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The Plus-One Pact: A Slow Burn Grumpy Sunshine Forced Proximity Fake Dating Romance
476 pages, Kindle Edition
Published July 14, 2026
About the author
A.J. Hart
2 booksAJ Hart writes romantic comedies. The good kind — funny, a little bit sexy, and characters you love to get to know.
Based in Florida, AJ's house is run by Ragnar, the resident bernedoodle, who has never read a single book and remains unimpressed.
Also, he insisted on the profile pic.
Based in Florida, AJ's house is run by Ragnar, the resident bernedoodle, who has never read a single book and remains unimpressed.
Also, he insisted on the profile pic.
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Displaying 1 - 7 of 7 reviews
Review of advance copy
Reviewed by a reader who came for the fake-dating trope and stayed for... everything else
I received an advance reader copy of this book for free in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.
Okay, I'll be honest: I picked this up because the premise is catnip — spreadsheet-making risk analyst proposes a legally binding fake-dating arrangement to an extreme sports influencer, complete with actual subsections and an exit strategy. I expected fun. I got fun. But I also got characters so specific and so real that I kept stopping mid-chapter just to sit with them.
Paige is the real achievement here. The fake-dating genre is full of Type A women who are secretly soft underneath, and while that's technically true of Paige, the execution doesn't feel like a formula. Her brain never turns off — she runs risk assessments, she files feelings under "later," she builds frameworks to manage situations her heart is already way ahead of — and it's not played for laughs at her expense. The book genuinely respects how she thinks, even when that thinking is a defense mechanism. When the armor goes up (and it goes up spectacularly at a key moment), I understood it completely. I wasn't frustrated with her. I was worried for her.
Beck is the kind of love interest who makes you forget you're supposed to be reading objectively. He's perceptive without being perfect, charming without being slick. The best thing about him is that he's been paying attention since page one — and the book pays that off again and again and again. Every time Paige does something characteristically, perfectly herself, Beck just... files it as something he loves. No grand declarations. Just accumulation. That's the whole romance, and it worked on me completely.
The supporting cast earns their page count. Sophie is funny and warm without being a sidekick. Greg is funnier than he knows. Mr. Kim, the farmers' market fermentation vendor with a forty-year grudge about a rigged competition, is one of the most quietly wonderful characters I've read in recent memory. The kohlrabi branding scene alone is worth the price of the book.
A few caveats: the pacing slows in the middle stretch — there are a handful of scenes that could have been tightened without losing anything. And if you're looking for high heat, this sits at a warmer simmer than a full boil. The emotional intimacy is the engine, not the physical.
But the ending — including an epilogue that takes these two all the way to ninety, on a porch swing, still saying I love you in the inventory — genuinely got me. Not because it was sentimental, but because it was earned. Every callback landed. I had to put the book down for a minute.
This is a book for readers who believe that the best romances are built not on grand gestures but on accumulation: small moments, sustained attention, and two people who keep choosing to come back.
I will be thinking about the ganjang scene for the rest of the year.
Bottom line: If you like smart, character-driven romance with big feelings handled precisely — this one's for you. Read it somewhere you don't mind looking like you're having a lot of emotions over a spreadsheet.
I received an advance reader copy of this book for free in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.
Okay, I'll be honest: I picked this up because the premise is catnip — spreadsheet-making risk analyst proposes a legally binding fake-dating arrangement to an extreme sports influencer, complete with actual subsections and an exit strategy. I expected fun. I got fun. But I also got characters so specific and so real that I kept stopping mid-chapter just to sit with them.
Paige is the real achievement here. The fake-dating genre is full of Type A women who are secretly soft underneath, and while that's technically true of Paige, the execution doesn't feel like a formula. Her brain never turns off — she runs risk assessments, she files feelings under "later," she builds frameworks to manage situations her heart is already way ahead of — and it's not played for laughs at her expense. The book genuinely respects how she thinks, even when that thinking is a defense mechanism. When the armor goes up (and it goes up spectacularly at a key moment), I understood it completely. I wasn't frustrated with her. I was worried for her.
Beck is the kind of love interest who makes you forget you're supposed to be reading objectively. He's perceptive without being perfect, charming without being slick. The best thing about him is that he's been paying attention since page one — and the book pays that off again and again and again. Every time Paige does something characteristically, perfectly herself, Beck just... files it as something he loves. No grand declarations. Just accumulation. That's the whole romance, and it worked on me completely.
