Pretend to be Yours

Haven Bay #5

by Alexa Rivers

Faith needs a fake boyfriend. Sexy single dad Shane fits the bill, but she can’t help wanting him for real.

Faith St. John is mortified when her matchmaking parents turn up in her small town with a blind date in tow. To make matters worse, her high school sweetheart—who broke her heart and her ego—is trying to push her into giving him another chance.

To convince everyone she has her love life under control, she claims to be dating Shane Walker, the gorgeous local teacher. The trouble is, she’s had a crush on Shane for years, and when he goes along with her plan, it’s hard to remember that their kisses are only for show.

It doesn’t help that Shane’s son isn’t interested in having a stepmother, and his ex is determined to get him back. Can Shane and Faith overcome the odds to find love?

Genres: Romance, Contemporary, Fake Dating, Ebooks, Small Town Romance, Amazon, Contemporary Romance

274 pages, Kindle Edition

Published February 16, 2022

About the author

Alexa Rivers writes about genuine characters living messy, imperfect lives and earning hard-won happily ever afters. Most of her books are set in small towns, and she lives in one of these herself. She shares a house with a neurotic dog and a husband who thinks he’s hilarious.

When she’s not writing, she enjoys traveling, baking, eating too much chocolate, cuddling fluffy animals, drinking excessive amounts of tea, and absorbing herself in fictional worlds.

Reviews

[Elisabete · Rating 3 out of 5]

Solid story. Almost no drama. I liked it.
Ended very abruptly, felt like it was gearing up for more and it was just the end.

[Rebmay · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved the chemistry and connection between Faith and Shane. Both have had their share of heartbreak and romantic disasters that have made them feel insecure about themselves and unworthy of love. The ironic thing is they are both wonderful people who are easy to love and have the biggest hearts. Shane agrees to act as her fake boyfriend in order to ward off the matchmaking efforts of her parents. Neither expected the instant connection and flaring attraction between them. Shane is a single father of two young boys who have been hurt by their overly ambitious and neglectful mother leaving them. He is hesitant to form a relationship with any woman, let alone a woman his boys don’t like. Once he sees how his boys and Faith interact together, that one worry disappears. Soon both want their relationship to be real and admit that to each other. Yet, no relationship is without bumps, mishaps or trouble. Trouble arises with the reappearance of his self absorbed and rather malicious ex. A confused young boy and the insecurities both Shane and Faith still carry add to their problems. Can they really find a happily ever after for themselves? Do they want it enough to let go of the fear and insecurities and fight for it?

The fascinating and realistic characters in this book made it easy to be captivated by their story. I can’t wait to read more books written by this author. I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.

[Jerbanz · Rating 3 out of 5]

A cute and mundane quick read. Nothing too exciting or amazing, but it was enjoyable and easy to breeze through.

I liked that the characters and plot were all constant, the story was well written and flowed cohesively. (When you come across enough poorly written books, it's pleasing to read something that's written well and makes sense all together.)

[Erika · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a story of two people who are trying to avoid their exes. Faith is surprised when her parents show up earlier with a blind date in tow. To get her parents off her back, she plants a big kiss on Shane. He sees how Faith interacts with his sons. They have both had love fail them and do not want to get hurt again. Will they realize that they have real feelings for each other?

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

[Paula · Rating 1 out of 5]

Yeah I don't even know how I finished this. I assume immediately that this was a series because they kept going on and on about other characters and their stories, just no.

[Brenda Moser · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a well written book with strong characters in Shane and Faith. The author does a great job developing their story and building their relationship. She brings a realistic feel in this heartwarming story as she brings them together despite all the obstacles along the way. The story moves fluidly with her descriptive scenes and delivers a wonderful story.

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

[Melly Gem · Rating 4 out of 5]

cute small town romance story.
Shane is a divorcee, father to 2 boys, and a local school teacher. he falls in love with Faith, his babysitter, and local ice cream shop owner.

this story flowed well.
it started as a pretend relationship for a wedding, but it quickly moved along to being real.

there is another woman drama from Shane's ex-wife, but he stays loyal to Faith all along.
not third act breakup or miscommunication issues.

