Working at Bliss, Sarah Harrison deals with all sorts of—interesting clientele. Yet no one sparks her interest more than Jared Gaines, the ultra-rich, ultra-sexy businessman who frequents her shop, buying delicate little “gifts” for the women in his life.But one day, Jared sends her a gift from Bliss. Then another—and another. So when Sarah walks into his office demanding to know why he can’t … he can’t stop sending her gifts, he makes her an offer she somehow can’t refuse: be his fake girlfriend for the weekend while attending his brother’s engagement party.
Next thing Sarah knows, she’s in San Francisco, pretending to be in love with Jared. Not that it’s a hardship. Once you get the man away from the office, he’s much more relaxed. Sweet. Funny. Even…thoughtful? Oh, and sexier than ever, of course.
Their pretend relationship feels very real, very quickly. Soon Sarah’s in over her head. Could what she and Jared share turn into something real? Or is it all actually…fake?
more
Sarah and Jared have it all the banter, the snark and a ton of passion. They meet they hate flirt and create a ton of chemistry that leaps off the pages of this book.
Their start is not in the most traditional way but, fighting their feelings made for an amazing read.
Monica Murphy never fails to bring a romcom that is so fun to read that you simply can’t put the book down.
Opposites Attract but if they fight it, how can they fit together?
Terrific story about a pair of complete opposites who end up on a fake date. Sarah Harrison works at a high end lingerie shop called Bliss. She has worked there for the past two years in order to make ends meet. Her parents died 4 years ago, when she was twenty and she had to give up her future dreams to help raise her siblings, a brother who was still in high school and a sister who was only twelve at the time.
Sarah has worked her way up to sales and is now full time and works as a personal shopper to some of the clients. One of her clients that she sees every two to four weeks is Jared Gaines, a Billionaire businessman who drives her crazy. He is not only wealthy, but extremely attractive and he buys intimate lingerie for his many women or “mistresses” as she likes to call them to get on his nerves. They exchange barbs during their meetings but heated looks now and then as well.
From there on the story is great. It is funny how Sarah can’t figure out what to do with him. She is attracted to him without a doubt, but afraid because of all the lingerie he buys for other women. She knows what a player he must be. Jared, on the other hand is completely attracted to Sarah and hasn’t actually been dating anyone for the last six months, but has been buying lingerie just to see Sarah. However, he doesn’t do relationships. Ever since he fell in love when he was younger and was dumped four months before the wedding. He no longer believes in love, only lust.
These two are funny together because they can never seem to just get things right. It is a fun story and it held my interest the entire time. The side characters, including Jared’s sister Candice and Sarah ‘s family are great. The next book will be about Candice and looks good. She is quite a firecracker herself.
Thanks to Netgalley for providing me with an ARC in exchange for an honest review.
Jared needed someone to love him but had his reason for not letting that happen. He stops in a high end lingerie store to. It something for his latest and meets his personal shopper Sarah.
Jared has all kinds of personality problems. He rude, insulting, painfully blunt, dismissive and uncaring. He has no relationship with family members and now his brother is getting married.
While Jared seems to have all the characteristics of a guy women pursue, he seems very awkward at interacting with Sarah. His attempts at making progress with her are uncomfortable, but she can’t help her attraction to him nonetheless.
This is one of those romances about a guy that is actually lovable but has no game. He does find a woman that sees beneath his hard exterior and is what his heart needs. You will enjoy this story.
I have to admit this book dragged on a little at the beginning, there was a lot of internal dialogue but once Sarah and Jared got together things got intriguing. It became sweet, charming, and oh so adorable. I liked it!
This was a very cute book.
I really liked Jared in this book. Sure, he was a grumpy moody guy but he was more like a bear with a sliver in his paw than really mean. From the very beginning you knew there was a reason behind his surliness.
I have to admit, I wasn’t a big Sarah fan when the book started. She sounded too much like a teenager, does he like me does he not. I hate him but I want to rip his clothes off.
However once I got past that, I really liked the two of them together. The banter was fun and the sexy times were hot.
