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The Hoax Series #2
The Hookup Hoax
A satisfying category romance from Entangled's Lovestruck imprint...
The perfect guy. The perfect girl. The perfect lie.
Sawyer Sterling needs a girlfriend. With the family cabin up for grabs, he's desperate to prove that he could be the guy to "pass it on." Of course, Sawyer also has a tendency to treat relationships like a contagious stomach flu that should be avoided at all costs. Now he needs a girlfriend-for-hire. Someone he can trust. Someone he could never, ever fall for...
Someone like his best friend's sister.
Sawyer's offer is exactly what Olivia Morgan needs. After traveling around the world for the last five years, the promise of a job and free accommodations is heaven. And sure, maybe Sawyer's a super-hot, charming guy with dimples made for kissing, but he's not willing to be the guy-or relationship-she needs.
All it takes is one hot hook-up before this little hoax gets blown all to hell...
256 pages, Kindle Edition
First published May 26, 2015
29 people are currently reading
365 people want to read
About the author
Heather Thurmeier
25 books398 followersHeather Thurmeier is a lover of margaritas and a hater of spiders. Born and raised in the Canadian prairies, she now lives in New York where she’s become an odd Canuck-Yankee hybrid. Heather’s currently writing her next romance, which will probably be filled with sassy heroines, sexy heroes that make your heart pound, laugh out loud moments and always a happily ever after. She loves to hear from readers on social media and at heatherthurmeier.com.
"Heather Thurmeier's hunky heroes and feisty heroines will have you laughing out loud, falling in love ... and coming back for more!" ~ Carly Phillips, NY Times Bestselling Author
"Heather Thurmeier writes sweet, funny romances that capture your heart!" --NYT and USA Today bestselling author Jennifer Probst
"Heather Thurmeier's hunky heroes and feisty heroines will have you laughing out loud, falling in love ... and coming back for more!" ~ Carly Phillips, NY Times Bestselling Author
"Heather Thurmeier writes sweet, funny romances that capture your heart!" --NYT and USA Today bestselling author Jennifer Probst
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 74 reviews
May 28, 2015
*4.5 stars*
...
Well that was such a pleasant surprise! I liked this book so much more than I thought I would!
This author did such a wonderful job of making such an almost cliche subject turn into something unique and beautiful and I loved every minute of it!
Olivia was so carefree and adventurous and I loved that about her. She had lived every girls dream come true! And Sawyer! Sawyer was... well you can imagine how Sawyer was cause I gave this book such a high rating! Loved him too :)
I feel like this book has the right balance of happy and sad moments and I really hope the author turns this into series cause I really want to read a book about Aidan! He deserves to fall so hard...
Wonderfully written book and I really enjoyed it :) Now go read it!
*ARC kindly received, via NetGalley, in exchange for an honest review*
Well that was such a pleasant surprise! I liked this book so much more than I thought I would!
This author did such a wonderful job of making such an almost cliche subject turn into something unique and beautiful and I loved every minute of it!
Olivia was so carefree and adventurous and I loved that about her. She had lived every girls dream come true! And Sawyer! Sawyer was... well you can imagine how Sawyer was cause I gave this book such a high rating! Loved him too :)
I feel like this book has the right balance of happy and sad moments and I really hope the author turns this into series cause I really want to read a book about Aidan! He deserves to fall so hard...
Wonderfully written book and I really enjoyed it :) Now go read it!
*ARC kindly received, via NetGalley, in exchange for an honest review*
May 26, 2015
Sawyer’s been focused almost exclusively on the family business, deciding that he doesn’t do relationships. Of course. Except his grandparents are getting ready to deed the family’s lakefront home, and the choice is between bachelor Sawyer, and his married cousin Tyler. He’s despairing he’ll never get the house….but then Olivia presents the perfect solution.
Olivia’s been traveling the world for several years after a failed engagement. When she gets home, her brother Aidan’s best friend Sawyer proposes that she pretend to be his girlfriend AND come work for him. She gets to have some professional experience and save money to get her own apartment (since she’ll live with Sawyer for a while) and Sawyer can prove that he’s the settling down type.
So what happens next? Yeah….romance, of course.
The Good, The Bad and Everything In Between
- Good Chemistry : When the story focuses on Sawyer and Olivia, there’s definite heat and chemistry. Their banter was good and I would have liked to see more of it.
- Sweet story : In general, the angst is pretty low and mostly generated by their own self-doubt.
- But would have liked more depth : While it’s a fairly simple fake relationship plotline, so much wasn’t explored. For example, these are two allegedly intelligent people, yet neither one of them ever thought about of the most basic things such as needing to touch and kiss to convince others of their relationship. Also she's barely concerned about living with her boss and yet she hasn't even thought of the ramifications of being involved with him and how it will affect her relationship with her co-workers. So much could have been established, a strong foundation for what angst there is, if they had spent some time just discussing the plan and getting to know each other, and less time spent in their own heads bemoaning the other’s alleged lack of attraction (? seriously didn’t get why either would think that). Which leads me to….
- Suffers from the repeats : The one thing I would have liked less of was the constant “I can’t be with him/her, he/she doesn’t me” refrain that Sawyer and Olivia sang in their heads. The story needed more of a balance between their actual connection and their denial of their feelings. Alot of their romance was on a fast track to justify their constant woe of being together.
The Bottom Line
I liked it, even if I had some issues with it.
**ARC provided by publisher via netgalley for review**
Olivia’s been traveling the world for several years after a failed engagement. When she gets home, her brother Aidan’s best friend Sawyer proposes that she pretend to be his girlfriend AND come work for him. She gets to have some professional experience and save money to get her own apartment (since she’ll live with Sawyer for a while) and Sawyer can prove that he’s the settling down type.
So what happens next? Yeah….romance, of course.
The Good, The Bad and Everything In Between
- Good Chemistry : When the story focuses on Sawyer and Olivia, there’s definite heat and chemistry. Their banter was good and I would have liked to see more of it.
- Sweet story : In general, the angst is pretty low and mostly generated by their own self-doubt.
- But would have liked more depth : While it’s a fairly simple fake relationship plotline, so much wasn’t explored. For example, these are two allegedly intelligent people, yet neither one of them ever thought about of the most basic things such as needing to touch and kiss to convince others of their relationship. Also she's barely concerned about living with her boss and yet she hasn't even thought of the ramifications of being involved with him and how it will affect her relationship with her co-workers. So much could have been established, a strong foundation for what angst there is, if they had spent some time just discussing the plan and getting to know each other, and less time spent in their own heads bemoaning the other’s alleged lack of attraction (? seriously didn’t get why either would think that). Which leads me to….
- Suffers from the repeats : The one thing I would have liked less of was the constant “I can’t be with him/her, he/she doesn’t me” refrain that Sawyer and Olivia sang in their heads. The story needed more of a balance between their actual connection and their denial of their feelings. Alot of their romance was on a fast track to justify their constant woe of being together.
The Bottom Line
I liked it, even if I had some issues with it.
**ARC provided by publisher via netgalley for review**
May 26, 2015
ARC provided by Entangled Publishing in exchange for an honest review..
3.5 chick flick style stars
The consummate playboy, Sawyer Sterling finds himself in need of projecting the complete opposite.
His grandparents cabin is to be passed on to another family member, and they’re keen to ensure that that continues. As well as Sawyer being the most unlikely candidate for true love and ever after happiness, his cousin may pip him at the post with his wife and 0.5 kid.
The cabin holds many memories for Sawyer, not all good, but the whole ambiance grounds him. He needs to be a contender, and therefore needs a woman he can trust to help him pull this off.
Olivia Morgan has been chasing around the world for the last five years in her daisy dukes, and now needs to come back to reality. Living out of her backpack and camping on her brother, Aidan’s sofa, she mulls over her necessity to find a job and get herself an apartment post haste.
Sawyer and Olivia have known each other since they were kids, but nothing prepares them for the fake out they agree to embark on.
A new author to me, I found this a cute read, which traced the fake relationship of Sawyer and Olivia very nicely. Both MC’s came with enough backstory to compliment, and the supporting characters were explored enough to do their job well too.
I enjoyed the dalliance between these two, as they negotiated the easy and not so easy temptations of each other.
3.5 chick flick style stars
The consummate playboy, Sawyer Sterling finds himself in need of projecting the complete opposite.
His grandparents cabin is to be passed on to another family member, and they’re keen to ensure that that continues. As well as Sawyer being the most unlikely candidate for true love and ever after happiness, his cousin may pip him at the post with his wife and 0.5 kid.
The cabin holds many memories for Sawyer, not all good, but the whole ambiance grounds him. He needs to be a contender, and therefore needs a woman he can trust to help him pull this off.
Olivia Morgan has been chasing around the world for the last five years in her daisy dukes, and now needs to come back to reality. Living out of her backpack and camping on her brother, Aidan’s sofa, she mulls over her necessity to find a job and get herself an apartment post haste.
Sawyer and Olivia have known each other since they were kids, but nothing prepares them for the fake out they agree to embark on.
A new author to me, I found this a cute read, which traced the fake relationship of Sawyer and Olivia very nicely. Both MC’s came with enough backstory to compliment, and the supporting characters were explored enough to do their job well too.
I enjoyed the dalliance between these two, as they negotiated the easy and not so easy temptations of each other.
”One room.
One Bed.
And Sawyer.
One room.
One bed.
And Olivia.
Shit.”
June 8, 2015
This is a mashup between the best friend’s little sister trope and the fake boyfriend trope. I love fake boyfriend stories, and I don’t care how ludicrous the setup is as long as I like the writing and the characters. In this book, unfortunately, I didn’t.
Sawyer’s grandparents have decided to move out of their lakeside cabin and retire in the city. Being kind, loving grandparents who don’t want to foster any competition or hard feelings between their only two heirs and grandsons, they announce that they will give the cabin to whomever they feel will “keep it in the family.” Sawyer’s cousin is married and his wife is pregnant; Sawyer is a confirmed bachelor who doesn’t do relationships. But he really loves the cabin because he was raised there after his parents died in a tragic boating accident. How can he get the cabin?
Olivia has just returned to the states after backpacking around the world for five years. She did it because her fiancé dumped her shortly before the wedding and she was sad and heartbroken. Now she’s decided that she wants to settle down and start a family, so she begins by crashing on her brother’s couch while she looks for a job.
