Fake, an all new sexy fake relationship standalone romance from New York Times bestselling author Kylie Scott is live!
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Blurb
He walks the red carpet. She’s more familiar with vacuuming one.
When a scandal tarnishes the reputation of hot as hell A-lister, Patrick Walsh, he needs a reputation rescue, pronto.
Enter waitress Norah Peers–a nobody who’s average with a capital A. She’s available, dependable, and has sworn off men for the rest of her natural born life. In other words: the perfect match for a no-strings fake romance.
For the right amount of money, she can avoid waitressing and play the part of his dependable down-to-earth girlfriend. What she can’t avoid–dammit–is the growing steam between them.
But being hounded by the paparazzi and having her life dissected on social media is a panic attack in the making. And while Patrick might be a charming rogue on screen, in real life he’s a six-foot-two confusing, gorgeous, brooding grump, who keeps her at a distance . . . but also makes her feel like this bond between them might be more than just an act.
Being dumped on cue should be no big deal. Except being fake with Patrick is the realist relationship Norah has ever had. What’s a girl to do, but flip the script, and ask for a re-match made in Hollywood?
Review
5 stars
I love this book so much! A fun, chemistry-filled, sexy and romantic cindarella-esque story where a struggling waitress is plucked from her ‘ordinary’ life to become the fake girlfriend to a Hollywood heartthrob. It’s so entertaining, I couldn’t put this book down and read it one blissful sitting, with a smile on my face the whole time.
When Hollywood A-Lister Patrick Walsh finds himself in the middle of a scandal, his team come up with a plan to show him in a committed relationship with a ‘regular, down-to-earth’ girl to help boost his reputation. Enter Norah, a waitress at a small hole-in-the-wall restaurant that Patrick frequents. After a series of disastrous relationships, Norah has sworn off men for a while, and she’s also desperately in need of money. And, with no skeletons in her closet, she’s the perfect choice. So, she signs a contract and moves into Patrick’s house for six months to play the part of the doting girlfriend.
I was right on board with this pairing from the very beginning. Norah is absolutely sensational – she’s smart and confident, with just the right amount of vulnerability, she’s wonderfully sarcastic, funny and doesn’t take any crap from anybody (least of all, Patrick). She is so relatable, and I just adored her. Compare that with Patrick who is grumpy and moody, mostly closed off and rarely shows any emotion. It’s a great set-up as Norah moves into his world and tries to get to know him, and watching them slowly shift from awkward roommates to friends/fake lovers is so freaking entertaining.
“Do you think us having slept together will change things?” I asked.
He just looked at me.
“I still respect you. Just in case you were wondering.”
“You’re getting way too much mileage from this,” he grumped.
There’s all sorts of drama with Norah being thrust into the public eye, but the two of them navigate it so well, and it allows us to see another side of side to Patrick as he jumps in to protect her at every opportunity, and we can slowly see feelings begin to develop.
This book is written entirely from Norah’s perspective, and while I usually love when books are written dual POV, in this case, with Patrick being so broody, his mysteriousness really added to the excitement of the story as you never knew exactly where he was at, and could only guess his feelings, which made the sense of anticipation even better.
The chemistry is electric, and I was so freaking excited watching everything build between them just waiting for the tipping point. And when it came… holy hot damn!
“You can have whatever you want from me.”
“I can?”
“Yes,” he said, tone definite. “You should know that.”
…
“I just need you to make the first move,” he said, voice guttural.
“Pay attention, Paddy.” I smiled. “I already did.”
The line between fake and real is all kinds of blurry, and watching Patrick and Norah navigate it all is awesome. It’s fun, sexy, sweet and romantic, and even though there is some drama, the lack of angst is so refreshing. There’s no game playing as these two figure themselves out, just honesty as they put themselves out there and follow their hearts.
I laughed and swooned and fell in love, and I loved every moment of this story. It’s the beginning to a new series from Scott, and I can’t wait to continue on. I’m assuming that Patrick’s two best friends, Cole and Jack, will have their stories told, and I am here for it!
Such a great read – 5 stars!
An Advanced Review Copy was generously provided by the author in exchange for an honest review.
