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Perfect Strangers Ballerina Laura Delgado is just one solo away from a dream job with the New York City Ballet. Then a drunken pas de deux at her cousin's wedding results in the one thing she never wanted--a husband. TV producer Charlie Laughlin may be deliciously kissable, but she needs him offstage now, and out of her life. Perfect Disaster Charlie's ready for marriage and kids, and on the lookout for just the right woman. Laura doesn't fit the bill at all--but Charlie can't stop thinking about the sultry way they moved together. And he can't help but wonder if he can change the gorgeous dancer's mind about leaving Miami with heated kisses that promise as much as they demand . . . Perfect Partners Annulling their sham marriage is all Laura wants--until she gets to New York and realizes that leaving Charlie behind is easier said than done. Can a relationship that began as a hot mistake become the kind of love that will last forever?"

164 pages, Kindle Edition

Published April 17, 2018

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Andie J. Christopher

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Displaying 1 - 24 of 24 reviews
Profile Image for N.G. Peltier.
Author 6 books303 followers
February 27, 2018
As always I liked the character's voice here, and I was glad to see I had less issues with this book than i did with the last one so I definitely think i enjoyed this one the most of the series.

This one has the we got drunk and got married and now we gotta pretend to be fake married trope. I liked that we get a real sense of who Laura and Charlie are when we get their POVs, how they're both struggling with these perceived images of who people think they are versus who they really are!

I basically devoured this book so quickly. i spent most of the day reading when i was supposed to only read a few chapters but i was so engrossed and lemme just say these two when they were together for sexy times, whoo boy hot and steamy alert!!

Both of their families make appearances so we get to see some characters from the past books and i really like Lauren's grandmother just as much, if not more than i did in the previous book. Lola is a trip lol. I almost legit died when Lauren is sneaking in the house after her night with Charlie and boom! her grandmother is up and on the couch making out like a teenager or something lol. i loved that. go granny!! you get it girl! heheh.

Althouuuuugh there was a this thing that Lola did do that i had to side eye her for. i did not approve of her meddling there! >.>

And i will say i wasn't too comfortable with the obviously angry/hate sex Charlie and Laura had when they got to that black moment and it wasn't that it wasn't something both parties wanted but i guess it was supposed to feel uncomfortable ? because Charlie's all up in his feelings and thinking she doesnt want him so this is just a last "fine we're just doing this cuz we need a release but zero feelings are involved here!" I think that was just a it's me thing really. I have nothing against hate sex at all, so i just ..i dunno that's how it made me feel. *shrug*

Another thing, i felt like the blurb was a tad misleading with regards to the New York angle, unless i just read it wrong, i felt like the whole "but she might be going to NY for a great ballet opportunity so we'll never work out" thing that was hanging over their heads was a mere blip. New York didnt happen til close to the end of the book and came off as less of a big deal than they made it out to be. the vibe i got from the blurb was that it was going to be a big problem for them.

Overall i liked this one and am looking forward to more in the series.
Profile Image for Isha Coleman.
9,019 reviews173 followers
April 15, 2018
In a world filled with ballets and call sheets, they weren't looking for romance. Until love found them. Remember that saying about the right person coming into your life at the wrong time? Christopher takes that scenario and runs with it. Before Daylight is the tale of workaholics who meet at a wedding and unknowingly find their forever. The road to happily ever after is full of prideful regret and frustrating choices, but serendipity wins out in the end. Ms. Christopher gets the soul of a romantic. It's not about bleeding hearts or exaggerated happy endings. Love is about finding the ending that's right for you.
Profile Image for Megan.
667 reviews60 followers
March 28, 2018
This book made me feel so many things. Swoony. Angry. Hurt. Weepy. Aggravated. Heartbroken. Hot. Happy. Though I didn't love or agree with everything the characters did, this book made me FEEL. And that's worth a lot.

Laura Delgado is a prima ballerina in Miami. She's been fully focused on her dance career since she was about 8 years old. It's the only thing she's ever really wanted for herself, and she's kept her life regimented and planned in order to obtain her goals. Her family is a hot mess. She's not close to her 2 older brothers. Her dad is a horrible jerk. Her mom is a pill head. Her grandfather defected from Cuba many years before when her mom was young. But her grandmother refused to leave. Now her abuela, Lola, is in Miami as well, and no one is quite sure how to handle her. Laura's cousin Carla got married in Bali a few months before, and she met a guy there. She let herself drink entirely too much and get carried away with him. And apparently, she ended up married. She doesn't remember anything about it, but she knows she needs it annulled. And fast.

