Now an Amazon top 50 bestseller!I told a judge I was engaged to my best friend.Now we’re faking it.How hard can it be?My life has room for exactly two women: my daughter Rusty and my best friend Charlotte — known to everyone as Charlie. One is a feisty, tomboyish firecracker. The other is my seven-year-old. I can’t imagine life without either.So when my ex springs a custody hearing on me, I find … either.
So when my ex springs a custody hearing on me, I find myself telling the judge that I’m engaged to Charlie.
The only problem? I’m not.
Time to fake an engagement.
Pretending we’re a couple will be no big deal.
We’ve been friends for years. We used to sneak cigarettes behind the bleachers. We turned cans of hairspray into flamethrowers. We got drunk on stolen malt liquor.
She’s beautiful, vivacious, spontaneous, and she loves my daughter to death. It’s the perfect answer: we fake it for a few months, then go back to our lives.
Until we touch, and sparks fly. Until I can’t take my eyes off her. Until I can’t stop thinking about what she’s got on under her coveralls.
It takes one kiss.
One touch.
One shared secret and suddenly, I’m not pretending anymore. I want her, I need her in ways I didn’t know I could.
But there’s a lifetime of friendship between us, and falling in love with Charlie could mean risking everything.
Best Fake Fiance is a standalone romantic comedy that will make you laugh, cry, and probably fan yourself with your kindle.
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AWE! HOT & ADORABLE!
Too sweet with yummy heat! The cutest seven year old that quickly wraps her finger around your heart making me enjoy the exciting banter a whole heck of alot more with page turning twists and plenty of the yummy hot chemistry I love in Roxie’s stories. A fantastic read I simple adored from the first page to the last and most certainly would recommend to others.
I’m such a sucker for a single parent romance and Rusty was just so cute. She’s seven going on seventeen and I just loved the way her mind worked. She’s one of those kids that needs a village to watch over her and she has that in Daniel’s family.
The author did a great job of balancing Rusty with the budding romance of Daniel and Charlie. She wasn’t in every scene but you also didn’t forget about her when she wasn’t. This little girl has so many people in her life that love her to death and you felt that in this book.
Charlie and Daniel are an opposites attract couple. Daniel is a single dad who worries constantly over Rusty’s safety. He’s kind of forgotten what it was like when he was a kid. Charlie is the fun but flighty woman who keeps Daniel from becoming too stuffy.
Their differences cause a bit of friction and I like the way the author handled that. It made me love this story more. The next book in the series has a lot to live up to after this one and I’m looking forward to it!
Excellent Friends to Lovers Story!!!!! Roxie Noir does it again!!!! I loved this book! Daniel and Charlie have a great relationship as best friends but when Daniel forces them to have to pretend to be more they both worry of it will change things, or worse, ruin their friendship. Then there is Daniel’s 7 year old daughter, Rusty, and her hilariousness (she may be my favorite character). This book is sweet, funny, sexy, everything.
It was such a fun book to read!
Charlie and Daniel has been best friends since they were children. Always had each others. Could they be something more? When Daniel accidentally lies to a judge and says that Charlie is his fiance, everything changes.
I loved the banter between them and the difference in their way.
It’s also very nice to reconnect to old friends.
I voluntarily reviewed an ARC of this book
I just love these Loveless brothers. This is Daniel and Charlie’s story. Daniel is going to court for what he thinks is a visitation review. What he gets totally throws him for a loop. His ex, Crystal, shows up to court pregnant, a new lawyer and a husband. They want full custody of Rusty. They’re moving to Denver and wants Rusty to meet her new sister. Crystal has never been a fit mother and is just selfish. During the proceeding, Daniel blurts our that he’s engaged. However, this is a lie. He just hopes Charlie will go along with this charade. There of course is drama, suspense, funny moments and true feelings surfacing. This isn’t like other friends to lovers romance. Instead of one person having feelings, both of them have feelings for each other, they just kept them covered up. They have been best friends since they were kids and they complete each other. While one is steady and controlled, the other is the total opposite and that makes them so balanced when together. You will of course get to see the brothers and I can’t wait to read the next Loveless story. Roxie has done a wonderful job with this story and has great characters in it. Fall even more for these Loveless men.
