Ooh we love a fake dating trope! These two had spicy chemistry, hilarious banter and Charlie had so many relatable qualities. Got to read this one early, crushed in about a day !
Sayulita was hotttt.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
🎬 𝗧𝗵𝗶𝘀 𝗯𝗼𝗼𝗸 𝘀𝗰𝗿𝗮𝘁𝗰𝗵𝗲𝗱 𝗮𝗻 𝗶𝘁𝗰𝗵 𝗜 𝗱𝗶𝗱𝗻'𝘁 𝗲𝘃𝗲𝗻 𝗸𝗻𝗼𝘄 𝗜 𝗵𝗮𝗱. The aesthetic. The atmosphere. The writing. I ate it all up. 🍽️
Bailey's writing immediately drew me in. It felt like poetry at times, and it was so easy to get completely lost in Charlie's world. It's probably why I have an excessive amount of highlights that are just Charlie's outfits, makeup, food, and the setting. Charlie is THAT girl. ✨ Every outfit, every makeup look, every meal... everything felt so vividly written that I could picture it effortlessly.
I'm usually a first person dual POV girl, so I was genuinely surprised by how much I loved experiencing this story entirely through Charlie. Would I have devoured Grayson's POV? Without a doubt, but not knowing exactly what Grayson was thinking added just enough mystery & kept me reading into every little interaction between them.
And Grayson 🤏🏽🤏🏽🤏🏽 If your love language is an MMC who actually pays attention, this man is for YOU. 🫦🫦 His confidence, the teasing, THE BIKE. UGH. Chefs kiss.
Such an incredible debut, and I can't wait to see what Bailey cooks up next. 👩🍳💋
⚠️ SPOILERS BELOW ⚠️
Okay... NOW we can talk about it.
Going into this, I was expecting a cute, low-stakes contemporary romance with fake dating, good banter, and immaculate vibes. I was not expecting a stalker plot to sneak up on me! As a dark romance reader, I should've known better, but my morally grey loving brain immediately decided it was Grayson being romantic. 💀😂
Once everything clicked, I immediately wanted to go back and reread it. Those are my favorite kinds of twists. The ones that make you realize the clues were there without making you feel like they were being shoved in your face. 🤏🏽🤏🏽🤏🏽
Freddy was CREEPY. 😭 What got me wasn’t that he was some over-the-top villain hiding in the shadows. It was how normal he seemed. Looking back and realizing how long he’d been watching Charlie and the way he’d twisted completely innocent interactions in his own head… absolutely not. 🤢
Grayson 💚 I love that Grayson never relied on one huge grand gesture to make an impression. It was all the little things that slowly added up. Remembering Charlie's margarita order because of one offhand comment she'd made earlier? Reading her romantasy just because he wanted to understand why she loved it so much? Bringing her breakfast? Those little moments said so much more about who he was than any over-the-top declaration.
A few honorable mentions... 🤓
Charlie saving Grayson as Stank Breath in her phone had me laughing every time it came up. “You made my contact name Stank Breath?” 💀 I was cackle laughing!! Their banter never missed.
“Goodnight, Charlie. By the way… You owe me a new shirt for drooling on it.” 🤣🤣🤣🤣
The Shrek debate! "You're a dronkey." 😂 I've never heard the word dronkey before, but now it's permanently part of my vocabulary. And as a fellow Shrek 1 stan... I had to side with Grayson on this one. 💚😌
The food deserves an honorable mention too. 😂 Between the sushi, tuna tartare, Greys eggs, smoothie bowls, and everything else, I don't think I made it through a single meal scene without wanting a snack.
💬 Favorite Quotes
"The offer stands." "What offer?" I grit out. His mouth curves, slow and lethal. "That ride." 👀
"I wouldn't touch you even if you got on your knees and prayed for it." 🛐 "Is that what you like, sweetheart?" he murmurs, voice lower now. "Me on my knees, before you? Worshipping you?" 🥵🥵🥵🥵🥵
"You're staring." "I'm admiring." 🥹
"Jalapeño margarita for her, and I'll take a Modelo." 🍹😭😭
"My perfect doll." 🤢 NO BECAUSE IM SICKK in the best way 🤣
I had the privilege of reading this early and have to say, I adored this and couldn't put it down! Their chemistry was incredible, and the banter had me laughing out loud more than once. Charlie was so relatable and Grayson quickly became so much more than the Hollywood bad boy (though that was definitely a plus lol). The romance had the perfect balance of humor, heart, and spice. By the end, I was really invested in both of them and so sad to say goodbye. If you love celebrity romance, forced proximity, witty banter, and plenty of emotional moments, I'd definitely recommend this one! (Also, he’s so hot)
I loved this book and was lucky enough to read it before release day! 💝
Charlie and Grayson had perfect banter that turned into such a good love story. It kept me guessing on how/when it would all fall into place.
The writing style was very relatable and current with trends in everyday life right now even though the characters are celebrities. Charlie is that girl.
I cant wait to see what other books are to come for Bailey!
PR STUNT is an absolute must for contemporary romance fans. The story captures the glitz and pressure of Hollywood while delivering a super fun fake dating trope. Charlie and Grayson have great chemistry from their very first interaction. Highly recommended!