User Reviews
Rating: really liked it
***4 STARS***
This was an absolutely adorable romantic comedy and it had my favorite trope boss/employee billionaire.
Everly works as Shepherd’s PA. Through a series of odd and convoluted occurrences Everly finds herself the fake fiancée of her boss and she even moves in with him for appearance sake. Shepherd is the typical grumpy, non smiling, serious CEO that just doesn’t do relationships and has never thought of his PA in a romantic way.
This was a very well written story. It did drag in a few areas but the story line was excellently delivered. Has a little slow burn elements but overall a solid read.
Rating: really liked it
I hate friends-to-lovers books because I hate to see them date numerous other people while secretly having a crush on each other so I try to avoid friends-to-lovers books.
Why am I saying this? Well, this book is not a friends-to-lovers book but it has a similar problem. It is between a businessman and his assistant. I would've loved it if their banter / attraction / relationship started as soon as they met and started to work together but it DIDN’T.
Everly has been Shepherd’s assistant for 3 years. She has been working for him for 3 years and NO attraction.
Nope, nothing.
He doesn’t even look at her, or answer when she says good morning or good evening etc. She doesn’t care about his bad manners and cold attitude because she knows she is a good assistant and earns good money. Therefore, she doesn’t expect more from him. She certainly doesn’t have a crush on him.
So no feelings, no chemistry, no attraction for 3 years… It is not even 3 months… it's 3 years.
Both of them date with so many other people!
Everly has lots and lots of bad dates in those 3 years. They all turn out to be as*holes.
Shepherd goes through women of the same kind – beautiful face, rocking body and little soul. Nearly all of them are after his money. These relationships usually last for 2 or 3 months. Everly makes the dinner reservations etc. She even buys the parting gifts when he decides to break up with them nicely. It is usually a gift such as a trip to an exotic place.
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One day everything changes… Ha ha, like I would believe it now. What were you? Blind for 3 years?
And what happens is just plain dumb.
Here is the chain of dumb and dumber events:The last woman Shepherd breaks up with, Svetlana, comes back from the exotic trip (that was a gift of Shepherd) with his father. They met there and started a relationship! His father doesn’t know that the woman in his arm is his son’s ex. She is kinda getting back at Shephard, it's a mixture of revenge and jealousy plan.
Shepherd wants to tell his father about this evil woman but his brother tells him not to as their father is too sentimental and he will feel bad if he learns he is being used.
WTF? What the actual f*ck??!! So let her use him instead???? All because he is too sentimental?! Is this a joke?
As a solution to this problem of not being able to tell his father about Svetlana, Shepherd decides that his assistant Everly may fake as his new girlfriend so that they can make Svetlana see that he is not available any more.
How dumb is that?Wait, wait, it gets even more stupid…They learn soon that his father has cancer and is also suffering from financial loss. He needs a home and Shepherd gives him a room in his big mansion of a house. But of course, daddy’s new girlfriend Svetlana will also come!!!
How awesome is that, right??And this smart adult businessman is too stupid to think of a better solution, like coming clean with his father etc., but he lets that snake of a woman reenter his house. Shephard’s idiotic solution is to ask Everly to move in with him and continue to pretend to be his girlfriend so that Svetlana gets rid of trying to win him back. And she agrees.
Yeah, dumb (Shepherd) and dumber (Everly), such a good match!
Wait wait, it gets even more unbelievably stupid...Everly’s sister Annie has a wife and they want to have a baby but obviously they need a man for that and they have chosen Shepherd as the donor!!??
No, of course, Shephard has no idea about it, why would you think that? He even doesn’t know Annie and her wife yet.
Annie and her wife have seen his pictures and they think that such a handsome and smart man will have quality DNA.
Huh, smart, my as*! He doesn’t even know how to get rid of a woman with wicked intentions. Do you really want a child as dumb as him?
Whatever... And Everly thinks that if she agrees to be his fake girlfriend, she will have a leverage and she will in the end ask this favor from him. Yeah, she really considers this option. Oh God, how stupid is that?
What will she say? "Dear Shepherd, I slept with you in your bed and pretended to be your girlfriend for all these months although it was not pretending anymore after a while but whatever, now I need your sperms. No, not for me but for my sister. You have lots of them. So what? Can't you give me a small cup of them for God's sake? You already owe me big." Something along those lines...??Yeah, good luck with that!
I mean this is not something you can just ask for. Like asking a cup of flour or a glass of milk from a neighbor!
And you know, the donor contract she prepares and keeps is like the gun you see at the beginning of a movie... someone will use that gun, or in this case, someone will see this contract in an inconvenient time. Huh, how original!
Well, maybe a stupid plot twist was what that stupid story needed, what do I know?
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Of course, while faking, they start to get attracted to each other, bla bla…
Some kissing & sex scenes that made me feel nothing...
Also I must say that I hate it when the first sex between a couple is full of spanking and
"Have I been bad? Oh so bad..." kinda things. So not my cuppa!
