Cheater

Curious Liaisons #1

by Rachel Van Dyken

Lucas Thorn wasn’t born a cheater. All it took was a single moment—say, a certain disastrous incident on the night before his wedding—and boom. Reputation destroyed forever and always. So now he owns it. He has a lady friend for every night of the week (except Sundays—God’s day and all), and his rules are No commitments. No exceptions.

But a certain smart-mouthed, strawberry blonde vixen is about to blow that all to hell.

Avery Black has never forgiven Lucas for cheating on her sister. And suddenly being forced to work with him is pretty much a nightmare on steroids. Of course, it does afford her the opportunity to make his life as difficult as possible. But no good revenge scheme comes without payback. Because he didn’t become the Lucas Thorn without learning a few things about women.

Now Avery’s lust for vengeance has turned into, well, lust. And if Lucas stops cheating, it’s definitely not because he’s falling in love…

Genres: Romance, Contemporary, New Adult, Contemporary Romance, Audiobook, Humor, Friends To Lovers

317 pages, Kindle Edition

First published February 28, 2017

About the author

Rachel Van Dyken is the New York Times, Wall Street Journal, and USA Today Bestselling author of mafia and contemporary romances.

Hey guys I'm rarely on Goodreads, if you need to reach me feel free to email!
EMAIL ME: rachelvandykenauthor@gmail.com

Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/pages/Rachel-...

Reviews

[Candace · Rating 4 out of 5]

As the title implies, 'Cheater' features a hero that is quite the man-whore. Lucas Thorn is the type of guy that you immediately love to hate. He's handsome, arrogant and used to bedding a different woman every night of the week. In fact, he has a schedule that allows him to do just that!

When Avery Black walks back into his life, his carefully planned out promiscuous life is thrown into a tailspin. The younger sister of his high school sweetheart, Avery is everything he has always wanted...but could never have. She is the epitome of forbidden fruit.

Forced to work for the man was once her best friend, and secret crush, Avery knows that she's playing a dangerous game. Down on her luck, she needs this job desperately. She has no other options, unless she wants to move back into her parent's home. That is an option that she's not even willing to consider. So, she takes the job as Lucas' assistant and bides her time.

Avery can't deny the attraction that is still strong between them, but giving in to temptation would be unforgivable in the eyes of her family. After all, Lucas was engaged to her sister when he was caught sneaking out of her other sister's bedroom right before the wedding. Worse yet, she had allowed herself to think that she was the only sister that Lucas was really in love with.

As Avery comes face to face with Lucas' many "girlfriends", she is disgusted. She has to face the fact that the boy she loved has grown into a philandering man that she can't begin to recognize. At least now he seems to be upfront about his two-timing ways, with each of his women fully aware that they share him with a different woman every night of the week.

The more time these two spend together, the more their old feelings begin to resurface. However, a lack of trust is clearly a big issue. Both try to play off their feelings, denying what is so evident. Gradually, their flirtations lead to something more. Now, they just have to break the news to their families.

This was a quick, entertaining and humorous audiobook selection. It was cute and light-hearted. If you are unable to get past the manwhore ways of the hero, then this is a great choice. Despite all of his antics, I found Lucas growing on me.

Overall, this was a very entertaining story. It isn't particularly original or unpredictable, but it was a sweet, fun read. If you're looking for a "good girl reforms the bad boy" type of story, this is a great one. On the other hand, if you're looking for a deep, emotional read, then keep moving. This was just pure, smutty goodness.

Check out more of my reviews at www.bookaddicthaven.com

[Maria✦❋Steamy Reads Blog❋✦ · Rating 4 out of 5]

➦Let me just start by saying that if you can get over the fact that this hero is a man whore who has sex with a different girl every day of the week except Sundays then you might actually end up loving this book just like I did. Because the real point is trying to understand what made him this way and believe me - you will.

➦At one point in time, say, in high school, Lucas has found himself in a relationship with a girl. And then the years went by and he found himself being engaged to her. Well, because it's sort of what was expected. Change is hard, people. The struggle is real.


➦But then, say, there's his fiance's little sister. Who he's been hanging out with. And may be became best friends with. And eventually fell in love with. So what do you do when you're marrying the wrong sister?


➦Well, in case of Lucas Thorn here, you fuck up royally. And then start a life of solitude. Well, not quite. A girl for every day of the week, remember?

➦Until ONE DAY! You guessed it! The little sister comes back! And it just happens so that she gets a job working for Lucas Thorn. And then may be she can make him change his ways. Perhaps, by teaming up these two can finally repair the friendship between their families. May be by pretending they are in a relationship?

➦This novel is a hard one to review. I really want people to read it but I'm afraid to give too much away! But I just have to say that this book gave me the feels and made me rofl simultaneously. Rachel Van Dyken describes the funniest situations and you can't help but laugh.

➦There's a little bit of everything in this book. Fake relationship/engagement trope - check! Enemies to lovers - check! Loved you since chilhood - check! All of my favorites, by the way. And, of course, a perfect blend of steam, humor and angst. Recommended if, as stated before, you can deal with a fictional manwhore. :)

[Patty ~ Wrapped Up In Reading Book Blog · Rating 4 out of 5]

*****4.5 STARS*****
{ARC Generously Provided by Author}



”One day you were my friend, and then you became something completely different. Because I wanted you. Because even when it was wrong—and you were only seventeen years old—I wanted you.”





It’s been a while since I read a book where the subject of cheating was the main theme of the story. There’s only been one cheater that I rooted for to get the girl in the end but that man definitely deserved a swift kick in the nuts for his infidelities. Lucas Thorne, however, is a "cheater" that will slowly but surely win your heart as you progress through the pages of this thoroughly engaging story. At first, I was thinking this guy is a real douche and there’s no way I’m going to end up liking this book, but as his story is revealed, I started to root for the two main characters to ride off into the sunset together.



Lucas is a very attractive and successful businessman, who has a strong aversion to commitment. He has an ongoing relationship with seven different women, who each see him on separate days of the week, except for Sundays, which is the day of the week he devotes to his older sister. Life is great as far as he’s concerned. He’s got the best sex life with women who know about his arrangements and that there can never be any kind of serious relationship between them. For some reason every woman is fine with this setup and even when they end up choosing to break things off, it always ends amicably. But was Lucas always this cavalier with his interactions with women? It turns out only five years ago, he was engaged to his high school sweetheart, but on the night before the wedding, he was caught in bed with his fiance’s sister. From that moment on, he was deemed a ”cheater”, and it’s why he has never attempted to be in a serious relationship since. He’s about to get a serious wake-up call!





Avery Black has just lost her dream job and she is desperate to find employment because there is no way she wants to be forced to move back into her parent’s house while her evil and conniving sister is still living there. She ends up finding a paid internship. She will be the executive assistant of one of the VPs of the company. Turns out she happens to know her new boss better than most people. Lucas is her boss, but he’s also the douchebag who cheated on her sister, Kayla, the night before their wedding, with her other sister, Brooke. The two have this strong chemistry between them and even though it seems their relationship has turned volatile, you just know this is going to be a hotter than hell enemies-to-lovers romance.

