The book opens up with Barrett meeting with his ex and telling her a story. The story is of him and how he has blown it with a reporter, journalist Catrina Everheart. She is doing an article on him the man who is an ex pro football player and most recently a sideline reporter who was caught on screen verbally abusing a female ref over a bad call, his opinion. Of course he is let go and now she wants to do an article about him. He wants to date her and she says no. Well the too hardheads while working on the story fall for one another and when the story comes out there are things in the story that he told her that she said would not be in the article. When she realizes what happens she goes to the person who did it and then to him. It is when she was talking to him and the words he told her that deflated any hope of love, or anything she had towards him, and it was not until she got into her car that he realized what he said and what he did. The damage was done. Now weeks later he finishes his story to his ex and she wishes him the best and the story continues with him trying to figure out what to do to get her back. This is a very good story about two people healing from other broken relationships and thinking that this is the one. Read this book to see what happens.

I really wanted to love this book. There were certain things that inhibited that feeling. First, Catarina's character didn't seem to have a lot of depth and at times was frankly annoying. Barret was at times insufferable. Chubby, anyone? It was bad enough that word made it to the book once, but multiple times? What is this, high School? Come on. All in all, not my favorite book from Ms. Lemmon.

Not gonna lie, Barrett was a world class douche for a good portion of this book. But as much as you want to hate him, he redeems himself in the end. Caterina was the goody two shoes kind of girl, work hard, work harder. Shes assigned to date Barrett and write an article about it. Can emenies who fake date become lovers for real? Or will it all end once the article is done. Read to find out in this 4 star novel.

Rumor Has It

**received an ARC in exchange for an honest review**

4.5⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

This was my first book by this author and it was a great pick! First off I’m an Ohio girl so loved that it was in Columbus! Also loved the interaction between the two main characters. Their banter between one another kept you engaged and you couldn’t wait to see if Barrett would bring down Cat’s walls and let him in.

Cat feels like her life is going in the right direction. She has a great job, a boyfriend and good life. But when she has to do a story with Barrett and pretend they are boyfriend and girlfriend, he might just turn her world upside down and show her what she is missing.

Barrett is the bad boy around town, once a promising NFL star, is now trying to get back to what he loves, but first he has to pretend to date Cat. He is intrigued by Cat and can’t wait to see what their dates lead to, but is he really ready?

As Cat and Barrett work together, they start to grow a bound and soon they will blur the lines of their relationship. But are they ready for all that will come after that? Can they have a real relationship and both get what they want?

Rumor Has It by Jessica Lemmon was a lighthearted and fun read. I didn’t quite fall in love with it like I expected, but it had some tender moments and charmingly adorable scenes that made me smile.

The premise sounded really intriguing and the first few chapters were fun, but sadly, it started to drag and I just wasn’t feeling the story. The writing was decent and the pacing was good. I don’t think I was necessarily bored with the plot or the characters… I just didn’t find that oomph. Maybe I’ve been reading too many of the same type of stories or maybe I just wasn’t in the mood. Whatever it was, this book just didn't stand out. That being said, I still thought the storyline was entertaining and I liked the alternating point of views. Barrett and Catarina’s chemistry wasn’t sizzling, but they had their moments. I liked their dates and thought their bantering was amusing. I just wish that the push and pull, the angst, and the FEELS were a little bit more intense.

I didn’t particularly dislike Catarina or Barrett, but I also didn’t really like them either. I just struggled with their personalities and was really unsure how I felt towards them. I kind of didn’t really care about whether or not they would end up together and honestly, I wasn’t rooting for them that hard. BUT, things changed and some swoony moments here and there sort of redeemed their story for me… at least a little bit.

Overall, this didn’t quite hit the spot for me, but it was an easy, light and somewhat enjoyable enemies to lovers story. The romance was sweet and had a few adorable moments that I loved. I thought the book wrapped up nicely and once I finished, I was quite satisfied with the ending.

If you’re looking for a quick and decent love story on a lazy afternoon, then you might just like this one. And just because it didn’t work for me, doesn’t mean you won’t enjoy it, so give it a go and let me know what you think.

