Absolutely adored this book!! I love a good small town romance so this book had that going for it. Add in the exceptional writing style, funny and interesting characters, a little snarky banter and I'm hooked!

What started out as a tiny white lie turns into a huge problem for Lanie Barrett. For the reading of her Aunt Ruby's will, Lanie finds out that she not only needs to produce the husband she told her aunt she has but also the marriage certificate. If she can do that everything is left to Lanie. If she can't everything goes to her money hungry cousins. That's were Nick McKane comes in. He's down on his luck and desperate for money - 0h and recently out of a job - he agrees to Lanie's crazy plan of posing as her husband for the official reading of the will. Things take a turn towards complicated real quick though!

This one will make you laugh out loud and will grab your heart. I highly recommend it.

A Charmed Little Lie was the kind of book that made me set it down right in the middle and start shooting off notes to all my bookish friends because my feels could not be contained and the only thing that can be done in a situation like that is to shout from the hilltops - YOU NEED TO READ THIS BOOK!.

Look, Sharla Lovelace is a new-to-me author. I picked this up with a sort of heavy skepticism. I don't even know what I was expecting. I do love small town romances and I do love fake romances - but both tropes can easily go awry and I honestly just wasn't sure what to expect. What I got was a book that completely sucked me in, and kept me compulsively flipping pages while my heart danced and fluttered in that completely addictive and satisfying way that it does when I read a really good romance.

And also? A new author to fangirl over because the writing here was fun and fresh, the storytelling completely compelling, and the romance? Gahhhhhhhh, so good. Ms. Lovelace captured the quirks and the trials of small town living without ever pushing it over-the-top or making it feel too campy. I loved the colorful and interesting secondary characters - and who wouldn't love dopey and adorable Ralph? It was charming and hilarious perfectly blended with heartwarming and sexy. Honestly - the chemistry between Nick and Lanie kept my pulse pounding and my breath bated as they sparked against each other over and over again. I wholly enjoyed the push/pull of their relationship. I enjoyed them both as characters separately, and how they treated each other as a couple.

I loved every minute.

Even the ones where I wanted to punch someone.

Maybe even especially those moments because it means I was invested enough to feel like I was a part of the story. Like I had a stake in Nick & Lanie's future. I rooted so hard for them, and my heart practically burst with happiness when this story came to the most incredibly satisfying conclusion.

I am so glad I took a chance on this new-to-me author. This was the kind of discovery that made my heart race with excitement and my greedy little grabby hands want to snatch up the entirety of Ms. Lovelace's backlist and lose myself in more of these lovely stories for days. Needless to say, I'm 100% charmed by Charmed, TX and beyond excited that there is more to come!

GREAT book!! This was a really fun, frustrating (at times), entrancing story. Two people (Laney & Nick) who have some major issues from their past to work through. I absolutely loved how these two met and were like fire & ice. I also hope Aunt Ruby shows up in other stories, she a real pisser!! Can't wait to get my hands on the next book!!

I enjoyed this book very much. Wish it could have been a bit longer. The main characters were great and were perfect for each other.

This plot has been done a million times before, sometimes better, sometimes worse. Lovelace wrote a cute story with characters I can appreciate, but I never felt like there was anything new address to this romantic norm.

This is a very cute and enjoyable book to spend an afternoon reading. I loved Lanie and Nick and how they got together. The part Ralph (the dog) played was really cute and added a lot to the story. There were several parts to the story that I found to be most unbelievable, although cute and fit right into the story of Nick and Lanie's crazy life. The book mostly made me laugh with just a bit of tears mixed in here and there. It is a book worth reading if you are looking for something light to give you a lot of laughts with a happy ending.

Lanie goes home to settle her Aunt Ruby's estate and discovers she must be married to inherit. Lanie has been fibbing to her aunt about her fabulous boyfriend. Nick agrees to a temporary marriage to help her out but there is something strange going on at home. Things are disappearing and Lanie is convinced a ghost is haunting them. Cute romance. Have never read Sharla Lovelace but I'll look to see if she has additional titles.

RATING: 4 out of 5

I discovered Sharla Lovelace last year, with her Heart of the Storm series. I love her writing style. Which is why, when I saw that she had a new series with Lyrical Press, I jumped for the chance to request the advanced copy.

