Charly

by C.L. Rowell, Cindy Cowles

Grandma is leaving her house, her fortune and her pride and joy, Lil’s Sweet Eats, to me—if I’m married before my twenty-fifth birthday and stay married for one year. Only thing is, my birthday is next month and I don’t even have a boyfriend yet. My best friend Max suggests her older half-brother Devlin Marks. He’s in a bit of a bind with a bad group and might be open to making a bit of money in exchange for marrying me. It wouldn’t be quite so awkward if he wasn’t so hot and I hadn’t had a crush on him for forever. So anyway, he says yes and now I have an entire year ahead of me—with him. Can I resist falling in love with him?
A story about second chances and fake marriages. Sometimes you don’t even see what’s right in front of you until you get a second chance.

148 pages, Kindle Edition

Published May 1, 2019

About the author

I'm from Louisiana. Currently trying to escape again ;) I love writing sweet romance stories with a bit of spice. I love to drive...with the music blasting and the bass thumping. I absolutely adore the Oregon coast. I like people but I'm shy...and then you get to know me and wish I'd shut up. If you think you've seen me on here under a different name, you have. I have a main page where I tried (not so successfully) to integrate all of my me's...and then there is my alter-ego who writes A LOT spicier. They're all me. I'm on my friends list, too. Confused? Yeah, me too. :D

Reviews

[Kathleen Bradbury (Bulfon) · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was just an awesome story, it was very well written. The characters were just amazingly described. I loved the storyline, I cannot wait to read more from this author!!

I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.

[LMR · Rating 5 out of 5]

Charly (Love or Money Book 5) By: Cindy Larie Rowell Cowles, aka CL Rowell
Is It''Love or Money' That Brought Them Together, & What Will Keep 'Em From Separating In The END!?!
If you haven't Read a CL Rowell book, then you Really NEED to give HER work a Try. I've been Privileged with the opportunity to read several of Her books, & they NEVER disappoint.
"Charly" has just been BLINDSided...
Hit HARD from outta the Blue,
By the Person "Charly" thought would Always stand by Her SIDE,
And Have Her BACK, Especially When "Charly" is under Attack,
BUT... Now that, that person's GONE...
She Left a Crazy WILL Stipulation for "Charly" to Fill...
Or Else "Charly's" Inheritance... Well, it's Poof!
Liquidated~ ALL GONE...
Sooo Now "Charly's" searching for a Groom,
Before the Clock Strikes, signaling "Charly's" Doom,
Which is when Her BFF suggests Her BROTHER~ "Charly's" Only Crush,
Strikes a Pose as Groom for Hire!
But when the TERMS are Set...
He States He wants MORE than to Play at being FAKE!
However, is it''Love or Money' He's look'n for...
By Marrying "Charly" for a Payday!?!
I rarely give Coveted 5 STAR ratings; they're saved for Books/Items that Outshine, Outclass, & Outperform their competition... They've gotta give me something MORE! CL Rowell's Writing does just THAT quite often, TRULY Winning HER Distinction as a 5 STAR Author for Her Catalogue of Work, Especially for "Charly." Kudos, Ms. Rowell, for your Stellar work!!!!!
I was granted, via B00|{$P®0UT, an ARC of Cindy Larie Rowell Cowles, aka CL Rowell's, "Charly (Love or Money Book 5);" I recommend this book to others based upon its own merits. All opinions expressed within this review are uniquely my own & freely given!
Until next time... Happy Reading!

[Lady Elizabeth · Rating 4 out of 5]

CL Rowell does it again with a quick, sweet but interesting short romance that keeps you reading until the very end.

Charlie's grandmother just passed away and she's set to inherit everything if she marries before she turns 25, the problem is that her birthday is in a month and she doesn't even have a boyfriend. Enters her best friend Max that push her older brother Devlin as a choice to marry Charlie since he needs the money to pay for a loan that could kill him if he didn't settle it soon enough.

The characters were on point, rounded and complete with a small background that was enough to satisfy me and my curiosity about them. I also love that Charlie and Devlin were so into each other because of their own personal high school background that this marriage thing was a no brainer. Charlie's mother was a piece of work, to say the least, and I still want to know about Max's father because... reasons. I hope she gets her own book at some point.

