What do you think?
Rate this book
Northern California Cowboys #3
His Fake Fiancé
Best Friends. A simple plan. Except nothing will be the same...
Jake needs a wife. Or at least a pretend one. A stable, serious relationship will show the judge he's the perfect parent to be given custody of his daughter. Except, he doesn't really do relationships. He's more of a one-and-done kind of guy. Which is why his best friend, Claire, is the perfect person to play house with—it’s the perfect plan. What could go wrong?
Claire's been in love with Jake since he came to her defense on the playground in first grade. Her knight in a Star Wars t-shirt. But he's never seen her as anything as the girl-next-door. She knows going along with his ridiculous plan is a bad idea, but she can't seem to say no. And she loves his daughter to pieces, even though looking at the baby sometimes hurts too much. She just needs to keep her already bruised heart safe for however long the lie lasts, and everything will be fine.
*** This book touches on issues and themes that may be difficult for some readers. Please see the Content page on my website for more details.
Jake needs a wife. Or at least a pretend one. A stable, serious relationship will show the judge he's the perfect parent to be given custody of his daughter. Except, he doesn't really do relationships. He's more of a one-and-done kind of guy. Which is why his best friend, Claire, is the perfect person to play house with—it’s the perfect plan. What could go wrong?
Claire's been in love with Jake since he came to her defense on the playground in first grade. Her knight in a Star Wars t-shirt. But he's never seen her as anything as the girl-next-door. She knows going along with his ridiculous plan is a bad idea, but she can't seem to say no. And she loves his daughter to pieces, even though looking at the baby sometimes hurts too much. She just needs to keep her already bruised heart safe for however long the lie lasts, and everything will be fine.
*** This book touches on issues and themes that may be difficult for some readers. Please see the Content page on my website for more details.
304 pages, Kindle Edition
Published May 3, 2022
23 people are currently reading
66 people want to read
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 30 of 35 reviews
June 29, 2022
Claire and Jake have been best friends for almost two decades. And he needs a favor from her to keep his daughter. Too bad he never realized she was in love with him.
But that doesn’t stop Claire from helping Jake out and pretending to be his fiancé. Then move in with him temporarily. But the more time together the more Claire sees there will be no recovering from this.
Jake and Claire get their happy ending in this stand-alone book in a series.
What I don’t get, and why I debated giving this book 4 stars rather than 5 was Jake noticed all the attention and little hints from every other woman in town it seemed, but missed that his best friends loved him. I mean, maybe at first when he was panicking about keeping his daughter but how could he miss what his mom saw automatically that first morning. And then to remain oblivious?
I also wonder why primary custody went to the mom in this case? She abandoned her daughter and then months later just decided to be a mom again? Yes, Jake may have had a huge learning curve, but he never left his daughter. (I do realize this was so the plot could move in a certain way. But really!)
I received an advanced review copy for free from Book Sirens and I am leaving this review voluntarily.
But that doesn’t stop Claire from helping Jake out and pretending to be his fiancé. Then move in with him temporarily. But the more time together the more Claire sees there will be no recovering from this.
Jake and Claire get their happy ending in this stand-alone book in a series.
What I don’t get, and why I debated giving this book 4 stars rather than 5 was Jake noticed all the attention and little hints from every other woman in town it seemed, but missed that his best friends loved him. I mean, maybe at first when he was panicking about keeping his daughter but how could he miss what his mom saw automatically that first morning. And then to remain oblivious?
I also wonder why primary custody went to the mom in this case? She abandoned her daughter and then months later just decided to be a mom again? Yes, Jake may have had a huge learning curve, but he never left his daughter. (I do realize this was so the plot could move in a certain way. But really!)
I received an advanced review copy for free from Book Sirens and I am leaving this review voluntarily.
