!
Yazarın kalemi yetersizdi bence çok belli oluyor acemi olduğu. Daha iyi yazilabilirdi. Saçma yerler çoktu.
Kadının sigortası yok, kızı da hasta. Çocuk tedavilerini alabilsin diye adamla anlaşmalı evlilik yapıyorlar sonrası da klasik aşık oluyorlar. Yani çocukla daha çok sahne olabilirdi.
Honnêtement, cette lecture m’a laissée assez froide. J’ai trouvé l’histoire plate, prévisible et surtout… barbante. Tout se déroule trop facilement, sans obstacle réel, sans tension, sans profondeur. À aucun moment je n’ai senti un enjeu, une montée dramatique ou une émotion forte qui justifierait de continuer avec enthousiasme.
Je pensais vraiment qu’une romance mettant en scène des personnages plus âgés avec un enfant en plus offrirait davantage de maturité, une complexité émotionnelle, peut-être même un regard plus authentique sur l’amour, la parentalité, les choix de vie… Mais non. Les personnages ne sont pas construits, leurs personnalités manquent de dimension, et on reste constamment en surface. Il n’y a ni nuances ni vraies failles, ce qui rend le tout très peu engageant.
Le potentiel était là, mais rien n’est exploité. La lecture m’a paru monotone du début à la fin, sans surprise, sans intensité, sans relief. J’aurais aimé vibrer davantage, m’attacher aux protagonistes, ressentir quelque chose mais malheureusement, ce n’est jamais arrivé.
En résumé : un roman qui manque cruellement de profondeur, avec une intrigue trop lisse pour laisser une réelle empreinte. Peut plaire si l’on cherche une romance très simple, mais pour ma part, je suis restée sur ma faim.
I love a good single parent book & watching Grammercy and Mimi grow a bond together was the best part of the book
I personally hate when authors try to move onto another couple before the current mmc’s are even together. And the author giving two characters chapters in Elly and Gee’s book (one being not even at the end but in a random spot in the book) was not it for me
Also I hate when things aren’t talked about. They hid shit from each other and then weren’t even upset with each other like everyone in real life would be
“This man was meant to be mine, and I was meant to be his. End of story.”
The Fake Husband Play was an absolute romantic delight—sweet, swoony, and deeply heartfelt. Grammercy and Elly’s instant connection had my heart bursting from page one. Their whirlwind romance was pure magic, and the found family they built together tugged on every heartstring.
“I’ve felt pretty special since the moment I met him. I wasn’t sure they made men like this in real life.”
Elly, a single mom devoted to her ailing daughter, is secretly obsessed with swoon-worthy Grammercy Graves. When he offers to “fake” marry her so her daughter can get health insurance, how could she possibly say no? But Elly’s podcast, where she’s openly gushed about her crush on Grammercy, looms awkwardly in the background. And as she begins to fall for the real man, she’s terrified of losing the once-in-a-lifetime love she's stumbled into.
“It feel like I’ve always known Elly. Like I’ve just been waiting for her, if that makes any sense.”
Grammercy Graves? Utter perfection. He fell for Elly at first sight and never wavered. When the chance arose to make her his own, he didn’t hesitate. His kindness, gentleness, and genuine love for both Elly and her daughter Mimi made him absolutely irresistible. His unwavering belief in their bond—and in Mimi, too—was everything.
“From the moment I laid eyes on you, I just…knew. I knew I was going to know you, that I had to know you or I’d regret it for the rest of my life.”
The banter and chemistry between Elly and Grammercy sparkled with fiery passion, yet beneath the surface was an honest, tender love. They felt like soulmates destined to be together. Watching them grow from strangers to a tightly knit family was such a joy, and that ending? Pure perfection.
“I loved you from the first second I saw you.”
The Fake Husband Play was a joyful, playful, and emotionally rich read that left me smiling from start to finish.
Even after finishing the book, I’m still swooning over Grammercy Graves. “The Fake Husband Play” is a swoony, romantic, and heartfelt marriage of convenience hockey romance that was an amazing start to this new series.