This book…it had me saying y’all and itching to go sliding down rocks into creeks…a thing I never even knew existed before last night!
Let me start by saying I loved Best Fake Fiance. Books with kids aren’t usually my first choice (I have 3 of my own, so you know, I’m surrounded by little kids All.The.Time!), but I loved Enemies With Benefits, the first book in this series, so much I had to read this one. And Roxie didn’t let me down!
Daniel is pretty dreamy. I pictured the guy on the cover while reading, which made his character even more swoon-worthy. He’s the kind of dad anyone would want for their kid, strict, but fun. Devoted, but he can admit when he needs a break. When his ex tries to move their daughter out of state, I wanted to jump into my Kindle and fight her. No one’s taking Rusty from Daniel. Especially not that “hose beast” (my new favorite put-down, thanks Charlie!).
Charlie is just as awesome as Daniel. A carpenter, a free spirit, and a darn good friend. She agrees to fake an engagement with Daniel, despite very legitimate concerns, because she knows how much Rusty means to him, and her too.
When they finally move from friendship to…more…it’s easy. They don’t fight it. I like how they weren’t conflicted about the evolution of their relationship. They both realized it was the direction they’d been headed for years.
Charlie and Daniel are epically HOT together. One of my favorite parts of this series is that it’s funny and sweet, with lots of family time, but Roxie Noir doesn’t shy away from bringing the heat to this small town.
This series has cemented a spot in my all-time favorites, and it’s only two books in. Without a doubt, I’ll re-read these again and again.
Best Fake Fiancé combines a couple of my favourite tropes: single dad, best friends to lovers, fake relationships…
So naturally, I loved it.
We met Daniel, Charlie and Rusty in book one ‘Enemies with Benefits’ and you could just tell that Daniel and Charlie could be amazing together. Best friends since they were little, they’ve grown up together and seen each other through some tough times. Namely Rusty. Rusty is Daniels seven year old daughter who has a psycho for a mother and loves random animals. She is sweet and precocious. Charlie has been her fun aunt for years and they’ve all got a good thing going.
This is where it turns and it does so very quickly, Best Fake Fiancé drops you straight into the drama. At a custody arrangement hearing where the baby mama is trying to get more time with the daughter she barely sees, it turns into a full on custody battle. And to seem like the better option to a conservative judge, Daniel claims he’s engaged to Charlie.
When everyone in town finds out a small ish lie turns into a massive farce as they have to pretend in order for Daniel to keep custody of Rusty.
The main characters themselves were creating the most problems surprisingly. Normally it’s an external force driving the twists. Charlie is a very warm and caring person, but she’s forgetful and a bit carefree. Whole Daniel is a lovely guy but overprotective and together the two MCs clash occasionally. But opposites attract right? And they do provide great balance to each other.
Unfortunately the only thing I wish had been in this story was for Rusty’s mother to be more of a character. I don’t normally want there to be more of the bad guy, but I feel like it could have been a richer story if she was.
At the end of the day, I devoured Best Fake Fiancé. Like so many of Roxie Noir’s books, the characters are amazing, the storyline is hilarious and the side characters are just as incredible. Seriously the relationship between the Loveless brothers is so important to the story. And their mother, well I’m pretty sure she’s got her own secret relationship going on. And I can’t wait to find out.
I voluntarily reviewed an ARC copy of this book
Love, love this best friends to fake to real.
Daniel is a lawyer with a seven year old daughter. His best friend is Charlie (Charlie).
Charlie is snarky, fun and a tomboy.
Daniel says he’s engaged to Charlie when trouble with his ex forces his hands.
Now will they cross the just friends line?
Voluntarily reviewed
This is my first Roxie Noir and I have to say it was a cute one. Friends to Lovers, and single dad romance in one. Yes Please! It was a cute read and I will definitely be checking out more from Ms. Noir. Definitely a must read!
