Thank you so much for the opportunity to review this book and to be an early reader via NetGalley! However, I will not be writing a review for this title at this time, as my reading preferences have since changed somewhat. In the event that I decide to review the book in the future, I will make sure to purchase a copy for myself or borrow it from a library. Once again, thank you so much for providing me with early access to this title. I truly appreciate it. Please feel free to contact me with any follow-up questions or concerns.

From the moment Victor and Todd crossed paths because their respective best friends had fallen in love and became boyfriends, I just knew that chemistry between them needed to be explored further, and Erin McLellan stepped up to the challenge quite nicely. From the snarky back and forth to the hot encounters, these two, like I mentioned in my review for Life on Pause, turned out to be explosive. They also happened to have their fair share of sweet moments as well, along with a hint of angst due to their respective insecurities and issues. For all their bravado, both Victor and Todd were a surprise the more I got to know them in this book. Their love story was also unconventional, but no one ever said there was only one road to happily-ever-after, right? Three books in and Erin McLellan continues to impress with her brand of storytelling. Life of Bliss was a blissfully satisfying five-starred read. ♥

3.5 stars

I wasn't sure about this going in because I didn't like Todd in book one. When this starts we find out Todd and Victor has been having heated hate sex behind Rusty and Nile's backs. Over time they've both come to care about the other but they're too vulnerable to admit it to each other. A trip to a family wedding on Vic's side opens new doors to them and their relationship takes on a serious nature.

I thought this was an entertaining, easy read. Todd's kind of an idiot for much of it but Victor is adorable enough for two. They're funny, sweet and smoking hot together (that outside shower scene.... *wipes sweat from brow*) When Todd finally gets his act together and does the grand gesture I was filled with happy sighs.

You don't have to read the first book in the series but it might help you understand the characters and their relationships with each other.

**ARC provider by publisher through Netgalley in exchange for an honest review**

I feel like all I want to say about this book is that the characters are super precious and that everyone should GO READ IT. Because this is a book that makes me smile and makes me happy. I loved read it, and everyone should check out this book and Life on Pause! <3

This story is a standalone, but I feel like you do get a better sense of who Todd and Victor are from their intro in the first book. This book is an enemies-to-lovers story with a fake boyfriend AND impromptu marriage trope!

Todd is a former high school football player who now plays the piano for the middle and high school choral groups. His ex, Rusty, is the choir's music director, and got his own HEA in book one. They get along well, Todd even friends with Rusty's boyfriend, Niles. Victor is Niles best friend, and had previously spent his days working on a cruise ship.

The story starts off with the Todd, Rusty, and Niles getting back from a vacation in Cancun and Victor meeting up with the trio for dinner. It's really fun to watch Todd and Victor snark at each other in front of Rusty and Niles when you know it's all just foreplay.

This book is really just all the FEELS as we see Todd and Victor trying to navigate through a relationship-that-wasn't-a-real-relationship-but-now-it-sorta-is. Victor doesn't live in Bison Hills with Niles, Rusty, and Todd, so the relationship starts off as a long-distance friends-with-benefits, at best. With Todd on summer vacation, and Victor in need of a date to a wedding, Todd decides that he'll be Victors' fake boyfriend.

What makes this even better? THEY STAY IN A TREE HOUSE RESORT. Their room is also a honeymoon suite with an outdoor shower. I don't know how you can top THAT kind of living with a fake boyfriend you have a crush on. Honestly, this book is adorable and sexy, and deserves all the love!

This book is ridiculously sweet, even with the angst of navigating their relationship.

***Thanks to Riptide Publishing for providing me an ARC on NetGalley***

This was the first time I have read this author or this series.

Todd and Victor have mutual friends, so they are in each other's circles but that doesn't mean they have to like each other. Which makes them antatgonistic to one another. However, that doesn't stop the chemistry between the two. Even though they sometimes act on their chemistry their relationship is secret. However, when Victor needs a fake boyfriend he takes Todd. And what starts as a fake relationship turns into a newly weds after one drunken night.

It was sweet and I would read more from this series and author but the story and characters are also a bit unforgettable. It took me having to re-read the synopsis to bring up the memory of story to be able to do this review.