Grammercy Graves is now on the New Orleans Voodoo, the league’s newest team. When he’s out one day, he sees a woman that literally stops him in his tracks but never sees her again despite going to the same area more than once. But to his surprise, he ends up seeing her as she’s working an event the team is at. Elly is a single mom, a little girl named Mimi, who suffers from a chronic illness and Elly has just lost her job. And when Grammercy gives Elly a ride to the hospital, he offers to marry her for the insurance. But what he doesn't know is that Elly has a hockey podcast and has always had a crush on him. And as they spend time together, the lines start to blur.
Once I started this book, I couldn’t put it down. Grammercy and Elly have easily become one of my favorite couples written by Lili Valente. Elly is kind, genuine and an amazing mom to Mimi. I loved that she was a big hockey fan even before the Voodoo came to town and before she met Grammercy. And her having a crush on him and him seeing her before was all kismet. Grammercy is a walking green flag and a cinnamon roll guy. He’s very close to mom and knew the struggles of a single mom and wanted to help Elly from the moment he met her. They had a chemistry from the moment they met and it grew as they got married and spent time together. And once they gave into that, the steamy scenes were so good. I loved how they built a relationship from strangers to friends and then to lovers. Grammercy was amazing with Mimi and built an amazing parental relationship. The ending was so romantic and perfect for them. And the tease we got for the next book has me counting the days until it’s released.
Oh my goodness. This book is bursting with all my favorite tropes - single mom, marriage of convenience, secret crush, and a hockey player. Be still my happy, happy romance loving heart. The promise of good tropes aside, the book is also the best kind of romance with engaging dialogue, three dimensional characters, a captivating storyline, snort worthy laughs, and a tiny adorable human to give you all the swoony swoons while also pulling at your heartstrings with all the emotions. Elly and Grammercy’s love story needs all the stars. Grammercy is the captain of the new NHL expansion team in NOLA. He’s happy to be once again back in his hometown. Elly is a single mom to 6 yo Mimi, who has a chronic illness. Fired from her job and faced with the high cost of COBRA coverage and medical bills has her crying in a closet at a catering job which is where Grammercy finds her. Shortly there after, Grammercy proposes a marriage of convenience as the solution. On their way to their HEA, Elly and Grammercy find there is so much more to their relationship than a business transaction and find it impossible to fight true love or the big feelings it comes with. To get to all the best parts of their happily after there of course needs to be baggage unpacking, truth telling and life realignment for both of them. The side characters in this story were wonderful. They were just as well rounded as the main characters which added more depth and realism to the story. My favorite was Mimi, of course. She was such a wonderful and integral addition to the story rather than a flimsy story kid prop. The story would not have been as rich and well rounded without the full development and inclusion of her character especially as the impetuous for growth. I am invested in the Voodoo team now and looking forward to the next story in the series.
**My thanks to the author for providing me with a free copy for an honest review**
The author has done it again. Bringing a book that has the feels, the laughs and certainly wanting to turn page after page to see what happens next.
Grammercy first sees Elly when she is walking out of her office after having just been fired and there is something about her that just captivates him. After that he finds himself driving along the same street trying to find her until he finds the single mum at a fundraiser he has to appear at as one of the scantily clad waitresses.
Finding her later crying in a closet, her finds himself having fun with her until a phone call from her nanny has them both racing to the ER.
Grammercy shows that he still has the background roots that he was raised with along with a large heart and Elly shows us how single mums cope when everything seems to be against them.
I really did enjoy this book and cannot wait to read the books for the other team members.
This hockey romance had all the things! Elly was a devoted single mom who couldn’t seem to catch a break. Her daughter Mimi was absolutely precious and their relationship made my heart melt. Of course, that expanded when Grammercy (hockey player extraordinaire, gorgeous, with a heart of gold) came into the picture. With both of them having their own secrets, their marriage of convenience held a layer of tension and worry that made me afraid of where they were headed.
With each challenge though they persevered and just got closer. G’s relationship with Mimi was amazing and made me fall in love with him and Mimi even more.
Written with this author’s blend of humour and heart, I didn’t want this story to end, even as I adored their happy ending. There will be more in this series and I can’t wait!