I received an advance reader copy of this book from the publisher via Netgalley. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

What a great book! I loved the characters. Catarina and Barrett were both multi-dimensional and loads of fun. And the heat between the two was fantastic. This was my first book by Jessica Lemmon, but it will by no means be my last. She created a wonderful world, rich with interesting characters, plot, humor, heart and lots of heat. Highly recommended.

This is a fun and interesting romantic comedy. I really enjoyed the snarky banter between Catarina and Barrett. They fake date for work and the chemistry between them sparks. It is well written and the characters well developed. This is the first I've read from this author and now I want to read more of her work. I received this book as a gift and voluntarily give this review.

Romance’s are quite often hits or complete misses. This one was very well written. I loved the characters and they’re dialogue was realistic. There was just the right amount of sexual tension to keep the story going and the payoff didn’t come too early in the story. I’ll definitely check out the authors other Romances.

This was a fun, cute and sexy romance that you don't want to miss! I enjoyed this one from beginning to end!

I am always impressed by Jessica Lemmon's ability to turn my opinion of a character around through the book. I strongly disliked the hero in Rumor Has It. His growth thru the story was smooth and I found myself rooting for him by the midpoint. the other thing this author excels at is dialogue - sharp, crisp, humorous dialogue. The hero and heroine take the fake dating trope and run with it. Rumor Has It is a light sexy romance and I found it extremely entertaining. I look forward to Ms Lemmon's next book or series.

This is the first book I have read in the Read Love series and I must say I am going back to read the other books in this series, Eye Candy & Man Candy, after being hooked on Rumor Has It. Jessica Lemmon sure does deliver with Rumor Has It. The book is told from dual POVs and is chocked full of witty banter & steamy chemistry as this good girl and bad boy navigate a their relationship. This is definitely one highly recommended read!
I am voluntarily leaving this voluntary review, but for full disclosure I did receive an review copy, ARC, of this book from Net Galley and the publisher.

Talk about a fun read. Oh my goodness, I totally had fun reading Rumor Has It. So, we have two people who are probably the least likely to be together trying to fake a relationship. First off, we have Catarina Everhart. She's career driving and wants to be the best journalist she can be, and here she gets stuck with Barrett Fox who she sees as a joke. Basically, they have to fake a relationship, and it's to help Barrett get back to what he loved. Barrett says such outlandish things to Catarina that completely fluster her.

We have fun loving Barrett who got himself in a bit of a pickle, and he's finally picking himself back up. He has to work with the super serious Catarina. This makes great news. As they get to know one another they are to realize that maybe they would make a pretty good couple.

The banter between these to is absolutely fun, and totally make it worth a read. I love how this story was written. It starts off with Barrett going to his ex-girlfriend to tell her how he screwed and how he can fix the situation with Catarina. The main story is Catarina and Barrett came together and fell apart. It was a story I couldn't put down. Yes, there were a little surprises here and there. Yes, it's part of a series, and it can be read as a stand-alone. So, if you are need a little fun, and craziness, Rumor Has It would be a good pick.

Copy provided by LoveSwept via NetGalley

Fun and entertaining story! The flow of the story is good, and I like the humor Lemmon put into the story. The romance has sweet parts, and there's also some hot moments. Catarina is a journalist, and Barrett is an ex-athlete/sports announcer turned writer. They are assigned to "fake" date for a series of articles. Catarina is the serious type, and Barrett is the showboat bad boy type. Catarina is not happy about the situation, but as time goes on, she begins to see more to Barrett than his inability to not be a douche. I don't really get why Catarina all the sudden fell under the wiles of Barrett. Barrett doesn't really have any tact in the beginning of the story, and there's an incident on Catarina and Barrett's first date with a waitress that was just yucky of Barrett. So, I think she fell a little too quickly, too easily for Barrett's charms. Overall, I liked the romance. They have a great connection, and Barrett shows a different side of himself. Both characters were interesting, and the story keeps you reading. I enjoy Lemmon's writing, and look forward to reading more from her. Enjoyable read!

Light-hearted and fun, Barrett and Catarina were well-matched. He was a misunderstood bad boy and she was a little bit uptight career woman. Watching them trade barbs and subsequently open up to each other was great fun to read.