Charlie Laughlin is a TV producer, and the son of a Chicago newspaper magnate. He isn't close to his family. His dad is a nightmare, and his 5 brothers all work for their dad in some capacity. Charlie wanted more from his life. He wanted to strike out on his own, and he has. He moved to Miami a few years before after his failed marriage, which was yet another black mark against him with his family. His best friend since college got married in Bali, and he went to the wedding and met an amazing woman. They had too many drinks and apparently he married her. Though he's shocked to find out he got married, he really doesn't want another failed marriage on his record, and he decides to convince her to give their marriage a real chance.

Charlie and Laura had amazing chemistry from the start, but Laura was so prickly, and really fought him on every inch he managed to gain with her. She had this idea of how her life was going to be, and she clung to that idea so hard. To the detriment of everything else. I get that her life growing up was extremely difficult, and she learned to only rely on herself, but at some point you have to grow up and get it together. She was so brittle, and often was just outright mean to Charlie and it broke my heart every time. He really was willing to do anything to make her happy, and it was so painful when he realized that might not be good enough.

I don't want to be one of those readers who loves everything about the hero, but judges the heroine for being "difficult", but it was really hard not feel that way here. Laura was quite unlikable for the first part of the story. And even later, once I understood her better, she still managed to make me want to smack her around. I hated how much she was hurting Charlie, and ultimately herself too, in her quest for self-preservation and the protection of the life she had convinced herself she needed. It hurt to watch her convince herself over and over that she was doing the right thing.

The side characters here were entertaining, especially Laura's abuela, Lola. And the next book has been set up with Laura's older brother Max as the hero. I'm very curious to know more about him, and how he dealt with his family's dysfunction, especially as it differs from how Laura chose to deal with it. This was a good story, but I had such a hard time connecting with Laura. That's clearly my own issue, and as I said before, this book made me feel so much, that it was still overall a win for me. I'm looking forward to the continuation of the series.

ARC provided by Publisher in exchange for an honest review.
Reviewed by Megan from Alpha Book Club
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Profile Image for Lauren loves llamas.
849 reviews109 followers
April 17, 2018
The “oops we got married!” trope can go either way with me, but the blurb sounded so amazing I had to pick up this book. And I am so glad I did! This is a steamy, feels-filled roller coaster, and is so much fun – just make sure you have tissues! While this is part of a series, this is my first book by the author, and I think it worked fine as a standalone.

“She could not fall in love with her husband.”


I absolutely loved Laura. Yes, sometimes I wanted to smack her upside the head, but even then, it was because I wanted to hurry her up to the HEA she deserved. As a 34-year-old prima ballerina in Miami, she’s feeling her age and injuries, but ballet has been everything to her since she was a child. She’s mostly estranged from her parents and older brothers – her dad is an abusive jerk and her miserable mom copes by popping valium. Her grandma, whom her grandfather left behind when he left Cuba with the rest of the family, is now living with her. She copes with all this upheaval as she always has – by being disciplined and controlled and channeling all her emotions into ballet. Before her inevitable retirement, she wants to work with the New York Ballet corps, so staying in Miami is not in her plans. So the last thing she needs is to find out that she got married at her cousin’s wedding in Bali.

“Her entire life up until that point had been about discipline, training, dieting, and taking in criticism. She’d been a changeling at the behest of everyone in her life, and she knew that she could never let anyone know what was underneath her exterior. But there was something about the way he’d looked at her that had penetrated the wall she’d built around herself to avoid the pain of feeling she was never quite good enough, never quite the best. The feeling of his gaze on her skin—the feeling of him really looking at her—lingered along with the imprint of his mouth.”


Charlie is in reality TV, producing a travel show for the just-married cousin. He and Laura met at the wedding, got drunk, and… apparently got married? It’s as much a surprise to him as it was to Laura, though not necessarily an unwanted one. They’ve got a crazy chemistry together, and Charlie isn’t ready to just sign an annulment and say goodbye. Laura just wants it all to go away – the hint of being married could be the death knell to her career – but can Charlie convince her to give their “marriage” a chance?