Lili Valente has delivered another enjoyable romcom filled with lots of heart. The Fake Husband Play is a fun, low-angst, low-drama romance where the male leads falls hard and the connection is undeniable. Grammercy and Elly fall quickly, and the small family they create is the real deal.
The fake marriage trope thrives here, because it was never really, truly fake for Grammercy, now was it? Elly is a single mom that just lost her job and needs to get her daughter health insurance, and Grammercy is a man on a mission to make her life better and solve her problems. Grammercy's kindness, his genuine love and caring, are on full display and he's determined to make Elly want to stay married forever from day one.
Great banter, conversations and true family bonding make this a satisfying read that gives you some much needed joy!
This book has so many of my favorite tropes. Eloise and Grammercy were so swoonworthy together. I loved Mimi and Beanie too. The marriage of convenience with a hockey player never seems to disappoint. Mimi has juvenile arthritis, and Grammercy offers Eloise a marriage of convenience for insurance purposes. She has had a crush on him for years, and he instantly crushed on her when he saw her for the first time. I loved this so much! The New Orleans setting was incredible, and the talk about red beans and rice made me look up recipes so I can experience the Cajun food at home as well. So curious to see the next installment with Makena!
What a great start to a new series! I loved this story of Grammercy and Elly! And Mimi too! He sees her on the side of the road one day while he's sitting at a light. The attraction was instantaneous, he had to meet her, but she disappeared before he could. They meet again a few days later and he helps her with her daughter. He suggests getting married to help her with insurance. But as they spend more time together, the attraction grows. I love these two together. I love this book and highly recommend! I can't wait for Parker and McKenna's story.
The Fake Husband Play is a tale of fate, chemistry, and a hot hockey player with a heart of gold.
My favorite part of this book is how the male MC interacts with the female MC’s daughter. They are SO cute together! It will melt your heart.
I love that Lili always puts so much detail into the side characters. It feels like we’re really in this world, and always builds anticipation for the next book.
This book felt like eating a warm chocolate chip cookie. So happy!
4 stars Romantic. Swoony. Fate is in play. Meant to be. This was a sweet romance. Hockey romance but more the relationship building of the main characters than hockey team building. Or hockey antics. There’s a very smart and very sick little girl who is just delightful. A Cajun mama. Teammates who become friends. It’s a definite feel good book.
This was just that but not the freaky animal kind. Just changed by the sight or knowledge of each other. The characters were so real and well written that it made this story unstoppable. I’m happy to have read this all today. Glad the family got what they so desperately needed….each other. Thanks for the escape.❤️
I absolutely loved how these two had such a huge attraction to each other. It was so sweet and spicy like a candied jalapeño ❤️ I couldn’t put this story down and just couldn’t wait to see how Gee bonded with Mimi and if he found his girls! Check your triggers and enjoy!
Hot and steamy love story between this fated couple!! Love this single mom fan meets her idol hockey icon and marries him!! Both feel the connection and fight to stay on this journey together!! Grab this love story and enjoy!!
This story has all the feels! I love this new series set in my hometown of New Orleans! Ms. Valenti certainly knows the area! I highly recommend this single mom, professional hockey player! You won't be disappointed! 🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟
I absolutely love the fake relationship, MOC especially. The "my wife" moment? I eat it up. I really loved the characters, and loved that there wasnt a third act breakup.
I liked this story a lot. Seemed rushed toward the end, but it had love at first sight and great chemistry and heat. I loved the way they were so into each other. I would say 3.5 stars for me. I liked it
Fate inspired, sweetest sigh worthy hot hockey guy who knows how to take care of his woman. A sexy down on her luck single mom just trying to take care of her baby. Fate brought them together, love binds them. So much to love about this story
I wasn’t sure how I was going to feel about this book but I really enjoyed it. Little Mimi totally stole every scene she was in. As for Ella and Grammercy, they were made to be together.
I loved this story. Having been a struggling single parent it hit home and because of that the HEA was especially meaningful. A very fun and poignant story.
🏒💍🩷 shout out to amazon ku for recommending this book cause it was so good!!! elly was such a great mom who was just trying to keep their head above water and gammercy was the most amazing swoon worthy man who was perfect for her and her daughter mimi. • rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️.5 spice: 🌶️🌶️