This story is so freaking good. I love that its between best friends. He told the judge she was fiance and now he needs her to pretend to be. Of course their feelings start to turn real and I think they were just perfect for each other and to his little girl.
I fell in love with Charlie, Daniel and Rusty!! Daniel will do anything to make sure he doesn’t lose his daughter Rusty enter in his bff Charlie who unknowingly to her has just become his fake fiancé in a bid to ensure he keeps his daughter. This story was so sweet and I loved Daniels undying devotion to his daughter and the bond these three have.
I voluntarily reviewed a advanced readers copy of this book
Daniel, Charlie, and Rusty – friends wrapped up in a love story I enjoyed every second of-
If you’re looking for a single dad, who will do whatever it takes for his child storyline with sides of awe that’s sweet, and sizzling connections. Then Daniel and Charlie’s best friends fake fiance romance is a MUST READ!
Seriously, folks, it’s a thousand smiles, heart-wrenching trials, forehead smacking, hotter than the sun, fun and witty moments all wrapped up in a fanfreakingtastic story with the Loveless family * takes a deep breath.* Why would you want to miss it? * lets the air out*
IMO A 5 PLUS Star Read!
Overall Rating: 1/2
As a relatively new reviewer, I love receiving information about new authors. Roxie Noir is a new author to me, and I was excited to read her newest book, Best Fake Fiance. Now, I have to admit. I wasn’t exactly thrilled with the title. It’s not the most original. However, the blurb had me interested in the “friends-to-lovers” and “fake fiance” tropes. I will admit that “friends-to-lovers” is not my most favorite trope to read. It’s pretty far down on my list, but there was something about the blurb that intrigued me:
Hot guy
Best friend
Custody battle
And I was in.
Roxie Noir’s story surprised me exceedingly. Yes, this is the second book of a series The Loveless Brothers (I will definitely be tuning in for more; I’m thinking Levi Loveless’s book will come next), and I never felt confused, having not read the first book. This is a standalone that simply happens to exist in a series.
Best Fake Fiance revolves around Daniel, the second oldest Loveless brother, and his best friend, Charlotte, or Charlie. These two have been best friends since they were eleven, so they have lived a lot of life together. In his early twenties, during his irresponsible period, he sleeps with a woman, and she becomes pregnant with his child. Daniel knows he has a child until his daughter, Rusty, is nine months old. Growing up quickly, he gains custody of her, and he becomes a great father who holds full custody of her.
Rusty is now seven years old, and her mother decides to sue for custody. There are several complications with this for Daniel, so he lies to the judge, stating that he’s engaged…to Charlie. After asking Charlie to live out the lie at least until after the court hearing deciding custody is settled, Charlie agrees, knowing it will be difficult but realizing it is necessary so that Rusty can remain with Daniel. What neither of them realizes is their interest in the other and how this arrangement will bring those feelings to the surface. Will Daniel and Charlie become a real couple? That is the focus of this book.
From the beginning of Best Fake Fiance, I LOVED Daniel and Charlie, mostly Charlie. Like I said at the outset, I like the “friends-to-lovers” trope, but it isn’t my favorite. Oftentimes, in those stories, one of the characters has more feelings than the other friend, and the character spends most of the story wooing their friend. The one who is being wooed tends to fight his/her feelings, and this puts the friendship in jeopardy. It’s not a bad plot device; it’s just predictable.
With this story, Noir has done something a bit different. Both of them have repressed feelings of the other. They share a moment in the past that has to be pushed deep because life happens. Neither of them believes they can have a relationship beyond friendship…until they can. And that’s the exciting part of this book. There isn’t the tension of one character liking the other character more and having to spend the story negotiating for a relationship. These two have mutual feelings, but Rusty tends to complicate it.
As such, together, Daniel and Charlie are the best parts of a relationship. For one, their love is grounded in friendship. Noir makes a point at multiple times in the story to note how Daniel and Charlie simply talk. They genuinely like each other, love aside. Since they have this level of friendship, when the story goes awry (as all good romances do), Charlie and Daniel miss that level of friendship beyond their love relationship. That was my favorite part of reading the story, and I think it’s the genius of Noir in this book.
