Emily Birmingham has had it up to here with men. Growing up with an overbearing father and then her brother inherits everything she’s worked her whole life to build. Now she’s living in her grandmother’s dilapidated house in the middle of nowhere Canada, jobless, and dealing with the most annoyingly sexy contractor on the planet. Exactly when did her life become an anti-Hallmark movie? Cooper … anti-Hallmark movie?
Cooper Merrick learned the hard way that love is definitely not worth the risk. He’s happy running the family contracting business alongside his well-meaning but overly-opinionated brothers…happy enough until polished and perfect Emily enters his world. Nothing prepared him for the ways she turns his life upside down and reaches the parts of himself he’s closed off from the world.
But when he finally gets up the nerve to ask Emily out, she says her next date will need to come with a written contract and some very particular ground rules. Yeah, it sounds crazy, but why does he find himself wanting to sign on the dotted line?
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4.5 Stars
The writing in this story was gripping and the plot was awesome! I hope you have a box of tissues ready for this beauty. It was an emotional roller coaster ride, and I was there for every moment of it.
Overall, I can’t say enough about this book. It makes you think about life and the things that matter. I would definitely recommend it. If you love small-town romances or just a romance in general. Grab a copy of this book and don’t forget your box of tissues!
“… he was falling for a woman who made him want to believe in forever again.”
Rich with emotions and well developed characters, The Boyfriend Contact makes you fall for Emily and Cooper, and the little town of Maple Hill. Filled with heart, humor, and emotional journeys that sweep you up from beginning to end, and have you hoping for more stories to come.
3.5 stars
I received a complimentary copy of this book from Entangled Publishing via NetGalley and I am voluntarily reviewing it.
This was a wonderful story. Emily inherits her grandma’s beautiful but neglected house and nothing else. She is hurt and betrayed by her father. She helped to run the family business of boutique hotels. Upon her parents’ death, her hateful brother inherited it all. She will show them. She will turn the rundown house into an inn. It will be the start of her business. She hires Cooper’s family contracting business to do the renovations. Cooper is intrigued with her spirit and determination to over come the town’s rejection of her business. Cooper is a widower. His wife, Catherine, was his childhood sweetheart. He was devastated when she passed away. He doesn’t want to go through that again. He doesn’t want to get close to Emily but her loving caring heart just draws him in.
The road to Emily and Cooper’s HEA is full of road blocks and misunderstanding. This book is written in my favorite dual POV. Having an insight into the character’s thought process really helped me to thoroughly understand and connect to the characters. It really helped to humanize them and bring them to life. It was like a movie coming to life in my mind.
This is a sweet, clean romance that is full of angst. I would recommend this story to anyone. It almost brought me to tears at times so beware.
Simplicity. Uncomplicated. Sweet. Sometimes that is all we need in romance. I love the heat, but I also love the tenderness. This was my first book by Victoria James, and I was very pleasantly surprised.
Emily and Cooper each have their internal demons they must deal with. Emily is starting over and fighting self-esteem issues. Cooper is still in mourning. As these two go through the process of discovering each other, learning to fall in love and finding their normal we are granted access into the mind of a great storyteller.
Five stars for the normal, the simplistic, the romance of love.
So beautiful!!! I loved seeing Emily & Cooper overcome their pasts and be together! I loved that while they fell in love and helped each other heal, they found what they truly needed to be happy!
This was my first Victoria James book, but her words and the world she created made sure that it won’t be my last!
I enjoy this author a lot, so when this book came up for review, I jumped at the chance. The Boyfriend Contract is a story about a city girl (Emily) who is betrayed by her father who has left the family business to her over bearing brother, and left her his mothers home in Maple Hill, a small town far away from the busy city life. Cooper Maverick is in a family contractor business with his brothers and father, so when Emily comes into town to turn her grandmothers home into a upscale Inn, Cooper and his brothers are there to make it happen. Chemistry between these two is interesting, both have their challenges, Emily has insecurities because of her overnight bearing brother, and what she believes is her late fathers lack of believing in her. Cooper has suffered a great loss five years earlier when his wife passed away from a short illness. He doesn’t think he ever wants to risk his heart again to love, only to lose that person to illness. The only thing I didn’t enjoy about the story was Emily’s continued insecurities with self image, I think we the readers got the just of it, so it didn’t need to continually brought up. Overall, loved the story, especially loved the ending, truly had me in tears!