Olivia needs a real place to stay and a job. Sawyer has a spare bedroom and he owns the family business, so he can offer her both. In return, he’d like her to play girlfriend for three months, long enough to convince his grandparents that he’s ready to settle down. He’s not, of course, because his parents died suddenly, which convinced him that he could drop dead at any moment, and he would hate to leave a weeping family behind. Yes, that’s his reason for avoiding relationships — because he might die.
Olivia agrees because the job experience will look great on her resume, and she has an arbitrary three-month dating moratorium so she can get herself together. She’s been wandering for five years, but she needs a few more months to heal her broken heart. Pretend-dating Sawyer will protect her fragile emotions.
I forgive the setup. I forgive the fact that the spare bedroom shares a connected bathroom with Sawyer’s own bedroom. I forgive the contrived assumption that Olivia’s college degree and travel experience make her a valuable member of Sawyer’s marketing team, necessitating her having a desk right outside of his office. And I mostly forgive Sawyer for giving Olivia the unoriginal nickname of Sugar.
However. On nearly every page that Sawyer narrated, he thought of his hard dick and his tight balls. If he wasn’t thinking about sex with Olivia, he was reminding himself in great detail of all the reasons why he couldn’t have sex with her. Olivia didn’t think of her wet underpants quite so frequently, but she had even more specific reasons why she couldn’t have sex with Sawyer, and she listed those reasons again and again and again.
They did have sex. But they did not continue to have sex, because Olivia thought they should back off so she wouldn’t develop feelings, and Sawyer agreed. That goes against the rules of romance! After the first sexual encounter, they should regretfully have another! Instead, they held off and went back to the wistful fantasizing. Meanwhile, Olivia scolded Sawyer about working too hard and not taking care of himself, while she also wowed their client with her brilliant marketing ideas.
Then there was a thing that happened later in the book that made me growl. I wasn’t impressed with either character — Sawyer was self-centered and Olivia was magically perfect. I wasn’t a fan of the the grandparents, the cousin, or Olivia’s brother, either. I would have DNF’d this book after Sawyer moaned about his cock for the third time, but it’s been a while since I wrote a bad review, so I persevered for you, Dear Reader. I hope you’re happy.
Rating: D
This review was originally posted on Red Hot Books at: http://redhotbooks.com/2015/06/review...
Review copy provided by the publisher
Sawyer’s grandparents have decided to move out of their lakeside cabin and retire in the city. Being kind, loving grandparents who don’t want to foster any competition or hard feelings between their only two heirs and grandsons, they announce that they will give the cabin to whomever they feel will “keep it in the family.” Sawyer’s cousin is married and his wife is pregnant; Sawyer is a confirmed bachelor who doesn’t do relationships. But he really loves the cabin because he was raised there after his parents died in a tragic boating accident. How can he get the cabin?
Olivia has just returned to the states after backpacking around the world for five years. She did it because her fiancé dumped her shortly before the wedding and she was sad and heartbroken. Now she’s decided that she wants to settle down and start a family, so she begins by crashing on her brother’s couch while she looks for a job.
Olivia needs a real place to stay and a job. Sawyer has a spare bedroom and he owns the family business, so he can offer her both. In return, he’d like her to play girlfriend for three months, long enough to convince his grandparents that he’s ready to settle down. He’s not, of course, because his parents died suddenly, which convinced him that he could drop dead at any moment, and he would hate to leave a weeping family behind. Yes, that’s his reason for avoiding relationships — because he might die.
Olivia agrees because the job experience will look great on her resume, and she has an arbitrary three-month dating moratorium so she can get herself together. She’s been wandering for five years, but she needs a few more months to heal her broken heart. Pretend-dating Sawyer will protect her fragile emotions.
I forgive the setup. I forgive the fact that the spare bedroom shares a connected bathroom with Sawyer’s own bedroom. I forgive the contrived assumption that Olivia’s college degree and travel experience make her a valuable member of Sawyer’s marketing team, necessitating her having a desk right outside of his office. And I mostly forgive Sawyer for giving Olivia the unoriginal nickname of Sugar.
However. On nearly every page that Sawyer narrated, he thought of his hard dick and his tight balls. If he wasn’t thinking about sex with Olivia, he was reminding himself in great detail of all the reasons why he couldn’t have sex with her. Olivia didn’t think of her wet underpants quite so frequently, but she had even more specific reasons why she couldn’t have sex with Sawyer, and she listed those reasons again and again and again.
They did have sex. But they did not continue to have sex, because Olivia thought they should back off so she wouldn’t develop feelings, and Sawyer agreed. That goes against the rules of romance! After the first sexual encounter, they should regretfully have another! Instead, they held off and went back to the wistful fantasizing. Meanwhile, Olivia scolded Sawyer about working too hard and not taking care of himself, while she also wowed their client with her brilliant marketing ideas.
Then there was a thing that happened later in the book that made me growl. I wasn’t impressed with either character — Sawyer was self-centered and Olivia was magically perfect. I wasn’t a fan of the the grandparents, the cousin, or Olivia’s brother, either. I would have DNF’d this book after Sawyer moaned about his cock for the third time, but it’s been a while since I wrote a bad review, so I persevered for you, Dear Reader. I hope you’re happy.
Rating: D
This review was originally posted on Red Hot Books at: http://redhotbooks.com/2015/06/review...
Review copy provided by the publisher
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May 15, 2015
A pleasant enough Contemporary, with strong characters, a strong writing style, but with a plot being on the underdeveloped side of ordinary and predictable.
The story is easy and nothing new: Guy has to put up a charade of being in a steady relationship to be in the running for getting his grandparents cottage. Best friends little sister comes handy, the fake-relationship escalates and... well.
If you know what you get into, this can be a relaxing, light and easy read for in between, and although I'm not a strong fan of this trope and there was a little too much connecting over physical aspects rather than getting to know each other, the story as a whole was cute enticing.
ARC via NetGalley
The story is easy and nothing new: Guy has to put up a charade of being in a steady relationship to be in the running for getting his grandparents cottage. Best friends little sister comes handy, the fake-relationship escalates and... well.
If you know what you get into, this can be a relaxing, light and easy read for in between, and although I'm not a strong fan of this trope and there was a little too much connecting over physical aspects rather than getting to know each other, the story as a whole was cute enticing.
ARC via NetGalley
May 24, 2015
Heather's review from Smut Matters
I received this book from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review. This does not change my opinion of the book or the content of my review.
This book combined one of my favorite romance tropes (the fake relationship) and my absolute least favorite romance trope (we can't date because you're friends with my sibling). For some reason I've read several of those in the last few weeks and they're wearing on me. For crying out loud. You're adults. Date who you want to, and tell your sibling to get the fuck over it.
Anyway. Saywer Sterling's grandparents have decided they're going to leave the family cabin to whoever could pass it down to future generations. Sterling and his cousin Tyler are the only candidates, and Tyler's already married and has a baby on the way. Sterling really wants that cabin. He spent a lot of time there as a kid and doesn't want it to go to Tyler, who doesn't love it the same way he does. Olivia Morgan has just returned from and extended period of traveling around the world. She's going to stay on her brother's couch until she can find a job and an apartment, but Sterling tells her she can stay in his spare room if she'll pretend to be his girlfriend for three months to help him convince his grandparents to give him the cabin. He'll also give her a job as a administrative assistant and when the charade is over, he'll give her a great recommendation to help her find a new job. Olivia obviously says yes, because living in a great apartment with an actual bed sounds a lot more appealing than sleeping on her brother's couch.
Sterling and Olivia quickly develop actual feelings for each other, and as far as I can tell, the biggest reason they fight their attraction is that her brother Aidan told both of them that he wouldn't allow it. Which is ridiculous. His reasoning is that Olivia's ex hurt her, and Sterling is a player, so they can't date. Get over it. Olivia's an adult. Sterling's never been anything but honest with her about his disdain for long-term relationships. If Olivia wants to be with him anyway, it's none of your business. Stay out of it.
I'm digressing again. I did actually like this book, despite Aidan. And Olivia didn't have a problem telling him what he could do with her opinions of her relationship with Sterling. I liked Olivia and Sterling together; he was really supportive of her and made sure to follow through on his promise to help her get a job. Right away he was introducing her to people who could help her with that, though he eventually realized she'd be a great addition to his own company, obviously. She had a lot of good ideas, and he took her seriously and listened to what she had to say. She, in turn, tried to encourage him to take better care of himself and maybe walk away from his office once in a while. Sterling's parents died young, and he just assumes he's destined for the same fate, but he wants the company he built to be his legacy. Who he's going to pass it to wasn't very clear to me, since "There was no way he'd risk having a wife or family while knowing he could die at any moment, leaving behind a wake of sadness and loneliness." A bit melodramatic, but losing his parents the way he did would obviously leave some scars.
Overall this was a fairly standard romance. It was an entertaining take on the fake relationship concept. I enjoyed it, and I'd read more of Heather Thurmeier's work.
I received this book from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review. This does not change my opinion of the book or the content of my review.
This book combined one of my favorite romance tropes (the fake relationship) and my absolute least favorite romance trope (we can't date because you're friends with my sibling). For some reason I've read several of those in the last few weeks and they're wearing on me. For crying out loud. You're adults. Date who you want to, and tell your sibling to get the fuck over it.
Anyway. Saywer Sterling's grandparents have decided they're going to leave the family cabin to whoever could pass it down to future generations. Sterling and his cousin Tyler are the only candidates, and Tyler's already married and has a baby on the way. Sterling really wants that cabin. He spent a lot of time there as a kid and doesn't want it to go to Tyler, who doesn't love it the same way he does. Olivia Morgan has just returned from and extended period of traveling around the world. She's going to stay on her brother's couch until she can find a job and an apartment, but Sterling tells her she can stay in his spare room if she'll pretend to be his girlfriend for three months to help him convince his grandparents to give him the cabin. He'll also give her a job as a administrative assistant and when the charade is over, he'll give her a great recommendation to help her find a new job. Olivia obviously says yes, because living in a great apartment with an actual bed sounds a lot more appealing than sleeping on her brother's couch.
