3.8/5

PR specialist Caroline Beckett and travel blogger Emma Morgan find themselves attending a couples retreat and faking a relationship in order to review the newest hottest resort in paradise.

This is enough to summarize the plot, a plot that I usually love and really enjoy. However, I found myself trying too hard to like this book. I usually really like M. Ullrich's books but this one I found a bit slow and hard to get into. I think it was because the characters were introduced slower than usual so I could not get invested from the beginning.

Nevertheless, it was a well written book and the characters were well developed (just a little too slow for me).

I received an ARC from Bold Strokes Books through Netgalley for an honest review

A short review, but Pretending in Paradise is another very good book from M. Ullrich. This fake romance story is fun, enjoyable, sexy and easy to read. I loved both Caroline and Emma in their different ways, and their story was very well-written. I did love this book, so Pretending in Paradise gets a well-deserved 5 stars. Recommended!

This was fun. 3.5 stars

The fake romance between Emma and Caroline was brilliant. Plenty of crank and plenty of sweet. The kick off was a bit tricky and not very unique, but once it got going it was thoroughly enjoyable.

Both characters were somewhat unpleasant at the start for different reasons. Emma was a bit of a cad and I almost got to the point of not liking her at all, Caroline stuck in her righteous ways and was similarly unpleasant, but without a doubt they both got under your skin and from there it was sweet, though not always smooth, sailing.

This was a enjoyable read.

I love a pretend relationship. It's cute to see who will fall for whom first especially when you don't see yourself with that person.

Caroline is new PR expert for the travel review company and Emma is a travel writer, blogger, vlogger and photographer for the same company when they both sent on a assignment and is mistaken for couple in order to get the job done they both pretend to be a couple.


I received an ARC copy of this book from the Publisher via Netgalley and voluntarily leaving my review.

What a delightful read. I love pretend relationships. The fun is trying to figure out how they're going to win each other's affection. Caroline was a stick in the mud and Emma was a pistol. They work for travelwisdom.com . Emma is a reviewer that tends to get in trouble. Caroline is in HR and on her 1st day she learns she is going with Emma to a couples resort in Florida to keep her out of trouble. They are the only lesbians there. Now the fun begins.

I often find fake relationship stories unsettling and a lot depends on the reason for the deception as well as how it plays out. The other side of the coin is that characters are forced to get to know one another which often make the relationship more believable. Emma is a travel writer, blogger, vlogger and photographer but a bad review of a destination has had some personal blow-back. Caroline is the new PR expert for the travel review company and she’s sent with Emma to her next resort to ensure that her behaviour can’t be called into question. They don’t hit it off immediately and in fact, there’s a great deal of animosity between them. The resort is a couples-only destination so the next ten days will be interesting.

I didn’t really enjoy the beginning of the book and I’m not entirely sure why. I think my first impression of both them wasn’t a good one. It wasn’t long though, that both Emma and Caroline grew on me and by the end I was invested. I appreciated that in order for them to pass themselves off as a couple, they had to get to know each other which is also probably what dispelled my doubts about them.

They’re so different from each other but also aren’t moulded on stereotypes. Caroline has a lot of baggage but it’s not obvious and her reactions to things, half the time, left me as confused as Emma. Emma wasn’t easy to put in a box either which makes for a much more interesting read.

In the end this was enjoyable with a greater concentration on building a meaningful connection than on the fake relationship.

Book received from Netgalley and Bold Strokes Books for an honest review.

Opposites attract. Enemies to lovers. Fake relationship. Three great tropes that come together successfully in this fun book. Neither Caroline or Emma are easy to like in the beginning, but a really good writer can purposefully do that and then gradually swing it around until the reader loves them both. Super fun side characters at the resort too. I almost think that Caroline's family issues weren't needed, but I know that most readers need that. Not me, I love a sweet (hot) romance that can make me forget my own life for five hours. Beautiful fun cover too.

