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The Fortunes of Texas: Hitting the Jackpot #2
Fortune's Dream House
All’s fair in love and real estate…
They’re practically strangers. But for Max Fortune Maloney to get his house bid accepted, he has to convince his agent, Eliza Henry, to pretend they’re wildly in love and heading for the altar. Eliza needs the deal to advance her career, but she fears jeopardizing her reputation almost as much as she fears falling for the sweet-talking cowboy. Her heart, she warns him, is not for sale!
They’re practically strangers. But for Max Fortune Maloney to get his house bid accepted, he has to convince his agent, Eliza Henry, to pretend they’re wildly in love and heading for the altar. Eliza needs the deal to advance her career, but she fears jeopardizing her reputation almost as much as she fears falling for the sweet-talking cowboy. Her heart, she warns him, is not for sale!
212 pages, Kindle Edition
First published January 5, 2023
19 people are currently reading
36 people want to read
About the author
Nina Crespo
61 books1,062 followersNina Crespo lives in Florida where she indulges in her favorite passions -- the beach, a good glass of wine, date night with her own real-life hero and dancing. Her lifelong addiction to romance began in her teens while on a "borrowing spree" in her older sister's bedroom where she discovered her first romance novel. Let Nina's sensual contemporary stories and steamy paranormal tales satisfy your own craving for love, romance, and happily ever after.
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Displaying 1 - 12 of 12 reviews
February 19, 2023
Whether you're in the mood for small town's charms, something sweet, a relationship or a love affair that start in an unusal way you can only find in the fiction world and endearing characters, you can count on Nina Crespo to deliver it.
February 18, 2023
Reviewed at Happily Ever After Romance
Fortune’s Dream House is the second title in the continuity series, The Fortunes of Texas: Hitting the Jackpot. We met Max in the first story, where he was very impatient about getting his portion of the unexpected inheritance from an unknown grandfather. Not much has changed about the impatience since Max has gone looking at several houses, even going as far as putting in an offer only to have to rescind that when the money still hadn’t hit his bank account just yet. He’s not being greedy, he simply wants to find his forever home, but his real estate agent is starting to pull back from showing him houses when it appears that he just can’t make up his mind.
Eliza likes Max and wants to help him find that perfect home… and it wouldn’t hurt her career one little bit to make that final sale, but his inability to stick to a decision is wearing on her nerves more than a little bit. She’s about to stop showing him houses when he convinces her to go to just one more, and that is where life is about to take a huge turn for them both. The owners of this home (well, the husband) have some quirky requirements about the people they are willing to sell to, mainly that it be a couple, in love, with thoughts about a future family strong in their plans. It’s not that they’re being unreasonable, but this older couple has found happiness here, and the husband might be dragging his feet a bit, but his wife has a solution for Max… a tad unusual, but a possible way to convince her husband to sell to him. Pretend to be madly in love, at least until the closing papers are signed.
I loved this couple so much, especially Max. Their “courtship” in front of this couple (who seem to show up just about everywhere) is adorable, but also Eliza and Max are starting to see the truth behind the pretend as their attraction grows into more than either expected. There are, of course, a few complications, yet watching them take their working relationship deeper into the forever possibilities was a delightful, emotional journey that I completely enjoyed. I had fun with this story and have some ideas on the series-long mystery as well (but those are my thoughts; I won’t spoil that for anyone else).
If you love an unexpected romance with lots of laughter, bantering, and moving past the pretend stage-styled romance, then Eliza and Max will bring all that and more to life for you. Fortune’s Dream House is a well-written, engaging, fun, romantic adventure – one you won’t want to miss.
I own a Kindle edition of this title.
Fortune’s Dream House is the second title in the continuity series, The Fortunes of Texas: Hitting the Jackpot. We met Max in the first story, where he was very impatient about getting his portion of the unexpected inheritance from an unknown grandfather. Not much has changed about the impatience since Max has gone looking at several houses, even going as far as putting in an offer only to have to rescind that when the money still hadn’t hit his bank account just yet. He’s not being greedy, he simply wants to find his forever home, but his real estate agent is starting to pull back from showing him houses when it appears that he just can’t make up his mind.
Eliza likes Max and wants to help him find that perfect home… and it wouldn’t hurt her career one little bit to make that final sale, but his inability to stick to a decision is wearing on her nerves more than a little bit. She’s about to stop showing him houses when he convinces her to go to just one more, and that is where life is about to take a huge turn for them both. The owners of this home (well, the husband) have some quirky requirements about the people they are willing to sell to, mainly that it be a couple, in love, with thoughts about a future family strong in their plans. It’s not that they’re being unreasonable, but this older couple has found happiness here, and the husband might be dragging his feet a bit, but his wife has a solution for Max… a tad unusual, but a possible way to convince her husband to sell to him. Pretend to be madly in love, at least until the closing papers are signed.
I loved this couple so much, especially Max. Their “courtship” in front of this couple (who seem to show up just about everywhere) is adorable, but also Eliza and Max are starting to see the truth behind the pretend as their attraction grows into more than either expected. There are, of course, a few complications, yet watching them take their working relationship deeper into the forever possibilities was a delightful, emotional journey that I completely enjoyed. I had fun with this story and have some ideas on the series-long mystery as well (but those are my thoughts; I won’t spoil that for anyone else).