Sterling and Olivia quickly develop actual feelings for each other, and as far as I can tell, the biggest reason they fight their attraction is that her brother Aidan told both of them that he wouldn't allow it. Which is ridiculous. His reasoning is that Olivia's ex hurt her, and Sterling is a player, so they can't date. Get over it. Olivia's an adult. Sterling's never been anything but honest with her about his disdain for long-term relationships. If Olivia wants to be with him anyway, it's none of your business. Stay out of it.
I'm digressing again. I did actually like this book, despite Aidan. And Olivia didn't have a problem telling him what he could do with her opinions of her relationship with Sterling. I liked Olivia and Sterling together; he was really supportive of her and made sure to follow through on his promise to help her get a job. Right away he was introducing her to people who could help her with that, though he eventually realized she'd be a great addition to his own company, obviously. She had a lot of good ideas, and he took her seriously and listened to what she had to say. She, in turn, tried to encourage him to take better care of himself and maybe walk away from his office once in a while. Sterling's parents died young, and he just assumes he's destined for the same fate, but he wants the company he built to be his legacy. Who he's going to pass it to wasn't very clear to me, since "There was no way he'd risk having a wife or family while knowing he could die at any moment, leaving behind a wake of sadness and loneliness." A bit melodramatic, but losing his parents the way he did would obviously leave some scars.
Overall this was a fairly standard romance. It was an entertaining take on the fake relationship concept. I enjoyed it, and I'd read more of Heather Thurmeier's work.
July 1, 2015
3.5 Stars
So, I’m mildly disturbed by the cover girl’s calf muscle… Is that real or did someone get over excited with Photoshop? Is silicon calf implants a new fashion? It’s just... look at it... that’s not normal, especially when you compare it with her other calf which seems incredibly flat...
Anyways! This was a sweet story about Sawyer. A guy who, after losing his parents as a child in an accident, is raised by his grandparents. Fearing that he could leave a wife and kid behind if something ever happened to him, he’s set on bachelorhood for life.
But now, not only does he need to focus on work and landing the deal that will put his family’s company out of risk, his grandparents are getting ready to move and pass on the house he grew up in. He needs to show them that he should be the one to get it, and not his married cousin with a baby on the way.
And thus the hoax is conceived. He needs a girlfriend STAT, so Gran and Grandpa can see him as someone who could keep the beautiful lake house in the family. He tried a relationship once and it ended in disaster, and any of his hookups wouldn’t get that what he needs is just pretend. The solution appears in the form of his childhood best friend’s little sister, who he hadn’t seen in over 10 years since her parents divorced and she went to live with her mother. She’s nothing like the little tomboy he remembers, but a very beautiful woman who’s spent the last 5 years backpacking around the world.
Olivia is ready to plant some roots after being a nomad for so long. Unfortunately no one seems to want to hire someone with her ample but unconventional work experience, and crashing on her brother’s couch is certainly not her idea of permanence.
When Sawyer offers her free housing and a temp job in his company as a reference for her curriculum and all she has to do is pretend to be his girlfriend, she jumps at the opportunity. Truly, with her former experience with a guy just like Sawyer, she would never, never, ever be fool enough to fall for him. Nor would Sawyer find that with the right woman, a relationship is just what he needed…no chance of that happening…
I really liked this story, there were no surprises, no unexpected twists, just sweet, steamy romance, a bit of lack of communication and a lot of stubbornness.
This was a quick easy read, at times I felt it drag a little but nothing that overshadowed my enjoyment of the story. I’m definitely going to be on the lookout for more from Ms. Thurmeier.
*I received a complimentary copy from the Publisher through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review*
So, I’m mildly disturbed by the cover girl’s calf muscle… Is that real or did someone get over excited with Photoshop? Is silicon calf implants a new fashion? It’s just... look at it... that’s not normal, especially when you compare it with her other calf which seems incredibly flat...
Anyways! This was a sweet story about Sawyer. A guy who, after losing his parents as a child in an accident, is raised by his grandparents. Fearing that he could leave a wife and kid behind if something ever happened to him, he’s set on bachelorhood for life.
But now, not only does he need to focus on work and landing the deal that will put his family’s company out of risk, his grandparents are getting ready to move and pass on the house he grew up in. He needs to show them that he should be the one to get it, and not his married cousin with a baby on the way.
And thus the hoax is conceived. He needs a girlfriend STAT, so Gran and Grandpa can see him as someone who could keep the beautiful lake house in the family. He tried a relationship once and it ended in disaster, and any of his hookups wouldn’t get that what he needs is just pretend. The solution appears in the form of his childhood best friend’s little sister, who he hadn’t seen in over 10 years since her parents divorced and she went to live with her mother. She’s nothing like the little tomboy he remembers, but a very beautiful woman who’s spent the last 5 years backpacking around the world.
Olivia is ready to plant some roots after being a nomad for so long. Unfortunately no one seems to want to hire someone with her ample but unconventional work experience, and crashing on her brother’s couch is certainly not her idea of permanence.
When Sawyer offers her free housing and a temp job in his company as a reference for her curriculum and all she has to do is pretend to be his girlfriend, she jumps at the opportunity. Truly, with her former experience with a guy just like Sawyer, she would never, never, ever be fool enough to fall for him. Nor would Sawyer find that with the right woman, a relationship is just what he needed…no chance of that happening…
I really liked this story, there were no surprises, no unexpected twists, just sweet, steamy romance, a bit of lack of communication and a lot of stubbornness.
This was a quick easy read, at times I felt it drag a little but nothing that overshadowed my enjoyment of the story. I’m definitely going to be on the lookout for more from Ms. Thurmeier.
*I received a complimentary copy from the Publisher through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review*
April 3, 2016
The best friend's sibling trope is always a treat for me to read and this one is no exception. Sawyer and Olivia know each other reasonably well, having been friends since childhood via Olivia's brother Aiden. When Sawyer needs a pretend girlfriend to convince his grandparents that he's suitable material for inheriting the family cabin and filling it with an extended family, Olivia is in the right place at the right time - looking for a job and a home while she figures out what direction to go next in her life. For Sawyer, Olivia is a safe bet - she won't misconstrue his intentions and complicate things by wanting an actual relationship. Except Sawyer finds that maybe his feelings about Olivia aren't so cut and dried after all.
I really enjoyed this story! I found both characters to be very likeable. Sawyer is a workaholic playboy who is quite happy with his single life and the dating scene - he's not interested in a long term relationship. Olivia is a quirky, fun, friendly woman. She's been on the road for the last 5 years and the chance to settle down in one spot is very appealing for her, as is the job at Sawyer's company where she can put her skills to work. There is a definite sexual chemistry between them now that they've both grown up and it isn't long for that to manifest itself into some steamy scenes. I also liked how they interacted with their families, and despite Sawyer's deception in presenting Olivia as his girlfriend, it comes from a desperation to keep a hold of the memory of his parents and their relationship, all linked with the family cabin. There were some touching and tender moments in the story too as Sawyer and Olivia open up to each other and reveal past heartache.
Overall, it was an entertaining and enjoyable read. 4 stars.
Note: a copy of this story was provided by the publisher via NetGalley for review.
I really enjoyed this story! I found both characters to be very likeable. Sawyer is a workaholic playboy who is quite happy with his single life and the dating scene - he's not interested in a long term relationship. Olivia is a quirky, fun, friendly woman. She's been on the road for the last 5 years and the chance to settle down in one spot is very appealing for her, as is the job at Sawyer's company where she can put her skills to work. There is a definite sexual chemistry between them now that they've both grown up and it isn't long for that to manifest itself into some steamy scenes. I also liked how they interacted with their families, and despite Sawyer's deception in presenting Olivia as his girlfriend, it comes from a desperation to keep a hold of the memory of his parents and their relationship, all linked with the family cabin. There were some touching and tender moments in the story too as Sawyer and Olivia open up to each other and reveal past heartache.
Overall, it was an entertaining and enjoyable read. 4 stars.
Note: a copy of this story was provided by the publisher via NetGalley for review.
May 27, 2015
I can't tell you how much I love the sibling's best friend stories. I've even written one of my own. Thurmeier throws us a unique twist far from the norm.
Sawyer is a wealthy man and could probably buy anything he wanted, except his grandparent's cabin. After the death of his parents, Sawyer was raised in the beautiful home. His grandparents are moving and have decided they want Sawyer or his cousin, Tyler, to have the cabin. To win his childhood home, Sawyer needs a girlfriend to show his grandparents he is serious about keeping the cabin in the family to pass on to his kids someday.
Olivia is back in the states after backpacking her heartbreak away in Europe for five years. She needs a job and a place to live other than her brother's couch. After dinner with her brother, Aiden, and Sawyer, she gets a job, a place to live, and the chance to play house with the hottest man she's ever seen.
There is good amount of will they or won't they in this story that had me flipping the pages faster than an Indy racer on Memorial Day Weekend. The story wasn't all about getting to the next steamy scene, a real relationship percolated between the two as they dragged their collective baggage with them. An exciting twist toward the end had my jaw dropping in surprise. I loved that! It is so refreshing to read a story where I don't have the ending figured out beforehand. If you are looking for a story with substance, outstanding character development, and sizzling romance, The Hookup Hoax is for you.
Thanks so much to Heather Thurmeier and Entangled Publishing for granting me with a copy of The Hookup Hoax in exchange for an honest review.
Sawyer is a wealthy man and could probably buy anything he wanted, except his grandparent's cabin. After the death of his parents, Sawyer was raised in the beautiful home. His grandparents are moving and have decided they want Sawyer or his cousin, Tyler, to have the cabin. To win his childhood home, Sawyer needs a girlfriend to show his grandparents he is serious about keeping the cabin in the family to pass on to his kids someday.
Olivia is back in the states after backpacking her heartbreak away in Europe for five years. She needs a job and a place to live other than her brother's couch. After dinner with her brother, Aiden, and Sawyer, she gets a job, a place to live, and the chance to play house with the hottest man she's ever seen.
There is good amount of will they or won't they in this story that had me flipping the pages faster than an Indy racer on Memorial Day Weekend. The story wasn't all about getting to the next steamy scene, a real relationship percolated between the two as they dragged their collective baggage with them. An exciting twist toward the end had my jaw dropping in surprise. I loved that! It is so refreshing to read a story where I don't have the ending figured out beforehand. If you are looking for a story with substance, outstanding character development, and sizzling romance, The Hookup Hoax is for you.
