RUMOR HAS IT - Jessica Lemmon

#4 in the Real Love romance series

CUTE! - 4 stars

Plot - 4 stars - To build ratings for their newspaper, a no-nonsense relationship journalist is assigned to go on several dates with the bad boy of football.

Writing - 4.5 stars - This story caught my attention right from the first page. Lemmon is able to create very attractive characters who have hidden depths. Which, of course, makes it interesting to discover them and watch them grow throughout the book.

Characters - 4.5 stars - This is where the story shone for me, although the characters shouldn't have been as appealing as they are. Barrett is an annoying bad boy who goes out of his way to be rude and obnoxious, acting like a caveman in public. He seems to only be looking for attention, although it's beginning to become negative attention rather than the positive that he wants. Catarina, on the other hand, is pretty strait-laced, with a life plan. She picks her boyfriend because of his pedigree, always does the right thing, and she doesn't usually stray from her agenda. Opposites? Definitely. And it's entertaining to watch them together.

Title - 3 stars - I'm not quite sure what the title means since the story follows two journalists who write their own stories. No rumors involved.

Cover - 3 stars - I'm not crazy about the pose of the two people on the front, although they are fairly attractive and the cover is eye-catching, which is the point, I suppose.

Overall - 4 stars - An opposites-attract trope has been done many times, but this book was cute and funny and very attractive. Catarina and Barrett seemed to bring out the best in each other, and I enjoyed watching them, particularly when they were dating out of their comfort zones. The ending seemed a little rushed to me, and I pretty much disagreed with the "Barrett is a caveman and is definitely wrong about everything" result. I thought he had good reason to be upset, but somehow, he was considered the bad guy in the boyfriend scenario. And Mia was so underhanded that I couldn't have continued working for her. Overall, however, this book was fun and funny, with some great witty banter to amp up the sweet romance. I look forward to reading the next in this series.

This book was so entertaining. I was drawn into the story from the beginning and was involved until the end. The characters were complex and interesting. I found the story to be well paced and engrossing throughout the whole book. I was invested in the couple throughout the book and felt all the emotions through both the highs and lows of the story.The side characters were such an integral part of this story as well. This is the love story i needed to read at this time. If you want an entertaining and well written book this is it for you

I am really enjoying this series by Jessica Lemmon. The characters are all fun and feisty, the storylines she writes are always different, fresh and fun. Rumor Has It was no different.

Barrett knew that woman flaunted all over him. He was just fine and dandy with that. What woman wouldn’t want to fake date him. Well, Catarina, apparently. Yes, she has a boyfriend. Yes, he sounds like a real stuffed shirt. But, he may be just what prissy, uptight Kitty Cat thinks she needs. Until that first kiss … then all bets are off. But, for the life of him, he can’t understand why he is so attracted to her and can’t help but open up to her … well, after she figures him out for herself.

Caterina wants nothing to do with the cocky pro football star who can’t handle himself in social situations under any circumstances. Case-in-point, his first live broadcast, which made him more famous than his arm. But, damn, his cockiness is really turning her on and changing her outlook on love and life. Oh, yea, she dumped the stuffed shirt. And, it was the best thing she ever did. But, she knows Barrett is hiding something and the reporter in her is dying to find out. Her heart isn’t ready for the real Barrett – the one his fans and admirers don’t see. The serious side, the fun side, his singing voice … you know, the not cocky side of the man. She’s falling for the bad-boy and has no idea of how to stop it.

Well, Barrett does a good job at stopping it. And, Caterina has a hard time forgiving him for not asking before assuming. Then, doing it in front of all her co-workers? It may take an act of God for her to forgive him. Or, maybe his next live broadcast.

Jessica Lemmon had me laughing out loud in places and cringing in others. Then, she handled a subject matter that is very prevalent today. I loved how she handled it, how she explained it. Very classy. And, bringing back some other characters really made me smile. This story was the whole package … a RomCom with a little bit of seriousness and a whole lot of love.

What took me so long to read this one! Barrett Fox is a former football pro turned sportscaster who had a really bad mishap on the field with a female referee and now he is relegated to working as a journalist and along with Catarina. She is a professional and being saddled with fake dates with this bad boy turns her life upside down. These two are perfect! They complement each other. The banter is witty and the push-pull is just right. Oh, I just wish I had not waited so long to get to this one! Definitely a recommendation from me!

