While the idea of two women crashing a high school reunion and then one of them being roped into participating in a fake relationship is cute and intriguing, the actual execution fails due to the lack of originality and abundance of repetition. I had to force myself to continue reading after the first few chapters of Her Super Secret Rebound Boyfriend  because the writing, so filled with cliches, was not engaging. Luckily the story did improve, but the relationship zoomed at high speed and tested credibility. They went through all of the cliched plotting of eavesdropping, storming out after eavesdropping, someone informing the hero that he'd been a jerk, etc.

The one cute, original device was the fact that The Golden Girls was used as a source of inspiration.

This is a definite YMMV because many readers seem enthralled with it. Definitely your call.

I received an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

This novel was so much fun and perfect as a holiday read by the pool or at the beach.

When her very persuasive friend manages to convince Lola McBride to gatecrash a school reunion, she reluctantly agrees. Pretending to be someone else is fine until a gorgeous guy calls her out when he realises the woman he's talking to isn't a past girlfriend. To make amends, she agrees to go on a fake date with Luke Erickson. Only his family party awakens Lola's feelings for something and someone who will disappear out of her life.

The hot woman he's talking to seems different to what he remembers from high school until his best friend jogs his memory. Realising this reunion is far more fun than anticipated due to the mystery woman he is chatting to, he takes advantage of her and asks her to accompany him to a family reunion. In exchange, he won't expose her as a fraud. It should be simple to trick his family about his 'date', only their reaction and his own feelings make him realise he doesn't want their fake relationship to stop.

Entertaining and heart-warming, the narrative kept my attention one hundred percent as the adorable protagonists realise their fake relationship means more to them than either could have imagined. Their tentative relationship is honest and heartfelt as we discover how the past has shaped their lives. Whilst the overall mood of the novel is both light-hearted and humorous, the author manages to weave heartbreaking details in an uplifting way; the backstory for Lola's parents is beautiful. 

This is my first Kerri Carpenter novel and will definitely seek out more of her titles. Although this is a standalone novel, plenty of opportunities to further develop key secondary characters are present and I sincerely hope this will happen. Overall a quick and enjoyable book with a satisfying happy ever after.

***arc generously received courtesy of Entangled Publishing via NetGalley***

Lola is distraught over her ex-boyfriend leaving her for someone who is *gasp* 4 years younger than her! Her Golden Girls obsessed roomie/bestie, Frankie, convinces her they need to reenact that one episode from GG where the ladies crash a high school reunion. Lola grudgingly goes along with this plan, even though she HATES lying. She's the sexy librarian next door, who seems to have a tendency to lean towards serial monogamy. When the hottie by the snack table walks her way, she can't help but wonder if she's ready for that quick rebound she came to find.

Luke recently accepted a job at a new architecture firm and is able to move back to his hometown to be closer to his family. He reluctantly agrees to attend his 10 year high school reunion only for the sake of seeing his buddies he hasn't seen in a while. Luke learned when he was 5 that relationships never last and that the only thing that can come from them is heartache when the other person gets bored. When he catches Lola in her reunion crashing lie, he finds a temporary solution to get his relationship crazy family off of his back.

Overall this wasn't a bad read. There were plenty of cute moments and applause worthy one liners. I could see the potential budding between these two people, who mind you have polar opposite ideas on what can come from being in a relationship. I was totally rooting for Luke and Lola to find a way to mesh themselves together, both emotionally and physically. Even though I was rooting for them, I have to admit their relationship fell a little flat for me. 

Lola's repetitiveness with how much she hated lying was a frustration, and I admit that when I finally learned the reasoning behind it I wasn't as invested because all I could think was "its about damn time". I get this is her rebound, but I think her recent breakup was brushed over way too quickly. She was with this guy for years and at the beginning was still wallowing because she loved him ... but has this whirlwind "romance" with Luke and it's like the catalyst that started it was just a blip on the radar. I was so hoping to see her ex cursing himself for treating her the way he did, but alas that hope fell flat.

Luke's struggles with dealing with his dad were important to the entire plot of the book, but I just wish we would've seen more of those internal battles beyond just how they shaped his views on relationships. Take it from someone who has daddy issues, there are more ways it affects you than just how you view yourself in relationships. Also to see how his family copes with these issues and him would have given more of a peak to how it was truly effecting his life as a whole. I think seeing more of this piece of him would have made him a more well rounded character.