Thanks so much to Heather Thurmeier and Entangled Publishing for granting me with a copy of The Hookup Hoax in exchange for an honest review.
November 6, 2015
See more of my reviews on my blog Thoughts At One In The Morning.
My Thoughts:
I will never, ever, ever, ever get tired of the fake relationship trope. Like, EVER. I'm drawn to it, like it's the dessert tray. And I'm always happy by the time I finish reading the story. The Hookup Hoax is definitely up there on my favorite fake relationship books!
Sawyer wants the family cabin, but he needs to prove he's the right kind of person to give it to. Enter Olivia, his best friend's sister. Since she's been traveling and doing odd jobs, she doesn't really have much to add to her resume to get a job or apartment. Sawyer offers both to her, in exchange that she pretend to be his girlfriend. Seems easy enough, right? Not with the obvious sexual desire burning beneath the surface. And after one kiss--one that wasn't part of the deal--it's even more difficult to keep feelings hidden. When the person you're pretending to date is a person you're told you can't, it definitely causes friction. Will the two of them be able to come out unscathed?
The Hookup Hoax has it all--stolen kisses, steamy moments, true romance. I loved the focus on family, and the love that the family has for one another. And that, despite the obstacles, Sawyer and Olivia have a connection they can't deny. I'll definitely be checking out more by Heather Thurmeier.
My Rating: Very Good
My Thoughts:
I will never, ever, ever, ever get tired of the fake relationship trope. Like, EVER. I'm drawn to it, like it's the dessert tray. And I'm always happy by the time I finish reading the story. The Hookup Hoax is definitely up there on my favorite fake relationship books!
Sawyer wants the family cabin, but he needs to prove he's the right kind of person to give it to. Enter Olivia, his best friend's sister. Since she's been traveling and doing odd jobs, she doesn't really have much to add to her resume to get a job or apartment. Sawyer offers both to her, in exchange that she pretend to be his girlfriend. Seems easy enough, right? Not with the obvious sexual desire burning beneath the surface. And after one kiss--one that wasn't part of the deal--it's even more difficult to keep feelings hidden. When the person you're pretending to date is a person you're told you can't, it definitely causes friction. Will the two of them be able to come out unscathed?
The Hookup Hoax has it all--stolen kisses, steamy moments, true romance. I loved the focus on family, and the love that the family has for one another. And that, despite the obstacles, Sawyer and Olivia have a connection they can't deny. I'll definitely be checking out more by Heather Thurmeier.
My Rating: Very Good
May 11, 2015
Solid 4 stars
Sawyer is needing someone to fake a relationship with in order to get the deed to his grandparents' lake house, the very one he grew up in after his parents' deaths. The problem is they want it passed down and Sawyer has no intentions of a forever with anyone. He is worried his cousin Tyler, married with a child on the way, is gonna get the lake house.
Olivia, Sawyer's best friend's sister is back after five years abroad and boy has she grown up. She also happens to be in need of a job and a place to stay. Sawyer offers her the perfect solution. Fake a relationship to help him, and he will help her. As she has already been hurt really badly before she is in no way looking to start a real relationship, so it seems like a win-win for both of them.
Along the way things start to get a little too real for both of them and Olivia is worried she is falling for Sawyer. Without being aware, Sawyer had been falling for Olivia all along too. With changes at work and a surprise neither of them had expected, the chance for anything real seems less likely.
This story was cute and I read through it pretty quickly. I liked that along the way Sawyer did show emotions and I enjoyed the relationship he and Olivia had with his grandparents. The ending was a little too easy and too much for me to give higher than the four star rating, but it was enjoyable nonetheless.
Thanks to NetGalley for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.
Sawyer is needing someone to fake a relationship with in order to get the deed to his grandparents' lake house, the very one he grew up in after his parents' deaths. The problem is they want it passed down and Sawyer has no intentions of a forever with anyone. He is worried his cousin Tyler, married with a child on the way, is gonna get the lake house.
Olivia, Sawyer's best friend's sister is back after five years abroad and boy has she grown up. She also happens to be in need of a job and a place to stay. Sawyer offers her the perfect solution. Fake a relationship to help him, and he will help her. As she has already been hurt really badly before she is in no way looking to start a real relationship, so it seems like a win-win for both of them.
Along the way things start to get a little too real for both of them and Olivia is worried she is falling for Sawyer. Without being aware, Sawyer had been falling for Olivia all along too. With changes at work and a surprise neither of them had expected, the chance for anything real seems less likely.
This story was cute and I read through it pretty quickly. I liked that along the way Sawyer did show emotions and I enjoyed the relationship he and Olivia had with his grandparents. The ending was a little too easy and too much for me to give higher than the four star rating, but it was enjoyable nonetheless.
Thanks to NetGalley for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.
May 22, 2015
Sawyer is a workaholic who is trying to save the family company. On top of that, his grandparents decide they want to give their family cabin, Sawyers favorite place in the world, to one of their 2 grandchildren. It's between Sawyer and his cousin Tyler. To give himself the edge, Sawyer decides he needs to pretend to have a girlfriend to show the grandparents that someday he'll have a family to spend time at the cabin. Olivia is back to town after having traveled the world for the last 5 years. When she goes to dinner with her brother Aiden and his best friend Sawyer, the last thing she expects is a proposition to be his fake girlfriend. What I enjoyed most about this story was the sexual tension between Sawyer and Olivia. I really liked both characters and enjoyed the chemistry between them. This book mixes two of my favorite romance type books, a fake relationship and a brother's best friend storyline. I really enjoyed this story and look forward to reading more by this author.
**ARC provided in exchange for an honest review**
**ARC provided in exchange for an honest review**
May 20, 2015
An old tale with a new spin, it is light and entertaining read. I must read for romance lovers and those who like stories about fake-turned-real relationships. I enjoyed reading this light hearted romance.
Sawyer is owner of a successful business but having difficulty keeping his company at the top. And now he learned that his grandparents plan to leave their cabin to a family member who will pass it on to next generations. He knows that it can't be him since he has never had a real relationship and never plans to marry. Now that must change or he will lose the cabin, which he has always wanted.
Olivia is his best friend's sister. She is back in USA and who can be better than her to play his fake-girlfriend. But things doesn't go the way two of them planned. They fell for each other. Will they be able to overcome their fears and give each other a chance?
P.S. I received a complimentary copy of this book, for which I'd like to thank the publisher.
Sawyer is owner of a successful business but having difficulty keeping his company at the top. And now he learned that his grandparents plan to leave their cabin to a family member who will pass it on to next generations. He knows that it can't be him since he has never had a real relationship and never plans to marry. Now that must change or he will lose the cabin, which he has always wanted.
Olivia is his best friend's sister. She is back in USA and who can be better than her to play his fake-girlfriend. But things doesn't go the way two of them planned. They fell for each other. Will they be able to overcome their fears and give each other a chance?
P.S. I received a complimentary copy of this book, for which I'd like to thank the publisher.
August 30, 2015
The set-up for this hoax in the Hoax series is cute and endearing. Sawyer Sterling really wants his family's cabin. The reason I fell for Sawyer was mostly his sentimental need for his family's cabin. I loved how he wanted this on the inside and outside he was cool about it. So showing up with his best friends sister as his girl was adorable for me.
Olivia is introduced and has spent so much times just going with the flow. She has traveled all over the world and now sort of wants to settle down and be normal. Her character was needy in a very special way.
She doesn't appear or act like a whiny girl I was surprised at how fast I fell into a groove with this couple.
I loved this sweet, fluffy and romantic book. I am such a fan of this author and I read everything she writes.
Olivia is introduced and has spent so much times just going with the flow. She has traveled all over the world and now sort of wants to settle down and be normal. Her character was needy in a very special way.
She doesn't appear or act like a whiny girl I was surprised at how fast I fell into a groove with this couple.
I loved this sweet, fluffy and romantic book. I am such a fan of this author and I read everything she writes.
May 18, 2015
Completely entertaining read! This is, as the title suggests, a pretend relationship story. While the premise is nothing new, the writing and characters make this feel fresh and fun. Sawyer and Olivia are fun strong characters and I definitely felt their connection. I really enjoyed this one and think you will too. I highly recommend it.
May 26, 2015
ARC provided by Entangled Publishing in exchange for an honest review..
September 30, 2023
What do you do when you're a single man in need of a temporary relationship, and you're totally against commitment?
Find a girlfriend you can hire for the time being, of course.
Ask Sawyer Sterling, whose time is running out to get his hands on the family cabin. His grandparents are supposed to decide whether to give it to him, or to his cousin, and Sawyer will stop at almost nothing to ensure that he's the winner. Even if it means hiring his best friend's little sister to act like his girlfriend for a while.
Besides, he doesn't do commitment. What could go wrong?
Olivia Morgan has an eclectic resume when she lands back in town to stay with her brother, Sawyer's best friend, for a while. She's ready for some consistency, and hopes to find someone with whom to settle down and share a life together. She also needs money, and a job. What better way to make a little fast cash and keep out of her brother's way than as Sawyer's guest and faux girlfriend?
He doesn't do commitment, and she wants one. Nothing's going to happen between them.
Let me introduce The Hookup Hoax by Heather Thurmeier, newly released by Entangled Publishing's Lovestruck imprint.
There's something to be said for testing the boundaries defined by a friendship versus a romance. Does loyalty to your long-time best friend trump love for a significant other? What happens when the two loyalties seem at odds with one another? Who should get short shrift, and who, the most commitment and attention? Thurmeier explores these themes with aplomb and intrigue, not bothering to keep the stakes low or light.
The Hookup Hoax is not for those who prefer their romances lighthearted and fluffy, without substance. Sawyer's devotion to the only family he has ever known is a very real, vulnerable thing, and his relationship with his grandparents not only underscores the thematic explorations in the work but also heightens them: now you're wondering whether family, friendship, or romance will win out in the end.
I guarantee you'll keep turning pages to find out.
As sweet romances go, this one toes the line between innocence and smoky attraction beautifully. Think forbidden passion, sizzling attraction, and some sinfully intoxicating teasers, and you've got this one nailed.
Meanwhile, Olivia is a fascinating character in her own right, having spent the last five years backpacking across one continent after another, racking up an impressively ... different ... list of job experiences, from kiwi picker to farm hand. Her passions lie in the direction of family --- which she and Sawyer have in common --- and concern for the environment, both admirable and likable traits in a modern heroine.