**I received an e-copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. Thank you to NetGalley, the author and the publisher.**

3.5 stars

After a rough start, I liked Rumor Has It, by Jessica Lemmon. Barrett is an ex-NFLer who blew his chance at making it as a broadcaster when he lost his cool during an interview. Catarina is a journalist. Her boss comes up with the idea to have her fake date Barrett and both of them write about the experience. Catarina instantly dislikes him, and Barrett loves to push her buttons. They’re opposites with chemistry, but after getting to know each other and sharing secrets, real feelings develop. Their relationship is threatened once those secrets get out.

When I say I had a rough start, that’s an understatement. I hated Barrett. He was entirely douchey, a sexist, egotistical player. In fact, the book was 43% over before I actually sensed sparks between the 2 MCs. My opinion of him changed as we got to see the real Barrett, thank goodness. I liked Cat. She’s a rule follower who needed someone like Barrett to show her how to let loose, show her what dating should be like. And I guess Cat is the perfect person to show Barrett trust and loyalty.

I think you’ll enjoy with story if you can get past your initial impression of Barrett. In fact, I’d even go so far as to say that Lemmon was too good at making Barrett look like a cad because the impression stuck with me. Later in the book, Cat lists off many of his good characteristics, and it took me by surprise how many there were. We’re shown little bits of him but it wasn’t until I saw them listed that I realized how many good things he’d done. He really is a good guy. I liked how they had each other’s backs. They definitely had great chemistry and lots of fun.

This was book 4 in the series and the only one that I have read from this author. I am now starting to read the first 3 books because I enjoyed the characters so much. The interaction and relationships between the main characters was so entertaining and interesting. I am excited to read this series. Thank you for allowing me to read and write about this.

This is the first book that I have read by Jessica and I have to say that I really enjoyed this book! She definitely gave me some laughs some great convos between characters and some great sexual tension between the two main characters.

Barrett is a great hero in this story because he shows the side of him that can be hidden to most but shown to those who he really cares for even after some time! Barrett comes off as a smart ass but he is a hard working guy who will do whatever it takes to make sure that her desires are met.

While this book falls under the enemies to tropes genre it was a great time watching these two characters battle it out. I as so glad ot see the HEA work out the way it did because these two characters were meant to be!

Lemmon once again has me hooked with a story full of witty banter, a whole lot of heat and characters that I can't help but love.
I love a good enemies-to-lovers story and this one has it all. In the beginning Barrett is a huge jerk, but as the story progresses and he starts to change you can't help but root for him and maybe fall in love with him.
Catarina is so straight laced it is nice to see her learn to not be so uptight. Barrett and Catarina are the perfect balance for the other.
I cannot get enough of this series and I cant wait to see what Lemmon brings us next!

Jessica Lemmon's Rumor Has It was a fantastic read! Loved the chemistry between Barrett and Catarina.

Good story

Rumor Has It is a nice addition to Jessica Lemmon's Real Love series. Written in first person, alternating between Barrett and Catarina, Rumor Has It tells the story of Barrett, a football star turned broadcaster and Catarina, a reporter.

Barrett was a star player for The Ohio State University Buckeye's football team. He went on to a career in the NFL but was injured so he turned to reporting. After losing his temper with a ref during a broadcast he lost his job and now needs to improve his image.

Catarina works for The Columbus Dispatch and writes an online column in the Columbus Community Chat. She's been assigned to "date" Barrett and they each will write a column about their fake dates. Catarina isn't too happy about being stuck with Barrett and they get off to a rocky start.

I really enjoyed this story; it was funny and sexy and you know that Barrett and Catarina are going to end up together because it's a romance. But finding out how they get to the HEA was entertaining; their journey wasn't real smooth. Barrett struggles to write his column but he won't let Catarina help him. Once his secret is revealed it causes a major bump in the road for them.

The sexy time between Barrett and Catarina is hot! The story drug just a bit for me in the beginning but by the end I was very teary eyed and happy that they finally got their HEA.

A review copy was provided by the publisher via NetGalley but this did not influence my opinion or rating of the book.