My rules for being a Manhattan billionaire’s fake girlfriend… No kissing. No fooling around. No falling in love. What can possibly go wrong?Note to self: When your boyfriend dumps you on your thirtieth birthday, it’s probably not the smartest idea to drink so much that you wake up in the same bed as the mysterious hottie wearing the gorgeous suit who you noticed sitting across the bar.The only … sitting across the bar.
The only silver lining in my obvious lack of judgment is the promise of never seeing Mr. Suit again, not in a city the size of New York.
Or so I thought, until a story I’m working on about the country’s most sought-after and elusive escort lands me in the same café as Mr. Suit. So I do what any self-respecting woman of my age would do in my shoes… Try to ignore him.
But he won’t let me.
Instead he makes a proposition that leaves me questioning whether I need to have my ears checked. Be his fake girlfriend for a summer of wealth and excess in the Hamptons. In return, he’ll help me win back my boyfriend’s heart.
Juvenile? You bet.
Effective? Could be.
Bad idea? Most likely.
But what do I have to lose?
Apparently, a lot more than I originally bargained for.
Let the games begin…
Dating Games is a standalone modern retelling of Cinderella meeting her billionaire Prince Charming. If you like a sassy heroine, a sinful hero, and a whole lot of laughs, then you’ll love this fake relationship romance.
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Evie expected a shiny ring with a sweet proposal for her thirtieth – instead she got dumped by her jerk of a twelve years long beau.
Like he could have picked any other date – but no. not serious enough for a man who wanted to be a partner in his law firm – ps she then had two weeks to move out – she supported him through law school, but once he got on perm hire at his firm, the apartment was in his name only – what should have proved an advance warning of future intent.
She meets a man who is the stuff of fantasies and dreams – and he might be more than that if he remembered more of his name, and if she realized a bit more of his alter ego, and his good works as well.
Can she find the truth in both their hearts, or will she walk away from too many kinds of hurt?
Hard won love can be the best, but which bachelor won the hand of fair maid? Read on and find out!
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
Dating Games is another Rom Com by the great T.K. Leigh. If I were to describe this book as simply as possible and in relation to movies for reference, the equation would be: Legally Blonde + (Pretty Woman – being a “Paid Worker”) + x = Dating Games. The x being the variables and storyline of the book that made it unique from either of the movies. I guessed the identity of the “mystery escort” Evie was writing about early on, although a couple of times I doubted myself. The main characters were wonderfully written and a few times I thought Evie WAS me with her behavior. The story moved at a good speed; a few times I wanted to jump in the story and shake Evie and Julian to speed their romance up. The secondary characters added the break in the Evie/Julian story that was needed. {I definitely need some of these characters as my own friends} T.K. is one of the few authors that I know I will love the story she has written without ever hearing what the book was about. This book certainly lived up to those standards.
Dating Games is the BEST book you’ll read in 2019! Epic in every way, this book will fill you with laughter, put a massive smile on your face, and give you so much angst you can barely stand it. The chemistry of these characters was explosive and hotter than fireworks on the Fourth of July. This book is incredibly amazing and is absolutely a favorite of all time!
I love T.K. Leigh’s ability to deliver unique characters in each book which keep me coming back for more.
Evie and Julian are absolutely no different. She’s sassy, sweet and trying to find her feet after being dumped on her birthday
He’s handsome, rich and everything she didn’t know she needed.
This book has it all…..Laughs, tears, chemistry and some sweet and sexy moments. Let us not forget the Evie’s friends Nora and Chloe which definitely added some fun to the story.
Another engaging read from T.K. Leigh that you can get lost in. Go see for yourself and #1click
Evie Fitzgerald will never forget her 30th birthday. It’s the night her life turned upside down and set her on an unplanned path. Always the planner, when she agrees to a summer-only relationship, the expectation quickly veers off-course.
Julian Gage is intrigued with the vivacious red-head when he first laid eyes on her. His interest in her quickly grows. The biggest problem is the wall he’s built around himself and his inability to allow himself a romantic relationship.
I really like the earnestness of the heroine. Through her heartache she is able to find her happiness even if she is initially blind to it. The hero is scarred by his past and quickly falls for his fake girlfriend while trying to reconcile his past with his current endeavors.
This is a bit of divergence from the author and what a lovely job she’s done. I was enraptured from beginning to end and absolutely jubilant to see she plans to continue this series. I highly recommend this book.
I laughed, cried, and all out busted a gut reading this amazing story. I have never read a story that kept me turning the pages and laughing along on every page. I felt like I was their and enjoying the story right in front of my face it felt that real. This story was packed with wonderful characters that I wouldn’t mind getting to know more, each one had a unique twist to the story and really helped the story unfold it didn’t seem like it was all about just the main characters but all of them as a whole. #TeamJulian. The whole story unfolding before my eyes that had some wicked twist I had a gut feeling on some of it so when it was confirmed I couldn’t help but turn the pages even faster then I wanted to go. Easy to read words and even better word building makes this story 100% enjoyable. Steamy romance and even steamier scenes really grab you ten-fold into the story and not let go. I was hooked from page one and couldn’t stop at all. Must read story of the year and the year just started!!!!