I voluntarily reviewed an ARC copy of this book
The Boyfriend Contract is another fantastic book by Victoria James.
Emily is from a wealthy family but circumstances beyond her control lead her to a small town. Her goal is to restore her late grandmother’s rather large home into a quaint, but upscale, inn. She needs to prove to herself, and to her abusive brother, that she can run a business on her own without her brother. Having been a go-getter in the city, she discovers just how lonely she is in her new hometown. She quickly learns though, how the town might actually be full of the life and family she’s always craved.
Cooper Merrick and his family’s construction company are gearing up to begin restoration work on a huge home of a beloved late resident. He is surprised at the feelings that spring up when he meets the new owner. Cooper is drawn to Emily but the loss of his wife 5 years ago keeps him shuttered. He never wanted another relationship but he’s finding her harder and harder to resist. As everything starts falling into place, a chain of events cause him to push her away right at the time she needs him the most.
I devoured this book in one day. Emily and Cooper are wonderful characters. Cooper’s siblings are instigators and I loved their meddling. Emily is a very down-to-earth, genuinely pleasant person. She’s compassionate, understanding, friendly to everyone she meets. Her self-esteem is seriously lacking, though but that helps make her character realistic and believable. Cooper is gun-shy. He poured all the love he thought he had to give into his first wife. When she died, he made the decision not to put himself out there like that because he didn’t want to endure the heartache and pain losing someone else might cause.
The book is emotionally charged and evoked responses from me through every situation. Emily’s low self-esteem made me cry. Her brother made me angry. The chemistry between Emily and Cooper made me swoon. The loss of Cooper’s wife and how he’s dealing with it brought forth empathy and sadness.
Victoria James is one of my absolute favorite authors. Her writing is realistic and her subject matter for each book is believable. Her heroines and her heroes are not perfect, but they are perfect for each another. There is a reason that Victoria James is one of my all-time favorite authors – she writes impassioned and realistic contemporary romances. Each book I’ve read manages to evoke emotional responses from me. I always tear up during some part of the novel. Her characters are believable and realistically written. I get lost in the novels and put myself right into the middle of them. I feel for the characters and drawing on my emotions is what makes a book worth 5 stars for me. If I hurt with them, cry with/for them, laugh, or get angry, then the author did a fantastic job and has written the perfect book for me.
I loved the theme of this book. It pulled me in but, once I began reading the story took me over and I could not get enough.
The Boyfriend Contact is a heartfelt wonderful read. This story will pull you in and its a small town, romantic story. The characters Cooper and Emily are wonderful. I really enjoyed this two characters. It was wonderful written and a great storyline. I look forward to reading more from this author.
I read and reviewed an Advanced Copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are of my own. Thank you Entangled Publishing and NetGalley for letting me read this story.
This was my first book by this author and I really enjoyed it. She delivered a sweet, emotional romance that engaged me from the beginning to the end. She made me laugh quite a lot but she also made me shed some tears. So many beautiful emotions.
Emily is all alone and trying to find herself. After her parents died she inherits her grandmothers house in a small town so she moves there to get her fresh start, to turn the house into a boutique Inn. She just never expected to find instant attraction to her contractor Cooper Merrick.
The chemistry between Emily and Cooper is off the charts electric but they have some battles to fight. Emily has practically no self esteem. Shes been told all her life she’s not good enough, too fat, not attractive enough. Cooper is barely living, he is just functioning, going through the motions whilst grieving the death of his wife five years previously.
“He hadn’t been living until Emily came along. He’d been living a half-life”
It was so lovely watching Emily bloom into the woman she should be. Someone so sweet and caring. She is stronger then she thinks.
