These are my Happily Ever After Novel Thoughts...

This is a read that shows you how to have fun in the face of adversity. In this book's case, the adversity is being left at the alter and then having to deal with the running ex and his mistress everywhere you turn while in Hawaii.

Thanks to Carrie's friend, Blake, she's able to keep her head above the emotional water.

I really enjoyed this book. It was a quick read and you could feel the change in emotions from fake to real in both characters. Blake makes the perfect boyfriend even if it is all fake.

You won't be sorry if you read this story, in fact, you may even be happy about. So, snuggle in and enjoya trip of a lifetime to Hawaii where you just might find your Happily Ever After.

3 stars

Fake Engagement Real Temptation was an okay read.
The writing was well done and the storyline engaging.
Blake and Carrie were likable, endearing characters and the sexy times were hot & steamy.
My only issue was with the time frame of the relationship, I found it hard to believe their feelings after such a short time together.

If you're looking for a quick and steamy read you'll enjoy Fake Engagement Real Temptation by Joya Ryan.

*Thank you to Entangled Brazen for the advance copy*

What’s it About? Carrie Morgan just wants to get away from her cheating ex-fiancé so she decides to go on her already booked and paid for honeymoon vacation without him. Except that her brother’s best friend Blake is tagging along to look out for her, but that’s not the worst part, when Carrie and Blake get to Hawaii they come face to face with Carrie’s ex-fiancé AND he’s there with the woman he cheated on Carrie with. So what does Carrie do? She grabs Blake and kisses him to prove that she’s over her ex. Blake doesn’t want to take advantage of Carrie’s broken heart but the opportunity to make sure her ex what he’s missing out on is too much to resist and suddenly he’s agreeing to be Carrie’s fake boyfriend for the duration of the trip which leads to some very real feelings.


Describe the hero in five words: Fun. Loyal. Stubborn. Creative. Seductive.

Did you like him? Yes.

Why? Blake really did try to do what was best for Carrie, even though he was a little misinformed at times and was in denial over Carrie being more than capable of defending herself. He was a really good guy with a fun side that I liked a lot. He had a bit of a boyish appeal and charm that he didn’t always let out but when he did I could totally see why Carrie fell for him. He was both sexy and a lot of fun! The best part is that while he did want to look out for her, he wasn’t overbearing about it, he helped her find her footing and her confidence which took more than just him telling her she was sexy.


Describe the heroine in five words: Smart. Sassy. Sensitive. Creative. Fun.

Did you like her? Yes.

Why? First of all you gotta feel bad for a woman in Carrie's situation. Cheated on, dumped, and made to feel inferior to boot. She was in a bad emotional state in the beginning and who could blame her? But what I liked about her is that even though she was insecure, she still had the determination to try and reclaim herself by going on her honeymoon alone and trying hard to face her scumbag ex and his mistress head on. She held her own around Blake and she totally had the "Fake it til you make it" attitude which I could appreciate. Carrie was just a fun gal.



How convincing were the main characters as a couple? I know that it should be the level of heat that matters the most in this case but I really have to mention that there are a few hijinks that Blake and Carrie get into in order to convince her sleazy ex that they’re hot and heavy in a way he never was with Carrie. It reminded me of an episode of the TV show Frasier where he’s on a romantic vacation with his girlfriend when he finds out that the bungalow next door is occupied by none other than his ex wife and HER boyfriend. Oh the laughs with that scene. In the beginning Blake and Carrie’s relationship was on the antagonistic side and I could understand why! Carrie wanted to assert her independence and strength yet Blake was tagging along like a pseudo-brother who didn’t trust her not to throw herself into the ocean or get taken advantage of. Their bickering was entertaining and Joya Ryan handled their transition from antagonistic friends to something more heated and complicated. I believed their attraction but at the same time I had fun with them. Things weren’t always serious or sexy, there were some fun times that I could appreciate.


Is there a “Scooby Gang” worth mentioning? Not really. Blake and Carrie are on a honeymoon vacation together so the focus is on their growth from “sort of” friends to lovers. I would definitely NOT count her ex and his mistress as friends and anyway they’re easy to dislike. Carrie’s brother Lane briefly came out in the beginning and the end but there wasn’t enough time with him to really get a feel of who he was. He genuinely seemed to care about Carrie though and I’d love for him to get his own story.




How “Lost” did you get in the story? Fake Engagement, Real Temptation was easy to jump into. The pace was brisk but easy to follow and I liked both Blake and Carrie. Ryan balanced out the steamy scenes with some genuine emotion on both characters’ sides and a healthy dose of humor to make the whole story a great way to spend a few hours.