May 29, 2022
*Received ARC for honest review
3.5
This was a super quick read. Simple plot but it definitely had me going. I know a lot of people might not like a heroine that feels like a pushover but I think it’s what makes the character human. This is a friends-to-lovers type of deal but we’re dealing with a lot of secret feelings, familial differences, charades, and for sure the changes of relationship from friendly to intimacy. Claire is the wonderful friend who would do anything for Jake. Jake is the oblivious friend who in turns always unintentionally hurts Claire because of his playboy ways. Through this charade of fake engagement for the purpose of winning custody of his daughter, Olivia, Jake seems to be more attuned to Claire and definitely paying more attention to her beauty. I know, isn’t it always like that? Yes, but I can’t help but be a sucker for these! Haha. There are moments where at one point, this friendship slips into something more but both are still questioning it. For instance, a simple intertwining hands with Jake bringing it to his lips for a kiss. These moments were so cute! As you can see, I clearly enjoyed reading this but I had to give it 3.5 stars because of all the unfinished questions. The reason why Claire and Jake got along so well and were best friends from a young age was because they were able to relate to each other in so many ways that both of their families probably didn’t understand. Claire has 3 brothers and a father who can be overprotective and because there’s some age gap, she sometimes felt like the outsider staring in on her family. Jake has never had 100% confidence and always found himself lacking compared to his brothers because of what they do and what he feels he isn’t capable of. There’s a certain feeling about feeling that there is disappointment from your family that has made both Claire and Jake vulnerable. But it’s this that I wished we would have gotten more of from the novel. We got the love story but I had really hoped to see more conversations between their families, to break that wall down and understand each other. I wanted to see Claire talk about why she felt the way she did to her family and Jake why he felt the way he did to his family. I wanted to see those moments where it isn’t just about a kid sibling (who is actually 26) falling in love with their best friend. I felt that these would have helped the character development and showed not only the progress of romantic love but the actual beauty of familial love. I mean, I still enjoyed it and read it in one sitting but I wish there was something more that would have made the story complete. By all means though, do pick it up and have a go for yourself :)
3.5
This was a super quick read. Simple plot but it definitely had me going. I know a lot of people might not like a heroine that feels like a pushover but I think it’s what makes the character human. This is a friends-to-lovers type of deal but we’re dealing with a lot of secret feelings, familial differences, charades, and for sure the changes of relationship from friendly to intimacy. Claire is the wonderful friend who would do anything for Jake. Jake is the oblivious friend who in turns always unintentionally hurts Claire because of his playboy ways. Through this charade of fake engagement for the purpose of winning custody of his daughter, Olivia, Jake seems to be more attuned to Claire and definitely paying more attention to her beauty. I know, isn’t it always like that? Yes, but I can’t help but be a sucker for these! Haha. There are moments where at one point, this friendship slips into something more but both are still questioning it. For instance, a simple intertwining hands with Jake bringing it to his lips for a kiss. These moments were so cute! As you can see, I clearly enjoyed reading this but I had to give it 3.5 stars because of all the unfinished questions. The reason why Claire and Jake got along so well and were best friends from a young age was because they were able to relate to each other in so many ways that both of their families probably didn’t understand. Claire has 3 brothers and a father who can be overprotective and because there’s some age gap, she sometimes felt like the outsider staring in on her family. Jake has never had 100% confidence and always found himself lacking compared to his brothers because of what they do and what he feels he isn’t capable of. There’s a certain feeling about feeling that there is disappointment from your family that has made both Claire and Jake vulnerable. But it’s this that I wished we would have gotten more of from the novel. We got the love story but I had really hoped to see more conversations between their families, to break that wall down and understand each other. I wanted to see Claire talk about why she felt the way she did to her family and Jake why he felt the way he did to his family. I wanted to see those moments where it isn’t just about a kid sibling (who is actually 26) falling in love with their best friend. I felt that these would have helped the character development and showed not only the progress of romantic love but the actual beauty of familial love. I mean, I still enjoyed it and read it in one sitting but I wish there was something more that would have made the story complete. By all means though, do pick it up and have a go for yourself :)
December 11, 2022
This is the second book in Erin Parisien’s series and while they can be read as stand-alone novels, I strongly recommend reading the first one as well. The second one definitely has a bit of a different vibe than the first but it’s just as incredible.
Jake is a womanizer and comes off as shallow and spoiled but there is a lot more to him than that and his reasons for acting that way in the first place go a lot deeper. Having a child he didn’t know about literally dropped off into his life certainly begins putting things into perspective for him. Especially when he runs the risk of losing her when her mother comes back, wanting custody. Claire is an extremely supportive friend who is doing her best not to let her love for Jake show. Even though it seems as if everyone sees the real emotions between the two of them anyway. She is a hard worker and loyal to a fault. She also has always been a part of Jake’s family even before she realizes she was in love with him.