Lanie Barrett needs a husband. Stat. Apparently her deceased Aunt Ruby makes it a clause in her will that in order for Lanie to inherit the house and the money, Lanie needs to prove that she is blissfully married and must stay with her husband for three months at the house. It’s all because Lanie spun a story about her nuptial to her aunt shortly before she passed away. Enters Nick McKane, a divorcé who needs work and money to send his daughter to college. So Nick agrees to be Lanie’s husband and Lanie promises to share the wealth. Only things get complicated when their fake marriage starts to feel real.

Well, for the most part, A Charmed Little Lie is a delightful read! The story is written solely from Lanie’s first person perspective and she is FUN to be around with. I loved her quips … the humor here fit to my liking. I had so much fun reading how Lanie tried to get out from the deep hole that she dug herself into.

Some of the situations might be a little rom-com cliché, like the way Lanie’s ex (and his wife!) tried to seduce Lanie and Nick away from each other, since they were in it for the money as well … but it resulted in hilarious moments, I couldn’t really complain.

It isn’t perfect though… I wish that Ms. Lovelace explores more about Nick and Lanie “connecting” before acknowledging that they fall in love with one another. Since this book is only from Lanie’s perspective, I felt that Nick was still a mysterious character. I didn’t know much about him apart from him being a divorced father who needed the money … most of what I knew about Nick I got from Lanie’s opinion (and perception) about him. I didn’t really knew what Nick thought of Lanie and when he fell in love with Lanie. It felt a bit one sided…

Having said that, I definitely can say that I was charmed (see what I did there *wink*) and I look forward to reading the next book about Carmen, Lanie’s friend.

I was instantly engaged by this excellent story. It was quirky and heartwarming, but it was also coarse. I wanted to know these people, however as I was around them their language and actions were cringe worthy. I wish the author could stick to the story (I want to know what happens to Carmen) and not almost ruin it with how they speak and graphic sex. Just not my type.

A delightful tale of a conditional inheritance which leads to romance. Captivating and funny.

​​​​​4.5 Stars!

A Charmed Little Lie by Sharla Lovelace, is a marriage of convenience romance that kept me on the edge of my seat from beginning to end. The two main characters, ad copy writer Lanie Barrett, and chef Nick McKane, met and formed a bond under very unusual circumstances. Overtime, they fell hopelessly and devotedly in love.

Lanie recently lost her Aunt Ruby, the beloved woman who raised her. In order to keep Ruby smiling throughout her last days, Lanie assured her that she was madly in love and engaged. However, the tale backfired, because Lanie only inherits her aunt's house and a decent chunk of change, when she gets married and lives in the house with her husband for three months. Nick comes to her rescue in exchange for some money, which he desperately needs in order to send his college age daughter to a highly regarded art school. Nick is unemployed, so this crazy arrangement works for him. However, both Lanie and Nick are riddled with baggage, including a gorgeous ex-wife, some very unneighborly neighbors, and an estranged cousin or two that want their aunt's land for selfish reasons.

Ms. Lovelace packs a lot of excitement, as well as heartache, into this romance. The small town of Charmed Texas, where the story takes place, is known for its pure honey. Many of the town's residents are beekeepers and pride themselves on the honey they manufacture, while keeping tabs on everything about everybody. This is a very creative romance with characters that are chock-full of personality and greed. I formed an immediate connection with both Lanie and Nick, and their sexy times were very seductive. This is the first book in the author's brand new series, Charmed in Texas, and it can be totally enjoyed as a standalone. I am looking forward to the second book in the series, where Lanie's best friend Carmen is in the hot seat.

Complimentary copy provided by the publisher via NetGalley.

Charming! Loved this story! When you read a first book in a series usually there is so much backstory you loose focus on the main characters and the story isn't as interesting. Sharla Lovelace did not have a problem in this book with that issue. In fact, the story focus amazingly on the main characters while still building the back story for other books to come in the series- which I am looking forward to.

Lanie is in a complete bind- having lied to her Aunt about a fake marriage that she now must prove is real in order to obtain her inheritance Lanie is forced to find a fake husband. ENTER Nick McKane!

Well of course these two do a bang up job faking their marriage, so much so that lines blur and emotions enter the game. I loved these two together and Aunt Ruby surely knew her meddling would work- intuition and all, you know! Nick needs help with tuition for his daughter's education otherwise he would leave Lanie and her hair brained idea behind. Instead, he digs in with Lanie and gives the residents of Charmed something to talk about- literally. So many scenes written by Lovelace stand out in this book and were hilariously written- pool party anyone. We have such a build up with the sexual tension with Lanie and Nick you are ready to push them together.

