Pretending
to be married to the man you were married to… How hard can it
be?!
When
Lina’s oldest friends unexpectedly announce they’re coming to
stay, she has to think fast. No one knows she and her husband Brown
are breaking up, and so she persuades him to act as if they aren’t…
After all, how hard can it be to pretend to be married for ten
days?
Turns
out, a lot harder than she thought. On day one, she strikes so many
couple poses that she throws her back out. On day two, she gets
muscle spasms from smiling too hard at her husband’s jokes. On day
three, she almost has a heart attack when she puts her hand far too
high up his thigh at the dinner table. And on day four, when she
accidentally grazes Brown’s lips when aiming for his cheek, she
almost passes out in the middle of the restaurant.
By
day five, Lina is starting to realise there’s a thin line between
love and hate. And while she can try to fool her friends, she can’t
fool her heart. Was she too hasty calling time on her marriage? Is
this more than make believe? And does she even have enough time to
find out if Brown feels the same?
This
absolutely hilarious and totally addictive romcom is perfect for fans
of Ali Hazelwood’s The Love Hypothesis, Christina Lauren’s The
Unhoneymooners, and Emily Henry.
A
housing complex, a community of friends, and the burden of pretending
to be something you are not. It's a dilemma for Lina, as she and her
soon-to-be ex-husband, Brown act like the ever-loving couple everyone
thinks they are. but ultimately, are they deceiving their friends or
themselves?
Set
in Jacksonville, Florida, the author makes the reader aware of the
setting and culture of the area, as we become acquainted with the
protagonists and the many secondary characters. The timeline jumped
back and forth, from the past and present, delving into the
relationships the characters have with the protagonists and how their
reunion is taking shape. As Lina and Brown constantly try to fool
their friends, the narrative is therefore littered with their
mishaps, as they fake their togetherness, all
in the name of a worthy cause.
Additionally,
there's a strong sense of community spirit and how a group of people
living in the same budget apartment building forged believable
friendships. This aspect surprised me, as I expected to read a
rom-com focusing mostly on Lina and Brown. Yes,
there is a satisfying, happy ending despite the narrative not panning
out how I expected.
Overall,
I love the idea of this novel. The
author has written a
pleasant, enjoyable, and solid book. Yet
somehow, it
lacks
a
certain, je
ne sais quoi for
me.
***arc
generously received courtesy of Bookouture via NetGalley***
