Can two men fake their way to marital bliss?Caleb Taylor is shocked to learn his family could lose Bliss Island Resort — their home and livelihood — unless he makes use of a clause to marry the child of investor Louis Chastain. Sofia Chastain is more like a sister than a love interest, and Caleb isn’t ready to sign over his future. But Sofia has a brother, and Caleb has a plan …Julien Chastain … …
Julien Chastain was disowned at fifteen and has made a life as a go-go dancer in Miami, but he lives paycheck to paycheck. When his childhood friend proposes an outlandish marriage contract, he thinks he’s crazy. But it’s a chance at a future that’s tough to pass up.
Caleb and Julien must present themselves as an authentic couple for the legal loophole to work, but the lines between “fake” and “real” keep shifting as they navigate intimacy, public scrutiny, and sabotage.
Love isn’t part of the plan, but plans change. If they can outsmart Julien’s father and prove their love is worth more than a transaction, they just might find a true happily-ever-after.
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I read this book after book 3 in the series but that didn’t cause me any issues. I enjoyed the development of the emotions and feelings between the main characters and the drama caused by the horrible father brought enough angst to make the sweetness of the burgeoning relationship even better.
Caleb is in shock when he finds out he and his mom is about to lose the family resort. His dad has left them with a pile of debts. His best friend is a paralegal and after looking at the contract of the man calling in the debt finds the loophole The debt holder told them about had yet another loophole. So Caleb sets out to find Julienne his childhood best friend and son of the debt holder. He finds Julienne in Florida dancing as a gogo dancer.
Julienne is getting a bit old for gogo dancing and his boss keeps hiring younger men giving them the best hours. He would love to find something else but can’t afford it. Then out of the blue, his friend from his past shows up. with an offer hard to refuse, not only the money and chance for a new lifestyle but to play house with his first crush.
I love fake relationships when they are believable enough and this one is perfect. I loved both characters and the setting. The storyline was also fun and I liked the kind of gay for you thrown in the process.
I listened to the audio and Kenth Obi did such a great job with the narration. I love his voices for each character and his acting of the story pulls you right in.
I thoroughly enjoyed Surprise Groom! I loved how Caleb and Julian came together as friends after so many years apart. I had read the book and absolutely loved the audio version as well. Highly recommend it!!
I found this book delightful. Caleb and Julian are childhood friends that were separated by circumstances outside of their control. Now adults, they must come together to help Caleb save his family’s business. In the process, they not only rekindle their friendship, but find love behind the veneer of a business deal.
The characters were great and I thoroughly enjoyed getting to know them and figuring out what made them tick. The plot was heavily influenced by the fake relationship trope, and was spiced up with some drama and angst worthy of a soap opera. What was so refreshing was the way the characters handled the situation and didn’t let forced secrecy destroy their relationship. I still don’t understand why it was so important to prove that their marriage was “real” but it was an important plot point that pushed the story forward. Overall, I enjoyed this book and look forward to the next book in the series.
As a huge fan of DJ Jamison, when I discovered this book that started a whole new series I was so happy that I couldn’t wait to read it. Caleb and Julien’s story is easy to read, sweet and endearing full of romance and hot scenes but also had an interesting plot involving fake marriage, intrigue, some misunderstandings and more. A wonderful reading!
Really enjoyed these characters and the slow burn. Another great read from D J Jamison
Dancing queens and porcupines
I beg to differ, Ryan Reynolds is everyone’s type. Now, that I said that, boy, did these two dance around each other in this book but I loved it! Caleb and Julien have a history together as childhood friends, but haven’t seen each other for years. I thought it was a clever but crazy solution Caleb came up with to solve his problem. Julian keeps himself closed off from people due to his horrible past but Caleb sneaks his way in. His story hurt my heart. I loved the teasing banter that Caleb and Julien had with each other, the endearment wars, and the fun games they played.