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I hate stupid romance! I hate everything stupid. Whatever it is, it should make sense to me. Nothing in this book was the actions of a person with average intellect and reason, let alone that of a smart person.
The actual plot never worked me. I never believe in falling for a person after 3 years of ignoring them.
And Everly doesn’t turn into a princess from a frog or something. It is such a simple change. Shepherd asks her to come and fake as his girlfriend at a party and also asks her to wear something sexy. She comes in a sexy red dress and his mouth is wide open with shock.
Why? A little make up and a red dress and the woman Shepherd thinks as only “nice to look at” turns into a "goddess" and he is suddenly awestruck??? Oh come on!
And Everly sees him in casual clothes in a club where he plays in a band and literally jumps at him, saying he is too sexy.
It's always Everly who kisses him first or who jumps at him first.
Shephard later says,
“I kept wondering how I’d worked with you for years, but I’d never really seen you. But I know exactly why. I didn’t let myself see you. Not because you worked for me, although that was part of it. But mostly because deep down, I knew if I did, I’d fall for you. And that fucking terrified me.” Arghhh… What a stupid excuse for 3 years of ignorance!
Everything about this story is so very frustrating and annoying.
And what is sad for me is that this book comes from the writer of
His Heart (5 stars) and
Remembering Ivy (4 stars). Such a shame…
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SAFETY:
If you still want to try this book and wonder about its safety, they do not sleep with anyone else after the fake dating starts. I don't know how much it counts after f*cking other people for so many years and not seeing each other as a potential lover.
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WRITING:
As I said earlier, this book's writer has written one of my all-times favorite books,
His Heart. Its plot was unique and its writing was epic.
Here in this book, the writing is mediocre with dual point of view and the plot line is - as I said numerous times - is plain dumb.
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Rating: really liked it
Faking Ms. Right is a stand alone fun romance by Claire Kingsley. Claire has done it again with this book. I couldn’t have loved it more. I’ve decided that no matter what Claire writes, I know in advance it’s going to be amazing. She wows me every time. This was so different than anything I’ve read of hers so far and it was perfection.
Everly Dalton has the worst dating luck ever. She has had a horrible string of first dates. If you haven’t read the prequel to this book yet, Everly Dalton’s Dating Disasters, you need to. It takes you through six of her first date nightmares. Everly has decided to take a step back and give dating a rest for awhile. She loves spending time with her two best friends, Nora and Hazel. She is an executive assistant to one of Seattle’s richest men, and loves her job. Everly is one of those people that it just seems like the sun is shining down on her wherever she goes. Everyone she meets is like her best friend.
“I liked making people happy. It was my catnip. Getting someone grouchy to smile? Best high ever.” Shepherd Calloway was Everly’s boss. Everly thought of him as an unemotional robot of a man. He could make a man shake with fear with just a look. He never showed emotion and spent every waking hour working. Before she started working for him, Shepherd went through assistants like water. She had been there three years and held the record for longest lasting assistant. She didn’t mind working for Shepherd at all. She was good at her job and did what was expected of her. They had a routine and it worked. Until everything changed.
Shepherd was tired of dating women that wanted him for his money. It was time for Svetlana, his latest girlfriend, to go. But then Svetlana finds a new way into Shepherd’s life, and he finds himself in need of an instant girlfriend, fake girlfriend that is. Who better to recruit than his assistant? But when Everly walks into the ballroom of the gala in that red dress, he actually sees her for the first time. And what he sees takes his breath away.
Shepherd and Everly’s relationship ruse requires her to move into his penthouse for a couple of months. During this time, they get to know each other and trust begins to grow. Everly soon learns that Shepherd isn’t an unfeeling robot at all. Maybe he doesn’t show his emotions easily but there is a sexy, sweet man underneath that buttoned up veneer. And a few more surprises that Shepherd has never shared with anyone. For some reason, he wants to let Everly in. He wants her to know the real him.
“It felt good to let go a little. And maybe that wasn’t such a bad thing after all.” Now, let’s talk chemistry. Because these two most definitely have it. They literally burned up the pages. Shepherd may be all buttoned up on the outside and Everly all sun shiney and smiles. But these two were hotter than hot with a good helping of kink thrown in.
There are also plenty of amazing secondary characters. Everly’s two best friends who I hope we might get to know better in the future. Shepherd’s brother and Dad who I loved. And also Everly’s sister. They all added so much to this book to make it the amazing book it was. There was also a character later on, Cameron Whitbury, that I was VERY intrigued by that I want to know more about! Are you listening, Claire?!
Have I convinced you yet to read this? These two had so many layers and I loved watching them discover each other. These two have completely stolen my heart. I woke up this morning thinking about them and couldn’t wait until I could dive back in to the book. This was a fantastic read and I hope you decide to check it out and enjoy it as much as I did.
For more about this book and so many more, come and visit me at Carol's Crazy Bookish World.
