C. Scott Publishing Corp. Not Pretending Anymore

I pre-ordered this book and it came to me with the cover printed correctly, but the book itself is upside down and the writing pages are all off center so I can’t even read it.

When my kids saw the shirtless guy on the cover, you bet they made fun of me with his handsome face and 10 pack abs, but I don’t care. I haven’t been excited for a release of a book like this in a while. I was counting down the minutes until it’s release and even read the kindle version before my physical copy came because I was so impatient 😂. And I gotta say. This did not disappoint! This book had it all for me. The instant connection and evident chemistry that oozed from the pages,Declan had me from the first hello. I tend to have such high standards for my male characters and the moment from their first interaction I was a puddle.He can cook👏🏻 Italian 👏🏻from 👏🏻 scratch. Be still my beating heart. He’s beyond thoughtful and kind and constantly puts others needs above his own. Declan sharp wit can make you laugh until you have tears and can charm anyone in a room with his dazzling smile and charisma just by walking in.Molly was the perfect counterpart to Delcan. She’s caring but has a wicked sense of humor, and the perfect person to go toe-to-toe with Delcan. She tries to see the good in everything though her past has tested her faith in trust and love.This book exceeded all the expectations I had going into it. It was flirty and fun, but also heartfelt and emotional. The angst sizzled the pages which left me craving more once the book ended. I highly recommend this book for anyone looking for a great read

This is the first time I've been pretty disappointed with a book authored or co-authored by Vi Keeland. Typically, I really enjoy the real-life obstacles she places in front of the characters. In this case, though, there were a few things that just did not work for me, but these things might work be ok for you since both are authorial choices, not technical flaws with the writing.Firstly, there is slow-burn romance and then there is no-burn romance. I became so impatient waiting for these two characters to admit their feelings for each other. I hope this doesn't spoil anyone, but I think it's important to know, there is no payoff until the last 10% of the book.I also don't enjoy characters that treat their own mental health with the stigmas we are trying to shake off as a society. One of the characters suffers from depression and has concerns about his future well-being. I can empathize with the 'they're better off without me' mentality, I truly can. I just don't feel like a relationship as obviously perfect as Declan and Molly's was, should have been derailed by such deep resignation. And I feel like this book is behind its target audience. I could be naive, but I feel like we've come a long way in understanding mental health and embracing it as a medical condition and Not Pretending Anymore reminds me of where we've come from, not where we are.

I was all into this book from the page to the last. Molly had me going for a minute there and Declan was about to have me jump into to the book and slap him. Will was just a little to on the slow for me. It should not take another man showing interest in a person you claim to have liked for a minute. I get the fact that they both may have been scared to let a person in for whatever reason. As it has been pointed out better to have loved and lost and not loved at all. Declan was worried he brought too much baggage with him. Molly had baggage of her own. I love the fact that each found out through pretending to like each other just how much they really liked each other. This story pulled at my heart and my head because I don't know if I could have did the things they did only to discover that the one the heart calls to is right under your nose. I loved the scavenger hunt at the end and I loved the entire story. Thank you ladies for a great read.