“I don’t know what I am, other than enraptured by you.” Playing fiance with Julien brings up buried feelings and desires in Caleb that are confusing for him. For Julien, his old crush on Caleb resurfaces, and they both try to fight their feelings. I am so happy that they failed and made a mess of each other. Julien’s dance scene is very sexy, especially since he cares so much about Caleb and his comfort. Have to say I’m a fan of walls, plants, and hotel rooms. Topher is a slimy jerk. It made me happy that Julien got the chance for some closure, and so many happy sighs when he’s protective of Caleb. “I don’t want two years. I want all the years.” Watching the walls crumble as they stubbornly slid into love was sweet and beautiful. I thought the lighthouse story was sweet as well, and I think more weddings could use bondage ribbon. Julien’s dad is vile and a horrible person. I want to punch him, but I’m so proud of Caleb and Julien. Who knew a bar floor could be so romantic? A wonderful love story that will make you sigh with happiness by the talented DJ Jamison.
Sweet love story with almost a smorgasbord of tropes include. I’d pick GFY/coming out, best friends to lovers, fake boyfriends. This book is an easy read with nice characters. Not a lot of angst. Good start to a new series.
I loved this sweet, sexy romance! It’s a great “fake marriage” story with the twist being these two MC’s used to be childhood bestfriends!
Caleb and Julien could not be more different from each other. Yet they fit together so perfectly. They only have to survive falling in love for real and the nastiness that is Julien’s father. I loved the dynamics between these two and fell in love with them!
I didn’t see this book coming. I choose to read it because the blurb caught me but I didn’t expect to adore it.
It was a very good suprise for me. I was hooked from the first lines and couldn’t put it down until the end.
Caleb and Julien are awesome, I loved them so much. They complement each other perfectly well.
The plot was captivating and well written. It was dynamic, fluid and funny.
I can’t wait to read the next book, It’s definately a series I will happily follow.
Caleb and Julien have wonderful chemistry and a sweet friendship in this terrific romance. I love their conversations, their kisses, and the way they want to protect each other even before they realize they’re falling in love. I won’t rehash the plot or provide spoilers, but I will say that there are a couple of characters in this book who are easy to hate. There are also several who are likeable and easy to care about. I hope to see more of this couple and their family and friends as this series continues. I love this story!
DJ Jamison took a well used marriage of convenience trope and turned it inot a fun and captivating story! 🙂 I loved the characters from the get go and it was a pleasure to see them grow throughout the story.
The scenery and secondary characters were a great contribution without taking the spotlight from Caleb and Julien. Definitely worth reading!!!
I love fake relationship turn real stories. I adored Julien and felt like I got to know his character better than Caleb’s, but that does not mean I felt disconnected from Caleb. There were just more history details for Julien that were revealed. Julien and Caleb were great together, and when they really connected, they were hot.
The Louis, and Topher, drama added to the story, but sometimes it seemed a bit much or forced. It served a purpose, though, so it was necessary to an extent. Having said that, I like a story that adds some drama to create depth to the story.
I liked some of the secondary characters and it would be nice to see a story for Rory, and maybe stories for some of the go go dancers.
I really enjoyed this one! Julien and Caleb were childhood friends until Julien was sent away because he is gay. Now, a decade later, Caleb searches him out at a club in Miami to recruit him to help save his livelihood and home, a private island off the coast of Maine. Julien is such a fun character, refusing to be anyone but himself, even around reserved upper class society. The journey these two take to fall in love is beautiful. I’m really looking forward to the next book in this series!
Where to start about this book?
Should I start with just how amazing Julien and Caleb are?
How about Caleb’s mom and the rest on Bliss Island? Oh! how about Sophie, Julien’s sister who can certainly hold her own, kick butt and take names? Then I could mention Julien’s (ICK) father. Nahh! I let you discover THAT for yourself.
So many colorful characters make it SO enjoyable.
Let’s focus on the wonderful story that is Julien and Caleb. Best friends from childhood, torn apart by evil, brought back together by necessity and a love story that unfolds in beautiful technicolor in front of our eyes.
