What a treat to be reading and reviewing another book by this terrific author. Having heard nothing but good things about her books, I was determined to read some of her books and have not looked back since sampling my first one. If you’d like to read a couple of my earlier reviews, you can follow these links: Two’s Company at the Forest Light Show and Starting Over at the Crafty Bee Barn.
I’m grateful to Rachel Gilbey of Rachel’s Random Resources for the blog tour invite and support and for arranging my digital review copy that was provided in exchange for my honest review. You can read my thoughts below.
Synopsis
One fateful evening. One ring. And a couple in for a big surprise
When social-media influencer Genevieve Harrington wakes up with the hangover from hell and a ring on her finger, she’s in trouble.
Already reeling from a failed engagement, Finlay McBride is caught in a nightmare. Agreeing to accompany his ex’s best friend to a party was meant to be a one-day-only act of kindness. Drunkenly proposing was not an option… And yet it’s there on the internet for the entire world to see.
Genevieve needs to limit the damage. Being with her friend’s ex breaks so many rules and her social media followers are quick to remind her of the fact. But she’s always had a secret crush on Finlay and now she has a chance to make things real.
Finlay soon discovers Genevieve is not the serenely indifferent woman he took her for. More and more, she opens her heart to him, and he starts to fall for her. But he’s leaving Scotland for a job in Dubai at the end of the month and he doesn’t want yet another failed engagement this year.
Together, they must decide if this is merely a moment of summer bliss or a love worth fighting for.
Review
Oh my goodness, this was one of the most romantic books I’ve read for a while. It certainly ticked all of my boxes and then some. I honestly believe that most readers have a preferred formula, and mine is definitely where the couple gets together early in the book. This one includes Fake Dating, but that is by the way and didn’t detract from the story for me.
We met Finlay in previous books, but nothing is lost if you haven’t read any of the others, as the narrative expertly provides the necessary backstory. He was engaged before and had his ring and heart returned abruptly in the last book. Finlay is every kind of handsome hero that you could imagine, and I definitely saw him in all his book-boyfriend glory. He may have been poorly treated before, but he remains kind and loyal, even in a fake relationship.
Then we meet Genevieve, or ‘The Vieve’ as her alter ego as an influencer is known. She is a best friend to Finlay’s ex and has been secretly hiding a massive crush on Finlay since her childhood. She was born with something of a silver spoon in her mouth as her Father is very successful in renewables. As a result, her parents regularly try to match her with random single men of all ages, assuming that her influencer career isn’t a real job. But Vivienne is determined to prove her parents wrong. Hatching a plan to fake-date each other, they attend a family party.
The synopsis gives more detail, but I can tell you that the following days and weeks deliver romance by the boatload. Of course, it was fake, but it was glorious and a little risqué. I was fully invested in their romance and loved how deep their fake dating went. There are some frankly hilarious moments mixed in with wonderful tenderness; I defy even the coldest heart not to be moved.
With gorgeous characters and a completely relatable storyline, the proposal isn’t the only blissful surprise in store for the reader. I can wholeheartedly recommend a trip to Glenbriar.
Author Bio
Margaret is a bestselling Scottish author and chocolate lover who has been writing stories for over twenty years (possibly more if you count her primary school efforts). Her early works will never see the light of day and are locked in dusty vaults on some old floppy disks. But after all those years of practise, Margaret released her first novel in 2021. It was the first of a ten-book series set on the gorgeous Scottish Isle of Mull.
Margaret is also the author of the acclaimed Glenbriar Series, based in the fictional Scottish town of Glenbriar. This is an on-going series with more books coming in 2024.
The stories are unashamedly romantic but with lots of drama and an eclectic mix of characters. Each
book can be read as a standalone but followers of the series will enjoy catching up with the characters.
Social Media Links
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