Who knew an imaginary husband could be more trouble than a real one?New teacher, Nikki Fallon, is trying to ward off the unwanted attention of Coach Carlin.She shoulda) slap him silly.b) report him for harassment.c) invent an imaginary husband.Nikki opts for "C" and is not prepared for how the plan backfires. Sure, pretending she's married to get rid of a player is fine, but when she meets Officer Ross, the campus cop, being available is suddenly very important. How can she untangle her web of lies before true love passes her by?Full of laugh-out-loud humor and heartfelt glimpses at the world of teachers, this clean romantic comedy is sure to bring plenty of happy sighs and smiles.
Lia London was born in Oregon and raised in multiple states and countries (including 3 years in Europe). She earned two degrees from Western Oregon University. Upon graduation, she served for 18 months as a missionary in Guatemala, teaching cholera prevention, literacy, and gospel messages. She worked as a high school teacher and ESL instructor for college students for a few years before becoming a home schooling mom and launching her writing career. She later took up martial arts, earned her 3rd degree black belt and taught classes for 7 years.
London has returned to her college town where she currently leads the music for the children's worship class at her church. She also is the founder and chief administrator of a network called Clean Indie Reads, an organization of over 1500 authors, illustrators, and marketing specialists who work in the independent publishing industry. She loves milk chocolate, extra-cheesy pizza and cuddling with her husband, toddler, and two cats to watch everything from Marvel movies to Masterpiece Theater to Muppets.
Super fun and cute! Had me smiling at her antics and laughing at some points. It would have been 5 stars if And the ending was way rushed. I would've cut out her time with
Moral Note: Some innuendos and talk of substance use.
This was a delightful rom-com with a very realistic school setting. The heroine was very charming, and the circumstances she got herself in was hilarious. I loved the campus cop and never trusted the coach for a moment (and every time someone said she go for the coach because he's divorced, so it's okay- I didn't like that character for a moment. The only thing worse than a player is a divorced player...). The ending was a bit abrupt, but I loved the twist. A clean story, though a bit crude, if that makes any sense. I wish it were longer!
Best way to avoid someone? Create someone imaginary to inbetween you. This book was adorable, it had the romance with out the sexual pitch. One of the best sweetest stories I have read in a while.
This is a fun, sweet romance that kept me turning the pages until late at night when I finally finished. The heroine, Nikki, is a new teacher who encounters a sexy coach and a sweet campus cop on the first day of school. The stage is set for a crazy, mixed-up plot that keeps you guessing all the way through. I felt just the right amount of frustration with Nikki for not clearing up the confusion when she had the opportunity. Especially since I wasn’t ready for the book to end. I laughed out loud several times at the funny escapades so deftly described in the book. I often forgot I was reading and felt, instead, I was watching a romantic comedy movie. (And this book would make a great movie.) Woven into the romance were great side stories about individual kids in her classroom and Nikki’s encouraging relationships with them. It was like the spice in a zesty Italian pasta dish… It all worked together to make an absolutely yummy book. I highly recommend this book for anyone who enjoys laughing and smiling, because you’ll do a lot of that while reading this book. All the way to the last delectable page!
Sweet shaboobaloo! What an amazing book! I've read another book by this author, and I remember her writing being fun and quirky... but this book just took those terms to a whole new level. Yes, it's fun. Yes, it's quirky. But like, times ten. In a good way. No, in a great way. In the most awesomely awesome way possible. Man, I really needed this book.
I normally don't go for "romance" stories, but since I was in the mood for something fun, I figured Lia London wouldn't let me down. And of course she didn't! I love that this book is PG and actually focuses on romance and not just erotic moments mistaken for love. I also love that the MC went to work wearing two different shoes. When I do that (yes, when, not if), I usually Regina George that shaboobaloo and pretend like it's a fashion statement. Yes, I did just use "Regina George" as a verb. You're welcome.
I can't believe how much I loved this book. The cover and title seemed somewhat childish, but it turned out to be one of the cutest and sweetest romance books I have read. A new teacher is being hit on by the coach and decides to say she's married to get him off her back. Needless to say the lie bites her when she starts to fall for the campus cop. The story line is unique and adorable, it flows smoothly and keeps you entertained throughout. I look forward to reading more from this author. The only downside? I wanted the salsa recipe, I've never made one with grilled onions and jalapenos!
What a fun, light read! Her Imaginary Husband has humor and heart and was a perfect reprieve from the heavier books I'd been reading. The writing is solid, the characters well-drawn, and pace meandering enough to allow you to share a slice of life with new teacher Nikki as she navigates the football coach who is more of a player than the boys he coaches and the chivalrous school cop. I also appreciated the brief but potent message regarding frivolous sexual relationships that only bring heartache and regret. Looking forward to reading more by Lia London.
This is more a story of an awkward first year teaching than a romance, because she spent almost the entire story acting like a teen with no idea how romance works. She was scared of a relationship, so she kept lying about being married, and the guy just forgave her, right after she kissed another guy! It was hard to suspend my disbelief. And then to go from their first date to being engaged? It was a fun read, but I probably won't be reading more of her books.
