Underneath The Tree

by Reanna Pryce

Ezra, an up-and-coming junior presenter for Where the Heart Is TV, and his best friend Matt, corporate lawyer and single father, have been fooling people together for quite some time. Matt’s been Ezra’s fake off-screen husband for the past three years and Ezra is definitely, absolutely not in love with him. They’re already basically living together (platonically) and raising Brontë, Matt’s adorable three-year-old daughter together (which is a thing that best friends do all the time). So, when Ezra’s boss decides to film a five-part family holiday special at Matt’s house, Ezra isn’t worried. They’re close enough to look convincing, but not so close that anyone’s going to do something stupid like falling in love…

Genres: M M Romance, Christmas

181 pages, Kindle Edition

First published November 15, 2021

About the author

When she’s not reading or writing steamy romantic fiction, you can find Reanna bouncing between swimming, boy scouts and book club. She’s living her very own happily ever after in the north-east of England with her husband, two (mostly) adorable boys and a collection of pets she did not ask for.

A writer of romantic fiction for fifteen years, Reanna writes strong, compelling characters who stay with you long after you turn the last page. From the glamour of the music industry to stay-at-home single dads, no plot goes unexplored once her muse takes hold.

Reviews

[Jean Malherbe · Rating 5 out of 5]

Underneath the Tree by Reanna Pryce

I loved this darn book! As in: absolutely loved it!
Reanna is one of my absolute favourite authors, and I will grab anything this author writes.
This sweet story of two long time best friends who spend most of their time together in any case, are suddenly forced into a really close domestic situation that is bound to cause "chaos of the Heart".
The author has, from the very first line, managed to expertly capture the frustration and angst that goes hand in hand with unrequited adoration.
The devotion and the chemistry literally sizzles in between the sharp humour and absolutely wonderful inner monologue.
The addition of a 3 year old and a couple of tag-on besties just enhances the story, because these side characters never push to the forefront, or overwhelm the plot in any way.
This book is pure Christmassy gold and glitter.
Side note: Reanna Pryce knows how to write a heated steamy scene like no other! Absolutely beautiful!
Very, very well done indeed.
(I'm hoping a bit of love might be shown for Rowan in the future. This character deserves his place in the sun).
° Standalone
° Third person present tense/ singular pov from Ezra.
° Heat around 3 🔥 (only 2 intimate scenes)

° Disclaimer : I received a complementary copy of the book via Booksprout and this is my voluntary and heartfelt review.

[soda · Rating 2 out of 5]

i thought this would work for me, i really did. i really like reanna pryce's writing and storytelling (The Bad Husband's Handbook was one of my favourite reads this year), so i was kind of bummed. i liked the concept of the story and it started off really well, but then i don't know, ezra just bothered me too much for me to feel like i was enjoying the book anymore. he totally grated on my nerves and was such an asshole. i just felt bad for matt the entire time; the romance felt a wee bit one-sided from him. the drama at the end really was the final nail in the coffin; i was ready for matt to just say fuck off to ezra. 😗✌🏻 anyways, this didn't work for me this time, but i'll obviously still read anything reanna writes, so i'm already anticipating her next book. 🤗

[Jenn (not Lily) · Rating 3 out of 5]

Way better than the previous book I read by this author, so that's good. Still probably not gonna be my fave of the season, but a solid story with plenty of yearning and fake husband hijinks.

[Emily Pennington · Rating 5 out of 5]

Don't Forget the Rings . . .

This is such a good story about a friendship that is so comfortable that neither is aware that there is more intense feeling underneath.

Ezra is a presenter for “Where the Heart Is” TV. His best friend is Matt Nicholson, corporate lawyer and single father of a sweet 3-year-old daughter, Brontë. Matt has been Ezra’s fake off-screen husband for 3 years now, but they are only friends.

Producer Rowan Carter, Ezra’s boss, needs a sudden replacement to cover Rylan’s live stream, so he got the idea that he wants to film a five-part family holiday special this year at Matt’s house, figuring Ezra is married with a cute kid that would work perfectly. He happily tells Ezra they will be using Ezra’s own colonial home in the suburbs (actually Matt’s) rather than the studio for this. He already got clearance from Adam Marchand, Director of Creative Vision for Marchand Lifestyle and all its subsidiaries. Adam Marchand basically controls modern lifestyle media. So this is a “big deal” and there is no backing out. Well, pretending they are really married shouldn’t be too bad since, as friends, Ezra and Matt interact very believably. But putting Bronte on TV may not go over well with Matt who is very protective of his daughter… “their” daughter. Well, he has some talking to do with Matt and hopes Matt is onboard with this since he has only 3 days before filming to convince him. Can he persuade his best friend to act as his fake husband for a week so his boss can film their family for a Christmas TV special? That’s not asking too much, is it?

This book is laugh-out-loud funny and keeps getting better and better. There are discoveries to be made along the way, and things most likely will not be like they used to be when this week is finally over.

[Juniper · Rating 5 out of 5]

There are a lot of things to like about this book, and I'm going to start with the fact that it's unbelievably funny. There are humorous situations. Witty banter. Enough snark for days and days, from the characters and from the narrative voice that shows us their world. I loved how much this book made me laugh. The premise is great (who doesn't love a fake relationship that really should be real, plus a picture-perfect holiday). The characters are awesome.There's a really likable love interest in the form of long-suffering, hot, gainfully employed Matt, a sweet three-year old, and a boss who isn't quite as bad, maybe, as he seems (does Rowan get a book? I would so read Rowan's book). Ezra, our protagonist, utterly in love with his best friend and oblivious to said best friend returning that love, walks the line between relatably clueless and obnoxiously self-absorbed, but as much as he had his deeply unlikable moments, he had some definitely sweet ones as well, and I'm beyond relieved as well as amused and happy to see him and Matt on the road to their happily-ever-after.

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

[Janet Hunt · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was a new to me author and I'd definitely go looking for more by her. Ezra is a presenter for a show. His best friend Matt is a corporate lawyer and father to a three year daughter Bronte. When Ezra's boss needs a replacement, he volunteers Ezra and his family, not knowing it's a "fake family". This was seriously good, with lots of laugh out loud moments. Overall, it was a really good story!! It well written, highly recommend!

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

[Cynthia Brooks · Rating 5 out of 5]

Ezra and Matt have been best friends forever. Ezra needs Matt to pretend that their married. The more they pretend the more it becomes real but Ezra doesn't think he's good enough for Matt. I really enjoyed this book.

[Nina Diab · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was the first book I've read by this author. It was a really sweet, friends-to-lovers, holiday romance. Ezra let a small misunderstanding- a little white lie- about his best friend and his friend's daughter being mistaken as his husband and daughter for the sake of a job and for years it's spiraled without him clearing it up. Now he has to persuade his friend to pose as his fake husband for a week because his boss wants to film their family for a week for a Christmas TV special. "What’s a week of make-believe matrimonial harmony between bros?" What could go wrong? Really enjoyed this story. Great chemistry between Ezra and Matt. 5 stars.