What do you think?
Rate this book
The Magnussons #1
Breakaway
I've spent most of my life in love with Elias Magnusson, powerful heir to a fortune who has always hidden his kind heart beneath an icy cool front. He's never seen me as anything but a quiet family friend, but he falls passionately in love with me over and over again in my daydreams. I'm convinced if he ever took the time to get to know me, he might finally fall for me in real life, but it hasn't happened yet.
No one knows about my feelings except his twin brother, Leo, who might look exactly like Elias but isn't the same in any other way. Leo has always annoyed and pestered me with his sharp tongue and smug smirk, but he somehow uncovered my secret when no one else ever has. When he comes to me with a proposition, I only accept it because I'm desperate. Leo recently broke up with his girlfriend and doesn't want to go on a family vacation alone. So I can join the trip and pretend to be his girlfriend so that Elias can get to know me and finally see me for real. It's a preposterous plan, and no one but Leo would ever come up with it. But it feels like Elias is about to slip through my fingers before I've ever even had a chance with him.
I can't let that happen, so I'll act like Leo's girlfriend for a few weeks. I might even fall into bed with him, as long as it's strictly no-strings. But Elias is the one I've always wanted. Not Leo. Never Leo.
Leo has never taken anything seriously in his life. He might act for a while like he wants me, but it's never going to be real.
No one knows about my feelings except his twin brother, Leo, who might look exactly like Elias but isn't the same in any other way. Leo has always annoyed and pestered me with his sharp tongue and smug smirk, but he somehow uncovered my secret when no one else ever has. When he comes to me with a proposition, I only accept it because I'm desperate. Leo recently broke up with his girlfriend and doesn't want to go on a family vacation alone. So I can join the trip and pretend to be his girlfriend so that Elias can get to know me and finally see me for real. It's a preposterous plan, and no one but Leo would ever come up with it. But it feels like Elias is about to slip through my fingers before I've ever even had a chance with him.
I can't let that happen, so I'll act like Leo's girlfriend for a few weeks. I might even fall into bed with him, as long as it's strictly no-strings. But Elias is the one I've always wanted. Not Leo. Never Leo.
Leo has never taken anything seriously in his life. He might act for a while like he wants me, but it's never going to be real.
170 pages, Kindle Edition
First published February 8, 2022
About the author
Noelle Adams
140 books2,745 followersNoelle handwrote her first romance novel in a spiral-bound notebook when she was twelve, and she hasn't stopped writing since. She has lived in eight different states and currently resides in Virginia, where she teaches English, reads any book she can get her hands on, and offers tribute to a very spoiled cocker spaniel.
She loves travel, art, history, and ice cream. After spending far too many years of her life in graduate school, she has decided to reorient her priorities and focus on writing contemporary romances.
She loves travel, art, history, and ice cream. After spending far too many years of her life in graduate school, she has decided to reorient her priorities and focus on writing contemporary romances.
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 30 of 53 reviews
January 27, 2022
What a great start to this new series!
Lily and Leo were FIRE, despite the fact they were together so Lily could gain his brother’s attention. Of course, from the very beginning I knew what the outcome would be. This is romance after all. But watching it all play out was hilarious, a bit angsty and completely delicious!
Again, no point of view from the hero, but oh my lord! Leo was developed in a way that his verbal responses, facial reactions, and body movements spoke volumes without ever saying a word! I fell completely in love with him. I do admit, I think it would have been icing on the cake to have had a tidbit from his point of view at the end. Just to reassure me that all I imagined he was feeling and holding back was true.
Not sure whose stories will be included in this series, but I’m liking what I see with Elias. No way was he made for Lily, and I can’t wait to find out what his lady is going to be like.
Heroine POV
Safe
Triggers
Lily and Leo were FIRE, despite the fact they were together so Lily could gain his brother’s attention. Of course, from the very beginning I knew what the outcome would be. This is romance after all. But watching it all play out was hilarious, a bit angsty and completely delicious!
Again, no point of view from the hero, but oh my lord! Leo was developed in a way that his verbal responses, facial reactions, and body movements spoke volumes without ever saying a word! I fell completely in love with him. I do admit, I think it would have been icing on the cake to have had a tidbit from his point of view at the end. Just to reassure me that all I imagined he was feeling and holding back was true.
Not sure whose stories will be included in this series, but I’m liking what I see with Elias. No way was he made for Lily, and I can’t wait to find out what his lady is going to be like.
Heroine POV
Safe
Triggers
July 25, 2026
Read for content pull
February 9, 2022
This isn’t so bad, but unbelievable!