There was no denying the chemistry between Jake and Claire, even if the two of them took a while to realize it was there. Especially Jake who seems to be fairly oblivious to emotions a lot of the time. But more than that, there was a really heartwarming story about a man doing his best to be the best father he could to a precious little girl he didn’t plan for and that no one else felt he was ready for. The whole time I tried to understand Gina and why she would leave their daughter with Jake and take off after not even informing him she was pregnant. And it really agitated me that she could just come back and think she could take Olivia with no questions asked. I tried not to judge her and to look at things from her point of view as Claire did but found myself unable to do so. Especially because of the obvious bond Olivia and Jake had. The story definitely caused more than a few tears to well up and had me going through all the feels. It was a truly great read and I can’t wait until the next one. I love getting each of these brothers’ stories and I love that Erin isn’t going in order by their age. I love that change up!
I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.
Jake is a womanizer and comes off as shallow and spoiled but there is a lot more to him than that and his reasons for acting that way in the first place go a lot deeper. Having a child he didn’t know about literally dropped off into his life certainly begins putting things into perspective for him. Especially when he runs the risk of losing her when her mother comes back, wanting custody. Claire is an extremely supportive friend who is doing her best not to let her love for Jake show. Even though it seems as if everyone sees the real emotions between the two of them anyway. She is a hard worker and loyal to a fault. She also has always been a part of Jake’s family even before she realizes she was in love with him.
There was no denying the chemistry between Jake and Claire, even if the two of them took a while to realize it was there. Especially Jake who seems to be fairly oblivious to emotions a lot of the time. But more than that, there was a really heartwarming story about a man doing his best to be the best father he could to a precious little girl he didn’t plan for and that no one else felt he was ready for. The whole time I tried to understand Gina and why she would leave their daughter with Jake and take off after not even informing him she was pregnant. And it really agitated me that she could just come back and think she could take Olivia with no questions asked. I tried not to judge her and to look at things from her point of view as Claire did but found myself unable to do so. Especially because of the obvious bond Olivia and Jake had. The story definitely caused more than a few tears to well up and had me going through all the feels. It was a truly great read and I can’t wait until the next one. I love getting each of these brothers’ stories and I love that Erin isn’t going in order by their age. I love that change up!
I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.
September 24, 2022
Read the whole review...
To start with, I'm not sure what made me want to read this book. I am neither a fan of lying for the sake of "fixing" your life nor am I ok with fake relationships but there was something about this book that dragged me in.
Jake is an idiot. That's the first thing you'll figure out and I don't mean with his actual issue in life I mean that he can't see how much everyone around him loves him and tries their hardest specifically for him. He's had a lot of his life handled for him and when things come to a head and he's not only lost but floundering.
Claire, definitely did not deserve the treatment this friendship gave her at the start of the book. Everyone around her knew how she felt about Jake, but Jake which should have been the sign to her that it was time to get out. But somehow she didn't do that, she stuck it out like the true friend that she was.
Now, did I absolutely fall in love with the seriously misunderstood character that Jake wound up being. YES. 100% yes, did I think he needed more of a redemption arc. YES. He gets it, because he does eventually get the girl and sort of the life he wants. But it came at so much of a price to the way he wanted to live his life. Which fair wasn't the correct way but that's not particularly the point I'm making.
Either way the two of them had me in tears one minute and genuinely plotting how to throat punch a character the next.
If these tropes are up your alley give this book a chance. It's delightful and engaging the characters are beautifully written not just the main characters but the family members, the brothers and loved ones. Genuinely enjoyed this world, definitely looking forward to the rest of the Northern California Cowboys.
I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.
To start with, I'm not sure what made me want to read this book. I am neither a fan of lying for the sake of "fixing" your life nor am I ok with fake relationships but there was something about this book that dragged me in.
Jake is an idiot. That's the first thing you'll figure out and I don't mean with his actual issue in life I mean that he can't see how much everyone around him loves him and tries their hardest specifically for him. He's had a lot of his life handled for him and when things come to a head and he's not only lost but floundering.
Claire, definitely did not deserve the treatment this friendship gave her at the start of the book. Everyone around her knew how she felt about Jake, but Jake which should have been the sign to her that it was time to get out. But somehow she didn't do that, she stuck it out like the true friend that she was.
