Control Freak

Foster's Creek #2

by Jill Westwood

She’s out of options. He suggests a fake relationship.

Jordan didn’t mean to lie to her spoiled sister about having a boyfriend, but somehow that’s exactly what happened. Now she has to find someone to play the part. Maybe one of the guys in the hospital's bachelor auction? Her friend’s cousin? An escort service? Definitely not green-eyed charmer Eli, one of the nurses in the ER where she’s a doctor.

When he’s not working in the hospital, Eli plays the fiddle in a local bluegrass band. The only downside to his band’s growing popularity is an overzealous female fanbase. If only he could convince them he was already taken…

Eli has a plan to solve both their problems–a pretend relationship to fool her family and discourage his obsessed superfans. One thing leads to another and suddenly they’re headed to Cozumel for her sister’s destination wedding. Will the tropical heat ignite the simmering attraction between them or will uptight Dr. Jordan be able to keep control?

Fake datingBachelor auctionFamily dramaWorkplace relationshipWild destination weddingControl Freak is part of the Foster's Creek series and can be read as a standalone rom com.

308 pages, Kindle Edition

Published June 1, 2021

About the author

Jill Westwood is the author of romantic comedies featuring strong women and the sexy men who fall head-over-heels in love with them. She likes her books steamy, smart, and a little bit wacky. Her goal is always to make readers laugh and swoon.

Jill swam in a cenote in Mexico, summited a mountain in Nepal, and touched one of the standing stones in Wales. She now lives in North Carolina with her husband, two children, and the sweetest rescue dog in the world. She's a fan of Tottenham Hotspurs, chai lattes, Star Wars, and Jane Austen. If you can find a connection between these things, you're smarter than she is.

Reviews

[Holly Dimitrie · Rating 5 out of 5]

amazing story, fake relationship, friend to lovers, a wedding and characters that you wish you had friends/co-workers. it has it all.

i read this book as a free ARC and was sooo happy to find it.

[Allie · Rating 5 out of 5]

Control Freak is the fake dating, workplace romance we need. Dr. Jordan’s sister-rivalry-induced lie turns into something more when the hottie nurse at the hospital volunteers to be the date to her little sister’s family engagement party in exchange for Jordan acting as a deterrent against Eli’s superfan stalker.

I really enjoy how the power imbalance has the woman on top while not having it feel seedy or gross as some workplace romances feel. While Jordan is hyperaware of the imbalance Eli hardly acknowledges it. His laid-back nature is the perfect counterpoint to Jordan’s uptight desire to keep her life compartmentalized and orderly.

Even after the agreement is struck despite Jordan thinking it’s a terrible idea due to her very real attraction to the nurse everyone likes she is determined to keep it as professional as possible. Of course, that never works out and the feels hit her hard and heavy.

After nudging, tugging, shifting, and coercing Jordan out of her shell, Eli is the one who gets to be on the receiving end of the big, public gesture which was equal parts adorable and made me cringe (in an I relate to Jordan and this would be pure hell but he’s totally worth it way). Relatable, humorous, and sweet this book hit all of the high points. Plus, FAKE DATING!

I received an advance review copy but thoughts and opinions are my own.

[Lyndi (mibookobsession) · Rating 4 out of 5]

Dr. Jordan Chu is a dedicated ER doc. She's always been determined to keep her professional and personal lives separate. But since she's always at work, there's not much time for dating. She and her sister have always been rivals and when her sister gets engaged and implies that Jordan can't get a date, Jordan lies and says she has a boyfriend. It of options, she makes a deal with a nurse at work. She'll be his fake girlfriend at his next gig playing fiddle with his band, in order for him to avoid his crazy superfan, in exchange for him coming to the family engagement dinner. But trying to keep their relationship professional while pretending to be together blurs the lines and Jordan is afraid what will happen when they both return to work.
Eli was such a sweetie in this book, more laid back and determined to enjoy life, while Jordan is his total opposite, a control freak always worried about her professional image. I hated how she and her family looked down on Eli. I'm glad he decided to follow his dream in the end.
I received a complimentary advance reader copy of this book. The views and opinions expressed in this review are completely my own and given voluntarily.

[Jacquelyn · Rating 5 out of 5]

‘Control Freak’ was funny. Where do I begin? The plot involved a slightly older sister who is an ER doctor and a control freak, a slightly underachiever sister who is an actress, a handsome male nurse who asked the older sister to be his fake date, attending an engagement party, going to the bridal shower, saying, “Yes,” for being the maid of honor, hilarity, attending the destination wedding, getting a massage with the fake date, being on the lookout for an ex who wanted to film his barging in with his entourage, being dissed by the fake date’s father, having a big spat, confiding in a sister, making amends, getting ready for the wedding family circuit, and falling in love.
Moreover, Jordan and Eli, the protagonists, were ideally suited for each other and gushed with chemistry. In addition, I appreciated the author’s vivid descriptions, including imagery, figurative language, humor, and down-to-earth dialogue, which created a lively tone, such as, “If last night’s kisses were like a wine tasting, this is like arriving at an oasis when you’re dying of thirst.” Overall, I liked the amusing narrative.
I received a copy for free and am giving my honest review voluntarily.