I’ve loved this series so far. Actually, I’ve loved all three books I’ve read by Erin McLellan. This is the second book in her Love Life series, although, I didn’t realize it was going to be a series when I read Life on Pause. I’m glad I read that one first though. I suppose Life of Bliss would be an okay read as a stand alone, but it’s so much better already knowing a little bit about Victo and Todd. 😉

As you probably already gathered, Todd and Victor were introduced in Life on Pause. They were both friends of Niles and Rusty. So… if you’re friends with one, it’s a package deal. The problem is, there’s always a lot of tension when the four of them get together. Only, Niles and Rusty have no clue that the tension is a lot more complicated than it seems on the surface. Turns out that they’ve been “seeing” each other on a strictly sexual basis for quite some time and NO ONE – even their very best friends – has a clue.

Life of Bliss was a pretty sweet romance. Victor and Todd cared about each other a LOT more than either one of them realized. Well, at least a lot more than they wanted to admit to each other. 😉

So, first off…this book gave my heart all the feels! Life of Bliss was so unexpectedly sweet and wonderful and fun to read. I think I was partially surprised because I picked this up thinking that I’d not read Erin McLellan before. But then I remembered that I’d read Controlled Burn, and that book was INCREDIBLE. I recall being so overwhelmed by that book, by this new author I’d discovered and very excited to read more of her books. Well, now that I’ve read Life of Bliss, I’m ready for even more.

In Life of Bliss we meet Todd and Victor, not quite friends, not exactly enemies. Both of these guys love to poke and jab at each other, pick and antagonize. Having met through mutual friends in the first book of this series, Life on Pause (a book I still need to read) there is already a relationship of sorts established. This helps move the story along quickly from the start, something I appreciated very much. The story moves fast, the heat sizzles from the get go, and the feelings I had for these guys was immediate. Not having read the first book in the series, while I think would have been a good thing to do first, didn’t take anything away from their story. If anything, this might have spoiled a few things for me from Life on Pause, but not so much that I don’t want to go back and read it.

I really liked Victor in this story right way. When he lets his guard down, when he’s all in, he’s so open and loving. He has this fierce attitude that I’m really addicted to. The way he loves so completely is really beautiful to read and experience. Todd did take me longer to warm up to, but I think it’s because until I understood him, I almost hated him. Maybe hate is a strong word, but he could be insufferable! Todd didn’t have the same kind of life that Victor did. Victor has an incredible family, huge and full of love and support for him, something Todd is not familiar with. Todd has family, but he’s an only child with parents with whom he’s not close. There are all kins of other issues too, things that made Todd how he is. And he’s not a bad guy, just very unsure of himself, very closed off and he doesn’t easily trust his feelings, making him not entirely open to love… even when it’s staring him right in the face.

So when the fake boyfriend / wedding date happens and they *accidentally* get married, it’s no wonder things don’t work out exactly how they thought they would. Their summer of marriage was so fun to read. At times it was heartbreaking, often frustrating, plenty aggravating, but also so full of heat, the tinyist bit of kink, and a whole lot of loving.

Todd and Victor struggled with a lot of things people dating and/or married deal with on a daily basis. The comedy of their story felt genuine, their progression very heartfelt and real. I loved, loved, loved these guys and was sad when their story came to and end. So go forth and get this. I don’t think anyone would be disappointed. This was a ray of sunshine on a rainy day.

This title has a bit of a convoluted lineage. I initially received this book from Riptide Publishing, via NetGalley, for review, but understand that the author is now self-publishing the title, with a revised publication date of April 30, 2018. Also, the book was not initially identified as #2 in the Love Life series, and I suggest you read the first book in the series to get a better background on Todd and Victor.

So, anyhoo ... we first meet Todd in Life on Pause as Rusty's faithless ex. As Life of Bliss starts, Todd and Victor (Nile's BF) find themselves on the outside of Rusty and Niles' domestic bliss and act their parts as the respective BFFs who absolutely despise one another. Except ... they have been enemies-with-sexy-benefits for about six steamy sexy months.

"Todd and Victor had a thorny relationship. Victor was horribly gorgeous, sarcastic, and infuriating . . . And Todd loved hate-fucking him.""

Todd has NO confidence in his relationship skills (after breaking up with Rusty, AND the guy he left Rusty for) and tells himself he's content with what he and Victor share. For his part, "Victor’s Todd crush was the reason he didn’t have a date for his cousin’s wedding. It was hard to woo other guys when you were carrying a torch for some fickle motherfucker you only saw when you visited your best friend, who lived hours away."