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Rating: really liked it
R A T I N G: 3.5/4 to Faking Ms. Right ★ ★ ★ ★
'Outside these walls, people took me for a sugary-sweet, plain as vanilla, boring blond girl with a big smile. But my coworkers saw me as something else entirely. They looked at me in awe, wondering how I could possibly handle the big bad wolf. How I never got bit.' 'What is that?” “Hmm?” She walked over and picked up her drink. “This? Oh, it’s my bean bag chair.” “You brought a bean bag chair? And you’re putting it in my living room?” She smiled. “Yes.” “Why?” “Because it’s comfortable, and a great place to read, and my favorite color.” I glanced at it again, a big yellow blob sitting among my carefully chosen furniture. “It’s fuzzy. And yellow.” “That’s very observant of you, Shep.” My gaze snapped to her.I'm in the pleasant position to say that I've done it. I've finally read a
Claire Kingsley romance! Somehow, this managed to cut its way up the cue that is my reading list. But I'm also in the pleasant position to say that for the most part,
Faking Ms. Right glides right on by with sweet simplicity, an easy writing style and plain adorable grace. There were some beautiful subtle touches, a feel-good tone and an easy delivery imbues the first standalone instalment in the
Dirty Martini Running Club series with a wonderful personality. As does Everly Dalton, the sunshine even-steven half of a trope to a romantic companion who is her truly twilighted other. This book doesn't have complicated turns or unpredictable developments - and many of them can be easily spotted as laid in motion - but perhaps the power (for me) lies in the simplicity of Everly and Shepherd's development and the substance of that simplicity. That which unbuttons and undresses a relationship between a removed boss-employee dynamic to one where eyes finally lock, sights shift, feelings thrive in close proximity and results in a big yellow beanbag chair in the centre of a stoic man's private penthouse.
There's always something truly delightful about a bright heroine who disrupts a stoic man's sense of structure.Shepherd Calloway is a man who doesn't believe in mincing his words, or even using too many to get his point across.
All it takes is a glare, unnerving silence and perhaps the fear of God will enter the body of one who clears breathing distance. He's a man of poor tact, brute silence and has one tone within the office space: clean, mean silence that promises nothing in return. Shepherd's entrance to a work day is the night to Everly Dalton's day, because every day that he walks into the office with the shadows of intimidation smoking at his heels, Everly walks in with the beams sunlight trailing hers, and very few are impregnable to her glow (with the exceptions of her apathetic boss). As Shepherd's assistant, Everly may very well have been little more than pleasant office furniture to him but she's also lasted longer than any assistant that came before her, and three years under her belt as his second hand and she remains fully intact with a bright morning smile, excellent prowess and aglow at a daily job well done. Through her occupation at his side, she's learned the art of administrating her automaton boss, and as familiar as she is with his working routine, she knows little more about the man behind the desk. As we thirst for, the discovery's about to begin...
While
Faking Ms. Right doesn't flesh out an emotional connection to its full depth, it has a slow, easy and delightful romantic development and I loved being a part of Shepherd and Everly's. Their on page relationship and slow burn chemistry is something I always found myself looking forward to.
An opposites attract this definitely is. A grumpy/sunshine romance this also definitely is. Another thing: this is that romance where the brooding hero loses the battle with a historical straight face and smiles only for his heroine. I wouldn't expect a showstopping outcome or a romance that turns heads at first sight, but Claire Kingsley may very well have my admiration for deciding to not fall into the overzealous trapping of a superfluous delivery. I loved the seamless match of a hero and heroine that just seem to fit together. I also really appreciated the characterisation because while this was light-hearted, sweet and spicy with the mildest of comical bones, I really believed in the development of the couple. It was natural, easy and gave in the right places. And I think that's what I took a shine to, along with luxuriating in the transformation of a hero who can't stop the process of defrosting for a heroine he can't stay away from. And one who steadily chips at his emotion-resistant thaw.
I admit to pausing with reservation when I began
Faking Ms. Right. There were admittedly a few things, mainly in tandem with thoughts/feelings and situations pertaining to
Kingsley's hero that I might have grimaced at. There are some situations that feel unrealistic such as Annie's inappropriate request in profiling a certain someone for donor material. The rationale with that plot particular was a poor judgment call on Everly's sister's part to even entertain the idea. And there's also the addendum fake engagement which didn't feel needed on top of a fake relationship.
But, there's also a lot of believability and fondness to be found in this story and with these characters. I especially loved getting to know the other Calloway men, giving weight to Shepherd's difference of character and his distanced personal relationships with even them, but always being there for them without fail. And as someone who similarly struggles with personal connections, maintaining personal relationships and being emotionally misunderstood, it was heartening to see - through Shepherd - that internalised some us may be, the feelings are still in the right place, even if they look different on the surface. I would have liked some follow up with this though, to perhaps address how Shep might tackle his emotional redundancy within his relationship with Everly. Especially as he seems so resigned to the state of his emotional status quo, which is where his character suffers.
