ARC Review: If We Pretend by Chrissy Hopewell

Reese has the perfect plan: stay in Scotland for 4 weeks while her daughter is at soccer camp, reset her life after the engagement of her ex-husband and ex-best friend, and enjoy some peace and quiet! She’s tired of acting like the bigger person and tired of pretending the exes have her blessing. Four weeks away is the perfect solution to all her problems. Except, the exes had a similar idea and now they’re in Scotland for 4 weeks, too, and they want to spend the time with Reese.

“I truly dinna want to witness a murder on day one of camp.”

Oliver is trying to repair his life after an injury ended his pro-football (soccer for us Americans) career, a bender ruined his reputation, and poor choices led him to all but abandon his son. When a beautiful American woman, and mother to one of the players he’s coaching, seems to go into shock on the field, a strange urge to protect her surfaces. Soon, the two become unlikely friends, and Oliver makes a modest proposal…

…pretend to date to protect Reese from her nosy exes and help Oliver repair his image. Reese will be gone in a few weeks, so there should be no chance of feelings developing, right?

“And I tell you how the past month has been the happiest of my life, knowing I would get to hold you in my arms and kiss you and tell you everything that came into my head.”

There are so many layers to If We Pretend by Chrissy Hopewell. Reese is finally learning to set boundaries with two people who screwed her over but somehow want her to accept their friendship. She’s trying to be a good mom, a good friend, and has completely lost sight of who she is and what she wants. Oliver’s character is my favorite, though. He made so many terrible choices in his past, and he’s coming to terms with them and trying to grow. More than that, he lets Reese help him realize that those terrible choices don’t define him, and he’s still worthy of love and affection!

If We Pretend is a delightful, and surprisingly deep, romance for fans of sexy Scottish accents and women rediscovering who they are. Be prepared to swoon while the unlikely pair unwittingly falls in love while dealing with real-life issues. And the grand gesture is perfect. It isn’t over the top or cheesy. It allows Oliver to be who he wants to be AND allows them to be together. Bravo!!

Thank you, Chrissy Hopewell and NetGalley, for the opportunity to read this book! All thoughts and opinions are my own.

Book Stats:

• ASIN ‏ : ‎ B0CJJXQ2GC
• Publisher ‏ : ‎ Fox Hollow Publishing LLC (October 4, 2023)
• Language ‏ : ‎ English
• Paperback ‏ : ‎ 310 pages
• ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 979-8988745815

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