Back in the day, Lucas and Avery were very close. They were best friends. Lucas was always like a big brother to Avery. He was there to wipe her tears whenever someone hurt her feelings. He would offer her advice when she turned to him for help. It wasn’t until she turned seventeen, that he started to see her as more than a little sister. Lucas was battling some intense feelings for Avery, and she was just as into him, if not more. Avery always lived in the shadows of her older sisters. She never thought she measured up to them. She had a huge crush on Lucas and dreamed that he would fall in love with her instead of her older sister. Little did she know that she might have been the only woman that ever truly owned his heart and that the truth about what happened that night before the wedding, had never been what her sister had claimed.








I loved both Lucas and Avery. Lucas was a seriously swoon-worthy and charming Hero. Even with his skewed outlook on his no strings relationships, he was never portrayed as a heartless, cheating whore. The women he spent time with were very different in many ways and he appreciated them for their individuality. What happened in the past severely messed with his head and it becomes clear that it affected him deeply. Avery was a total spitfire and I loved the heated banter between her and Lucas. Even while she claims to hate him, she doesn’t hesitate to come to his defense, which lands them both in an uncomfortable situation with their families. But the heat between these two only intensifies and I was unable to put this book down until I could get to the very last page.



I know there are some of you who don’t read books about cheating, but I hope that you’ll give this one a chance. I promise you, there is so much more to this story! It was angsty, hilarious, and downright steamy!!



CHEATER is currently available!


Amazon US: http://amzn.to/2kXKMz6
Amazon UK: http://amzn.to/2miEZUN

[XxTainaxX Curvy and Nerdy · Rating 4 out of 5]

The title itself is cringe-worthy, right? I told myself that I would make no assumptions and while some parts remained reprehensible to me, others offered some context and perspective. This book takes us out of our comfort zone and I think that's why I could read it objectively. It goes without saying that our hero is flawed. Lucas takes man-whoring to the next level. But he has layers and there's just something about him that made me keep reading. Perhaps the lure of the seemingly irredeemable? Avery was cute, sassy and funny. She has her own heap of flaws but I was rooting for her. The plot is complex, convoluted, and frankly, jacked up, but life is messy as hell. More than anything, it felt like a snapshot of a messy reality and it felt fresh and different for it. So with that said, safety gang friends: THIS IS NOT SAFE FOR YOU. Hero is affianced to the heroine's sister, his middle school/high school sweetheart, when he develops feelings for the heroine. He ends up in bed with a 3rd sister "by mistake" (no sex involved). Years later, he has a woman for every day of the week except Sunday. They all know about one another. Even though he slowly divests himself of his harem as the heroine enters the picture, they do cause much drama. No rape or abuse.

ARC received in exchange for an honest review.

[Shannon · Rating 2 out of 5]

This review will be brutally honest. Our motto is to always be 100% forthcoming about our thoughts on a certain novel, so you want mine? Here you go. Now don't yell at me, even if you don't agree. You know who I love? Rachel Van Dyken. I haven't read her mafia series but the books of hers that I have read are all fun and easy going (except Ruin - I forgot about that one), guaranteed to have you crying from laughter and to keep a huge smile on your face. It's safe to say that when going into Cheater, I expected the same. Even from her first chapter (or in this case a prologue), RVD certainly has one hell of a hook!

Avery is such a little spitfire at the beginning, I really liked her, even early on. In no time she was airing out her thoughts and had no qualms about calling Lucas out on his crap. I love when a heroine can do this.

I did like the deeper side that we saw of Avery. There were a few moments or glimpses when she felt unworthy, or like she wasn't good enough. I really felt for her during these times because really, who can't relate to that? And when it was explained why she felt this way, my heart cracked a little for her.

The humour was quite classic RVD style, but after reading both the Consequence Series and the Matchmaker's Series, it didn't exactly stand up to those. I loved Avery's sense of humour, and Lucas's more so in the beginning, but the rest (a few scenes in particular) that were suppose to be funny (I'm assuming) just felt so fake and flat to me, I almost couldn't believe it. Lucas's parents for instance? I didn't laugh, I was honestly kind of mad.

My biggest overall issue was simply the fact that I didn't believe the relationship between the main characters. I didn't believe it as an enemies to lovers situation, a friends to lovers situation, or even forbidden. None of these tropes added up. I didn't understand or feel chemistry or a pull between them, I didn't find their conversations flirty. I just honestly didn't get that feeling from them which was kind of a disappointment.

I don't know about all the other girls... I mean, I get it, he's a cheater, you learn early on about all of his girlfriends, but when he was developing feelings for Avery again, he just carried on seeing them and talking to them. In front of her. Having her manage his "other" calendar, including his dates. I think this was a big reason as to why I didn't buy Lucas's feelings for Avery. I understand not wanting to hurt her, but even that idea was mentioned offhand and then never again. He just didn't have a good reason for any decision and it was aggravating.

I appreciated that Avery stood up for herself and refused to be one of Lucas's 'Days of the Week', but then she caved so quickly. She went from strong willed and honest to falling into bed with him in a matter of days. Where did her self respect go? She definitely had some at one point.

I wasn’t the girl I used to be—the one he would be willing to give up his serial screwing for. I was like every other girl, like the ones he spent time with during the week—completely and utterly replaceable.
And that hurt.
More than it should have.
Because I’d always come up short when it came to Lucas.

Sort of along this point, the timeline doesn't match up in certain areas of the book (between how much time you're led to believe has passed, mentions of the weekend, a party or dinner or girl on a certain day, etc.). Details like this are so easy to pick up on, I feel like it should've been caught.

“Still possessive, hey, Avery Bug?”
She glanced back at me. “In every way that matters, yes. When a man loves me, he’s going to get all of me, not twenty-four hours.”
Lucky bastard.
Lucky freaking bastard.

I really didn't find this to be believable as a forbidden, enemies to lovers or friends to lovers, which is kind of weird because it should be all three. I didn't get enough hostility for it to be enemies to lovers, didn't get enough flashbacks or memories to believe the friends to lovers, and where it should've been forbidden, it wasn't because the parents were all crazy and weird.

“Please tell me my assumptions are wrong.” I cleared my throat.
“Maybe they are?”
“Tell me you don’t have a woman for every day of the week. Tell me you don’t sleep with them and change them around like you would your socks. Tell me that she didn’t just assume I was . . . FRIDAY!” Her voice rose an octave, grabbing the attention of those at the table next to us.
“You’re wrong.” I grinned.
She let out a rough exhale.
“I sleep with a different girl every day of the week—except Sunday. That’s God’s day.

Just a small side note, but Brooke and Kayla -- Avery's sisters -- pardon my French but they are fucked. Like seriously messed in the head. From how they acted as adults to how they acted during flashbacks when Avery was a teenager, I definitely wouldn't have liked these girls.

Even if a book is lighter and for all intents and purposes - fluff - I still expect it to have some semblance of a solid storyline, but after finishing Cheater, I honestly can't tell you what that would've been. There just seemed to be so much conversation about nothing at all, and focus on the others girls, that the plot felt weak, predictable and underdeveloped.

So all in all, yes, RVD is one of my favourite authors and no, this was not my favourite book of hers by a long shot. And you know what? That's okay. I still love the crap out of her writing. Not every book will work for every reader and that's totally normal. In this case, Cheater didn't really work for me, but it seems to be going over much better for everyone else, so you probably don't have to listen to my ramblings. ;)

2.5 Stars.

*An ARC was received in exchange for an honest review.

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[Jennifer Kyle · Rating 3 out of 5]

2.75 - 3 Stars

*ARC provided by Netgalley in exchange for an honest review*

[astarion's bhaal babe (wingspan matters) · Rating 1 out of 5]

"What is this, middle school?"