Now, did I absolutely fall in love with the seriously misunderstood character that Jake wound up being. YES. 100% yes, did I think he needed more of a redemption arc. YES. He gets it, because he does eventually get the girl and sort of the life he wants. But it came at so much of a price to the way he wanted to live his life. Which fair wasn't the correct way but that's not particularly the point I'm making.
Either way the two of them had me in tears one minute and genuinely plotting how to throat punch a character the next.
If these tropes are up your alley give this book a chance. It's delightful and engaging the characters are beautifully written not just the main characters but the family members, the brothers and loved ones. Genuinely enjoyed this world, definitely looking forward to the rest of the Northern California Cowboys.
I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.
May 4, 2022
Sweet friends-to-lovers romance
Jake and Claire, each the youngest in their families, have been friends throughout their childhoods. Claire puts her heart and soul into writing songs, while Jake hides his passion for photography underneath a thick layer of low self esteem issues. He's quite the ladies man, believing that that is the only thing he's truly good at and valued for.
Now, though, a wrench is thrown into the works, in the form of Olivia, Jake's infant daughter from a one-night-stand who was deposited on his doorstep months ago. His family stepped up and helped him take care of her, and then her mother shows up wanting to take her back. Jake asks Claire to pretend to be engaged to him so he stands a better chance of getting custody, and Claire, who could never say no to Jake, agrees.
This is a truly sweet story of how Jake learns to see Claire for who she is while also gaining enough confidence to become the man he was always meant to be. The narrative goes deep into how the youngest in a group of siblings usually feels left out and less than. Both Jake and Claire struggle with self-doubt and the need to prove themselves, which gives them the determination to see things through and find love along the way.
Jake and Claire get a fresh start with their HEA, though I would have preferred a more happy ending for all concerned. It was nice to visit with the Callahan family again, especially Mason and Grace. I'm looking forward to reading more in this series. I voluntarily reviewed an ARC of this book.
Jake and Claire, each the youngest in their families, have been friends throughout their childhoods. Claire puts her heart and soul into writing songs, while Jake hides his passion for photography underneath a thick layer of low self esteem issues. He's quite the ladies man, believing that that is the only thing he's truly good at and valued for.
Now, though, a wrench is thrown into the works, in the form of Olivia, Jake's infant daughter from a one-night-stand who was deposited on his doorstep months ago. His family stepped up and helped him take care of her, and then her mother shows up wanting to take her back. Jake asks Claire to pretend to be engaged to him so he stands a better chance of getting custody, and Claire, who could never say no to Jake, agrees.
This is a truly sweet story of how Jake learns to see Claire for who she is while also gaining enough confidence to become the man he was always meant to be. The narrative goes deep into how the youngest in a group of siblings usually feels left out and less than. Both Jake and Claire struggle with self-doubt and the need to prove themselves, which gives them the determination to see things through and find love along the way.
Jake and Claire get a fresh start with their HEA, though I would have preferred a more happy ending for all concerned. It was nice to visit with the Callahan family again, especially Mason and Grace. I'm looking forward to reading more in this series. I voluntarily reviewed an ARC of this book.
May 5, 2022
Claire and Jake have been friends forever. He is a self described man-whore, while she has only had 2 significant relationships. He finds himself in need of a committed relationship based on the advice of his attorney so he turns to Claire for help. What he doesn't know (or see right in front of him) is that Claire has been in love with him since they were children. This is the second installment in this series. Jake and Claire are the youngest siblings in each of their ranch families. As such they are both trying to find their way in the world while staying loyal to their families, dealing with older brothers rather than following their own dreams.
I didn't like how Jake considered himself dumb and that his only worth was in his looks. He needed a boost to his self worth. I did like that Claire finally stood up to her brothers, but they author didn't delve into the relationship with her father much at all. I feel that there are several loose ends that this book needs to have a sequel. Possibly a book at the end of the series dedicated to tying up the loose ends for all the Callahan brothers.
I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.
I didn't like how Jake considered himself dumb and that his only worth was in his looks. He needed a boost to his self worth. I did like that Claire finally stood up to her brothers, but they author didn't delve into the relationship with her father much at all. I feel that there are several loose ends that this book needs to have a sequel. Possibly a book at the end of the series dedicated to tying up the loose ends for all the Callahan brothers.
I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.