The supporting cast earns their page count. Sophie is funny and warm without being a sidekick. Greg is funnier than he knows. Mr. Kim, the farmers' market fermentation vendor with a forty-year grudge about a rigged competition, is one of the most quietly wonderful characters I've read in recent memory. The kohlrabi branding scene alone is worth the price of the book.
A few caveats: the pacing slows in the middle stretch — there are a handful of scenes that could have been tightened without losing anything. And if you're looking for high heat, this sits at a warmer simmer than a full boil. The emotional intimacy is the engine, not the physical.
But the ending — including an epilogue that takes these two all the way to ninety, on a porch swing, still saying I love you in the inventory — genuinely got me. Not because it was sentimental, but because it was earned. Every callback landed. I had to put the book down for a minute.
This is a book for readers who believe that the best romances are built not on grand gestures but on accumulation: small moments, sustained attention, and two people who keep choosing to come back.
I will be thinking about the ganjang scene for the rest of the year.
Bottom line: If you like smart, character-driven romance with big feelings handled precisely — this one's for you. Read it somewhere you don't mind looking like you're having a lot of emotions over a spreadsheet.
July 25, 2026
I tried with this book. I really did.
I rarely leave a book unfinished. Call me an optimist, but I am always hoping that the story will get better. The characters will become interesting. The plot will make sense.
In this case though, it wasn’t the fault of any of those things. In fact, it wasn’t quite a fault at all. It was simply that the author’s writing style frustrated me too much to continue. It was repetitive and unnecessary. By 28% I just could not deal with it any longer.
AJ Hart isn’t the first, nor am I guessing will be the last, to write in this style. And so I find myself at a quandary. How do I rate a book written in a style that annoyed me but might be just right for someone else?
I did like the premise, though I found myself wondering what made Paige think Beckett would even read her proposal, let alone answer it. But it’s fiction, right? Just go with it. I also couldn’t help thinking the agreement between the two main characters was, well, agreed to a little too quickly. But again, suspending disbelief for the story.
Another frustration, and this was a big one personally, was trying to figure out why Beckett had a dog. I get that Riggs, a golden retriever, is a great way to make a character more likable. It can humanize a character. But what right does a guy like Beck have owning a dog? He’s a world-traveler, off on one adventure after another. A dog deserves so much better than an owner who is barely ever home.
So I guess I’ll finish this review by sharing two passages I highlighted. And if reading this writing style appeals, give the book a try. But me? I’m passing.
“Beck had been thinking about this since her text came in last night, which was not the kind of thing a person should spend significant mental energy on — it was fermented cabbage, it was a side dish, it was a practical detail about food — and he had spent significant mental energy on it anyway because the slaw was not the point and they both knew the slaw was not the point and she had offered it anyway, which was the most Paige Montgomery thing she had ever done, and he had been paying attention long enough to understand that when Paige Montgomery did the most Paige Montgomery thing she had ever done it usually meant something.” (And yes, that’s all one sentence.)
“The city came through the windows in its ambient amber way, and she lay in the dark beside him and listened to him breathe and thought about the clause, which was still technically standing somewhere behind her, growing smaller.
She thought: I cited it from his bed.
She thought: he noticed.
She thought: I know he noticed. That's why I said it. So he would know I know it's not the same anymore and I'm not ready to say that out loud yet and he would hear both things.
She thought: he heard both things.”.
I received a free copy of this book and am voluntarily leaving a review.
I rarely leave a book unfinished. Call me an optimist, but I am always hoping that the story will get better. The characters will become interesting. The plot will make sense.
In this case though, it wasn’t the fault of any of those things. In fact, it wasn’t quite a fault at all. It was simply that the author’s writing style frustrated me too much to continue. It was repetitive and unnecessary. By 28% I just could not deal with it any longer.
AJ Hart isn’t the first, nor am I guessing will be the last, to write in this style. And so I find myself at a quandary. How do I rate a book written in a style that annoyed me but might be just right for someone else?
I did like the premise, though I found myself wondering what made Paige think Beckett would even read her proposal, let alone answer it. But it’s fiction, right? Just go with it. I also couldn’t help thinking the agreement between the two main characters was, well, agreed to a little too quickly. But again, suspending disbelief for the story.
Another frustration, and this was a big one personally, was trying to figure out why Beckett had a dog. I get that Riggs, a golden retriever, is a great way to make a character more likable. It can humanize a character. But what right does a guy like Beck have owning a dog? He’s a world-traveler, off on one adventure after another. A dog deserves so much better than an owner who is barely ever home.
