Pretend You're Mine (Benevolence, 1)

I’d probably give this book 4.5 ⭐️ if I could. This book is written as a standalone story within a connected series. Though the book is complete in itself, there are other books in the series that surround the same group of people. There is no cliffhanger. Harper is having a bad day. She’s left her home, which currently holds her cheating boyfriend and an 18-year-old delivery driver who are occupying her bed. She ran out the door with only her car keys and got in her car to drive to her friend’s house. Only she has no map, phone or GPS. Pulling into a bar parking lot she witnesses a man attacking a woman and without stopping to think jumps to her aid. Now battered and bruised with no purse, keys or phone and rather low on gas she discovers went in the wrong direction and is now 4 hours drive away. Taking pity on her the bartender manipulates her brother into taking her home and putting her up for the night. Luke owns a very busy construction firm and is a Captain in the Army Reserves. In a month’s time he’ll be shipping back to Afghanistan. The last thing he wants is to look after a woman who seems incapable of looking after herself, but he is weak in the face of his sister. That Harper is a knock out doesn’t hurt either. However, he is going to be strong and keep her at arm’s length, despite lying to his parents that Harper is his girlfriend so they stop pestering him about the lack of love life he has. This story is about two strangers thrust together by chance and start sharing a home on a temporary basis. Luke is very closed off and private. He never shares anything with anybody, whereas Harper is determined to enjoy life no matter what. She’s also a little spontaneous, which means she sometimes forgets her coat. Harper has no family and has spent most of her adult life travelling around since leaving foster care. Luke lives in the same town he grew up in and knows everyone. He has a loud and pushy family that he loves. They are very different characters, but they are drawn together. I liked that book wasn’t as predictable as most small town romances. It wasn’t just about Luke and Harper but also about Harper making a place for herself within the community. She never had a family before and this town made itself into one for her. For a big chunk of the book Harper is on her own and in a strange way that’s one of my favourite parts of the story, as she discovers her own worth separate from her relationship with Luke. Both of them have secrets and when they are revealed is when things get a little shaky. I like how real their reactions feel in this book. The emotions are believable and I love how the friendships help as much as the romance does. I really liked all the characters in this ensemble cast that surrounds Harper and Luke. They are all three dimensional and well thought out. There were lots of to...

OMG…. Seriously Lucy Score… Oh. My. Gosh!! This book is just absolutely amazing. I think you broke me! I’ve read some of Lucy’s books in the Bootleg Springs and Bluewater Billionaires series and I really enjoyed the down-to-earth, no nonsense style that she uses. It gives all her stories a feeling of being… well… real. I’ve read so many books of this genre and some of them, although great, are difficult to identify with… but the same can definitely not be said for Lucy’s stories. They feature characters that you really get to care about. You get immersed in their lives. Seriously, where is this town called Benevolence? I need to go find it and meet everyone of the fabulous townsfolk. Grumpy Frank, Georgia Rae, The Garrison’s… it all feels so real. Like I could just walk down the street and meet each one going about their day. I felt the same about Bootleg Springs and I’m sure I’ll continue to feel this way the more I read. The story itself focuses on the sassy, smart, cheerful ray of sunshine, Harper Wilde. She’s escaped a traumatic life and a terribly dull relationship with nothing but the clothes on her back and few valued trinkets. Somehow and rather mistakingly, she has found herself 4 hours in the wrong direction from where she’s supposed to be. A little lost she pulls into the parking lot of a bar just in time got her to rescue a young woman from being attacked by her hulking, angry boyfriend. Unfortunately she gets knocked down in the process only to come around staring into the beautiful, hypnotic eyes of town hunk and hero Luke Garrison. There’s an immediate spark and tension between them but neither Luke nor Harper are ready for more than friendship… but of course that’s not going happen. In a small town, nothing stays secret very long and soon Harper finds herself playing along in a fake romance to keep Luke’s parents from trying to play matchmaker. The attraction is there so it should be easy, right? Hahaha…. Nope. Of course they’re going fall hopelessly for each other, but there’s so much hurt, pain and damage in both their lives that particularly for Luke, just the thought of allowing himself to love again is too much. This story really tugs at your heartstrings. Harper is just one of the most genuinely gorgeous people. Just her presence in someone’s life feels like a blessing. She’s sweet, caring, loyal, bubbly and calamitous. Trouble seems to follow her, and Luke constantly feels like he needs to protect her from herself… but as more of Harper’s past emerges, it appears that she needs protecting more than anyone realised. Sadly, Luke is still struggling to allow himself to love. He’s been there before and lost everything. He’s ultimately scared… scared to love, scared to move on, scared to give his heart… scared to lose it all. Feeling torn between his past and his future, he just doe...

