CricketSuccess is what you make of it. That’s my motto and the premise of my speech; the one I’m heading back to Southern Illinois University to give at my college alumni reunion. As the morning co-host of Good Morning, San Francisco, I was asked to be one of the keynote speakers, and while I’m honored to do so, there’s only one problem. The other speaker is Danny Ohara, my former boyfriend. … boyfriend. Throw in an issue with my credit card that leaves me stuck at the airport, no rental car in sight, until a familiar face appears like a guardian angel in sexy black glasses.
Here’s my dilemma with my attraction to Rueben Rigsby, my airport savior and old friend from college: I’m not supposed to be attracted to him. At all. He’s my ex’s former roommate. Yet that doesn’t stop my big mouth from lying about the status of our relationship when we come face-to-face with said former roommate. As in, we have one.
Together.
Rueben
I don’t know why I agreed to come back to SIU for the alumni reunion, but I’m damn sure glad I did. When I found the familiar face stranded at the airport, I readily agreed to give her a ride. It’s great to catch up with Cricket Hill, as we make our way back to the place we ultimately met. What I’m not prepared for is this overwhelming attraction I feel for her. I’m not supposed to notice how amazing her butt looks in a pair of black yoga pants. She’s a friend. Period.
But Cricket has other plans. When she lies about our budding relationship to my former roommate and her ex, I have no choice but to go along with it to save face. I have to pretend to be her boyfriend. I mean, it’s one little white lie, right?
Wrong.
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This book was light, but full of funny banter between the h & H. What begins as a fake relationship with steamy chemistry keeps you turning the pages & so engrossed you don’t realize that it’s over way too quickly. I enjoy all of this author’s books & this one was in the top!! Yes a friends to lovers romance, but with a little twist. It was beautifully written & the added run in with a nerdy friend who is now more sexy than nerdy with smoking hot glasses to add to the new sexiness!! The run in at an lightly embarrassing moment just adds to the storyline & their cute meet after so many years. Ruben is charming, smart & sexy, just what is needed for this H!
I highly recommend this book. Told in dual POV.
3.5 Stars!
Cricket currently lives in California and has a pretty successful career. She has been invited to be a speaker at her college reunion and she is hesitant on accepting due to a horrible break up. I really liked Cricket. She worked hard to get where she is at in her career. She did not allow things in her past to make her bitter. She grieved her heartbreak and moved on. Reuben has his own successful career. He is quite but so sweet and thoughtful. I loved the pair together. Their chemistry was fantastic. I loved the flow of the story. I really enjoyed the established friendship between Cricket and Reuben, they were able to pick up as though no time had passed and build on that.
If you are looking for a fake-relationship turned real, with chemistry, and cute characters this is your book!
OMG! In this difficult time we are all looking for a happy ending, something to distract ourselves, and a great read! This book did all three! I love all of Lacey’s books and this one was amazing! Rueben was amazing and a very well written and developed character. I liked how you could see who he was 10 years ago vs now and how successful and quiet we was. I think we all like a successful man 🙂 Cricket I felt had a little less development than Rueben did but it oddly worked! I like how their story came together and that they were friends first.
Danny I feel was probably one of the best characters that Lacey has ever written. He is a total jerk and you start off really disliking him but the more he interacted with our characters the more I just actually felt bad for him. You could tell that he really just wanted to be liked and accepted but was going about it the wrong way. I thought this character was brilliantly written and shows what a great author Lacey is!
So lets talk about the ending of the book. I felt that while it was a bit rushed it was a great ending that wrapped up a lot of story lines. Now, Ruebens brother…I just hope we get a book about him soon!
When Cricket is returning for her college alumni reunion as a key speaker she is stranded at the airport, and Reuben who used be to be her ex’s roommate offers her a lift. The chemistry between these two is off the charts. No spoilers: this is a must read, you will not be disappointed. This is a beautifully written story which is fun, sweet, entertaining and humorous throughout. I was totally enthralled throughout this riveting page turner, and I highly recommend for all readers.
Pants on Fire by Lacey Black is the story of Rueben Rigsby and Cricket Hill.
