It's Not Like It's a Secret

It Must Be Love #1

by Grace J. Croy

She's alone and pregnant. He's been burned by relationships in the past. Pretending to date might be just what they both need.

The betrayal of her ex-boyfriend is the only blip in Avery Morgan's otherwise perfectly planned-out life. That is until she finds out she's pregnant with his baby. With her future in shambles, the only person she knows she can rely on is her coworker and best friend, Theo.

Theo Decker never thought he would take a punch defending a friend, but when Avery's parents find out she's pregnant and assume he's the father, he becomes personally acquainted with her dad's right hook. He knows what it is to be abandoned and he won't do that to Avery, no matter the cost.

Soon their whole office believes they're dating, and if they can't beat them, they may as well join them. But with a baby on the way, how far are they willing to let their assumed relationship go? Family isn't the only thing they might lose, but maybe what they fear the most is losing each other.

It's Not Like It's a Secret is a sweet, friends to more, fake relationship to office romance, with a steady dose of humor.

Genres: Romance, Friends To Lovers, Contemporary, Fake Dating, Contemporary Romance, Romantic Comedy, Fiction

298 pages, Paperback

Published September 24, 2021

About the author

Visit Grace's website gracejcroy.com and join her MVR (Most Valuable Reader) group to get her e-book, KISS ME, JANE free.

She is the author of both historical and contemporary romance that is clean and uplifting.

Grace loves reading, writing, her cats, travel, and delicious potatoes. She lives in Utah in a little house at the bottom of a little mountain, where the snow piles high in the winter.

She graduated with a BA in English from Utah State University, and then went on to study Library and Information Science from Emporia State University. When she's not writing, she works as a librarian. It’s the second-best job in the world—she gets paid to buy books, plan awesome community events, and advise readers on what books to try next. Creating stories is, of course, the best job in the world.

Her favorite places to travel include New Zealand, California, and Paris. No matter how long she's away, she always loves to come home.

Reviews

[cosette · Rating 4 out of 5]

CUTECUTECUTE


LOVED IT!!

[Joelle · Rating 5 out of 5]

I could NOT put this book down. I had the best time reading It's Not Like It's a Secret. This was my first time reading Grace Croy and she hit all the marks for me, can't wait to read more of her books.

Avery and Theo's story has it's sweet moments, the hard ones, compassion and laughter. Its a wonderful romcom on paper. As I was reading I felt like I was watching it. I love it when an author's writing does that for me, adds another dimension to the entertainment.

Avery has had a rough past and even though she loves her family she has to learn to stand up for herself and show her family that she is strong, capable and a good person, even if she did make a mistake. I love how Theo brings out the courage in her and shows her that life is so much more and that she personally is so much more that she grew up believing she was. He allows her to be herself while progressing in life. He doesn't let her sit on the sidelines and be plowed over anymore by a controlling and verbally abusive mother. The roots of their relationship help something beautiful to blosom in the end and you guys...I LOVE this story!!!

And it isn't just the relationships between Avery and Theo that I love, though obviously they are my favorite in the story. I love their relationships between their best friends, Theo's sister and her family, the dynamic that develops and smooths over with coworkers and where Avery's relationship goes with her sister. This book is chuck full of great characters and you are left wanting to learn more about them all!

If you are looking for a sweet romance, romcom book for your day, pick this one up. It won't disappoint. It didn't for me, loved every minute of it. Will definitely be picking up another of Grace Croy's books.

*I received a complimentary copy from the publishers, publicists, and/or authors. A review was not required and all opinions are my own.

[Tiffany (Bluestocking) · Rating 1 out of 5]

I’m not a huge fan of “first person, present tense narrative” however I can overlook it when the story is good. Although the plot was interesting, I did not enjoy the writing style. When reading I pictured teenagers rather than full grown adults and their internal monologues were juvenile. The thoughts they had and the way they reasoned on things were immature at best and ridiculous at worst. (Eg. When Avery found out she was pregnant she was in complete denial, saying that she was positive she had Celiac disease and that the doctor was mistaken and I quote, “making things up”.) Seriously??😐

Everyone was misunderstanding everything and jumping to conclusions and blowing things way out of proportion like some complete idiots. I mean come on!! Just have a conversation!!! To make things worse, instead of using the gift of speech, like a normal adult, Avery flees EVERY SINGLE TIME and lets poor Theo take the brunt of any given situation. Thus, the reality is that their relationship would be doomed from the start.