I enjoyed everything about this book, the charming characters, the fast-paced storyline, the humor and suspense. Harper Wilde has had a difficult life since the death of her parents when she was seven. Life doesn’t appear to be getting any better as she runs out of gas and money in Benevolence, Maryland. Meeting Luke Garrison may finally be a positive in her life. He is a captain in the National Guard, preparing to deploy. Learning that she has no money, he invites her to stay in his extra bedroom and offers her a job working at his construction business. Luke is immensely attracted to Harper, but knows that there can be no permanent relationship for them, but he never explains why. As Harper falls in love with Luke, the town has fallen in love with her and her positive and caring manner. The intimacy between them is off the charts, yet he still insists that he won’t love her. Asking her to stay while he is deployed, will his feelings allow him to finally let Harper into his heart? I received an advance review copy at no cost and without obligation for an honest review. (paytonpuppy)

I have read a lot of Lucy Score, and somehow had not gotten to this series yet. Netgalley offered ARC's for new covers, and I am offering an honest review: Mixed feelings on this one. Definitely a stay up way past your bedtime to finish it book, as usual for Lucy Score. This was a long book (as I said, waaay past bedtime), but I think it's because so many characters were introduced and developed. Three couples, not just one---even though one of them is the featured couple in the next book (reading that next). Makes for a lot of pages. Minor spoiler alerts for below: Steamy, funny, even a few tears. While I was reading, I was engaged with the characters, but after I finished, I was feeling a little let down by Luke. While he was your typical broody alpha hero: successful contractor, super protective, National Guard Captain, he was also kind of a (bad word I can’t use in an Amazon review) to Harper. I know it's a trope--the "can't get over the dead wife and love again guy" (that's the spoiler--and only a spoiler because it took so long to explicitly reveal it. Hints came early, and it wasn't tough to guess), but he really jerked her around. Now, to be fair, she totally let him, but the HEA came pretty suddenly for all the bad feelings that brewed up between these two. As long as the book was, maybe more focus on the main characters and less extra stuff would have left some room for Harper to get to think for a minute before taking Luke back (or even make Luke grovel a bit more after being such an (another bad word beginning with a) to Harper). Those reservations aside, this is still a 4-star book. Lucy's writing is engaging and you really get caught up in her stories. There's steam, so if you like clean, this may not be for you. I am looking forward to the next book--reading it next! (Edit: read it! Totally 5 stars, better than this one. Read this one first anyway, then go on to the next one!)

OMG, this book has ALL.THE.FEELS! Harper and Luke both have very traumatic pasts but they deal with it in very different ways. Harper lives in the here and now and doesn’t take too many things very seriously and Luke cannot stop living in the past and won’t let himself appreciate what he has. You cannot stop rooting for Harper to finally find a forever home and you desperately want it to be with Luke! If only he would get out of his own way. These two are not the best communicators, but when Luke lets his guard down, you cannot help but melt. I loved how Luke’s family immediately adopted Harper and saw how wonderful she was for Luke, even as he was pushing her away. These two have crazy chemistry and you don’t have to wait too long for the spice. The town is full of quirky characters just as you would expect in a Score book. And there is always a bit of mystery lurking as well. Great story. Can’t wait to devour the next in the series!