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Fake It till You Make It #1
Something Borrowed
Aiden Blake Edwards came to the city to get away from an embarrassing past. He tore himself away from his messed up family to start a whole new life, but starting a new life and being a new person doesn’t come easily and he picked up a few debts along the way, debts that total six-hundred-thousand dollars.
Jasper Van Schermerhorne has a situation that involves marriage and billions of dollars. Technically, he needs to get married so he can access the money his parents have been saving for him since before he was born. There’s one caveat: he doesn’t even have a boyfriend.
So, he does the most natural thing. He holds auditions to find the perfect man to marry and offers to pay a hefty sum of money for the right guy as long as he agrees to a steamy honeymoon.
Aiden’s happy to accept Jasper’s terms and he’s excellent at pretending to be a lover. However, the big problem with pretending is knowing when the script stops and real life starts....
Jasper Van Schermerhorne has a situation that involves marriage and billions of dollars. Technically, he needs to get married so he can access the money his parents have been saving for him since before he was born. There’s one caveat: he doesn’t even have a boyfriend.
So, he does the most natural thing. He holds auditions to find the perfect man to marry and offers to pay a hefty sum of money for the right guy as long as he agrees to a steamy honeymoon.
Aiden’s happy to accept Jasper’s terms and he’s excellent at pretending to be a lover. However, the big problem with pretending is knowing when the script stops and real life starts....
101 pages, ebook
First published April 28, 2018
109 people are currently reading
157 people want to read
About the author
L. Loryn
35 books21 followersL. Loryn enjoys writing gay contemporary romance, romantic suspense, and paranormal romance. With a love for the art of short fiction, L. Loryn crafts beautiful stories that can be devoured in one sitting, but leave you wanting seconds, thirds, and fourths.
L. Loryn has a degree in English with an emphasis on creative writing and has been practicing their craft for over ten years.
When L. Loryn isn't putting pen to paper (or, more appropriately, figures to keyboard), they are binge-watching reality-tv, taking long walks with one of their four dogs, or having a day out with their partner.
L. Loryn has a degree in English with an emphasis on creative writing and has been practicing their craft for over ten years.
When L. Loryn isn't putting pen to paper (or, more appropriately, figures to keyboard), they are binge-watching reality-tv, taking long walks with one of their four dogs, or having a day out with their partner.
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Displaying 1 - 23 of 23 reviews
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May 31, 2019🎁 FREE on Amazon today (5/31/2019)! 🎁
March 21, 2021
First off, did the publisher even read the book before settling on the cover? Yeah, yeah... never judge a book by... so why bother putting a male model on it, hypocrite. Seriously, the smirk belongs to the blond protagonist while the authors go on and on about the dark haired soon-to-be husband's unruly curls. Who's this character grinning at me from the cover? So, as I'm reading, I'm put off by what I'm offered up front with what I get inside. A shame because Loryn do write well.
The book is good... well, most of it. Yeah, as pointed out by some, a variant on Pretty Woman but still a good read... until the end. Then, it's as if the authors went: "Oh, we need to wrap this up, enough already..." And it's tease about a future revenge from a baddie—ooooh, there'll be a continuation? Well, not in the next couple of books in the series, so sucks to be you. And a Deus ex machina story stopper which would put any baroque and classical serious opera to shame. Really?
Now, I'm not sure if I want to read anything else by them if it's all going to be great foreplay then a limp "Ta-dah! when it comes to the big literary "O" the book should deliver.
The book is good... well, most of it. Yeah, as pointed out by some, a variant on Pretty Woman but still a good read... until the end. Then, it's as if the authors went: "Oh, we need to wrap this up, enough already..." And it's tease about a future revenge from a baddie—ooooh, there'll be a continuation? Well, not in the next couple of books in the series, so sucks to be you. And a Deus ex machina story stopper which would put any baroque and classical serious opera to shame. Really?
Now, I'm not sure if I want to read anything else by them if it's all going to be great foreplay then a limp "Ta-dah! when it comes to the big literary "O" the book should deliver.
August 24, 2019
I don't know why this one has such low reviews. I actually really enjoyed the flow of the story, though it does get mired in the "wedding" a bit. The dialogue was interesting, the scenery was vivid, and the pace was good.