Secondly, while Charlie and Daniel complete each other (she’s flighty and unorganized and he’s rational and ordered), together they are funny. There is so much witty banter between these two in and out of the bedroom, and I loved them as a couple in every way. Additionally, since they are opposites, this also sets up the tension. Charlie believes she is too much of a risk; that she is “not enough” for everyone, not just Daniel. And it’s this flaw in her character that drew my heart to her. You can’t help but love her because she is so hard on her self. She is the most likable character in the story even when she makes mistakes. I found myself making notes about her every time she diminishes herself because she struggles to see her power. And her power is there, carefully clutched in Daniel’s heart. Noir makes you fall deeply in love with Daniel and Charlie, and their story makes the “friends-to-lovers” trope work in a way that I personally have yet to read, which excites me.
Even more, Noir’s style is interesting. She has a way of putting words on the page that isn’t redundant and repetitive to other authors. I found myself appreciating the images she creates in the ways she characterizes the people in her story. We get a strong sense of Daniel and Charlie, but she also continues to characterize Daniel’s family. I asserted at the beginning of this review that I believe Levi’s story will be next. That comes at the way Noir took the time in this story to give us a sense of Levi. And he isn’t the only one. We learn more about Eli, Seth, and Caleb too. For me, that’s intriguing because she doesn’t leave the supporting cast as flat characters; Noir takes the time to give dimension to everyone.
Now, if I had to critique anything in the story, it would be in the handling of the custody battle, namely Daniel’s ex, Crystal. I give kudos to Noir in creating a man who is emotionally responsible for his daughter. As a child of divorce, I too had a Daniel for a parent in my life. My mother had every reason to speak ill of my biological father, but she didn’t for the same reason that Daniel doesn’t: he wants his daughter to love her mother. It’s important that Noir places these words in his mouth and offers up his responsible actions. There is definitely a message here about handling divorce and children’s feelings in more mature ways. However, there were holes in the story as it relates to the custody battle. For one, we never do find out if Rusty knows that her mother is married and pregnant. I would have liked a discussion between Daniel and Rusty to develop this portion of the story more. As well, Crystal doesn’t reenter the story until over halfway through the story. I kept waiting for her to wreak more havoc on Daniel’s life, requesting more visitation time or rescheduling times with Rusty earlier in the story. I made a comment in my book, wondering where she was. A few chapters later, Rusty has a visitation with Crystal, but I think this battle should have been intertwined earlier in the story as Daniel is developing his feelings and relationship with Charlie. Again, that’s my only big critique of the romance.
Roxie Noir’s Best Fake Fiance is the best of the fake fiance/friends-to-lovers story tropes. Honestly. I didn’t intend to go into this book thinking that I would love it as much as I did. This is really a story about wanting and getting something more than you think you deserve. It’s also about making the best decisions for children even when parents aren’t together. Between Daniel’s and Charlie’s big hearts, this book has so much soul that I am looking forward to the “heart” of Noir’s other books in the series.
Love, love, loved!! Charlie gets recruited to be Daniel’s fake fiancee because he stuck his foot in his mouth by lying to the judge deciding custody of his daughter, the adorable Rusty. People in town aren’t surprised. Charlie and Daniel are already inseparable but their playacting opens the floodgates. They’ve always had more but they’ve always surpressed it. They discover more then friendship. Witty, sweet, hot, and absolutely fantabulous. Love the Loveless family! I can’t wait for the next brother!! I received a review copy. I am voluntarily leaving an honest review.
Daniel Loveless, single father of 7yr little girl named Rusty. Daniel found out he was a father at the age of 22. He was told he had a 1yr little girl named Rustilina, who was in the custody of child protective services and currently living in a foster home. Daniel moved back home and did what was required to get his little girl to live with him. That was 6yrs ago. Now Rusty is a happy well adjusted little girl. She’s doing great in a school and each one of her uncle’s spoils her in their own special way. Aunty Charlie spends plenty of girl time with her and is like a mother figure.