I was hooked on this audio. Any time I get to listen to Savannah Peachwood, I know it’s going to be good and this was no exception. There’s so much emotion in Jared and Sarah’s story, I just couldn’t get enough
A new and different story line – fun to read – humor throughout the book –
The first in the series was a fun listen so I hoped this would be as well. No no no. Not sure which of the main characters was worse. Bliss is a high end lingerie store is the backdrop. Jared treats it like his personal brothel. He is part jerk, part entitled “I am better than everyone guy and I’ll prove it by treating everyone like a servant or gum on the bottom of my shoe and speak to them like they should be overwhelmed with gratitude I let them breathe the same air as I do”, part stalker, major part creepy pervert in how he leers and asks totally invasive inappropriate questions and then sends unsolicited gifts (seriously gorgeous sexy lingerie, but so wrong) lingerie to Sarah, the sales person. So now to Sarah. WTH? Seriously what is wrong with her? Grow a spine, speak up for yourself and tell your boss what a lecherous jerk Jared is. The illusion of sex is one thing, but this guy is a felony waiting to happen wh9 has no matters and thinks his money should allow him carte blanche to treat people any way he sees fit. And fire the other girl who so recklessly gave out Sarahs home address. Who does that? See…major stalking. And Dani, Sarahs sister? Most annoyingly snarky teenager with no other purpose than to be a pain in the butt and drive the reader/listener crazy. And the narration did the story no favors. Not bad, but a few of the voices made me cringe. I got to listen for free, but I want my time back wasted listening to. Even at a faster speed it couldn’t have been over soon enough for me. What could have been sweet and fun was just smarmy and dirty and not in any sort of good way.
I enjoyed reading the story, but was unrealistic.
A must read
Loved the story!!
A fun book
How do such incredibly intelligent people with such great families manage to not communicate for 30 years? Ok, so accept that basis, this is a really fun romp through them figuring it out.
Love this book
“Fake Date” (nook) was an enjoyable book with a few twists and turns. Jared was a bit “difficult” but he changed, in a good way.
Super characters make this a fun read…. love the humorous and steamy relationship between them.
A sweet story starting with Sarah who is a 24 year old single women raising her younger sister
and brother since their parents were killed in a car accident. Sarah works at a high end lingerie store
frequented by rich sexy hot Jared Gaines. He buys high end sexy lingerie for his mistresses as Sarah
calls them. He is drawn to her buying Sarah bras and panties and sending her gifts. The story continues with him finally asking to be his fake date to his brother’s engagement party. I like the
angst between the two which showed them to both have stigmas to overcome. If you like enemies
to lovers books this is a good one.
Sarah Harrison works at the upscale Bliss lingerie, and she’s used to dealing with interesting clients. But none of them are more interesting than perceived playboy, Jared Gaines. He’s handsome, he’s rich, he’s inscrutable, and he buys a lot of lingerie. So when he begins sending Sarah gifts, she doesn’t know quite how to process it. Because, try as she might, she’s attracted to this man, even though she knows he’s probably trouble. Add in a fake relationship pact and a weekend in San Francisco with Jared’s family, and the lines of what’s pretend and what’s real begin to blur. Sarah and Jared definitely have chemistry, but do they have what it takes to make a real relationship last?
‘Fake Date’ is a contemporary romance that ticks all the boxes. Fake relationship trope with a new a fresh spin? Check. A supportive friend group that tells it like it is? Check. Palpable, sizzling, chemistry between the heroine and the hero? Check. A slow burn of said chemistry with a highly satisfying resolution? Check, check, check.
I really enjoyed this novel, so much so that I read it in one sitting. It’s fun, flirty, and entertaining. This was my first time reading Monica Murphy, and I’m happy to report that it won’t be my last.
**Thanks, NetGalley, for sending me an ARC of ‘Fake Date’ in exchange for my honest review.**
A grouchy alpha who is a little awkward in most polite situations. Jared is at best too blunt. Unless he is hate flirting with Sarah in the lingerie shop. the two start off with what they think is a total dislike of each other. However, they are attracted. when Sarah and Jared attempt a weekend of fake dating, things come to a head. Cute story with likable characters. Jared is comical and awkward in a lot of situations. He is only willing to change for Sarah. Sarah is sweet and wants see Jared change and especially with his family. There are some fun moments and some sad moments but in the end the story will give you a good feeling .
I FLOVE this series from Monica. Each book just gets better and better.
Sarah and Jared were the perfect enemies to lovers couple and I loved every minute from there first sexual tense meeting to the last page.
Sarah was his personal shopper (at a high-end lingerie store at that!) and he was the pain in the butt customer that got on her last nerve. But then there was a tiny little zap of energy that was exchanged and before Sarah knew it, she was going on a fake date with enemy #1… and it really wasn’t as bad as she thought it would be.
Sarah doesn’t know what to think of the engaging enigma that is her fake boyfriend. As she spends more time with him, she starts to see the man behind the facade. She has her own hangups and doesn’t think she can ever stack up to Jared’s lifestyle of the past. But he has his own secrets…
I laughed out loud. I swooned. I got a tear in my eye. I loved Sarah and her spunk. I loved Jared and the way he treated Sarah once the mask came down. They were the perfect fit for me.
Monica never fails in bringing her readers on a ride they will never forget and she will always be a one-click author for me.