Their entire relationship seemed a bit forced and was rushed far too much. I think the forced bit stems from the fact that everything happened bada bing bada boom. There are what seems like months worth of a new relationship jam packed into the span of two weeks. I get that people fall fast sometimes, but with the personal struggles these two had it just didn't seem believable to fall that fast. Even the most pivotal point in the book climaxes and resolves all within a short time span.Their story could have really benefited and seemed more believable if it had been slowed down and allowed to stew.

This is definitely a slow burn that focuses more on building the relationship than sex. That being said, what sex scenes you do get are sauna level steamy. I don't want to give too much away about these beauties, but lets just say you are going to have a new found interest in that sturdy wall in your home.

It had its moments that I adored and cherished, but at the end the storyline could have benefited with a little more tender loving care. In the end I was left not as believing in their relationship and not as invested in their love story as I was hoping to be.

Fake it till you make it, is that the saying?  Fake romance turns into the real deal. This fun, flirty cute and romantic read will have you laughing while crashing high school reunions and the love of Golden Girls.  

Lola and Luke started out with a lie. With Lola being recently dumped and Luke against relationships.  They were set up for failure. However, the pull and chemistry was strong. And eventually that lie of a fake relationship turned into a ‘real’ relationship. But when Luke addresses his fears, Lola overhears and is crushed.  Can Luke overcome his past so he can build a relationship with Lola?

This was a such a fun, cute and HEA read.  Easily flowed and characters were written well.  And I enjoyed it a lot.

4 Stars 
Received an Arc for an honest review for which I was voluntarily provided

Fake it till you make it, is that the saying? Fake romance turns into the real deal. This fun, flirty cute and romantic read will have you laughing while crashing high school reunions and the love of Golden Girls.

Lola and Luke started out with a lie. With Lola being recently dumped and Luke against relationships. They were set up for failure. However, the pull and chemistry was strong. And eventually that lie of a fake relationship turned into a ‘real’ relationship. But when Luke addresses his fears, Lola overhears and is crushed. Can Luke overcome his past so he can build a relationship with Lola?

This was a such a fun, cute and HEA read. Easily flowed and characters were written well. And I enjoyed it a lot

I thought this was a cute, quick read. Luke and Lola were good together, and they had great chemistry. The writing flowed well, and I liked all the characters in the story. I did get a little annoyed at Lola for overhearing Luke say something, and then running away. He told her from the start that he didn't do relationships, and because SHE felt like they should have a relationship, she got her feelings hurt. You can't force someone to get over their hang ups. They do get the HEA, and it's a really cute ending. I hope to see Winnie and Oliver's story. 
I voluntarliy reviewed an advanced readers copy of this book.

Lola is talked into crashing a high school reunion with her best friend.  They do not really know anyone.  Before they can really enjoy the festivities, she meets a hunk who is interested in making a deal.

Luke finds himself enamored with the animated Lola.  After starting to get to know her, he figures she would be an ideal woman to take to the family reunion.  His family just will not let up on the matchmaking.

This pair has the banter and the sparks flying from the first moment.  The attraction is mutual.  Very sexy and fun book where I even wished for a sequel.  You are not going to want to miss this. 


***This early copy was given in exchange for an honest review by Netgalley and its publishers.

This is one funny and lighthearted romance that plays on the pretending to be your significant other during a family reunion.  Plus the meet cute was totally unique and there are a lot of Golden Girls words of wisdom being floated around.  Now who can resist that! Luke and Lola are delightful characters and if you’re in the mood for a lighthearted and sexy romance then this one will definitely fill that craving.

I l8ved this cutevstory. It was super fun and cute. I laughed and swooned till the very end! Ill definitely be reading more from this author!

Immediately smitten kittens.

This was just ok for me. It felt somewhat immature. Two people that are almost thirty talk and act as if they were teenagers. It was too cutesy for me, borderline cheesy.

Not a bad read but just not for me.

