Let me just say — none of this was supposed to happen. I didn’t expect the letter to go viral. I didn’t think anyone would figure out who Dear Sexy Ex was. And I especially never thought he would find out about it. Yeah, bit of a miscalculation there.But see, I need the money to fund my brand new venture. And Dear Sexy Ex, well, it turns out he needs me to save his business. By becoming his fake … business.
By becoming his fake fiancée.
Yup, that’s the pickle I find myself in — pretending to be madly in love with the charming, brilliant, and utterly infuriating man known as Dear Sexy Ex.
Only, it’s not an act. And he can never know.
Dear Sexy Ex-Boyfriend is a standalone romance you can escape into! The other standalone romances in The Guys Who Got Away series include The What If Guy and Thanks For Last Night!
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This was a great story!! Summers’ letter was so incredibly clever and cute, until it turned into a nightmare for Oliver!
Summer and Oliver were just so adorable as friends and even cuter as a fake couple. They had an incredible relationship.
I’m excited for the next book!!
Dear Sexy Ex-Boyfriend by Lauren Blakely
*breathes a huge sigh of absolute content*
Dear Sexy Ex-Boyfriend was exactly what I needed to read right now. This friends to lovers/best friends sister RomCom was packed with all the warmth, banter, and sexiness that I love from this author.
Summer and Oliver have been friends since their childhood days and know each other as well as anyone could. They’ve helped each other out time and again, acting the part of girlfriend/boyfriend but never taken it further, each for their own reasons. Friendship is the only name of the game until Summer pens a letter to win a contest and almost causes Ollie to lose a verrrry important client. What else can they do but play this out and concoct a fake engagement? Things start off innocently enough until one searing kiss turns to two, then three, then four and more and they start falling. Or perhaps I should say, they realize that they’ve already fallen.
I loved this book from the first page to the last. Ollie and Summer gave me what I was desperate for in terms lightness and humor while still delivering a story that had depth. I loved the friendship that was so special and paramount to them both, their kisses, their cheeky banter, their kisses… oh, their kisses! Such a wonderful book.
*I voluntarily read an early copy of this book.
**Reviewed by Melinda for Joandisalovebooks Blog.
I received a free ARC copy of this book from the author prior to release and am voluntarily leaving a review.
This was a fun and sexy romance between two besties who have known each other their whole lives and even share many friends and a long friendship and history. Though never a romance. Summer believes Ollie just sees her as a sister and Ollie thinks of her as just a friend. But they have played fake boyfriend and girlfriend with each other to rescue themselves from exes.
The story gets really fun, when Summer writes a letter in a contest to her fake sexy ex boyfriend and it is published and goes viral. And so the two start a fake real life relationship and thats when they start to realise that their might be an attraction. Thats when I really started loving this story and couple.
They are really cute and a fun couple who know each other super well but not romantically and I enjoyed watching that come into play as they fake relationshipped and fell in love
The thrill of a Lauren Blakely novel is that there’s always a surprise waiting beyond the cover. From flirty to sexy, unpredictable to obvious her hero and heroines know how to get a reaction. Dear Sexy Ex-Boyfriend is no exception. Summer and Oliver are one heartbreak short of a losing battle. Friendship and yearning blur the lines between heartache and romance. At their best they are magic. At their worst, clueless. Through the ups and downs of love Blakely never loses her sense of humor and that what appealed to my heart.
Dear Lauren Blakely, please never stop writing swoony sexy and emotional treat filled rom coms like Dear Sexy Ex- Boyfriend. I am dying from all the heart-stopping, goosebumping, pantymelting and soul deep emotions! And yet I cannot stopping craving more Lauren Blakely goodness!
Oliver and Summer have been best friends since forever. They were the support system for each other through every rough and tough time. Now Summer has put Oliver in a precarious situation by writing an article for a contest in an online dating site. And Oliver needs her to rectify it by her acting as fake fiance. But soon they realise none of the feelings are fake. So do they admit they are in love or do they avoid it so that they don’t lose their precious friendship?
A British lawyer with accents, body and charm? YES PLEASE! No one can resist him. No one. Oliver oozes sex appeal as he walks, talks and smiles. And of course, the trademark legendary sense of humor of Lauren Blakely. Summer is a lovely girl and I have kind of a girl crush on her! She is sweet and sassy and smart and caring. But when she turns into this wanton woman, I was like ” YES GIRL GO FOR IT”! She is independent and she dreams. And she has the biggest heart. Their chemistry was WOWZA from the beginning and gave me all the feels! Honestly I was craving for a pure feel good romance and this story fit my criteria perfectly. It’s hilarious. It’s witty. It’s wickedly sexy. It has a smart and captivating storyline. And of course Lauren Blakely’s amazing writing that is just incomparable!