**Received this ARC for review from the publisher via NetGalley**

I loved this book! This author is a go to for me. I read this book in one sitting, I just didn't want it to end. I would recommend this to others.

This sexy office romance was a great read. Full of witty moments and steamy sexy scenes that scorched the page. I highly recommend this.

Just an okay story for me. It didn't grab me and make me want to invest in the story with all my literary being but it wasn't a bad story either. I found it slow at the beginning and that made it hard to continue on with the story.
D 3/5

I did not enjoy this book. For two adults, the main characters acted like teenagers. The hero was trying to pass off as this nonchalant and arrogant bad boy type but it was not working for me. If anything, he just seemed like a teenager looking for attention. The heroine, on the other hand, just had reactions of a child. I could not stop cringing and rolling my eyes during their interactions.

DNF
I apologize for the inconvenience, however, at this time, I have lost interest in this title. Therefore, I will not be reviewing it.

I am really enjoying this series by Jessica Lemmon. The characters are all fun and feisty, the storylines she writes are always different, fresh and fun. Rumor Has It was no different.
Barrett knew that woman flaunted all over him. He was just fine and dandy with that. What woman wouldn't want to fake date him. Well, Catarina, apparently. Yes, she has a boyfriend. Yes, he sounds like a real stuffed shirt. But, he may be just what prissy, uptight Kitty Cat thinks she needs. Until that first kiss … then all bets are off. But, for the life of him, he can't understand why he is so attracted to her and can't help but open up to her … well, after she figures him out for herself.
Caterina wants nothing to do with the cocky pro football star who can't handle himself in social situations under any circumstances. Case-in-point, his first live broadcast, which made him more famous than his arm. But, damn, his cockiness is really turning her on and changing her outlook on love and life. Oh, yea, she dumped the stuffed shirt. And, it was the best thing she ever did. But, she knows Barrett is hiding something and the reporter in her is dying to find out. Her heart isn't ready for the real Barrett – the one his fans and admirers don't see. The serious side, the fun side, his singing voice … you know, the not cocky side of the man. She's falling for the bad-boy and has no idea of how to stop it.
Well, Barrett does a good job at stopping it. And, Caterina has a hard time forgiving him for not asking before assuming. Then, doing it in front of all her co-workers? It may take an act of God for her to forgive him. Or, maybe his next live broadcast.
Jessica Lemmon had me laughing out loud in places and cringing in others. Then, she handled a subject matter that is very prevalent today. I loved how she handled it, how she explained it. Very classy. And, bringing back some other characters really made me smile. This story was the whole package … a RomCom with a little bit of seriousness and a whole lot of love.

I thoroughly enjoyed reading this book! It was a quick read for me and I found bad for how long it took me to read it!

So much to love about this book. Barrett is a hoot, Catarina is fabulous. The dialogue is snappy * you are dating a guy named after a direction!) Their chemistry, attraction, connection is super hot. The story moves along at a great pace.

i liked the hero being a former athlete whose career was cut short, it made me root for him from the beginning. but there were a lot of dry moments which made for times to put it down multiple times.

A sexy bad boy has been very bad and needs an image overhaul. Catarina is just the woman for the job. While their chemistry says they should be a match in bedroom heaven there are some rather large impediments to moving their interplay to a more...comfortable location. Barrett is determined to melt Catarina's icy facade and Catarina is determined to get to the heart of Barrett's playboy camouflage. Neither are expecting or prepared for things to become real, to deepen to a level that neither may recover from if it all blows up in their faces. And we all know the reckoning will come, it'll just be a matter of finding the humility and courage to make something even better if they're willing to pick up the pieces and work for it.

I was all set to be a bit disappointed by Barrett, especially after that first "date" where he was disgusting, rude, and generally abhorrent in addition to the horribly misogynistic outburst that put him in this position in the first place. But as the story continued there were layers, feelings, vulnerabilities, a softness that I wasn't willing to believe early on yet when everything coalesced together and he added some truly honest confessions...I fell. Much like Catarina.

Catarina was a little too uptight for her own good but much like the playboy brashness in Barrett, that cool veneer was just that, a cover-up for the tender spots within that never seem to escape a beating when she exposes them. I loved that when she discovered Barrett's secret she wasn't dismissive and never used it against him when emotions ran high. She knew his struggle and respected it all while encouraging and helping him where he'd allow. What I liked the most about her was her honesty. There was the usual "pretend I'm not attracted when I really am" thing but that slowly thawed when she started seeing Barrett's heart. And honestly, who wouldn't be moved by it?