Click It or Skip It? Click It. It’s fun, it’s hot, and it can take you away from those nasty adult responsibilities for awhile.

Oh. My. God. Carrie Morgan can’t escape her cheating ex fiancé. She goes on her Hawaiian honeymoon fantasy vacation to prove she’s over him—but he’s there with his mistress in tow. Good thing Carrie’s annoyingly over-protective friend Blake came with her. How’s she going to prove to her ex she’s over him? Easy. One… Two… Three… She grabs Blake and kisses him.

Blake Harris isn’t about to let anyone take advantage of his heartbroken friend Carrie. And that includes himself, even if she’s sexy as sin in that bikini. Then she kisses him—and he’s on fire. Damage done, but he can back off. Except he sees that broken look in Carrie’s eyes. No. Hell no. New plan. He intends to show her ex just what he’s thrown away.

The kisses? For show. The heat? Part of the performance. The private practice sessions? Uh-oh. Those are starting to feel a bit too real…

This book was okay for me but I also read another book with the same premise as this one that had almost no sex or profanity and it was a 5 star read. So was that harsh of me? No, because other people will hate that book but like this one. What worked for me in this book was the Hero and what didn't was the antagonist because he was a giant douche canoe. Yep, I called him a douche canoe! He just got on my nerves and I know you're not supposed to like him but I got sick of having him in the book...If I could have chucked my kindle through the wall, I would have.

I was given a copy of this ARC from the publisher on Netgalley for a honest review. All of the above comments are my express opinions and no one else's.

Fake Engagement Real Temptation by Joya Ryan.....What a fun book with romance, fake engagement and hot sex scenes. Carrie and Blake are well written great characters. I enjoyed watching the story unfold for Carrie and Blake. As always Joya Ryan writes page turning book that are five star reads. I voluntarily reviewed an advance reader copy of this book from publisher via NetGalley.

The synopsis for this book was so very tempting. Fake relationship with your best friend's younger sister? Jilted bride? Fake Honeymoon? All things I enjoy in my romance, but all together at once? Too good to resist.

Carrie Morgan thought she had her full dream in sight - marry the ideal man who shared her interests and dreams, have the 2.5 kids and her own business. Unfortunately, her fiance dumped her two days before the wedding for his trainer, but Carrie is going to at least enjoy her fantasy Hawaiian honeymoon after saving so long and planning so hard for it. Two things that are not a part of her plans: her brother's best friend following her on her vacation to keep and eye on her and her ex-fiance showing up with his mistress in tow. But she gets both.

Blake Harris is determined to keep Carrie safe from herself and predatory men trolling for single women, but when her ex shows up with his sidepiece in tow, pretending to be a couple seems like the best way to get back at him. Except the chemistry between them is very real and soon the lines between reality and fiction are blurring.
This was a very entertaining and fun story and had me laughing out loud several times. To be honest, I expected a lot more heat from Ms. Ryan but this had just the right amount of steam and sweetness for the subject matter. I enjoyed both Carrie's determination and sass, as well as Blake's protectiveness and his determination to respect his friendship with Carrie's brother by keeping his hands off her. I also really liked that while there was a mention of a childhood crush, their growing relationship was not based on that crush (very overdone story-line at the moment), but on getting to know each other as adults.

FAKE ENGAGEMENT REAL TEMPTATION is lighthearted and sweet, the perfect read for a lazy day.

Fake Engagement, Real Temptation is perfect combination of sexy, sweet,and witty!
I enjoyed reading this book :)
Joya Ryan has an amazing writing style!

