Love Happens Anyway

I this story!
I love having Luke and Derek as friends.
If sequel were written, I would immediately read it!
Seeing written by RJ Scott on a book, I am drawn to it, read the blur,and high chance I will read the book!

Another great RJ Scott Christmas romance.

Derek and Luke

Lies lies lies! To keep his nosy mother at armlength Derek makes up some stories about having a boyfriend and other lies. He even keeps notes about his lies. Now his parents want to meet his boyfriend. Let the fun begin!
As an owner of the family ad-business, he doesn’t meet any guys and he is quite lonely.

Luke is in need of money, a lot when he wants to let his and his sister’s dream come true.
He has one goal: “I want the bar that was my father’s legacy and that I’d invested all my money in to be a success.”

Gosh, I don’t know why but I didn’t expect all those feelings, the hurt, the past. It made me very emotional!
Wonderfully written story with two delicious men, family, colleagues, jobs and Christmas!
Coincidence doesn’t exist!

Derek hires Luke to be his fake boyfriend. The more they get to know each other the more they want the real thing but both are afraid to admit it to the other. I really enjoyed this book.

Another great read from RJ Scott.

Dereck making up a whole pretend boyfriend is what hooked me on this holiday romance. RJ Scott writes pretend boyfriends or boyfriends for hire really well. The characters are lively and personality wise are a pleasure to read. Dereck and Luke were no different, this was a heart-warming holiday read with a perfect happily ever after.

Derek Henderson is overwhelmed both by the job and by his parents with their constant calls to ask about his love life or implementing his father’s ideas. Everyone around him is trying to control him, it seems. They need to give him some space. Since he got this prestigious job, not even his “friends” are comfortable going out for a beer anymore. Now his mother was going on about whether he had invited his boyfriend, Marcus, to dinner. Actually Marcus was his made up firefighter boyfriend to avoid her constant questions about when he will find someone. But now she wants to meet him! When didn’t at their home didn’t seem likely, she told him she and his dad were coming to town Monday for the week, and he was to arrange any meal or even a coffee break so they could all meet. He wasn’t going to get out of this one.

Luke Davers was turned down for a $20,000 loan at the bank for renovations to his family’s bar, Halligans. His friend Alan called an hour later that he just had to do one favor for him and he would get all the money he needed! He was reluctant, but he had no other options so he agreed to come in and get the details. Alan told him Mr. Henderson was looking for a six-two, brown-eyed man who could pass for a firefighter, and Henderson was willing to pay up to $30,000 for five dates spread out over four weeks. They would “break up” before Christmas. As soon as Luke walked into the office, Mr. Henderson pointed at Luke and said, “Him! He’s perfect!” Luke was exactly the man he had created in his mind as the perfect boyfriend – his firefighter, Marcus, come to life!

Not only is there a definite attraction between Luke and Derek, but they really start to like each other as well. Derek projects the confidence of his position. But Luke saw more than that when he stared into Derek’s eyes and saw a bit of nervousness, a hint of panic and vulnerability that he tried to hide. What would Derek say if he knew Luke had actually been a firefighter before his leg injury made it impossible?

I thoroughly enjoyed this well-written book where the characters are brought to life and become important to the reader. Luke was absolutely the perfect choice for Derek. Luke recognized a man he could admire. He liked the man he saw. And Derek found the one he had dreamed of. Would they both be able to walk away? Or would they realize they had found the one they didn’t even realize they were looking for?

4.5

I have to say, I have been avoiding this trope for a while. I even passed up a huge recent free book event that was all fake boyfriends stories. But, I love the author, so I had to give this a try, and I’m glad I did.

Derek is the CEO of his family’s advertising company, but he is not happy on many fronts. He misses the camaraderie that he had with the staff before he became the boss, he misses the creativity, and he’s lonely and completely insecure. His mother wants him to find the one, and is constantly trying to set him up, so he has gone as far as making up a boyfriend; with a background so detailed he has to keep notes.

Luke is in desperate need of a quick influx of money. The bank has just turned his loan application down for the renovations to the family bar, and he doesn’t know what to do. His friend who runs a strictly platonic escort service calls and says he has something that Luke can’t pass up. Luke has done two dates for Alan when he first started his business, but he’s not sure if he really wants to go along with this. That is, until he learns about the details of the contact and the generous compensation that comes with it.

Things start off a bit tense and stilted, but by the time for the third encounter, the attraction between the two leads to more. There is a lot more depth to the story than I am going into, but that is the fun of reading the book. Eventually, the contract is coming to an end, but seeds of doubt have been sowed, and the two find themselves awkwardly avoiding each other. When Luke gets an unexpected visitor at the shelter where he volunteers, he has hope that his chance hasn’t passed him by.

Overall, this is a great short story about an insecure man learning about himself from a stranger turned more, and Luke finding love in a way he never expected. The story of the bar is sweet, and there were a few things that brought tears to my eyes. But in the end, Derek and Luke get their happily ever after and have a bright future ahead of them.

Happy reading!

* I received an ARC of this book from Booksprout and I am leaving my honest review. *

At some point in the book, Hallmark movies are mentioned. And I think that this book does fall under the category of Hallmark love stories: two MC who have little in common, except for being in a desperate situation they need to solve quickly; Derek had quite some issues as far interpersonal relationships were concerned (including with his own parents) and you may wonder what the hell attracted Luke to this insecure, only child, who still had to find a way to step out of the shadows of his father and grandfather. But then slowly, Luke managed to show Derek that his point of view was misplaced and that unlike his convictions, the world out there was not all against Derek but that he could relax and pursue his dreams shedding life long concerns and insecurities.

The two MCs at the beginning have at least one thing in common: the value of family bonds and the wish to make their family members proud of them. Quite a classic Hallmark trait. At first I did not like Derek and really could not understand what Luke was attracted to. But after almost 60% of the book, finally the feelings, the attraction took over the narrative and the ending was just sweet and right.

This is a nice start to the holiday season, a classical feel good read.

I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.

My first festive read for 2019 and it started with a bang. This was super super cute with little to no heat apart from the bathtub but it didn’t need it not a bit.

Derek is really uptight and wants everything his way or no way. When he can’t take any more of his well meaning parents meddling he ends up choosing the last resort hiring a boyfriend.

When Luke is strapped for cash and had been refused a loan its seems like there is no hope for his future that is until an old friend makes him an offer too good to be true.

I like how Luke didn’t let Derek away with anything I loved both their families and it had kittens what’s not to love.

Super sweet festive read with all the feels.