Content: Clean

[Elicia Diane · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved this way more than I thought I would. The way it started made me hesitant until around page 5 when my heart just clicked. I teach in a district where we have had two gun issues in 4 months. Reading as Avery navigated her inner chaos helped me better understand the feelings I was going through even though I'm not pregnant and single 😅. We all get that "what the heck am I doing in this situation" phase time to time and fictional characters like Avery make it better.

The entire time I read this I kept thinking of The Office. Avery is such a Pam and Theo is a total Jim. Bob is the fed up Stanley. Add Kelly (Mary in HR) to the mix and I was eating it all up. I haven't read a book in two days (that wasn't an audio book) in such a long time but I was stealing a minute whenever I could to continue reading. Grace J. Croy did a fabulous job and the only issue I saw (the weird fettuccine metaphor) she immediately fixed with another character pointing out just how lame the metaphor was. Too funny.

I loved how real the characters felt. Avery's anxiety over perfection (ME!) and Theo's worries about not being good enough (also me) weren't slap you in the face over the top. It felt genuine.

Romantic moments did not feel forced like some romances do. It felt real (sensing a theme?)

This was my first Grace J. Croy book and definitely won't be my last. I highly recommend 👌

[Dew · Rating 3 out of 5]

A bumpy read

This book is uneven. I wonder if the author fully realizes that her description of Avery’s relationship with her family is one of abuse. She is mentally and emotionally abused by her mother, neglected by her father who knew about his wife abusing the children and did nothing, and physically abused by her sister. Nevertheless the only time the author brings up the word is when Avery’s father claims that he and his wife were the real victims when their oldest daughter tried to resist the mother who had been torturing her for years, which is classic gaslighting. At times, both Avery and Theo come off more like teenagers than adults as neither has cut the apron strings with their respective mothers (in Theo’s case the sister who raised him).

[Emily · Rating 3 out of 5]

Storyline: 5/10
Boy: 7/10
Girl: 4/10
Lovestory: 4/10
Comments: Avery works as accountant in a pencil company. After her ex boyfriend “The Liar” ghosted her, she slowly became best friends with her colleague Theo. She fancies Theo but is VERY insecure. Theo also fancies her but doesn’t want to date a co worker again. It starts with Avery at a doctor’s appointment and finding out that she is pregnant. She is in denial for quite some time and doesn’t want to acknowledge it. Her family situation is a bit toxic. She hates her sister as she was a bully and rebel and left the family when Avery was a kid. Her mother is raising Al’s kid. But it quickly becomes clear that the mom tries to control Avery’s life and wants her to act exactly how she wants it. She wants Avery to give her kid up to adoption and move back to the farm. Avery slowly realises that she wants to keep the kid and gets closer to Theo. The girl from HR is a serious gossip and they start fake dating as everyone thinks it’s Theo’s kid. In the end she finds a new friend, reconciles with her sister and gets together with Theo. The story is sweet and well put together. Theo is charming.
Avery is annoying because I don’t understand how a 23 year old can be so naive, but I think it’s hard to relate if you didn’t experience a similar upbringing. The thoughts of both MC felt juvenile.
They had quite a few plots in there from the toxic parents, to the missing sister, to a jealous ex that wants Theo back, to Theos trauma with his parents and his need to be the protector to “the liar”. It was a well developed plot but it felt like it touched too many points and none of them were discovered in full

[alicia · Rating 4 out of 5]

Amigaaaas, me encantó este libro.

Ella se enamora primero, pero obviamente él se enamora más profundamente, amé.

Los protas tienen una química increíble, me enamoré de su amistad. Además, Theo la ayuda a superar sus miedos y Avery es tan tierna. 🥹

Lo recomiendo si quieren algo ligero y romántico. Como para sacarte de un bloqueo.

[Emily White · Rating 5 out of 5]

This story sucked me in and wouldn't let me go. My favorite trope is the fake relationship and this one plays it well. It isn't over-the-top or hard to believe. The characters are also super sweet (especially Theo).