July 3, 2022
Jake has always viewed women as a quick one night stand, with no settling down in his future. The only women he thought he needed in his life was his mom and his best friend, Claire. That is till he finds out he is a dad to a sweet little girl Olivia. His world is turned upside down by this news, especially since he found out by finding Olivia with a note in her carseat saying she was his and that her mother was leaving. Fast forward a few months and now Jake is fighting for custody of Olivia and needs to look stable. Insert Claire pretending to be his fiance, even though she wishes it wasn't pretend as she has had feelings for Jake for as long as she can remember.
This was a great second book in the series! The "best friends to lovers" as well as " fake fiance" story lines were mixed very well. I was also very pleasantly surprised by the realism in the story, that even though the characters Jake and Claire get their happily ever after, it doesn't come without its challenges AND it isn't the picture perfect rainbows and butterflies ending you expect.
I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.
This was a great second book in the series! The "best friends to lovers" as well as " fake fiance" story lines were mixed very well. I was also very pleasantly surprised by the realism in the story, that even though the characters Jake and Claire get their happily ever after, it doesn't come without its challenges AND it isn't the picture perfect rainbows and butterflies ending you expect.
I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.
May 8, 2022
Things tend to get messy when there's a fake romance situation, and one of the involved is already in love with the other, and that's no exception in His Fake Fiance, which is why I love books with this story-line.
Claire has loved Jake for years and would do anything for him, even if it means trying to convince the world that their life long friendship has turned into a romance so that he has a chance of keeping custody of his baby girl Olivia!
Jake was just too oblivious to see what was right in front of him all of this time and many times I wish I could have slapped him into opening his eyes to see it!
This is the first book I've read by Erin Parisien but it won't be the last. I'm going to look for book 1 in the Northern California Cowboys series to read more about Grace and Mason's story. Even though His Fake Fiance told us what happened and how it ended up playing out, I want to go back and watch it all happen for myself.
I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.
Claire has loved Jake for years and would do anything for him, even if it means trying to convince the world that their life long friendship has turned into a romance so that he has a chance of keeping custody of his baby girl Olivia!
Jake was just too oblivious to see what was right in front of him all of this time and many times I wish I could have slapped him into opening his eyes to see it!
This is the first book I've read by Erin Parisien but it won't be the last. I'm going to look for book 1 in the Northern California Cowboys series to read more about Grace and Mason's story. Even though His Fake Fiance told us what happened and how it ended up playing out, I want to go back and watch it all happen for myself.
I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.
February 19, 2024
I was not reading a story from a book. It felt like I was Claire and felt her every pang of yearning, hope, disappointment and sorrow. While reliving the events, I realised that Jake had been covering up his perceived failures to the family and a meaningful career with his act of bravado and meaningless connections. With his eyes blinkered he missed the most important connection of all.
This was so realistic and as proof one always expects everything to fall into place with the main characters My heart was shattered - this time I had to interrupt my reading, not because of normal life, but because I couldn't deal with the heartache and tears. Did this end the way I wanted, no, but this is life isn't it!
This author has blown my mind, but with a few hours grace, I will be on to the next in the Northern California Cowboys series.
I received a copy and it is my pleasure to provide my honest and voluntary review.
This was so realistic and as proof one always expects everything to fall into place with the main characters My heart was shattered - this time I had to interrupt my reading, not because of normal life, but because I couldn't deal with the heartache and tears. Did this end the way I wanted, no, but this is life isn't it!
This author has blown my mind, but with a few hours grace, I will be on to the next in the Northern California Cowboys series.
I received a copy and it is my pleasure to provide my honest and voluntary review.
May 31, 2022
Jake and Claire have been best friends since they were young children. Claire fell in love with Jake as a teenager amd has been in love with him for years while he, of course, doesn't have a clue. In the meantime, Jake has hooked up with just about every woman in town except for Claire. One of his one night stands drops a baby off on his doorstep with a note saying he's the father but…. the mother returns a few months later wanting the baby back. In order for Jake to have the best chance of keeping his baby daughter, he convinces Claire to pretend to be engaged to him. Although Jake is more than a little dense and Claire is way too forgiving, I enjoyed the interaction of these two characters. As the friends-to-lovers tropes is one of my favorites, I was glad to read this book as an arc and really enjoyed it. I received an ARC of this book for my voluntary review.