Dear fellow readers, I didn't pick that particular quote randomly. I didn't pick it because I found it funny. I picked it because it represents perfectly what and how I feel about this book.
Also, I think this rant- ahem, I mean review, is super rambly and mostly some kind of spoilery, so feel free to ignore it and go straight to the last line.
I'm kinda biased saying this, but I wouldn't miss the chance. It'd be a pity to skip it, coz I really put all the snarkiness I could gather in this rant view, and we all know that sarcasm-driven speeches are always the best.
Anyway, since we're living in a world where sometimes things like these are not clear enough, remember this is my opinion and I've got absolutely nothing against people who liked this book.
After all, variety is the spice of life!



Those of you who are aware of my reading habits, know that NA is not my favorite genre by a long shot, but I don't mind a well-written, sexy and funny one, from time to time.
This one was recommended to me by my mum (I'll get to her later, don't worry), with the premise that it was omg so hilarious and entertaining!!1!1.
After reading it, I think I'll never take one of her recs ever again.
Thanks mum, for ruining the entire reading experience for me.

I'm giving it an extra half a star instead of just one because the writing was actually funny at first, and the author really has a nice sense of humor, but you can only write a limited number of quirky/pseudo funny jokes before said jokes start sounding forced.

Said this, I'll do something I usually don't do when writing reviews: I'll set a list of things I didn't like.
For the list of things I did like instead, you can look into a super massive black hole because they're non-existent.
Or you can ask my dog.
He heard me cursing at this book's awfulness like a sailor for the past 8 hours, after all.

You ready for a wild ride? Because I sure as heck won't hold back.


First of all, the characters.
Lucas Thorn is basically a breeding bull with an apparently golden dick, who, of course, wears business clothes like there's no tomorrow and has, of course, too much confidence. He's got a woman for every day of the week with the excuse that he needs and likes sex, all the time (please kill me). Let's face it, not even the horniest of prepubescent kids would want to fuck like a rabbit or spend time with a lady every single day. It's just out of this world.
And, okay, who am I to judge polyamorous relationships? But this is all a giant and unneccessary iperbole because, there's a lot of poly and very little amorous here.
If that wasn't enough, his girls (which he sometimes affectionately calls by the day of the week they represent) all know about one another and, not only are ready to share with no questions asked said famous and godly golden discostick, they also all worship Lucas like the deity he isn't. Bad guy trope much? You haven't heard the least of it.
You can blame it all on his troubled past (as freaking if!). He's the good guy turned cheater by circumstances (or this is what he'll tell you. I believe all the fault is to put on his ding-dong's weird appetite and his best friend's equally disgusting relationship with the other gender), the one that basically ruins everybody's life when he was 27, by fooling around with his fiancèe's sister the night before the wedding, while being in love with a third, underage one. Here, have a gold star not, you giant creep.
Avery Black, his female counterpart, is just as unsufferable. Firstly, for someone who likes her food and claims to be a proud modern woman, she's the opposite of what a feminist icon should be.
She deceipts other women (especially her sisters!!!), slut and fat-shames Lucas' Week-Chicks (and every other woman who happens to walk by in that moment) without any remorse or shame, and acts like a jealous, immature maniac when things don't go her way.
She's also terribly unprofessional when it comes to her internship (despite repeating ad nauseam how much she needs it to eat and pay her rent), and she's just as bad as Lucas for wanting so bad into her sister's fiancé's pants. Yes, I get it, love is love (even if I have my complaints about theirs in particular), but holy shit, have some freaking respect.


Lucas and Avery's relationship is a joke.
They have zero chemistry. I honestly thought Lucas had more with any one of his other girlfriends (sorry, gals). Damn, even my favorite pair of socks and Harry Styles have more chemistry than thet could ever have.
I believe this also is to blame on the fact that Lucas is portrayed as this dashing playboy keep dreaming while Avery, on the other hand, is basically least sexual MC I've ever encountered in my reading adventures. She's basically still a child or, at least, she acts like one. So not sexy.
The two also keep arguing. Like, all the freaking time. Their conversation are all about snarky remarks and comebacks that should and could be funny and sarcastic but sound shallow, scripted and infinitely childish, instead.
Seriously, these two even managed to argue during sex. And it wasn't the shmexy kind of fight you'd expect in these situations. No, sir. It was just plain boring and off-putting, like watching two chimpanzees fighting over who gets to keep the last banana. Hint: she gets the banana, he gets the melons. I got a headache.
But, according to what the author wants us to perceive from it all, this is what makes their relationship so special and hot. He's, oh, so funny, and she haaaaaaaates him so much for what he did to his sister, but she also likes his chest because he's a hottie and he gropes her like this and she responds like that and lkajsofhahfsaohfoa eeeeeeeeeeeeeh macarena. Sure, Jan. Whatever floats your boat.
Maybe, if they talked more about normal things, in a normal tone, instead of ogling each other's private parts and screaming like goats all the freaking time, it would have been different and better.
Alas, we get to keep the goats and they're not even good for cheese.
The romance is non-existent and so dull it made me yawn-cry/cringe/almost throw my Kindle away, more than once.
AND!!! A and L should learn to control their stalkerish behavior. I still can't believe Lucas turned the Find My Friends and GPS option on, on Avery's phone, and the author wanted us to believe what he did was sweet and obviously to blame on the crush he had.
I'm putting my hands up here and say that all this ranting has nothing to do with me not liking them as charaters. They both objectively and definitely need a lesson in growing up, and take their well-deserved blame with their head down asap. Actually, it kinda make sense now that I write and reason about it. These two terrible people are really made for each other. *places another gold star on both the main characters' foreheads*

Everyone in this book keeps crying.
The main character, her sisters, her friend, moms, dads, baby jesus, santa claus, my eyes for having to read this monstrosity, and so on to infinite and beyond.
I get a few drops from time to time, but we're exaggerating a bit, here.
It's an emotionally confused festival where it seems like everyone's only talent is prop up tears whenever they're needed, and not. Not the kind of event I'd like to attend, and it's a hormonally unstable woman telling you.
I also just remembered a scene where Avery was crying and when Lucas asked her why, she said something like “Because I'm a woman”.
Dude. Duuuuuuude. You're not worthy of your gender badge. *places a final gold star on female MC's mouth but only to stop her from saying other blasphemies*

Speaking of moms and dads...
Both the Blacks and the Thorns stopped speaking to each other the moment the infamous wedding got called off, promptly (and maybe even unjustifiably) putting all the blame on Lucas' magical fife. Okay, I sort of get it. BUT! The moment they realize he and Avery are dating (because, of course, there also is a side of fake-dating), it's like everything is forgotten.
Lucas' parents not only start planning a wedding (another one) with the last Black sister (another one), but his mom even goes as far as to put on a show and then bring the poor girl to a renomate gyno because she's concerned about her downward business.
C-r-e-e-p-y. Must run in the family.
Parents of both families -even the poor Kayla who was abandoned at the altar-, then start acting like personal Avery-Lucas cheerleaders, as if the prospect of a libertine man turned monogamous is more important than the fact that a) he's still the man who, according to everyone, ruined it all; b) they're all adult who behave like kids, and c) all that much intruding in your children's life can't be healthy. Seriously, no one in this story knows the meaning of the word 'boundaries'.
Not to be too direct here, but there's literally a scene where Avercas (that's how I'm going to call them from now on) have inappropriate wild sex in a house full of people, during their fake engagement party, and not only the parents aren't pissed off by the rudeness, they also decide to turn on the music so the guests won't hear it. So thoughtful. Let me just puke a little.