If you prefer your romances with one unexpected twist after another, and with the inevitable HEA (happily ever after) ending far from a foregone, predictable conclusion, I invite you to check out this title!
# # #
Disclaimer: I received a complimentary copy of this work from the publisher via the NetGalley program in exchange for an honest, though not necessarily positive, review. The opinions I have expressed are my own.
Find a girlfriend you can hire for the time being, of course.
Ask Sawyer Sterling, whose time is running out to get his hands on the family cabin. His grandparents are supposed to decide whether to give it to him, or to his cousin, and Sawyer will stop at almost nothing to ensure that he's the winner. Even if it means hiring his best friend's little sister to act like his girlfriend for a while.
Besides, he doesn't do commitment. What could go wrong?
Olivia Morgan has an eclectic resume when she lands back in town to stay with her brother, Sawyer's best friend, for a while. She's ready for some consistency, and hopes to find someone with whom to settle down and share a life together. She also needs money, and a job. What better way to make a little fast cash and keep out of her brother's way than as Sawyer's guest and faux girlfriend?
He doesn't do commitment, and she wants one. Nothing's going to happen between them.
Let me introduce The Hookup Hoax by Heather Thurmeier, newly released by Entangled Publishing's Lovestruck imprint.
There's something to be said for testing the boundaries defined by a friendship versus a romance. Does loyalty to your long-time best friend trump love for a significant other? What happens when the two loyalties seem at odds with one another? Who should get short shrift, and who, the most commitment and attention? Thurmeier explores these themes with aplomb and intrigue, not bothering to keep the stakes low or light.
The Hookup Hoax is not for those who prefer their romances lighthearted and fluffy, without substance. Sawyer's devotion to the only family he has ever known is a very real, vulnerable thing, and his relationship with his grandparents not only underscores the thematic explorations in the work but also heightens them: now you're wondering whether family, friendship, or romance will win out in the end.
I guarantee you'll keep turning pages to find out.
As sweet romances go, this one toes the line between innocence and smoky attraction beautifully. Think forbidden passion, sizzling attraction, and some sinfully intoxicating teasers, and you've got this one nailed.
Meanwhile, Olivia is a fascinating character in her own right, having spent the last five years backpacking across one continent after another, racking up an impressively ... different ... list of job experiences, from kiwi picker to farm hand. Her passions lie in the direction of family --- which she and Sawyer have in common --- and concern for the environment, both admirable and likable traits in a modern heroine.
If you prefer your romances with one unexpected twist after another, and with the inevitable HEA (happily ever after) ending far from a foregone, predictable conclusion, I invite you to check out this title!
# # #
Disclaimer: I received a complimentary copy of this work from the publisher via the NetGalley program in exchange for an honest, though not necessarily positive, review. The opinions I have expressed are my own.
January 30, 2023
Quick Summary: An in love with my BFF's sibling romance
My Review: The Hookup Hoax by Heather Thurmeier was a hot-for-my-friend reunion-esque romance.
After growing up together as friends and playmates, time and life experiences separated Sawyer and Olivia. When an unexpected reunion of sorts brought the two back together, a brilliant plot was hatched - the two would masquerade as a couple, in hopes of achieving a change in status. Little did either suspect that what started out as a platonic deal would end up in a love inspired relationship plus one.
My Final Say: This served as a quick weekend read, and it was just right.
Rating: 3.5
Recommend: Yes
Audience: A
#libraryfind
My Review: The Hookup Hoax by Heather Thurmeier was a hot-for-my-friend reunion-esque romance.
After growing up together as friends and playmates, time and life experiences separated Sawyer and Olivia. When an unexpected reunion of sorts brought the two back together, a brilliant plot was hatched - the two would masquerade as a couple, in hopes of achieving a change in status. Little did either suspect that what started out as a platonic deal would end up in a love inspired relationship plus one.
My Final Say: This served as a quick weekend read, and it was just right.
Rating: 3.5
Recommend: Yes
Audience: A
#libraryfind
January 2, 2018
3.5 stars
June 9, 2015
3.5 - 4 stars A fake relationship that grows into something more; a confirmed bachelor, falling in love with his best friends off-limits sister; and a family that makes you realise what's important. These are the things that attracted me to this book. The Hookup Hoax was an easy to read book, not meaning it had no substance, but rather that I found it easy to put myself in the story, see what the characters were seeing, feel what they were feeling and believe the connection that they had.
Sawyer was a confirmed bachelor, never seeing himself married, let alone in a relationship that lasted past the one night stand. His reluctance to form a close connection outside the bedroom initially painted him as a superficial playboy, but it wasn't long before I saw beneath the front that he showed to the outside world. His loyalty to his friends and family, the significance in his life of his grandparents, the way he treasured the memories of his parents and their legacy. Even though the scam that Sawyer concocted made you question the morality of the deception, I understood why he acted so desperately. His heart was in the right place, however misguided his actions were. Underneath it all Sawyer had a conscience, he just needed the right woman to let go of the fear of falling in love, let go of the need to prove himself, and concentrate on what matters most.
Olivia was Sawyers best friend Aiden's sister. Having just returned from wandering the world, getting over a painful breakup years ago, she is now ready to settle down and start a family. When Sawyer proposes his scheme to work for him while pretending to be a fake girlfriend for a few months, she takes it on the proviso that they keep the relationship purely platonic. She knows what a player Sawyer is and doesn't want to become another in his long unending list of conquests, but it is an opportunity to work and ease back in to city life. I liked Olivia and found myself wanting the best for her, not wanting her to be hurt by this arrangement. I loved the relationship she had with her brother, both having lived through the painful breakup of their parents marriage. She was loyal and caring, and I felt for her desire to have a close family like the one that Sawyer has with his grandparents.
What Olivia and Sawyer don't count on is the attraction they feel for each other. The sparks fly and they find it harder and harder to not give in to their desires. I felt the chemistry between Olivia and Sawyer, their conversation was snarky yet comfortable, flirty and fun, and they just felt good together. I really liked how they didn't just fall into bed together the first chance they got. They really got to know each other first and how they tried to fight their growing attraction to each other was entertaining. I also enjoyed seeing how the bigger story developed, Sawyer's dawning realisation of what was really important, putting things in perspective, and how he went about rectifying his mistakes. He showed his vulnerability while manning up and taking the consequences. Sawyer's grandparents added so much to this story and I loved them, their no nonsense attitude, their sense of fun and adventure, the way they instilled family values in Sawyer. They were an adorable couple.
Overall, The Hookup Hoax entertained me from page one till the end. The characters and storyline grabbed my attention and it had enough little twists to make it on its own. I like the authors writing style and will definitely be looking at other books penned by her.
copy kindly provided by the publisher, author and Netgalley
Sawyer was a confirmed bachelor, never seeing himself married, let alone in a relationship that lasted past the one night stand. His reluctance to form a close connection outside the bedroom initially painted him as a superficial playboy, but it wasn't long before I saw beneath the front that he showed to the outside world. His loyalty to his friends and family, the significance in his life of his grandparents, the way he treasured the memories of his parents and their legacy. Even though the scam that Sawyer concocted made you question the morality of the deception, I understood why he acted so desperately. His heart was in the right place, however misguided his actions were. Underneath it all Sawyer had a conscience, he just needed the right woman to let go of the fear of falling in love, let go of the need to prove himself, and concentrate on what matters most.
Olivia was Sawyers best friend Aiden's sister. Having just returned from wandering the world, getting over a painful breakup years ago, she is now ready to settle down and start a family. When Sawyer proposes his scheme to work for him while pretending to be a fake girlfriend for a few months, she takes it on the proviso that they keep the relationship purely platonic. She knows what a player Sawyer is and doesn't want to become another in his long unending list of conquests, but it is an opportunity to work and ease back in to city life. I liked Olivia and found myself wanting the best for her, not wanting her to be hurt by this arrangement. I loved the relationship she had with her brother, both having lived through the painful breakup of their parents marriage. She was loyal and caring, and I felt for her desire to have a close family like the one that Sawyer has with his grandparents.
What Olivia and Sawyer don't count on is the attraction they feel for each other. The sparks fly and they find it harder and harder to not give in to their desires. I felt the chemistry between Olivia and Sawyer, their conversation was snarky yet comfortable, flirty and fun, and they just felt good together. I really liked how they didn't just fall into bed together the first chance they got. They really got to know each other first and how they tried to fight their growing attraction to each other was entertaining. I also enjoyed seeing how the bigger story developed, Sawyer's dawning realisation of what was really important, putting things in perspective, and how he went about rectifying his mistakes. He showed his vulnerability while manning up and taking the consequences. Sawyer's grandparents added so much to this story and I loved them, their no nonsense attitude, their sense of fun and adventure, the way they instilled family values in Sawyer. They were an adorable couple.
Overall, The Hookup Hoax entertained me from page one till the end. The characters and storyline grabbed my attention and it had enough little twists to make it on its own. I like the authors writing style and will definitely be looking at other books penned by her.
copy kindly provided by the publisher, author and Netgalley
December 31, 2015
First reviewed at Keeper Bookshelf
Sawyer needs to show his grandparents that he should be the one that they give their cabin to in order to see their home continue on with the next generation of love and family living there. It is totally beside the point that Sawyer never, ever intends to marry or have kids. No, not happening. He is not about to build a family and then see it all disappear like it did for him when his parents died. No, far better to remain single and not take that risk. There is no way he will see his home, his refuge be given to his stuffy cousin Tyler. So what if Tyler is married and about to be a father. It’s his cabin and he will not lose it.
Okay, so Sawyer is handsome, hot and tastey – who says a guy can’t be stupid silly too.
Olivia is Sawyer’s best friend’s kid sister and the girl who climbed trees with them as kids. Who knew she would grow up to be so beautiful and sexy? She has been traveling around the world these last five years, after a breaking up with the man she thought she would marry and live the rest of her days at his side. Olivia is tired of the nomadic lifestyle and has come back to New York City to set down roots again. When at a lunch with her brother and Sawyer it is jokingly tossed on the table that Sawyer would her hire for two different jobs – it got her attention. (sleeping on the brother’s couch gets old fast) Sawyer would hire her to fill in for someone who was out on medical leave – and to play his pretend girlfriend with his grandparents so that they would see his intention to carry on the family traditions and leave their cabin… to him. All she had to do was move into his guest room, take the temp job and convince two sharp, intelligent people that he was in love with her and that she’s his perfect girlfriend.