For as many collected tropes as there are,
Claire Kingsley works the ones included really well. The delivery isn't overblown and I appreciated that the inevitable conflict scenario isn't propelled on the heels of miscommunication, even if it was duly misjudged on Shep's part to wait as long as he did to make amends knowing that he played a poor part in the situation. While I would have liked a bit more grovel from him, he was so
unexpectedly endearing for a man who would never be accused of anything less than emotional irresponsivity, that within situations where he was defenceless, it was clear that he didn't wear the role of a hardened man for the sake of being a hardened man. He just doesn't know how to be himself around people, how to leave that place, and believes he's not capable of being anything other than his mother's example. There are a few layers to Shep, and his receptivity and draw towards Everly spoke louder than any two-minded refusal did.
As for Everly, she's truly rainbow-esque, and one colour in her inner rainbow radiates the biggest: yellow. She's a kind, warm and caring heroine, and while these buoyant sweet-on-the-surface heroines can sometimes fail to assert their own strength, Everly definitely has her own.
She's fun, easy in every way, a real social butterfly who cares, shares and sees the best. Very little could mar her sparkle and with a bit of Everly attitude she holds her own. While she's capable and carries herself well (and I know I'm mimicking an earlier point), I did want her to push for some more grovel during the conflict phase considering how distraught she was when Shepherd resorted to his typical withdrawn Shepherd way. I did need and want more shared moments between her and her untouchable hero though.
This does follow the lane of a contemporary romance more than it does the rom-com It's said to be. To get into a bit of backstory, Everly's been a remarkable assistant to Shepherd the past three years, and there isn't a particular attraction to each other until the book really begins. In that time, Shepherd's had multiple short-term, surface-deep relationships with outrageously beautiful women which usually amount to monetary advantage on their part and intentional distance on his part. Everly's had a self-professed parade of
'dating disasters' and has had her fair share of atrocious romantic adventures but It's not clear if she's been in actual relationships during their three years only bound by a professional relationship. While there's definitely some grounded relatability in backsplashing Everly's comical romantic history,
it was also hard to believe that a gorgeous, smart, bright and successful woman with a flagrantly attractive personality hasn't managed to have even one relationship in that time? So they haven't been on each other's radar beyond practical operations, especially Shepherd, who rarely acknowledges Everly's existence bar a curt borderline. There is an OW situation, which is called upon as a plot device for Shepherd to pull Everly into a fake relationship scheme, and this becomes the basis of the a big lie, fake frontage and a very real chemistry.
I’m not too sold on the idea of the beauty trip; where one night of finery and a familiar woman in a beautiful dress grows from a bud to a blossom by the hero’s estimation. Especially when Everly’s clearly an attractive woman in more than just appearance. The story did feel a bit depthless in places and I really believe that with a more integrated emotional connection, the relationship could have reached some beautiful heights. But as is stands, it still sparkles with ease. And I really need to pave into the sexual chemistry here because I never expected that Shep would be the growly hero who'd provide a side of kink, and one who institute a newly-developed fascination for strawberry hair products. The sweetness, the naughtiness, the seduction and the passion in the bedroom were a true highlight for me. It's those little touches that really humanise
Kingsley's hero without making him stray from his original self. The explicit sex scenes fasten the chemistry, solidifies where they're heading and yep, they absolutely made me hot under my metaphorical collar as they fed the smut lover in me.
It's a magical thing to be a part of a romance where two opposites can augment an easy chemistry and this pair definitely have that going for them.The female friendship group was another suggestive highlight because
I love seeing representation of supportive, realistic and honest girl groups who have the backs of their fellow ladies. I love the girl power, and speaking of such, we have a mini series crossover here too! If you've read the second book in the
Bluewater Billionaires series - unlike me - you'll be familiar with an empowering collective of billionaire girlbosses, one of whom is
Claire Kingsley's heroine, Cameron Whitbury. I know her as the friend to
Lucy Score's heroine, Emily Stanton (because this is the book I
can claim to have read), and
Kingsley carves an appearance for her and her burly bodyguard here. I was two-minded about the series title if I'm honest though, because this might be called the
Dirty Martini Running Club, but there's only one scene where Everly and her girl gang have an evening run and indulge in a round of late night adult beverages. It would have been nice to make that a repeated evening tradition.
Shepherd Calloway's personal life is a well-kept mystery that loses its edge when he finds it in himself to share what he's never shared with anyone before. You couldn't look at this man without feeling a strong presence that merges hand in hand with wealth and masculinity. He's careful habited power in a suit and his assistant enforces sunshine like a buttery-fine spread.