February 14, 2022
Lily Carmichael has loved Elias Magnusson forever. Their families have been friends for many years and she's grown up with him and his twin brother Leo. In contrast to her feelings for Elias, Leo has been a constant thorn in Lily's side. When Leo comes to Lily with a proposition to pose as his girlfriend on a family vacation, it's supposed to be a win-win situation: he'll get out of awkward questions from having broken up with his last girlfriend and she'll get to spend time with Elias in hopes that he'll finally fall for her. The plan is to go on the trip and have an amicable breakup when it's over and they've accomplished their goals. But things go awry when Lily finds that in close proximity with Leo, he's not quite so annoying. In fact, she's starting to feel a lot more for him than she'd ever imagined. Could she have been pining for the wrong brother all along?
Ah, the 'I'm in love with your twin brother, can you help me attract him' trope. And the fake relationship/fake girlfriend trope. Tried and true romance themes where you know exactly how things are going to end but still enjoy the ride along the way. The author has a writing style that I really enjoy (as evidenced by how many of her books I've read) and she paints a believable picture of Leo having had a crush on Lily for years all while she's been interested in his brother and the situation coming to a head. The Magnussens are very wealthy, and this book is an escape of sorts for the average reader as they visit three very different but luxurious vacation spots (Prague, a Saint Lucia beach resort and a North Carolina ski resort) as part of their family holiday, giving Lily and Leo plenty of time to discover their attraction to each other and explore it in some sexy love scenes. But they also talk to each other, communicating their fears and dreams and childhood experiences, cementing a friendship and stirring the beginnings of a real romantic relationship.
There are no surprises here. You get exactly what is promised – an easy, low angst, sexy romance read with likable characters and a lovely happy ending. It's a pleasant way to spend a few hours and I'll be on the lookout for Elias's book next.
This review also appears at All About Romance: https://allaboutromance.com/book-revi...
Ah, the 'I'm in love with your twin brother, can you help me attract him' trope. And the fake relationship/fake girlfriend trope. Tried and true romance themes where you know exactly how things are going to end but still enjoy the ride along the way. The author has a writing style that I really enjoy (as evidenced by how many of her books I've read) and she paints a believable picture of Leo having had a crush on Lily for years all while she's been interested in his brother and the situation coming to a head. The Magnussens are very wealthy, and this book is an escape of sorts for the average reader as they visit three very different but luxurious vacation spots (Prague, a Saint Lucia beach resort and a North Carolina ski resort) as part of their family holiday, giving Lily and Leo plenty of time to discover their attraction to each other and explore it in some sexy love scenes. But they also talk to each other, communicating their fears and dreams and childhood experiences, cementing a friendship and stirring the beginnings of a real romantic relationship.
There are no surprises here. You get exactly what is promised – an easy, low angst, sexy romance read with likable characters and a lovely happy ending. It's a pleasant way to spend a few hours and I'll be on the lookout for Elias's book next.
This review also appears at All About Romance: https://allaboutromance.com/book-revi...
March 7, 2022
This was precisely what I needed to read. Noelle Adams is becoming one of my favorite romance authors. I love her characters and her books have just the right amount of drama.
April 24, 2023
3.5 stars. An engaging romance. Simply written in this author's unique style, told from Lily's point of view. Some tasteful and steamy romance scenes.🙂
February 23, 2022
You know, I liked this way more than I expected to. I've read a number of Noelle Adams books at this point and she has this genre down to a science, which you can glance from her backlist of titles. At least with her Noelle Adams penname (she is also Claire Kent), she has a formula and she bangs 'em out. I want to caveat strongly that I don't think this makes her a lesser author or that she produces lesser "art" — I think romance is a business and there are a number of reasons why certain authors go for certain books, and it doesn't take away from their abilities as creators.
So with that said, there's nothing in this book that we haven't already seen in a ton of other books, but I liked how briskly paced it was (this was really a novella and not a novel), which means that the "romance reasons" plot points are more easy to hand wave away, since the story doesn't really dwell on them — they're just a jumping off point for feelings, sex, and vibes. This was a really nice palette cleanser between books, and I enjoyed that there was no standard low moment — no breakups or misunderstandings that keep the characters apart. There's just no time to dwell on those things before the story resolved in a way that felt true to the characters, without resorting to a ton of drama.
So with that said, there's nothing in this book that we haven't already seen in a ton of other books, but I liked how briskly paced it was (this was really a novella and not a novel), which means that the "romance reasons" plot points are more easy to hand wave away, since the story doesn't really dwell on them — they're just a jumping off point for feelings, sex, and vibes. This was a really nice palette cleanser between books, and I enjoyed that there was no standard low moment — no breakups or misunderstandings that keep the characters apart. There's just no time to dwell on those things before the story resolved in a way that felt true to the characters, without resorting to a ton of drama.