What could possibly go wrong?
Oh, I had so much fun reading The Hookup Hoax. Sawyer and Olivia were perfectly hot, awkward, flirty, embarrassed, sexy and loving with each other throughout their story. It’s not so easy to keep the pretend thing going when they are so attracted to each other. Even harder to convince everyone they come in contact with that their feelings for each other are real or pretend or… maybe truly real after all.
Both Sawyer and Olivia have issues and baggage to deal with. If this were a true pretend relationship then none of that would matter. But somewhere in the let’s pretend game they were playing things started to get real. They have to decide if taking a risk on each other is the more important thing happening in their lives.
What happens when the original stake is no longer as important as the real thing at stake? Can love overcome everything? Nope, not going to say any more. This was a fun read and you need to figure all of that out for yourself. Pick up The Hookup Hoax to find out for yourself. Definitely recommend this one. Sure, it’s a fun read but along the way you’ll care about these two unlikely lovers and hope that they get past their stuff and find that happy ever after they deserve.
*I received an e-ARC of The Hookup Hoax from the publisher and NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. That does not change what I think of this novel.*
~Any review is just one person’s opinion. You might feel the same or totally different. The only way to know for certain is for you to read it. This was my opinion of this particular book.~
Sawyer needs to show his grandparents that he should be the one that they give their cabin to in order to see their home continue on with the next generation of love and family living there. It is totally beside the point that Sawyer never, ever intends to marry or have kids. No, not happening. He is not about to build a family and then see it all disappear like it did for him when his parents died. No, far better to remain single and not take that risk. There is no way he will see his home, his refuge be given to his stuffy cousin Tyler. So what if Tyler is married and about to be a father. It’s his cabin and he will not lose it.
Okay, so Sawyer is handsome, hot and tastey – who says a guy can’t be stupid silly too.
Olivia is Sawyer’s best friend’s kid sister and the girl who climbed trees with them as kids. Who knew she would grow up to be so beautiful and sexy? She has been traveling around the world these last five years, after a breaking up with the man she thought she would marry and live the rest of her days at his side. Olivia is tired of the nomadic lifestyle and has come back to New York City to set down roots again. When at a lunch with her brother and Sawyer it is jokingly tossed on the table that Sawyer would her hire for two different jobs – it got her attention. (sleeping on the brother’s couch gets old fast) Sawyer would hire her to fill in for someone who was out on medical leave – and to play his pretend girlfriend with his grandparents so that they would see his intention to carry on the family traditions and leave their cabin… to him. All she had to do was move into his guest room, take the temp job and convince two sharp, intelligent people that he was in love with her and that she’s his perfect girlfriend.
What could possibly go wrong?
Oh, I had so much fun reading The Hookup Hoax. Sawyer and Olivia were perfectly hot, awkward, flirty, embarrassed, sexy and loving with each other throughout their story. It’s not so easy to keep the pretend thing going when they are so attracted to each other. Even harder to convince everyone they come in contact with that their feelings for each other are real or pretend or… maybe truly real after all.
Both Sawyer and Olivia have issues and baggage to deal with. If this were a true pretend relationship then none of that would matter. But somewhere in the let’s pretend game they were playing things started to get real. They have to decide if taking a risk on each other is the more important thing happening in their lives.
What happens when the original stake is no longer as important as the real thing at stake? Can love overcome everything? Nope, not going to say any more. This was a fun read and you need to figure all of that out for yourself. Pick up The Hookup Hoax to find out for yourself. Definitely recommend this one. Sure, it’s a fun read but along the way you’ll care about these two unlikely lovers and hope that they get past their stuff and find that happy ever after they deserve.
*I received an e-ARC of The Hookup Hoax from the publisher and NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. That does not change what I think of this novel.*
~Any review is just one person’s opinion. You might feel the same or totally different. The only way to know for certain is for you to read it. This was my opinion of this particular book.~
May 28, 2015
Slick's review posted at Guilty Pleasures Book Reviews
I have mixed feelings about The Hookup Hoax by Heather Thurmeier; it wasn't a bad story but it has been done before many times and thusly it wasn't new or fresh. The "relationship of convenience" and "best friend's little sister" set-up has been well used, however the characters were likeable and their chemistry was off the charts making is somewhat enjoyable.
Sawyer Sterling has a lot going on in his life. The company his grandfather founded and his father ran until his death and the one he took over after college is on the brink of collapse and he has one big account that can save it all. To top it off his grandparents are planning on deeding their home to either him or his cousin, the home he feels closest to his parents and with his cousin married and with a baby on the way he feels he has an edge so asking his best friend's younger sister who just returned from 5 years backpacking across the world to be his fake girlfriend and move in with him seems like a great idea. Too bad he finds himself attracted to her from the start and even the threat of bodily harm from his best friend can't seem to shake everything she makes him feel.
At a crossroads in her life and living on her brother's couch, Olivia Morgan is quick to agree to Sawyer's plan and his temporary job offer at his company. She absolutely refuses to believe what she feels around him is anything but excitement for the opportunities he's giving her but somehow she knows it's more than that but having been hurt by a player before she has no plans to let herself fall for this confirmed bachelor.
I liked both Sawyer and Olivia and watching them try to fight off the attraction between them was entertaining. I like that it forced them to really get to know one another and appreciate each on a non sexual level. Sawyer was fascinated with the life that Olivia has led and all of her experiences and quickly sees her as an asset to helping him win the global account he is working on. Olivia admires Sawyer's dedication to his business but is concerned about his health and well being because he pushes himself so hard. It was easy to see the chemistry between them but it was even easier to see that even early on they were developing feelings that go way beyond physical.
I absolutely loved the time they spent at the cabin with Sawyer's Gram and Gramps who were feisty and fun and a whole lot smarter than any of the younger generation gave them credit for. Having Sawyer share his love of the cabin with Olivia and even some good memories of the place with her was a nice touch and added some much needed sentiment to this story.
A whole lot flirty and a wee bit sexy made this a fun story despite the four overused romance troupes that made up its plot.
Review copy provided for an honest review.
I have mixed feelings about The Hookup Hoax by Heather Thurmeier; it wasn't a bad story but it has been done before many times and thusly it wasn't new or fresh. The "relationship of convenience" and "best friend's little sister" set-up has been well used, however the characters were likeable and their chemistry was off the charts making is somewhat enjoyable.
Sawyer Sterling has a lot going on in his life. The company his grandfather founded and his father ran until his death and the one he took over after college is on the brink of collapse and he has one big account that can save it all. To top it off his grandparents are planning on deeding their home to either him or his cousin, the home he feels closest to his parents and with his cousin married and with a baby on the way he feels he has an edge so asking his best friend's younger sister who just returned from 5 years backpacking across the world to be his fake girlfriend and move in with him seems like a great idea. Too bad he finds himself attracted to her from the start and even the threat of bodily harm from his best friend can't seem to shake everything she makes him feel.
At a crossroads in her life and living on her brother's couch, Olivia Morgan is quick to agree to Sawyer's plan and his temporary job offer at his company. She absolutely refuses to believe what she feels around him is anything but excitement for the opportunities he's giving her but somehow she knows it's more than that but having been hurt by a player before she has no plans to let herself fall for this confirmed bachelor.
I liked both Sawyer and Olivia and watching them try to fight off the attraction between them was entertaining. I like that it forced them to really get to know one another and appreciate each on a non sexual level. Sawyer was fascinated with the life that Olivia has led and all of her experiences and quickly sees her as an asset to helping him win the global account he is working on. Olivia admires Sawyer's dedication to his business but is concerned about his health and well being because he pushes himself so hard. It was easy to see the chemistry between them but it was even easier to see that even early on they were developing feelings that go way beyond physical.
I absolutely loved the time they spent at the cabin with Sawyer's Gram and Gramps who were feisty and fun and a whole lot smarter than any of the younger generation gave them credit for. Having Sawyer share his love of the cabin with Olivia and even some good memories of the place with her was a nice touch and added some much needed sentiment to this story.
A whole lot flirty and a wee bit sexy made this a fun story despite the four overused romance troupes that made up its plot.
Review copy provided for an honest review.
June 3, 2015
**ARC provided through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review**
Classic rom-com storyline, great contemporary romance!
Sawyer Sterling, CEO of Sterling Enterprises, is in dire need of a fake girlfriend. His grandparents are going to hand over the deed to their cabin, where Sawyer grew up, to either him or his cousin, Tyler. The problem is, they want to pass the cabin town to someone who will raise a family in it. Tyler is married, with a baby on the way. Sawyer is a self-proclaimed bachelor, for life. If he could just find someone to play the part of his girlfriend, just until this grandparents make a decision, the there's a good chance he could own the one place that holds so many memories for him.
Olivia Morgan has just returned to the US after being abroad for five years. She's crashing on her older brother, Aiden's, couch for the time being. She didn't realize how difficult it would be to find a job after her five-year backpacking trip, straight out of college. She ran halfway across the globe to heal her heartbreak. He ex-fiancé, Sam, was too much of a player to make a real commitment. Therefore, she established a rule for herself: no boyfriends until she has a job and is settled, which could take a while, and even then, she wants someone who can give her forever.
So when Sawyer, Aiden's best friend, says he'll give her a temporary job and her own room in his apartment, if she will be his fake girlfriend for three months, she agrees. There shouldn't be any repercussions to being a fake girlfriend to someone who doesn't want to commit, right? But, as they soon find out, there is an attraction between them that will not be denied. As boundaries are crossed, Olivia and Sawyer have a hard time discerning what's real, and what's part of the hoax.
The Hook-up Hoax is a bit different than most I-own-my-own-company romances. Sawyer has money if his nice apartment is anything to go by, and the fact that he's CEO, but it's not flaunted at all, in this story. Don't get me wrong, I like the billionaire stories, but it was nice to see it changed up a little. You will feel frustrated with Olivia and Sawyer for not seeing what's right in front of them, but of course, that's part of what makes it a good read! Greatly recommended to fans of romance!
Classic rom-com storyline, great contemporary romance!