June 18, 2022
When a baby that Jake knew nothing about is dropped on his doorstep, he is instantly in love with his little girl Olivia, but when her mother comes back and wants Olivia back, he speaks to an attorney. Claire is Jake’s best friend, and she has loved him since first grade, and she jumps at the chance to commit to being his fake fiancé. Jake does not do relationships, and has only ever seen Claire as his friend, so will he see what is right in front of him before it is to late? This is a beautifully written story which has family, and love, which leads to a compelling page turner, which pulls at the heartstrings throughout. I look froward to reading more from this talented author whose work I highly recommend.
I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.
I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.
June 9, 2025
Jake is a man whore who gets this girl Gina pregnant. Gina doesn’t tell him until she leaves the baby on his doorstep with a note. Then she shows back up months later wanting the baby back.
In order to help his custody case, Jake fakes proposes to his best friend, Claire. Claire is a doormat who happens to be in love with him so she goes along with it despite knowing it’s a terrible idea.
The book is quite repetitive with Jake thinking he’s an idiot with nothing to offer. He also never realized before how soft/curvy/beautiful etc Claire is before.
Spoiler- Gina is awarded custody. Jake is spiraling while Claire tries to comfort him and this is when she lets him know she wants to have sex with him. I’m not sure how anyone could be in the mood after such horrible news which is when I stopped reading.
In order to help his custody case, Jake fakes proposes to his best friend, Claire. Claire is a doormat who happens to be in love with him so she goes along with it despite knowing it’s a terrible idea.
The book is quite repetitive with Jake thinking he’s an idiot with nothing to offer. He also never realized before how soft/curvy/beautiful etc Claire is before.
Spoiler- Gina is awarded custody. Jake is spiraling while Claire tries to comfort him and this is when she lets him know she wants to have sex with him. I’m not sure how anyone could be in the mood after such horrible news which is when I stopped reading.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
June 19, 2022
I loved jake’s and Claire’s love story but I detest how the story with Olivia played out. Yeah I know courts tend to side with the mother but she had literally abandoned the child and then popped back in months later to take her back. And jake saying he was keeping Olivia and Gina apart? No I don’t see it that way at all, this random hookup left a baby on your porch unsupervised and then months later comes asking for her back expecting to leave with her? No I wouldn’t have let her leave either, you see her under my supervision. I thought jake was being wayyy accommodating asking for shared custody but for the judge to take custody from him and leave him with only visitation to give her to a complete stranger????
My blood boils
My blood boils
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
December 31, 2022
I enjoyed this romance story with all of the characters. The main characters were Claire and Jake.
Claire lives with her father and brothers on a ranch. When her next door neighbor needs her help. She is happy to help him with anything that he needs. But she is a little surprised by what he is asking for.
Jake needs a wife. So he can keep his little girl. He hopes that if the judge see that he and his wife can take care of his daughter. So he decides to ask his best friend that lives next door to help him with this.
This was a fun story to read. It had action, suspense, and drama throughout. It had a few giggles within.
I received a complimentary copy via BookSiren. This is my honest unbiased opinions.
Claire lives with her father and brothers on a ranch. When her next door neighbor needs her help. She is happy to help him with anything that he needs. But she is a little surprised by what he is asking for.
Jake needs a wife. So he can keep his little girl. He hopes that if the judge see that he and his wife can take care of his daughter. So he decides to ask his best friend that lives next door to help him with this.
This was a fun story to read. It had action, suspense, and drama throughout. It had a few giggles within.
I received a complimentary copy via BookSiren. This is my honest unbiased opinions.
February 3, 2023
Jake and Clare have been best friends for years. Now they have a fake engagement agreement so he can keep custody of the daughter he didn't know about. He knows nothing about babies - I love how his family pitched in to help with baby Olivia when she's dumped on his doorstep. He generally gets by on his good looks, and he's not smart enough to see right in front of him how Clare is in love with him. And to her credit, she loves him for him, not his family or good looks or any other superficial reason. Noelle, the social worker, bugged me, but she shows up as the main female character in "His Simple Plan", and she is so much more likable. I enjoyed this book enough that I've read everything in the series. I received an advance copy of the book, and this is my honest review.
June 13, 2025
The couple: Jake and Claire
Romance trope: friends to lovers
Series: Northern California Cowboys
Length: 304 pages
Plot: Jake and Claire have been best friends forever, so when Jake's lawyer suggests that his custody case has a better chance if he's in a stable relationship, of course he asks Claire to (fake) marry him. She doesn't want to but she agrees anyways. She knows this will only complicate things since he doesn't know she's in love with him. As they get in deeper, though, lines are blurred and Jake has some realizations to come to.