“’Do you need me to tell you how gorgeous you are?’
She didn’t need that and just raised her eyebrows in response.
‘You don’t need me to tell you that. People tell you how beautiful you are all the time. The issue is that you’re more than beautiful. You’re compelling and a little bit mean. It makes my dick hard when you lift that aristocratic nose at me.’”


The chemistry between Laura and Charlie is off the charts. From their disastrous first date to the big confrontation in Laura’s dressing room, it’s STEAMY. Like, fanning-myself-with-my-Kindle sort of steamy. Laura’s desperate not to acknowledge that she feels anything for Charlie, so she’s an absolute jerk to him, and Charlie loves it. That was surprising to me, but it’s a core dynamic of first building blocks in their relationship, and it worked so freaking well. The push/pull in the relationship was beautiful, and watching them fumbling to figure out how to make it work made me cry several times.

Overall, this was a steamy, feels-laden roller coaster, and I loved every minute. I will definitely be looking up the rest of the books in this series!

I received this book for free from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.
Profile Image for patrick Lorelli.
3,773 reviews38 followers
May 5, 2018
Laura Delgado has been dreaming her whole life for the chance to be the prima ballerina, to do the solo. Now recovering from an injury and finally having that chance and the opportunity to go to New York and dance there as well. Her dreams are all coming apart because some way or another she got married at her cousins wedding. She does not remember getting married but her grandfather is showing her the paperwork. Now chasing down the groom and asking him to sign annulment papers he, Charlie Laughlin does not want to sign but wants to stay married to Laura. He thinks she is the most beautiful women he has ever seen. She agrees to go out to dinner with him one time in order for him to sign the papers. She has a great time and she notices that not only does he focus on her but when a waiter gives her more attention he becomes jealous. Confused by his actions the rest of the story is Laura trying to understand the reason why two people want to be together when all she sees in her life is anger and disappointment, not love. She is confused by Charlie’s words and actions even to the point of when he travels to New York she is confused of what to do. Find out what she does and the reasons for all of her issues with love of the heart. I will say they are some very good scenes that she has with some people that she meets and the words she use are classic, I don’t want to give away the story but she has moments that make up for her confusion. Overall a good book with good characters. I received this book from Netgalley.com I gave it 5 stars. Follow us at www.1rad-readerreviews.com
Profile Image for Kari Hansen.
12.3k reviews92 followers
April 17, 2018
Since Laura was eight years old her goal in life is to not be like her mother which means that she needs to be self sufficient and not depend on anyone. Her drive to ensure this happened her sole focus has been forging her career as a prima ballerina to the exclusion of all else. She never expected that attending her cousins wedding would have her believing that she was married even though alcohol has made the entire experience hazy. For a ballerina she is older, and she believes that if people found out she was married that it would be detrimental to her career, so she wants it annulled quickly and quietly.

Charlie is a TV producer who has been unable to measure up to the demands of his father, so he has chosen to forge his own path. When he finds himself married to Laura he is not disappointed, and he wants their marriage to be real and that starts with not agreeing to sign the annulment papers until they go on a date.

Their feelings for each other impossible to deny but is there any way that Charlie will be able to break through the walls that Laura has built around herself without destroying both of them?

I think that this is my favorite story by this author. Both characters are damaged by their pasts which causes them to strike out to try and protect themselves. The chemistry and emotion between them is fiery and the determination of Charlie to get his girl is inspiring. I voluntarily reviewed an Advanced Reader Copy of this book.
Profile Image for Bella.
1,103 reviews3 followers
February 28, 2018
It was very interesting drunk get married love story. Ballerina Laura and TV producer Charlie met at the wedding get drunk and also married. And, of course, they completely forget that until is time for taxes. So they are both shocked and they both agree in annulment but Charlie cannot forget the passion and how good she felt under him so he insists on a date with her because he really wants to consume his marriage and wife. Circumstances lead them to stay married a while and they really start to live together until it's all too much for Laura. They are both well-developed characters. Charlie is loving loving loving his dirty mouth and he is ready to fight for Laura. She is a very interesting character. The past had her shape in a strong but also a person who is afraid to let anyone in that until Charlie. She surprised me in the end and it was a positive surprise and I liked her even more. I liked that story is unpredictable and you did not know what to expect. And the passion between Laura and Charlie hot hot hot.
I volunteered to review an ARC of this book for Netgelly
Profile Image for Amber.
226 reviews2 followers
April 25, 2018
Charlie is the black sheep in his family, and he has worked hard to make it on his own. On the way, he has made friends that he considers family. When he is at the wedding of two of his closest friends, he meets Laura, who is the cousin of the bride.

