Good book to read. Interesting characters that were all likeable. The book was well written. Good plot.

Take Me Away
Taylor is a physical trainer whose grandfather, a real jerk and a homophobe, left her a B&B in Maui BUT she has to be married for a year before she can legally claim it. UGH! She wants the B&B but marriage…UGH! Jayden is a client of Taylor’s. She was in a really bad accident and is struggling to get her mobility back. When Taylor mentions her dilemma, Jayden offers to fill the role and marry her until she gets the deed, then divorce her, no muss, no fuss. She hopes the warm climate will help ease her constant pain and being around Taylor isn’t exactly a hardship. This is going to be a breeze, right?

This was a sweet story that gave me so many warm fuzzies. I adored the characters in this book and the setting was so perfect! I was totally jealous but happy for them if that makes any sense…. (I personalize characters too much, I like to put myself in their shoes, Ive always done it and likely always will). I can TOTALLY relate to Jayden and know her pain on a deep level. It was great to see a character like her and watch her heal and gain strength and more. I loved her courage and determination. Watching her journey gave me hope. Taylor is strong but sensitive even though she does her best to hide it. She is kind and so full of plans and dreams. It was a joy to see them come to life! This book is full of feelings and drama and eventually love that made me feel mushy. I can see myself reading this story again and again!

I hate giving a book a single star but I really didn't like it at all. I wanted to. I'm a fan of a well done faux marriage/romance story but there was just so much going on with The Marriage Masquerade - and not much of it dealing with a growing attraction or love - that I just wanted to be done with it. I'll explain a bit of what stood in the way of an enjoyable read for me...

The biggest issue is the fact that a year went by and Taylor and Jaden never really talked with each other about anything of consequence. There was never any discussion of love or showing the couple growing together. Suddenly five months had gone by and each were feeling lust and love but never spoke about it. Then a year was gone and it was pretty much the same thing.

Instead of spending time with Taylor and Jaden, we were told about how awful the grandfather was (super awful), how broken Taylor was, Jaden dealing with an ex, figuring out why Sam had a job when he didn't do anything, who this mysterious grandmother was, best friends Annie and Alex, and Jaden's recovery with the help of a huge sea turtle. But not much relationship building. And absolutely no communication.

While I always appreciate an ARC, I can't recommend this one.

This was a great read. Exploring the lives, problems, and struggles of characters all at different stages in their lives. I loved it! Very interesting and great writing!

This book was a perfect light read about 2 friends who make a marriage pact, which turns into a sapphic love story. Some parts seemed rushed and unrealistic, but with it taking place throughout a year that is understandable. Overall, it is perfect for an uplifting read.

This is the first book by Toni Logan that I have read. I found it to be a very smoothly written romance. Although the basic idea is not new, it was still fun and interesting.

The two romantic characters are Taylor Braxton, a personal trainer at a gym, and Jayden Wheaton, a member at the gym. The story begins with Taylor learning that her grandfather has left her a B&B on the island of Maui in his will. The inheritance comes with a requirement that she be married and stay in the marriage for at least one year. She does not have a girlfriend, nor does she want to get married, but she wants the B&B.

Jayden has sustained a major injury from an accident and has been attending the gym to help with her rehab. Her life has been very difficult since the accident and her emotions are raw. She learns of Taylor’s predicament and leaps at the chance to go to paradise to feel the warm temperature on her crippled body. The masquerade begins in Hawaii and the box of secrets that surrounds the inheritance surfaces.

I found Ms. Logan’s writing to be very fluid. The story flowed and kept my attention. The characters are well developed and the plot is interesting. The Marriage Masquerade will hold the reader’s attention.

I look forward to reading more of Ms. Logan’s books. I recommend this book and rate it 4 out of 5 stars.

I received this ARC in exchange for my honest opinion.