PR specialist Caroline Beckett finds herself chaperoning travel blogger Emma Morgan after Emma finds herself and her company in hot water after some extra curricular indiscretions. Neither are happy about the arrangement, particularly after both feisty women have a dislike for each other. To make matters worse, they're travelling to a couples only resort and are forced to pretend they are a couple.
I loved this book, it had great dialogue between the two characters and I was able to connect with them although I feel both characters could have been even more developed. I always judge a book by how quickly I read a book, ie, whether I can put it down or not and this book I couldn't put down.
This is my first M Ulrich book and I'm glad we've been finally introduced!

Caroline Beckett just wanted to move on. She broke up with her long term girlfriend when she found Ann was cheating on her. So not only does she feel the need to move on from that situation, she also has to start a new job, working for ‘travelwisdom’ as a PR specialist.Her and the ex worked for the same company so when it becomes clear that can’t go on Caroline decided to move home. At least that way she will be closer to her family.
Emma Morgan works for ‘travelwisdom’. She has a great job, getting to travel pretty much wherever she desires. All she has to do is give a review to ‘travelwisdom’ but she also has a following on her vlog and blogger she uses to keep her fans happy. Problem is on some of these trips she get a little too friendly with some of the women she meets.
‘travelwisdom’, wants her not to bring the wrong kind of attention to the company, so on her next assignment she needs to have someone with her. Just to keep her possibly more focused on her job. That’s why Caroline’s first task is to be well, a “babysitter”, who has the job of seeing that Emma doesn’t bring unwanted attention to ‘travelwisdom’.
I’ve read all of Ms Ullrich works so I already knew I would probably like this book as much as I’ve liked her other books. So getting a chance to read her new book wasn’t a hardship. In fact I honestly found this book one of her best offerings yet. Very, very enjoyable read.
ARC via NetGalley

Emma Morgan is a travel blogger who gets a tip about a brand new resort opening up in Miami, and she wants to be the first to review it. Only problem is, it's an exclusive couples resort, and she is decidedly single. Her boss sends the new PR specialist, Caroline Beckett, along with Emma, to keep her out of trouble and to act as her girlfriend. Caroline has been burned by a work relationship before, and she's not in any hurry to get into a relationship with someone she works with, fake or not. But at the romantic destination for couples, the two women are thrown together time and again, and the lines between fiction and reality begin to blur.

This book was soooo much fun! I loved the pacing of this book. The sexual tension and the chemistry between Emma and Caroline was so strong and could have imploded much sooner, but drawing it out made their emotional connection that much closer and their chemistry that much hotter. I love a good fake-relationship trope, and this one was done in a fresh and unique way. Emma and Caroline were lovely characters, imperfect and quirky, but also entirely lovable.

I think I like M. Ullrich's serious books just as much as the fun ones and I think every single book has been better than the last. Her books are so vibrant and real and absolutely captivating.

This is a perfect summer beach read - and really a perfect anytime read for a romance lover. My face hurt from smiling so much because the romance was out of control lovely.

I received an ARC via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

Now this is the way to write a beautiful romance! Pretending in Paradise by M. Ullrich had me smiling almost from the first page, and I don’t believe I lost the joy of reading this novel as I voraciously consumed every word.
The story is what many call a fake (or faux) romance where two unlikely characters are put together and have to pretend to be a loving couple. That is what happened to Emma Morgan and Caroline Beckett who end up pretending to be a loving couple as they spend ten days at a couples resort for their work. This happened in spite of the fact that the two just met and definitely have nothing in common. They don’t even like each other. Of course, this leads to a pretty wild ten days in a gorgeous setting.
I absolutely loved how Ms. Ullrich developed these characters. She lets us see how beautiful they are, both inside and out, but shows us their flaws and insecurities at the same time. In other words, she makes them human. It was amazing how she put two such different characters together. Watching these two grow together in spite of their differences was delightful.
There was some angst in the story, mainly caused by the two characters’ outlook toward life. One character has a little more trouble overcoming past life lessons. I felt it was just the right amount of angst for this type of story.
Another plus is the author’s descriptions of the setting. She had me feeling, seeing, hearing, and tasting everything with the characters. That is not easy to do. Excellent descriptions!
Pretending in Paradise is a lovely romance that is going in my favorites folder.

