Resist Me

Forget the Past #3

by Lauren Connolly

She would do anything for the ones she loves. Even marry a stranger.

Luna Lamont has a few short months to find a husband or else she loses out on a surprise inheritance. Content living life as an independent woman, she’s ready to give up the cash, even if that means her deadbeat father gets the windfall instead. But when Luna realizes the money could finally mean her twin brother’s freedom, she’s forced to consider the benefits of rushed matrimony. Only, what kind of man would marry a bitter self-defense coach who only wants to use him for a payout?

Maybe a salesman with a secret crush is up for the job...

Charlie Keller falls for Luna within five minutes of meeting her. Literally. His body inevitably malfunctions when she’s nearby. He first encounters the intimidatingly attractive woman on a boat a moment before he falls overboard. The next time they’re in a room together, he dumps a pot of coffee on himself. After an accidental boob punch, Charlie knows he’ll be lucky if Luna is willing to come within fifty feet of him if she doesn’t have to. But they're in the same wedding party, so Charlie hopes he can get through the ceremony without further embarrassment.

Imagine his surprise when the woman who has every reason to keep her distance proposes a marriage of their own.

Genres: Romance, Contemporary, Marriage Of Convenience, Fake Dating, Contemporary Romance, Modern, Forced Proximity

300 pages, Kindle Edition

Published July 12, 2022

About the author

Lauren Connolly is an award-winning author of contemporary and magical romance stories. She’s lived among mountains, next to lakes, and in imaginary worlds. Lauren can never seem to stay in one place for too long, but trust that wherever she’s residing there is a dog who thinks he’s a troll, twin cats hiding in the couch, and bookshelves bursting with stories written by the authors she loves.

Reviews

[Melissa · Rating 2 out of 5]

I liked Luna and Charlie -I love me a strong FMC and a MMC who worships and adores her. I also really enjoy the fake marriage trope.
But this suffered from some plot inconsistency, and I think let the family issues overshine the relationship in the end, and left Charlie's storyline largely unfinished...

[Kristen Lewendon · Rating 5 out of 5]

This story unspooled at my fingertips in a way that held me enthralled. It’s not as dark as some things I’ve read, but it is darker than the previous books in the series, so definitely pay attention to the warning the author provides. It’s been long enough since I read the first book that I couldn’t immediately place Charlie and Luna in my memory. But that’s okay because they come to life between these pages. I immediately fell in love with geeky, clumsy Charlie, and everything Luna had survived twisted my tender heart in knots. I adored seeing these two together. You know that real feelings are going to grow from their ”fake” relationship, it’s just that Luna fights it so hard and for so long that there’s a lot of room for doubt. There’re also several new characters that have been added to the mix that I’m kind of giddy over possibly seeing future stories about. Whatever the author has for us next, I want to read as soon as I can get my hands on it.
I received a complimentary copy of this book from the Booksprout.

[alyona · Rating 3 out of 5]

2.5/5

This book was definitely darker than the others, but that’s not why I liked it less. I guess I just found myself struggling to understand Luna, it’s like a switch flipped and turned her character around completely and I didn’t really get it. Otherwise Charlie is a cutie and I loved him and Luna.

[InD'tale Magazine · Rating 5 out of 5]

Rating: 4.5/5.0

Once again, Ms. Connolly has written a tale full of heart, fun, and adorable animals!

Read full review in the 2022 October issue of InD'tale Magazine.

[Ashley B - Cozy with Pitties · Rating 4 out of 5]

