Turns out the email I just sent my therapist—wherein I detail my biggest, closest-guarded secrets—did not go to my therapist.
It went to Westcott Durham.
Yes: the Wes Durham, former child star, former teen heartthrob, and current biggest a**hole on either coast. Gorgeous, enraging Wes.
My enemy.
The secrets I just spilled? One that could destroy my career, one that could destroy my relationship with my sister…and one that could destroy me. It was supposed to follow me to the grave. They all were.
Blackmail’s the name of his game. My sentence: eight weeks of hell.
Now he’s making me pretend I like him, all so his has-been music channel (and his bedsheets, I’m sure) will see some traffic from my fans. I can’t say no, even when he makes it clear he’s not pretending, anymore. I think.
I hope.
I hate Wes Durham with almost everything I am.
Whatever’s left…that’s what will get me in trouble.
* * *
Fake Halo is a standalone, full-length romance novel with steamy scenes, an HEA, and no cliffhanger.
Content advisory: sensitive subject matter some readers may not find suitable. Link to more information is provided in the copyright section.
Piper Lennox is the author of New Adult and Contemporary romance novels Darling, All at Once (an Amazon Top 100 Bestseller), Fake Halo, The Midwife's Playlist, and more.
Her books have sexy and broken heroes, feisty heroines, and beautifully real, flawed people falling in out-of-this-world love. For all the tears, there's always laughter, irresistible heat...and, of course, a happily-ever-after worth melting over.
Piper lives in Virginia with her husband, kids, and a Siberian Husky way too smart for his own good. Before she spent her days writing about life and love, she wrote copy for insurance companies. And she will never, ever go back.
I couldn't get enough of Wes & Clara's book. Great characters with lots of chemistry. It was an emotional read at times. I loved it!!! I received a free copy of the book. And am voluntarily leaving my honest opinion.
I voluntarily reviewed a copy of "FAKE HALO" Piper Lennox did a teriffic job writing this very sensitive subject telling the story of this issue Trichotillomania something I've never heard of before and how someone deals with it. Clara has seen therapists for years drying with her secret she send all the information to Dr. Willow Dunes by email wanting to get an appointment with her her phone buzzes thinking it's about her appointment. The text isn't her email address and she freaks when she sees it from non other than Wescott Durham the gorgeous a**hole she had a one night stand with at Masked Masquerade party he knew who she was but she did know it was him at the time. Wes tells Clara they have to meet to talk about her email he could ruin her relationship with her twin sister Georgia, her career, destroy her if he released and of her email with all private thoughts he makes her deal she has be his assistant for 8wks. I love Wes and Clara journey together they are made for each other their chemistry is steaming hot they want each other more than they want to admit there are dark moments but humorous ones as well you don't know if you want to hate Wes or Love him he is so mych more deep inside. I definitely recommend to get this book there might some triggers for some but all in all it was wtitten with loving care the personalities if Clara and Wes were so appealing you couldn't put this book down until finished reading it's a must have for sure it won't disappoint.
I have a thing for rough around the edges, say it like it is, but genuine a d good their core men and man does Piper Lennox know how to write them. Cohen from Darling All At Once has held my top spot for a long time, not just of heroes from Piper Lennox, but like all time favorite, but as much as this may sting I have to give him a little push to the side because Wes Durham is am incredible character. He has all those characteristics that I love. He is rough around the edges and you don't know if you want to kill him or kiss him but as you get to know him you see just how incredible he is.
As for Clara she is just so incredible and I don't usually attach as deeply to female characters. As someone who has OCD although not Trichotillomania, I am so glad to see it represented in a book and to be done so well. I could tell the author tried their best to represent as realistically and as sensitively as possible.
Wes and Clara are exactly who they each need and this is truly a beautiful love story with a ton a chemistry and some great humor to lighten up some of the darker moments in the book. You will fall in love with each and every one of the characters.
I love how the book was full of YouTubers and content creators alike. It is so relevant to today.
This is the start of a new series and if this book is any indication it is going to be amazing.
Seriously I would give this 100 stars if I could. Cannot wait to read more from the Durham boys.
