This was a cute read. Another one to add to my enemies-to-lovers folder. I would recommend this book to sports romance lovers out there.

The sparks fly in this book, but not always in the best fashion. Barrett is a cocky former jock who finds himself in a tight spot. Catarina wants absolutely nothing to do with former said jock. But what she wants and what her job dictates she do don’t always agree.
I voluntarily reviewed an reader copy of this book provided by NetGalley.

I voluntarily reviewed an ARC from Netgalley.

I've enjoyed this series by Jessica Lemmon, however "Rumor has it" seemed to drag just a little bit, unlike the others. It was a good story and I'm glad I was able to review it, but it wasn't my favorite of the four. I can't exactly explain why I feel this way, just that I do. With that being said, as wonderful as Jessica Lemmon is as a writer, I eagerly look forward to the next in the series.

I received an advanced reader copy of this book to leave an honest review. I have read Jessica Lemmon before and have had mixed reviews; I have really liked some and others just fell flat for me. I really loved this book. It was funny, entertaining and kept you hooked the whole way through.

This book follows Catarina, a newspaper columnist, and Barrett, a former football star turned columnist. Both now work together even though they do not get along; their boss puts them on an assignment together to write a his view/her view dating column. Catarina has to date the bad boy of football and Barrett has to date the darling of the paper. Needless to say, sparks fly as each one tries to outdo the other on dates. It turns out that both has some misassumptions about the other however.

Of course nothing is as simple as just dating; there has to be some drama and angst. Barrett has a secret he has been keeping which he thinks Catarina outs to the public; lots of misunderstanding and miscommunication later and both are upset with the other. Amends must be made and forgiveness granted in order for a relationship to work.

This was a very fun read and I would definitely recommend.

Catarina is a journalist for the online newspaper Columbus Community Chat, or The Chat for short. She writes a column where she is brutally honest when it comes to relationships. She is stunned when her boss tells her what her assignment for the summer will be. Over the course of six or so weeks, Catarina must “fake” date Barrett Fox an ex-NFL player/sportscaster with a reputation for trouble. They’ll “date” and then each will write their version of how the date went.

Barrett Fox, had been playing for the NFL until a shoulder injury ended his career on the field. He then did some sportcasting from the sidelines until he made some disparaging comments about a call to a female referee that was broadcast to the world and the network had no choice but to suspend him. His agent, in an effort to somehow rebrand him, signs him up to do what he thinks is a puff piece that is sure to shed a more positive focus back to Barrett.

Barrett and Catarina could not be more opposite. Catarina is pretty straight-laced and conservative. She has a boyfriend named Northrop (which says it all IMO). They’ve been dating for several months and Catarina likes their relationship because it fits in exactly with what she envisioned for herself--he’s handsome, cultured, has a great job, etc. Unfortunately, things are not very good in the bedroom lately. North has been working a lot and is always busy; he’s just not interested in getting busy with Catarina. But she doesn’t press the issue, thinking they’ve just hit a dry spell.

Barrett is a gorgeous, over confident playboy and he is living life to the fullest. He’s looking at this temporary writing gig as a bump in the road, sure that he’ll regain favor and be invited back by the network in no time. He also thinks Catarina is hot in a nerdy librarian kind of way, so hanging out with her and pretending to date will be no hardship.

I enjoyed this story, for the most part It’s humorous and light with just a tiny bit of angst. Catarina and Barrett are like oil and water initially, and Catarina struggles because she’s so regimented and Barrett flies by the seat of his pants. Their dates are fun and it’s not long before Catarina is looking at Barrett in a non-platonic way--especially after she realizes her relationship with North is over. It’s the perfect opposites attract situation. But Lemmon throws a bit of a wrench into this story by giving us a character with dyslexia.

Barrett is dyslexic, but he doesn’t want anyone to know. He doesn’t want to become one of those cliched stories of athletes who made it big in spite of his learning disability. He doesn’t feel one has anything to do with the other. So he hides it. Writing his part of the articles feels like torture as Lemmon’s words describe him working for hours, often missing deadlines. He smiles and flirts and talks his way out of a reprimand each time. When Catarina asks if she can help, he refuses, determined to complete his portion on his own. As Barrett and Catarina get closer, and he feels more and more comfortable, he does tells Catarina. She encourages him to tell their boss, Mia, and he does eventually-getting her promise to keep it under wraps.

