I only wanted to protect you…
Luke Garrison is a hometown hero, a member of the National Guard ready to deploy again. Strong, sweet, and sexy, he doesn’t have a girlfriend and doesn’t want one. When the wildly beautiful Harper stumbles into his life, though, he realizes that she’s the perfect decoy. A fake girlfriend to keep his family off his back until he’s out on another mission.
So what … another mission.
So what if a single bite of her lip sends his mind to wicked places? He can control himself. Can’t he?
Harper was on her way to starting a new life… again. But something about Luke makes her want to settle down in this small town and make Luke’s house a home. When his arms wrap around her like steel, she finally knows what it’s like to feel safe. Protected.
One night of sleeping in the same bed turns into something much, much more… and soon Luke can’t keep his mind off Harper’s wide gray eyes, or his hands off of her luscious curves. He never thought he’d feel this way about a woman again. But he knows that he can’t tell her the truth about his dark past, and she can’t reveal to him what she’s running from.
Anyway, this isn’t a real relationship. It’s only for a month. Only pretend. Until it isn’t…
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Luke and Harper are great together. What’s starts out as a fake relationship turns real but can they over there past so they can Congratulations on finishing the book can’t wait to read this book
KU. Almost put this down as the beginning felt a little awkward and forced. While it did suffer from a few sporadic WTF moments, I’m glad I kept going as it overall turned out to be a funny, sweet, emotional, and lovely story. 3.5 that I rounded to 4.
I loved this book! It is one of my all time favorites and as someone who reads over 500 books every year that is saying something. There has not been one person that I have recommended this book to that has not loved it as well. I have read it multiple times and every time it still guts me and makes me smile. It doesn’t hurt that it is quite steamy as well.
If you are looking for a small town rom-com that will make you fall in love with the town and all its characters this is the one.
Luke is in the national guard, will be shipping out in a month, has a heart breaking past, and is about to get real cozy with the crazy girl that tried to break up a domestic violence fight by jumping on the abusers back. Luke has kept himself closed off from his friends and family for the last few years. He isn’t sure about opening himself back up again, but he doesn’t really have a choice when his sister is already matchmaking, and Harper is already turning him around.
Harper is a take action first think about it later kind of girl, she’s spent the majority of her life looking out for herself and just surviving. After finding her boyfriend cheating on her she takes off with no purse and no money. When she starts to run out of gas she pulls over in a small town an is about to find a phone to call a friend when she sees a man in the parking lot choking another woman and steps in to help.
Love her books
So many feels
Wow! I’ve been living under a rock since forever and finally crawled out and read this book. This story is so amazing. It has so much emotion but is balanced by the fun and funny dialogue I expect from Lucy Score. I’m so glad I picked this book and I can’t wait to visit Benevolence again.
I’ve had this one in my tbr pile forever. It was a little slow going for me in the beginning, but then it picked it up. I wanted to junk punch Luke a couple of times but he grew on me towards the end. I really loved the sense of family in this book. Everyone pretty much embraced Harper like she was one of them and made her feel extremely welcomed.
Such a wonderful story. Make sure you have a box of tissue handy!!!
OMG. Words cannot express my love for this book! Luke and Harper are my absolute favorite book couple. I’ve never completely understood when others put in their reviews, “I had so many feels.”. Now I do. I literally had tears in my eyes reading this book. Now go read it!!
I loved this book so much. It was my introduction to Lucy Score and has been a favorite reread of mine over the years. The characters are easy to read and always loads of fun.
A wonderful story of misplaced guilt, grief, and second chances. A heroine looking to belong, looking for the positive, and embracing life.
Well edited.
Harper Wilde rolls into town on gas fumes. She finds herself standing up to an abusive boyfriend, which lands her on her back in the parking lot. She opens her eyes to see the handsome face of Luke Garrison. While helping to clean her up, Luke and his sister, Sophie, find that Harper has no wallet, no phone, no money, and no gas. Sophie gets Luke to take Harper in for the night, and thus begins their journey down Love’s twisting path. Harper is both looking for a place to belong and running from a darkness in her past. Luke has closed his heart after a heartbreaking tragedy. They agree to Harper and Luke pretending to date until he is deployed in a month. Nothing can really come from a fake month of dating, living and working together. Right? When Luke leaves, he asks Harper to stay until he returns. But when he does, will he keep Harper in his life or shut her out? Will the darkness in Harper’s past catch up with her? Will Luke see the gift that is right in front of him?
This book was full of wonderful, engaging characters. Harper – embracing life instead of dwelling on her losses. Luke – closed off, but still a wonderful friend, employer, and family man. Aldo and Gloria. Frank. Joni. Sophie and Ty. Witty banter. Great thoughts on life and love. And, I got a little dust in my eye towards the end. Really lovely read. Enjoy!
LOVE LOVE LOVE this book! You will love it too! Definitely recommend! Could not put it down!
This is by far my favorite book by this author.
“Welcome to Benevolence, Harper. How about some ice for that face?”
And so, after a day from hell, Harper ends up bursting into the lives of Luke and the people of Benevolence by taking on a town bully abusing his girlfriend in the parking lot of their local diner. Despite getting knocked out, she gave as good as she got, waking up to the gorgeous face of Luke Garrison.
It turns out, she’d found her boyfriend balls deep in another woman, running out with nothing but her car keys, no wallet, no phone, and heading in the opposite direction of the friends house she was planning on staying at. Her car ran out of petrol just as it coasted into the diners car park, and they’ve found out her friend isn’t home. So, she’s got nowhere to go, and is carrying injuries from the fight. Luke’s sister suggests she stay at his place for the short period of time until her friend gets home from vacation.
Luke thinks she’s a walking disaster, and despite his personal avowal to never again get involved with a woman, and the fact that he’s deploying for six months very soon, he can’t help but be attracted to the feisty little firecracker. Add to that the guilt he still carries that he can’t replace what he originally lost, and doesn’t deserve to, or want to move on.
This is a beautiful story of a man who shut out the world after losing more than he could bear, and of a bouncy energetic woman who despite losing her parents as a child, and suffering the abusive effects of the foster system until she aged out, has remained upbeat and positive, and, open to love.
Everyone handles loss and grief differently, and, despite the best intentions of loved ones, in the end, it is a journey that is as individual as the people themselves. 4.5 Stars
So freaking good! Couldn’t put it down!
Harper and Luke: Real Love
I read this in KU last year and fell head over heels for Lucy Score! I immediately started binge-reading every book she had ever written. Pretend You’re Mine is my first love affair with this amazing author, and I’m so glad I found her. Harper and Luke are such an amazing couple. Harper is fierce, strong, and beautiful. Luke is protective, sexy, and amazing. It was only a matter of time before pretense began to feel real. I just love and adore this story so much.
Love this author!
Luke and Harper… Goodness gracious! It’s a fabulous feel good love story that will have you happy, sad, frustrated and everything in between. This was the first Lucy book I read and it seriously pulled me in! Love her writing style and the down home feel of their love story. Definitely worth the time to read.
I fell in love hard with Harper in the first chapter. Strong, beautiful, wild Harper. Luke I alternately wanted to kiss and kick. Fiercely protective, of his family, Harper, and his heart. Broken and misguided, you will want to hate him at one point in the book. You can’t imagine how the author will ever redeem him, but Ms. Score does it in epic fashion! A wonderfully romantic and super sexy read!
I have such a hate/love relationship with this book. Harper was great but Luke…. On one hand he annoyed me with his actions but on the other hand I understood him. He had this weird reasoning… Add to that a book written in the third person and everything changes perspective. I think the first person POV would have been much better in this story but that’s just my opinion