Todd agrees to go with Victor to that family wedding, loves Victor's quirky family, much drinking ensues, and the two wake up married. So far, so good. But at this point, Victor and Todd pretty much seclude themselves from their family and friends and spend the summer living together, telling no one they are married. Todd also spend the summer agonizing over his marriage:

"If this falls apart in six months, in a year, you’ll be even more alone. You’ll be completely isolated. If you allow yourself to connect with Victor’s family and friends, and then your relationship ends, it will hurt worse than it does now. It will hurt worse than it did with Rusty."
.
Todd's indecisiveness over the entire summer grows weary, IMHO and the pace of the book feels very slow at times due to the sameness of Todd's angst. Also limiting the "married by accident" trope by keeping it secret dulls some of the impact for me personally, since part of the fun is watching two unlikely mates working through their situation in front of equally parts horrified and supportive family and friends.

I really enjoy the initial set-up of the love/hate/married situation, and Victor and Todd's chemistry is ridiculously hawt, but Todd's unwillingness to make a decision stalled the story for me personally, as well as the secret marriage. I give Life of Bliss 3.5 stars, realizing that other readers may not feel the same!

When I requested to read Life of Bliss, I didn’t realize it was the companion novel to Life on Pause. Luckily, I’d already read the latter (my review here). If you have not, you could still read Life of Bliss as a stand-alone as it explains how Victor and Todd met each other (through mutual friends – Life on Pause is about them). I really like the friends to lovers and enemies to lovers tropes when it comes to romance, but what’s especially intriguing about Life of Bliss is that it mixes both of these. It’s almost enemies to friends – get married one drunken day – and then friends to lovers. For me, it really worked, and I definitely rooted for Todd and Victor to open up more and more to each other and make it work.

I really liked that Victor and Todd already had a history with each other. They worked physically together, so Life on Bliss was more about them opening up emotionally and realizing that they actually liked each other. I thought it was kind of fun to see them navigate a new marriage, after having drunkenly tied the knot (and signed the papers -so it’s legal). It’s not always easy for them as they are really different people, and Todd ends up moving away from the people and life he knows to live with Victor (it’s not very far, but it’s still a big adjustment).

As we’re officially into Spring, I think this book about a newly married couple is the perfect book to dive into!

<b> 3 1/2 Stars! </b>

Frenemies-with-benefits ➜ fake date needed for a wedding ➜ Shit! How'd WE end up married last night?!


I really liked this one! But it falls into that dreaded category of "I liked it but don't have much to say about it". Which is just as frustrating for me, the reviewer, as it is for you, the potential reader who wants to know whether you should pick this book up or not!

While I don't have much to add, I will still say yes, pick this one up. I think you'll enjoy this quick read.

There's a decent amount of heat and chemistry between these two, and more than a few cute/sweet moments. Also, a little fun with toys (which we always need more of in romancelandia, btw!).

I do wish there had been more of a gradual change from "I don't like you!" to "We like each other and we're fucking adorable as a couple". That's where the fun is of "enemies" to lovers! Instead they switched from one to the other in the blink of an eye, leaving me wanting so much more from that part of their relationship dynamic.

Still, this was a solid read, and one that I did truly enjoy -- even if I'm not able to properly explain to you all why I enjoyed it. Can't you just trust me? ;) I'm definitely going to keep an eye on this author in the future.

Life of Bliss is the second book in Miss McLellan’s Love Life series. I’m unsure if this book is being billed a standalone, but the significant overlapping of characters and multiple references to past plot points and conflicts means I’d recommend reading the series in order. Despite being disappointed in the first book of the series, I started Life of Bliss hopeful. I liked Todd and Victor as secondary characters and thought they had an interesting dynamic when they met in the first book. The blurb was cute and promising, and the book delivered- even more than I expected. I was quickly drawn into the story and could barely step away.

Anytime secondary characters with big personalities get together in their own book I’m excited, because there is just so much potential for a passionate romance and fun dialogue. Miss McLellan developed that aspect well, making Todd and Victor’s connection readily apparent while highlighting the ways their personalities contrasted and rankled one another. While it was obvious these two would sometimes butt heads, I didn’t get much of the frenemies vibe in Life of Bliss, and it certainly wasn’t as apparent as when Todd and Victor clashed in the first book. Although I didn’t miss that dynamic because these two had plenty of chemistry and angst without the frenemies angle, it seems worth noting it was not as prevalent as the blurb suggests. There were a few little bobbles of miscommunication or frustratingly convenient plot points, but I enjoyed this couple and their story so much that it simply didn’t bother me. And I certainly wasn’t expecting the heat that existed between these two. Besides making for some sexy scenes, it went a long way in furthering Todd and Marcus’s obvious chemistry. Miss McLellan’s writing itself was smooth with a balanced dialogue and a measured but brisk pace that kept my attention and just made me happy. If you’re a fan of unexpected pairings, Life of Bliss is definitely worth the read.