I like the premise of the deal for 600k, but i'm not exactly sure what happened to the guy. It, I guess ended pretty well? I love these kinds of books, though. They wrap up pretty squarely and everything seems to button up easily. It was a great way to spend some time reading, TBH. I liked it.
It was like a sappy Christmas Cable Movie but with some steamy scenes that did intrigue the mind. Just my type! Could have stood to see a bit more raunch though, hehehe >:)... I especially would have liked it with the way the characters were described. Jasper definitely needed more *ahem* "screen time" but I have no faults for the book.
I like the premise of the deal for 600k, but i'm not exactly sure what happened to the guy. It, I guess ended pretty well? I love these kinds of books, though. They wrap up pretty squarely and everything seems to button up easily. It was a great way to spend some time reading, TBH. I liked it.
It was like a sappy Christmas Cable Movie but with some steamy scenes that did intrigue the mind. Just my type! Could have stood to see a bit more raunch though, hehehe >:)... I especially would have liked it with the way the characters were described. Jasper definitely needed more *ahem* "screen time" but I have no faults for the book.
August 3, 2019
The plot was simple but well exposed. I loved it up till the end but I was left unsatisfied and confused just about that ending: why the author had to put back the blackmail man on track if the situation has not to be developed? And why he had to show a cheating at just the very end of the story? I thought there will be a second episode but no, I discovered that #2 and #3 book of this series are about totally different characters and not related to this story, so no, I was really disappointed about this, even if the book had interested and intrigued despite the simple plot in it.
August 3, 2019
Couldn't finish this
I couldn't make myself finish this one, despite the fact that it's not even such a long book. It's just that the premise is cliché and the book is so full of clichés that my stomach couldn't take it anymore.
Also, everything happened so fast. They just met and were apparently so in love with each other even their friends noticed. It just left me thinking when and why did this happen.
Finally the whole escorts plot point wasn't my cup of tea. I probably wouldn't have read it at all if I knew (might have missed it in the summary).
I couldn't make myself finish this one, despite the fact that it's not even such a long book. It's just that the premise is cliché and the book is so full of clichés that my stomach couldn't take it anymore.
Also, everything happened so fast. They just met and were apparently so in love with each other even their friends noticed. It just left me thinking when and why did this happen.
Finally the whole escorts plot point wasn't my cup of tea. I probably wouldn't have read it at all if I knew (might have missed it in the summary).
June 14, 2020
Try as they might love just had to get in the way
Aiden was a successful male escort. When his past catches up to him, he finds that he suddenly needs a lot of money. Jasper van Schermerhorne is a very rich man who needs to get married to be able to claim his inheritance. So he sets up interviews for men to become his fake husband for a lot of money. Aiden needs a lot of money and so goes on the interview and gets the job.
Neither man has any intention of becoming involved romantically but fate has other ideas. A fun story with good characters.
Aiden was a successful male escort. When his past catches up to him, he finds that he suddenly needs a lot of money. Jasper van Schermerhorne is a very rich man who needs to get married to be able to claim his inheritance. So he sets up interviews for men to become his fake husband for a lot of money. Aiden needs a lot of money and so goes on the interview and gets the job.
Neither man has any intention of becoming involved romantically but fate has other ideas. A fun story with good characters.
July 6, 2025
3.5 rounded down. The ending was simply too abrupt, and there were too many unresolved plot points to feel really satisfying. I expected something along the lines of _Pretty Woman_, and that isn’t too far off if you discount the fact that weeks of relationship building are boiled down to a few short paragraphs. And then suddenly they’re in love, except one character doesn’t realize that until he’s literally cheating on the other. I actually expected the ending to be a hoax to get our faux Julia Roberts trapped by the bad guys, but no—suddenly in love. The end.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
July 25, 2020
I probably would have given this two stars, but there's a comment by Aiden where he says he "can do the gay" but he "just wants to be himself" and I really should have stopped right there because WTF? I kept reading thinking maybe it would be explained, but, no, it wasn't. And then the story just kept getting worse. I have only myself to blame, but really, this author is on the no thanks list after that.
August 2, 2020
Anticlimactic
The storyline was good and the MCs were well written and likable. However I didnt like how easy it was for Aiden to cheat on Jasper. It was like there was no remorse or second thought. Even after he got the call jasper was in surgery he didn't seem to feel all that bad. I kind of mad me really dislike Aiden. And I disnt care anymore for a happy ending. When it did end it just ended abruptly with Aiden declaring his love. Disappointing.
