I really enjoyed this cute story; it was fast paced which is a nice change for me. If you like Fake Dating, He Falls First and Crazy Families you will like this book!

This story follows Riley, who is a graphic designer and the daughter of restaurant owners in small town Avalon Bay. Riley's mom was a source of constant irritation and was devoted to hooking her daughter up with men. Enter Ryker, broody, tatted, and beardy who has a thing for Riley happens to be in the right place at the right time to rescue Riley from another prearranged date and from her mother.

They both agree to fake dating, although it's definitely one sided because he totally fell first. Ryker is hoping that by agreeing to fake dating, they will get to spend more time together and Riley will eventually fall for him too,

I listened to the audiobook version of this in one day while cleaning my house. So, I can't say that I didn't enjoy it, because I definitely did. But I will say that there were certain things I found about the plot itself to be lacking, this though is personal preference and doesn't reflect on the authors abilities to portray what she was trying too BUT I for how off-put Riley was by Ryker, I feel like it was a little too insta-love once they went on a date. And the other thing that bothered me was her mother. I am all for a well-meaning mom, but the things her mother was doing, outside of trying to marry off her daughter, that was never dealt with. And for mom to say, " oh I planned this", felt like a scape goat to me, there were other small things, like Riley's aptitude for being overly dramatic, but it didn't bother me enough to make me quit reading!

One thing I enjoyed was the family aspect in this book. The family played an important role to Riley. I enjoyed that Ryker was a solitary person, but I wished his side characters were a bit more included in the story line.

I also really liked that this book was not a 3rd or 4th quarter break up, that was refreshing. Overall, this story is different and cute and good to fill the time. I do look forward to reading the other books from this series and from this author.

As always, Samantha’s books are just a good fun read. I can always count on her writing, I’ve never been disappointed in her books. And I’m definitely loving the books in this series, I can’t wait for the next one to come out!!

I listened to this book in audio form and the narrator did a great job!

*** Thank you Netgalley and the publisher for an ARC copy in return for an honest review***

These two main characters sure have a lot of expectations for each other when they don't know each other very well and were "fake" dating.

I feel like I missed first part of the story, but it just doesn't exist.

The narrator was good. Great to listen to.

*Thank you to the publisher.

Thank you to Netgalley, Dreamscape Media and Samantha Chase for the advanced listener copy of Save Me, which is book 3 in the Donovan's Series, but can be read as a standalone. My thoughts and opinions are my own. My review is given voluntarily.

and Samantha Chase does it again and drags me into Donovan's story. I really am falling in love with this family and love their chemistry. I have now read 2 of this series and can't wait to buy the other 2!

Ryleigh Donovan's mom is pushy and always setting her up on blind dates with men she is hoping she would settle down with, but her mom doesn't know her taste in men at all. After a recent date set up by her mom leaves a sour taste in her mouth, she finds the town bad boy who has been interested in her forever and just wants her to say yes to his date proposals, now's his chance. She thinks a fake relationship with a bad boy will distract her mom and get her off her back.... but she doesnt plan to fall for him in the process. Give this one a listen and I promise you'll fall for this family just like I have.

It's been a little while since I've read a Samantha Chase book but I knew I had to read this because fake dating is my jam! This is part of a series but can be read as a standalone.

What I thought of the romance:
Y'all know I love when the hero falls first and man, oh ,man does Ryker fall head over feet for Ryleigh. The story starts with Ryker having a crush on Ryleigh. He's asked her out multiple times but for some reason he doesn't understand she always rejects him. Ryleigh is sick of her mother setting her up on blind dates. After a huge fight with her mother, Ryleigh kisses Ryker in public and they agree to fake date to get her mother off her back.
I thought the romance was really cute and sweet. I loved that Ryleigh was concerned about hurting Ryker's feelings by fake dating him because she knew that he had real feelings for her. I thought that was something I hadn't read before in a fake dating romance and it was refreshing. I also thought their fake dates were adorable (especially the milkshake one! Made me want one really bad lol). I enjoyed the main characters a lot. Ryker was a cinnamon roll most of the time and Ryleigh was a confidant, sassy heroine. I think they balanced each other out. However, that doesn't mean they didn't have flaws. For instance, I did think Ryker let a lot of things that bothered him bottle up and Ryleigh had a tendency to be a bit self-centered. But they both learned how to communicate and improved by the end of the book.

Steam Level: This is a fade to black/closed door romance. I did think the make-outs were hot and the stuff leading up to sexy times was steamy. I wasn't expecting the kissing and heavy-petting to be steamy so I enjoyed what steam was here.

Plot: The plot is fake dating but also dealing with Ryleigh's overbearing mother. The fake dating plot was cute and actually lasted longer than I thought it would. I liked how the issue with Ryleigh's mother was resolved and it felt realistic. I did think the ending dragged a bit; maybe the story was a little too long.

Narration: As always, Dreamscape Media did a great job with the narration. I think the vibe of the story and character voices were captured to perfection.