the reason for 4 stars was because the ending seemed a little rushed in. I wanted to see them build the relationship and family dynamic just a little more.
there needed some more details for their back stories. the ongoing drama with Faith and her ex-boyfriend and high school incident went on a little too long for me. it had been years and needed to be let go. I didn't really understand why she thought it was such a big deal to tell Shane about it. since he is a high school teacher, he would be aware of the seriousness of that sort of situation in todays social media world. he of all people would have understood and not judged.
I actually wanted to hear what Mason had to say since it went on for a while, but we didn't get that closure.
speaking of closure, we didn't really get an ending for Diana? did she leave? who was Timothy?

other than those loose ends, it was a quick, easy read, and it was nice to read about slightly older characters who would be thin and perfect.
the hair situation i did question if Faith was a natural red head as the author mentioned early on she had red head but had black eye lashes?? I'm a red head, and my eyelashes are. Would you believe it ... red.. so is faith a fake redhead???

might read more from this author as it was pretty good.

[Sugan · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is the 5th book in the series and so far, my favorite! Faith owns the ice cream shop in Haven Bay. She has made appearances in other Haven Bay books, but now she gets her own story. Faith is a fun, lovable character but because of her admitted, somewhat over the top quirkiness and the way her past relationships have all ended, she decides that she is not the type to settle down and commit to one person. The exception to this thought comes in the form of Shane Walker - single father of two young boys and her secret crush.
I love when a story comes together the way you want it to. The characters that you are supposed to like, you do. The ones that you are not supposed to like, you don’t. The kids are cute, and the other characters add just the right amount of support to round out a truly enjoyable romance.
Alexa Rivers had a fun way of using a bit of "role reversal" in this story that I thoroughly enjoyed. The attributes that are so often associated with the male role, are what make Faith so endearing: "It's been years since HE'S had sex".... "Shane told Faith that SHE liked to flirt with the tourists"... FAITH was always the one calling people "gorgeous" and other affectionate nicknames... These just added to a wonderfully entertaining and well written story of second chances and of course a happily ever after.
I would recommend this, and all of the Haven Bay books.
I received and ARC for an honest review.

[Connie · Rating 5 out of 5]

I received a complimentary copy of this book and I am voluntarily reviewing it.

This was my first visit to Haven Bay New Zealand. The people are warm, loving and protective of their own. I adored the main and secondary characters (especially Hunter, Shane Walker's youngest son.) It was refreshing to see the typical stereo-type being in reverse here.

Shane is a teacher and a single father. His ex-wife abandoned him and their two sons for the flash of fame, fortune and glamour of Hollywood. He hasn't dated in years since his ex-wife left. Faith St. John, on the other hand is loud, boisterous and flirty. She has had some affairs with single men. She was humiliated while in high school due to a bad decision and placing her trust in with the wrong person.

This was an enchanting book-cation for me. As the story takes place in New Zealand, there were several words that I had to look up to see what they were. I love being able to learn new things. It really is like going on vacation but not leaving my comfy couch!!!!

There were some scenes that were so touching and heart-wrenching, some funny and some sexy ones (but not it too great of detail!) I so enjoyed this story that I really have to go back and visit it again but from the beginning. I hope there are more stories from Haven Bay in the future as I would like to re-visit again and again.

[Donise · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book was a fun read about a single father and his friend who babysits for him. The book opens with Faith babysitting Shane's boys while he is out playing poker with the guys and her mom calls her informing Faith that they are in town a week early. Faith invites her parents over to where she is babysitting and gets a rude surprise when they show up with a strange man in tow. A man that her mother thinks will be perfect for Faith and can be Faith's plus one at her cousin's wedding. Talk about awkward especially when they will all be staying with Faith at her house. Faith has to decide on a quick course of action, so she claims that she and Shane are dating and hopes that Shane will play along when he arrives home to find a house full.
Shane doesn't mind helping Faith as he has had feelings for her for a long time, he has just never felt worthy enough to act on them. He would also love it if their fake relationship could become a real one, however his oldest son does not feel the same way. Things also not helped by the sudden reappearance of Shane's ex-wife and between her shenanigans and those of Shane's kids life gets very interesting. Plus, perhaps all the attraction that Shane feels isn't just his. I know that you will love this story and the way that it ends.
I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

[Nina Diab · Rating 5 out of 5]

What a great story! I love fake relationship stories and always grab them whenever I find them. It's always interesting to see how they play out and the reasonings for the fake relationship in the first place. Faith and Shane are such wonderful characters. Both are attracted to each other but never did anything about it. The catalyst here is Faith's parents coming to visit early, along with a blind date that want her to take to her cousin's wedding. Not liking the way the guy ogled her, nor wanting to be stuck with him for the week her parents were staying, she immediately said she was dating someone and turned to kiss Shane, who had just gotten home. Shane is a single dad, and Faith babysits his two kids. He doesn't expect the sudden kiss but plays along until they leave. She explains the situation and begs him to be her fake boyfriend for the week and go with her to the wedding, to which he agrees in exchange for some free babysitting. Great chemistry and attraction between these two. Add in Faith's ex boyfriend and Shane's ex wife, and an upset son, and you have some more drama. A fun read. I enjoyed it. 5 stars.