[Mariana · Rating 4 out of 5]

⭐️ 3.5

No es mi estilo de libro últimamente pero es una lectura ligera que me ayuda con mi reto y que pude leer con Ali 🫶🏼

Seguiremos con los libros de la saga así que veremos como sale la cosa 🤭

[Melissa · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was a sweet romance. It was a nice contemporary. They had some good growth and learning in this. A manipulative mom who tries to run everyone's life. I am so glad our heroine learned to stand up and find herself. Everything works out well in the end. There just wasn't anything unique about it.
Clean romance with no religion. Sex before marriage.

[Aimee · Rating 4 out of 5]

So Much To Like!

There was so much to like about this book! The characters, the attraction, the kisses. I love friends to lovers stories and this is a good one. This is my first book by this author but it won't be my last.

[Linda · Rating 1 out of 5]

DNF

[Missy · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book was super cute, making it easy to get lost in its story and root for the characters to find their happiness together. It had just the right amount of angst to balance out the friends-to-lovers sweetness, and took a realistic approach to the added complication of a surprise baby to a new relationship. Though it was a quick-paced read, the plot moved naturally from one point to the next, allowing the big emotions of the story to make an impact on readers without feeling rushed. This book does deal with some possibly triggering material, so trigger warning will be included at the end of my review.

Getting ghosted is bad enough, but when twenty-three year old Avery finds out she’s pregnant, not even the unshakable support of her best friend and work colleague, Theo, can keep her calm. Things get more complicated as gossip spreads around the office that links Avery and Theo together as a happily expecting couple, and despite her hesitations, Theo is fully on board to cover for her as her doting partner. When things become even more complex and bring up old insecurities on both sides, Avery and Theo need to decide if risking their friendship is worth the possibility of finding happiness together as a family.

I liked the complicated plot of this dual POV book. It took an authentic angle when dealing with an unplanned pregnancy; especially since the MC was wholly unprepared to become a mom on both an emotional level and in terms of family support. It didn’t shy away from the heavy topics discussed but rather aired everything out in a realistic way and came to a satisfying conclusion.

I also liked the journey the couple took in this book. Instead of just accepting each other without thinking too much about it, the author made sure the characters actually addressed their insecurities and the concerns others had before committing to anything. The MC’s pregnancy only made things more interesting as they had to take into account that their decision would affect not only themselves, but a baby as well. Their romance was complex yet full of the devotion of best friends, making their relationship feel hard-won and natural all at the same time. I do wish the epilogue was longer so readers could actually see the couple thrive together, but despite that, I liked this couple a lot.

If you’re looking for a friends-to-lovers story that takes readers on a rollercoaster of emotional healing, give this book a try!


TRIGGER WARNINGS:
Spoilers ahead.

This book is about an unplanned pregnancy with an ex-partner so though the MC never mentions terminating her pregnancy, she does have mixed emotions about being a mother. Adoption is heavily pushed as an option by the MC’s mother, but is ultimately not chosen. The MC’s parents, mostly her mother, are also very unsupportive of her pregnancy and often say negative things about the baby and how it will affect the MC’s life.

This book also includes unsupportive parents (on page), verbal and emotional abuse from a narcissistic mother (on page), incredibly manipulative parenting (on page), mentions of bullying (off page), mentions of alcoholism (off page), mentions of verbal and some physical abuse from a sibling (off page), gossip culture in an office setting (on page), a dog being hit by a car (off page; dog is hurt but fine), and the death of parents (off page). There’s a light dose of other woman/man drama with the main couple’s past partners, but no cheating.

[Jamie Bee · Rating 4 out of 5]

Beta Hero to the Rescue!

This heroine is certainly in denial! The book opens with her learning that she is quite pregnant with her ex-boyfriend's child. She just does not want to believe it and even goes so far as to blame her symptoms on having celiac disease. She has a best male friend at work, and he is a total sweetie. I love a good beta hero, and this guy is certainly one of them. Things get ugly when her parents find out about her pregnancy, and assume that the hero is the father. When her pregnancy comes to light at the office, the office gossip spreads the news, saying that the hero is the dad. Rather than refute this—to either her parents or at work—he goes with it, wanting to allow his friend more time to sort herself and her future out. He is so kind and supportive, and true feelings cannot help but develop that go beyond friendship. This book did have funny moments, like a good rom-com should, but it certainly also had serious moments as the heroine tries to sort out what her life is, her expectations for it, and others' expectations of her. I found this to be a satisfying read, mostly because I loved the hero who went above and beyond in so many ways.