As a ballerina, Laura is used to sacrificing her short-term happiness in favor of long term success. Well, except during her cousin Carla’s wedding in the tropics. When she sees Charlie, she decides she needs to let loose a little. Then she finds from her grandfather that she let loose way more than she intended to that night, and now she has a husband!

Even though she is drawn to Charlie, she has big plans for her career. A little thing like marriage can’t derail her! Or can it?

This book is one of a series. I haven’t read the other books in the series, but I think it is well as a stand alone book.
I was asked by the author for an honest review.
Profile Image for Gladys.
14k reviews163 followers
April 14, 2018
A fun story that produces plenty of feels. Charlie and Laura get an inauspicious start with the old get drunk/wake up married plot. These characters and the fight that lays ahead of them to their HEA will be difficult, painful, frustrating, and often annoying. Laura is a ballerina. She is a strong, talented, determined woman that will cut her nose off to spite her face. She blindly clings to her old wants and beliefs regardless of the damage and hurt it causes. Charlie seems like a genuine good guy. He knows he has made mistakes and is trying to do and be better. It was often hard to see the way Laura treated him and not become angry with her stubbornness. You could not deny the attraction and chemistry between them though. In the end it's a entertaining read. I just wish Laura was a bit more likable. I'm posting a totally honest, voluntary review.
Profile Image for Laurie.
1,016 reviews51 followers
April 18, 2018
So freaking sexy and sultry, this book seduced me at word one.

While Laura Delgado is an amazing ballet dancer, it’s a masterful tango that she and Charlie Laughlin are dancing throughout Before Daylight. There is a pull and push that creates enough friction to ignite their amazing chemistry in a glorious blaze.

This book though, AJC turns a phrase like no one’s business and her characters are an absolute reflection of that. Inside and outside of their heads, we get their full measure, even in the corners they may want us to see. At every page turn, it felt as though they were coming to actual life.

Get your hands on this book straightaway. While Mother Nature may be over extending our winter, this book will do more than keep you warm - it will make you downright hot!

Happy reading!!

Profile Image for Heather.
611 reviews11 followers
May 3, 2018
This’s my first book by Andie J. Christopher and I wasn’t too impressed. While the writing was good I just didn’t care for Laura, the female lead. And I couldn’t imagine what Charlie, the male lead, saw in her. The set-up didn’t make sense, either. They are supposed to have met, gotten drunk and gotten married, all in one evening. Neither of them remembers much of the night, and yet when Laura approaches Charlie about it she is on the defensive and blames him. He, meanwhile, having only known her for a night, decides that he’s attracted to her and doesn’t want to end the marriage. Huh? The rest of the book is pretty much Charlie trying to woo Laura, while Laura goes back and forth between wanting to make the marriage work and wanting to cut all ties. It was enough to give me whiplash.
Disclaimer: I received an ARC in exchange for an honest review.
Profile Image for lisa.
2,108 reviews303 followers
Read
August 28, 2018
Break of Day (book 3) was my first Andie J. Christopher book. It didn't work out so well for me as I couldn't connect with the characters at all,

and unfortunately the same thing happened with Before Daylight. The way the conflict was set up is unbelievable to me (so they got married and didn't know they got married???). I don't know if there's some kind of plot twist along the road--surprise!! turns out you're not married after all!!--but I couldn't suspend my belief to continue past a couple of chapters, so the book already lost me from the beginning.

Plus, Laura irritated me from the start, so I was glad to give up on her, LOL. Sorry Charlie, I know I mentioned in my Break of Day review that I'd read your book, but after multiple restarts I just have to give up and DNF.

E-ARC is received thanks to the publisher via Netgalley.
Profile Image for Page Passion .
868 reviews9 followers
November 3, 2025
This book has been on my radar for quite some time. A cute accidentally married book. Laura is the grumpy one and she's a principal ballerina who is at a crossroads in her career but finds her stride. Charlie a reality/travel television producer. They meet at a wedding and though chemsitry is instant, they realize they are married and the novel naviagtes two people trying to make their very different lives work. One thing I can say about this author is every book of hers I've read, you can tell she is someone who loves this genre and the hallmarks that make it so compulsively readable.