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
There’s a few things I’ve come to expect from a Piper Lennox book. Characters that are flawed and so very real, who’ve experienced some kind of pain or hardship. Overwhelming emotions, from tears to laughter to that tingling warmth in your chest. And a beautiful story that may stay with you long after you’ve finished the book. That’s exactly what I’ve experienced again with this book!
I almost instantly fell for Wes. He’s not a romantic, feeding you flowery prose. He’s gruff, gritty, and real. All his inner musings gave glimpses of who he truly was, and I fell, hard! I knew there was something about his past that was being left unsaid. It made me uneasy because I had a feeling of what it was. My heart broke for Wes after the revelation.
Clara was so easy to like. It was easy to empathize with her. She was doing something she liked with her twin, but basically felt her life wasn’t her own anymore. She had her own secrets and insecurities to live with on a daily basis, not to mention the damage to her self worth.
This book so relevant in an age where almost everyone is a blogger, vlogger, or YouTube sensation. The child star angle gave me a sense of Déjà vu. We’ve all seen those “where are they now” bits about former stars and all the horror stories of child stars and how fame ruined their lives.
I voluntarily reviewed an Advanced Reader Copy of this book.
"So I’m not really afraid of the dark... just whatever might be inside."
I just adore a good enemies-to-lovers romance, and because it's Piper Lennox, it's a GREAT one! Imagine the horror of an e-mail, with all your juicy secrets - secrets that could incriminate you even, falling into the wrong hands. In Clara's case, those hands would be the hands of Wescott Durham. Of all the mistakes to make, why did it have to be HIM? It's not enough that Clara has all these issues, that she NEEDS a therapist, but she discovers her mistake, with his e-mail, clearly meaning to blackmail her. Clara begins by being Wes' "unpaid personal assistant." "Fake Halo," is an enemies-to-lovers, as well as a finding-healing-through-love, kind of romance. Is it possible for Clara and Wes to find their way to a happily-ever-after? There's no doubt about it. Will Piper Lennox make her characters suffer on their journey? There's no doubt about it! There is a warning that there are some issues in the plot that may difficult for sensitive individuals. At times, the story can be quite raw. The author deals with the issues with care, and thoughtfulness. You can expect drama, angst, family trauma, emotional turmoil, difficult decisions, humorous situations, witty banter, snark, steam, and romance. An unforgettable read. I received this book as an ARC from the author, and I volunteered this review.
Clara finishes her super-long list of confessions and sends it off to her new therapist, Dr. Willow Dune’s, inbox. She definitely doesn’t want anyone else to know the tightly-held devastating secrets she had to share with her therapist. But to her complete and total horror, the email instead went to Westcott Durham who now has a powerful tool to ruin her. He texted that he wanted to meet with her about being his assistant for 8 weeks… or else he would share her most private secrets. She knows him and knows this is not an idle threat.
This begins a journey where the reader doesn’t know whether to hate Wes or love him! These two damaged characters have a complex relationship but could be exactly what the other needs. You know their journey will be painful as they struggle with their issues. But it will ultimately be healing too. Who knows her better than her enemy? And especially now that he has all of her secrets at his fingertips. How will he use his newfound discoveries?
This was a good, well-written story with characters who are actually might be perfect for each other. The reader will be taken through some deeply personal information as they work out their trauma. But the author handles everything in a professional way. And having her characters go through this difficult journey can be cathartic.
Enemies to lovers to a love meant to be Fake Halo (Durham Boys Book 1) by Piper Lennox is a very well written romance full of the enemies to lovers angst. Wes and Clara are enemies and Wes is kind of clueless as to why, however, he allows it to fester and even feeds the fire of Clara’s hatred. I found this first book of Piper’s new series very intriguing! Absolutely enjoyed how little revelations turn out to be significant and that in the end, everything these two have gone through becomes profoundly understandable and forgivable. Overall, a very well written book that is as entertaining as it is emotionally provoking. These two characters are perfectly meant to be together with all their flaws - the imperfections complement all their very best qualities. The epilogue is awesome! You will adore the HEA as much as I did! I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily sharing my review.
