[I received an electronic review copy of this book from Netgalley and William Morrow Paperbacks in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.]
Summary
Laurie and Dan have been together since they were teens. They’re each other’s first and only love. They work together; they live together. And after 18 years as a couple, it’s time to have a family. At least, that’s what Laurie thought. Dan, however, is thinking he wants something else. No only does he not want kids, but he doesn’t want to be with Laurie any more.
After the break up and clear evidence that, instead of pining over her and wanting her back, Dan has moved on, Laurie can’t escape the aggravating scenario. Everyone at work knows. It’s clear that Laurie and Dan are at the top of the gossips’ list of hot topics. And it’s only getting worse.
Jamie Carter has an interesting and cynical view of long term relationships. And it could cost him a big move at work. The partners find his cavalier, different-woman-every-weekend lifestyle unsettling. They’ve actually come out and said he needs to find someone steady and conventional.
When Laurie and Jamie spend a couple hours trapped in an elevator and then go for a drink afterwards, the idea strikes. If they pretend to have a relationship together, he gets the respectable match the partners want, and Laurie can rub Dan’s nose in her own “moving on.” Once they both get what they want, they “break up.” Everyone wins. What could possibly go wrong?
Review
When I started this, I wasn’t a fan. I didn’t care for Laurie or Dan, and we didn’t really get any time with Jamie until the book was 25% done. My expectations for this to be like other fake relationship books did not serve me well either. This isn’t like other fake relationship stories.
This is really more of a self-discovery, self-recovery story for Laurie. And once I realized that, I grew to like it. I enjoyed watching her puzzle out the break up with Dan. Where did it come from? What signs did she miss? What does the break up say about her as a woman and as a romantic partner?
The foreshadowing of the fall out over this fake relationship is blatant. When Laurie’s friend challenges her about the lying and asks how she reconciles a fake relationship at work with her general integrity, it was startling. It put me on edge (in a good way) waiting for things to fall apart. It gave a whole new sense of the story at that point.
I also enjoyed the fact that the fake relationship was not physical. It allowed Jamie and Laurie to process her break up. If this had had a lot of physical moments rather than emotional ones, I think I would have liked the story less.
The change in Jamie’s philosophy of relationships was abrupt for me. The author uses it for the plot well – Laurie doubts the change is real, adding to the conflict between them. But I didn’t feel we got as much of Jamie’s transformation over time as we do Laurie’s. It’s really more HER story than THEIR story.
If you enjoy the fake relationship trope, but you want it to play out in some new ways, don’t miss this one. (Language, sexual references, off-page sex)