This story! I loved it! TK never disappoints.
Evie is an amazing character. And her friends…together the three of them were hilarious.
Julian! Now he was a man with secrets and some scars inside and out.
These two needed each other in ways they didn’t even know. And their chemistry was off the charts!
And of course there is a bit of a twist that you might not see coming…what a great ride TK. Thanks for giving us these two!
Great storytelling with loveable characters. You will become so absorbed by the characters. I love all TK Leigh books but I think Julian is my favorite. Laughs, tears, hope perfection.
This is one of my all time favorite romcoms. From start to finish I was hooked. I loved the plot of the story and how everything unfolded at just the right pace. It was a slow burn of sorts that left you guessing when the secrets would be revealed. I don’t want to give too much away but this is one book you won’t be able to help but fall in love with. The characters have great depth and are so easy to connect with. Julian is more complex than I originally thought and I fell in love with him from the start. Evie is down to earth and I really enjoyed seeing her get more comfortable in her own skin. Mix these two together and you get quite the complex story. I finished this book in one sitting and I can’t wait o get my hands on more from TK in the future.
DATING GAMES is the first book in a new series. The series is not yet named, but at the end we are told there will be more. This story stands completely on its own, but I look forward to what may come.
Evie’s planned life may have come to a screeching halt on her thirtieth birthday, but that’s when her real life began! There eyes met across a crowded bar as she entertained the masses. Fantastically drunk, she was sharing that it was her thirtieth birthday and – instead of celebrating her engagement – she had been dumped after giving her all for twelve years so that he could reach his goals in becoming a lawyer. Of course, she was better off without Trevor, the ex; Meeting Julian is just what she needs.
Evie’s favorite movie is BREAKFAST AT TIFFANY’S. Even if you have never seen the movie (though I strongly urge you to make a date with the DVD right away), you may decide it is one of your favorite movies after reading this story. With elements of Shrek, Cinderella, Pretty Woman, Breakfast at Tiffany’s and many other favorite movies blended into a humorous, angsty, romantic must read.
I loved every twisty, turning, loving, angsty, moment of this story. Yes, there were moments when I wanted to shake each of them, but they had to go through those times. We all have those times. Just as I felt the passionate need to shake them, I also felt how much the passion sizzled and burned between them.
Dating Games has fantastic characters and a wonderful storyline. There is sweetness, romance, humor, wit, heat, sexiness, a little seriousness, and a lot of fantasy. If you enjoy romance stories done right, don’t miss this one!
Note: While I received this book as a gifted ARC via Booksprout, my opinions are my own and are given freely.
Title: DATING GAMES
Series: Games #1
Category /Genre: Romantic Comedy, Contemporary Romance
Recommended for: 18+ due to sexual content
Grammar/editing: book received as an unedited ARC / errors excused
Received from: T.K. Leigh (as an ARC gifted copy)
I’ve never read a character as funny as Evie in such a long time. She keeps you turning the pages from beginning to end. She got dumped on her 30th birthday by her boyfriend of 12 years and oh boy. I was mad at the ex at first for his reasons because it broke my heart for Evie but then forget it. That just made her even more likeable. And the things she does on her birthday?! Priceless!!! Lol……
Then she meets mystery man Julian Gage. This man that has secrets but is so broken but was willing to get to know more of Evie. The first time he met her he knew he had to know her more. There was some twists and a bit of drama but you’ll definitely enjoy this one. Throw in Evie’s two bff, Chloe and Nora, and you’ll get some serious laugh out loud moments. Julian and Evie were perfect for each other because they were so different that they matched. One of my favorite moments was when Evie’s ex returned and what she did, lol.
This was a really good read. It could have been a great read, but I had to knock a star off because of Evie. I didn’t like her for pretty much the whole book. When her boyfriend of 12 years dumps her on her birthday, instead of being furious for him being a complete douchebag, she thinks “Hey! I’ll just stay right here, doing everything for him, and he’ll see that he made a mistake, and take me back!” Uhh, what?! Now, you’re thinking that her feelings might change after she sees him 2 weeks later with another girl, but nope. She still wants the jerk back. Enter Julian and their plan. I really liked Julian, he was a good guy, and he had good intentions for doing the things that he does. He does lie to Evie, and I felt like he should have told her the truth sooner. I felt like Evie was very harsh in the way she dealt with it. She was willing to take Trevor back after wasting 12 years with him, but wasn’t even willing to let Julian explain. Now she eventually gets her head out of her butt, but I won’t even start on what it takes to do that. Just that I wanted to smack her upside the head. Now, the ending was very sweet, and I liked seeing them get their HEA, mainly because Evie made Julian feel loved. I liked the secondary characters. Chloe and Nora were great friends to Evie, and I thought Sadie made a great new friend. Although I didn’t like this heroine that much, the writing itself was great, and I will be looking for more from this author.
