Review by Publisher's Weekly Review
Spicy scenes scorch the page in this high-heat rom-com from Stein (When Grumpy Met Sunshine). Thirty-one-year-old Londonite Connie, a writer, and her American neighbor, 37-year-old editor Beck, have been awkwardly dancing around each other for a while. Beck, who has never had sex or a lasting relationship, tells his officemates that he is married to get a bullying coworker off his back. When Connie learns of his lie, she offers to play the role of his wife at an upcoming writing retreat. The results of this deception are hilarious and, eventually, intensely steamy; Stein dives into the eroticism with gusto and the back half of the novel is jam-packed with sex scenes. The real heart of the story, however, lies in Connie's emotional growth as she unlearns the toxic femininity she was taught as a child and embraces her truest self. Cameos from the leads of Stein's previous book will please returning fans, as will the subtle grumpy/sunshine dynamic between Connie and Beck. There's more than enough here to entertain. Agent: Courtney Miller-Callihan, Handspun Literary. (Mar.)
(c) Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved
Review by Library Journal Review
Connie doesn't believe nice guys exist. At least, that's been her experience so far. So when Beck moves in down the hall from her apartment, she's suspicious. Why is he always so cheerful, and why does he keep leaving baked goods in their shared hallway? Are the treats poisoned? Is he a serial killer?, Connie wonders. She's sure that no one could be that nice without an ulterior motive. But she's wrong. Burly, tall, incredibly well-mustachioed Beck is actually a sweet cinnamon roll of a man. He confesses to Connie that he told his coworkers that he's married, and it's getting difficult to keep up the lie. When a passive-aggressive colleague starts picking on Beck at a party, Connie is furious and comes to his rescue by claiming to be his wife, which complicates things even further when they have to keep up the pretense at a company retreat, surrounded by his coworkers--and there's only one bed. Familiar tropes pull the protagonists together, and excellent writing makes them feel new and exciting. VERDICT Beck and Connie are wonderful, delightful characters, and their romance will keep readers turning the pages of the latest from Stein (When Grumpy Met Sunshine).--Heather Miller Cover
(c) Copyright Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
Review by Kirkus Book Review
When two London neighbors decide to fake being husband and wife, they're not prepared for the true feelings that emerge in the process. Thirty-one-year-old Connie, an aspiring writer, has never trusted self-proclaimed "nice guys," because her track record when it comes to dating them has been terrible. Either their niceness is a facade meant to cover up some big lie--like a wife at home--or they're just pretending to be decent to get into her bed. That's why she scrutinizes everything her American neighbor, Henry Samuel Beckett, does for her; there's no way anyone this cheery, well dressed, and all-around kind isn't hiding some deep, dark secret. To an extent, Connie's instincts are correct, since Beck does have a secret, but when he finally reveals the truth, she realizes her early skepticism may have been unfounded. At 37, Beck has always been single, but he may have told a teeny-tiny white lie about being married to save face with an irritating colleague at the publishing house where he works. Then, when Connie and Beck run into each other at a book party, she somehow tells his annoying coworker that she's the mystery wife. Now, the two of them are trapped having to preserve this lie, especially since they're both heading to a writing retreat where all eyes will be on them--so they'll need to get their stories straight, not to mention figure out how to sleep in the same bed. Despite her earlier reservations about Beck, Connie finds herself in the best position to learn who he really is, and the truth is that he isn't just any nice guy--he's way better. Stein's latest is a sweet rom-com with the kind of endearing, cinnamon-roll hero the genre can always use more of, as well as a heroine who's willing to lower her walls and trust someone who might actually be worth the effort. While it would have been nice to see Connie and Beck's romantic dynamic develop further outside the retreat setting, the characters' strong introspection and emotional vulnerability make the book impossible to put down. A fake marriage leads to real feelings in this charming rom-com. Copyright (c) Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
Copyright (c) Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