Overall: I really enjoyed this! It was cute, a little steamy and funny. Would recommend to readers who love romcoms, fake dating, family drama, small town romance, closed door romance and hot make-out sessions.

I love Ryker; he is a sweet, sexy hero – new book boyfriend. What he did for Ryleigh from the start of the book to the end was just, beyond words. Ryleigh is a strong heroine who I felt for with the things she went through with her family. These two together are good and held my attention. The Donovan family is interesting and we get to see more dimensions to some of them in this story. We got to see the couples from the previous books in the series, which I love getting to see them in their HEA. This is a comfort read for me, where the characters and story are relatable and I had a sense of satisfaction when I finished the story. I’m looking forward to the last two siblings.

I listened to this story on audio and enjoyed it. The narrator was pretty good and easy to understand regardless of the speed at which I listened.

I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

I recently listened to Tempt Me, so I was thrilled when I was accepted to listen to Save me (now I need to go back and read/listen to Call Me and Dare Me.. because I am loving the series. This Donovan instalment is (sort of) fake dating, feel good, grumpy/sunshine, small town romance with a little spice and family drama. I say sort of fake dating because, it is known that the MMC was interested in the FMC prior to agreeing to a fake dating relationship. I absolutely loved Ryker and Ryleigh together, it was incredibly easy to root for them. The narration was great at 1.75X speed for me (I listen with earbuds).

Thank you to Dreamscape Media and NetGalley for this ALC!

This is the first book that I've read in Samantha Chase's series "The Donovans", and I plan to go back to read the other books in the series. The Donovan family is so likeable, and I want to read about all of them and find out how they all find their happily ever after.

In this book, Ryleigh Donovan is tired of her meddling mother. Her mom keeps setting her up with men. When one of these men, who happens to be a dentist, tries to put his hands in her mouth while they are on a date in a restaurant, she has had enough! She decides to fake date Ryker. Ryker has long hair and he's covered in tattoos, but underneath all of that, he is a real sweetheart. He has been asking Ryleigh out for months, but she keeps saying no. As they continue to fake date, Ryker hopes that Ryleigh will get to know the real him.

The more time that they spend together, Ryleigh begins to see how great of a guy Ryker is. He thinks that she turned him down so many times because of his outward appearance, but she reveals that it is because she was intimidated by his self-confidence and swagger. Ryleigh doesn't have self-confidence and she is constantly doubting herself. Ryker shows her how amazing she is, and their feelings start to become more real for both of them.

I enjoyed this story and the audiobook. The narrator, Carly Robins, did an amazing job with the audiobook.

Thanks to Netgalley and Dreamscape Media for the ALC of this book.

Thank you NetGalley and Dreamscape Media for sending me this ARC audiobook for review consideration. All opinions are my own.

I’m excited and nervous to share my first ARC review. Save Me by Samantha Chase is the third book in her Donovan series. Thankfully it reads as a standalone book because I didn’t realize it was part of a series when I requested to listen 😂🤷🏼‍♀️🤦🏼‍♀️

Poor Ryleigh Donovan is trying to escape her matchmaking mother. Ryker is looking for any opportunity to spend time with Ryleigh. It’s a fake dating match made in heaven, or more like small town America. I love the fake dating trope and this one didn’t disappoint! This book has romance, family drama, a bit of comedy, small town living, and just enough spice. Ryker has the patience of a saint and definitely belongs on a book boyfriend list.

While I absolutely enjoyed the story I didn’t love it as an audiobook. It took me a while to get lost in the story. I don’t think it was the narrator’s voice but more the speed/cadence of the story. I ended up listening to it at 1.25 speed and that helped, but also distorted the character voices a bit.

I’ll definitely be reading books 1 & 2 of this series because I need to know more about the other Donovan siblings.

It's a very good book. While it isn't a typical pretend to be dating, the guy actually liked her for a long time. It does end the typical way. I loved the characters and that the relationship was so good for both of them. If you are looking for a sweet romance with a little spice, this is definitely for you. I know that when I need sappy books, this will be in my reread.

DNF

Got to about 25% of this audiobook, and quickly realized it wasn't for me. I didn't love the narrator, and I feel like that plays a HUGE roll in how you enjoy and audiobook. I also didn't really enjoy or feel any connection with the main characters. I felt like the book was already becoming predictable, and at a certain point knew I needed to DNF

Samantha Chase’s Save Me is such a feel good small town romance. Even though it became clear to me that this story was part of a series I hadn’t read the other books of (it’s actually book 3), it didn’t matter at all. I slipped right in to the story of FMC Ryleigh as she navigates her place in a big family, especially her meddling mother, and was intrigued by mysterious MMC Ryker and his determination to date her. I enjoyed the interactions between the two, and enjoyed that she is the grumpy one, and he is the sunshine.

I devoured the audiobook, and it moved at an good pace to keep me listening. The story is performed by Carly Robins who is amazing.