3.5 stars. Taylor Braxton needs to get married to inherit a resort her grandfather owned in Maui. Her grandfather did not like she was gay and added in the clause about getting married, before he realized gay marriage would be legal. She is currently a personal trainer, and has a client, Jayden Wheaton who she tells this to and agrees to marry her for the year, so Taylor could have the resort, Jayden could use a year in paradise, as she needs to recover from an accident that hurt her leg and makes it hard for her to get around. They both agree to get divorced after the year was up, as this is just for looks and to help Taylor get her resort, they are not going to fall in love or anything.

I enjoyed this novel, but it was not amazing. It was good, the characters were well written and I enjoyed the promise of this novel. I liked that both Taylor and Jayden were getting something out of this move to Maui, as Jayden needed time to recover and relax. Both the characters had good interactions and I enjoyed seeing where they relationship went. This novel was well written and the characters seemed to develop at a good pace, which made it interesting and I wanted to see what would happen next. I would recommend this novel.

There always seems to be a number of romances that comes out every year about a fake marriage. The Marriage Masquerade falls into this category. I have found that these types of romances can be tricky and the author really has to walk a thin line on making the read a good one. This romance for me falls a tad bit flat. I can't say where I think it goes flat but I was really looking forward to seeing what happened once both mains get to Hawaii. What I did appreciate about this book is Jayden really does get to know herself better and she digs deep and really uses her time in paradise to improve her health and get back into shape after her accident had left her in chronic pain. Taylor seems to also learn more about herself and her back ground after losing her mother years before and learning more details about her mean and spiteful grandfather. Overall, I can't. tell you what I would have done differently in making this romance flow better or even make me feel like these two belong together in the end. Overall I would rate this one 3 stars.

This arc was provided by net galley and the publisher for an honest review.

Jaydon was dealing with chronic pain in her leg from a horrible car accident and Taylor lost her mom to cancer a few years earlier. These two women meet at the gym, Taylor is a personal trainer and Jaydon signs up for her program so she can loose weight and gain strength in her leg. The romance between these two starts when Taylor inherits a B&B from her grandfather in Hawaii and they both go there to begin their adventure. I really liked this book and the characters made this story enjoyable. I would definitely recommend this book to my friends and family and I can't wait to see what this author writes next.

It’s been a minute since I’ve posted on here. I’ve been doing some reading, but largely horror and nonfiction. I think, for morale, I should get back into more fluffy romance. Speaking of which, this one was a delightful, beach romp, perfect for summer reading.

Taylor Braxton’s grandfather left her his B&B in Maui, but only if she gets married and stays so for a year. He knew she was a lesbian and couldn’t ever marry, so there’s no way she’d get it. Except, we live in a marriage equality world, and so when Jayden Wheaton agrees to a year of marriage, it seems like the perfect arrangement. It’s quite simple as long as neither woman catches feelings. Except, the more time they spend together, the more things might get a little complicated.

Morale has been low, and this was a nice, pleasant romance to boost my spirits a little. I finished it a while ago, when it was still full summer, so it was nice to fantasize about being on Maui and not at work in the heat. I’m behind on these reviews, so you can definitely grab this book anywhere right now, especially if you for some reason don’t love fall and need a summer throwback.

I received this book for free in exchange of my honest opinion. Thank you NetGlley and Bold stroke books for the chance to read this book.

I was drawn in from the first page of this romantic novel. I fell in love with Taylor and Jayden. Although the ending was predictable (the constant will they, wont they. sort of gave it away). Having said that there are enough bombshells to keep you going. They say revenge is a dish best served cold, and boy wasn't that a excellent dish that got served.

I really hope that this book is placed amongst the fictional romance section and not L..G.B.T.Q. As at the end of the day it is just a romantic story that deserves to be enjoyed by all.