Commentary: How convenient that they each had a secret, top-level talent that they could, without any trouble, parlay into a career/schooling.
Also, I was actually really mad about the custody thing. His ex abandoned her child - just left her on the porch, and with no explanation (that we got), the judge gives her sole custody? After he and his family has been parenting her, which is something the mom said she couldn't do? And then after all of that, the mom decides to move out of state, and it's just okay? I know it was a plot device, but it was not cool at all. I am almost 100% always on the side of the mom getting custody (so sue me), but not in this (fictional) case. That was wrong.
Previous book in the series: His Saving Grace
Next book in the series: His Simple Plan
Romance trope: friends to lovers
Series: Northern California Cowboys
Length: 304 pages
Plot: Jake and Claire have been best friends forever, so when Jake's lawyer suggests that his custody case has a better chance if he's in a stable relationship, of course he asks Claire to (fake) marry him. She doesn't want to but she agrees anyways. She knows this will only complicate things since he doesn't know she's in love with him. As they get in deeper, though, lines are blurred and Jake has some realizations to come to.
Commentary: How convenient that they each had a secret, top-level talent that they could, without any trouble, parlay into a career/schooling.
Also, I was actually really mad about the custody thing. His ex abandoned her child - just left her on the porch, and with no explanation (that we got), the judge gives her sole custody? After he and his family has been parenting her, which is something the mom said she couldn't do? And then after all of that, the mom decides to move out of state, and it's just okay? I know it was a plot device, but it was not cool at all. I am almost 100% always on the side of the mom getting custody (so sue me), but not in this (fictional) case. That was wrong.
Previous book in the series: His Saving Grace
Next book in the series: His Simple Plan
June 27, 2025
Claire and Jake—they’ve known each other and been best friends forever. But when he needed to go to court to try to get custody of his daughter, he asked her to be his fake fiancée so the court would look more favorably on him. He had to live down his reputation as a man-whore, but she’s been in love with him since junior high. They didn’t win in court, but he did get visitation rights. He and Claire don’t communicate about feelings and there are lots of ups and downs between them. In the end, they get their HEA. While there are aspects of this story that are sweet and sometimes even poignant, it drags too much and isn’t realistic at all. Too much left unsaid and unresolved. Plus there are serious editing issues.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
July 20, 2022
This would be a 4.5 star review but....
While I absolutely loved this story I feel like the Authors editor sorely let her down and I found that hard to get passed. There were many paragraphs that were repeated at one point there was an entire page that was duplicated and somehow missed.
The characters were great. It was nice to see an unexpected side to Jake where he was so vulnerable. The side shown is not something you typically see in these cocktail, ladies man types.
The emotions throughout the story had me in all out tears at a few points. It takes a special book to play me like that!
While I absolutely loved this story I feel like the Authors editor sorely let her down and I found that hard to get passed. There were many paragraphs that were repeated at one point there was an entire page that was duplicated and somehow missed.
The characters were great. It was nice to see an unexpected side to Jake where he was so vulnerable. The side shown is not something you typically see in these cocktail, ladies man types.
The emotions throughout the story had me in all out tears at a few points. It takes a special book to play me like that!
October 10, 2022
I enjoyed Jake and Claire’s romance. It was fun watching best friends give in to their emotions and become more. Watching Jake mature and find himself was a joy. The secondary characters were interesting, although I wish they had been used more. I would have liked to have seen more of the characters from the previous book in the series. The premise is a good one and I love the scenes with Olivia – especially those where Jake learnt how to become a father and got more and more confident in his abilities.
I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.
I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.
May 2, 2022
Claire has loved Jake forever but he only sees her as a friend. That is until he asks her to be his fake fiancé to help him win custody of his daughter.
This is a great addition to this series and I loved jakes character, he comes across as confident and cocky but it’s all just a front to hide how he really feels a failure. His slow realisation of how Claire feels makes for a great story and kept you wanting more. I couldn’t put this book down.
I received a copy from Booksirens and leave my review voluntarily.
This is a great addition to this series and I loved jakes character, he comes across as confident and cocky but it’s all just a front to hide how he really feels a failure. His slow realisation of how Claire feels makes for a great story and kept you wanting more. I couldn’t put this book down.