Thank you to NetGalley and Samantha Chase for this Advanced Listener Copy in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own. This title is available Jan. 31, 2023!

I was excited to get an early copy of this audiobook. I am an avid reader of all things by Samantha Chase and have devoured the Donovan series! I thought that the last one was my favorite, but now I think this one is the best one!

Ryleigh and Ryker are so perfect for each other, but it takes Ryleigh reaching her breaking point with her mom to finally push them together. We meet Ryleigh in the previous books and get glimpses of Ryker and that character tease just makes it more fun to finally read his story.

This book was exactly what I expected it to be. Not the best book I've ever read but not the worst. It did get predictable and lets just say the bit where the mom intentionally pushed her to date other people so she realize she wanted Ryker.

I don't recommend unless you want a clean palette cleanser.

Thank you so much NetGalley for the audiobook version of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Book 3 in The Donovans series. Will work as a stand alone, but the story will make more sense if you read book 2.

Ryleigh has a contentious relationship with her mother. Her mother is always critical and always tries to set her up on dates- with extremely boring men. Ryker has asked Ryleigh out many times, but she shuts him down. After a fight with her mom, Ryleigh kisses Ryker to basically make her angry (Ryker is nothing like the men her mother set her up with- tattooed, bearded, long hair). She comes up with a plan to fake date. Ryker goes along with it because it is all she will give him.

Definitely the best of the series. I was worried after book 2, as the relationship between Ryleigh and her mom was a major part of that book, and it was definitely a downer. Thankfully, while a major plot point, it is different in this book (see aforementioned fight). This is also pretty spicy for Samantha Chase, but still closed door.

While it doesn't exactly have anything to do with the actual story, one thing that bugs me is the covered. Ryker is big, tattooed, bearded, and long haired. The guy in the cover is none of those things, lol.

Carly Robins narrates, as she has the other books in the series. Always a solid job.

I received an audio copy in exchange for an honest review.

I adored Ryleigh and Ryker’s story. They start fake dating to get Ryleigh’s mom to stop setting her up with guys she is not into even though Ryleigh knows Ryker likes her. Nothing bad ever happens when people fake date right?

The narrators did a great job of being this story to life and really making me feel like I was a part of it. The Donovan family is fantastic and I just love hearing how they are all doing.

Thank you NetGalley and Dreamscape Media for a copy of this audiobook. This is my honest voluntary review.

In book 3 of the Donovan series the focus is on Ryleigh. All she wants to do is live her life the way she wants and stop her family (mostly her mother, but all of them) from constantly trying to infiltrate every aspect of her life, particularly who she dates. How many really bad dates can she be subjected to before she loses her mind? When that number is reached things finally come to a head with her mother and Ryleigh walks out and promises to not come back until she gets a full apology and a promise that her mother will leave her alone. At least for the moment she just needs a break from her. To keep her mother at bay, she enlists the help of a man she has zero interest in to fake date her for a bit to get everyone off her back. That she knows her mother will never approve of him is just a bonus/ Ryker is a great guy who sees this as a chance for her to get to know the real him, not just the him she believes him to be. Their road from pretend to their future makes for a great listen.
Maybe a little less crazy from the mother would have been a nice addition, but all in all a fun story.

I usually like Samantha Chase's low-stakes, easy reads but honestly, Ryleigh annoyed me the entire book. She was just as judgemental and annoying as her mother, just assuming without knowing a single thing about Ryker that he was a bad person and beneath her notice. Then when she's too much of a wuss to stand-up for herseld she decided using him to get her mom off her back is a better idea than just telling her mom to f*ck off. She never considers Ryker an equal or else she wouldn't treat him so poorly and as if his feelings don't matter. Her mother was just as bad if not worse than the last book where she fat-shamed and treated Ryleigh abominably and I would have felt bad for her if she wasn't such a user herself. I found the "breakthrough" she had with her mother to be comical, nothing was really revealed and everything is just forgiven just because. Ryker definitely deserved so much better and it didn't make much sense that he liked her at all since there wasn't much beyond her looks to recommend her. She's not funny or interesting, she's just kind of there 1.5⭐️

The Donavon Family dynamics come to a head in this installment of the series! Ryleigh has finally had enough of her mother's meddling and isn't going to stand for it any longer which gives Ryker the opening that he's been looking for to slide into Ryleigh's life. The author does an outstanding job of creating characters that are relatable and likable. Not to mention an outstanding steam level to get things warmed up between the drama of the other interpersonal interactions. I've gotten to where I can't wait for the next book to come out and am constantly looking for new books in the series. I have to say that it has definitely become a must listen on my audiobook list as the narrator really brings the characters to life and makes it seem as if you are a part of the story and not just reading or listening to a story. I'll definitely be waiting for the next book in this series to hit the audio world!

Overall another good book written by Samantha Chase. I just had a hard time connecting to the main characters of this book. I did like reconnecting with the Donovan family and I do like this series. I cannot wait to see Jamie and Patrick fall. Also hope there are a few weddings in the future books.