If you love an unexpected romance with lots of laughter, bantering, and moving past the pretend stage-styled romance, then Eliza and Max will bring all that and more to life for you. Fortune’s Dream House is a well-written, engaging, fun, romantic adventure – one you won’t want to miss.
I own a Kindle edition of this title.
May 27, 2023
Meh! I like the book cover BUT the story didn't have enough Oomph—it might be because of Harlequin's restrictive guidelines because I've read other good books by this author NOT under the Harlequin umbrella.
There was the possibility of a major reveal but it wasn't resolved in this book so I'm sure it will play out over the next three or four Fortune books in the series.
Again, Harlequin has upped the game on their book covers—go take a look BUT some of these stories could use a higher heat level and a bit more drama. Yes, I said it—drama needed!
There was the possibility of a major reveal but it wasn't resolved in this book so I'm sure it will play out over the next three or four Fortune books in the series.
Again, Harlequin has upped the game on their book covers—go take a look BUT some of these stories could use a higher heat level and a bit more drama. Yes, I said it—drama needed!
January 21, 2023
This is a charming and sweet story. It is set in a small Texas town. Max is set to inherit money from a grandfather he had never met that will make him a millionaire. Eliza is a real estate agent who gets roped into pretending to be his girlfriend. The pace of the story is steady as the characters discover each other. There are no major plot twists as Max and Eliza spend time together.
January 24, 2023
A dream of the heart that makes emotions swoon and the soul smile. Crespo turns a sweet fantasy into an irresistible reality. Max and Eliza are adorably unforgettable. Fortune's Dream House is a heartache that you can't put down.
March 13, 2023
Big problem with this book - the lie that a realtor entered into with her client in order for him to get a house. I can't believe an ethical realtor would even do this. Spoiled the entire book. Also, I think Martin is actually Wendell Fotune.
April 10, 2024
Light-hearted and lovely
I really enjoyed this book, fake dating is so fun! I wish there had need a bit more resolution to the family stuff and probably a good dose of therapy, but overall a really lovely book. Also, the bachelor auction was a great scene!!
I really enjoyed this book, fake dating is so fun! I wish there had need a bit more resolution to the family stuff and probably a good dose of therapy, but overall a really lovely book. Also, the bachelor auction was a great scene!!
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January 1, 2023Multicultural & Interracial Romance, Small Town & Rural Fiction, Contemporary Romance
Miniseries
The Fortunes of Texas: Hitting the Jackpot (Book #2)
Miniseries
The Fortunes of Texas: Hitting the Jackpot (Book #2)
January 29, 2023
Fortune's Dream House will keep you turning pages. Max and Eliza pretend relationship becomes real. I love all of characters in this book. Nina Crespo, thanks for an awesome book.
September 5, 2023
When they weren't looking
Max was Ted his dream house and Eliza was helping him find it. Little did they know on their way they would find so much more.
Max was Ted his dream house and Eliza was helping him find it. Little did they know on their way they would find so much more.
August 26, 2023
I really enjoy Nina Crespo's books - they're always just the right amount of drama and steam. She's a great author!
Fortune's Dream House is another excellent, fake engagement, small town, example of why I enjoy her books. This is a mix of my favourite tropes and I can't wait to grab the next in the series (it's in my Libby waiting list)! She writes very well and knows just how to pull at the heartstrings without tearing the reader apart.
I liked the story of Max and Eliza, the small town cowboy who was coming into a great inheritance, and the small town realtor, helping him buy his dream house - who had to pose as an engaged couple to convince the homeowners who would only sell the house to a new family starting out.
She always has the perfect length of book, too! Just the right length to read in a single sitting, and get the perfect storyline in!
#23for23 #23for23challenge
Fortune's Dream House is another excellent, fake engagement, small town, example of why I enjoy her books. This is a mix of my favourite tropes and I can't wait to grab the next in the series (it's in my Libby waiting list)! She writes very well and knows just how to pull at the heartstrings without tearing the reader apart.
I liked the story of Max and Eliza, the small town cowboy who was coming into a great inheritance, and the small town realtor, helping him buy his dream house - who had to pose as an engaged couple to convince the homeowners who would only sell the house to a new family starting out.
She always has the perfect length of book, too! Just the right length to read in a single sitting, and get the perfect storyline in!
#23for23 #23for23challenge
November 23, 2023
Fortune's Dream House is a fun short fake dating romance between a real estate agent and her client.
When Eliza's client Max gets his heart set on a house whose owners would only sell it to a family, the two of them decide to pretend to be a couple in order to get the deal. There are way too many moral objections to this so I'll simply leave it alone.
Coming to romance, I found it to be a fluffy simple read but also there was nothing extraordinarily special about it. It was the kind of book one might pick up when they simply want to shut themselves off from the world and be silly.
I enjoyed it for what its worth.
When Eliza's client Max gets his heart set on a house whose owners would only sell it to a family, the two of them decide to pretend to be a couple in order to get the deal. There are way too many moral objections to this so I'll simply leave it alone.
Coming to romance, I found it to be a fluffy simple read but also there was nothing extraordinarily special about it. It was the kind of book one might pick up when they simply want to shut themselves off from the world and be silly.
I enjoyed it for what its worth.
Displaying 1 - 12 of 12 reviews