I liked the story overall. I get down with a good enemies to lovers. I liked each character as individuals-and together-I just felt some parts were unbelievable. (I know-it’s fiction-but a girl can’t help how she FEELS while reading.) I did like the main characters history with each other and the plot of how they were forced back together. I loved the leading ladies quirks-without giving too much away it was the highlight of the book for me to read about her....nope-no spoilers. It was just refreshing to have one who wasn’t the typical bombshell in a lot of romance books. I finished it in one day because it did move quickly and there wasn’t any pointless story fillers or lag for me-and it kept me interested and eager to find out what was gonna happen. I loved the ending-the whole wrap up of everything-it wasn’t rushed and was well delivered! Diving right into book two-now!
Talk about emotions, this story has them all covered. This book exposes something that I've never heard of, Trichotillomania. Clara's world gets turned upside down when an email intended for her therapist is sent to Westcott Durham instead. This gives him the ultimate blackmail weapon and he forces her to become his unpaid assistant for eight weeks. This is an enemy to lovers romance with an abundance of raw emotion. Their chemistry is explosive. No shortage of drama or angst with some humor thrown in. This story will keep you on the edge of your seat and may cause you to lose a little sleep. Well-written in true Piper Lennox style with multi-faced characters and an engaging storyline. Fake Halo is a standalone, full-length romance novel with steamy scenes, an HEA, and no cliffhanger. I read this book as a free arc and voluntarily chose to review it.
I started this book and realized the main characters were IG influencers and I was sort of turned off. I kept reading (I am no quitter) and will never regret it! This book deals with so many different issues...mental health, sexual abuse, reality vs online presence, blackmail, social media just to name a few. It is really powerfully written and truly takes you on this roller coaster with Wes and Clara. And the chemistry between these 2 is off the charts!! I would give it 10 stars if I could. Extremely relevant in 2021, even to a 40 year old mom. Excellent! Read this book, you will not regret it! I read a book every 1 to 2 days, and this is one that will stick with me. Thank you Piper Lennox. You have gained a true fan!!
If it’s one thing fame and Hollywood have taught former child star Wes is that no one does anything for free. So when he accidentally receives Clara’s revealing email he has to decide what he wants to do with it. He decides that she needs to be his “assistant” for two months and then he’ll get rid of it. Easy, right?
If it’s one thing Clara’s learned is to not trust Auto Correct when it comes to sending emails. She thinks she’s sending a revealing email to her therapist but ends up sending it to Wes. Now what? Will she let him blackmail her into “assisting” him? But she’s not the only one with secrets.
I’m looking forward to the rest of the Durham Boys.
Wow what a heartbreaking story it’s an enemies to lover’s story with Cleo and Wes. Cleo sends an email to her therapist it contains all of her secrets but instead of it going to her therapist it accidentally gets sent to Wes Durham. Cleo writes about having sex with him at a masquerade she didn’t know that it was him but Wes had a feeling he knew that it was Cleo so Wes emails her back to meet him at a coffee shop to discuss some business and Cleo wasn’t looking forward to it at all. There is so much going on in this story but that’s all I’m going to give you, it’s a fantastic story and I highly recommend this book it’s definitely well worth the read.
I thought this book was great. I loved the highlight on mental health issues, health issues, and the not so glamorous side of being famous. I liked how we get to really see in Clara the effects of the shame and daily struggle of someone with trich. I also enjoyed seeing the gentler side of Wes and slowly uncovering why he is the way he is. I did enjoy reading the development of their relationship and how much confidence and strength Wes gave Clara. Loved the epilogue too.
Clara is blackmailed into helping Wes after she accidentally emails him his secret. However, she learns that his asshole exterior might just be a front.
There was enough to keep me reading to the end but I just couldn’t really get invested in either of the main characters. Holding secrets and depression can change you so I get that they are not going to be perky happy people, even though Clara’s characters does have that outward persona but it just wasn’t quite believable for Clara and Wes. However, Piper has handled the more sensitive elements of the content quite well.
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
Remember what I ad or post from Facebook convinced me to read this book, but I’m so glad it did. It is heartbreaking in what makes our main characters broken, but it is also a beautiful love story of how they find the right person to help them heal, even if it isn’t fully. Trigger alerts for child trauma and mental/physical illness, but they are handled so beautifully.