If Everly Dalton's shine is a force, then Shepherd Calloway's grumpiness is a forcefield. With
Claire Kingsley's sweet and saucy romance, you'll get a powerful hero with a secret side hobby, a chipper heroine who deserves her HEA, two people who decide that singlehood might be a temporary master plan after a series of dating misadventures and a live-in boyfriend/girlfriend bluff that soon has these two leaping for the bedroom (or car) door. I might just peddle this for readers eager to love a growly hero who's brought alive by the fringes of kink. I can understandably see why readers have a split opinion with this but it's still sweet, soft, sexy and worth a read if my opinion is worth some light CR salt. I'm relishing the day when I get to sample a sweet libation from
Claire Kingsley's Boyfriend series. And while there exists approximately 116 miles between me and that goal because my threadbare self might perish in face of my expansive reading list, this is happening.
Content Warning: Profanity, a parent with cancer, descriptive bedroom scenes with some kink, alcohol consumption. Some themes include early parenthood separation/past parent infidelity and same sex partner adoption.
P.S Side Note: This is 2.0 of my review for
Faking Ms. Right because I somehow (characteristically) dammed myself by accidentally deleting my first review which I painstakingly worked for days during a particularly bad sick period. That's a whole other level of wasted effort down the drain *excuse me as I mop up the flow of my tears *. I think my original review was a better penned, but alas, we're settling with this one. It's no too bad hopefully. Excuse me as present me continues to berate past me for fudging our efforts...as I again mop up those tears. I'm getting really good at mopping up tears.
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Some Favourite Quotes:Working for Mr. Calloway was not easy. He was cold, harsh, and demanding. He never said thank you, or gave any sort of praise. I’d lived in terror for the first few months I’d worked for him, positive he was going to fire me. He always seemed so angry. But after a while, I realized that was just the way he was. He wasn’t angry at me. In fact, he barely noticed me. Sometimes I wondered whether he’d recognize me if he had to pick me out of a police lineup'
'“What is that?” “Hmm?” She walked over and picked up her drink. “This? Oh, it’s my bean bag chair.” “You brought a bean bag chair? And you’re putting it in my living room?” She smiled. “Yes.” “Why?” “Because it’s comfortable, and a great place to read, and my favorite color.” I glanced at it again, a big yellow blob sitting among my carefully chosen furniture. “It’s fuzzy. And yellow.” “That’s very observant of you, Shep.” My gaze snapped to her.'
“I made dinner reservations for us.” “Dinner?” “Yes, dinner. The meal that usually takes place after work. And sometimes people have dinner together. At a restaurant.” Oh my god, was he teasing me? My mouth turned up in a small smile. “Shepherd, are you making a joke?” He sighed and glanced away, as if annoyed, but I could see the hint of a smile on his face.'
'He offered to get me another drink, but I declined. After the champagne and the Manhattan, I was in danger of bypassing a little tipsy and heading straight for telling inappropriate stories and asking strangers for hugs. Not that I’d ever done that before. Okay, yes I had.'
'I’d never given it a lot of thought, but sharing a bed was awfully intimate. There was a certain vulnerability to it. Shepherd was an exceedingly private person, and he never made decisions without careful consideration. The fact that he trusted me enough for this was oddly touching. It made me want to be the best fake girlfriend ever.'
'I’d seen Shepherd Calloway looking every bit the hot, wealthy businessman in a designer tux or a perfectly-tailored suit. I’d seen him at the end of a long day with the sleeves of his button-down shirt cuffed to his elbows. I’d even seen him in gym clothes after a workout and rubbing sleep from his eyes in the kitchen early in the morning while he waited for his coffee. But this? I’d never dreamed I’d see Shepherd like this. Messy and a little sweaty, playing bass in a band at a dive bar? He was so sexy I thought I might die.'
Rating: really liked it
1. H had numerous girlfriend during h’s employment. She booked their parting gifts
2. He claimed he fell in love with her at the beginning, yeah nah
3. As far as grovel goes, this was worse than no grovel. He ambushed her interview, embarrassed her in front of her future employer and left 500 messages as well.
This is a complete no go zone.
Rating: really liked it
I skimmed my way through this book, the beginning ruined it for me. It got better but I just didn't enjoy it as much I wanted to.
I was in the mood for this sort of trope, I wanted to love it but it didn't work out. I was too focused on how the author portrayed the heroine, how she was different from all the other women he usually goes for. Excuse me while I vomit.
The emphasis on the ow's beauty was overwhelming which is usually the case in majority of romance books. I never critique it or get really annoyed by it but today? Today, I am so over this shit.
Let's review:
"Svetlana was beautiful in every sense of the word—physically, at least—and people noticed her. She’d been blessed with the best of nearly every feature, and had bought the rest. Perfect facial symmetry. Large eyes Sleek nose. Full lips. Stunning curves. Just enough of her Bulgarian accent remained so she sounded pleasantly exotic.
"To look at her, you’d think it would have been her body—because honestly, her body was insane—but it had been her smile. She’d smiled at me, wide and bright, and I’d known I was taking her home with me."
This is the hero's thoughts on the ow, it's lovely right? Of course he also states while she was basically perfect, she was also demanding, whiny and a gold digger because all ow need flaws that isn't their beauty, right? They always have to be gorgeous with huge personality flaws. That is his usual type.