I voluntarily reviewed an advanced readers copy of this book.
There something about Julian…
What a wonderful Cinderella story meets sassy Evie.
After a brutal breakup Evie approaches her life the way she does everything else with a well organized plan of attack. However she didn’t count on Julian. Charming, charismatic, and sexy as hell. When he offers to help her with her plan neither one of them expected to find something better. Neither of these practical people expected their own Cinderella story!!
Dating Games is a great read find a comfy spot and settle in to join Evie and Julian as they find out that the best laid plans can be thrown out to find what you really need.
OMG this book was absolutely amazing it made me laugh, tear up and swoon so hard. Julian and Evie are so good together and Julian will make you swoon so hard. Loved this book so hard and didn’t want it to end at all. So completely different than the other books that I’ve read like this one, everyone needs to read this book. It’s going on my favorites read for this year. It hooked me all the way through I didn’t want to put it down at all when I was reading it.
I wanted to like Evie but I couldn’t. She was smart, funny, and outgoing, but there were some unexplainable self esteem issues that got on my last nerve. After her boyfriend of 12 years breaks up with her for ridiculous and demeaning reasons, instead of getting angry and moving on she convinces herself he will want her back eventually once he sees she can be what he wants. She continues to live with him, cooking and cleaning, even though he’s never there. She annoys me to no end. He doesn’t deserve her and she deserves better. She needs to wake up.
Along comes Julian. Gorgeous, rich, sincere, and he likes her – the real her. I would kill for someone like that! Trevor? Trevor who? But not Evie. She won’t even listen to him until she finds out Trevor is seeing someone new. Julian deserves better.
I’m not going to go into the whole story. If you read the blurb you’ll get the gist of the story. Even though the writing was great and the story flowed smoothly along, I can’t give the book more than 3.5 stars because of Evie. She just ruined the story for me. If you can overlook her character then you will probably love this book.
***I received an ARC of this book in exchange for a honest review.***
A well written perfectly paced story pulling you in from the start. A fun adventure that takes Evie on a trip she never expected. Evie finally opens her eyes with Trevor and what dreams she gave up being with him. In comes Julian with a deal Evie takes up for the summer. Loved this story and cannot wait for more.
This book has it all! It’s funny, romantic, heartbreaking and touching. We find Evie at her favorite bar, with her best friends (Nora & Chloe) after her loser boyfriend (Trevor) breaks up with her on her 30th birthday. She was expecting an engagement ring, but got dumped instead. After about her 3rd Manhattan, with a side of shots, Evie has the liquid courage required to stand up and share with everyone in the bar what Trevor has done to her on her birthday and catches the eye of a man sitting by himself at a back table. The man (Julian) just happens to be a billionaire and the sparks fly instantly between them. After Evie mulls over a proposal from Julian to pretend to be girlfriend/boyfriend for the summer so he can get people to believe he’s settled down & invest in his new business venture, while she proves to Trevor how wrong he was for leaving her, they begin a fake relationship.
There are some large obstacles in their path, (like their intense chemistry & keeping things platonic) with some shocking and sad secrets along the way. While I realized who Julian was early in the book, what I didn’t expect was his & another character’s (Sonia’s) stories. Both of them were poignant examples of the phrase, “Don’t judge a book by its cover.”
I really & thoroughly enjoyed this book & would highly recommend it!
Evie is a planner and never in her life would she have seen what’ happened now. Being dump by her boyfriend of 12 years warrants getting plastered but she didn’t plan on the gorgeous guy she wakes up with the next day.
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
Author T.K. Leigh’s newest release, “Dating Games,” is a fun and flirty romance with a fairytale ending that’s guaranteed to melt your heart. Boasting endearing characters and a delightful premise that’s served up with a healthy side of humor, Julian and Evie’s story is an easy, witty read, that’s just perfect to curl up in bed with. And while this couple’s unconventional journey towards HEA held no true surprises, I enjoyed this light-hearted ride, just the same.
So, if you are looking for a fresh new take on a very familiar theme, look no further than “Dating Games.” I promise, you won’t be disappointed!
Fun, flirty, slow burn romance full of sass and humor.
A familiar unconventional theme, turned into an easy feel good read.
How they got there, was what made it into a worthwhile read.
The story flowed well and the chemistry between the main characters was heartfelt, sexy and full of emotions.
We can all use more Julian’s and Evie’s in our lives!