I’m not gonna lie I 100% chose this book on the big Meaty pittie on the book cover! lol but it was a good story aswell!! Complete with not only one big meaty pittie but two! Pumpkin and Pig. And I really loved the parts they where in! This is a 3rd in the series but I read it out of out order and why a little back ground info from the other two books would of been good I really didn’t feel like I was missing anything by reading this one first!
We have Luna who is an older sister to Dash from book one. Luna didn’t have it easy she has always looks after her bothers, and her self for years. She didn’t have motherly love and her father abused all the kids especially Luna. Luna and dash got away from their abusive family and have both made another life for them Luna in Nashville working as a self defensive person and a nutritionist and dash after getting into a little bit of trouble with his fathers criminal family has turned his life around and is Marrying Paige a judges daughter who he met at a rescue shelter!
Luna is not our normal girly Main character she is fierce and could take down any one that came in her way, and is not into gender stereotypes at all. And is not afraid of hard work. A year ago her and Dash found their maternal grandmother and she was finally feeling loved and accepted but her grandmother has passed away from
Cancer leaves her some money but there are some speculations to the money she has to marry buy her 30 birthday or it goes to her father.
That’s when we meet Charlie who is Paige’s best male friend and Luna is attracted to him right away and Charlie is to and after getting to know each other Luna ask if he will Mary her and at first they have a bunch of rules and say they will break up in a year. But Charlie doesn’t want it to end and he tries everything to show her she Deserves real love and a family and he is the one who suggested they adopt pig and it was so sweet seeing the 3 of them
Become a family! It reminded me of me and my hubby and our dogs being a family and I loved it!
I really enjoyed this story! I wasn’t a fan of marriage of convenience but this proved me wrong! And both had funny banter and sweet moments and a few 🥵🥵 scenes! I hope to read the rest in the series soon!!

[Jennifer · Rating 4 out of 5]

I'm always up for a good, grumpy/sunshine pairing, especially when the grumpy one is a guarded, protective heroine, and the sunshiny one is a sweet, loving, adorable cinnamon roll. Add in an adorable pit bull puppy that needs a good home and I'm all in.

Luna meets Charlie because her younger brother is marrying his best friend and they are both in the wedding party. Luna is guarded and tough. She had a rough upbringing in an abusive, criminal family, but both she and her brother broke free of that life and she is now a nutritionist/self defense expert. Charlie was raised in a loving family and meets life head on with a smile and an open heart. Nothing shakes him, but as soon as he meets Luna, he knows she's the right person for him. The only problem is that Luna clearly is not interested in any kind of relationship. However, just after the wedding, Luna finds herself in need of a groom of her own to receive a large monetary bequest that will enable her to buy her other brother out of the criminal lifestyle that he's been caught up in.

Since she doesn't trust anyone, she initially rejects getting married as a solution, but then it occurs to her that Charlie might be the perfect person to help her out since he's clearly a nice, honest guy whom her new sister-in-law trusts implicitly. For Charlie, it's like a dream come true, getting to spend time with the woman he's fallen head over heels for. The only question is whether he can get her to see that they would be perfect together.

These two were just so sweet together. I was rooting for them all the way. Bonus points for the adorable pit bull pup that Charlie insists they adopt together as his only condition for the marriage. I had not read the previous books in this series but I definitely want to go back and catch up on them after reading this one. I received a free copy of this book from the author and am voluntarily leaving a review. All opinions expressed are my own.

[Tima · Rating 5 out of 5]

4.5 stars. I truly appreciate an author whose story I can pick up in the middle of a series and not feel like I’m missing out because I haven’t read previous stories but who writes well enough that I want to go back and find the others. This story is one such example. Luna, the female lead, is the brother of the male lead in book 1 and Charlie, the male lead, is the best friend of the female lead in book 1.

Luna's grandmother has left her a conditional inheritance and she requires a husband. She’s never been able to rely on anyone else but Charlie is genuinely nice and she asks him to be her partner in this endeavour.

Charlie has been at loose ends, not really enjoying his job any more but not sure what else to do with his life. Luna’s offer allows him reset time.

As they get to know each other, they develop feelings but Luna’s family of origin leaves her believing men, especially, can’t be trusted. And her criminal relatives don’t want to let her or her twin brother go…

This story is dual POV, well written, and a sweet and steamy romance with two lead characters with non-Caucasian heritage, which I deeply appreciated. I enjoyed the lead character development of both characters, and Charlie’s genuine perseverance and gentleness in the face of Luna’s distrust. I enjoyed secondary character integration and hope Luna’s brother also gets his own story.

I received a complimentary copy of this book and am voluntarily leaving a review.

[Shazz Mattaz · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was my favorite in the series. It felt as though there was so much more depth here between the main characters as well as what was at stake for Luna and her family. That's not a slight against the other books; there's a lot of heart and charm in all of them. But this story is about more than romantic love; it's about siblings and parents and forgiveness. And I love that we have a diverse couple here as well. This whole series feels like it's imagined in the real world with real people, and I love that.