The cast of characters from Lanie's past is filled with some wild ones. Her cousins remind me of the Gruesomes- (Flintstones) and were ready to rip Lanie's past from by taking away the only home she knew. Alan and Katrina WHAT! Those two were bat-s&%$ crazy! Swingers, weirdos, leeches! Just WHAT!!

Let me dare not forget CARMEN! I cannot wait for her book!

Lanie and Nick soon discover fake it till you make it might be a true statement- a foundation is built and they are a true couple. LOVED IT!

What a sweet and enjoyable read!!! Being that I am a huge fan of Sharla Lovelace I was excited to get my hands on A Charmed Little Lie and I am happy to say this book lived up to my expectations!!

I LOVED the premise of this book!!! I was in the mood for an uplifting novel that would keep my interest and A Charmed Little Lie fit that billed perfectly!! I was immediately hooked and loved how much I actually laughed out loud throughout this book! The characters were endearing and I am keeping my fingers crossed Sharla Lovelace will make this a looooooong running series!!! A Charmed Little Lie is a 4.5/5 star book that I HIGHLY recommend!!! Go 1-click it!!

This is the first book in a series based in the town of Charmed, Texas. It stands alone and *does not* end on a cliffhanger. It does, however, introduce us to Carmen, who is the main female character of the next book, and we get to learn a little about her very intriguing back story. I received an ARC of this book from NetGalley and have actually read it twice since I received the file because I enjoyed it that much.

I adore a fake relationship book and I have yet to read a Sharla Lovelace book that I didn't enjoy, so I knew this book was going to be right up my alley. I enjoy reading about two people go from a fake relationship to falling in love, and this book is one of my favorite examples of that 'trope'. While the reason that Lanie needed to find a fake husband was kind of ridiculous, I thought it was ridiculous in the best way. Then there was the not-at-all-ridiculous progression of their relationship. It wasn't just “they met, they fake-married, they fell in love within days” - they actually developed a relationship and got through hardships during their time together. I was rooting for them to get their happily ever after, whatever it took.

Although we never actually met Aunt Ruby in this book, her meddling was epic, and the advice that was sprinkled throughout the book was great. I particularly liked her “wisdom-bomb” that started off chapter 17. Words to live by.

Lanie was a hot mess. There is literally no other way to describe her. But she was the kind of hot mess that makes me laugh while also making me feel bad for her and hoping that she could figure things out. In other words, she was my kind of hot mess. The moment at the picnic where she loses her mind (ahem) made me chuckle while being horrified on her behalf, but Carmen's description of that particular event later on in the book made me laugh out loud and scare the cat who was sleeping peacefully on my lap.

Nick was a really good guy with *a lot* of “stuff” going on in his life. The more we got to know him, the more I liked him. It's hard to talk about Nick without spoiling what happens in the book, but the things that happened in the book made me both really like him, and want to throttle him at the same time. That is absolutely a compliment to the way that Ms. Lovelace wrote the character. He definitely fits the mold of a Sharla Lovelace book hero – a guy with a wicked sense of humor who has a few issues, but who is just a seriously good man.

I laughed a lot during this book, I got teary-eyed, and I fell in love with Charmed (even if some of the residents of the town weren't always charming). After reading the 'teaser' at the end of this book, I am very much looking forward to reading Carmen's book.

I requested and was generously granted an ARC copy of this book from NetGalley and was under absolutely no obligation to write this review.

All I can say about Nick and Lanie is wow! I loved these two! The attraction was off the charts and the build up of tension and unresolved feelings was magnificent. I couldn't put this one down. And Aunt Ruby's influence and special happenings throughout made me fall in love with her and her antics too! I laughed and was kept on the edge through the whole book. This is going to be a great series.

Lanie has to find a husband quick. When her eccentric aunt whom she loved beyond measure dies and put a stipulation on the will Lanie is frantic. But finding a fake husband isn't all that simple. Until she stops in a little greasy spoon on her way to Charmed, TX. Home. There she sees about the sexiest man she's ever met. And he needs a job. One that she can now offer.

Nick's luck just keeps running out. Getting fired leaves him in a hard spot. Until the beautiful crazy woman offers him a job. One that he just can't believe. Play her husband for the reading of the will. But when the reading happens and they are taken by surprise how can they pull it off. Stay in the house for 3 months and Lanie will get the house and a boatload of money.

With their lives interrupted, they settle into a routine. But as they have to amp up their married act in public, this gs change between them. They fight this overwhelming attraction until they can't take it anymore. It as things come out into the open hearts are broken. And there just may be no way to fix them this time. Can Lanie and Nick find their way home to each other or will their broken hearts be more than either one can handle.