Regarding the cheating part:
I don't condone cheating and it's not my favorite thing to read about, but it's life, and sometimes, it happens, whether we like it or not. So, it's not entirely a problem for me when it comes to my books. What I really can't fathom, is how you can excuse these two fools from literally going behind Avery's sister's back, not once but twice, and have Kayla just be totally okay with it. Sure, she admits Lucas was her first love and they were never really in love, but can you imagine being so passive to something that would irk up a bit even a Tibetan monk? Doesn't it all make you want to throw an itsy bitsy punchy punch in someone's face? Not even a little? I don't know, my friends, this is all a mess.

Now, about the writing.
Like I said at the beginning, I didn't hate it at first. I must be honest and say that I even thought I'd found a new NA author I could go for. Despite the whole megalomaniac, full-naming thing Lucas had going on, I found Avery's hate towards him justifiable and source of hilarious inner monologues. That abruptly changed the moments all this hate suddenly turned into a desperate attraction. It was like the author forgot about this hellish book needing a plot and only focused on cringey dialogues, boring descriprions of people crying, and most importantly, on explaining how brainless both the MC's could become around each other. And not even in a cute way, I may add.
In short, it was like reading bad, self-indulgent fanfiction where everyone roots for the power couple even if said couple sucks, and there's so much drama you could build a castle with it and have it stand up and still during a war.
I mean, you expect a book like this to have its dramatic and angsty moments, just not this many. And not as stupid.
I haven't read any other books by Van Dyken, but if this is the kind of romance she writes about, I'll make sure to stay far away from it. And, again, it has really nothing to do with the fact that NA is not my favorite genre, because there are some NAs I've read that gave me all the best feels in the world. It's just that, for me, this book was unfortunately terrible and a terrible representation of what love should really look like.

A final note to all authors out there:
Nobody -I mean it with all my heart and soul-, no-freaking-body tastes heavenly when shoving their tongue down your throat after they had a bunch of Thai food and coffee for dinner. Nobody. It doesn't matter how hot and cute they are. Nobody. You can love someone all you want, but if their breath smells like Asian spices, shrimp and a venti latte macchiato, you sure won't be calling it heaven. Bearable maybe, but heaven? Puh-lease.
Stop the lie. I'm asking you. Do it for posterity, or at least for your very own credibility.



TLDR: hateful MCs and veeeeeeeeeeery doubious plot.

ACTUAL RATING 1,5/5

[NiCoLeTa E. {Addicted To Books} · Rating 4 out of 5]

***4,5 "Thorn in my side!!!" stars***



“Hating him was difficult. Being attracted to him was inevitable.”

Well, this was an interesting, very crazy, with lots of fun ride!!!
The story was a little bit absurd and the characters crazy as hell, but that was a very enjoyable compination...

I really had fun while i was learning the story of Lucas Thorn and Avery Black!!!

“This is my story.
You will hate it.
You will hate me.”

Lucas Thorn is a cheater.... He didn't born that way but he was made... And everything started when he was caught cheating his future wife with her sister a day before his wedding...

Now, after four years, Lucas is a professional cheater...
No, forget what you are already thinking!!!! His situation is different!!!
He has a girl for every day of week, except Sunday...
Lucas doesn't think that he is cheating on them, since they all know about the others...

His plan is working just fine until the moment Avery Black is coming back in his life...

"I loved it.
The rush.
The feeling of kissing a stranger a few days after breaking off an engagement, a promise of lifetime commitment that never felt quite right.
It was exciting.
Wild.
And the best part?
There was no chance I would hurt anyone—or anyone would hurt me. It was in that moment that I realized I wasn’t the guy who committed—I was the guy . . . who cheated."

Avery Black had bad luck lately, so she desperately needs this internship... She needs money, because she is almost homeless, very hungry and she doesn't want to get back home to start living with her parents in her old room...

But when she is meeting her new boss, she is becoming furious...
Lucas Thorn was the reason for all the hurt in her family, but for her broken heart too...
He was her hero and he turned out a cheater and a big a$$!!!!


"Lucas Thorn was a sickness.
A darkness that never left.
He was a rutting bastard.
He was still— unfortunately— gorgeous."

From that moment, everything turned upside down...
Not only in Lucas's plan, but with his whole life...

Avery and her big mouth is making a big mess for both of them and the things are getting very soon out of hands...
At the same time, they are coming closer and closer and they remember the hows and whys used to bound them all those years before...


"One step forward. A moment when he showed me he was actually a decent human worth saving. Worth loving.
Ten giant steps back."

Which were the reasons who led Lucas in that lifestyle???
Will Avery manage to forgive Lucas for his cheating ways???
Will Lucas deny his absurd ways with his women??? For Avery's sake??? Is it even possible???

Will Avery allow him to get back in her heart??? And with what cost???
How their family react in all this craziness???
Is there a future for them???

"It’s because what we had between us was real. The most real thing I’d ever experienced with anyone.
Only now?
I had nothing holding me back, except for the guilty feeling in the back of my head that told me—even if she gave me her heart, I’d never be able to give her mine. Not when so many other women currently had a piece of it."

I know that Lucas was a real a$$ with this crazy idea of his, but i really liked the guy...

I understood from the first moment that there was a reason for his downfall and i was soooo right!!! But i think that he made a big mistake back then, because he didn't try to explain...
And then, he started the professional cheating!!!! Bahahaha...
This man was gorgeous, sarcastic and very, very funny!!!
I loved how he pressed Avery's buttons and i enjoyed very much the way that he bribed her with food!!!! Bahahaha...


"One day you were my friend, and then you became something completely different. Because I wanted you. Because even when it was wrong... I wanted you."

"But I’d always been selfish—once a cheater, always a cheater, right? Only this time, this time it really did feel wrong.
This felt like cheating.
I wasn’t cheating her.
I was cheating us."

Avery was such an amazing, crazy, sweet, kind and hillarious person!!!
I loved that she was speaking whatever she was thinking without thinking the consequences.... In a way, it was adorable, even though the results were a madness!!!

I liked how she tried to deny her feelings for Lucas by insulting him all the damn time....
But what i enjoyed very much was that she was too easy to be persuaded with food!!!
God, that girl could do anthing for a hamburger!!!! Bahahaha....


"His grin made me weak, so weak that I had to hold on to him for strength. Funny how things come full circle. How he’d always been my rock.
Dependable.
Loving.
And now?
He held all the power. Lucas Thorn . . . could destroy me."

Those two when they were in the same roon was... volative!!!
They argue, fight, push each other to their limits and still the love that they were sharing, it was impossible to hide!!!

They were made for each other!!!

“Because I kissed you, and I knew in that moment that if I could kiss a seventeen-year-old girl... then I was already screwed. In my mind, I was cheating. I was a cheater then, Avery. I’m a cheater now. At least now I admit it. When I was with Kayla . . . all I wanted. Was. You.”

The secondary characters were also.... furiously hillarious!!! Especially Lucas's mother!!! The woman was totally crazy and absurd!!!

The same goes for his rest of the family, as well, for the Blacks!!!!
Those guys were sooo... irrational, but in a funny way!!!

I totally recommend this book for a happy break!!!!
Can't wait for the second book since I'm so curious about how Thacher will mend things with Austin after what he did in the end of this book!!!