Now let's compare these quotes with his thought's on the ACTUAL heroine. (Bare in mind, this is just in the beginning, his attraction obviously increases later in the book but that's not what I'm focusing on)
"She was nice to look at, certainly. I didn’t choose my assistants based on their attractiveness, but if I did, Everly would’ve passed with flying colors. Pretty face, long blond hair. I could almost picture her in an evening gown, but that was a stretch."
He also describes Everly as
"too cute’ in the beginning. Is she a fucking child?
Please, that is such a poor attempt at complimenting her. It’s so generic compared to the description of the ow. Why do authors have the need to always put a disgusting amount of emphasis on the beauty of ow but not on the heroine? But why do authors really need to go in so much fucking depth about the ow looks. A
"she's pretty" would suffice as a compliment for the ow, no need to go in depth about her eyes, sultry voice and bright smile. Yeah, it’s all about personality, looks shouldn’t matter but fuck off, I don’t want to read the hero's thoughts on how the ow has PERFECT features and is exquisite whereas Everly is just cute and pretty. Although, there is nothing wrong with that. But why does it always take a girl who gets dressed up for the hero to take notice of her? Why isn't her normal everyday look enough?
As Everly put it
“You work closely with someone for a long time, and feelings start developing before you even realize it’s happening.” (This was said to h’s father when she was introduced to him as the fake date) but this actually wasn’t the case for shepherd, he had no feelings or insane attraction towards her at all. But after one night of being forced to be the fake girlfriend and dress ‘sexy’, he was instantly attracted? Did he see her in a ‘new light? So fucking cliche and I’m tired of it.
"I’d been haunted by visions of a blond woman in a red dress.
Where had she come from?"
So it takes one dress to get a guy to be into me even if I have worked with him for three years? Okay sure. Note taken. She’s only stunning dressed up but not at work? Okay sure.
I would understand if she only just started but THREE fucking years and nothing during that time. I beg someone to delete this from my brain. Honestly, I couldn’t tell you why I’m annoyed at this book. Why am I so hung up over these details? Because of the ow and heroines physical description?? I’ve read hundreds of book where ultimately, the ow is superior in the looks department and it’s never really bothered me. I get over it. Hell, I read one last week with little complaints on that matter. So why is this book grating my nerves? I truly don’t know. But I do know is that I’m fucking sick of reading this repetitive shit.
Listen. Don’t get me wrong, I do not want insta love but that initial attraction? I want it, I need it in my books. Also, he always had girlfriends but there wasn't even a mention of the h having a boyfriend in that time of knowing him? And no, a few terrible first dates with men do not count.
Rating: really liked it
Faking Ms. Right is now live!
Everly Dalton’s cold-as-ice boss, Shepherd Calloway, needs a favor—a big one. Pose as his live-in girlfriend? She can totally handle it. Except there’s a problem. Shepherd is supposed to be a single-minded, unemotional robot boss. Not an actual human with a heart and morning wood. Between the awkward bed-sharing and tingly fake dates, lines are blurring. And as Everly gets to know the real Shepherd, she discovers there’s more to the man behind the bank account. And faking it gets all too real.
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READ AN EXCERPT OF FAKING MS. RIGHT:Without a second’s hesitation, he stood and yanked me off my stool. His strong hands held me tight against him as he leaned down and took my mouth in a hard kiss.
I flung my arms around his shoulders and had to stop myself from jumping up to wrap my legs around his waist. My fingers tangled in his messy hair as his tongue delved into my mouth. He tasted like whiskey and sex and potent masculinity. Under normal circumstances, I would have held back a little. After all, we were in a public place.
But there was no holding back now. His arms were hot steel around me, his delicious mouth tangling with mine. My heart beat furiously as he sucked on my lower lip, one hand moving beneath my shirt to splay across my ribs. I wanted to rip his clothes off—rip my clothes off—but a tiny part of me, way back in the recesses of my hormone-soaked brain, was still rational. We were in a bar, surrounded by people.
I pulled back, almost gasping for breath. “Where’s your car?”
“I’m parked out back.”
“Let’s go.”
He nodded, grabbing my hand, and led me through the crowd to a side door. My vision was hazy, my lips sensitive and swollen, every nerve ending attuned to him.
We burst out the door into a small parking lot behind the bar. A single bulb cast a dingy light over the cars. After the noise inside, it was almost silent. Just the hum of traffic a few blocks away.
His car unlocked automatically as soon as he got next to it. He grabbed the driver’s side door handle, but I put a hand on his chest.
“Back seat.”
A low growl rumbled in his throat. He opened the back door and practically shoved me inside.
As soon as he sat down, I climbed into his lap. My skirt hiked up my legs as our mouths crashed together, messy and wet. His hands slid up my thighs and I ran my fingers through his hair.
He eagerly licked into my mouth, his tongue sliding along mine. I already knew Shepherd was a fantastic kisser, but this was melting my brain. His lips were soft, but insistent, his hands grabbing me with demanding authority.