So I guess I’ll finish this review by sharing two passages I highlighted. And if reading this writing style appeals, give the book a try. But me? I’m passing.
“Beck had been thinking about this since her text came in last night, which was not the kind of thing a person should spend significant mental energy on — it was fermented cabbage, it was a side dish, it was a practical detail about food — and he had spent significant mental energy on it anyway because the slaw was not the point and they both knew the slaw was not the point and she had offered it anyway, which was the most Paige Montgomery thing she had ever done, and he had been paying attention long enough to understand that when Paige Montgomery did the most Paige Montgomery thing she had ever done it usually meant something.” (And yes, that’s all one sentence.)
“The city came through the windows in its ambient amber way, and she lay in the dark beside him and listened to him breathe and thought about the clause, which was still technically standing somewhere behind her, growing smaller.
She thought: I cited it from his bed.
She thought: he noticed.
She thought: I know he noticed. That's why I said it. So he would know I know it's not the same anymore and I'm not ready to say that out loud yet and he would hear both things.
She thought: he heard both things.”.
I received a free copy of this book and am voluntarily leaving a review.
July 15, 2026
Paige & Beckett's story is interesting, fun & fast paced... it's a fun, new take on the fake dating trope....
I really loved them going to the farmer's market each week...and Mr. Kim... and the food aspect of it... that added a lot, for me, and I enjoyed seeing how everything played out in regards to that...
The banter & terminology of it all - the subsection & clauses.... was a little overwhelming at times... but it makes sense, regarding her job/personality...and it was fun to see how she loosened up over time. (it is all really well written... and you can tell a lot of effort went into it!!)
Spice level: 3/5
*slow burn romance
*fake dating romance
*they attend her ex's wedding
*forced proximity
*grumpy x sunshine
*rom com
*farmer's market/cooking rep
*found family
*opposites attract
Thank you to the author (AJ Hart) & Booksprout for the ARC. All opinions are my own.
I really loved them going to the farmer's market each week...and Mr. Kim... and the food aspect of it... that added a lot, for me, and I enjoyed seeing how everything played out in regards to that...
The banter & terminology of it all - the subsection & clauses.... was a little overwhelming at times... but it makes sense, regarding her job/personality...and it was fun to see how she loosened up over time. (it is all really well written... and you can tell a lot of effort went into it!!)
Spice level: 3/5
*slow burn romance
*fake dating romance
*they attend her ex's wedding
*forced proximity
*grumpy x sunshine
*rom com
*farmer's market/cooking rep
*found family
*opposites attract
Thank you to the author (AJ Hart) & Booksprout for the ARC. All opinions are my own.
July 21, 2026
'The terms are clear: calibrated public affection, joint content approval, and Clause Three, Subsection B — strictly transactional, no emotional investment, no physical intimacy beyond what the public context requires.
The subsection lasts nineteen days.'
The characters drove the storyline and they were very appealing and likeable and complicated and absolutely perfect together. Plot was intriguing and exciting and well paced. World building was excellent and expertly drawn. Thoroughly enjoyed and highly recommend.
Grab a copy, kick back and enjoy!.
I received a free copy of this book and am voluntarily leaving a review.
The subsection lasts nineteen days.'
The characters drove the storyline and they were very appealing and likeable and complicated and absolutely perfect together. Plot was intriguing and exciting and well paced. World building was excellent and expertly drawn. Thoroughly enjoyed and highly recommend.
Grab a copy, kick back and enjoy!.
I received a free copy of this book and am voluntarily leaving a review.
Review of advance copy received from Author
AJ Hart shares an adorable, fun story that keeps you entertained from the start. Wit, mixed with charm takes you on a journey that entices you to keep on reading. Will The Plus-One Pact end with a Duo?
Review of advance copy received from Author
I really enjoyed reading this book
It was easy to read and kept my interest
It was easy to read and kept my interest
Review of advance copy received from Author
I loved this book. It is just that simple. The way the author wrote it and the attention given to the details was so complex that I was scared a bit at first that it wouldn't be my thing.. but this book had me hooked at the beginning and for the next 2 days. I sincerely enjoyed it. The characters were so appropriate and the story line kept me fully engaged. I appreciate the reminders and the circling back. It was amazing. Simply true, Simply here, and not going anywhere. Thank you for sharing with me.q
Displaying 1 - 7 of 7 reviews