I received a copy from Booksirens and leave my review voluntarily.
May 4, 2022
Received as an ARC and leaving my honest review. Second standalone book in the interconnected series.
Unlike book 1 which had some suspense elements to the story, this one is more best friends to lovers mixed with child custody issues and also an element of "growing up" and taking responsibility. Whilst the story kept me interested, the relationship between Jake and Claire felt a bit draggy at times and I would have liked to see Claire actually grow a spine (I tend to prefer stories with a stronger female lead). But the 2 do get their HEA and all the issues are wrapped up quite nicely.
Unlike book 1 which had some suspense elements to the story, this one is more best friends to lovers mixed with child custody issues and also an element of "growing up" and taking responsibility. Whilst the story kept me interested, the relationship between Jake and Claire felt a bit draggy at times and I would have liked to see Claire actually grow a spine (I tend to prefer stories with a stronger female lead). But the 2 do get their HEA and all the issues are wrapped up quite nicely.
May 27, 2022
Jake and Claire are best friends . Jake needs a fiancé so he can keep custody of his daughter. Enter his plan to reel in his besties to help. What could go wrong? Simple right? Lol one tiny minor issue that Claire is in love with her best friend. This was a new author to me and I definitely enjoyed the style of writing. My heart strings pulled for Claire and sometimes I wanted to smack Jake. Both characters were well developed and I enjoyed the push and pull between these two. Will they get there HEA?
I recieved a ARC in exchange for a honest review
I recieved a ARC in exchange for a honest review
June 19, 2022
This story is a romance but also about a father fighting for custody of his daughter when her mother never told him about her and then left her all alone on the front porch of the family him when no one was home with nothing but a note. I loved that it ended in a HEA but saddened that other parts of the story turned out the way that it did. But it is a great story that I really enjoyed and look forward to the next in the series.
I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.
I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.
August 2, 2022
Jake has a brilliant idea, he needs a fake fiance to keep his unexpected daughter, Olivia, so he asks his best friend, Claire, to help him out, she's very wary as she's been in love with his for ages and isn't sure that she can act as though it's fake. They move in together into the guest house on the ranch where Jake helps out, he has self doubt and self worth problems, thinking that he's not good enough for Claire as he hasn't got a proper job, although he loves taking photos.
I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.
A great read from Erin
I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.
A great read from Erin
October 29, 2023
His Fake Fiancé is an emotional roller coaster! I laughed, I cried, I got irritated with people’s lack of communication, but most importantly I was fully engaged from page one until the very end. Jake and Claire are the quintessential best friends since childhood, and their slow burn love story is fraught with twists, turns, and many surprises. This was an excellent story, and I can’t wait to read more about the Callahan family in the upcoming books!
May 3, 2022
This was a good standalone even though it is part of a series. I enjoyed seeing a different side to Jake. I am left with some questions left after reading the end which I think could have used a bit more of an explanation. I feel like this author may rush some parts of her books towards the end.
Side note: I received a copy of this book in exchange for a honest review
Side note: I received a copy of this book in exchange for a honest review
May 6, 2022
A really sweet story about overcoming hardships and finding love that's right in front of you!
Wonderful characters with a very well written storyline. I can't wait to read more from this author! I definitely recommend this book!
I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily. I would've paid for this great story! ;)
Wonderful characters with a very well written storyline. I can't wait to read more from this author! I definitely recommend this book!
I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily. I would've paid for this great story! ;)
May 7, 2022
Best friend, Swoony, clueless single dad ✅ soft-hearted, starry-eyed girl BFF ✅ circumstances that make them truly see the other ✅ This books gives you all the feels as you silently cheer them on from cover to cover. I highly recommend!
I received an advance review copy for free via BookSirens, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.
I received an advance review copy for free via BookSirens, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.
June 2, 2022
A well written plot line and the romance the love the drama surrounding the characters were well potrayed.I have read some of the books by the author and enjoyed it.This story is also very enjoyable read.Its a standalone romance and with a hot hero , beautiful strong heroine and their HEA
I received a free arc from booksiren and I'm leaving an honest review
I received a free arc from booksiren and I'm leaving an honest review
May 5, 2022
This was a good best friend fake fiancé story that has her going along with his plan so he can keep his baby who she loves also. But these two find out that they having more than fake feeling for each other I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 35 reviews