Pressing myself closer, I felt his hard-on through his pants. Oh dear god, that felt good. His hands moved up my thighs and slipped beneath my panties to cup my ass. I rubbed myself against him, tilting my hips, indulging in a little friction against my clit.
“Fuck,” he growled into my mouth.
I’d never felt like this before. So frantic. I was on fire for him, my worries about what this meant burning away to ash.
His stubble on my face was deliciously rough. I couldn’t get enough of him. His tongue, his lips, his hands all over me. He pressed me against his erection and grunted as I nipped his bottom lip with my teeth.
My panties were soaked, the insistent pressure between my legs begging to be sated. His pants looked sexy as hell, but right now, they were really in my way. Maybe if I just…
Still kissing him, I reached between us to unfasten his pants.
“Everly,” he mumbled. “I’m not—”
The button popped open. He grunted again.
“We’re not—”
I lowered the zipper.
Rating: really liked it
I have....no idea if I liked this or not. I didn't dislike it, for sure. But there was something about it that didn't click with me. I liked the plot, but felt that the execution was not up to the mark. It could've been so much better though, I still might try some other book by this author. (on that note, if anyone knows better ones by this author, they can tell me)
To say that I disliked it would be harsh, but I wouldn't exactly want to re-read it. It was middle ground for me.
I liked one or two things, but otherwise, it was pretty flat. Sweet, yes but nothing out of the ordinary. Or maybe I'm just in a really
terrible book funk.
Rating: really liked it
“𝙏𝙝𝙖𝙩'𝙨 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙩𝙝𝙞𝙣𝙜 𝙖𝙗𝙤𝙪𝙩 𝙡𝙤𝙫𝙚, 𝙩𝙝𝙤𝙪𝙜𝙝. 𝙄𝙛 𝙮𝙤𝙪 𝙣𝙚𝙫𝙚𝙧 𝙤𝙥𝙚𝙣 𝙮𝙤𝙪𝙧𝙨𝙚𝙡𝙛 𝙪𝙥 𝙩𝙤 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙧𝙞𝙨𝙠 𝙤𝙛 𝙗𝙚𝙞𝙣𝙜 𝙝𝙪𝙧𝙩, 𝙮𝙤𝙪'𝙡𝙡 𝙣𝙚𝙫𝙚𝙧 𝙜𝙞𝙫𝙚 𝙨𝙤𝙢𝙚𝙤𝙣𝙚 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙘𝙝𝙖𝙣𝙘𝙚 𝙩𝙤 𝙜𝙚𝙩 𝙘𝙡𝙤𝙨𝙚 𝙚𝙣𝙤𝙪𝙜𝙝 𝙩𝙤 𝙡𝙤𝙫𝙚 𝙮𝙤𝙪 𝙗𝙖𝙘𝙠.” -📖(chapter:29)
The writing style was good. I definitely appreciate the simplicity of this sweet story. Still, I couldn’t give it more than 3 stars because the way the two main characters were portrayed as mature-realist mined, as a result, left both a good and a bad impression. Of course, I’m glad I got a completely drama-free storyline, but when I think about the romantic side, it had a shallow vibe.
Alas, the book could have been more satisfying if the emotional connection between them had been explored in more depth.
Rating: really liked it
The relationship parts of this were really quite outstanding. I really loved Everly and her unabashed kindness and refusal to bank her innate happiness. And I loved even more that she didn't let others use that to walk all over her. There were a couple of times where she had to knock someone upside the head because they thought they could get away with manipulating her because of her personality. She did so with a firm grace that pegged exactly how such a thing would work. So that rocked.
Shepherd was problematic, on the other hand. He's a bit of an emotional midget, some of it self-inflicted. I mean, he thinks he's emotionally stunted so he gives himself leave to act emotionally stunted. And he's remarkably impervious to outside input on his actual emotional state. Which mostly works, actually, and I really enjoyed seeing Everly crack him open to get to the gooey center. I loved seeing him become attached to her and come to trust her.
So it is with bitter regret that I came to late-novel author manipulation for the sake of a dramatic "dark moment". I mean, to get there, Everly had to be uncharacteristically sloppy
and get sick so she couldn't go to work
and make Shepherd do something he'd literally never done before ((view spoiler)
[dig through her files (hide spoiler)])
and make him forget literally everything he knows about her
and (view spoiler)
[let him persist in that for weeks (hide spoiler)]. The only thing that Kingsley didn't screw up is making them not communicate. He confronts Everly right off and she tells him her reasons. But that almost makes it worse because (view spoiler)
[he still walks away. For weeks! (hide spoiler)]Making the characters act uncharacteristically for the sake of drama dropped this an entire star. I was skating on a solid four stars and I'm
almost reluctant to give it a full three. Kingsley at least got back on track once the characters were allowed to act like themselves again, though, so I'll stick with the three. I'm sad it dropped so badly when it was doing so well.
