I'm always up for the fake dating trope, especially if it turns to real dating pretty quickly, and this book did not disappoint. This was my first time reading any of Stefanie London's books but it won't be the last. This book was about finding that one person who helps you get over past hurts and get unstuck from your rut so that you can finally move on in a new direction. Ethan and Monroe are both guarding their hearts pretty tightly due to painful events in their past but somehow they each manage to inspire the other to live up to their potential instead of hiding behind their walls. At the same time, although the subject matter was occasionally more serious, the author kept a light touch on her story and never let it get bogged down. Ethan and Monroe were playful, fun, and forthright with each other, her family is adorable, the cakes and cupcakes that she baked were scrumptious sounding, and Ethan even agrees to dress up in a Thor costume in order to drum up business for the struggling diner that Monroe manages.

Much to my surprise, I discovered that I have 2 other books of the author's on my TBR mountain, and they are even tangentially related to this one, as they are set in the Australian town (Patterson's Bluff) that Ethan comes from. This book is a not part of that series, but as it happens, the couple from the second book in that one do make a cameo appearance at the end of this one. After reading this, I will definitely be digging the other two out and reading them.

Stefanie has such quick wit and is an amazing storyteller. I loved this couple and the strong magnetic pull between them. so many book tropes in one. loved it.

Thank you Netgalley for this ARC for an exchange of an honest review.

It was an enjoyable read. Cute romantic story. Didn't love it but it was still a nice read.

This is a really enjoyable fake relationship romance. Ethan Hammersmith is still reeling from his mother’s death and the revelation that the man that raised him wasn’t his father. He decides to find out about his real father, so he breaks things off with is fiancé and leaves Australia to find out about his birth father. The only information he has is that he is American, is deceased’s and his name. He has been traveling around America, when his next town he needs to check is Forever Falls, Massachusetts. There he causes a stir in the single female population due to his uncanny resemblance to Chris Hemsworth. In order to keep why he is in town on the down low, he strikes a deal with Monroe Roberts to pretend to be dating. Monroe has been having issues of her own, she was betrayed by her ex-husband when he cheated with her cousin. It has been three years, but she has closed herself off to the world. I really loved both Ethan and Monroe. Even dealing with a lot of hurt and betrayal, they both are good, caring people. While this isn’t part of the Patterson Bluff series, there is a bit of a crossover. I received an advanced reader copy of this book from the author and NetGalley for my honest review.

Cute small-town romance. Could see this as a Hallmark movie.

Monroe is trying to keep the small cafe she works at in business, when she really wants to be a baker. Ethan arrives mysteriously in town and everyone is convinced he's a famous actor. The co-workers and townsfolk are fun characters. There is mystery, a non-divorce situation, a fake romance that turns real. It's an entertaining story.

Thank you to NetGalley, the author and publisher for a temporary, digital ARC in return for my review.

This was a cute story. I enjoy a good fake relationship turns real book, although the fake relationship in this story turns real pretty quickly. I enjoyed the chemistry between the main characters, although I really didn’t start to care about them as a couple until around half way through the book. I was a bit disappointed that the main character was a petite redhead (so cliche for a rom-com), but I liked the fact that she lived in a small town and wanted to stay there. While it felt like the main characters fell in love just a bit quickly, I still really enjoyed their story. I have already requested another one of the author’s books from the library.
Also- just wanted to mention that I don’t understand how the book cover relates to the actual story at all.
Thank you to NetGalley and Entangled Publishing for providing me access to this eARC for my honest opinion!

Thank you NetGalley, Entangled and Author for this amazing gifted ebook copy! Every much appreciated!

This was a really great book! This book.seriously took me by surprise and sucked me in! I was wanting more an didn't meant the book to end! The writing is what I found to be my favorite!!!!! Just amazingly well done there! The characters are realistic and you can't help but to fall in love with them.
Such an awesome book

Thor has come to Forever Falls, or at least someone who looks like him. For divorcee Monroe Roberts, his presence is the least of her problems. Once a woman in love with a head full of dreams, time and circumstances have seen a very different end. For Ethan Hammersmith (the Thor look-alike), life has thrown him a few curve balls and he arrives in Forever Falls to chase a secret. A story of new love, forgiveness and finding yourself in the mess, Forever Starts Now is a feel good novel, perfect for summer.

I was so excited when I saw Stefanie London had a new book out, I couldn’t wait to read it! This book was so cute, and exactly what I needed right now. I found the book to be an enjoyable read the whole time, and I did not want to put it down.

