I absolutely adore a lighthearted romance, especially when I'm in a reading rut, and this one definitely did the trick. It's a simple and quick read but the characters were well-developed and likeable. I also loved that James is a Canadian author who set the book in small-town Ontario. This was the perfect end-of-summer read and I'm looking forward to reading more about Cooper's brothers!

After being cutout of the family business following the death of her parents, Emily has to go out and stand on her own two feet, completely alone, for the first time. I think my favorite part of this whole book is how unbelievably strong Emily is. I loved that even when I thought she would accept some of the things that happened to her but she stood her ground and more importantly, set boundaries and kept them. I absolutely fell in love with Emily then.

Cooper made me cry so much. His story is so heartbreaking and I honestly wasn't expecting all the angst but his comeback was amazing. There were times that I hated him but by the end, I absolutely loved him.

I want all of these characters to see their HEA. All my fingers crossed that there's a series to come!!

Get ready with the Kleenex.
Cooper get9a chance to find love for the second time in his life. Emily gets a chance for first times with Cooper for everything.
I hope that Cooper's brothers and sister will get their own books.

I jumped into this one with both feet, Victoria knows how to lure you in and not let go! Fantastic plot and two amazing lead characters who grow throughout the story and what a delight that was to see these two fall for each other. Even with a contract scratched out on a piece of paper by Cooper, as dictated by Emily.
Emily's moved from the city to small town after her parents died and she inherits her Grandmothers rather dilapidated old home. Her plans are to restore it and turn it in to an upscale small inn. She's already met with the contractor and when she hits town, her first stop is the little coffee shop where she gets an eye full of hotness along with her caffeine fix. Imagine her surprise when that eye full shows up at her door to talk with her about starting the house renovation. That eye full would be Cooper. Cooper and his brothers work for their Dad's business and Coop is the lead man on this job.
Sister owns the local coffee shop and she's adorable. She and Emily become quick friends. Emily never really had friends, she was too busy working along side her father in their hotel and inn business. There's a load of backstory there and needs to be read to be appreciated fully. Cooper has his own history as well, he's a widower, his wife died 5 years prior and he's taken himself out of the game. Cooper is locked down tight, but the attraction to Emily grows and becomes overwhelming, and Cooper asks Emily out on a date. It's a great story of a fledgling romance by two adults, a hilarious family as supporting cast courtesy of Coop's family and Emily's growth through her relationship with Cooper. My only tiny issue was that at one point I thought Emily was just a wee bit too nice. She'a wonderful person, truly she is but there was a point where all that nice was overdone. But that's just me.
Spectacular read and I can't wait for the rest of the family to get their stories, or so I'm hoping!
4.5
arc from Entangled via NetGalley for an honest review.

This book had me feeling every emotion throughout. It made me want to finish this book in one sitting. I could not put it down or get enough.

When I requested this arc, I thought it would be a funny and lighthearted read . But it was so much more! Both Cooper and Emily have a history they don't want to think about. But while restoring Emily's grandmothers house to change it into an inn, both Cooper and Emily can't deny their attraction . And although Cooper has sworn off love and Emily doesn't want to trust men ever, they want to date together. Hence, Emily comes up with The Boyfriend Contract. But when both of their past caught up with them, how will the contract hold? Get your tissues ready and enjoy this emotional and wonderful journey of two people finding their happily ever after when they least expected it. Five out of five stars from me and a special thank you to Netgalley for providing the arc.

I love Victoria James’s stories, they’re full of humour, heart & angst. The background for this book was of a sensitive issue that never really gets a lot of notice. I enjoyed Emily’s strength & character as she set out to take back her life. The sadness surrounding Cooper was a weight you could feel & to see him change & fall in love was wonderful. The humour & sass was the perfect amount to lighten up the mood when needed. Author Victoria James always writes her characters as real, fallible people just trying to figure life out & keep up with it. Definitely recommend.