I found myself yelling, "Just tell him!" a few times, but that's what makes it a rom-com. Along the way, there are some very funny bits and a sweet and gentle love story. In all, a very satisfying first entry in the genre for London. Spoiler alert ~ jojos are fried potato wedges! You'll thank me.
What I liked about this book? Policeman Ross. I thought he was so sweet and a good guy. Wish his character would have been more developed. Though since I didn't really like many of the other characters that may not have helped. I liked a couple of the students. Didn't like Nikki at all. Thought she was super childish and really had no business being a teacher. Also it felt like the book was making cheating on your spouse no big deal. The coach was kind of a jerk for the most part and for Nikki to fall for him and be flirting with him to any extent after she was married was upsetting. I thought the writing was vague and didn't flow super well. Thought a couple parts with Ross were cute but that's about it.
Light, entertaining, feel good story that made me think "Hallmark movie!"
Nikki is an engaging heroine with her idealistic views of life and relationships. In for the long haul, she doesn't want to (a guy who just wants to) hop into bed but wants a committed relationship and friendship 1st.
When she lands her 1st real job after graduating in a rather prestigious school in her small town, Nikki soon wins over all her students with her fun style of teaching and the way she relates and bonds with her students.
The hot cop hero is just an "nice" as Nikki.
Great if you are looking to relax after a stressful day.
I love it when I take a chance on a book and it pays off! This one had a lot of laugh out loud moments. It was fun and absolutely delightful. Nikki balanced well between Coach Carlin and Officer Ross and it was sweet to watch her try to figure out how to relate to the two of them. Her best friend, Janna, was a great friend and well written. These characters were very REAL and the plot was very well done. It was an enjoyable read--great for curling up with on a day when you don't want to go anywhere else.
Delightful, fun read. Nikki is a young and energetic teacher with a positive attitude, who manages to connect with her students. She is also inexperienced, and not just with respect to teaching. As a result, Nikki digs herself into a hole with one spur of the moment lie. A whopper. Like in any good romance novel, the end is not a surprise – but the journey Nikki takes on the road to finding love made for an enjoyable, laugh out loud read. This was my first time reading anything by this author; it won’t be the last.
This was a fun, light, quick read with a few unexpected turns. The author incorporates romance without being graphic.
The main character is well thought out and easy to empathize with. I do wish that the supporting cast and love interests had more detail and were more humanized. There were a few characters that I struggled to keep straight because they didn’t have defining characteristics.
I loved the story and how things turned out differently than I would have predicted at the beginning of the book. Overall a fun light read!
I really enjoyed the cast of characters: Nikki, her friend Janna, brother Charlie, Will (the coach), Officer Ross, Gayle, and all the students Robert, Sammie, Amanda, Justin, etc. Great world building! The two incidents with her car seemed to have no purpose, so I'm not sure why those were included except to cause a bit of bad luck to the main character. I thought the book ended rather abruptly. I would have liked to have seen more things with Officer Ross (like them dating and having a relationship) after they kissed rather than jumping ahead to a few months later.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
the truth will set you free... A light, entertaining story filled with quirky humor that made me giggle. I loved the imagery conjured up by the nickname, Flip Flop Man and Shaboobaloo is really cute. I enjoyed the dialogues created between the characters, Nikki and Janna, and others throughout the book. It kept my interest and made me smile, so quite an achievement. I recommend this story if you too want a light and funny read. Thanks Lia London for the pleasure.
"Her Imaginary Husband" was such a delightful novel. The fast-paced easy-to-read page-turning narrative was entertaining, interesting, and hilarious. Moreover, I loved the vivid descriptions the author used which helped to create an upbeat tone. I thoroughly enjoyed reading the book.
This was a surprisingly fun little romantic comedy, well written with interesting characters. I felt like I was in good hands with this author - I worried that the "pretending to be married" thing would get annoying, but it was handled well. The little epilogue was a nice touch.
This was one of those reads where you could see the characters as you read about them. Just the right amount of humor and seriousness. Great read by a new author for me.
This is an absolutely adorable book! It will keep you engrossed every moment and with much laughing. It's a great little love story and has a really interesting storyline. Get it and enjoy!
This was a very good book and I couldn’t put it down. The characters had me laughing and cheering as well as sad and screaming for them to get their heads out of the clouds. Loved it.
Between dodging creeps in the grocery store, talking during church service, and secretly liking a fellow work collegue who's rebounding and yet avoiding him by lying I wasn't impressed enough to finish. It may be a decent (pg rated) story, but I couldn't get into it.
This book was an absolute delight. Every chapter played out like a vivid episode of a TV show in my head. The banter and humour made me laugh so many times, I lost count. 100% recommend everyone read it!
I thoroughly enjoyed this story, read the entire book in one sitting. The well written story has a nice flow and the characters are well developed. Even the ending was good. I love stories that leave me with a positive and happy feeling.
I loved this story. So cute! Great plot, very humorous, and the perfect story to lift me out of my funk today. Still smiling! I'm going to be daydreaming about what may have happened next. I highly recommend!!