The storyline was good and the MCs were well written and likable. However I didnt like how easy it was for Aiden to cheat on Jasper. It was like there was no remorse or second thought. Even after he got the call jasper was in surgery he didn't seem to feel all that bad. I kind of mad me really dislike Aiden. And I disnt care anymore for a happy ending. When it did end it just ended abruptly with Aiden declaring his love. Disappointing.
November 21, 2020
Faking it
Two MCs that are interesting, albeit the fake is a bit of a flake, which the author draws well in this novella. Not really much in the way of plot, but the heat level picks up about 60% into the book. The conclusion is abrupt, brief, and lacks the writing skills of earlier.
Two MCs that are interesting, albeit the fake is a bit of a flake, which the author draws well in this novella. Not really much in the way of plot, but the heat level picks up about 60% into the book. The conclusion is abrupt, brief, and lacks the writing skills of earlier.
May 13, 2021
Misses the mark
Nice story idea let down by oddly unemotional writing. Feels very undeveloped -- multiple characters and situations introduced without going anywhere. Potential drama point brought in around 80% of the way through that is then never referenced again, even in thoughts. Overall a miss for me.
Nice story idea let down by oddly unemotional writing. Feels very undeveloped -- multiple characters and situations introduced without going anywhere. Potential drama point brought in around 80% of the way through that is then never referenced again, even in thoughts. Overall a miss for me.
January 20, 2020
Meh
So blah. A “pretty women” style story about “working” man and a wealthy jerk who has to marry to get his inheritance. The characters were hard to like, or even care about. They were very two dimensional and lacked any kind of growth or development.
So blah. A “pretty women” style story about “working” man and a wealthy jerk who has to marry to get his inheritance. The characters were hard to like, or even care about. They were very two dimensional and lacked any kind of growth or development.
July 17, 2020
Love the story, but hated the ending...
If this was a complete book, I would have given it 5 stars. I I loved the plot, characters, and the HEA, but the ending leaves me feeling unfulfilled. Why couldn't it have been a few more chapters?
If this was a complete book, I would have given it 5 stars. I I loved the plot, characters, and the HEA, but the ending leaves me feeling unfulfilled. Why couldn't it have been a few more chapters?
August 24, 2020
great potential...not a lot of development of characters. Too many periphery characters introduced without really telling us anything about them, yet they play huge roles in the MC's lives. If this was a bit longer, with a bit more backstory and development, it could have been really good.
December 4, 2020
Wasn’t great
Had some good points but the ending was rushed and how you go from Charlie’s phone call to Aidan about to sleep with someone else then happen to tell jasper he loves him. Nope!
Had some good points but the ending was rushed and how you go from Charlie’s phone call to Aidan about to sleep with someone else then happen to tell jasper he loves him. Nope!
August 14, 2021
I liked the storyline and the characters. But I thought there should've been more to this story. Did they travel? Adopt? Did Charlie ever cause more issues or Aidan's family? What about Rose and Liam? What good did they so with Jasper's inheritance? I just felt this was cut short.
June 1, 2018
i loved this book. jasper and aiden are so sweet and sexy together. i love this type of set up, where it's arranged but they still fall in love...great book would def recommend.
July 18, 2019
*Nook freebie
I feel like they still had some things to work through past that ending, but it was entertaining
I feel like they still had some things to work through past that ending, but it was entertaining
July 24, 2019
Not a bad novel, but I had problems with some of the progression. Events and feelings happened too fast or just without logical sense. Wouldn’t ever re-read.
April 5, 2020
free from kobo
August 30, 2021
I like this trope
I liked this book. I’d read it again, but I like this trope. The beginning is more polished than the rest of the story.
I liked this book. I’d read it again, but I like this trope. The beginning is more polished than the rest of the story.
October 7, 2024
A very interesting and enjoyable experience it was brilliant 👏
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
June 30, 2018
Enjoyed this short read. Like the characters, shows there could be promise along the road for this series. Not sure if I just got a teaser with one 22 pages but future books I would like a bit more lengthy.
Displaying 1 - 23 of 23 reviews