February 10, 2022
Baca buku HEA memang obat yang pas. Selain paracetamol, tentunya.
Ceritanya Lily ini suka sama Elias, salah satu dari kembar Mag-something (panjang euy, lupa spelling-nya) tapi si Elias kayak nggak ngeh gitu. Jadi Leo, kembaran Elias, ngasih ide supaya Lily pura-pura pacaran biar Elias akhirnya lihat Lily tuh gini loooh. Eh, malah jatcin tuh si Lily sama Leo.
Aku suka. Mereka uwu~
Ceritanya Lily ini suka sama Elias, salah satu dari kembar Mag-something (panjang euy, lupa spelling-nya) tapi si Elias kayak nggak ngeh gitu. Jadi Leo, kembaran Elias, ngasih ide supaya Lily pura-pura pacaran biar Elias akhirnya lihat Lily tuh gini loooh. Eh, malah jatcin tuh si Lily sama Leo.
Aku suka. Mereka uwu~
June 6, 2025
2 stars
I love Adams but this book wasn't for me.
Mostly because the heroine annoyed me 9 ways to Sunday and in the end I DNFed.
But I'll try book 2, it sounds good.
I love Adams but this book wasn't for me.
Mostly because the heroine annoyed me 9 ways to Sunday and in the end I DNFed.
But I'll try book 2, it sounds good.
February 21, 2022
3.5 to 4 stars. Very short, satisfying read. Unrequited love trope.
January 22, 2022
I loved this first book in Noelle’s new series. Lily and Leo were perfect and the banter between them was great and so well written. I didn’t want the story to end I was enjoying these two so much and look forward to Elias’ story which I hope is next!
March 7, 2022
I love this author because she uses known tropes which makes it easy to match my reading moods but some of her books are really better than the others, this one was unfortunately lacking something. No surprise, lack of chemistry between the MCs and overdrawn conflict for drama effect but the whole thing was pretty dull.
February 13, 2022
One of the things Noelle Adams does really, really well is the smart yet clueless heroine, and Breakaway has one of those in spades. Lily has envisioned that her friend Elias is her great love ever since he made a romantic gesture to her as a teenager. So when his annoying brother Leo gives her the perfect opportunity to spend time near Elias by posing as Leo’s new girlfriend, she grabs that chance.
Yeah, that premise strains credulity. I’m not sure how Lily would appeal to Elias if he would potentially think of it as poaching his brother’s new girlfriend. But what this setup does is put Lily in the position of spending a fair amount of time with Elias and a lot of time with Leo when she joins a Magnusson family vacation. And watching her move Leo into a whole new category in her life is just delightful.
Leo is one of those heroes who’s had a joking, friendly relationship with Lily for years. So faking a relationship should be easy—except these two end up with the classic “there’s only one bed” trope, and that compounds their interest into something much, much more. In his own way, Leo is a smart yet clueless hero, so seeing him and Lily move beyond assumptions they’ve held for years is a treat.
I loved Leo and Lily in both their areas of confidence and their areas of insecurity, and how each ends up bolstering the other when it comes to addressing those insecurities. I also loved Lily’s confident embrace of her own sensuality.
There’s nothing quite like a good forced-proximity romance, and Breakaway manages that during a world-ranging trip. It’s a great start to this new series by Adams.
Yeah, that premise strains credulity. I’m not sure how Lily would appeal to Elias if he would potentially think of it as poaching his brother’s new girlfriend. But what this setup does is put Lily in the position of spending a fair amount of time with Elias and a lot of time with Leo when she joins a Magnusson family vacation. And watching her move Leo into a whole new category in her life is just delightful.
Leo is one of those heroes who’s had a joking, friendly relationship with Lily for years. So faking a relationship should be easy—except these two end up with the classic “there’s only one bed” trope, and that compounds their interest into something much, much more. In his own way, Leo is a smart yet clueless hero, so seeing him and Lily move beyond assumptions they’ve held for years is a treat.
I loved Leo and Lily in both their areas of confidence and their areas of insecurity, and how each ends up bolstering the other when it comes to addressing those insecurities. I also loved Lily’s confident embrace of her own sensuality.
There’s nothing quite like a good forced-proximity romance, and Breakaway manages that during a world-ranging trip. It’s a great start to this new series by Adams.
February 11, 2022
As I often state with Adams's books...even the most mundane or rote stories tend to be superior to a majority of romance that is out there.