This story is full of so much…fear of loss, anger, lust, hot dancing, chaos, LOVE, sacrifice , backstabbing and redemption. It’s just all mixed together to create a wonderful story. Kept me reading non stop since I got it this a.m. I had so many moments of angst, love for these two..moments of wanting to grab them both and just hug them and tell them it’ll turn out, just love each other..”Momma Bear Mode”. I also had an overwhelming urge to cause bodily harm on a few people, but you’ll get there and understand and agree I am sure.
I needed a fan in quite a few chapters also. I love a story where love conquers all. I love a story that combines reality and fantasy…you’ll see where and a love strong enough to….ok not going to reveal that.
LOVE IS LOVE
I will end this review by saying that this is a MUST read.
I received an Advanced Readers Copy for my honest review.
This book is a sweet combination of different tropes: fake husbands, GFY, friends to lovers.
Caleb needs to marry Julian in order to save Bliss Island from financial ruin. After Julian agrees to his proposal, they’re both ready to live together as fake husbands for two years. And then,between romantic getting to know each other under the moon,practicing kisses and living in close quarters, it doesn’t take long for their friendship to turn into something more. They have to learn how to trust each other, overcome their own insecurities and fight Julian’s hateful father but they manage to have their happy ending and real wedding.
So,if you’re looking for charming characters, a romantic location and a love wins all story, Surprise Groom is the perfect book for you. I loved it.
When presented with an ultimatum to marry the sister of his childhood friend or face foreclosure on his family’s debt, Caleb Taylor finds a loophole in the loan agreement and travels to Florida to convince Julien, the friend whom he hasn’t seen in many years, to marry him. A fake relationship for two years, it will be a simple business arrangement, and advantageous to both of them… Caleb will keep his family business and private island on the New England coast, and Julien will improve his situation.
But it’s clear from the start that Julien is attracted to Caleb, who is by no means immune. Having only dated women, Caleb is not prepared at first for what he feels for Julien now. Their friendship had come to an abrupt end when they were separated as adolescents, but this ‘fake’ marriage seems like a second chance at so much more than either ever imagined. Can they make it through the challenges put in their way by Julien’s father and find their happy ending together?
DJ Jamison’s books just keep getting better. This one was an extremely satisfying read, a great story with the right amount of conflict, heat and feels. Not content to give you just one trope, here there are fake relationship/friends to lovers/gay for you/second chance… all rolled up into one! Her characters are always fully-developed, and they stay with you, becoming like real people you have known and want to see again. Whether she has envisioned revisiting these characters at any point in the future or not, you will be tempted to entreat her to do just that. Highly recommended.
Wow! I love stories about fake marriages that turn into a real love story! I think this is one of my favorites that I’ve read recently! I really love these old childhood friends who get reunited through weird circumstances! I was very frustrated with Julien’s father, but I really love the chance he got to be with Caleb again! Their relationship was so sweet, maybe a little awkward, but so adorable! I love these characters and DJ Jamison’s books! Looking forward to the next one!
3.5 stars!!!
Suprise Groom was a sweet fake-relationship/marrage story full of drama.
Overall, I found the story and the pace a bit slow at places and really fast at others. But the idea of a marriage contract to save a resort from the horrible father of one of the grooms is pretty great. I just found it a bit lacking sometimes with more potential in twists and turns and dramatic effects. Everything was explained too soon without the suspense that would’ve made it captivating.
I liked Julian’s character the best. He’s hurt and closed off but confident in his appearances. He seems tough which he is but he’s also a kind and loving.
Caleb is just plan sweet and loyal and perfect! He’s really masculine and confident being a wedding planner and all. His love for the resort island is huge but when he orchastrates the whole marriage plan he gets more than he bargained for.
The side characters are great and the ‘villain’, Julian’s father is perfect for hating.
Nice book, with a bit place to improve in storytelling.
I listened to the audio book narrated by Kenneth Obi. I was not a fan of the narration, but the storyline was good. I like the concept, Caleb finding a loop hole and doing the unexpected by pursuing Julien. A decent read.