This book got an incredibly rare 5 stars from me. It will stay with me for a long time.
This was a great read. It was Wes and Clara’s story. Both has personal issues that they get help from each other. This story was well written and it will keep you interested. This is one of the best love story that I have read. Can’t wait to see what Piper Lennox brings us next. It is too bad you can give only 5 stars this one deserves a whole lot more. I received this as an arc and I am leaving my honest review
What a fabulous love story! We first met Clara in the book When We Break. I'm so glad she got a book. Clara has some secrets she doesnt want anyone to know. One of which is about a disorder she has. Wes is also a person with some problems. Their story has humor, deals with some very tough topics and is full of love. Even if its buried under the characters defenses. Its also a very sexy book. This story is so emotional, deep and an all around great book!
I went into this expecting one thing, with something else being delivered. But not in a bad way. Kind of like extra cheese on a pizza when you didn’t pay for it. I wasn’t sure if I liked Wes at the beginning, but by the end, I was in love with all the facets the made him up. Clara captured me from the beginning, she was just so full of so many human emotions that someone could relate to. I’ll definitely be checking out what else this author puts out.
Twin vloggers, a disenchanted child star, an interfering mother and a sick sister secrets, real life anxieties and lots of humour among the heartbreak. This kinda has it all and I really enjoyed it and I enjoyed it more as I got further into the book itself. It grips you from the start despite not always going where you expect. There are triggers but all are handled brilliantly.
There are spicy parts but the heavy parts out weigh everything else. It’s dark in some parts. I thought this was just about some influencers but it’s not…exactly . It’s not a bad book….its just not what I expected. I don’t care for books that make me sad. I still rated it 4 stars. It deals with some serious mental issues, blackmail, cancer, child sexual abuse, etc….. it’s a lot. My heart absolutely broke for Wes. 😭
Fake Halo is my favorite Piper Lennox book so far. They just keep getting better and better. I love the character and how they were real people and not perfect. I love that they have problems and issues. I think that in books especially romance books, mental health issues get overlooked and are often downplayed into the background or just never included. I thought it was great that Lennox had a main character that has mental health issues and she did it well. She did it in a way that was respectful and didn't just do a vague mention of it. I loved this book and can't wait for the rest of the series.
Fake Halo was a great story, the plot was written well. Piper Lennox did a great on it. Wes and Clara were made for each other, they completed one another. They were drawn to one another, their chemistry was off the charts, it was sexy. They were good together. I enjoyed their journey. This was a great story. Thanks, Piper Lennox. Great work :)
Wow, Wes and Clara are two people that are made for each other. This is a well written book that has engaging characters. The storyline takes twists and turn before Wes and Clara Finally get their HEA and what an HEA it will be.
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
WOW... this story was beautifully written, pulling you in from the beginning and holding tight to the very end and then some. The things these two have been through and going through have made them two of the strongest characters I think I’ve ever read. I wanted to smack them both a few times, found myself crying more then a few times with/for them and smiling like a fool after laughing with them. Piper did an amazing with this story and I really can’t wait for more!! 🖤🖤
Fun fast read, enemies to lovers between a child star and influencer. The heroine is an anxious person strugging w trichomania but (unlike a lot of books about MC w anxiety) it doesn't override the story or her inner monolog.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
This book was good!! Very different from what i normally read!! While it was a good book, it wasn't a favorite for me! I really liked the end the best!! Now I'm wondering about the baby!?!?
This cover is sexy as sin!!! Im a huge fan of piper Lennox , her writing style grabs your attention from the beginning. This book has characters that go from enemies to lovers . well he's an ass and she has baggage. This is a Must read
I know it's pretty common in this genre to make the H into somewhat of a dick so that he can "change" throughout the book. But often, the author makes him into such an asshole, that I don't want to see him get a happy ending. This is one of those books.
I loved the storyline of this book and the way the characters grew together. When Wes character truth came out he fell all the emotions. Everything he dealt with over the years and how he handled it. And I love how Clara was there for him in the end.