What is often surprising is that not only has she cornered the market on making a brief book feel well executed, there is a certain flair used in this type of sped-up storytelling that in most authors feel like a main portion has been erased or might be missing to jump ahead.
I had issues with both MCs in the aspect of...right away I knew their secrets. Especially that they were both "in love" way before they vocally admitted their real feelings. For instance, it felt like alot of Lily's "romantic notions" on Elias stemmed from the lone flower she imagined was from him, after her piano recital...and in my head, I said, "...but what if it had always been from Leo?"...and then Adams gave us that great epiphany scene from both where revelations from long ago came to light.
I am curious to what the next book will entail. We often have our next book series gently handed to us, while one book is being told, or unfolds. This time, since I knew Elias would be next after Leo...I am stumped at the other books that will be on offer, plus who the main couples could be.
And, a soft pat on my back for not allowing a new Adams book to collect dust on my TBR shelf like I had accidently let happen in the last book series.
GO ME!!
What is often surprising is that not only has she cornered the market on making a brief book feel well executed, there is a certain flair used in this type of sped-up storytelling that in most authors feel like a main portion has been erased or might be missing to jump ahead.
I had issues with both MCs in the aspect of...right away I knew their secrets. Especially that they were both "in love" way before they vocally admitted their real feelings. For instance, it felt like alot of Lily's "romantic notions" on Elias stemmed from the lone flower she imagined was from him, after her piano recital...and in my head, I said, "...but what if it had always been from Leo?"...and then Adams gave us that great epiphany scene from both where revelations from long ago came to light.
I am curious to what the next book will entail. We often have our next book series gently handed to us, while one book is being told, or unfolds. This time, since I knew Elias would be next after Leo...I am stumped at the other books that will be on offer, plus who the main couples could be.
And, a soft pat on my back for not allowing a new Adams book to collect dust on my TBR shelf like I had accidently let happen in the last book series.
GO ME!!
February 6, 2022
This is book one in The Magnussons and it is Lily and Leo's story and what a great start to a new series and definitely a must read. Lily has been in love with Elias for year's but he never acknowledged her as anything but a friend so when Leo asks her to be his pretend girlfriend and to go on holiday with his family and hopefully make Elias jealous she decides to go but thing's don't always go as planned. Omg I absolutely love the banter between Lily and Leo so much and the chemistry between them is so strong and intense and they are so perfect for each other but will Lily realise and see what is right in front of her face of will she miss out on something special. I loved reading this book and read it in one sitting as I couldn't put it down and I can't wait to read Elias book to see who catches his eye and I definitely recommend you read this book and others by Noelle Adams who is an amazing author and writer and her book's are definitely worth reading.
I Voluntarily Reviewed a Copy of This Book.
I Voluntarily Reviewed a Copy of This Book.
February 12, 2022
As usual, Noelle Adams sucks me in to her writing style. I always enjoy this trope (the fake boyfriend to make the real love-interest jealous), but even for a shorter book, Noelle makes things enjoyable. She just has a way of writing intimacy that makes it feel essential, which is such a gift. Leo seemed like the more interesting of the two brothers immediately, with his sarcasm and sardonic ways. Elias just seemed kind of wooden, so I didn’t see his appeal to Lily super much. Leo was definitely the better brother. I liked Lily, but I had a bit of a hard determining her personality. I liked that she was more comfortable being herself with Leo than anyone, but the fact that he’d been into her all those years and she never had a clue? I’m sure if Leo had wanted her to know, he would’ve… so why didn’t he ever let her know? That’s what I wonder. Overall, great book, and as usual Noelle Adams is killing it.
February 5, 2022
I really enjoyed this book. Lily has always felt that she was invisible to those around her, especially her long-time crush. She knows that things have to change, but she isn't sure how to do that. Leo, her crush's twin, has an idea to shake things up: Lily can come on a family vacation as his girlfriend. That would give her three weeks to get Elias's attention or decide to move on. But Leo has an ulterior motive for this idea, a motive that practically everyone but Lily can see. It practically jumps off the page, and it made me root for Leo. Even when he messed up, I still wanted him to get what he wanted. The whole book is funny, sweet, hot, and romantic, and I read the whole thing in one day. I can't wait to see what will come next in this series.
February 8, 2022
This is the first book of a new series The Magnussons, twin brothers that are identical but have little in common aside their love for their family and friends. Lilly is a great girls who has a family that take her for granted, she is left aside for not being considered great. She is a lovely girls and has a crush on Elias, one of the Magnussun's twins. Little did she know that the one for her is the other twin Leo. Leo and Lilly are tided up with a fake relationship situation and during this they discover their love.
The book is so romantic, sweet and I have to tell you that I just love unrequited love tropes. The romance is undeniable and wonderful.