Barrett and Catarina together are fun and from the beginning their fake dates don’t feel fake at all--which was exactly how it was supposed to appear to their readers. They have chemistry and their clashing personalities make their scenes fun and full of humor. But the dyslexia part felt a bit like it wasn’t entirely thought out. I didn’t expect statistics or a lot of emotional upheaval or childhood memories of a boy that struggled; but as a plot device used to create conflict-especially in the way it was used-didn’t sit right with me.

Other than that, I did enjoy Barrett and Catarina’s story. The opposites attract theme works well in this quirky tale of the nerdy girl who gets the jock! While part of a series, it can be read alone.

This book was so good! I couldn't stop reading it! It is so witty and playful! If you are looking for a quick-read with a fun plot that will make you laugh and blush then this is the perfect book for you! I loved the way the author went back and forth between the two main characters. It really helped you understand what both of them were feeling which provided a bit of reassurance in their situation. I could actually identify someone I know that I felt resembled Barrett - the main male character - which made the book even more entertaining because I almost felt like I knew Barrett personally. I kept wondering what the plot twist would be coming up but I almost didn't want to get to it because I was so happy with how the story was going! I'll be checking out the rest of the series now for more from this author.

This book was just okay, I love this author but this book was not one of her better writings. It was very predictable and just made me not want to turn the pages. Wish I could say something better but I would not buy this book.

A fun, humorous addition to a great series. The characters were great and I really enjoyed seeing Dax and Becca. I'm ready for the next one!

While I enjoyed the book and the story-line, I didn't immediately like the main characters from the start. Catrina, is smarter than staying with a guy doesn't care about her, and while she does break away from that, it's still sad to see that at the beginning of the book. Barrett is a bad boy, that you immediately don't like. Thankfully you get to know that characters and change your mind by the end! I give the book 3 1/2, giving it a 4 for its story-line. I Would have given it 5 stars if the author wouldn't have started Catrina out in a bad relationship. I don't think it was really needed for the story-line.

Loved it, Loved it, Loved it. Jessica Lemmon is so talented and these characters feel like people I could see walking down the street, they're so fleshed-out and real. The chemistry is off-the-charts! This is a real treat!

This book was funny, sweet and full of chemistry. I loved the banter between the main characters and how opposites attract without either sacrificing themselves.

This is a voluntary review of an advanced copy.

Wow, what completely opposite attraction between Barrett and Catarina! He was so sure of himself and cocky but she was so prim and controlled. You just did not expect anything to come of their fake dates for the articles.

I loved that they each learned more about the other's family and life and they grew closer. Kind of a wrong side of the tracks guy with a proper girl. Barrett really was a bad boy on the outside but underneath was a good boyfriend like Dax mentioned.

Poor Barrett really blew it when Mia hijacked Catarina's article, and he knew that she only gave one chance and that was it. I loved how he tried and tried and didn't give up on getting her back and that was one grand gesture to show her how much he screwed up and how much he wanted a second chance. Loved that they got their HEA!

Loved it! It was everything I enjoy in a romance novel. Can't wait to read this author's next book. This book was sweet, fun, and steamy. I'd highly recommend this novel to other romance junkies.

Rumor Has It was a fun, bantered-filled romance between two characters that constantly butt-heads. I mean, who can say no to that? There were moments when I wanted to yell at Barrett. I think people call him the bad boy, but he's really not deep down. He has a short temper, which is mostly a product of his upbringing and having to deal with his brother. Which, I think would make anyone lash out. In a way, he's very misunderstood. I loved that he brought out the naughty side of Catarina. She was free to be herself with him, which is something she's never experienced. She's had to hide that part of herself from her perfectionist mother. And with Barrett, she can finally let her hair down.

I loved Rumor Has It. It was great picking up a Jessica Lemmon book again and I was happily surprised with this one. I enjoyed meeting Catarina and Barrett, as well as the background characters. I don't know if I'll give the first book a second try, but I do want to read the previous book.

This is the fourth book in a series and it's even better than the last three that I've had the pleasure of reading. I've really begun to love this author's books. We've been introduced to Barrett in other books but we get up close and personal with him in this one and Catarina with him is explosive. I won't give spoilers but it's worth your while to read this. They're a fun bunch - I'll tell you that much. At first, you believe that all the grittiness of their "relationship" is for real and then you realize that it's really all an act...they really like each other. Catarina is paired with Barrett to do a series of "Dates" that are supposed to be real but are far from it...they're actually the complete opposite! So what is this couple to do? You find out that the Barrett you think you know and the Barrett he actually is are two totally different people and the true Barrett is the one that's really easy to fall in love with. This ended up being a favorite of mine.

