March 4, 2024
A marriage of convenience leads to unexpected romance in the swoony latest from bestsellers Christina Hobbs and Lauren Billings, writing as Lauren (The Honeymoon Crashers). Aspiring artist Anna Green married fellow grad student Liam Weston to secure the cushier student housing available to married students. It was strictly platonic and, Anna believes, ended in divorce three years before the start of the book. She’s shocked when Liam shows up at her door to reveal that the divorce was never finalized and that he’s the heir to a grocery store fortune. As required by his grandfather’s will, Liam must be married for at least five years to receive a $100 million inheritance. He’s almost run out the clock, but needs Anna’s help to convince his family that their relationship is real. Anna agrees to play the role of Liam’s loving wife at his sister’s Indonesian destination wedding for a cut of the money. As Anna holds her own among Liam’s toxic, privileged family, especially his father, she and Liam form an unexpected bond and their lovey-dovey playacting becomes real love. But will Liam be able to get out from under his family’s thumb? There are just as many emotionally charged moments as sizzling sex scenes, and readers will adore down-to-earth Anna, who’s the perfect match for uptight Liam. Lauren’s fans will be swept away. Agent: Holly Root, Root Literary.
September 1, 2024
Anna Green thought her ex-husband was simply some guy she married so they could both take advantage of subsidized student housing during their college years, not Liam Weston, one of the four heirs to the Weston Foods grocery store chain. Not only is Liam wealthy and very cute but he's also still Anna's legal husband, and he has a proposition--attend Liam's sister's destination wedding as his happy wife in order to finally fulfill the terms of Liam's $100 million inheritance. Along with getting a free private island vacation, Liam will also pay Anna $100,000, a life-changing sum that will help her afford her father's long-term medical care and give her the financial cushion to pursue a career in art. Anna is expecting to feel like a fish out of water with Liam's �ber-rich family members and suspicious father; what she doesn't expect is to find herself falling in love with her ex-husband, especially since Liam is still so tied into his family's toxic dynamics. VERDICT Narrators Patti Murin and Jon Root deftly entertain while voicing the large cast of characters that make this an entertaining adventure. Lauren's (The True Love Experiment) many fans won't want to miss it.--Elizabeth Gabriel
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