After getting dumped by her boyfriend Lola’s friend decided the best way to get over him was to have some fun and what better way to do that but to crash a high school reunion.   She never expected that the name she chose to borrow for the reunion would be her downfall.

Luke is attending the reunion only because his friends convinced him not because he wants to be there.   When he spots Lola he is attracted to her and decides to start a conversation only to find that the name she is using is a girl he dated and he decides to use the situation to his advantage.

They work out a deal where she will come as his girlfriend to his family reunion so that his matchmaking mother and triplet sisters can find someone else to harass.   They get to know each other and the relationship is starting to feel more real but will Luke be able to overcome the baggage from the past and see what he could have with Lola?  

This is a heartwarming story filled with humor and romance and the secondary characters are great.    I voluntarily reviewed an Advance Reader Copy of this book.

The book was surprisingly sweet and heart-warming. I fell in love with the main characters, even when Luke was not acting like the man he was and I also fell for his family. I loved how they embraced Lola and I finished the book with the impression that she will be well taken care off because she has a family that loves her. 

So far the book is listed as stand-alone, but I hope that won't be the case since Luke's sisters were great and we were teased about a possible relationship between Winnie and Oliver who happens to be Luke's best friend. He seemed like a good dude and he had a lot of chemistry with Winnie which makes me curious about their story. 

The book is a quick and light read that doesn't dive very deeply into any situation, but I knew what I was signing up for when I saw the book, so my expectations were more than met. I was happy with the ending result and I even got an odd thought. I thought that when Luke and Lola became a couple at the end of the book, he could go to therapy and solve his daddy issues. This is the closest thing I have done when reading a book to connect a book to the reality. 

P.S I loved the story of the first date Lola's parents had and how Lola and Luke ended up describing it.

i read her super-secret rebound boyfriend in one sitting, and it's a super-fun, super-sweet love story that is based on one of my all-time favorite tropes: the fake relationship.

lola and luke meet-cute at luke's 10-year high school reunion. one that lola happens to be crashing on the advice of the golden girls and her crazy roommate. when luke catches her in the act, he is charmed and is also being harassed by his three sisters and mom to bring a date to their family reunion, so he decides not to rat her out if she'll pretend to be his girlfriend.

in order to pull off the ruse, however, they decide it's important to get to know each other a little better. and soon they are dating. even though luke has commitment issues and lola is on the rebound. so they don't call it dating. but it's totally dating and when luke is an idiot and tries to deny what is happening, he has to pull out all the stops to convince lola that he's on the same page she is.

and listen, i'm on the record of not always loving the big black moment followed by an over-the-top grand gesture, but i have to say that this book's grand gesture is absolute perfection. it's sweet and meaningful and builds on the story in a very special way.

**her super-secret rebound boyfriend will publish on june 11, 2018. i received an advance reader copy courtesy of netgalley/entangled publishing (lovestruck) in exchange for my honest review.

3.5*; rounded up for GR (and NetGalley)
Lola's boyfriend just broke up with her. Her best friend, Frankie, comes up with an idea to cheer up her and get her out of the rut she fell in. That idea, taken from an episode of the Golden Girls (yeah!), is to crash someone else's high school reunion. While there, she meets Luke. Luke happened to know the person whose name tag Lola was wearing. Busted! But wait, Luke has a family reunion to go to and needs a fake girlfriend.
While this was predictable, it was exactly what I was in the mood for. This was fun, flirty, lighthearted and doesn't take itself too seriously. Both have Issues. Luke with his dad, Lola with her mom. Lola was a little naive. She also had some self-esteem issues. I didn't like how being nice was equated with being a doormat. 
I really like Lola's friends and Luke's family (I suspect a story might be brewing for Oliver and Winnie; and then maybe one for Frankie?). I loved the Golden Girl quotes. I do wish more had been said that, while there are many families that are related, there are many more that are chosen. Lola thought too much about how alone she was, when she had a chosen family right there (like the Golden Girls). 

eARC courtesy of Entangled Publishing, LLC (Lovestruck) and NetGalley
Publishes on June 11.

This is a fun, cute romantic comedy with a fake to real relationship that will have you laughing aloud. Take a shy librarian, Lola McBride, who has recently been dumped for a younger model and have her with best friend, Frankie, gatecrashing a high school reunion - a la Golden Girls - pretending to be ex-students. Now add in a genuine ex-student, architect Luke Erickson, and have him realising she's not who she's pretending to be, then inviting her to his family reunion as his pretend girlfriend!