Writing wise I have no complains what so ever. I love CL writing style and how she delivers a great story without problems. I also love the fact that she gives me what I call "the drama", or those needed pushes between scenes when something goes wrong, or the heroine gets in danger without being overly dramatic in a short story.

I would recommend this story to anyone that loves reading about high school crushes that married, for any reason, and got their HEA, not without some problems from outsiders of course.

I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.

[Emily Pennington · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a very simple story line, but the delivery of that story is terrific! I am pre-disposed to love anything with humor, and this book definitely delivers! Maxine and Charly are best friends. Charly is in line for a huge inheritance from her grandmother – her house, a fortune, and a business – but there is a stipulation before it becomes hers. By her 25th birthday, which is fast-approaching, she has to be married and the marriage must last for at least a year. Her mother and step-father want to make sure that she fails at getting her rightful inheritance. Even her death would be a pleasant alternative to the two of them since it would mean additional life insurance money.

In a panic, Charly goes straight to her BFF Maxie to share the news. With only a month to get married – and no boyfriend available – Maxie comes up with the perfect plan. Her half-brother, Devlin Marks, is in need of a large sum of money to pay off a debt. Not only has Charly always crushed on Devlin since their teen years, Devlin has wanted her as well. But does it really have to be pretend?

This was a really good book with a well-paced story line and characters that drew the reader right in. The scheming mother and step-father keep things suspenseful as the reader is not sure if they will succeed in their wicked and greedy scheme. Do the two newlyweds have a real future together? Or will they part company when the stipulated year is up? Grab your copy and find out! It’s a fun trip to Vegas, all the way – and it doesn’t end there!

[Judith · Rating 4 out of 5]

Likeable novel but too short.
This book is rather a short one and thus didn't allow an, as in-depth character development as a longer novel would have. The idea was although not novel but had a starting point. Charly has to get married in a month before her 25th birthday and stay married for a year at least in order to inherit her grandmother's estate. Parallel to the story runs her mother's determination to see Charly fail, so she can inherit instead of her daughter. Charly's best friend's, Max's brother Devlin is the obvious choice for a spur of the moment husband and our trio embark on a cross-country drive to Las Vegas. Some of the dialogue was good and a couple of times I laughed out loud but too much was squeezed into a very small space which let the book down a bit. The author's synopsis is a good one, so I will not repeat it here. Interestingly both Charly and Devlin hide secret feelings of love for each other which makes them quite endearing. They get married and we get the HEA that we as readers expect from a romantic novel. I finished it in less than a day. For me it was too short. The idea had potential which sadly wasn't fully realised . The editing was nevertheless good, so no annoying typos.

I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.

[Jen · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is book five in the Love and Money series, o have not read any previous books in the series and found this one to be a standalone. I enjoyed meeting and reading about Carly and her need to marry by the age of 25 and remain married for one year in order to satofy her Grandma's inheritance rules. Carly is only looking for someone to fulfill the role as a temporary, to gain her inheritance and move on with her life. She recruits her best friend, Max's older brother, Devlin for the job. Seems easy but what happens when feelings start? Those feelings grow? Maybe one year isn't so bad and maybe it's not long enough?
I will now have to work my way backwards through the rest of the series.

I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.

[M Hurford · Rating 5 out of 5]

An Exceptional Novella.
Charly - Love or Money - Book 5, By CL Rowell was wonderfully written by an author who knows her way around novellas. I say that because not every author can write one successfully. Rowell can. Within a few sentences she captures the reader’s interest by telling us the Charly either has to marry within the next thirty days or forfeit the majority of her grandmother’s estate. Then Rowell holds the reader steadfastly throughout the story by telling how Carly’s friend Maxine offers up her half brother Devlin up for marriage and how they go about to make it happen by going on a road trip to Las Vegas. Finally the Author rewards us with a satisfying HEA.
The three main characters in this story, Charly, Max (Maxine), and Devlin are so intertwined and play off each other beautifully. They would be great on stage in a three person play that’s how well their timing/dialogue was written.
In my opinion the minor characters, Charley’s mom, Garrett, Butch, and people they meet along their trip serve as comic relief and do it perfectly with either words or actions.
Lastly, I’m definitely recommending this novella for your reading enjoyment and pleasure. Peace.