I received a free copy of this book, but that did not affect my review.

[Pascale’s*ARC,Unwind,Read,Review · Rating 5 out of 5]

I just discovered this author and she’s amazing! I cannot wait to read the next book in the series. This is a fantastic, clean, rom-com with some great humour.
Avery is in denial that she’s pregnant with “The Liar’s” baby. She insists it’s celiac disease causing her belly to extend and she refuses to accept the doctor’s diagnosis. Her mother is extremely controlling and very negative. Since Avery’s sister rebelled as a teenager and got herself pregnant and addicted to alcohol, and Avery’s parents have been raising “Savage Al’s” son, their mother has doubled down on making sure Avery and Gavin are perfect.
Avery is terrified that if she keeps her baby her parents will disown her. When the rumour mill spreads at work that Avery and her best friend are engaged and that the baby is Theo’s things begin to spin out of control.
This is a fun read and I laughed so much. Avery’s pet name of “Mango” for her unborn baby and the evolution of how she feels about her baby are very touching as well. I am eager to follow this author and see how she develops her talent throughout the next few books she publishes. Stay tuned!

[Anonymous 5 · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was a first time read for me by this author and I have to say I very much enjoyed it. This is a sweet, friends to lovers romantic comedy and I enjoyed every minute of it. The characters were wonderful and felt so relatable, I couldn't help but fall in love with them. The storyline had a nice smooth flow, and it all felt natural, not forced. The romance was wonderful and there were plenty of humorous moments that had me laughing out loud or just generally left me with a smile on my face. Avery and Theo were just so amazing and even throughout their friendship, you could feel the sizzle. I like that the story was told in both points of view. It really helps me enjoy and understand the story more when I know what the characters are thinking. Ms. Croy did an excellent job with the storytelling, not just making it a fluff story, but a fun and humorous story with real substance. I really enjoyed this book and I will be looking out for more books by this author! I am happy to recommend!
I received a complimentary copy from StoryOrigin and am voluntarily leaving my review.

[Vicci Lucas · Rating 5 out of 5]

painful yet so sweet!

This was the first story by this author, however it won’t be the last! Theo and Avery are perfectly imperfect. H&H. I understand all of Avery’s self doubts and issues thanks to a dysfunctional family and domineering mother. The office grapevine portrayed is spot on as well. Avery’s growth in confidence and accepting herself was great to witness

I won’t rehash the plot because if you’re this far in you know it already. The characters are flushed out so very well, it has a definite spark without vulgarity or gratuitous sex. Thank you Grace! Now, bring on Kits story and Tamara’s!

[Jennifer Loy · Rating 4 out of 5]

I loved the title of this book, it intrigued me, but I thought it was a romantic comedy. It's more of a contemporary sweet romance. It has a lot of drama in it that kept me turning the pages. Avery is a likeable but very insecure character and you find out why when you meet her mother. But the romance of the story takes over when Theo is in the picture. He's one of those characters that you cheer for, hope for, and fall in love with yourself. If all men were Theo's, no woman would ever have a broken heart. It was a very well-written, well-edited book with an HEA. I enjoyed this sweet romantic story and am looking forward to reading about Aaron, Theo's roommate, and Kit, in Book Two.

[Katie Marie · Rating 5 out of 5]

What a sweet book! 😍 Avery and Theo were great together and I loved the added dynamic of “Mango”, aka little baby Avery discovers she’s pregnant with at the beginning of the book. This book explores hard topics of parental emotional and verbal abuse. I think it was handled well and I hurt for Avery and all she and her sister went through. I loved how Theo kept pursuing Avery and letting her know how much he meant to her, no matter how many times she backed away in fear. While this book does have unexpected pregnancy out of marriage, it’s still completely clean, not describing anything, and doesn’t make what happened seem ok to do.