I have a confession to make, readers. I did not realize that I had a previous book by Jessica Lemmon called Eye Candy that I have not finished. I just wasn't feeling it? I think, however, that I have to rethink that stance after reading Rumor Has It.

Catarina is a no-nonsense hard working journalist. Barrett is a former NFL player who is also quite the bad boy. They are placed together on a writing assignment in order to draw in readers and also clean up Barrett's reputation after he insults a female referee. Catarina is, of course, not pleased by this aspect - especially since she has a boyfriend.

This story is a definite enemies to lovers - with a lot more resistance that I was expecting. We have some side stuff with Catarina's boyfriend which I definitely never expect when it comes to romance books. I have a thing for jealousy in characters in my romance books, so this was definitely welcomed.

These two were lovely, and, though I don't think I'd consider them my favorite characters, I did enjoy being welcomed on their journey. I recommend this book for any enemies to lovers fans out there - you won't be disappointed.

Received an ARC from NetGalley for an honest review.

Aw! Barrett finally got his HEA! After a very bad PR scandal (honestly, I was worried if that was going to color the way I saw his story in a negative light), he's been tapped to "date" a local columnist. He and Catarina couldn't be any more different, so the articles being written from each of their POVs are a great read.

It isn't long before their "fake" relationship turns into a whole lot more. Catarina starts relaxing a little with her super work-obsessed personality and at the same time, Barrett stabilizes, calming down a little from the "Bad Boy of the NFL" persona he's got going on.

I loved their dates and how different they were, but mostly I appreciated how much chemistry they had. My lord, were those scenes hot. I was surprised by how invested I got in their relationship and how much I was pulling for them. The secondary characters were a little annoying for my liking and pushy, to say the least, but they didn't stop me from enjoying the story.

I loved Barrett and Catarina. Barrett is the bad boy of NFL and Catrina is a journalist task with interviewing him. She is very unhappy about that she takes her job seriously and knows he's going to make a joke out of it. They are tasks with going on dates with each other then writing about for there PIC afterwards. But the more time they spend together they are they have a connection and she the real let's inside. Barrett isn't really the bad boy he makes it seem like he is and he so good with Catrina. I loved how they were together. Sweet sexy and funny.

“Live on the edge with me tonight. You’re already here. I don’t want you to go.”

Jessica Lemmon’s Rumor Has It is, simply put, a very enjoyable book. Fun, flirty and sexy, it is another excellent installment in her Real Love series. However, it took me time to warm up to this one.

More specifically, it took me time to warm up to Barrett. I wanted to love him, and ultimately, I did, but he straddled the redeemable/irredeemable line early in this book—and there are still things about him I wonder about, honestly—and it made it hard for me to fully invest. Except, here’s the thing . . . Despite those concerns about Barrett, I still didn’t want to put this one down. I was already halfway through Rumor Has It before I realized it was well past my bedtime, and I couldn’t wait to get back to it. I wanted to know what would happen to Barrett and Catarina, right from the first page.

And that comes down to the very beginning of this book—the way it opened was unique and instantly attention-grabbing, and it was enough to see me through my doubts and through to the very swoony, very rewarding ending. It was enough to make this book extremely enjoyable.

“I know what you’re thinking. Can I hold you, fuck you, give you an orgasm, and have one myself? And the answer is . . . probably.”

~ 3.5 STARS ~

I enjoyed reading about Barrett and Catarina in Rumor Has It by Jessica Lemmon, her fourth book in The Real Love series. Barrett is a former pro football player whose career as a broadcaster ended when he went ballistic on a ref. He is hoping this latest gig, writing about his dates with a journalist, will land him back on top. Catarina is an uptight, beautiful journalist who’s been assigned to date a bad boy, Barrett, and write about it. As one fake date leads to another, Catarina starts seeing a different side of Barrett; his closeness to his family, his volunteer work, his dyslexia, and his kisses. In the meantime, Barrett is bringing fun into Catarina’s life. When outside meddling causes Barrett’s dyslexia to become public, will these find it inside themselves to forgive and accept the love each has for the other?

I truly enjoyed reading this book and had trouble putting this book down. Ms. Lemmon wrote a wonderful story that had me smiling at the end. She drew me in and did not let go until I turned the last page. I definitely recommend this book to other readers and I am looking forward to the next book in this series.

I voluntarily reviewed a complimentary copy of this book.