I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.

[Tracey Tranter · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book has a great storyline and interesting plot.

Great characters that will keep your interest. The chemistry, sweetness, and twists in plot kept things interesting. Add in drama and steamy passion and you have a good read.

I’m recommend this novella for your reading enjoyment and pleasure. A good way to spend an afternoon

I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.

[Dorothy Scott · Rating 4 out of 5]

Charly must meet certain provisions in order to inherit her Grandmother’s estate and thwart her Mother’s greedy plans. Time is running out for both Charly and Devon, but can they save each other? Love it Money: Charly is a sweet and unusual romance.

I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.

[Patti Barker · Rating 4 out of 5]

GOOD BOOK

I really enjoyed this book. Sometimes when a lot of money is involved people to crazy things. The example mother is a prime of craziness. I'm glad the main characters show their love to one another & followed their heart. Something that should have been done a while ago. Very good read!

I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.

[Ashleigh · Rating 5 out of 5]

I found this to be a superb storyline that grabs you right from the start keeping you engrossed and on edge throughout the whole book!
Great characters that will keep your interest extremely well. The chemistry, sweetness, and twists in plot kept things interesting. Add in drama and steamy passion and you have a good read.

All-in-all, you would not be reading reviews if you were not already intrigued by the blurb, so I will stick with what you need to know:
You will find plenty of toe curling steaminess with a laugh or two along the way, and smile on your face from their happily ever after. No cliffy, no cheating.

I received a copy of this book and am voluntarily leaving a review.

[Jeanne Richardson · Rating 5 out of 5]

I've read several books written by CL Rowell; she has done a great job at writing a good book; she is becoming one of my favorite authors. I can’t wait to read more of books her books.

The story line caught my attention at the very beginning and kept me interested throughout the entire book.

I loved the chemistry between the characters.

I received a free copy of this book via booksprout and I’m voluntarily leaving a review.

[Misty Goan · Rating 5 out of 5]

A wonderful short temporary to permanent marraige romance. A fun romantic read that moves quickly with sexy hot sex scenes and lots of ups and downs and amazing chemistry. Great likeable characters that have great supporting characters. I voluntarily reviewed this ARC.

I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.

[Stephanie · Rating 5 out of 5]

Charly's grandmother has passed away and in her will she says Charly will inherit her house, her money and her confection company sweet eats but only if she is married by her twenty-fifth birthday and be married for a year or more. On finding out she goes to her nest friends house Max's and while they are talking Max's older brother Devlin comes in and they talk him into marrying Charly but its not a stretch as he has had a crush on her since his senior year in high school and so they decide to drive to vegas and upon getting married her mom walks in and slaps Charly and her mom gets arrested for assault and they go to the hotel and consummate their wedding. Seven weeks later she finds our she's pregnant and as they are celebrating her mother walks in and hears and walks right out. On their two year wedding anniversary they are in Dallas opening a new sweet eats and her water breaks and they fly off in a helicopter to deliver their twin daughters what a beautiful story.

I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.

[Caroline Doig · Rating 5 out of 5]

Charly’s Grandmother had passed away and in her will it states that Charly will inherit everything as long as she’s married by her 25th birthday and stays married for 1 year but the problem is that Charly turns 25 next month and she doesn’t have a boyfriend. Charly goes to her best friend Max she tells him what’s going on and he suggests his brother Devlin, when Devlin comes home they talk to him about Charly’s problem and he jumps at the chance because he has had feelings for Charly for a long time. I didn’t like Charly’s mother selfish horrible woman, in the end Charly and Devlin get their HEA and a lot more than what they were expecting. Fantastic story and I highly recommend this book it’s definitely well worth the read.

[Kristi · Rating 5 out of 5]

Charly's grandmother leaves her everything, her house, her bank accounts, all her possessions, the contents of her safe deposit box, and her business. Charly will receive all of this if she is married by the time she is 25. Well the problem is Charly turns 25 in one month and doesn't even have a boyfriend let alone someone to marry. Enter Devlin, her best friend's half brother, who says he will marry her since he's had a crush on her for years. They only need to stay married for one year, it can't be that bad can it? What will happen once they realize the feelings they have for each other are real? A fun, romantic read to sit on the beach and enjoy.