Blake was at the door of his best friend's - Lane- little sisters - Carrie- hotel room. Blake wanted to check on Carrie as her fiance Kevin had called off the wedding- as he had cheated on Carrie- two days before they were to marry. Blake wanted to make sure Carrie was okay. Kevin had been cheating on Carrie for almost a year. Blake had been in middle school and Carrie had been young when Blake’s mother had died and after that Blake had spent a lot of time with Lane and his family. Blake felt like he couldn’t let Carrie suffer like she was. Blake had yet to see Carrie as she had not left the bridal suite in the last forty eight hours every since she had heard that Kevin called off everything. Blake had an outdoor guiding business. Blake’s life and job were one hundred percent on his time and agenda.Blake would always be free never love or tied to a woman because the loss that was too much. Lane was the closest thing Blake had to a brother . Blake and Lane had spent their teenage years playing Uno with Carrie and looking after her. But then graduated from college and moved to the city. Blake had been given a key card to Carrie’s room by Lane. When Blake got into the room Carrie was doing Jazzercise with a half bottle of Jack Daniels at her size. Carrie hadn’t seen much of Carrie since she was a teenager and she was now all woman Carrie had been exercising for eight months on a gym for her bikini ready. Blake didn’t do sad or hurt and Blake became very protective when he saw the tears start in Carrie’s eyes and saw how she was hurting.It was Blake’s job to provide adventures and protective. Anyone and everyone. But especially those closest to him and it was a job he took seriously. Blake asked Carrie how he could help and she asked him if he could take the last two days go away. Blake told Carrie to go on her honeymoon and make it the adventure she wanted. He even mentioned Lane going with ehr to Hawaii to protect her. It turns Lane can’t go so Blake says he will go and then finds Carrie already at the airport. Then Blake finds out Carrie is terrified of flying especially take off but Blake got her through it. Carrie worked at an art gallery and Kevin was an artist that had his work go through said gallery. So Carrie wasn’t so sure she wanted to go back to work there. Carrie’s best friend was Annie and has been her best friend forever. And Annie cheered on Carrie and told her she was strong. Then Carrie learned Kevin and his new girlfriend Wendy and was in the bungalow next to her that Blake had upgraded trying to help Carrie.Blake first offered to get Carrie home or another place but Carrie said no they would pretend to be together. Then Blake realized why Carrie would not leave Carrie had come to Hawaii for herself , to start fresh, have an adventure, get over Kevin, and return home happier and stronger not defeated. Wendy was everything Carrie wasn’t as far as Carrie was concerned. So Carrie wanted ti have a fake relationship with Blake and she couldn’t let Kevin think she he wrecked her. Blake knew this was a dangerous game he was playing. Then Carrie wanted to stick to the itinerary as if they were a couple. Even though Kevin and Wendy were suppose to do the same activities. So they came up a with a fake relationship and put on a show in front of Kevin and Wendy but it was all fake.
I really enjoyed this story. I don’t think it was really realistic that both Carrie and Kevin would go to Hawaii and go where they would have honeymooned. But I still enjoyed the story. I don’t believe a twenty six year old woman of today would just let someone protect her and more or less babysit her but that didn’t take away from me enjoying the story I loved Blake’s loyalty toward Lane and his family, I felt bad for Carrie but was happy how she handled herself especially when she would no longer be fake and lie. I loved the plot and this was well written. It kept my attention all the way through the story as I was rooting Carrie on. So i loved the characters and the ins and outs of this story and I recommend,

Joya Ryan creates sensual delights. With Fake Engagement, Real Temptation she shows her skills as a triple threat. Blake and Carrie not only enticed with their bubbling attraction. Their friendship showcases the right amount of humor and memorable moments for a stroll down memory but the developing distance between them is enough to break the heart. It was obvious the motions were deep but the self -doubt were real. There is more to these characters than the start of an attraction, but will the insecurities doom the happy ending?

I found the book to be well-written and interesting. Good solid romance.

The Good, The Bad, and Everything In Between
-Fake relationship, travel to island for some alone time and friend’s little sister romance? Yep, I signed up with a quickness.
-The dealio: Carrie just got dumped before her big wedding and isn’t feeling so hot but she’s going on her honeymoon and living her fantasy vacation, dammit. Blake is her brother’s best friend and while he hasn’t seen Carrie in a while (I think it was a year but at times, especially in the beginning, he also mentioned that they hadn’t spent alot of time together since she grew up).
-Some very sweet moments with real potential. However…
-Repetitive inner monologues just killed this for me. Carrie wants marriage, babies the whole shebang. *lowers voice* Blake can never, ever, ever love because super angsty REASONS. And that’s all they seemed to talk about. They both felt way younger than described (she’s 26 he’s 33 or some such) and there’s not alot of time spent giving them much of a connection beyond that. The wrench in their “honeymoon” in seeing Carrie’s loser of an ex-fiance and his equally loser-y mistress/girlfriend was just awkward. That part of the plot felt so forced and super unrealistic that it really dragged down my enjoyment.
-Curious lack of heat. There’s some titillating times, but mostly it felt underwhelming, probably because the characters feel very thinly developed. Besides the aforementioned inner monologues, even their actual conversations revolved about Blake protecting her and Carrie stomping her foot and saying how she’s a grown woman and she wants her fantasy. There’s little to know about them and besides a few times when their scenes started to delve into their feelings or show some personality, they failed to capture my interest.