Dear Sexy Ex- Boyfriend by Lauren Blakely was the special kind of swooniest rom com that just filled my heart with love and joy. This story gave me a blissful and satisfying reading experience that is priceless!
Received ARC for honest review
4.5 stars
Oliver and Summer have been friends since middle school, when Oliver and Summer’s twin brother became best friends. But they’ve only been friends, stepping in to save each other from being date-less to events like the wedding of an ex. (Who invites their ex to their wedding anyway when there is no friendship left?!) Summer never meant for her letter about how perfect and terrible Oliver is as an ex to go viral, but here they are. And Oliver didn’t mean to imply that they were engaged to save a client relationship, but here they are.
This was such a fun read. I think I was grinning from the moment I started, until the final few lines. Oliver and Summer have great banter, as best friends, and the sparks fly between them even when they aren’t paying attention.
The antics that happen because of Summer’s letter drive a lot of the outside conflict they have to deal with, and it is that outside conflict that forces them to face what has been building between them for all these years. But they also have to weigh whether it is more important to protect the friendship they have or to take a chance on something more, because the ruse cannot last forever.
As the start of a new rom-com series, this was great. There was a perfect balance of attention on the main couple and introductions of other potential main characters. The side characters have such fun personalities, that there are many possibilities for future stories in this series. I cannot wait to read Fitz’s story, which is set up at the end, and to hear more from this great group of friends!
4.5 stars!!
Dear Sexy Ex-Boyfriend so much fun and totally not what I expected. A little misunderstanding leads Summer and Oliver on a ride of their lives in the fake fiancée, friends-to-lovers rom com. It’s adorable, funny, full of so much heart, and it lacks any over the top drama. Get ready for laughs galore and sweet swoony moments as these two cross lines and navigate a relationship they never saw coming.
Summer and Oliver have been best friends for years. They have been there for each other through all the ups and downs of life, and their friendship means everything to them. When Summer writes a letter for a contest that turns out to negatively impact Oliver’s business, she’s willing to do anything to make things right, including becoming his fake fiancée.
I loved this story and I loved Summer and Oliver. Their friendship is really special and the banter is fantastic. They have fun when they are together and always help each other out, so when Oliver needs a big favor there was never any question whether or not Summer would do it. What they don’t expect is the more they pretend to be in a relationship, the more it becomes real.
Summer and Oliver have great chemistry and I loved the progression from friends to lovers. It’s slower building because they don’t want to mess up what they have but there is no denying their attraction. The sexual tension builds the more they are together and each kiss made me giddy. I couldn’t wait for them to just go for it, and when they do, it’s passionate and intense and so good.
Now that it’s only us, I’m learning it was never pretend for me. That I was only fooling myself. Because every time, I felt something.
Something unexpected.
Something that surprised me.
It’s scary to fall for your best friend and I thought Summer and Oliver’s story was really well done for a friends-to-lovers romance. I loved that their feelings were real and their hesitation to become more was relatable. The lack of drama was refreshing and made for a lighter read with tons of laughs, especially when the story took some hilarious turns. I also loved the secondary characters in the story and am excited that Logan, Summer’s brother, and Fitz, Oliver’s friend, will each star in their own books.
Overall, Dear Sexy Ex-Boyfriend is a delightful read and a wonderful start to the new rom com series, The Guys Who Got Away . I can’t wait for more!! Logan’s book, The What If Guy, is coming soon!
I thoroughly enjoyed this friends to lovers/fake fiancé storyline. Oliver and Summer’s banter is witty and oh so flirty. Their chemistry is sizzling hot. Drawn in from the beginning and hooked until the end. I also highly recommend the audio it adds an element to this story. Narration by Shane East and Andi Ardnt is superb! Definitely a must read!
I may be a little in love with Oliver! Elizabeth @ Carolina Chic’s Read
Summer and Oliver really bring the heat in this friends to lovers romance. Set in New York City we get two friends that are already in love with each other and just don’t know it… what turns them around? When they fake it. You know that saying? You gotta fake it to make it… they definitely make it… and it’s so Hot!
5 Insta Love Stars!
I could read about Oliver all day long. He could be doing anything really. Laundry, grocery shopping, cleaning, I’d be interested. Oh Summer is wonderful too. A girl you would want to be friends with. This friends-to-lovers, fake fiancee romcom was just what I needed to escape into right now.
Oliver and Summer’s friends to lovers story is sweet and steamy and simply a great book to read anytime around, faking an engagement should become with a warning, but these two didn’t get it. A sizzling chemistry that will drive them closer and have you reading with a smile on your face and pulling an all night to finish it. I definitely recommend it, and the audiobook as well.