So in all honesty, Barrett was really horrible in the beginning. The way he made it so easy to be sexist, derogatory, critical, and flirty to the point of sexual harassment if Catarina truly hadn't liked him back or if this were reality...none of it spelled good things for him. But with self-reflection, acceptance of his awfulness, dedication to improve, and realizing who he could really be if he were to live up to his potential he found a measure of redemption. The groveling and confession scene was fantastic! It was really moving and also very fitting for the characters and the overall story. I felt that Catarina was a good partner for him despite her frustrating moments in the beginning. They were a pair that needed love so badly, but they needed love and acceptance from the right person so they could flourish.

Cute and fun read! Great for lovers of contemporary romance! While enemies to lovers isn't my favorite this was a witty and well done story and I very much look forward to more from this author!

This is a great book with a wonderful story and well developed characters. The story flowed very well and was very enjoyable. This book will keep you reading long into the night and you will not want to put this book down until you finish. This was such a great read and full of surprises. I am looking forward to reading other books by this great author.

What happens when a ex-NFL bad boy is paired with a work-a-holic, rigid reporter? You get a fun and sexy romance, where opposites attract in the best way.

The Set-up:

Barrett agrees to fake-date Catarina, and write a column about their dates as part of a publicity stunt to improve his image with female readers, and perhaps, also save his DOA career.

My Thoughts:

There may not have been insta-love, but there was definitely insta-lust. Catarina and Barrett spent quite a bit of time fighting their mutual attraction while exchanging barbs, but the more time they spent with each other, the more Catarina realized that Barrett was hiding a rather fantastic person under that bad boy armor.

I loved both Catarina and Barrett. Catarina was extremely driven and good at her job, but she short changed herself when it came to her own relationships, and accepted less than she deserved from her boyfriend. The relationship left her slightly wounded, and I was more than happy when Barrett entered the picture, and showed her that she was worthy of much more.

Barrett's backstory was complicated, and he was wrestling with his feelings of inadequacy due to his upbringing. He struggled with his past, and always felt "less than", even though he wasn't. Catarina was able to see through his facade to the real Barrett, and I got so much pleasure when she unwrapped him layer by layer, and let the true Barrett Fox shine through.

Yeah, there were some deep parts, but there were a LOT more fun moments in this book. The office antics were one thing that made me smile. These two were in constant verbal sparring mode, and it was quite amusing to behold. And the dates, which started out outrageous, soon turned out to be sweet and fun.

One thing I really liked was how they complimented and influenced each other in a good way. Barrett began to focus more, and pushed himself to produce a great column for the paper. Catrina began to loosen up a little, and enjoy more outside of work. It was almost as if they were meeting somewhere in the middle, and finding a perfect balance.

Overall: A sexy and funny hate-to-love fauxmance-romance, where an uber-disciplined woman and a bad boy reform each other.

I got a little bit tricked by Jessica Lemmon’s Rumor Has It. That is, I didn’t realize it was part of the Real Love series because the title and cover didn’t match the first three books, two of which I’d read and quite enjoyed. (This is especially true for Arm Candy, which got Desert Isle Keeper status for its fun banter and sexy romance). I hoped for more of this same with this one and while it’s an okay read, to my disappointment the spark that first attracted me to the series is missing.

Catarina Everhart writes a relationship column for a newspaper and its online division. Looking for a way to pull in new readers, her managing editor suggests setting up a dating ‘he said/she said’ series for the summer. But not with Catarina’s actual boyfriend. No, she wants Catarina to pair up with ex-football player Barrett Fox. He’s on a reputation rehabilitation assignment with the paper after a stint as an on field football commentator ended in disgrace when he blew up at a female official over one of her calls, revealing a somewhat ugly misogynistic viewpoint. He’s a playboy, and the ‘bad boy of football’ reputation doesn’t particularly endear him to Catarina. Reluctantly, she agrees to do the assignment with Barrett as long as they are both clear that it’s a fake relationship for promo purposes only.