I just loved it!!
The book is so romantic, sweet and I have to tell you that I just love unrequited love tropes. The romance is undeniable and wonderful.
I just loved it!!
February 17, 2022
I really like this author's work so she is an auto-buy for me. This was enjoyable, but not memorable. It's starting to feel like the characters are all the same between the books and none of the recent ones really stand out in my memory. The last handful of books have been about one or both of the main characters being able to be their "real" self and I'm a little bit over it. I did preorder the next in this duo, but from the preview included with this one, it sounds like another "I need to find someone who can see the 'real' me" and I'm not sure I'm up for it.
February 9, 2022
Another good read.
I liked the characters. I’m generally not a huge fan of this trope, but it was done well. I bought this book regardless because this author always does a good job.
I really like how this authors heroines are understandable. They’re written in a way so that what they’re feeling and doing make sense and don’t come across as overdramatic or demanding.
This book isn’t going to make my list of favourite books by this author, but I still enjoyed it.
I liked the characters. I’m generally not a huge fan of this trope, but it was done well. I bought this book regardless because this author always does a good job.
I really like how this authors heroines are understandable. They’re written in a way so that what they’re feeling and doing make sense and don’t come across as overdramatic or demanding.
This book isn’t going to make my list of favourite books by this author, but I still enjoyed it.
February 16, 2022
Ga sreg sama ceritanya.. mbanya dari umur 16tahun udah suka sama sodara kembar mas hero, tapi ga pernah dianggep. Sama mas hero sahabatan jg dr kecil dan dia tau mbanya punya crush sm kembarannya.
Diajakin family trip sm keluarga masnya, ceritanya jd pacar boongan, supaya mbanya bisa deket sama kk si hero.
Lah in the end malah bobar sama sahabatnya sendiri. Apaan dah.
Oh iya satu lagi, nama family heronya tiap baca malah keingetan marga batak. Hahahaha..
Diajakin family trip sm keluarga masnya, ceritanya jd pacar boongan, supaya mbanya bisa deket sama kk si hero.
Lah in the end malah bobar sama sahabatnya sendiri. Apaan dah.
Oh iya satu lagi, nama family heronya tiap baca malah keingetan marga batak. Hahahaha..
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
February 1, 2022
Loved this book! Lily and Leo were cute together! Leo comes up with this elaborate scheme so Lily can go on vacation with his family. Leo says he wants to help Lily get noticed by his twin, Elias that Lily has had a crush on for years. Lily is blind to the fact that Leo has had a crush on her for years! This was such a good book I had a hard time putting it down!!
February 19, 2022
Breakaway
I own every Noelle Adams book. I have read each book multiple times. This book was so beautiful and touching how 2 people know each other there whole lives but only one of them knows right away about being in love. This is such a romantic but still very hot book. I can’t recommend it enough. Now I am going to buy and read the next book in the series.
I own every Noelle Adams book. I have read each book multiple times. This book was so beautiful and touching how 2 people know each other there whole lives but only one of them knows right away about being in love. This is such a romantic but still very hot book. I can’t recommend it enough. Now I am going to buy and read the next book in the series.
April 15, 2024
“I’m always going to think you’re the best thing that’s ever happened to me.”
This was a decent story, but my heart hurt for Leo. Can you imagine having someone you secretly loved, be in love with your identical twin?
Fake relationships to make another notice you
Really hot bedroom scenes
Surface level emotions from fmc
HEA
This was a decent story, but my heart hurt for Leo. Can you imagine having someone you secretly loved, be in love with your identical twin?
Fake relationships to make another notice you
Really hot bedroom scenes
Surface level emotions from fmc
HEA
March 21, 2022
This had the vibe of an old school Noelle Adams books, which is to say that I enjoyed it a lot. I'm a sucker for the "I've always loved you from afar but you haven't know it" trope and this solidly delivered.
September 7, 2023
Overall cute story and good pacing however the resolution of the main characters at the end was kinda dumb. It resolved too fast and I was annoyed that Leo pulled away but it was still Lily that did all the emotional labor, he should have put more effort in to solve their relationship problems.
February 8, 2022
Ok read. Haven’t really enjoyed Noelle Adams books in a few years but keep buying them hoping for some of the old magic.
February 9, 2022
Short sweet and good. Lily had a dream/idea of who her dream man was. She was wrong, the right man, twin was in front of her all along. Good Start to the new series. I liked.
February 9, 2022
2.5. So, so.
Read
February 9, 2022the banter was nice and this was very easy to read, no over-the-top drama
Displaying 1 - 30 of 53 reviews