I enjoyed Erin McLellan’s first book, Controlled Burn, a lot, so I was hoping for a really great read here. This one is good, and I liked it, but I don’t think it quite measures up to her debut novel.

The main characters, Victor and Todd, were introduced in a previous book, Life on Pause. (It's not completely necessary to read it first, but it would probably help make sense of the backstory here.) The two men have been both annoyed by and attracted to each other since their first meeting and have fallen into the habit of hooking up occasionally. When Todd agrees to be Victor’s plus one at a family wedding, the trip allows the deeper feelings they’ve been hiding from each other to ignite, and the two of them wake up married after getting stinking drunk at the reception. Then Todd and Victor have to decide what comes next. Do they treat their marriage as a mistake, or do they take a chance that the feelings that led them to the altar are real?

I have to admit, I struggled a bit with Life on Pause. A lot of the relationship drama revolved around a lack of honest communication. I sometimes lose patience with storylines based on the characters not telling each other things, and it didn't work for me at all in that novel.

At the beginning of this one, I thought it was going to be more of the same, but, happily, that’s not really the case. Once they are married, Victor is pretty honest with Todd about wanting to stay married because he has feelings for him. Todd is less open with Victor, but that’s in part because he’s genuinely not sure what he wants. He’s paralyzed by the thought of changing his entire life to be with Victor, because if it doesn’t work out, it might not be worth it. Giving up your home and your job and moving to a new city in order to be with someone you’ve married almost on a whim is truly a big deal and a legit source of angst, so I was fully invested in the story.

Beyond that, though, the book is fairly simple and sweet. There's a little bit of additional conflict revolving around their decision to keep their wedding a secret and how it eventually gets revealed, but mostly it's just two guys figuring out how to make their relationship work.

Recommended for readers who liked McLellan’s previous novels or who enjoy romances featuring impulse weddings.

A copy of this book was provided through NetGalley for review; all opinions expressed are my own.

Life of Bliss
By: Erin McLellan
📚💕⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️💕📚

One of the best frenemies to lovers books I’ve ever read!!! Sooooo believable. The author does an absolute amazing job building the foundation of the characters as a couple and as individual people. This book was a first read of mine from this author and it was amazing. I never had a favorite I liked Todd and Victor equally but for different reasons. Victor is a very proud dreamer and Todd is definitely waiting for the worst to happen and afraid of change but together they are beautiful and strong. This book is passionate and well written. You get to see two sides one has a supportive family and a family that has rejected their son at every turn for his life choices.

Authors Blurb: Nobody plans to accidentally marry their frenemy-with-benefits.

Todd McGower and Victor Consuelos do not like each other. They can’t have a conversation without insults flying, and Victor seems to get off on pushing Todd’s buttons. The fact that their antagonism always leads to explosive sex . . . well, that’s their little secret.

Victor has a secret of his own. His full-blown crush on Todd is ruining his sex life. He hasn’t looked at anyone else in months, and he’s too hung up on Todd to find a date to his cousin’s wedding.

In a moment of weakness after a heart-stopping night together, Todd agrees to be Victor’s fake boyfriend for the wedding. Victor will have his plus-one—which will get his family off his back—and Todd will get a free mini-vacation. It’s a win-win.

But pretending to be fake boyfriends leads to real intimacy, which leads to too much wine, and suddenly, Todd and Victor wake up with wedding bands and a marriage license between them. That was not their plan, but a summer of wedded bliss might just change their minds.

I really enjoyed this book and it kept me engrossed throughout. I really loved the characters and the way they interacted with each other. This is a fun, hot, romantic must read book and I would definitely recommend this book to anyone.

This book has everything I love in a book. Then you add that it's beautifully written and believable. It is easily a five star read. Written in dual POV my personal favorite this story flows so incredibly well that the next thing you know your 80% into the book and loving every second of it. The believable way the characters interact is perfect. Run, Hop, Jump or use your (1 click) finger to do whatever you have to do and get this amazing book. It'll break your heart, you'll want to scream with frustration and it'll let you discover that love just might conquer all. The chemistry is steamy and sweet and oh so romantic.

Thanks you Netgally for letting me read and review.


"

Sometimes you read duds...and this unfortunately was a dud for me.

I loved the blurb for this. Frenemies. Fake relationships. Secret romance. It sounded funny and sexy and intriguing.