[Melissa Carlton · Rating 5 out of 5]

Control Freak vs Love - Love Wins Every Time

Dr. Jordan Chu is a woman who is determined to control everything in her life. So much so, that her coworkers in the ER call her The I've Queen. However, a hospital bachelor auction and the need for a date to her sister's upcoming destination wedding bring her to crossed paths with handsome and talented ER nurse Eli. I love how Eli's laid-back Southern charm slowly breaks down her walls and how, by relaxing into her feelings for him, she becomes an even better version of herself than she thought she could be. This books not only proves that we are not always as much in control as we think, but it proves that finding love with the right person can make our other parts of our lives even more amazing. A truly enjoyable read full of great characters, lots of adventure, and love and laughter with a few surprises thrown in for good measure.

[Ann Tosti · Rating 5 out of 5]

She has to have control or she freaks out. It's part of her identity, so much that she's known as the Ice Queen at work and she's glad for that. So losing control because she likes a guy, one she works with, is totally unacceptable. I enjoyed her finding herself able to have more than work in her life. It was a rough journey for her, but so beautiful to watch. Of course, since it started as fake, but I had a feeling (which was confirmed eventually in the book) that Eli liked her long before she really took notice of him on a personal level, I kept wanting in his head to know when he didn't see the relationship as fake. But, this is a singular POV so we only got to know what was in his head when he finally shared it with her. Overall, it was still fantastic.

*I am leaving an honest and voluntary review after receiving this book as an ARC.

[Suzanne · Rating 4 out of 5]

Fake dating, coworkers, friends to lovers, happy ending. This has it all! Dr. Jordan needs a date to her sister's wedding. She pays for a date at a bachelor's auction and even that falls through. In comes Eli, a nurse she works with in the ER, and steps in to go to a dinner with her if she will "fake" date him for an event. They both agree to the terms and end up attending her sister's wedding in Mexico where they fall in love "for real". There is a lot of drama mixed in between work place drama, family drama, and dating drama. Everything works out perfectly for them.

[Lisa Benison]

Zany Workplace Fake-Dating With Heart!

This was a fun quick workplace fake-dating book that also has an exotic vacation locale, a crazy beach wedding scene, crazed local band fans, a bachelor auction and plenty of heat. That said RN Eli was perfect for uptight MD Jordan, it just took her FOREVER to open her heart and realize it but their journey was a blast. I also liked that they both grew emotionally together and were stronger together. This was the first book I read from this author but it wont'b be the last.

[Jeanne Chepko · Rating 4 out of 5]

Jordan an ER DR and Eli an ER nurse find themselves being fake girlfriend/boyfriend to attend a family event and control a potential fan stalker. Yes, another pretend relationship book, but this was super fun. Crazy family interactions, a wild destination wedding, steamy honest attractions and angst over a workplace relationship keep the pages turning.

Really enjoyed the relationships and the family interactions. Definitely worth the read.

I received a complimentary copy of this book, all opinions in this review are my own.

[Nicole Lisa · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love a rom com, but good ones are hard to find. This is one of the good ones! Westwood takes it up a notch and the over the top scene at the beach is so fun and funny and touching. I love the family stuff and the relationship with the sister, kind of a enemies to friends story line, and of course the romance. Eli is a sweetie (no alphaholes here) and I totally related to Jordan's control tendencies.

[Mary Welter-o'connor · Rating 5 out of 5]

I couldn’t put this one down. The chemistry between the two main characters was wonderful. The family interactions and real life struggles really pulled me in. I felt a definite bond and connection to the characters. I didn’t want the story to end. This story is so high on chemistry that you can feel the sizzle but it not graphic.

I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

[Nati · Rating 4 out of 5]

A funny and adorable story about friendship, love and risking your heart. Jordan and Eli work together in the ER. But she is a very focused doctor and his is a nurse. But she need a boyfriend and he needs a girlfriend. Can they play pretend without getting involved?

[Annie Fitzgerald · Rating 5 out of 5]

Exciting heartfelt story that has you on edge over whether or not the characters use their heads or their hearts. Couldn’t put it down.

I received this book as an arc and am voluntarily leaving a review.

[Jenna Strickland · Rating 2 out of 5]

I loved the first book from this series!! But hard to find anything to like here…I felt no connection from the MC’s, the other characters weren’t interesting either, plot was very kindergarten. Read the first one and stop!

[Bev · Rating 4 out of 5]

Good book!

This was a good book . Great characters and an awesome ending. There were some funny parts and some crazy stuff too. Good book!

[Elvira · Rating 5 out of 5]

I had a great time reading this book it has characters that are good and entertaining.

I received a copy and am voluntarily leaving my honest review.

[Hazel · Rating 5 out of 5]

My Full RTC

[Cara · Rating 3 out of 5]

no serious complaints but my cousin would like this more than me