What I didn't love about this was the
268 reviews
February 16, 2018
I received a copy of Before Daylight by Andie J. Christopher from the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

I was intrigued initially by the summary and am happy to report that the book did not disappoint!

Yes, the plot was a little predictable and the lead characters, Laura and Charlie, made me want to throw my hands up (or shake them...if I could) at times, but it was a fun read - and a quick read - from start to finish. The banter between the main characters was amusing and actually made me laugh out loud a few times.

I enjoyed reading Before Daylight by Andie J. Christopher and would recommend this book to others.
Profile Image for T. Rosado.
1,922 reviews60 followers
April 21, 2018
4.5 Stars

Before Daylight is an "accidentally married" romance between a man with a less-than-stellar reputation from his younger years and a prima ballerina. Having spent the last years improving his reputation, an accidental marriage and subsequent divorce is not what Charlie needs. If Laura has her way, the marriage will be annulled yesterday. Between interfering family and a growing attraction, the annulment quickly becomes a thing of the past.

This author immediately pulled me in and had me believing the details of this familiar romance trope. That, and I quickly developed a desire to see these two get their HEA. Even with Laura's initial prickly behavior, I was sold on Charlie's connection to her. He, as well as the reader, are able to see past the mask. Simply put, this was a sweetly romantic, sexy, and humorous love story that kept me invested and wanting more. (This is my voluntary and unbiased review of an advanced copy of Before Daylight via Netgalley.)
Profile Image for Leslie Ooten.
989 reviews7 followers
April 19, 2018
I couldn't get into this. I haven't read any of the other books in this series, and it made it really hard to start this one. I felt like I was dropped into the middle of a story already in progress. The writing didn't really flow well for me either. Maybe it gets better as the story goes on, but honestly I couldn't make it past the first couple of chapters.
I voluntarliy reviewed an advanced readers copy of this book.
Profile Image for LB.
119 reviews6 followers
October 30, 2018
I liked the characters and their stories, but the middle of the book dragged and the resolution was too quick. I would have liked more of the character development to happen over the course of the book. Also there were a lot of tortured sentences that I had to read multiple times - in my opinion this book could have used another edit.
Profile Image for Pidabean.
337 reviews10 followers
May 5, 2020
First book I have read from Andie J Christopher. I enjoyed Charlie and Laura's story. Can't wait to read more from
Profile Image for Sara.
850 reviews62 followers
April 9, 2018
Ballerina Laura and tv producer Charlie are, on paper, the worst couple. They can’t even stand being around each other. They’re looking for different things in life and if they didn’t have mutual friends, they’d probably never spend any time together at all. But one drunken night, the two of them apparently decided it would be a good idea to get married. Now, Laura’s gunning for an annulment and Charlie wants to see if they can make this thing work.

If you’ve read Break of Day, you’ll remember tiny spitfire Carla and big, burly photojournalist Jonah. In Before Daylight, Laura is Carla’s cousin and Charlie is Jonah’s best friend. Laura and Charlie actually hook up at Carla and Jonah’s wedding. I was so happy to see Carla and Jonah living happily ever after!

I think that, as a couple, I preferred Carla and Jonah over Laura and Charlie, but that might just be because they were my first. That said, I loved Charlie. Like, if Laura can’t make up her mind over whether she wants to be with him, I would gladly swoop in and steal him away. I think that’s what frustrated me the most -- Laura couldn’t accept that Charlie was a good guy who legitimately wanted to be with her. I get that she had issues because of her parents and her childhood, but I got so fed up with the push and pull. Angsty books aren’t really my thing.

But anyway, Before Daylight is a quick, steamy read that teeters more to the erotic side of romance, but there’s also plenty of other material in there. I fell in love with Charlie and constantly rooted for him and Laura to make it. This is another solid romance from Andie J. Christopher, especially if you’re into angsty couples.

Final rating: 3.5, rounded up to ★★★★☆

I received a free advance copy of Before Daylight from the publisher (via Netgalley) in exchange for my honest review.
Profile Image for J. Critch.
Author 88 books49 followers
May 15, 2018
I love the whole One NIght in South Beach series, but I especially loved Before Daylight. Andie's writing is witty and sexy. Her heroines don't take any crap, and Laura is no different, and I love her for it! Honestly, I was a little nervous about how Charlie would be redeemed after some things he'd done in his past, but I know that I shouldn't have worried. The HEA is a bit of a twist, but it's perfect! Andie is definitely on my auto-buy list! <3
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