While this is definitely a 'he falls first' situation, the story is more of a slow burn that the instalove of the others, and it was really brilliant how they earned each other's trust and affection. The way Charlie backs up his infatuation with showing up for Luna when she needs him was top tier husband behaviour. And how Luna worked through her relationships with her brothers and mom was believable and relatable.

There's not as much spice in this one as other books in the series or other novels in this genre, but the story is stronger for it. I'd rather a book have less spice and more character development than spice just because it's expected. Plenty of books have spice; not all have characters you root for like this one.

Def recommend if you like a bit of a slow burn, fake marriage, forced proximity with a cute dog and dash of jepoardy. Here's hoping Leo gets his own book as well.

[Kt Hay · Rating 5 out of 5]

I'm trying something different with this review, a collection of notes as I read my ARC copy, received in exchange for an honest review.

I have to confess, only 3 chapters in and I remember why Lauren is now one of my very favourite authors. Our main charachters here in the 3rd book of this series are Luna and Charlie. Already theres great charachter development. While we got some insight into Luna having met her in book one, meeting Charlie and reading from his POV brings much more depth to his friendship with Paige.
I've pretty much read everything by Lauren I can lay my hands on at this point, so please forgive the fan girl crushing that may commence.

Ch4
Gods I've missed Paiges one liners. I'm pretty sure she nuerodivergent, and it's a brilliant portrayal of a character who finds social interactions confusing.

Ch21
This is a refreshing approach to the fake marriage trope, with a genuine honesty between MC and supporting cast.

Ch27
Love the fact Charlie is not an alpha type, Lauren has written beta male leads before, and she dose this really well!

This was a fab installment, while book 2 is still my very favourite, this was the one that made me giggle out loud multiple times!

A funny, sweet romance with kick ass charachters, beta male lead, strong alpha female, and hilarious supporting cast. Def on my top ten list!

[Mandy (MP Book Reviews) · Rating 4 out of 5]

Independent woman Luna Lamont discovers she has a surprise inheritance but it is on the condition that she marry and so she is willing to walk away from it even if that then means her awful father gets it. Then she realises that it could actually mean she can buy her twin brother's freedom from a crime boss and so she rethinks it. So she starts to think about who would be willing to help her. Salesman Charlie Keller literally falls for Luna as soon as he sees her. More accidents in her presence happen but they are the same wedding party and so can't avoid each other initially. To his surprise, Luna then proposes a marriage of their own.

I really enjoyed this story with the sassy Luna doing everything she could to resist her pull to Charlie together with Charlie doing his best to support her while waging a slow war of attrition to get her to see him as the man she could love and have a partnership with. I loved the dog Pig and how central to the story she was at times. I was really rooting for Charlie in the end and so was thrilled when Luna could no longer resist his pull. Easy to read and understand, it was a captivating story that pulled me along with the story. Contains some light mature content.

[Kristen · Rating 4 out of 5]

This series, man. It's so freaking good.

I think one of the things I loved the most about this book was Charlie Keller. I mean, what a cute little bundle of sunshine. Charlie reminds me a lot of my own partner, in that they are very patient and in NO WAY react to things the same way I would. It's really refreshing and calming to be around people like that.

Luna is a prickly pear, and I just wanted to wrap her in bubble wrap and beat the crud out of her parents. And Pig is the cutest puppy to ever puppy and such a good girl!

"Fake" relationships is a trope that is definitely hit or miss for me. This one hit!! That's for sure. I think it helped that they both genuinely enjoyed each other's company, and the slight miscommunications or lack of communications felt really sincere when they did crop up. These were 2 people who had only known each other a handful of days before entering into this fake marriage.

Now I'm just crossing my fingers for Leo's book!!

Also.....vaguely unrelated. Did I detect a teaser for another book / potential spin-off series?? Manuel and Violet have definite vibes! Bodyguard series in the future???

[Ettak · Rating 4 out of 5]

I received a copy of Resist Me through LibraryThing Early Reviewers in exchange for a truthful review.

From what I could gather in reading this novel, this is the third book in the Forget the Past series by Lauren Connolly, centered around the Lamont family siblings who have not grown up in the best of circumstances: twins Luna and Leo and their younger brother, Dash. And I gather dogs play a pivotal part in all three books of the series.

