Adorable and fun. I swooned so much reading this story. I absolutely fell in love. I can't wait to read more from this author.

4 - "Maybe... I just needed you." Stars!

We return to Shadow Creek, Montana for the fifth book of the series giving us Molly and Ben’s second chance reconnection. Having had many issues with its predecessor, I must admit I started The Firefighters Pretend Fiancée with more than a little trepidation.

"I knew the minute you spilled your coffee on the front of my shirt outside the library that you were special… I knew by the end of our first date that I loved you. And I know now that I want to spend the rest of my life with you…"

Thankfully, the author redeemed herself with this story which I am really pleased about because in general I do get on with her writing. Second-chance romance is usually a winner with me, and Molly and Ben have more than a few obstacles to contend with before they can put both feet firmly back on the path to true love.

He was basically the man of all her fantasies… Then and still now.

A lot has happened to them both in the intervening years and almost a decade on, returning to Shadow Creek to take up a prestigious position at the local Hospital still brings on near panic attacks when Molly thinks about potentially running into her friends and family, all of which she has had little to no contact with since she left.

"The past is in the past…"

Top of the list, her ex; firefighter Ben Matthews. Her first and only love. Their separation was not amicable, the reasons for it not truthful, and coming face to face with him again after all the time apart has done nothing to dull the feelings she still has for him. Feelings she thought she had left in the past, and although it’s pretty obvious from the get-go that he isn’t in a forgiving frame of mind, it doesn’t take long for either of them to realize that her leaving and the reasons why have not had the desired effect, in relation to the connection between them, especially when in close proximity to each other.

She’d trusted the wrong person…

A proximity that’s pushed even closer when Molly ends up moving in with Ben to keep up the charade that they are back together and planning on getting married, as a way to aid his mother in her recovery from ill health. You get a general sense of what happened to Molly and what caused her to leave town as the book progresses, and as always the author delivers a very emotional and character driven story because of the themes used. What happened and being pushed back together, is also the catalyst that forces both Ben and Molly to revisit and deal with parts of their pasts that they really would rather not do, but in doing so it adds more depth to their reconnection and the resulting rebuilding of their relationship.

"Stop running… Forgive yourself."

Victoria has set up Shadow Creek really well now, with the secondary character introductions in this book I would like to think that there are at least a couple more books to come in the future, (hopefully for Christmas) and which I am looking forward too reading.

"I’m yours, if you’ll have me."

Wow, so many emotions running through this book that I’m sad it’s done. I’ve enjoyed this series & will definitely have it on my to reread list. The characters of Molly & Ben are so broken all from a lie that you actually feel the pain they’ve been suffering through but you had to laugh when Finn (Ben’s brother) & Ben himself put them in an uncomfortable position having to pretend to be engaged again after so many yrs apart. Both are strong characters with Molly a paediatrician & Ben a firefighter looking to move up to chief. This book wasn’t just sadness but it created an angst that just gripped you, as well as funny with the humour that Ben’s brother Finn created at every opportunity. The past was what was between Ben & Molly, the past being revealed is what released them & allowed them to finally find their way back to each other. The way author Victoria James brought this story to the series was beautiful even with all the devastation & the horribly traumatic event Molly suffered. She dealt with it in a way that made the characters of Ben & Molly both strong in resolve & in their love for each other. The character of Molly’s mom was truly horrible, she was pure malice & underhanded manipulation, not a redeemable quality in her body. This book & series have gone to the top of my favourites list & I can’t wait to read more. Definitely recommend.

I enjoyed these story and enjoyed reading about these two characters Ben and Molly This is a second chance love story. It was a great read and kept my interest and this is the first story I have read by these author. I look forward to reading other books.
This ARC was complimentary provided by the publisher and NetGalley. I am voluntarily providing my honest review.

Another winner in Shadow Creek! I loved Molly and Ben's story and found myself flipping pages just as quickly as possible. This is a compelling romance that is compelling and poignant.

Ben is the classic hottie with a side of recklessness that finds himself held back from the promotion he want to fire chief because he hisn't married. Molly is a success story in that she became a successful physician, however, she paid a very high cost for this success. When she was younger, she was assaulted and ran away from her life and all she held dear to escape it. That included Ben, her boyfriend that she had promised forever. When she returns for a year to serve as a pediatrician at the local hospital, she forced to face more than she planned on.

This is wonderful story that hooked me from the first page. Fans of the genre will love this one and want to put it at the top of their TBR list. Just be aware that, while dealt with from a historic perspective and a gentle touch, it does touch on assault that could be tough for some readers. The author is on my must read authors' list.

Ben and Molly were on love with each other and planned to get married. But then Molly broke Bens heart and left town.
Now 9 years later, they have been given a second chance. Molly is back in town and because of Bens brothers manipulation living together, pretending that be engaged.
Will they be able to let go of the past and embrace the second chance given to them ? Or will old hurts stop them from moving forward.
The firefighters pretend fiancée was a bittersweet, emotional read. The scene where Molly finally tells Ben the truth was so heartbreaking that it had me in tears. And through it all Ben was just perfect. His love for Molly was just wow.
It was a beautiful read that I would happily recommend.

Sent from my iPhone

An emotional read.
Ben and Molly were a couple until something happened. She kept it all a secret but now, 9 years later, she is back in town. They both want to hate each other but can't and soon enough they are being pulled back together, wondering what will happen when the past catches up with them.

Molly and Ben fell in love when she was 20 and he was 23. They planned to marry, but everything changed when Molly was impregnated by her rapist while away at school. Her manipulative mother convinced her to break up with Ben and led her to believe that she had enticed her rapist. A decade later, Molly returned to her hometown to head the pediatric unit at the local hospital. Molly let Ben think that she had been unfaithful to him when she broke up with him, so he never forgave her. He was still angry with her when he ran into her again for the first time. Despite Ben’s anger, his brother believed that Ben still lived Molly, so he hatched a cockamamie plot in which Molly would pretend to be Ben’s fiancée. Ben’s boss was hesitant to promote him to be fire chief if he wasn’t settled and married. Due to guilt, Molly agreed to the scheme. Despite their efforts, Ben and Molly eventually realized that the still loved each other.

This was another well-written story by Ms. James. However, for some reason, it wasn’t as heartwarming as most of her books. Nonetheless, it was a great way to spend an afternoon.

I really enjoyed this story alot. It was a wonderful 2nd chance at love story about two people who fall into insta love very young and are torn apart by life and lies but 9 years later when Molly moves back to town for a job they concoct a fake fiancee story and end up as roomies who eventually find each other again.

It was well written, and sweet and I highly enjoyed it. Only one thing did not make sense to me and tht was why Molly gave up on love, marriage and babies for her future. Even when her and Ben find their way to each other, I felt that did not make a lot of sense.

Bittersweet
Raw
Emotional
Helpless
Violated
Anger
Forgiveness

These are just a few of the words that I’d use to describe this story. There was a myriad of emotions flowing throughout, including subtle humor laced in. Banter between Ben and Finn was typical brotherly love and priceless, while the forgiveness and resulting closeness between Molly and her sisters was heartwarming. Juxtaposition of the love that was the undercurrent of the story with the epitome of malice that was Molly’s mother, gave the story the perfect balance of good to contemptible that makes for a story the grabs hold through to the very end.

This ARC book was complimentary, provided by the Publisher and NetGalley. I am voluntarily providing my honest review