Cooper is learning to love again, to live and to have hope.
The Boyfriend Contract will pull at your heartstrings! I often found myself wanting to reach into the book, just to wrap Emily in a giant hug and give her the love she didn’t experience growing up. I struggled with who I loved more: Cooper or his entire family! They’re such lovable, entertaining characters and you’ll find yourself shaking your head at their antics, all while trying to contain your laughter. A truly enjoyable romance, with enough drama to keep you guessing what will happen next, and tender moments you won’t forget. I absolutely loved this book and wish I could find more Coopers in the world!
My first read from this author and I LOVED IT! After the troubled childhood she had, Emily has decided that she has taken the final straw when the family company is given to her brother rather than herself. Inheriting her estranged grandmother’s house outside of town, she decides to regroup and restore the house and turn it into an inn, branching out into her own company and making it on her own. Hiring the only contractors in town, she meets Cooper and his family, and while the attraction is instant, the pair aren’t necessarily ready to start anything with anyone because of their pasts. Cooper has also had a rough experience in life and it has hardened him into the person he is today. After it almost wrecked him and his life, he has recovered, but vowed to never fall in love again. But when the feelings towards each other become too much, they decide to essentially have an undefined relationship without gaining feelings, and Emily creates a contract with Cooper as a guideline to their situation. As the story goes on and they pretty much break all the rules, Cooper’s past really gets to be too much for him and consequently breaks Emily’s heart. But with Emily’s past, she vows to bounce back and rely on nobody but herself as she’s the only one she can count on, but when Cooper realizes his true feelings, is it too late? This was my first read from Victoria but it was SO FREAKING GOOD and definitely won’t be my last. I love the spin on the storyline that is somewhat of a romance standard, and her style of writing was so great! Here’s to hoping the rest of Cooper’s siblings get their own books because I would be down for that series!
I voluntarily read and reviewed an Advance Reader Copy of this book.
If you are looking for a sweet romance then this is for you. This is my first book from this author and it was a good read. Cooper and Emily were such sweet and wonderful couple. This book was a quick read and had minimal heat. I personally like a book with heat but if that is not what you are looking for, then pick this book up. You will not be disappointed.
I received an ARC from NetGalley and I am voluntarily leaving a honest review.
So much more than I expected. I thought this would be more of a romantic comedy based on the concept of drafting a contract for your boyfriend but I was wonderfully surprised with the depth of emotion and drama that I actually got. Emily is forging a new path following the ultimate betrayal by her father after he dies, giving the family business to her abusive brother. She inherited her grandmother’s historic house in Maple Hill and decides to turn it into a boutique inn. In business, Emily has all the confidence in the world having worked alongside her father for years. But in all other things, she is full of insecurities following the abuse inflicted by her brother over the years. Something we can all related to on some level. Yet, given all the doubts that will plague her and almost debilitate her, she pushes through, she finds the inner strength and courage to fight for what she believes in. When the town turns down her proposal to rezone the property, well, it almost crushes her. Now, her contractor, Cooper, is a bright light in all the craziness and he never makes her feel inferior even if she doesn’t know how to do something. Cooper is drawn to Emily’s heart and strength. He sees this amazing woman that is always willing to help anyone and it sparks something in him that he lost years ago. He is dealing with his own issues but Emily might be just what he needs to emerge from his fear. There are so many beautiful moments in this journey that took my breath away. I found this story very relatable as I experienced Emily and Cooper battling their fears and insecurities. And what Emily ends up doing with her grandmother’s house is inspiring. I voluntarily read an ARC of this book and this is my honest review.
Victoria James writes an emotionally charged story that will make you laugh as well as bring tears to your eyes. Emily has moved to claim her in inheritance as well as run away from all the pain in her life. Cooper is still trying to recover, years later from the death of his wife.