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The Bottom Line
It’s just an ok category romance that suffers from an underdeveloped plot and a lack of heat to make up for it. But if you love this author and these tropes are up your alley, this may work for you better than it did for me.

There is always one guarantee that should come with a Joya Ryan book, you will get an amazing read. And this certainly keeps that guarantee intact because it was fantastic.

This book was so much fun to read. From the opening page to the last one I was hooked. I don’t hide the fact that I love the best friends little sister trope and oh my goodness, it’s reading bait for me. So when this baby popped up and I saw who wrote it, I was all over it like a rash.

I said this book was fun right? Well wait till you read the shenanigans that dumped bride Carrie and her brother’s bestie Blake get up to when they go on Carrie’s honeymoon together and come face to face with the last person either need to see….the cheating ex.

Things go from funny to hilarious to downright steamy when everywhere they turn they run into the ex and decide to fake a relationship to get over the break up and prove to Carrie’s ex she’s over him. Blake takes being Carrie’s protector to a whole new level with the charade, but when the sexual tension snaps and a line is crossed is it still faking for the cause or have the blinders come off and they are seeing the real person?

What happens when the faking stops being fake and becomes a little too real? Especially for the confirmed bachelor Blake? And Carrie who wants the HEA and everything that goes along with it. Can these two realise that they are meant to be together before the plane leaves the island or will it take off and leave two broken hearts behind?

I love this writer’s style and once again she’s proven why I see her name and dive on the book. Do not miss this hot, funny, awesome read or you will miss out a book that will no doubt go to your keeper shelf. I can’t wait for more.

I received a copy of this book via Netgalley for review from the publisher.

Carrie was just jilted on the day of her wedding so her big brother sends his best friend Blake make sure she’s okay. Blake sees how heartbroken Carrie is so he tries to convince her to use her honeymoon as a reboot vacation. When she decided to go alone, her brother sends Blake to tag along to protect her. Once there Carrie’s honeymoon fantasy vacation goes to hell because her cheating ex-fiancé is there along with his mistress. So of course, to prove to her ex-fiancé seeing him doesn’t bother her, she kisses Blake. Blake knows kissing Carrie is wrong but boy does it feel right, unfortunately he knows he knows he is no good for her. Carrie’s brother would kill Blake if he knew but he isn’t about to kick Carrie while she’s down especially in front of her a**hole ex. Carrie and Blake start faking a relationship in front of her ex that begins to feel real especially when they begin “practicing” behind closed doors. Lines blur and chemistry ignites then it’s had to know the difference between real and fake. I enjoyed reading Fake Engagement, Real Temptation. I would easily give it 5 Stars.

3.5 Fake Stars!

I liked the fact that we got a brother best friend trope that doesn't start out with a secret crush. Yes, they are both attracted to each other but there was no longing to be with each other. They bickered back and forth that was pretty comical. Things change when they find out Carries cheating ex came on what should have been their honeymoon with the woman he cheated on her with. To save face, Carrie asks Blake to pretend to be her new lover. The duration of the story is Carrie and Blake competing with the cheaters while they all are stuck doing the same excursions. It was funny in some places and a bit much in others. Overall, it was a cute read with a sweet ending. ARC provided by NetGalley.

Another exceptional read by Joya Ryan. Every time one of her books come up for review I am excited to get my hands on it.

OMG,Carrie's fiancee left her at the altar for his personal trainer. A trainer who was suppose to be getting him in shape for their honeymoon. What a jerk!
I absolutely LOVED Carrie. Despite the jerk, she decides to go to Hawaii alone. Blake, her brother's best friend goes to keep her safe, or so he tells himself and to keep his hands to himself. Yeah, Okay :)
That is to her fiancee or should I say ex shows up at the resort with said trainer by his side. Blake to the rescue but the chemistry is to hot to be fake.

So there are similar stories out there but are they written by an author who has a way with this type of story line? Joya Ryan is the ace in a deck that always pulls off a win. I love this author and all she writes. Great story, with captivating characters.

Rating: 2*

Trope: Fake Relationship

Chemistry: Damp Squid

One-Sentence Summary: Recently dumped, a woman embarks upon a fake relationship with her brother's best friend

Review: Hang on so let me get this straight, we are meant to respect a heroine who was literally hours away from marrying that mindless idiot Kevin?!?!

And that mere days after they split up both of them get engaged to someone else?!?!

And that despite only ever really seeing Carrie as his friend's sister before going on holiday with her, he is willing to change his whole life and propose to her a few days later?!