I received this as an ARC from NetGalley and Bold Strokes Books for an honest review.
Rainbow Reflections:
https://rainbowreflections.home.blog/

I've got to say up front - I love me a good fauxmance story! This was a fresh new take on the theme too, and completely enjoyable. I'm happy to say that I really enjoyed this one, and would venture to say that it's one of Ullrich's better novels!

MC Emma comes across as a total @$$ at the beginning and I actually really hated her as a person. After the first few chapters, I was really worried that I wouldn't enjoy this read as much as I hoped, but Ullrich managed to really turn her around. The romance between Emma and the other MC Caroline really shined in this story. I loved how the two were thrown into couples activities, including group therapy, without knowing each other at all. It was really well written, and a joy to watch them grow together.

And can I just say, the first sexual scene was one of the single hottest scenes that I've read in a loooong time! *WOW* Like - stop and take a cold shower hot!

There was really only once obligatory angst scene that felt a bit forced in my opinion, but it's a part of the lesfic formula, and easy to get past. Just pick this one up. If you're a fan of f/f romance, I think you'll really like this one!

4.25 stars.

**Many thanks to Bold Strokes for providing me with an ARC copy in exchange for my honest review.**

4 Stars. I enjoyed this book a lot. This book is about Caroline Beckett, a new PR specialist at a travel site. On her first day, she has to deal with a PR disaster created by a travel blogger, Emma Morgan. Emma finds an exclusive couples only resort to review for the website and the boss makes Caroline and Emma force a relationship to review the place. Emma and Caroline initially do not get along, but as the resort is specialized towards couples, they have to be together to fully enjoy the resort. AS they spend more time together, they start to enjoy the company of one another more.

This book surprised me. I read the description and thought it would be okay, but I turned our really enjoying it. There was a lot of tension between the two main characters and I enjoyed that a lot. They did not just jump into a anything and they faked their relationship for most of the book. They both had to learn to accept and spend time with one another to get to know each other. The characters were every different, but evolved throughout the book into better people. I would recommend this book to anyone who likes a book with a lot of tension. I thoroughly enjoyed it.

No pretending to love this book!

Emma is a travel reviewer who puts her company at risk after having relations with someone from a resort she recently evaluated. Caroline is a public relations person hired to help clean up the company image. Emma needs to review a couples retreat and the boss sends Caroline as her +1 to keep her in line while the lawyers work on burying the lawsuit.

These two do not get along in the begging. At. All. To be honest, I didn't like Emma very much at first. I felt she was a bit too critical of Caroline. Thankfully I did end up liking her as I got to know her more throughout the story.. This was my ONLY complaint in the entire book: I wish I could have liked Emma all along.

There were a lot of fun situations they were put in. Some interesting characters encountered. Swoon worthy outings. This was another book where I super enjoyed just being that fly on the wall as I witnessed the relationship evolve.

Caroline's previous relationship and family issues provide a depth that propels this beyond just a light read romance. There is some realistic conflict that happens. 3/4 into the book. I like a little bit of angst to get my heart beating. This checked the box.

Oh. And I'm not the biggest fan of intimate scenes, but I can't complain about the ones between these pages. Chemistry off the charts and supported by emotion.

I really liked this one. My first from this author. I will need to go read some of her previous books.

<i>I received an ARC from Bold Strokes Books through Netgalley for an honest review</i>

Enjoyable read with interesting characters. The premise of a fake relationship can be a drag or it can be enticing and I am pleased to say this read was the latter. Two very different characters from each other. Emma Morgan, travel blogger, good at her job with an eye for the ladies. Caroline Beckett, PR specialist, recovering from a failed relationship. Due to a bad decision on a previous assignment, Emma has a "babysitter" in the form of the new PR specialist. It is difficult for me to recall two characters that are so fundamentally different from each other and that was what was so appealing. I smiled and frowned as I followed their journey of will they or will they not.

Caroline Beckett is a newly appointed PR member with Travel Wisdom, a travel site (duh!) and Emma Morgan is their star travel blogger. Caroline’s appointment comes at a time when a property is suing the site for a review written by Emma which had essentially blasted them. Amongst the property’s accusations against Emma’s work is the fact that one of the property employee’s claims that Emma didn’t really do her job because she was too busy having an affair with the said employee. In the midst of Travel Wisdom trying to handle this situation, Emma is off to Miami to review a new couples’ only resort. Caroline is assigned to accompany her to ensure that she doesn’t have an ‘active’ stay but sticks to doing her work. Once there, they discover that they will have to pose as a couple to really be able to participate in all the activities that the resort offers.