[Emily Pennington · Rating 5 out of 5]

Faith and Shane's Story . . .

This is a wonderful story line with lots of obstacles to be overcome. It makes for an intriguing read since the reader doesn’t know what to expect next.

When Faith’s parents show up and bring along a blind date for her, she is ready to put up some resistance. Then her ex comes along and wants a second chance! Before things get even worse, she realizes she needs a fake boyfriend to keep everyone at arm’s length for now! And she has an idea!

Faith has been babysitting Shane Walker’s sons. He would be the perfect fake boyfriend. She doesn’t realize that he has been crushing on her but never felt she would be interested so he didn’t say anything. Now that he’s her fake boyfriend, those “fake” kisses have obviously become more intense and he wants more from their relationship. He wants it to be real. Is he willing to risk his heart and tell her how he feels? Is she ready to have a true relationship with Shane? And are they willing to deal with the annoying interferences that keep trying to push them apart?

[Katja · Rating 4 out of 5]

Faith's parents are trying to matchmake her so she latches on Shane, a single dad she's been babysitting for, to be her fake boyfriend. Both Shane and Faith have self esteem issues and problems believing the other one could want it to be real. His older son is suspicious of her, because he wants his parents to get back together. When she hears about Faith, Diana, his ex comes back to New Zealand from Hollywood and starts stirring trouble.

This was a well edited nice read with some sexual content. Diana comes across as a cartoon villainess with absolutely no redeeming qualities. Jealousy and mindgames about custody are one thing but getting up and making a spiteful public statement about a young girl's sexual humiliation on front of several children listening was a bit much I thought. She's have been smarter than that and spread the rumor more privately.

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

[Maria · Rating 5 out of 5]

Love this story! This is about Faith and Shane. Faith is surprised by her parents while she is babysitting Shane’s boys, by coming to visit a week earlier than she expected, but not only that they brought an unexpected guest. When she meets this unexpected guest, she realizes that her parents were trying to make sure she had a date for the upcoming family wedding as her ex was going to be there. She was not having any of it and decided then to kiss Shane when he walked into the door and what a greeting he received. Well, this is not only about a week’s work of pretending as his ex-wife also showed up but there was more to this than ex’s involved there are two kids that added a great deal to the story. I love Betty in this story and can’t wait to read more about her as she is a hoot. I love how the story turned out and can’t wait to read more of this small town.

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

[Silvia · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wow! I’m a sucker for a character that doesn’t know their worth, and this amazing book had two!
Faith went through something awful, but she’s back to being confident in her skin! I loved that she made no apologies for the choices she’s made in her personal life! My heart did break for her a few times, though, when a particular incident was brought back up.
I loved Shane! He not only kept himself together, but he raised two young boys on his own. He had moments of awkwardness that I found completely endearing. I loved how he saw and treated Faith.
Diana is one of those characters that’s impossible to like. There’s not one redeeming quality in her.
Hunter and Dylan slayed me! Hunter was just such a shy, sweet boy. And Dylan had moments that made me cringe, even though I could understand what he was thinking. But it was near the end when he was so obviously upset by what had happened with Diana that broke my heart.
I voluntarily reviewed an Advance Reader Copy of this book.

[Korkoi · Rating 5 out of 5]

Turning An Opportunity Into Forever -
Shane had been crushing on Faith for a while, but his insecurities borne from his divorce, made it difficult for him to make Faith aware of it. Faith also had a crush on Shane, so she was really elated when she got the opportunity to pretend to be his girlfriend. What was meant to be pretend, started becoming real when Shane’s past returned and reeked havoc on them, which brought them closer to each other.

The story was really interesting and worthy of being made into a movie. In addition, the description of the people, location and life in this fictional small town in New Zealand, made me want to move there or at least visit the town. It was a definite must read book.

I received an advanced copy of this book from Booksprout and I am voluntarily leaving a review.