Sawyer Sterling, CEO of Sterling Enterprises, is in dire need of a fake girlfriend. His grandparents are going to hand over the deed to their cabin, where Sawyer grew up, to either him or his cousin, Tyler. The problem is, they want to pass the cabin town to someone who will raise a family in it. Tyler is married, with a baby on the way. Sawyer is a self-proclaimed bachelor, for life. If he could just find someone to play the part of his girlfriend, just until this grandparents make a decision, the there's a good chance he could own the one place that holds so many memories for him.
Olivia Morgan has just returned to the US after being abroad for five years. She's crashing on her older brother, Aiden's, couch for the time being. She didn't realize how difficult it would be to find a job after her five-year backpacking trip, straight out of college. She ran halfway across the globe to heal her heartbreak. He ex-fiancé, Sam, was too much of a player to make a real commitment. Therefore, she established a rule for herself: no boyfriends until she has a job and is settled, which could take a while, and even then, she wants someone who can give her forever.
So when Sawyer, Aiden's best friend, says he'll give her a temporary job and her own room in his apartment, if she will be his fake girlfriend for three months, she agrees. There shouldn't be any repercussions to being a fake girlfriend to someone who doesn't want to commit, right? But, as they soon find out, there is an attraction between them that will not be denied. As boundaries are crossed, Olivia and Sawyer have a hard time discerning what's real, and what's part of the hoax.
The Hook-up Hoax is a bit different than most I-own-my-own-company romances. Sawyer has money if his nice apartment is anything to go by, and the fact that he's CEO, but it's not flaunted at all, in this story. Don't get me wrong, I like the billionaire stories, but it was nice to see it changed up a little. You will feel frustrated with Olivia and Sawyer for not seeing what's right in front of them, but of course, that's part of what makes it a good read! Greatly recommended to fans of romance!
May 17, 2015
A lovely story to read!
Sawyer Sterling is a workaholic by day, trying to save the family business. By night, he lives for soccer, drinking and hookups. When his grandparents inform him and his cousin, Tyler, that the deeds for the family cabin will be going to one of them, he realises he needs to do whatever he has to do to get it. This is the place he thinks of as his home, where he feels close to his parents. To convince his grandparents he should get the cabin, he needs to make it look like he is in a stable relationship that has a future.
Olivia is Sawyer’s best friends sister, who has been travelling for the last five years. She now needs a job and a place to stay. Sawyer offers Olivia a solution. Fake a relationship with him to help him get the deeds to the cabin for a few months and he will help her in return, with a place to stay and a job.
Along the way things start to change for them both. Feelings develop, but they both hold back. Sawyer thinking Olivia deserves better and also not realising quite how intense his feelings are, and Olivia thinking that Sawyer never wants to give up his bachelor lifestyle.
An unexpected suprise, and a new client at work that will save the company, brings an end to the fake relationship. Can Sawyer and Olivia work everything out? Will they admit their feelings are reciprocated towards each other? Will Sawyer end up getting the deeds to the family cabin? Well, obviously I am not going to say. This, you will have to find our for yourselves :-)
The chemistry between Sawyer and Olivia was undeniable from the very beginning. Their back and fourth banter was funny and Olivia was one of the few people that could challenge Sawyer and put him in his place. This story had a hot man, lots of flirting and sexual chemistry, Humor and drama. What more do you need from a good book? It was written from both, Sawyer and Olivia’s points of view. Heather’s writing is descriptive and it was smoothly written, it flowed easily throughout. The secondary characters, especially Sawyers’s grandparents were all fun, they added a little more wit to the book.
It was a quick and easy storyline to follow. An ideal read for a lazy sunday afternoon. This was a feel good and fun book to read!
Sawyer Sterling is a workaholic by day, trying to save the family business. By night, he lives for soccer, drinking and hookups. When his grandparents inform him and his cousin, Tyler, that the deeds for the family cabin will be going to one of them, he realises he needs to do whatever he has to do to get it. This is the place he thinks of as his home, where he feels close to his parents. To convince his grandparents he should get the cabin, he needs to make it look like he is in a stable relationship that has a future.
Olivia is Sawyer’s best friends sister, who has been travelling for the last five years. She now needs a job and a place to stay. Sawyer offers Olivia a solution. Fake a relationship with him to help him get the deeds to the cabin for a few months and he will help her in return, with a place to stay and a job.
Along the way things start to change for them both. Feelings develop, but they both hold back. Sawyer thinking Olivia deserves better and also not realising quite how intense his feelings are, and Olivia thinking that Sawyer never wants to give up his bachelor lifestyle.
An unexpected suprise, and a new client at work that will save the company, brings an end to the fake relationship. Can Sawyer and Olivia work everything out? Will they admit their feelings are reciprocated towards each other? Will Sawyer end up getting the deeds to the family cabin? Well, obviously I am not going to say. This, you will have to find our for yourselves :-)
The chemistry between Sawyer and Olivia was undeniable from the very beginning. Their back and fourth banter was funny and Olivia was one of the few people that could challenge Sawyer and put him in his place. This story had a hot man, lots of flirting and sexual chemistry, Humor and drama. What more do you need from a good book? It was written from both, Sawyer and Olivia’s points of view. Heather’s writing is descriptive and it was smoothly written, it flowed easily throughout. The secondary characters, especially Sawyers’s grandparents were all fun, they added a little more wit to the book.
It was a quick and easy storyline to follow. An ideal read for a lazy sunday afternoon. This was a feel good and fun book to read!
May 27, 2015
***A gifted copy was provided by the publisher for my honest review****
This was a pleasant story that was about a guy who just wanted to have a girl pretend to be his girlfriend so he can save the family company and also get the family cabin to himself since really no one else uses it like he does and his grandparents have said it will go to one of their two grandchildren – him or Tyler. SO Sawyer has to decide how to do these things to save him the headache and hassle….so he comes up with a pretend girlfriend- if he looks settled down, and family orientated, then the family will put the company in his hands and the grandparents will give him the cabin… Tyler is already married with a baby on the way—Sawyer wants that cabin, he is the one who spent all his time there as a kid and he knows he cares about the place and the company.. In the picture comes Olivia Morgan who happens to be his best friend’s sister. She is back in the US after traveling overseas for several years and she was going to stay on her brother’s couch until she could get a job and an apartment but Sawyer sees a way that he can help her and she can help him.
He asks her to be his “girlfriend “ and in turn, will have her be his admin assistant for 3 months and after that, will get her set up and will make sure she will have a job when all that he asks of her is done. She finally agrees and there are sparks between the two. I really do like Sawyer and Olivia together. She challenges him and makes him see things differently and he sees people as people, not objects. Not to say they don’t argue and there is tension, for there is but there is something driving Sawyer, something that is making him driven and Olivia tries to make him see that he may not be cursed like his parents. Do they end up together? Well, I do not want to spoil the ending.
I will say, I loved the writing –though at times the story was a bit slow and there needed to be a little more passion between the characters at certain points but overall, this was a good story. I really liked the MC and I hope to see more from this author in follow-up stories for the supporting characters found in this story.
My rating: 4.0 stars ****
This was a pleasant story that was about a guy who just wanted to have a girl pretend to be his girlfriend so he can save the family company and also get the family cabin to himself since really no one else uses it like he does and his grandparents have said it will go to one of their two grandchildren – him or Tyler. SO Sawyer has to decide how to do these things to save him the headache and hassle….so he comes up with a pretend girlfriend- if he looks settled down, and family orientated, then the family will put the company in his hands and the grandparents will give him the cabin… Tyler is already married with a baby on the way—Sawyer wants that cabin, he is the one who spent all his time there as a kid and he knows he cares about the place and the company.. In the picture comes Olivia Morgan who happens to be his best friend’s sister. She is back in the US after traveling overseas for several years and she was going to stay on her brother’s couch until she could get a job and an apartment but Sawyer sees a way that he can help her and she can help him.
He asks her to be his “girlfriend “ and in turn, will have her be his admin assistant for 3 months and after that, will get her set up and will make sure she will have a job when all that he asks of her is done. She finally agrees and there are sparks between the two. I really do like Sawyer and Olivia together. She challenges him and makes him see things differently and he sees people as people, not objects. Not to say they don’t argue and there is tension, for there is but there is something driving Sawyer, something that is making him driven and Olivia tries to make him see that he may not be cursed like his parents. Do they end up together? Well, I do not want to spoil the ending.
I will say, I loved the writing –though at times the story was a bit slow and there needed to be a little more passion between the characters at certain points but overall, this was a good story. I really liked the MC and I hope to see more from this author in follow-up stories for the supporting characters found in this story.
My rating: 4.0 stars ****
May 24, 2015
Take one desperate bachelor, add in the sister of a friend, add some sizzling chemistry, shake and what do you end up with? The Hook-Up Hoax which will have you hooked from the first page and leave you grinning and awing with the last.
This book was so much fun to read. I’ve read it twice since I got it and loved it both times. I am a sucker for a fun flirty read and this book delivered. It was so much fun watching the hero and heroine fall for the other without even realising it was happening.
When confirmed playboy and workaholic Sawyer hatched his plan to win his grandparents over and ultimately save his childhood home from his cousin, he never expected to fall for his best friends little sister who has done a lot of growing up since he last saw her. A lot.
Olivia has travelled the world and has finally come home to settle near her brother. But she no sooner settles on his couch than Sawyer offers an opportunity she can’t afford to say no to. But she soon finds out that sometimes acting like a couple leads to not really acting at all.
After Olivia and Sawyer give into their bubbling chemistry one night, everything changes. The line between pretending and reality is blurred and as they find themselves falling deeper into the charade things get even more complicated.
“I made a deal not to want to kiss you, Olivia. I told you I’d keep things professional and now I want to kick myself because I’m forced to keep my end of the deal. No matter what we agreed to, I can’t help the way you make me want to rip the clothes off your body practically every time I see you. You…do something to me. I can’t take it anymore.”
When a misunderstanding forces them apart and an unexpected ally helps them both see that they are made for each other, can they find a way back to each other or are they over for good?
While I loved Sawyer and Olivia, I have to say that I loved Sawyers grandparents who stole nearly every scene they were in and almost stole Sawyers grand gesture. Grandma was perfect.
This author has definitely earned a spot on my auto buy list and keeper shelf. I can’t wait for more.