Dear Sexy Ex-Boyfriend was such a wonderful combination of so many of my favorite tropes. Childhood friends to lovers, brother’s best friend, and fake fiance all come together for this sweet romcom. Summer and Oliver couldn’t have been cuter together and I loved all their shared history. They knew each other so well and have supported and been there for each other time and time again. A comedy of errors and good intentions tests their restraint and forces them to face their buried feelings. I loved seeing Summer and Oliver get tangled up in all their fibs and slowly realize what’s always been right in front of their eyes. Things wrapped up a bit quickly at the end, but the epilogues were adorable and brought the story full circle. I’m excited for Fitz and Logan’s stories next!
Audiobook Review
Overall 4.5 stars
Performance 5 stars
Story 4 stars
Andi Arndt and Shane East were wonderful together and the duet narration was fantastic. They have such wonderful chemistry and complement each other so well. Their fireside chat was a fun addition and a great way to get to know the narrators a little better. Joe Arden and Kit Swann were also amazing in their cameos/supporting roles. Make sure to listen all the way to the end too, so you can hear all the bloopers! Every Lauren Blakely audiobook is always so perfectly cast and is such a treat to listen to.
Great start to a new series by Ms Blakely. Summer and Oliver have been friends for a long time and it seems recently they both are finding themselves facing growing feelings for the other. Not that either has voiced their feelings. Summer is finding herself lingering more at Oliver’s body when they are at the pool wondering all kinds of things. Oliver is discovering he is wanting to be more than just her friend. Each has been through a lot and wonder if changing their relationship means the possibility of losing the friendship. This is a great read filed with funny moments along with passion and chemistry. As always we get cameos from characters from previous books. Always an added bonus to visit with past characters and/or settings. An absolutely enjoyable read. I can not wait to read the next book in the series. Great HEA.
I voluntarily reviewed an ARC of this book.
Dear Sexy Ex-Boyfriend is the newest romantic comedy from one of my all-time favorite authors, Lauren Blakely. Summer and Oliver (Sexy Brit) have been best friends since high school while sharing many of life’s ups and downs. In the beginning I was curious as to how these two were exes yet they had not yet officially dated each other. Well, I was not disappointed in how it all came together because when I had my lightbulb moment Oliver (dislikes Ollie, BTW) and Summer had their lightbulb moment too. Actually, mine was a lot earlier than theirs. I love the banter between them and the lengths they go to, to help their best friend! It’s not a romantic comedy if the two lead characters can’t see what is so obvious to everyone else. Remember when I said sexy Brit? Yes, Oliver is from England (swoon just imagining that voice, mmmmmm). Oliver is an attorney who finds himself in a pickle with a new client because Summer wrote an essay about Oliver being her ex. Well, social media goes viral over them. The situations these two navigate are quite hilarious especially when you want to smack them to wake them up over the pure raw chemistry these two share. Can you imagine your man having a sexy british accent and being between the sheets with him? Can you say….set the sheets on fire??? Whoa, man Oliver is one sexy man and not in just the bedroom. He is smart, good looking, and so protective of the ones he loves. Summer is a smart, beautiful, sexy woman with the determination to open her own business on her own to the point of being stubborn that she will not accept financial help from loved ones. Maybe, she’ll change her mind? This is a fun summer read that will transport you to another world for a little while. I totally loved it for the great characters, fun writing style, hints of future stories to come, and an HEA. I received an ARC in exchange for an honest review. 5 stars hands down!
DEAR SEXY EX-BOYFRIEND is the first instalment in Lauren Blakely’s contemporary, adult THE GUYS WHO GOT AWAY erotic, romance series. This is corporate attorney Oliver Harris, and senior’s home activity director Summer Clarke’s story line.
Told from dual first person perspectives (Summer and Oliver) using present day and memories from the past, DEAR SEXY EX-BOYFRIEND focuses on the friends to lovers relationship between corporate attorney Oliver Harris, and senior’s home activity director Summer Clarke. Summer Clarke wants to open up her own gym for people over fifty-five but our heroine struggles getting the financial backing from the local banks. Refusing to accept ‘charity’ from family and friends, Summer enters a Dating Pool contest wherein her letter to her ‘dear sexy ex-boyfriend’ begins trending on social media, social media that immediately tags Oliver Harris, her best friend since high school, as her sexy ex-boyfriend.
Oliver Harris had no idea how Summer’s contest entry was about to affect his clients, his life, and the people with whom he works, and offers Summer a compromise that will hopefully draw attention away from our couple: a fake fiancé relationship that, once again, blows up social media when Summer and Oliver are approached by the Dating Pool app in an effort to profile the Top Five Best Dates in New York. What ensues is the building romance and relationship between Oliver and Summer, and the potential fall-out as both try to keep their fake relationship from becoming real.