***ARC kindly provided from the publisher via NetGalley for the exchange of an honest review***

[Snow · Rating 2 out of 5]

and i tried!
Honest to God i did!

But even if i could look at the plot as a comedy of awkward situations-cause that's how it all started when the main character Lucas Thorn was just one step from marrying Kayla Black, his high school sweetheart BUT instead of doing that, he got smashed drunk and ended up in bed with the oldest sister Brooke, who is an evil psycho, when he was actually "in love" with the third, and the youngest sister Avery.

So since he wasn't man enough to confess the truth, families were destroyed, lives shattered, leaving a lot of people hurt with betrayal and guilt.

So now, Lucas Thorne is living up every man's dirty dream-having a different woman every day on a schedule- it's not cheating cause they all know of each other and they are fine with the agreement/arrangement... (You think?!)

And it works perfectly until Avery walks into his life as his new intern....

Ha! Aint life a bitch?! Nah...they have a second chance at "love" they never had an opportunity to act upon...but, of course there's this love/hate stuff at first, and then she gives in BUT then again she is worried of his manwhoring ways...and would she be enough for him...could they get pass the family members they've hurt in the past so they could have a happy ending?!

I am just sorry you can't see the sarcasm all over my face, right now!!!

This is by far the most disappointing plot i have read recently and even though i have liked so many books by Rachel Van Dyken I would gladly forget this one in an instant.

Not even the funny love/hate banter, or awkwardly funny situations, not even the attraction between the characters could fill out the absence of any emotional attachment or even sympathy towards them...

I simply didnt like any of them...
i absolutely didnt give a fuck for their happy ending, now that they have screwed up mine...

I was intrigued at first, thinking that this would somehow be a case of one man's misunderstood situation and that he 'd prove us all wrong or made it right...but now, I think he shouldn't have bothered...and nor should have I.

*drops mic*


***ARC given by the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review***

[NMmomof4 · Rating 3 out of 5]

3 Stars

Overall Opinion: This was a pretty easy, sexy, funny read. I didn't go in expecting to be blown away, and I wasn't -- so it was good for what it was. It was entertaining, but not too deep and meaningful. Yes this does have cheating, but not in the sense that many readers will assume with that blurb. The prologue is pretty awesome, so you might just get a sample and read it to get a glimpse into what the book is about ;)

Brief Summary of the Storyline: This is Avery and Lucas's story. They've known each other for many years, as Lucas was childhood sweethearts with Avery's older sister. They lost touch after Lucas cheated on her sister the night before their wedding, but are reunited when Avery gets hired to be his assistant. Lucas is pretty messed up because of his past, and now only does no-strings-attached relationships with a new girl for every night of the week. Avery tries really hard to resist the strong feelings she had for him from coming back to life, but she can't fight it for long. There is some family and past drama, some laugh out loud moments, and some sexy times...and they do get a HFN ending.

POV: This alternated between Avery and Lucas's POV.

Overall Pace of Story: Good until the end. Again, the ending felt too abrupt and didn't provide enough time with them as a couple for me. Otherwise, I didn't skim and I thought it flowed well.

Instalove: No, they had residual feelings from their past when the story starts.

H rating: 3 stars. Lucas. He was messed up because of his past, but sometimes he acted like an idiot and I wanted to shake him ;)

h rating: 4 stars. Avery. I liked her. She was funny, sassy, and I felt like she had a good head on her shoulders.

Sadness level: Low, no tissues needed

Push/Pull: Yes The h pushes away because of his past and current relationships. The H pushes back emotionally. The H is the main pursuer of the relationship.

Heat level: Good. They have some good tension, chemistry, and scenes -- but not so much it takes away from the story.

Descriptive sex: Yes

Safe sex: Yes and no Sometimes condoms are mentioned, and sometimes they weren't. I don't remember any mention of H's std status or previous practices (h was a virgin), and the h casually mentioned the possibility of getting on birth control.

OW/OM drama: Yes There are a few OW (including the h's 2 sisters) that cause some drama.

Sex scene with OW or OM: Kind of, but not descriptive There is a scene with the H and OW (before he hooks up with the h) where he mentions that he got the OW off with his hands, and there is a scene where the H is in his office with the blinds closed and afterwards mentioned that the OW gave him a bj. Neither one of these scenes are descriptive.

Cheating: Yes The H cheated on his fiancé emotionally with the h (and kissed the 3rd sister while really drunk and a case of mistaken identity) in the past, and OW kissed him after he hooked up with the h (he didn't kiss back).

Separation: Not really

Possible Triggers: Yes Cheating, virgin h, ~10 year age difference between h and H, and the H is a manwhore before h.

Closure: This didn't have enough closure for me. We hardly had any time at all with them as an official couple. I would call it a HFN ending they do move in together.

How I got it: It was part of my kindle unlimited subscription.

Safety: This one is probably Not Safe for most safety gang readers.

- Does have cheating
- Does have a descriptive sex scene with the H and OW
- Does have both the h and H pushing away
- Does Not have a separation between the h and H
- Does Not have abuse
- Does Not have OTT sad parts
- Does Not have a HEA ending

[Kelly (and the Book Boar) · Rating 3 out of 5]

Find all of my reviews at: http://52bookminimum.blogspot.com/

“This is my story. You will hate it. You will hate me.”



^^^^I thought that was secret porn code for “you will love it and splooge yourself all over everywhere,” but it turns out he kind of wasn’t lying. But what do I know????



The story here is of Lucas Thorn and Avery Black (yay for actual human names!!!!). Lucas and Avery go way back . . . all the way to when they were kids and Lucas was childhood sweethearts and eventually engaged to her sister. A disastrous case of mistaken identity found Lucas en flagrante with yet another sister thus making with a cease and desist of the nuptials and Lucas labeled as he who shall not be named among the members of the Black family. Fastforward several years and Avery discovering her new boss is . . . you guessed it. Lucas. The new Lucas has a different girl for every day of the week in order to make sure he’s never caught “cheating” again – but can all that change when the truth of what actually happened so many years ago finally comes out?

I’ve mentioned before I absolutely adore Rachel Van Dyken. She is an autoclick for me whenever a new release comes out and she writes the best stories. Good characters, so much chemistry, not icky smexytimes. I REALLY appreciated what she tried to do here by writing something fresh rather than following the formula of using one of the handful of tired tropes most porny writers choose. And Lucas and Avery were amazing together. Buuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuut, I just couldn’t get over the used to be engaged to her sister part. I don’t think the family would have ever been able to get over it either. Not to mention the age difference back-in-the-day was kind of at the statutory level so that raised the ol’ hinky meter a bit too. For all of those reasons I just can’t let myself give this more than 3 Stars. I wasn’t offended by anything – it just didn’t work for me and seemed way too unrealistic. I guess I really channeled my inner Ron 2.0 on this one. Someone call the fun police . . . .



ARC provided by NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. Thank you, NetGalley!

[KAS · Rating 4 out of 5]

4 Don't Pre-Judge This Book By It's Title! Stars
 (or it's synopsis)

The prologue drew me in hook, line and sinker! I couldn't wait to find out if what Lucas said was true. He told me straight up, I will hate him and I will laugh. He also told me I will understand.

Is this cheater possibly redeemable? I mean, seriously, the night before his wedding his fiancée finds him in bed with her sister, and he thinks I am going to understand?

