She wants a fake relationship. He needs something real.If there’s one thing Rae can’t stand, it’s pity. She’s forty, frazzled, and fed up—so attending an awards ceremony alone while her ex swans about with his new wife? Not an option. To avoid total humiliation, Rae needs a date of her own. And her young, hot-as-hell new best friend is the perfect candidate… Davis, king of casual hookups, has a secret: the notorious womaniser craves emotional connection, and anonymous encounters leave him feeling hollow. After years of performance, Zach’s desperate to be himself. So why does he agree to play Rae’s fake boyfriend? And why does it feel so easy?
When the line between pretence and desire blurs, Zach’s forced to face an unexpected truth: there’s nothing phoney about his need for Rae. But the jaded divorcée’s been hurt by playboy men before. Can a weekend of faking it prove that Zach’s for real?
The Ravenswood Series
#1: A Girl Like Her
#1.5: Damaged Goods
#2: Untouchable
#3: That Kind of Guy
more
Is it possible to give this book more than 5 stars? Because it deserves it. I’ve been waiting for Rae’s book since she showed up in Ravenswood in Untouchable. Everything about her–the beautiful, scarred divorcee flush with money and the biggest, cutest dog–intrigued me, and I’ve been feenin’ for this book! And I was so hoping she would end up with Zach, Ravenswood’s resident playboy. Talia Hibbert not only fulfilled my every wish, but satisfied those I didn’t even know I wanted!
Rae and Zach are friends. She is fresh off a divorce and isn’t looking for a relationship and he’s taking a break from casual hook-ups because he’s finally acknowledging that he’s demisexual. So when Rae needs a fake boyfriend to accompany her to a publishing event where she’s up for an award and will come face-to-face with her cheating ex, it seems like the perfect arrangement. Until those lines that were so clear are suddenly blurred with unforeseen emotion, burning and unexpected desires and secrets.
Rae is understandably gun shy–she’s older than Zach, has been through a divorce, has issues with her mother and finding her own confidence in herself and her career. Zach made a vow to himself that he would no longer dishonor or hurt him or his body with meaningless sex. Both are working to come into their own, to understand themselves, and here comes this inconvenient but undeniable attraction that, on paper, doesn’t make sense. Still, neither can deny it. But can they embrace it?
Watching the two of them accept not just this relationship and their love, but themselves was awesome! Talia Hibbert knocked this book out of the park with a romance that had me sighing, a passion that had me sweating and a story that had me cheering. I loved it. Everything about this book I simply loved. And I’m so sad to see this wonderful series end!
Talia Hibbert has an uncanny knack for writing strong, yet vulnerable protagonists that root you to reality even as you float away on the dreaminess of their love. That sweet juxtaposition of joy and pain is a hallmark of Hibbert’s and my personal catnip for the kinds of romances I enjoy reading.
THAT KIND OF GUY is the story of Rae and Zach, and the way she’s somehow able to articulate those shimmery feels into accessible language makes Hibbert an author I’ll always go back to for more. A male protagonist, Zach, a brawny blacksmith who is learning how to negotiate his generous, yet handles-things nature with his demisexuality and the older female protagonist, Rae, an accomplished fantasy author who must learn that generosity and tenderness don’t have to come with strings, make for a romance where the reader roots for both characters to find the courage to accept the joy they find in each other. And the lust, there’s plenty of that too.
A wonderful end to Hibbert’s fantastic RAVENSWOOD series, I hope you all visit this small town one more time to witness Rae and Zach’s fall into love.
*This review is based on ARC generously provided by the author in exchange for an honest review.*
PS: There’s a bonus adorable bear of a dog that deserves all the love and treats one can muster. *God bless Duke*