In a small town it is difficult to escape running into the same people. Emily has trust and insecurity issues. She finds Cooper, her contractor, attractive but does not want to lose her heart to him. This is a sweet and compassionate story. Emily makes friends for the first time and opens her heart to helping and making a difference. She does all this without expecting anything in return which makes Cooper fall deeply in love with her. The other characters are also warm and wonderful and add greatly to the story. This is a story that you will want to snuggle in with and read straight through.
I loved this book and couldn’t put it down once I started reading. A sweet romance about letting go and finding a new path forward. Story flowed nicely without seeming forced. I instantly connected with Emily (especially her love of pumpkin lattes). Loved the banter and chemistry between Cooper and Emily. Hope we get more of the Merrick Family.
I voluntarily reviewed an ARC received via NetGalley.
After being cutout of the family business following the death of her parents, Emily has to go out and stand on her own two feet, completely alone, for the first time. I think my favorite part of this whole book is how unbelievably strong Emily is. I loved that even when I thought she would accept some of the things that happened to her but she stood her ground and more importantly, set boundaries and kept them. I absolutely fell in love with Emily then.
Cooper made me cry so much. His story is so heartbreaking and I honestly wasn’t expecting all the angst but his comeback was amazing. There were times that I hated him but by the end, I absolutely loved him.
I want all of these characters to see their HEA. All my fingers crossed that there’s a series to come!!
A book that’s as much about discovering your worth as it is about love, The Boyfriend Contract is a sweet and clean small town romance. It’s decidedly laidback and heartfelt with plenty of angst. If you’re looking for an emotional love story that’s character-driven and not about the steam, then this is the book for you.
The story follows Emily, a woman from the city who has devoted her life to the family business of creating luxury inns. She’s always felt like a disappointment for being a woman, and she definitely suffers from some self esteem issues because of it. When her parents pass away unexpectedly, she is shocked to discover that her father left the family business – which she has helped build up for years – to the brother who has shown no interest in it. Instead, she is left her grandmother’s rundown home in a small town. Realizing she’ll never truly be appreciated if she begins working for her brother, she decides to turn the property into her own inn, and finds herself moving to the small town. It’s there that she meets Cooper, her new contractor, and his loving family. Cooper is a bit of a conundrum because sometimes he seems attracted to her, and other times he is clearly trying to remain closed off and pulls away. It isn’t until she finds out that Cooper is a widower who has not allowed himself to move forward since his wife’s death that things start to make sense.
I enjoyed the writing style, and both characters are easy to like for the most part. Cooper has clearly suffered a huge loss in his life, so while he’s a great guy, he’s unwilling to open himself up to another woman. I was a little saddened by the way he ends up hurting Emily in the process, but there was never a doubt in my mind that he’s a good man. While the romance is a part of the book from start to finish, it also felt a bit rushed. I can’t exactly say that it’s a slow burn because there’s very little heat in the book and only a few kisses, but it also didn’t feel fully developed. There are plenty of other subplots going on that round out the story though, and I enjoyed how involved Cooper’s family is. Thank you, NetGalley for providing me with an ARC. I am voluntarily leaving a review of this sweet and emotional romance.
The Boyfriend Contract is a very cute read. I love Emily. She knows what she wants and how things need to be done. I laughed at some of her antics and cheered her on with her plans. I loved the chemistry she had with Cooper. Cooper, he just grabs at your heart. Even though both fight the attraction you can’t help but cheer them on from the sidelines. I love how Emily embraces the small town. She has a heart of gold. I seriously loved this book. Emily and Cooper will melt your heart. I couldn’t put this one down. The Boyfriend Contract is one of my favorite reads by Victoria James.
The Boyfriend Contract by Victoria James a five-star read that will have you signing your life away. Emily Birmingham what a woman, she has been told she can’t be anything, but as she learns, you can be anything you want to be. When you throw in Cooper Merrick and his band of merry family members then you have a great story belonging in a great town. This will wring your emotions out, as it deals with loss and recovering and becoming something new and stronger. This is my first read by this author, but I know it won’t be my last as I enjoyed this emotional journey and great writing.