Let me tell you, this is one entertaining read. I enjoyed Lucas and Avery's story and discovering why Lucas became a "cheater." I could not put this book down, and the humorous conversations had me in tears laughing.

Manwhore is too endearing of a term for Lucas Thorn these days. He has a different girl in his bed everynight of the week. It is no secret. All the women who come and go know the drill, know the rules, and he will be darned if they are going to make him feel guilty about it. Each knows up front he has an over abundance of women he dates, and if they can't handle it, well too bad. As far as Lucas is concerned, as long as the woman coming into his bed knows the facts upfront, he is not cheating!

Avery Black is so happy to have found a job working directly for the VP of the company, even if it is only temporary, filling in for an employee going on maternity leave. She is shocked and mad as hell when she actually meets her new boss. He is none other than Lucas Thorn, her once hero, and the bastard who cheated on her oldest sister, Kayla, and broke her heart.

It has been four years since Lucas has seen Avery and her family. Four years since the night he got all kinds of drunk and ended up in bed with Brooke, who is the middle, wild child sister. This "incident" changed him for good.

I encourage you to find out for yourself if Lucas is redeemable! I had the best time making up my own mind!

*I received this book, via Netgalley, in exchange for an honest review*

[Vintage · Rating 1 out of 5]

In all fairness to the author, I probably should not have read this as it has one of my least favorite tropes: siblings sharing a lover. No, not a menage, but just a simple transfer of goods so to speak.

The plot's been beaten with a stick, but essentially the H was engaged to one of the older sisters and was found in bed with another sister.

Four years later, the youngest sister starts working for the H who's she had a thing for. The writing style is pithy, humorous and CA and has shades of Wallbanger, Tangled, Playing for Keeps, Hey There, Delilah. You know the style. Unfortunately, I could not get over the parade of tarts that waltz through his office to have sex with him at work, in front of the heroine.

I read it in hopes to be surprised about a turnaround of a manwhore, but he turned too late for me.

[Fre06 Begum · Rating 1 out of 5]

I know the Lucas was no angel but I actually felt more disgust at Avery for pining after a guy that was with her sister. I know her sisters were nasty but for all Avery knew Lucas did cheat on her sister but she still wanted him and I found that incredibly disloyal of her. I can't root for a heroine I have no respect for because at the end of the day Kayla was still her sister (horrible though she was)

[aNneMarLi - Chatterbooks Book Blog · Rating 4 out of 5]

"If they know about it, it's not cheating."

Ooops!Yeah there that line! Can somebody please explain that to me?Is this guy even possible?Does that even exist??? Because WTH! That just screams effing IMPOSSIBLE like hello there AH, I wanna kill you with my bare hands! But then you're kidding right? This is RVD we're talking about and let's face it, she writes the unique plots and story line. So you know what I did Infuriating feeling aside, I devoured CHEATER and lo and behold I.AM.FLAT.OUT.THORNED! Like seriously Thorned by no other than Lucas Thorn. Mine.
Cheater? Or just a manwhore through and through??? Uh..uh..you have to read it because there's no way in hell I'll spoil you so you'll miss all the fun that is Lucas Thorne.

Lucas Thorn was a sickness.
A darkness that never left.
He was a rutting bastard.
He was still— unfortunately— gorgeous.

Gah! This book is just all sorts of "It's not what you think it is". It is a proof of an old adage "Don't judge the book by it's cover" , because seriously there's more to it than just one read of the title and it's blurb. And Lucas Thorne? In as much as I wanted to hate him I just couldn't. He's hard not to fall for. He is irresitible and with his whoring lifestyle? Nah, I wasn't turned off at all. In fact this made the story even more interesting, and when you get to know him you'll definitely change your opinion of him. He's soooo sweet and funny and there's just something in him I cannot figure out but made me fall for him HARD. That fantasy falling in love hard with all hearts in the eyes with just a mere mention of his name and then just to scream out loud because what better way to express when you're Thorned?And then there's Avery, this woman is another story I'm telling you. I was so infuriated with her childish antics I wanna slap her so hard so she'll just shut the hell up. But then thought better because her character trait is another reason why I so wanted to just keep on flipping the pages and made me even cheered her on like "you go girlie!" woman power and all. And in the end, it turned out she's not bad at all. In fact she's one hell of a woman.

And these two together? Perfect chemistry. Their connection is just so strong, those flashbacks years ago even heightened my will to keep on turning the pages because as I read the book, I was so hell bent in solving a mystery. Because seriously, there's more to it than just the blurb.

Indeed, "Cheater is a book that women everywhere will not only understand but cheer for. I dare you to put your big-girl panties on, sit back, and enjoy the ride. Like any good journey...it's never what you expect." ~Audrey Carlan, #1 NYT Bestselling Author. When I write this review, this what comes to my mind and I know I need to quote it. It's the perfect description of Cheater. And that's what I love about RVD, when you read her works, be prepared to get your emotions at stake. It's a crazy roller coaster of of feels. You'll get mad, roll your eyes, scream your heart out but, you'll get to cry with laughter with that full belly laugh and swoon. Yes swoon because it's so hard not to. Trust me!

“You’re a bad habit, Thorn".
An addiction I can’t kick—each kiss gets me drunker than the first, until I lose all sense of right and wrong.”

Overall, Cheater is a light hearted, hilarious, adorable story. I can't wait for you to meet Lucas Thorn and Avery. Add up the crazy family and sure you're in for a treat. Sure,this book got flaws, but it sure is fun to read, entertaining and a page -turner. I enjoyed my reading journey with them. In fact, it's my perfect weekend read!

Buddy reading this with Kcee of
Unbound Book Reviews

[Ilsa Madden-Mills · Rating 5 out of 5]

Love love love this book! Lucas Thorne is amazing and I love the angst!!!! One of my fav reads this year! 5 Stars!

[Jen · Rating 3 out of 5]

3ish Stars

I liked but didn't love it. The "sister's ex" aspect didn't exactly thrill me, but se la vie.

ARC provided by the publisher via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review

[KceeReads · Rating 4 out of 5]

Lucas Thorn -- Company VP, handsome as hell, a gentleman, and... a Cheater.

Many do not understand his lifestyle. 7 different women. 6 days a week. Lucas Thorn's dating habit may make other people frown and cringe but he didn't choose to be a manwhore, the manwhore lifestyle chose him. And it all began that night when he made the biggest mistake that still haunts him after four years.

Avery Black needs an internship as soon as possible because if not, her parents would ask her to live back home with them. Obviously, that's a 22 year old's worst nightmare, yes? Well, her prayers were answered when she landed a job as the assistant of the man she thought was already rotting in hell-- Lucas Thorn.

Avery hates Lucas to the core and the last thing she wants is to be seeing him on a daily basis, but beggars have no right to choose. Lucas may be the last person she'd want to work with, however she's going to be a legit hobo rummaging the trash bins of Seattle if she tries to screw this opportunity up. Will she be able to handle the old feelings that are coming back specially now that the Lucas Thorn standing right in front of her is almost nothing like the man she knew four years ago?



Before I get down to biz, just wanna let y'all know that this is my FIRST EVER Rachel Van Dyken read. Yep, my first... I know. You can go shoot me now. LOL!!