[Kathy · Rating 4 out of 5]

Grace J. Croy is a new author to me. I really liked her style of writing. I loved the alternating points of view with the heading identifying the speaker at the start of each chapter. I enjoyed the characters. Avery is very shy, smart, tall and is insecure because of her height of 6' 2". Theo is kind, smart, and compassionate and also very tall at 6' 6". They are best friends and coworkers with a sizzling attraction they are both trying to ignore in order to not ruin their friendship. It all starts with an unplanned pregnancy and the author handles the subject with humor and finesse.

[Helen · Rating 3 out of 5]

Anytime you read a friends-to-lovers story, you know that there will be misunderstandings, back-and-forth situations, and silly/dumb scenes. These are not real people, and their thinking/actions won't always make sense. Otherwise, the "book" would last all of 5 pages when they have a real conversation about their feelings and get together right away. I say all of this because readers need to be aware that this is not great literature, just a quick, light read where you already know the ending. So, suspend disbelief and enjoy the ride!

[Reads lotsa stuff · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is the first in a series of 3 and didn’t realize how quickly it would captivate me. The story is of Theo and Avery who both work in the accounting department of a pencil factory in Tucson Arizona. She is tall 5’ 14”, feel awkward, clumsy and unattractive. He is taller, confident, athletic and gorgeous. She has always tried to be perfect so her family will love her. He is loved by all and come from a big happy family if just a bit unconventional. It’s a great story and I couldn’t put it down!

[Maryam · Rating 5 out of 5]

I absolutely loved this!! I really liked Avery's character! She may have seemed timid but given her history, it makes sense. Which is why the progression of her character was amazing. I loved that she started to gain some confidence and take risks, even if they were small. Theo, is an absolute sweetheart. I loved his attention to Avery's feelings and how he just took care of her. I can't believe I didn't realize this was the first book and instead I start with the last book. But still, love love love

[Jen Bury · Rating 3 out of 5]

sweet but mature

Though there are no bedroom scenes, the whole premise of the book is an unexpected pregnancy resulting from a user.
While a mature reader can put this in perspective and enjoy the sweet story, I would caution young teens.
However, if read with proper perspective, the author provides wisdom in many areas, including how to break free of manipulating relationships of many types.

[PollyAnna Joy · Rating 4 out of 5]

Avery and Theo

A very is mom could use a good, honest-to-goodness spanking. Good grief. In good rom-com HEA requirement, she is forgiven and the family begins to mend the broken pieces that shattered many years prior. Theo definitely has a hero complex, but it's also incredibly clear, from the very beginning, that his feelings for Avery go beyond wanting to save her and have an instant family. They are so very sweet. 😃

[Richsonia Hamilton · Rating 4 out of 5]

Great story with a lot of depth. One theme that this book focuses on is that you don’t have to be perfect to be loved.
Things I enjoyed:
- The author doesn’t glorify or condemn being pregnant.
-Avery does spend the night at Theo’s but she sleeps in her own bed and has her own room. This is refreshing because in a lot of books, the characters share one bed.
Concerns: the mention of the universe being responsible for doing something

[G.Terenzio · Rating 5 out of 5]

Sweet and heartwarming.

Avery and Theo are the best friends and coworkers. When Avery finds out that she is pregnant by "The liar" and is petrified to tell her mom, Theo is there to help her through anxieties, hopes and finally the acceptance that Theo is not only her best friend but also the man she has fallen in love with.

A wonderful story about acceptance, courage and hope.

[Paula Bothwell · Rating 4 out of 5]

It's Not Like It's a Secret--PG13
Trigger: bullying
Violence: no
Language: no
Sex: no

This started out humorously and there was humor sprinkled throughout; I appreciate that. I was surprised about who turned out to be the main antagonist--did not see that coming. I did like the book and found the HEA to be very satisfying.

[Kelsey Kushnir · Rating 4 out of 5]

It gets an extra star for how she tied in the next book at the end. Overall, I appreciate the clean read.

It was also interesting to see AZ/UT culture play out in a non-religious book. Like comments like “I banish that thought to outer darkness” are things you’d only hear from that part of the US lol.

[Jenifer Blood · Rating 5 out of 5]

Pretty emotional ride.

I love Avery and Theo's story. They have quite the emotional journey. They both do a lot of emotional growing. I wish we got to know little Mango a bit better. I look forward to reading Kit and Aaron's story soon