Cricket although has become very successful as a co-host of a morning show called ‘ Good Morning, San Francisco’. But 10 years ago she was suppose be moving with her college boyfriend starting their new life. But while she was away he sent her a text breaking up with her which left shocked. Now she is heading back to her Southern Illinois University to be a guest speaker for her alumni reunion. Of course the things start to go wrong from the start when there is a mix up with travels. But someone comes to her rescue…Rueben. Rueben was her college boyfriends roommate along with being her friend at the time. Rueben wasn’t so interested in returning back for his college reunion but once he sets eyes on Cricket again he so happy that he did come back. Cricket takes Rueben’s help a step further when she has him pretend to be her boyfriend. What started as a fake relationship starts to turn into something real. Enjoyed reading their story and hope to read more from this author soon.
Pants on Fire is a standalone title featuring Cricket and Reuben. I’m a huge fan of Lacey Black’s writing and this title was no exception, I was hooked from the very first chapter and enjoyed every minute of this title.
Cricket is intelligent, driven, successful, hardworking and fun. She’s quite headstrong and sassy and overall a very likeable character.
Reuben is a sexy, sweet, witty and intelligent hero, who is a bit of a nerd.
The attraction and chemistry between this pair is undeniable. Their banter is witty and fun.
I highly recommend this title if you enjoy a sweet and sexy friends to lovers romance.
Lacey Black is one of my go-to authors, especially when I want a swoon worthy hero and a kick-ass heroine. She never fails to deliver. Pants on Fire more than keeps up her winning streak in both categories. She also has a wicked sense of humor, usually reflected in her grandparent characters, such as Reuben’s grandmother asking about hiding the salami. I could not contain the giggle. This friends to lovers story is HOT, swoony, sweet, and oh-so sexy.
The main players: Cricket, dumped by her boyfriend via text, from her car two states away, on graduation day; the day before the couple is supposed to go go California for their HEA. Headstrong and driven, she manages to work her way up at the station she started at after college.
Danny: the ex, he thinks he’s God’s gift to women and the king of the airwaves, thankfully he no longer works at Cricket’s station. He assumes, since ten years have passed, Homecoming weekend will rekindle something with Cricket. Boy is he wrong.
Reuben: Danny’s roommate and friend to Robin; savior of the Homecoming weekend when her car rental is messed up. Setting the pair on a road trip that will change their lives. No longer the geeky computer friend, Reuben has become the sexy IT guy, which Cricket doesn’t fail to notice. One tiny white lie to keep Danny at bay and their whole world tilts on its axis.
Like all journeys of the heart, Cricket and Reuben have obstacles to overcome and in Ms. Black’s fun-loving unique style she runs the couple through their paces, delivering a very imaginative HEA. I absolutely loved this book and cannot wait to get a paperback to add to my collect, and hopefully an audiobook in the future. I love the characters and Ms. Black’s witty banter as usual. Grab this book, you will have a hard time putting it down to do anything else.
A fake boyfriend romance with one very douchey, ex boyfriend and one very sweet, fake boyfriend.
In college, Cricket was dumped in the worst way…by text, while her boyfriend was driving away in her car, while driving towards their new beginning (a new job, a new apartment, etc…)Fast forward ten years and she is headed back to her alma mater asked to give a keynote speech where she will run into her ex. She panics when she sees him and pretends to be in a relationship with his former roommate, Rueben. It isn’t a hardship and the longer they pretend the more Cricket doesn’t want to fake it.
Rueben never had feelings for Cricket when he attended school with her, but it’s over a decade later and things have changed. She is a beautiful woman and she is also single. When she pulls him in to be his fake boyfriend he is flattered, but he also would love for it to be more than fake. They have chemistry, but she also lives across the country so he knows to push her for more isn’t realistic. He’ll enjoy being her fake boyfriend and then go back to being her friend.
Cricket and Rueben have great chemistry and their romance is sweet. I love that some of the story takes place not too terribly far from where I live, that doesn’t happen very often.
Cricket is going to her college reunion but when she sees her friend from 10 years ago she can’t help but to fall. When the lie starts it is just to keep her ex off her case but will Reuben be just what she needs?
Reuben hasn’t seen Cricket in 10 years. She was his friend’s girl so she was off limits. But now being caught in a lie with her might be just what they need to see if the sparks fly.
This was a great read. I’ve read this autnors cowritten books and was happy to read one of her standalones. Will definitely be reading more of her books.