Let's start off with the HERO-- Lucas Thorn. Hmm... I had a love and hate relationship with the dude in the beginning, honestly. Dang, he's a full-fledged jerk in the first few chapters of it. He has different women assigned for every day of the week, except Sunday because that's his version of Sabbath. Okay, I have no issues towards his manwhoring but there's a time when I wanted to kick him right in the nuts because... well... he's a jerk and he says jerk stuff. Though, as I went further in the book and got to know the "real" Lucas-- sweet and thoughtful-- I couldn't help but forgive him and fall in love with him. He's just a man who tried to build a wall around him because well... he was hurt so bad.

All her life, Avery Black has been trying to live up to her older sisters, specially perfect Kayla. But despite all her insecurities, she always tries to show the world her strength and sunshine personality. Avery is such an adorable character. She's very lively and she always speaks her mind. It seems like nothing or no one could break hear, but then Lucas Thorn happened. She takes every given chance to show Lucas how much she despises him. Oh yeah, she hates him that much because of what happened in their past. I love her energy and her honesty. Her lines are so hilarious and she's exactly the heroine this book needs to give it a great balance.



Cheater is a very exciting and funny read all in all. Rachel Van Dyken was able to get me hooked on this book from beginning to end. I felt what I think Van Dyken wants her readers to feel-- to see Lucas Thorn as an abomination to the womankind but also to be VERY intrigued as to why he walks the manwhore path. I was so invested to this book that there was even a point when I wanted to shout at the characters and call them out for doing the opposite of what I was hoping for them to do! Gosh. This book is MAD and it totally drove me nuts.

Also, Lucas and Avery are in a really messed up situation and almost all of the time I was reading, I was worried about how the author will make things better for her characters. Angst in romcom? For reals? YES. FOR REALS. I think Rachel Van Dyken is the ONLY author who made me want to send myself to an asylum while reading a romantic comedy. Whoah!

Crazy hilarious banters that leads to fiery sexual tension, well-balanced character chemistry, and a plot that will drive you insane--may you be a romcom lover or not, CHEATER by Rachel Van Dyken is something you have to go check out!

Now, you ready to get THORNED?


Note: Some of you may be wondering if this book is taboo. Well, let's put it this way... .the book's title is CHEATER but Lucas is more of a manwhore than a cheater, if you know what I mean. His women knows his lifestyle and he doesn't lie to them. Also, it's not like he's in an exclusive relationship, so nope... not really "cheating". The age gap? Lucas is ten years older than the heroine. Their story started when he was 27 and she's 17, that's not very cringe worthy for me, still. What I think will bother some is Lucas's relationship with Avery and her sisters. So there, you have to read the book to find out more..

[Mindy Lou's Book Review · Rating 4 out of 5]

If you haven't been scared off by the title of this book and you're a fan of Rachel Van Dyken's comedic talent, then I think it's safe to say you'll likely enjoy this book. The only reason I even gave a title like this a chance was because of who the author is. I absolutely love romantic comedies and I know the title and blurb can be misleading. I hate cheating. I don't want to read it in my books but even I can admit that I can get past some blurred lines depending on situations.

If you want to know if there is cheating, it's not a cut and dry answer. The famous cheating line "It's not what you think" can be said here. Things are implied that didn't happen but Lucas still goes on a path that many will not like or enjoy reading. I didn't enjoy some of it and had moments were I felt he was acting like a douche and his excuses were weak. However, I never felt he actually cheated. Lucas and Avery are not a couple through most of this book but the feelings are there. This will be enough to bother some readers and it's best if you skip this book.

Rachel's talent to write fun, whitty banter is present in this story. Despite the moments I wanted to slap Lucas, I really enjoyed these two together and it didn't detract from my love of watching these two spark. Besides, Avery slapped him for me on several occasions. :) ARC provided by NetGalley.

[Rejane]

DEFINITELY a ridiculous book: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...


Sister, sister disgusting cheater. LOL
One of them is his fiancée
One of them has a crush on him
He's in love with one of them (not the fiancée
What will this make of him?
He's going to be a brother in law, for sure.
But not because he married the then fiancée
Will he double dip the sisters? Ewwwww

https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...

[Michelle · Rating 4 out of 5]

ARC provided by author in exchange gor an honest review



Cheater by Rachel Van Dyken is a somewhat sweet light and angsty love story. Typically, I tend to stay away from subject matters that deals with cheating since it’s something that my heart and emotions can’t handle but knowing that this is an RVD book, I knew I had to read it no matter what because I know RVD won’t let me down when it comes to her romance books.

Was this a conventional love story? Absolutely not and that’s why I think this book stood out in a way. It had that RVD signature but at the same time RVD pushed a little when it came to our emotions. Yes, there were moments I wanted to hate Lucas but then I was quickly reminded of his charm. You gotta love the fact that RVD can beautifully heart, laughter, tears, and angst into one story. So are you ready to meet Lucas Thorn and discover that he may not be a cheater after all and the only thing that you are cheating is missing out is meeting Lucas and Avery.

[Pam Nelson · Rating 4 out of 5]

4 Cheater Stars

I enjoyed this story more than I thought I would. No not because of the name. Because going in you expect it.

What I didn't expect was to like Lucas as much as I did.
I loved the banter between Lucas and Avery. She is totally funny and a cool chick. Can I please be besties with her?

Lucas, once I got what was really going on. I kind of felt badly for him, he was just misunderstood and needed to protect himself so he did what he thought was best.

Avery too on that she protected herself maybe a little too well. Her food obsession made me so dang hunger! Ha and I have never heard of some of the food mentioned in the book! :-p

I love the scenes with Lucas’s mother they made me laugh so hard.

I enjoyed both narrators but I have to say this Alexanders “female voice” yeah NOT for me at all. I would have rather he just spoke those in his own voice because not for me. Love Lucy performance she is a favorite of mine. :)

If you’re looking for a Rom Com this is totally worth the read.

*You don't have to like my review but its 100% my opinion, and I am allowed to have it.*

[Dali · Rating 5 out of 5]

A laugh out loud, lighthearted, swoony romance about a cheater who doesn’t… cheat?

Everyone thought Lucas Thorn had everything he could possibly want. A winning personality and good looks to go with it, a great career and the perfect fiancée. Why would he jeopardize his seemingly picture perfect life by getting stinking drunk and waking up in his fiancée’s sister’s room? Everyone though it was obvious: he was just too good to be true. Ignoring the pain of that night, he embraced the label and became a cheater, multiple dater. Everyone knows the rules, one girl for each day of the week. That way no one gets hurt, right?

Avery Black doesn’t see it that way and isn’t afraid to let Lucas know. Forced to work for the man she once hero worshiped, was her best friend and her sister’s fiancée she can barely tolerate him. But he holds her work review hostage and needs her to fake a relationship with her for the sake of his parents. Can they ignore the kernel of the deeper than friendship connection that previously existed and intense attraction?

“I glowered down at his perfect face and stupid chest and sexy smile—and I prayed for all his teeth to fall out, except for one. Because then I could call him Toothclops—like Cyclops of teeth!

I’ve heard that laughter is a great form of therapy and I’m all for having a good laugh as often as possible and Rachel Van Dyken provides a real treat with this story that is silly and kind of childish that you can’t help but laugh combined with sweet sexiness.

“It was all Lucas’ fault. Hating him was difficult. Being attracted to him was inevitable.”

Without giving too much away I’ll try to assuage concerns about the book’s title and the hero’s label. Lucas had realized that he was in love with the wrong woman. His fiancée youngest sister. On the eve of their wedding he makes a big mistake and rather than risk hurting anyone else he decides to adopt a no strings attached approach to relationships.