He author has done an excellent job is drawing two truly very different from each other characters in Caroline and Emma. Their bickering and initial dislike for each other works extremely well because they have been conceptualised so perfectly. The slow discovery and appreciation of the other is also completely believable. Both the points of view are written engagingly and you are completely invested in the unfolding relationship fully knowing what each MC is thing, feeling and where they are at. But the real major star of this show is the crackling chemistry. Oh! And the hot, hot sex.


We fully recommend this book…go for it.

I had the pleasure of receiving an ARC of Pretending in Paradise from NetGalley in exchange for this unbiased review. This is my first time reading a novel from M. Ullrich, but it definitely will not be the last. Her writing style is fantastic and in this book, she kept me engaged the entire time I was reading.

Pretending in Paradise is a fake romance to a real romance novel. Emma is a writer for a travel website who likes to have a little extracurricular activity on her trips. This gets her in trouble as one of her "activity participants" sues the company after Emma writes a bad review of the property. In comes Caroline, a PR rep that has been recently hired to take care of the issue. Emma looks to be suspended for 2 weeks without pay when she gets a tip about a new couples only resort that is opening in Miami that she can get an instant scoop on. Her boss agrees to her taking the trip, but Caroline must go with her to supervise and make sure that she doesn't get into trouble. Since the resort is couples only, Emma and Caroline must pretend to be a dating couple for the next 10 days.

Without giving anything else away, the pacing of this novel is perfect. It is a very slow build as the two go from enemies to civil friends to more in the span of just over a week. I loved the way Ullrich allowed little pieces of each character's pasts to be brought out through their different activities. The sexual tension increases over time and the end result of the build is amazing! The emotions that are built for these characters had me in tears a couple of times, including the last chapter.

This is such a well-rounded romance novel and I am sure I will be reading it again in the near future. I hope an audiobook version will be coming as well. The story is one that I could easily see made into an excellent romcom movie. I highly recommend this book to anyone who wants a good romance. It is a very special read.

Pretending in Paradise was a great read. It had an interesting fauxmance storyline, an enticing setting, likable characters, and funny, realistic, and emotional dialogue.

The best part of this book was slowly watching the characters take shape. As the story evolved so did the characters, especially Caroline who was initially stoic and had a sense of detachment to her. But the author slowly and very effectively peeled away those layers of hurt and insecurities to uncover a woman who longed to feel safe and loved. Emma, initially so driven and self absorbed, became exactly what Caroline needed.

The secondary characters added fun and some drama to the story, especially between Caroline and her family. There was an angst scene toward the end of the book that I initially thought was unnecessary, but I think it was needed in order for Caroline to connect to her brother Kyle in a positive, encouraging, and emotional way.

Overall, this was a very entertaining, enjoyable read and highly recommended.

I received an ARC copy of the book from the Publisher via Netgalley and voluntarily leaving my review.

What a fantastic read. I stayed up half the night to finish it.

Caroline is a PR Specialist and Emma is a Travel Blogger. I loved them both at different times in the story. At the beginning I thought Emma was a little immature and later on in the story Caroline was beginning to grate on my nerves with the way she was carrying on but I still loved them both.

The chemistry between both of them was off the charts, even though Caroline was in denial about her feelings. I liked that the author took both characters out of their comfort zones and that helped to strengthen their bond with each other. I liked all the secondary characters (except Sydney) and the pacing was good.

All in all, it was a fantastic read and if you like fake romances then this is definitely the book for you.

PERFECT, So many things I loved in this book. I love how realistic their growth was, how at the end one side character explained the growth.Moreover, often times the dialogue is weird and make no sense to me- like do ppl say this in real live !. here though i felt like I heard it in real live and they made completely sense. i don't know how long the author took to write this one and if she pretended to be one of them or if most of the sentences were from experience but honestly good job. very well written. sweet story

Highly recommended if you like hate-to-love or fake-to-ture romance.
thank you for the free copy