Excerpt
CHAPTER ONE
He slunk into the restaurant mid-afternoon wearing his usual scowl. Ignoring the CLOSED sign, he took a booth near the back. No one else was allowed to do this. Just him. Today’s wardrobe consisted of black jeans, Converse, and a button-down shirt. Doubtless designer. And the way those sleeves hugged his biceps . . . why, they should have been ashamed of themselves. I was this close to yelling “get a room.”
Instead, I asked, “The usual?”
Slumped down in the corner of the booth, he tipped his chin in reply. For such a tall guy, he sure went out of his way to try to hide.
I said no more. Words were neither welcomed nor wanted. Which was fine since (A) I was tired and (B) he tipped well for the peace and quiet.
Out back, Vinnie the cook was busy prepping for tonight, his knife making quick work of an onion.
“He’s here,” I said.
A smile split Vinnie’s face. He was a huge fan of the man’s action films. The ones he’d made before hitting it big time and taking on more serious dramatic roles. Him choosing to visit the restaurant every month or so made Vinnie’s life complete. Especially since the restaurant, Little Italy, was the very definition of a hole in the wall. Not somewhere generally frequented by the Hollywood elite. Meanwhile, I was less of a fan, but still a fan. You know.
“Get him his beer,” Vinnie ordered.
Like I didn’t know my job. Sheesh.
He was busy with his cell by the time I placed the Peroni in front of him. No glass. He drank straight from the bottle like an animal. Just then, a woman in a red sweater dress and tan five-inch-heel booties strode in through the front door.
“I’m sorry, we’re closed,” I said.
“I’m with him.” She headed straight for his booth and slid into the other side, giving the man a dour look. “You can’t just walk out, Patrick. You’re going to have to choose one of them.”
“Nope.” He took a pull from his beer. “They all sucked.”
“There had to be at least one that would do.”
“Not even a little.”
She sighed. “Keep this up and you’ll be obsolete by next week. Beyond help. Forgotten.”
“Go away, Angie.”
“Just another talented but trash male in Hollywood. That’s what they’re saying on social media.”
“I don’t give a shit.”
“Liar,” she drawled.
I wasn’t quite sure what to do. Obviously they knew each other, but he did not seem to want her here. And she really wasn’t supposed to be here. Vinnie had okayed after-hours entry to only one person. On the other hand, if I asked her to leave, she’d probably sic her lawyers on me. She looked the type.
The woman spied me hovering. “Get me a glass of red.”
“She’s not staying,” countermanded Patrick.
Angie didn’t move an inch. “They were all viable options. Pliant. Young. Pretty. Discreet. Nothing weird or kinky in their backgrounds.”
“That might have made them more interesting.”
“Interesting women is what got you into this mess.” The woman frowned, taking me in. Still hovering. One perfectly shaped brow rose in question. “Yes? Is there a problem?”
Now it was Patrick’s turn to sigh and give me a nod. He was so dreamy with his jaw and cheekbones and his everything. Real classic Hollywood handsome. Especially with his short light brown hair in artful disarray and a hint of stubble. Sometimes it was hard not to stare. Which is probably why his personality tended to scream “leave me alone.”
I headed for the small bar area at the back of the restaurant to fetch the wine like a good little waitress.
“We shouldn’t be discussing this here,” said Angie, giving the room a disdainful sniff.
Talk about judgy. I thought the raw brick walls and chunky wood tables were cool. Give or take Vinnie’s collection of old black-and-white photos of Los Angeles freeways. Who knew what that was about?
Patrick slumped down even further. “I’m not going back there. I’m done with it.”
“This isn’t safe.” Angie looked around nervously. “Let’s—”
“We’re fine. I’ve been coming here for years.”
“You just got dropped from a big-budget film, Patrick,” she said, exasperation in her tone. “The industry may not find you bankable right now, but I’m sure gossip about you is still selling just fine. This week at least.”
About the Author
Kylie is a New York Times and USA Today best-selling author. She was voted Australian Romance Writer of the year, 2013 & 2014, by the Australian Romance Writer’s Association and her books have been translated into eleven different languages. She is a long time fan of romance, rock music, and B-grade horror films. Based in Queensland, Australia with her two children and husband, she reads, writes and never dithers around on the internet. You can learn more about Kylie on her website.
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