This gets very complicated when four years later Avery starts working for him and gets even more convoluted when they try to hide his nonstandard relationship style from his parents. All sorts of wackiness ensues and I just couldn’t stop laughing because by his own admission, Lucas’ parents are certifiable, just like Avery and himself, both of whom I found endearing.

Dr. Dupper looked between the two of us. “Your hymen is still intact.”
I looked up at Lucas and grinned, suddenly feeling quite pleased with the whole situation when I answered, “Well, he’s really small.”
Dr. Dupper burnt out laughing.

Avery is strong with a sharp tongue and totally adorable. Behind his sometimes crude mouth and arrogance he’s charming and caring, honest and absolutely redeemable. Their banter is quick, witty and yes sometimes silly, and the romance between Avery and Lucas is an interesting mix of cheeky and swoony. And in the words of the notorious Lucas Thorn: I laughed and cried (from laughter) and in the end I understood.

“You’re a bad habit, Thorn… An addiction I can’t kick—each kiss gets me drunker than the first, until I lose all sense of right and wrong.”

Cheater is book #1 in the Curious Liaisons series by Rachel Van Dyken. It is a standalone contemporary romance. Told from both points of view and has a happy ending. Triggers: Lucas did not sleep with his fiancée's sister. He did however kiss Avery who he had fallen in love with. There’s no cheating once hero and heroine get together.

4.5 stars

Amazon -> http://amzn.to/2jNCYyr

* I was given an ARC of this book courtesy of the author via NetGalley and Tasty Book Tours. The excerpts taken are from that copy. *

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[Jacqueline's Reads · Rating 2 out of 5]

2 I PUT WAY TOO MUCH EFFORT STARS

I really didn’t know what to rate this book. I had my highs and lows. I kind of liked it and I kind of hated it. Here is my dilemma …

1.) I LOVE Rachel Van Dyken. I don’t think I’ve rated any of her books lower than 4 stars and that’s including ALL books. I love the funny ones, the mafia ones and the dramatic ones. I love her as a person (I met her at a signing), got totally good vibes, because you never know.

2.) I laughed out loud at some of the parts. I found some of the banter REALLY WITTY. It was A+ writing.


3.) I LOVED the audio narrators. And if I’m being honest I finished the book because of them. I LOVE LOVE both male and female voices. I’m going to add them to my favorite narrator list and stalk them. The male narrator is really deep, but not annoy deep. And the female is perfect. Both acted the book! Yes, narrators can act the book and it was top notch.

Here is the down fall which basically made me hate the book a lot.

I HATED LUCAS THORN

There was NOTHING redeeming about him. Gah, I couldn’t get over him. I tried REALLY REALLY REALLY Hard. I mean, I kept on listening, waiting for the moment something good about him would happen and would change my mind. It NEVER DID.

LUCAS THORN is probably one of the worst leading Heroes I have read in a very long time. I don’t understand why ANY woman with self-respect would be with him other than he has a big dick, he’s rich and he has a big dick.

There are two main reasons why I hated Lucas Thorn

1.) The sisters / cheating / fiancé < -- I’ll explain that in a moment
2.) The 6 or 5 or 7 girls of the week?!

I should have been warned about the title

When I read cheater, I didn’t really believe it was a cheating book because come-on really? It’s a light-hearted book, so it’s not like one of those dramatic cheating books, but yes, this book has cheating. He has a girl every day of the week (except Sunday). He’s a sex addict < -- that’s what I believe. Because NO MAN and I don’t care how much you love sex can have sex that much.

Where does all your time go? You seriously have woman come to your office to have sex? This is so stupid. You have to take them out to dinner, entertain them and for what? To have sex? And you do this every day. Having sex is so exhausting and for what? To have 6 different pussies?

I didn’t get this. I couldn’t find it redeeming and if you think he stops, he doesn’t. He continues doing it for a HUGE portion of the book I think that pissed me off more.

The original plot

Avery has a sister, who Lucas was originally engaged to but Lucas cheats with another sister. HUH? How is this okay? I don’t care how much of an asshole my sister is, you just don’t do that. He cheated on your sister with your other sister. Yeah I know much more is explained, but I couldn’t get over that plot.

I have a sister and I would NEVER touch my brother in law.

So….

I loved the author and I love the narrators, but I had serious problems with the plot of the book.

Listened Free Audio with Kindle Unlimited

[Julia]

What the fuck? This sounds absolutely disgusting. Because the first thing I look for in a man is if he's slept AND cheated on my sister. What kind of mind fuck is this author selling?

[Krissysch · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 Sterne
Zwar etwas vorhersehbar, aber trotzdem sehr unterhaltsam. Der Schreibstil ist gut und die Seiten fliegen nur so dahin. Wer eine leichte Unterhaltung für zwischendurch sucht wird hier fündig.

[TJ *Book Twins Reviews* · Rating 4 out of 5]

I wasn't a fan of the premise of this book or the main character Lucas Thorne. Luckily he grew on me. However, I applaud the author for taking a touchy subject like cheating and turning it into rom-com gold. That's truly where the book excels! I laughed out loud. Oh man, that dinner scene with his parents had me rolling. So while this won't go down as one of my all-time faves, it was certainly entertaining.

Audiobook review: Narrated By Lucy Rivers & Alexander Cendese. Again not my fave, but I was laughing out loud so it didn't really matter. Don't get me wrong. The narrators did a pretty good job. My only issue was the male narrator's imitation of a woman's laugh. Oi vey!

[Emma · Rating 2 out of 5]

There was plenty of banter and a whole lot of chemistry but...I couldn't get over the sister thing. It all seemed so casual. Like why did no one in the family think it was FUCKED up for Avery to get with her sisters ex-fiancé that cheated on her sister with ANOTHER sister!! That's some Jerry Springer shit. I dunno it just made me feel really gross and I couldn't enjoy the story. Truly gutted thought cos this author was beginning to become a favourite of mine :/

An arc was received in exchange for an honest review via Netgalley.

[Alex ♈]

I would have considered to read this book, if the hero was also in love with the granny of his ex-fiancée's uncle and had cheated on her with the cousin of his ex-fiancée's sister's neighbor. But no such luck... I pass then...

[Beeg Panda · Rating 2 out of 5]

About his women:
“Mondays were Molly, because, well, both started with an M, and with so many women in my life, my memory was absolute shit.”

“Tuesdays were either Tabatha or Cary,”

Wednesday: Chelsea.

Thursday: Anna

Friday: Jess

Saturday: Amy

Nadia: “...she was technically a substitute, and I hadn’t decided if I wanted her in the regular lineup.”

And he cares about them:
“...Actually, we don’t have sex every time. If you must know, sometimes they just want to relax and hang out, so I make them dinner, rub their feet, and sometimes just please them.”

Also, what's with the other characters', friends and family included, obsession about him being a cheater cos he sees so many women?? Nonsense. These women know their place in his life. They know the drill.

How is no-one in that book obsessing about him and his women contracting diseases, unless I missed that part where they use barriers between his mouth and their vaginas. Or their mouths and his penis. Gross. I can overlook the no-condom thing in my reads but not in a case like this where he is intimate with different women, multiple times a week.

Regarding the title, he did cheat on his fiancé 4 years ago. He cheated emotionally and he kissed her sister (who is the heroine, btw) but he certainly isn't cheating now. He makes absolutely no promises of fidelity to anyone. Not even the heroine until his weird come-to-Jesus moment at the end of the book, that is.