Daniel has to go to court for a visitation hearing. Crystal hasn’t been keeping her visits regular with Rusty. Crystal walks into court very pregnant ! There’s also a new lawyer and another man. The new lawyer brings up new material; Crystal of course is pregnant, is married, her new husband’s business is located in Denver. They are filling a petition for full custody because they want Rusty to meet her new sister. Daniel’s lawyer immediately objects and says this is a visitation hearing. Daniel gets nervous he tells the judge he has news also that he is engaged. His wife to be is Charlie and she will be at the next hearing. .. He immediately regrets what he just did.
How is he going to get Charlie to agree to this ? Charlie has been his best friend since the 6th grade. Daniel thinks to himself no one will know about anything said in court. So he has time to think things through and get to Charlie and talk to her. Will things work out ?
The story is filled with so much humor, drama, suspense, and love. The characters are great. I enjoyed reading this book. I’m sure you will also. I was given an arc of this book. This is my own personal opinion.
When Daniel’s baby Momma shows up for their visitation hearing, pregnant and married to a new rich guy, and now she wants full custody and to move their daughter Rusty to Denver Daniel claims to be engaged to his best friend Charlie. Charlie agrees to be his fake fiance but now that they are lying to the whole town she is not sure. But when their first practice kiss brings back all of the memories of their last kiss -six years ago and what could have been suddenly what was supposed to be a fake engagement is turning into real dating. This is the second book in this series but it can be read as a stand alone, although if you are anything like me you will fall in love with the Loveless brothers and read the first book Enemies with Benefits. I can’t wait for the next of the series
Best Fake Fiancé is a fun single father/fake engagement/best friends to lovers romance. Daniel Loveless is an overprotective father who would do anything to keep his daughter, so when his baby mama threatens to get full custody the first thing he thinks of is to tell the judge he is engaged. Not just engaged, but to his best friend.
I loved Daniel and Charlie’s relationship. These two were best friends who literally did everything together, spent a lot of their free time together, but they never crossed the friendship line. Charlie would do anything to help her best friend and his seven year old daughter. These two also had great chemistry and having the background of friendship definitely helped their relationship.
Rusty, sweet Rusty. That little girl stole the show. She was super sweet, smart, caring and I just loved her. The love Daniel has for his daughter is beautiful, but sometimes he can be little too protective of her and it definitely shows a few times throughout the story. I love how much Charlie cares for her as well. She is truly the mother figure in her life and it was sweet.
This book was super enjoyable and I loved not only Daniel, Charlie and Rusty but the entire Loveless family plus Charlie’s sister. They added a lot to the story and I love how supportive they are of one another.
Best Fake Fiancé is a MUST READ and I can’t wait for more of the Loveless family in the future.
Another must read by Roxie Noir! I loved Daniel and Charlie. Rusty was too cute. Daniel is a great single dad put in a terrible situation. Charlie may be his only hope, but she’s not so sure she can pull it off. I laughed and worried with them as I read along. I absolutely loved it and devoured every page. Definitely recommend!!
I adored this book, I’m such a sucker for single dad romances and this one did not disappoint! I adored Daniel and Charlie!
Prepare yourself to experience all the feels! Charlie and Daniel’s romance will quickly capture your attention and your heart. In my opinion, there was simply nothing to dislike about this book. The plot was fun but moving and Daniel, Rusty and Charlie were genuine and incredibly lovable characters. The emotions and characters are what make this book special. My heart ached for Daniel, the situation he was in and the desperation he was feeling. Charlie was so wonderful and I could really feel for her. There’s nothing quite like being stuck in the friend zone and having unrequited feelings for your best friend. The whole friend/fiance situation created lots of funny, cute, sweet and sizzling moments for these two. Toss in all the crazy, annoyances and charm that comes with living in a small town and a very special, totally adorable, melt your heart child and you have all the makings for a simply terrific book.