I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.

[Theresa · Rating 4 out of 5]

At the reading of her grandmother's will, Charly finds out that she will inherit the estate only if she is married by her 25th birthday. Her friend talks her half-brother into the marriage. But before he agrees, he tells Charly that he wants a real marriage - intimacy. Charly has been in love with him since she was 16. She soon finds out that he has also loved her since then. Can these two form a lasting relationship? Will they admit their love for each other? I enjoyed the book and would recommend it to other readers.

I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.

[Karen Galloway · Rating 5 out of 5]

A Really Good, Must Read Story

I voluntarily reviewed an arc of this book. This is another really enjoyable book from CL Rowell, I couldn’t put it down. I really liked the well written storyline and the interesting, engaging characters, they really pulled me into their story. it’s a must read, romantic book

[Lucinda · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved this story about Charly and Devlin. It was a really great story with amazing characters. I really enjoyed it and would recommend it to others!

I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.

[Heather W · Rating 4 out of 5]

To claim her inheritance, Charly has to be married before she turns 25 AND stay for married at least year. Her best friend, Max, suggests that Charly makes a deal with Devlin, Max's older brother.

I found this to be well-written with a good storyline. Some interesting twists and family issues come into play, making for a very enjoyable story. The characters are likeable, except the bad ones, of course. This is #5 in the Love or Money series and I would be very interested to read the others to see if they are as good as this one.

I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.

[Sheila · Rating 5 out of 5]

When Charley's grandmother passes away she leaves her home, money and business to Charley that is if she is married by the time she is twenty five which in a month. When she is telling her best friend Max, Devlin her friends half-brother walks in and agrees to marry her since he has had a crush on her since high school. What could go wrong? When real feelings come in to play and some very steamy sex maybe this could last.

I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.

[Brenda Moser · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a well written book with strong likable characters in Charly and Devlin. When she needs a husband to inherit from her Grandmother , Devlin agrees to help. What starts as fake quickly turns real. The story moves quickly with all the ups and downs and the smoking hot sex scenes. The supporting characters help to bring the story around. I loved and highly recommend this book.

I voluntarily reviewed an ARC of this book. All opinions in this review are my own and freely given.

[Rebecca · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved the journey this couple took to get their happy ever after. It was a wonderful story with the perfect amount of love and romance. I voluntarily read and reviewed this book in exchange for a free copy.

[Elvira · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was a great book with how well the characters were developed and engaging with the storyline flowing smoothly. The chemistry between them is strong.

I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.

[Elizabeth McDaniel · Rating 5 out of 5]

What a cute and funny story. I loved the characters and their witty personalities. The story was adventurous and funny and I couldn’t put it down.

I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.

[Barbara · Rating 5 out of 5]

The fifth book in the Love or Money series a story that once I started I was not putting down until I had finished reading. A well written book with a storyline that flows smoothly from page to page, I want to read more in this series. I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.

[Debra · Rating 5 out of 5]

Superbly written, well developed consistent plot, twists, ups and downs, back and forth, off the charts sex scenes, amazingly hot chemistry, good friends, and family issues make this book a masterpiece and one not to miss. This is a must read!

I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.

[Patricia Reynolds · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was a great book. It was well written, flowed well and had a great storyline. A definite must read.

I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.

[BP34 · Rating 5 out of 5]

A cute book featuring Charly and Devlin. Charly had a month to find a husband in order to inherit her grandmother's house, business, and money. Devlin is the half brother of a friend and he's persuaded to help out. It's for only a year, my what could happen. The chemistry begins to sizzle and it doesn't take long for fake to become real. Likable characters and an entertaining story. I read an arc via Booksprout and voluntarily chose to write a review.

[Esha · Rating 5 out of 5]

OMG, what another great read, exciting and a page turner!!! The characters were great and the author really knows how to involve the reader. The pages jump out at the reader.

I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.