Emily is starting a new life in Maple .Emily's father grew up in Maple hill on the shores of lake Erie.Emily is taking six months off after a crisis. She is exploring her role in the family business.emily goes into a coffee shop looking rough and ends up meetings handsome man.Emily is trying to start an inn with her nestegg of money she had.Emily had issues but I liked her from beginning. I had reservations about the contract itself.I liked the fact Emily fit right in with Callie's family.i had symphany for everything Emily and Cooper had on their plates. Cooper was a good hearted man

The Boyfriend Contract is a very cute read. I love Emily. She knows what she wants and how things need to be done. I laughed at some of her antics and cheered her on with her plans. I loved the chemistry she had with Cooper. Cooper, he just grabs at your heart. Even though both fight the attraction you can't help but cheer them on from the sidelines. I love how Emily embraces the small town. She has a heart of gold. I seriously loved this book. Emily and Cooper will melt your heart. I couldn't put this one down. The Boyfriend Contract is one of my favorite reads by Victoria James.

This was a cute book. I enjoyed watching the characters grow! It had a different story line from most books. There were several times It had me giggling. It has a great ending.

Victoria James has delivered another fantastic rom-com with characters that you can’t help but love and a love story that will have you laughing, swooning, and grinning like a fool. A delightful hilarious story. Fall in love with Victoria James and her books. She’s my go to read for humour and heart!! Happy reading!!

A book that’s as much about discovering your worth as it is about love, The Boyfriend Contract is a sweet and clean small town romance. It’s decidedly laidback and heartfelt with plenty of angst. If you’re looking for an emotional love story that’s character-driven and not about the steam, then this is the book for you.

The story follows Emily, a woman from the city who has devoted her life to the family business of creating luxury inns. She’s always felt like a disappointment for being a woman, and she definitely suffers from some self esteem issues because of it. When her parents pass away unexpectedly, she is shocked to discover that her father left the family business - which she has helped build up for years - to the brother who has shown no interest in it. Instead, she is left her grandmother’s rundown home in a small town. Realizing she’ll never truly be appreciated if she begins working for her brother, she decides to turn the property into her own inn, and finds herself moving to the small town. It’s there that she meets Cooper, her new contractor, and his loving family. Cooper is a bit of a conundrum because sometimes he seems attracted to her, and other times he is clearly trying to remain closed off and pulls away. It isn’t until she finds out that Cooper is a widower who has not allowed himself to move forward since his wife’s death that things start to make sense.

I enjoyed the writing style, and both characters are easy to like for the most part. Cooper has clearly suffered a huge loss in his life, so while he’s a great guy, he’s unwilling to open himself up to another woman. I was a little saddened by the way he ends up hurting Emily in the process, but there was never a doubt in my mind that he’s a good man. While the romance is a part of the book from start to finish, it also felt a bit rushed. I can’t exactly say that it’s a slow burn because there’s very little heat in the book and only a few kisses, but it also didn’t feel fully developed. There are plenty of other subplots going on that round out the story though, and I enjoyed how involved Cooper’s family is. Thank you, NetGalley for providing me with an ARC. I am voluntarily leaving a review of this sweet and emotional romance.

Emily and Cooper are a great contrast and I loved the way both of them came to terms with their new situation - both in working together and learning to trust in someone else. The pain that Cooper has gone through after losing his wife 5 years earlier was believable and Emily's soothing presence didn't take long to overcome his standoffish ways. I enjoyed the way Emily fit into the town of Maple Hill and the townspeople and really didn't want the story to end. I hope Victoria James continues to write stories about the Cooper family and the town of Maple Hill because I would love to see all of them with a happy ending.

I received a free Advanced Reader Copy of this book from the publisher in exchange for my honest review and I will be sure to put more books by this author on my "to be read" list.

Emily comes from a wealthy but dysfunctional family. A much older brother who bullied and intimidated her mother constantly belittling her so much that she grows up with an inferior complex. When her parents pass away in an accident, Emily is shocked that her father leaves his company to her brother who has very little involvement it in, instead of to her given that she had been working alongside him since graduating. Instead she inherits her grandmother’s mansion in a small town in the middle of nowhere.
Determined to be successful on her own, Emily cuts all ties to her previous life and decides to start up her own business, renovating her grandmother’s house into a luxury inn.

Cooper doesn’t know quite what to make of Emily when she comes crashing into his life. After the death of his wife 5 years ago from a terminal disease, he had no intentions of ever risking his heart or emotions ever again, but Emily’s mixture of vulnerability under her polished exterior hits him hard.