Summer Clarke has been in love with her best friend for as long as she can remember but Oliver Harris has placed Summer in the friend zone, a zone that is clearly blurring every time the proverbial line is crossed. Keeping up their engagement ruse forces our couple to look at the reality of their relationship, a reality that is about to blow up in their face.
The relationship between Summer and Oliver is a best friends to lovers; a fake engagement scenario meant to appease Oliver’s clients. As Summer and Oliver begin ‘dating’ to keep up social media appearances, our couple quickly act on their feelings knowing they could lose their friendship if everything goes wrongs. The $ex scenes are intimate, passionate and erotic without the use of over the top, sexually graphic language and text.
There is a large colorful ensemble cast of secondary and supporting characters including Summer’s brother Logan, and their grandmother Mags; friends Fitz, Christian, Jason, and Gavin, and Oliver’s client Geneva, and his PA Aunt Jane. The back and forth banter and texting is furious and fun
DEAR SEXY EX-BOYFRIEND is a story of friends and family, relationships and love. The premise is inviting and moving; the characters are quirky, sexy and fun; the romance is spicy and spirited.
This is the 1st in a new series and what a wonderful and perfect start to a series this is! Oliver and Summer have been best friends since high school. Oliver is a sexy and cocky lawyer who needs a fake fiancée to save his business, and Summer is looking to follow her dream of opening a gym for the elderly. This is an amazing and well written tale which is fun, steamy, entertaining, and an hilarious friends / lovers romance story. I cannot wait to read more in this series and I highly recommend for all readers.
This sexy ex was charming and funny! 5 stars
I love reading this author’s rom-coms! This book made me laugh out loud, made me smile, made me emotional and made me swoon. The perfect rom-com! Summer was just that – she was sunny, funny, saucy, optimistic, outgoing, caring and smart. I adored her! Oliver was a charming and confident realist, and I adored him too. As the blurb states, a letter by Summer goes viral and because of a business deal, Oliver asks her to be his fake fiancee. They were best friends since they were 17. Even though both of them had more-than-friendship feelings for the other, they never acted on them. But they were inevitable, and the fake relationship leads them to where they should have always been! There was a little hiccup in their relationship towards the end of the book, but what I love about this author’s rom-coms is that it doesn’t last long but it does make me emotional. If you want to laugh, be charmed, get a little emotional and forget the outside world exists for a few hours, then read this book! I loved it, and I highly recommend it!
*I received an advanced copy of this ebook for my honest review.*
Got to say, I love a good fake relationship romance, they’re one of my favourite tropes, along with best friends to lovers, and best friend’s little sister. Lauren Blakely gives us all these tropes in one sweet, funny and sexy romance, and as usual, she does it in her own fun and flirty style. A bit of backwards and forwards in time, not too much, just enough for us to see how the ‘friendship’ between Oliver and Summer progressed through the years, and so that we get a sense of how they’re always ‘there’ for each other. Of course things go one step further when Summer writes THE letter. They manage to fake kiss their way through social engagements (just), but of course it ends up going further, all because Oliver’s egotistical need to prove a point. Yes, we all know which way this is going to go, and yes it does, and I thoroughly enjoyed every minute of it. The audio version is narrated by the Brit with the super swoon worthy voice, Shane East, who as usual nails it, along with the perfection that is Andi Arndt. Some wonderful little cameos from Joe Arden and Kit Swann make this whole package just perfect. Let’s not forget the wonderful chat that Shane and Andi have at the end of the book, along with the hilarious blooper reel, I absolutely loved it all.
Wow….I’m in love with this couple. Best friends Summer & Oliver have never strayed from the friendship zone, until Summer writes a letter about worst sexy ex-boyfriends in an attempt to win some prize money for her new business venture. Meant as a private inside joke with her best friend, her letter goes viral & people actually guess that she was writing about Oliver, a successful lawyer & frequent player on New York’s Most Eligible Bachelor Lists. As clients start to question his legal abilities if he is such a lousy boyfriend, he moves quickly to turn ex-boyfriend into fake fiancé to save his business. Only what started out as fake was never really anything but these two figuring out that they are perfect for each other. Lauren Blakely writes great stories & I can’t wait to read more about these two & their friends in future books.
I have read most of Lauren’s books, and this one has just risen to my top three!
I fell in love with this couple immediately.
Summer and Oliver have been best friends since they were kids, and just friends. Then Oliver asks Summer to be his fake fiance and the friendship part kinda goes to hell.
Summer’s character is hysterical, Oliver is so swoon worthy and their combination is perfect!
Funny, romantic, everything a great rom-com should be! I can’t wait to read the next two books!!!