Barrett knows he can be an ass. Sometimes he acts out purely for the outrage it causes, part of maintaining his ‘bad boy’ reputation. Most people don’t care, and he’s still got celebrity status in the public’s eye. But he also knows it’s important to work on this story with Catarina to make up for that cringe-worthy reporting episode. His shallow exterior is a protective shield to keep people from finding out the things that put dents in his self esteem, including a trailer park upbringing with alcoholic parents and his struggles with dyslexia. At first, his goal is to needle Catarina into admitting she’s attracted to him and then make sure their summer is one to remember. But when their rocky start turns into an actual friendship, will it also turn their fake dating relationship into something permanent?

In the first twenty five percent of this story, Barrett had done enough off putting things (lighting a cigar in a non-smoking restaurant purely to be rude, borderline sexual harassment at work) that I wasn’t sure he’d be redeemable by the end. The idea seemed to be to make him sympathetic due to his dyslexia , a secret known to only a few. For me, it’s not enough to excuse some of that earlier behavior. The incident that lost him the field commentator job is one for which he privately made amends to the woman in question, so he’s not above making apologies when they are due. While he does become more likable as the story progresses and he shows himself to be actually quite a caring guy, the incidents at the beginning leave a bit of a sour taste.

Catarina is a strong, career driven woman. She begrudgingly admits that the idea of having her and Barrett write columns showing their views of the dates they go on is a good one and will likely drive up readership due to Barrett’s popularity. Despite her initial misgivings, there are flashes of Barrett’s true character (an actually likable man) that come through early enough for her to wonder how much of what she sees is an act. Then there’s the times she can see he’s struggling with writing his parts of their articles, though he insists on doing them on his own and doesn’t want her help with the edits. Even after he confesses his dyslexia to her, he still wants to be responsible for his part of the writing. Throw in other glimpses of him being a caring sibling and uncle in dealings with his brother and young nephew and she can admit she’s softening towards him.

Though Catarina has a boyfriend at the start of the story, that relationship ends in the early pages of the novel leaving her free to explore more with Barrett. Naturally, the attraction simmering under the surface gets some traction when they spend so much time together and the eventual love scenes, like all the ones this author writes, are steamy and fun. The sex is consensual and there is one point in the story, following an excessive drinking episode where to his credit, Barrett rebuffs her sexual advances as a gentleman should. Unfortunately though, I just didn't find the chemistry between them as strong as I'm used to for this author.

It’s Barrett who falls first for the woman whom he doesn’t believe he deserves, though Catarina is quick to follow. The ‘black moment’ that has to be resolved comes late and is a bit overdone so they get a some drama before their happy ending. If you can get past Barrett’s initial characterization and are already a fan of the series it’s worth the read. If you haven't read the author before, I'd suggest starting at the beginning of the series instead.

This review has been posted at All About Romance and feedback updated with the link. It will be posted at Goodreads when the blog link goes live.

Lately, I've been a sucker for the "fake dating" trope and was instantly doing the goofy reader dance in my desk chair when I read the synopsis for Rumor Has It. Plus, it's a Lemmon book so I knew I was going to love it. I'll start off by saying that there were definitely a few times where I wanted smack Barrett for his "bad boy" mouth when he would remind me of some of my playboy exes. But, he won me over in the end! He's got depth and cockiness which matches well with our heroine, Catarina. Banter was wonderful and the chemistry was definitely steamy! Another Lemmon fave!

There is something about a bad boy redemption story...

I mean - I make no secret that I am powerless to resist a rascal. And I think Barrett Fox takes it one step beyond that even. Full disclosure: I wasn't really sure what to make of him at first. I mean - he was a bad boy. And because of that - along with the fact that enemies to lovers stories are sort of hit-or-miss for me - it took me a little while to warm up to him. And Catarina. And this whole story. I basically spent the first quarter of this book on the fence - but unable to put it down. Even when I wasn't sure I loved the characters, I was certain I wanted to know what happened to them.

And then - as was intended, I'm pretty sure - the whole thing turned around for me. I got the peeks of soft underbelly that I'd been craving. The antagonism turned into reluctant feelings and then the ooey gooey heart flutters that to which I am positively addicted. On top of that, Ms. Lemmon writes with such charm - and there were lines and scenes littered throughout the book that had me smiling so big and, at least at one point, took my breath away.

So, in the end - Barrett completely stole my heart. Rumor Has It is a fantastic redemption story. It's light and fun, sexy and engaging and it broke down all my walls leaving me with a giant smile on my face! ~ Shelly, 4 "FoxyCat" Stars