This was a sweet, clean romance. Not a big fan of the hero who can’t see or admit what’s in front of his face but overall the story was well written.

The Boyfriend Contract was a sweet and cute adult romance with very minimal heat to it. Like so low, I don't think the burner was even on. So if you like romances that are sweet and innocent, this one might be for you. The book is a romance and it does have a HEA, but I do think it's much more about our heroine Emily finding herself and getting out from behind the shadow of her family.

Cooper was a very broken Stoic guy, so of course I was about him. It's been five years, but he's still very much grieving over his late wife. He went through a lot, and I could understand why he held Emily at arms length so much. It's scary and risky to put yourself out there, but he ends up hurting Emily a lot because he is too afraid that it's going to happen to him. UGH! Men, why don't they just tell us what they are thinking? Honestly!

I did really like that Emily was determined to make her business work, and when she does have some setbacks, she quickly pivots to figure out what she actually wants to do. I do like the small town she finds herself in and how she quickly endears herself to a lot of people. She's also a total sweetheart, and a way nicer person than I would ever be!

The book is a cute and short read. If you are looking for something fun, but also deals with overcoming grief, I would recommend this one.

*I received an advanced reader copy from the publisher Entangled Publishing via Netgalley. I voluntarily read and reviewed this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

I have really enjoyed all of Victoria James's books that I've read and The Boyfriend Contract was no exception!

Cooper and Emily's story is funny, heartbreaking, romantic, and sweet. I was surprised how much I grew to love them, their family and friends, and the small town they live in. I especially loved Emily's growth as the plot progressed.

It seemed like there were a few hints about love interests for Cooper's siblings and I can't wait to read more!

I loved this book...from the first paragraph I fell in love with Emily! I saw so much of myself in her, not just her love of Cheetos; She has this vulnerability to her that she keeps hidden, determined to be a new, stronger version of herself. She is a genuinely good person, and throughout the book as you learn more about her life, your firmly on her side, a champion in her corner! As for Cooper, my heart broke for him, but I also wanted to give him a shake and tell him to live! The growing relationship as well as the rest of his family was beautifully written. The book also covered some series issues but was executed brilliantly. I really hope we see more from this family as I sensed a love interest in the form of a doctor for Callie...fingers crossed

Thanks to the publisher for an advanced copy in exchange for an honest review

The Boyfriend Contract by Victoria James a five-star read that will have you signing your life away. Emily Birmingham what a woman, she has been told she can’t be anything, but as she learns, you can be anything you want to be. When you throw in Cooper Merrick and his band of merry family members then you have a great story belonging in a great town. This will wring your emotions out, as it deals with loss and recovering and becoming something new and stronger. This is my first read by this author, but I know it won’t be my last as I enjoyed this emotional journey and great writing.

I didn't expect this story to be as emotional as it was and I don't mean that in a bad way, on the contrary I think it added more depth and feel to this story.
Both of the main characters have been hurt or are grieving from events in their past but when they meet is like that's just what they needed or who they needed at the right time, there's an undeniable connection between them and I was shipping them from the start. The more you read I think the easier it is to care and relate with Emily and Cooper, you want them to overcome their challenges or hardships and that maybe they find a way to be together, that they get their happy ending.
This story doesn't really have any steamy or explicit scenes, it's pretty clean but that wasn't a deterrent for keeping to enjoy my reading. Anyone who likes contemporary romance, or small town romances should give The Boyfriend Contract a look, I'd absolutely recommend it.

This is my first book by this author, when I first started the story I was questioning my decision to read it. The further I got into the story the more I began to enjoy it. Overall I really enjoyed the story and am glad I gave it a chance.

Cooper was heartbroken after his wife died and didn't want to love anyone again until he met Emily. Emily is a very kind hearted person. She's there to help anyone she can. Her first intention was to turn her grandmother's home into an inn until a teenage girl comes to her for help then every plan changes.

Emily is leaving behind a controlling brother to go love her own life after her parents die. He shows up and she ends up injured. That is the one thing I don't agree with in the book, Emily doesn't press charges against her brother for abuse.

Emily and Cooper come from hurt in their past but are able to move past it and fall in love. Their HEA was well deserved and Emily got a surprise from her father on her wedding day. I definitely recommend this book.