I was able to enjoy this one as a standalone as the backstories of the other two siblings are caught up in this one.

This one focuses on Luna and her bid to support her siblings and to honor a grandparent's strange final will. In a convoluted plot which seems absurd at first, but which sets up the romance, Luna and Charlie, the best friend of her sister-in-law, are thrown together in a strangers-to-lovers plot.

Luna and Charlie are interesting, likable characters. There are trigger warnings to start the novel and there are two explicit sexual scenes.

[Claire Turvey · Rating 5 out of 5]

A beautiful warm read full of fun, love and loyalty

I love the beautiful warmth of Luna and Charlie’s story. The honesty between the characters was refreshing and allowed the plot to be driven by the character’s personal growth and external influences. The ending is very gratifyingly rounded out, making this book a very satisfying read.

Once again, Lauren exhibits her special talent at crafting strong, charismatic, beta male heroes. They are such a joy to read about, and I will gleefully absorb the story of every one that Lauren cares to dish out. I was lucky enough to read this third book in the series first, so now I get to read two more from this fun and flirty series, rather than having to wait for her to release the next - yesss!

Full disclosure: I was given an ARC of the book, however this review is my own honest opinion.

[Meg Fitz · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love the grumpy sunshine trope, and Luna is the perfect grumpy female character. She's tough and smart and cares about her family but we understand deeply why she is so guarded.
Charlie is the perfect cinnamon roll character, sweet and awkward. I loved him instantly.
This is a fake marriage story done right. Loved it.
The characters and dialogue feel real.
It was also nice to see the characters from the other books come back... although I wished Cole and Autumn had a bigger role. This book also made me love Paige even more, which was a pretty tough task since I loved her already. Oh and all the new characters.. when are they getting their book?
All of Lauren Connolly's books that I've read this year put a smile on my face. This book was what I needed after a long and hard day. Her books are my mental cinnamon rolls. Thank you for being a "Dash" of joy in my life.

[Marilyn Smith · Rating 5 out of 5]

Luna was happy to live life independently but when she finds out about a surprise inheritance she almost was going to let it go. But her deadbeat father would get it but she decides it could help her twin brother more. But she only has a couple months to find a groom. Charlie meets her and instantly falls in love with her. But unfortunately every time he’s around her he turns into a klutz! He has several accidents but he’s determined to be around her. Will she ask him to be her groom after they have to be at a wedding at the same time? I voluntarily reviewed an Advance Reader Copy of this book.

[Rhonda Howell · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a cute story about a strong independent woman who finds out she has to marry in order to obtain an inheritance or her father will end up with it. She does bit want to go through with it but them thinks of her brother and decides to see what she can find. Whonwill agree to a crazy sche.e as to pretend to be her husband and marry her for the money? She meets Chatlie and he is perfect and he actually has a crush on her. Will he be able to convince her that this is real? I l9ved the dog he was a great addition.

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

[A · Rating 4 out of 5]

I have loved this series and this title is no exception. You meet Luna and Charlie in the first book and yet I would never have expected pairing them to be so perfect. Fans of grumpy / sunshine will adore how this marriage of convenience allows both characters to be fully themselves while also growing with each other.

The book deals heavily with Luna's connection with her Taiwanese ancestry. While the author clearly used a sensitivity reader, I am not part of that community and so cannot be sure how effectively/accurately she handled it.

CW for violence on page, references to past abuse and references to child neglect/abuse

[Esther · Rating 3 out of 5]

Needs more pages

The storyline/depth was too much for how short this story is. There was too much going on, and so much for the characters to process in a very short amount of time.
The MMC falls in love in days? Like serious love. Everything comes together within 6 weeks? It just didn't feel authentic. Things just happened, and it wasn't believable.
I liked the characters' personalities, and I liked the storyline. It just needed to be longer to get to the depth of emotions that was needed for this story.
*This story is rated R. The F word is used more than once. There are mildly descriptive spice scenes. The violence is mild, but there I some blood.

[Lyn Brownlie · Rating 5 out of 5]

Enjoyable and at times an emotional storyline with great characters with added danger along the way.
This novel follows Luna, a headstrong woman who struggles to help her brothers choose the right path in life rather than the criminal element they were destined for.
Her grandmother‘s death leaves her with an inheritance only attainable if she is married by 30.
Life changes dramatically for her as she never expected to commit herself into a fake marriage to a man she admires and is attracted to, bringing Charlie into her mixed up family life and home.
I received a copy of this novel for my honest review.