As the two get to know each other, their mutual attraction and his determination not to be involved in any long term relationship are at odds. He has a loving family involving his mum, aunts, cousins and triplet sisters whilst she has no immediate family. As they all connect, life is full of fun and surprises in this engaging romantic comedy!

There are references, quotes and advice from 'Golden Girls' throughout this story, providing more humorous content. The characters are well developed and I really hope there'll be stories about at least one of Luke's sisters finding love - with Luke's best friend - in the near future. I enjoyed escaping into this story and have no hesitation in recommending it to anyone who enjoys hot (but not too steamy) contemporary romances.

I requested and was gifted a copy of this novel without obligation and this is my honest review after choosing to read the story.

A story that absolutely lifts your spirits!

This story made me smile from beginning to very satisfying end.  Kerri Carpenter did s wonderful job with character development with both the main and secondary characters.  
Lola and Luke sharing their personal past pain made the characters very believable.  I loved the dialogue and how the story moved to their HEA.  The is the first time I've read Kerri Carpenter's work and look forward to reading more. I'd especially love to see spinoffs for Luke's sisters and Lola's friend Frankie.
I received an advance reader copy from Netgalley.

A book with abundant  Golden Girl references-count me in.  I enjoyed reading this sweet  romance with a feel good epilogue. Lola and Luke made a cute fake couple but an even better real one.  I hope Frankie has a HEA in her future.

I voluntarily reviewed an ARC received via NetGalley.

Super cute fun read.  Luke is determined never to fall in love.  He's seen how bad things can be when they don't work out.  Lola is a forever kind of girl.  She wants it all.  A great guy who adores her, kids, a loving family.  These two would never work long term so Luke things he'll be safe asking her to pose as his girlfriend to keep his family off his back.  There's a family reunion coming up and he just can't face all the questions he'll get bombarded with.  Too bad his stupid heart didn't get the "don't get involved" memo.

This is a very well written story and Luke and Lola will steal your heart.  I highly recommend this one.

This was a fun and very enjoyable read. It kept me reading from the very first page and I was telling myself just another page, just another one...until the end. 
Characters were very interesting and well built and the plot was interesting.  I love books with librarians and how they show another side of their life and it was great idea to combine with the fake relationship that will turn into not so fake at the end.
It is a definitely perfect book for this summer days 
I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own

Thanks for an ARC to read and give my honest opinion.

Cover was not my style, but the blurb sucked me into wanting it. My first by this author and it just wasn't for me. I love super sweet romances but after a few paragraphs and content of this book I just decided maybe this author's style of writing just isn't for me. I'm only going to copy the quotes to the publisher since this book isn't out yet, and I received a proof not an actual copy. 
Luke is the oldest of four kids, having triplet sisters who interfere in his dating...or lack of dating life. At 28 he is still a love them and leave them, no relationships type of guy. His father walked out on his life at a young age, and he still holds bitterness towards him. So no relationships means no messes.
Lulu has just been dumped at the age of 26 by her boyfriend for a much younger and prettier girl. What? She watches too much Golden Girls with her friend Frankie. They decide to hit up a high school reunion that's not theirs to hook up with guys...maybe a one night stand or rebound. She meets Luke and he exposes her lie. If she doesn't pretend to be his girlfriend at his family reunion the next weekend he will expose her lie.
I'm not sure what I didn't like, the characters, the Golden girls, or the situation. Building a relationship on lies really isn't supposed to work. I think the couple had okay chemistry but Luke was pretty annoying and childish about not having feelings for Lulu when he had obviously slept with her a bunch. He had feelings....maybe not longevity ones. Just kind of grated. Plus who has a ten year high school reunion? Two stars of entertainment.

I hated this paragraph....
He could have dumped every tub of ice cream in the joint on top of his head and still felt overheated. Lola’s eyes opened, and she trained her gaze on his face; she cocked her head. “Are you okay?” I want you. “Uh, yeah, I’m fine. Why?” “Because you’re breathing really hard. Do you have asthma?”