It was the perfect book to read outside on a spring day. The cover and fake dating trope drew me in right away, and I absolutely loved the small town vibes. Stefanie does such a great job at making you fall in love with the characters and the storyline. Both characters were both going through something and not looking for a relationship at this time. They decide to pretend to be in a relationship at this time, both for different reasons. Of course, it’s never that easy. Overall, I really enjoyed this book and I highly recommend it!

Stefanie London has become one of my favorite authors, she never disappoints. This is an exceptional read, the two main characters are realistic and human, each with their own problems, one seeking answers, the other just surviving. This story would make a great beach/ vacation read. A definite add to your TBR list.

If you are looking for a sweet, sassy romance that tugs at y0ur heartstrings, Stefanie London is a good place to start. I have been reading Stefanie for a few years now and have never been disappointed. She pulls in all the feels in a contemporary romance, and makes you fall in love with her characters. I NEED to be able to like the male lead! This is hugely important to me, and many romance authors do not write likable male leads. Stefanie always does, this does not mean they are wishy-washy, cause they are not. What I am saying is she not only writes female leads well, she writes great male leads also.

Forever Starts Now is about 2 people who are starting over after traumatic events in each of their lives that devastated them, and caused them both to rethink their lifestyles. They meet and form a friendship and decide to pretend to be in a relationship for both their benefits. Chaos, of course ensues. This is a lovely story about small town living and realizing exactly who makes up your family.

Thank you to Entangled, Netgally, and Stefanie London for the ARC.

I received this book for an honest review from netgalley #netgalley

First off this cover is to die for! And second the story actually backs it up. Sweet but also deep which doesn't happen often enough. 5 stars.

‘Forever Starts Now’ is a breath of fresh air wrapped up in a charming small-town romance. It’s the kind of book that you can read in a hammock on a warm spring day, or wrapped up in a cozy blanket by a fire, and the comforting result will be the same.

Ethan Hammersmith is on a mission to find his birth father. After striking out in multiple small towns over the space of about a year, he finds himself in Forever Falls. That he has a passing resemblance (and the accent to match) of a certain famous movie star means that he’ll have no hope of navigating through this small, close-knit town without garnering a whole lot of attention. Unless he has a local in. Enter Monroe Roberts, the fiery manager of the local diner. She’s a few years out of a painful divorce and is desperately trying to save the diner from financial ruin. She’s also tired of her well-meaning family trying to encourage her to date again. Could a fake relationship be the solution to both of their problems? And what happens when the lines between fantasy and reality become hopelessly blurred?

Stefanie London infuses just the right amount of whimsy into this wonderfully constructed tale of two people who’ve been through some things and how they emerge on the other side. Though some of the subject matter could have skewed to the heavy side, London deftly manages to keep the lightheartedness of this book afloat, while still honoring the subject matter. It’s a comfort read, pure and simple. And it makes me wish that Forever Falls was a real place that I could go and visit.

If you’re looking for a one-handed read that’s equal parts sweet escape and narratively satisfying, this is the book for you. (Bonus points for all of the Thor cosplay that ends up happening.)

Thank you to Entangled Publishing and NetGalley for providing me with an ARC in exchange for my honest review.

Monroe meets Ethan when he arrives in town looking for answers after losing his mother. He attracts a lot of attention, which he doesn't want, so he ends up in a fake relationship with Monroe. She benefits from the increase in business to the struggling diner she runs.
Will he like the truth when he finds out who his father is, and will he have a real chance with Monroe?

A great read.

This book appealed to me, not due to the cover or title necessarily, but due to the concept. Fake dating trope? Sign me up! I am really working hard at expanding my reading palate (so to say) and read more traditional romantic books, and thanks to this book I don't feel so bad about that decision. I am not one who likes mushy-gushy romance, I need the characters to really work for the relationship and have a foundation before the couple forms. Stefanie London did not let me down in terms of character development & I was truly rooting for Monroe and Ethan throughout the book.

This was a pretty fast read for me, and I found it enjoyable the entire time. Watching Monroe's growth after coming out of divorce where her husband cheated on her, finding herself again after feeling like she lost herself, was something I feel is universally relatable - which was paralleled in Ethan's journey in finding his heritage. The underlying themes of figuring out who you are, what you want out of life, and how to come back after tragedy, are things that anyone of any age can understand and relate to. The fact that this book is slated partially as a fake dating troupe sells it a bit short I think, for while that was the reason I picked the book up, the reason I kept reading was the life lessons and "finding oneself" moments that struck a chord in my own life.

Overall, this book is very good. If you are looking for a romance where the romance is built on emotional and psychological connection as opposed to just physical attraction, the couple builds each other up and helps the other become the best version of themselves, then don't sleep on this gem.