This book was supplied by the publisher for an honest review.
This book was so much fun to read. I’ve read it twice since I got it and loved it both times. I am a sucker for a fun flirty read and this book delivered. It was so much fun watching the hero and heroine fall for the other without even realising it was happening.
When confirmed playboy and workaholic Sawyer hatched his plan to win his grandparents over and ultimately save his childhood home from his cousin, he never expected to fall for his best friends little sister who has done a lot of growing up since he last saw her. A lot.
Olivia has travelled the world and has finally come home to settle near her brother. But she no sooner settles on his couch than Sawyer offers an opportunity she can’t afford to say no to. But she soon finds out that sometimes acting like a couple leads to not really acting at all.
After Olivia and Sawyer give into their bubbling chemistry one night, everything changes. The line between pretending and reality is blurred and as they find themselves falling deeper into the charade things get even more complicated.
“I made a deal not to want to kiss you, Olivia. I told you I’d keep things professional and now I want to kick myself because I’m forced to keep my end of the deal. No matter what we agreed to, I can’t help the way you make me want to rip the clothes off your body practically every time I see you. You…do something to me. I can’t take it anymore.”
When a misunderstanding forces them apart and an unexpected ally helps them both see that they are made for each other, can they find a way back to each other or are they over for good?
While I loved Sawyer and Olivia, I have to say that I loved Sawyers grandparents who stole nearly every scene they were in and almost stole Sawyers grand gesture. Grandma was perfect.
This author has definitely earned a spot on my auto buy list and keeper shelf. I can’t wait for more.
This book was supplied by the publisher for an honest review.
July 6, 2015
The Hookup Hoax by Heather Thurmeier
I have always been a fan of the romance novel. When I was at school I’d churn through a new Sweet Dreams novel almost every day. I’d stay up late, I’d have book hangovers often, I couldn’t get enough of them. Yes, they were formulaic, but I didn’t care, I loved them. Before long, I graduated to Mills and Boon and the various imprints they offered. I branched out further still exploring Nightshade imprints The Darker Side of Love and expanded again into some totally different genres and following favourite authors.
What I’ve learnt, is that regardless of what genre I’m reading, the BEST BOOKS are the one’s where the relationships make the story. When the heroine is hurting, you cry; When you read and you feel the main characters doubts as if they were your own; When a couple reaches their Happily Ever After and you skip through the rest of the day; that’s when an author and their story owns you. For me the Hookup Hoax, was like that. I was invested in the story.
I believed Olivia’s doubts, I could see them forming based on Sawyers actions. I watched as Sawyer came to appreciate Olivia, but worried that he’d never get passed his baggage. I knew what I was getting when I chose this book; I knew that for the briefest of moments a HEA would be in doubt; and I knew that somehow, somehow, they would work it out. AND despite that knowledge, despite how many of these books I’ve read, there was a moment when I wondered… What if they don’t?
For the critical part of this review, I will admit that there were a few elements that could have been better executed (they affected my rating but not my overall enjoyment of the book). The catalyst for conflict was a touch too convenient, the confession scene was haphazard and there the reason for Olivia’s presence there was not fully explained or justified
I will be recommending this book to others, and I look forward to reading more by Heather Thurmeier.
Disclaimer
I obtained an ARC from the Netgalley with a view to providing an honest review. The thoughts expressed above, are entirely my own.
I have always been a fan of the romance novel. When I was at school I’d churn through a new Sweet Dreams novel almost every day. I’d stay up late, I’d have book hangovers often, I couldn’t get enough of them. Yes, they were formulaic, but I didn’t care, I loved them. Before long, I graduated to Mills and Boon and the various imprints they offered. I branched out further still exploring Nightshade imprints The Darker Side of Love and expanded again into some totally different genres and following favourite authors.
What I’ve learnt, is that regardless of what genre I’m reading, the BEST BOOKS are the one’s where the relationships make the story. When the heroine is hurting, you cry; When you read and you feel the main characters doubts as if they were your own; When a couple reaches their Happily Ever After and you skip through the rest of the day; that’s when an author and their story owns you. For me the Hookup Hoax, was like that. I was invested in the story.
I believed Olivia’s doubts, I could see them forming based on Sawyers actions. I watched as Sawyer came to appreciate Olivia, but worried that he’d never get passed his baggage. I knew what I was getting when I chose this book; I knew that for the briefest of moments a HEA would be in doubt; and I knew that somehow, somehow, they would work it out. AND despite that knowledge, despite how many of these books I’ve read, there was a moment when I wondered… What if they don’t?
For the critical part of this review, I will admit that there were a few elements that could have been better executed (they affected my rating but not my overall enjoyment of the book). The catalyst for conflict was a touch too convenient, the confession scene was haphazard and there the reason for Olivia’s presence there was not fully explained or justified
I will be recommending this book to others, and I look forward to reading more by Heather Thurmeier.
Disclaimer
I obtained an ARC from the Netgalley with a view to providing an honest review. The thoughts expressed above, are entirely my own.
May 22, 2015
This was another great read form Entangled’s Lovestruck line. It reads like the perfect romantic comedy, with plenty of laugh out loud moments and of course, sexytimes. The book puts a delightful new spin on two of my favorite romance tropes. There’s the love interest falling in love with his best friend’s little sister trope (so cute!), as well as the pretend romance trope. Both are wonderfully executed in this novel.
I loved Sawyer as the leading man in this story. He’s a workaholic, but there’s more to his workaholic ways than just a quest to become rich. He has a persuasive backstory that compels him to be the best in all he does. Wanting the family cabin is more to him than just wanting land or property- it’s about his past and the comfort that those memories give him. He’s a confirmed bachelor, but it quickly becomes clear that it’s only because he hasn’t met his match….
Until Olivia. Olivia has also sworn off relationships for the time being, but for different reasons. After her fiancée leaves her, she escapes by travelling the world, where she picks up life experience, but not the kind that will land her a job back home. When Sawyer agrees to hire her and provide a place for her to live in exchange for being his pretend girlfriend, the opportunity is too good to pass up. What I loved the most about Olivia’s backstory was how it set her up with agency later in the book. All that travel and experience with other cultures comes in handy, and I loved that she gets the chance to show off a little and ultimately saves the day for Sawyer.
Heather Thurmeier takes familiar romance tropes up a notch by giving her hero and heroine smart, compelling backstories to go along with the obvious physical chemistry. As a reader, I actually liked these characters so much on their own that it was inevitable to love them together.
This was a great read. I’m adding Heather Thurmeier to my list of auto-buy authors. This book was so well written, I’d read whatever she writes.
I loved Sawyer as the leading man in this story. He’s a workaholic, but there’s more to his workaholic ways than just a quest to become rich. He has a persuasive backstory that compels him to be the best in all he does. Wanting the family cabin is more to him than just wanting land or property- it’s about his past and the comfort that those memories give him. He’s a confirmed bachelor, but it quickly becomes clear that it’s only because he hasn’t met his match….
Until Olivia. Olivia has also sworn off relationships for the time being, but for different reasons. After her fiancée leaves her, she escapes by travelling the world, where she picks up life experience, but not the kind that will land her a job back home. When Sawyer agrees to hire her and provide a place for her to live in exchange for being his pretend girlfriend, the opportunity is too good to pass up. What I loved the most about Olivia’s backstory was how it set her up with agency later in the book. All that travel and experience with other cultures comes in handy, and I loved that she gets the chance to show off a little and ultimately saves the day for Sawyer.
Heather Thurmeier takes familiar romance tropes up a notch by giving her hero and heroine smart, compelling backstories to go along with the obvious physical chemistry. As a reader, I actually liked these characters so much on their own that it was inevitable to love them together.
This was a great read. I’m adding Heather Thurmeier to my list of auto-buy authors. This book was so well written, I’d read whatever she writes.
July 30, 2015
> > > I have received this Book as an ARC from the Publisher < < <
> > > In Exchange I promised an honest Review < < <
Before you get any further in reading, just try to imagine how it feels to be overrunned. Oh yes -that's exactly how I feel right now after finishing this book not even 20min ago.
The story is good. At some points I would even say "very good". I loved the beginning which tries to prepare the reader for a story filled with lots of emotional scenes. And this is what you get as a reader. Not only Olivia, but also Sawyer are both too very individual protagonists who right from the beginning are attracted by each other without actually "being allowed to". I loved the way how this aspect got included until the very end, even if it was clear right from the beginning how this book is going to end. Up to around 80 % I had no problem with the expected ending which was exactly the one I prepared myself for. But I was reaaaaally sad how the ending was presented to the reader.
I still am while writing this review because I loved the flow you get into with this book-until 80%. I don't know what happened, because from this point on, everything happened in such a rush. I just don't understand why as the whole book in my opinion definetly deserves not only a longer, but also a more detailed ending! I won't discribe this any further as I also want to , again, concentrate on the good things! I not only love the portagonists, moreover of course also especially the grandparents and all their special lines.
The only thing I wished is to get to know more about their background stories which for sure has to exist as you can feel it as various points.
Published on: http://jeri-ryan.wix.com/jerisbookatt...
> > > In Exchange I promised an honest Review < < <
Before you get any further in reading, just try to imagine how it feels to be overrunned. Oh yes -that's exactly how I feel right now after finishing this book not even 20min ago.
The story is good. At some points I would even say "very good". I loved the beginning which tries to prepare the reader for a story filled with lots of emotional scenes. And this is what you get as a reader. Not only Olivia, but also Sawyer are both too very individual protagonists who right from the beginning are attracted by each other without actually "being allowed to". I loved the way how this aspect got included until the very end, even if it was clear right from the beginning how this book is going to end. Up to around 80 % I had no problem with the expected ending which was exactly the one I prepared myself for. But I was reaaaaally sad how the ending was presented to the reader.
I still am while writing this review because I loved the flow you get into with this book-until 80%. I don't know what happened, because from this point on, everything happened in such a rush. I just don't understand why as the whole book in my opinion definetly deserves not only a longer, but also a more detailed ending! I won't discribe this any further as I also want to , again, concentrate on the good things! I not only love the portagonists, moreover of course also especially the grandparents and all their special lines.
The only thing I wished is to get to know more about their background stories which for sure has to exist as you can feel it as various points.
Published on: http://jeri-ryan.wix.com/jerisbookatt...
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