[Jean · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is book five in The Haven Bay series and it is Faith and Shane's story. The characters and storyline pulled you in right from the start and kept your attention throughout the whole book and I couldn't put it down as it was a real page turner and so addictive. Faith and Shane were attracted to each other as they have been in each other's lives for several years and she was his children's sitter but as they both have there own problems and personal issue's thing's are not easy but they are so perfect for each other and you find yourself hoping that they can sort everything out and take a chance on being together and having a happy ending. I definitely recommend you read this book and other's by Alexa Rivers who is a brilliant author and writer and her books are definitely worth reading.

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

[KL Cassanello · Rating 5 out of 5]

Faith needs a fake boyfriend - quick! - and blurts out the first name that comes to mind. Shane. When his ex-wife shows up nearly four years after ghosting the family, he needs a fake girlfriend - quick! Fortunately, they've already got the fake thing down pat. This is the latest book in the Haven Bay series, and it is terrific! Faith and Shane go from friends to the "fakey thing" to a real relationship, and it wasn't always a pretty trip. The ex and her threats, Faith's parents and their matchmaking idea, Shane's son's issues with Faith... Everything seems so much more important than how Shane and Faith feel about each other. I loved this book, reading about the new romance while catching up with old friends in Haven Bay. I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.

[Fleur · Rating 4 out of 5]

I so looked forward to Faith's story as I just loved her personality and especially the way she made sure she would remember people names who came to her store. Thank gawd her parents came to town early with a surprise for her or who knows how long or if ever she and Shane would have ever acted on how they feel for each other. While I loved Faith and Shane along with his sons Hunter and Dylan, I loathed Shane's ex and the boys mother Diana, I totally agreed with Shane's sisters assessment of Diana. The fact both Faith and Shane have confidence issues was sweet and refreshing while what they have both been through by people who they were meant to be able to trust. You get great characters, plenty of laughs, see familiar faces as well as heart ache, betrayal and romance that makes you happy.

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

[Judy Gittleson Hendrickson · Rating 5 out of 5]

Shane and Faith have know each other for a while and she starts to babysit his boys on the night he plays poker with friends. As a wedding on her side comes up, she asks him to be her date as her folks embarrass her by bringing a date for her. Afterward, he asks her to continue when his monster of an ex shows up after quite a few years. The obnoxious ex says things that almost destroy everything but real family stands tall and proud. The characters are terrific, with great feeling and emotion. The storyline is a roller coaster ride of situations, miscommunication, secrets, betrayals, two adorable boys, and romance. Loved the way family came together at the end, to even include a sister. Beautifully done.

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

[Ash Juillet · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was great! I adored the way Faith and Shane got together and how much he already cared for her and wanted her. Great work on the babysitter/single dad trope. I honestly didn't like Dylan that much, but I could sympathize with him wanting his parents back together.

The only thing about this book that didn't work for me but might work for other readers was that Faith kept on comparing Shane to a younger Mark Ruffalo as a hot absentminded professor. Now, don't get me wrong. I love Mark Ruffalo, he's amazing, he's handsome, but he's...adorable. I personally wouldn't call him hot like Faith kept on calling Shane, so I just couldn't manage to fall in love with his physical description. I did love Shane and how wonderful he was with his children. Like I said, I would consider Shane adorable instead of hot.

[Aja🐼✨ · Rating 4 out of 5]

ARC REVIEW

Rating: 4 out of 5 stars

After just finishing reading Haven Bay Book #4, If Only You Knew, I struggled wanting to keep reading more about the characters from the series. It took quite some time before I was really gripped with the love story of Faith and Shane, but I am so relieved that Pretend to be Yours is way better than the previous one.

Featuring one of my favorite tropes, fake dating, when her parents bring a guy to be her blind date out of the blue and an ex-boyfriend looking to gain a second chance, Faith is forced to ask Shane, the single dad she babysits for, to be her pretend boyfriend.


Pretend to be Yours gives us all our favorite tropes rolled into a fun and sweet read. Fake dating, a hot single dad, a sweet foodie fmc, and a whole lot of drama. You won’t regret picking this up.

[Shebb · Rating 5 out of 5]

"Yippee!" to another great Haven Bay instalment.

Having read the entire series, I've been looking forward to Shane's story in particular, and Faith certainly intrigued me since book 1 (especially in "If Only You Knew").

I enjoyed getting more of Shane's back story, and as a mum, found the interactions with his children rather adorable and believable... especially when it came to the moody pre-teen. 🙊😂

The chemistry between Shane and Faith was delicious, their individual misconceptions about themselves adding great tension to the story.