[Susan Ellingwood]

I loved this book! This story made me laugh, cry and admire the people involved. Luna is a woman who believes she is unworthy of love & companionship & afraid to let anyone into her life. This comes from her youth where she was not made to feel safe or loved or important. Enter Charlie & her life is turned upside down. He teaches Luna to trust & love & to let people in to help her & know she can trust them to have her best interests at heart. This story had me believing in the goodness of people & that love can conquer alot. I loved this book!

[BookAddict ✒ La Crimson Femme · Rating 4 out of 5]

Moving and unexpectedly poignant, Resist me is an irresistible tale of a broken family coming to terms with their dysfunction. To see it also incorporate romance and the ability to be vulnerable is an added bonus. Ms. Connolly is an auto-read author for me. Her stories are touching and I love her character development. She surprises me each time.

To read the rest of my review, click on the image below to see it on my website.

[Stefanie · Rating 5 out of 5]

Such an adorably cute romantic read!

It's got a strong and capable FMC who's protective of her family and an absolute cinnamon roll of a man that is just so loveable.

Such an easy read and whilst there is almost no spice (I usually prefer a lot in romance books), the author hook's you in so well that it an absolute page turner that I just couldn't put down.

I received an arc of this book and I am leaving an honest review voluntarily.

[Fran · Rating 5 out of 5]

Luna and Charlie are great together. Luna needs a groom in order to collect a large inheritance. When she meets Charlie at her brothers wedding she realizes she can use him as the groom. He is such an easy going guy and he actually falls for her immediately. Win win for him now if only he can talk Luna into being his forever. The characters are really likable and this was just a wonderful read. I received an advance copy from the author and am leaving this review voluntarily.

[Sentinelle23 · Rating 4 out of 5]

🤗💕Pleasant to read.

Luna and her brother Dash were driving across the country trying to find their grandmother.

In the car, they were talking, their heads full of memories...

------‐-------

A beautiful contemporary story to read, with two main characters, Luna and Charlie, who try to move forward in life, despite a complicated past.

I liked the characters, very believable and touching.

A great story to read and enjoy.

[Lynn · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great book

I enjoyed the first two books in this series, but the humor in Resist Me moved it to the top of my list. Lauren Connolly has the gift of bringing characters to life, explaining their inner thoughts and motivations, while simultaneously portraying them as others see them. All three stories include flawed people who rise above their circumstances, and partners who see each other’s flaws and love them in spite of those flaws.

[Jody · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book, following Luna and Charlie is a great read. They meet when his best friend and her brother get married. But Luna needs a fake husband for a year to inherit some money. Charlie accepts the role, even though he has feelings for Luna. Then there is danger because her law breaking father wants the money. Reading how things transpire was interesting I enjoyed this book

[K Huskić · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was the first I'd read in this series and I enjoyed it. This was a fake marriage trope done well, with both characters fully aware of the situation, and even their loved ones knew what was happening and why. Of course, this kind of trope always ends one way, so it's a little predictable, but I kind of love that about it. Luna was strong and completely independent, and I liked seeing her soften a little as the story went on. I think I'll need to go back and read the first two now!

[Charlee · Rating 3 out of 5]

this one was just ok. it was sort of if the roles reversed in the first book. very easy read. as I am not taiwanese or black I am not sure how accurate her portrayal of either race was, but it didn't feel icky which I am taking as a good sign. happy ending, fake marriage trope, and another cute pit bull.

[Mille-feuille · Rating 3 out of 5]

A great addition to the series but it feels like something is missing. As an Asian woman myself I think I wanted the book to explore more of Luna's relationship with her mum, her grandma and her heritage. But I imagine that's quite a big undertaking so I understand why the author might not want to go that deeply.

[Ann Brown · Rating 5 out of 5]

A captivating story that had such strong, likeable characters in Luna and Charlie. There was so much emotion and family drama that kept me enthralled. There was also plenty of danger involved for Luna. A really enjoyable read. I voluntarily reviewed an Advanced Reader Copy.