A note about Steamy: There are some explicit sex scenes that amount to the high side of my middle range. So three or four? I had a couple of days interruption to make a library due date that snuck up on me so I lost track. I did kind of appreciate some of the dynamic of those intimate moments as it was a case of the two bonding over an odd aspect of their relationship dynamic that made them fit unusually well and I think Kingsley made that work better than most might have.
Rating: really liked it
4.75 stars.
Yeah!!!!
This is back to the Claire Kingsley I truly love and adore.
Such a sweet, funny, sexy and absolutely entertaining romance .
Great characters, I loved the storyline and so fun to read...I really enjoyed this book.....yippee!!
I had been totally missing that with her "Miles Family" series which was a tad disappointing IMO (it felt flat), I couldn't bring myself to read anymore after book one and perusing friend reviews.
Even her "sassy" collaboration with Lucy Score on the "Bootleg Springs" series which I did enjoy was still missing that "emotional high" I loved so much with her earlier "Book Boyfriend" series (Highly Recommend) .
Shepherd and Everly made such a great couple. She warmed up, this superficially at least "cold man" with her sweet, kind and generous personality (a bright, sunshiney optimist as per Ms. Kingsley in her afterword for this book) .
This story had such great secondary characters as well, Shepherd's father Richard (especially) and I also really liked Everly's two BFF's - Nora and Hazel.
I will definitely be reading all of this series, no doubts whatsoever!!
The next book is slated for 2020 and it will feature Everly's best friend Hazel as the heroine of the story.
Can't wait!!
Rating: really liked it
A great start to the series...I'm a sucker for a millionaire/billionaire hero. If you add in that he's an aloof, arrogant and bossy hero, you've caught me hook, line and sinker. I really enjoyed reading
Faking Ms. Right and I finished the story with a big goofy smile and a sigh of contentment. I met and was intrigued with Everly and Shepherd when I read the prequel, Everly Dalton's Dating Disasters. This poor woman has faced some horrific first dates and I completely understood her initial reticence in looking for love. Shepherd comes across as an unemotional robot who's working life takes precedence to everything. When Shepherd needs a favour, he does not hesitate to call on the most capable woman he's acquainted with, his assistant, Everly.
At first, I was a little icy towards Shepherd, but to be honest, he was just as icy back. He doesn't want me to get close to him to see if he has a gooey inside. As times goes on, we get to know Shepherd better and realise that his iciness is really a protective shell. With a winning smile, strawberry shampoo and a wee bit of heat, Everly manages to melt his hard shell.
I found
Faking Ms. Right the perfect mix of humour, sigh-worthy loveliness and sexy hot shenanigans. Everly's friends are an absolute CRACK UP. I can't wait for them to get their own stories. Shepherd's family, especially his Dad were lovable and at times, it was hard to believe they were related. Shepherd's ex was a psycho chicken and I hated every scene we had to deal with her and her beautiful butt. There was a wee bit of conflict and frustration but it never overtook the storyline and I knew that Everly and Shepherd were always going to make it to the end and beyond.
Claire Kingsley is quickly becoming one of my favourite contemporary romance authors and I'm going to check out her backlog. Her writing flows well, characters are engaging and sexy times HOT without being OTT.
I really enjoyed
Faking Ms. Right and if you haven't tried
Claire Kingsley yet, this would be a great introduction. If you're a fan of office romances, and quite partial to a rich, handsome and bossy hero, I highly suggest giving this one a go.
Rating: really liked it
Finalizing my rating to 4 stars.
I am so happy to say that I really enjoyed this book! This is a book that I have had my eye on for a couple months now, and I am so glad I have finally read it!
I loved the hero and heroine; they were perfect for each other. I also loved the family dynamics in this book; it gave so much substance to the story and I really enjoyed it!!
The only reason I didn’t give this book 5 stars was because it isn’t my absolute favorite office and fake relationship book. Even though these tropes were done well in this book, it wasn’t absolutely mind blowing or anything.
Overall, a really good read; would definitely recommend if you want a cute office romance with a slow burn and fake relationship type of romance.
Rating: really liked it
I will admit to some apprehension when I started Faking Ms Right. I was really bothered about how Shepard got himself into the situation with Every. But have faith, readers! Claire Kingsley brings it around to fantastic. Poor Shepard thinks he is genetically cold and closed off. Sunshiney, happy Everly is there to help him save face by following his crazy scheme. She shows him that she can be trusted with his true self and helps him melt that cold exterior. It was a real pleasure reading this book. I am so glad that I kept going because Kingsley writes a wonderful romance.
Rating: really liked it
So in theory, I should hate this book because it has so many things that I normally hate:
⇢ Powerful and intimidating boss falls for his secretary
⇢ Love interest that is way too possessive and domineering
But...but... I really liked this story 😅 There's just something interesting and unique about it that makes it stand out from other books with these common tropes which I normally
hate. I actually find myself thinking about a couple of scenes in this book quite often because I enjoyed them that much! Definitely recommend 👍