Ms Rivers also has a way of writing characters I love to hate. 🤣 Ugh! Great antagonist! Well done making your characters suffer enough to bind them closer too. 😍

NB I received an ARC of this novel.

[Marie Bourgery]

It was horrible what happened to Faith in high school and that she still has it thrown in her face by her self serving ex and Shane’s selfish ex. She pretends to date Shane because her parents are trying to set her up with someone else. Soon their secret feelings for each other are out in the open, but they still have insecurities and family issues to deal with. Shane’s ex was a piece of work, abandoning her kids for fame, only coming back when he’s found someone else. Poor Dylan just wanted her love, but she shows her true colors in this book. Young Hunter was precocious in his shy lovable way. I love all the creative flavors of ice cream Faith came up with for her shop. It was nice to catch up with the characters from the previous books in the series.

[Kay Thomas · Rating 5 out of 5]

I voluntarily am reviewing this lovely Haven Bay novel about Shane, a single dad, and Faith, who owns an ice cream shop where she creates incredible flavors. She has babysat the boys and developed a good relationship with them, but along the way she also developed a real thing for Shane. She needs a date for a wedding, and he offers to be her fake boyfriend. Her parents were fixing her up with a blind date for a family wedding because they knew her ex from high school would be there. This gave Shane and Faith the time to be honest that they both wanted that relationship to be real. Of course, there are some surprisingly embarrassing bumps along the way but those bumps turn this book into a real page turner.

[Bev · Rating 4 out of 5]

Hot and caring single dad
This book is the first book I have read and reviewd by this author. Pretend To Be Yours is an emotional story about Faith and Shane. They’ve known each other for a while, and she has been looking after his sons on Friday nights. Her parents are trying to set her up on a blind date but she isn’t interested. Faith plants a kiss on Shane as part of a rouse, and he too is escaping someone from his past. They come up with a fake relationship plan to keep them all at bay. They do have a mutual attraction and chemistry develops, but it’s not without its problems. I give this book four stars.
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.

[Susan Hamann · Rating 4 out of 5]

Faith is interested in Shane, but she's keeping it buried because she was humiliated by a past boyfriend and she can't risk going through that again. Shane's ex-wife left him with a baby and a toddler to pursue an acting career in the US. He is focused on the children and feels like a bad match for any woman, although he's wildly attracted to Faith. Faith needs a date for a wedding - desperately, so she asks Shane to be her boyfriend for the wedding.

Their relationship is slowly moving forward, when they hit a speedbump. And then a crevasse in the road. And I love what Shane's sister has to say about the crevasse!

Touching story. Sex is behind closed doors.

I read this book as part of the Haven Bay collection Books 4-6. This is my honest review.

[Suzanne Normandeau Legault · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is Shane’s and Faith’s love connection ( Book 5 Heaven Bay Series). Shane is a single dad with two boys Hunter is four years old and Dylan is twelve . He’s been divorced for four years and he’s been taking care of his children on his own. His former wife left and abandoned him and the children to seek fame and fortune as an actress in Hollywood. She hasn’t looked back on them since. Faith, is an entrepreneur and owns her own ice cream and cupcake business and a very close friend of Shane’s. She also has been babysitting the boys since his divorce. There has always been a secret attraction between them and together they will need to face their past , present and future in order to find the love they’re meant to have. A most recommended read!

[Amanda Marlowe · Rating 5 out of 5]

Faith has been boysitting for Dylan, eleven and Hunter, four, for Shane for several years, she's been hiding her attraction to him ever since she met him. Her parents have arrived early for her cousin's wedding, bringing a blind date with them!
When Shane gets back she rushes to him and pretends that he's her boyfriend, asking him to help her out. He does, because he's been attracted to her too.
Shane's ex left with no word, she's an actress and left New Zealand for the States. She returns and things become very complicated.

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

A great romantic story from Alexa.

[L H · Rating 5 out of 5]

Faith and Shane are a good match. She is babysitting his children when her parents decide to bring her a little surprise. They decide that to help her out with a potential date for an upcoming family wedding. She ambushes Shane with a kiss and declares him to be hers and so her date to the wedding and he agrees. There are already feelings there but neither wants to rock the boat by pursuing them. Of course, the best laid plans and a wedding can lead people places they don't expect to go. This was part rom com, part zany family drama and overall a fun read.

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