Welllll…. It was hard to get into and I kept going back to see what I’d missed because it felt like I needed more information than I had and it felt like I’d skipped a chapter or something. (Which happens if you don’t read a book in one fell swoop.) It turns out that this is a book 2 of a series and (I hadn’t paid attention to that) and I think someone really needs to read book 1 to enjoy this book 2. I figured things out, but it didn’t feel as engrossing as I bet it would if I’d read book one.

I wasn’t that attached to these guys and I never felt the chemistry like I wanted to.

My recommendation is to read book 1 first and then this.

3 of 5 stars

ღ´¨)
¸.•´¸.•*´¨) ¸.•*¨)
(¸.•´ (¸.•` ღDirty little secrets.

It was bad enough sneaking behind everyone's back to have their illicit affair. Then to play fake boyfriends just to appease Victor's family. But only one spoken sentence and two drunken men would have the misfortune to think: "Getting drunk-married in Arkansas might have been stupid. Staying married would be stupider."

The marriage arrangement.

So I liked this book, and though most of the secondary characters intrigued me, I can say I am not rushing to read Niles' and Rusty's story. I loved and enjoyed the push pull of Victor and Todd. And I think had they not had so many other issues, they would not have been so devious in their so-called marriage. They were indeed a cute couple, and deserving of each other. ANd it was good to see the minimum angst resolve and gold at the end of the rainbow.

Todd is in a place where he feels like he is both in a rut, and ready for something new. He needs to decide if he is going to keep his current affair a secret. Will he be able to meet his new guy halfway to a new future?

Victor is all in if Todd even gives him a hint. They have been secretly hooking up for a while now. Then something happens that puts how they feel to the test. Secrets have a way of getting out......

This was such a fun read. The characters had such heat! I loved the banter and angst between them. I hope to see them again in future stories.

***This ARC copy was given in exchange for an honest review only.

Title was archived before it was downloaded. As such no review was written.

I loved this story! In an enemies-to-lovers theme, Todd and Victor start off as men who love to hate one another. But here’s the rub: they really don’t. Or, at least Victor doesn’t hate Todd. He goes to great lengths to keep Todd from knowing how much he cares about him, and their sexy, snarky behavior lights up a room. Heaven forbid they’d get into a relationship! But they do.

These characters were engaging right from the beginning and by the time they were planning to head to Victor’s cousin’s wedding, I was caught up in their story. When they actually arrived at the wedding and were embraced by his huge family, I was convinced this one was a book I’d like. But then it got even better. Their behavior toward one another at the wedding was spell-binding. Both men got a bit tipsy even before the ceremony, so their words and gestures toward one another were more subconscious and definitely more sexy and endearing than either had planned for—the looks, the touches—ahh, so satisfying to this reader. They continued to drink and then to dance and then they woke up married. Somewhere along the way it made perfect sense to them to go into the quaint little wedding-oriented town and tie the knot. They even had matching silicone wedding bands. And lo and behold, when they awoke the morning after, Todd didn’t pack up and run. They decided they’d give it a try over the course of the summer. Todd was, after all, a teacher so had the summer off. And since Victor lived in Oklahoma City, not Bison Hills where their besties Niles and Rusty lived, they could get away with keeping it a secret until they made their decision.

Of course, the best laid plans and all that. Here’s the thing: their personalities were very different. Victor was an all-in, “here’s my heart on a platter” kind of guy, but Todd was “let’s test the water, no one has ever wanted me in their life for long so I shouldn’t make plans to stay” sort of man. Their first months were fine, and the author spent most of that time cementing my love for both characters. And then the cracks started to appear when Victor was faced with financial insecurity from loss of employment and Todd was faced with a decision to quit his job, relocate, and lose his circle of friends—friends that were more like family to him.

In fact, it took me a while before I realized the secondary characters, Niles and Rusty, were the MCs from <i>Life on Pause</i>. Todd and Victor only had cameo appearances in the first book so I just didn’t make the connection. To be honest, I not sure why this isn’t billed as a sequel, but it really does stand alone and reading book one first should have no impact on a reader’s enjoyment of this story. Long story short, it just doesn’t matter. This one is perfect as is.

I really enjoyed the way the author managed to engage me in their lives—both of them. I cried with them, laughed with them, and labored over their decisions with them. And then I shared their heartache. Thankfully, by the end I was able to share the joy as they made their final decision and started down the path to their HEA. Totally satisfying, fulfilling, enjoyable story! Very highly recommended.

Due to Riptide’s treatment of POC and the situation with Sarah Lyons I will not be reading this title.