I always enjoy a fake dating/fake marriage au so I was excited to see this type of book come out especially by a new author to me. I loved reading through both point of views of Jayden and Taylor. The history behind their personal traumas and pain they endure throughout their lives up to their marriage and after were well explained and conveyed to the reader. I could relate to them in some aspects as of their inner turmoil. But the things I enjoyed the most was how gorgeous the island of Maui was described and the moments of serenity and peace each woman found in their alone time. I totally wanted to go out there and experience the seaside and the sights...And dear Charlotte! I wish I could have met her. I'm not usually fond of having an animal in a story as something that moves the plot along as much as Charlotte did, but she was pretty nice and I am glad she was there for Jayden to share her woes and insecurities. Also was very jealous about those scones they had ever breakfast. It made me want to do some research and learn to make my own. Thanks Sam! I think the only part that I felt was a bit rushed was Jayden's ex. I was expecting much more conflict by her coming between everyone but I admired how Jayden just wrote her off and did not give in to any leftover feelings or guilt she might have had for her. Good for Jayden! I enjoyed how Jayden and Taylor chose to work and resolve through their problems and stay together even though they are both broken. It takes real strength to admit that you might not be able to overcome everything all at once, or ever, but the fact that they are both understanding and will keep trying had me cheering for them. I look forward to the next story by this author. I greatly enjoyed this one!

Thank you Netgally for this ARC for an exchange of an honest review.

I enjoyed the story and the setting.

This book wasn't what I was expecting. It was more "friends to lovers" than "fake dating." Overall it was enjoyable, if a bit slow. Perhaps this is because I went into it thinking it to be something else.

It was about two people overcoming their own past trauma. I enjoyed the setting and the character growth. I didn't believe a lot of the set-up, and some of the reveal later in the book was over the top. But I liked both Taylor and Jayden.

I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

I received this book from NetGalley as an ARC.

Taylor needs to get married - ASAP - so that she can inherit a B&B in Maui due to a demand in her grandfather's will.
Jayden, still recovering from a horrible car accident needs to find somewhere warmer to live than Missouri and shake up her life and get her out of the rut she has been in.
The two meet at the local gym where Taylor is a trainer and helping Jayden gain strength in her injured leg and hopefully shed some pounds. Taylor tells Jayden about this hiccup in from her grandfather's will. Jayden offers to marry her - no strings attached - and divorce her in one year and one day after the deed is transferred in Taylor's name as a thank you for the support over the time she has been training her.
What could go wrong?

This beautifully written book had me from the beginning and did not let go. The picture painted, not only of the island, but of the people was really well done. I look forward to reading other works by this author.

I enjoyed this book, the characters were three-dimensional and the Hawaii setting was nice. It probably wouldn't find an audience at my small rural library, but otherwise I would definitely recommend it!

ARC received via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

I haven’t read Logan before, and while I liked the premise of this because fake relationships are a favourite trope, I thought this was just ok.

This features Taylor, a personal trainer who inherits a B&B in Maui amongst other things from her homophobic ass of a grandfather. The catch is she has to get married to inherit. But since her grandfather didn’t stipulate that she has to marry a man, one of her gym clients, Jayden, who is still recovering from a bad car accident volunteers to help out, since spending a year in Maui doesn’t sound so bad. Oh yeah, and they’re both secretly attracted to the other. Taylor was also attacked in the past and hasn’t been able to work past this.

So, the two marry and head of to Maui, where they meet Sam, the B&B’s handyman (and one of the best characters). Taylor decides to renovate the place and make it a gay B&B and so they set to work (conveniently her inheritance supplies for whatever she and her friends/family may need). During this time Jayden finds herself and manages to heal both mind and body (with the help of Charlotte, a sea turtle, who was also a great addition).

The problem is that there are large time jumps as the story has to move through a year and these jumps don’t come with great strides in the relationship. Even when they eventually hook up, the communication between them is awful (Jayden literally spends more time talking to and confiding in Charlotte than she does Taylor). Taylor doesn’t confide in or open up to anyone, even by the end of the book which I found frustrating, so even though the HEA does arrive, it didn’t feel earned.

Taylor also has some other personal revelations occur towards the end, but I felt that those and her relationship with Jayden could have happened earlier to allow them to be better fleshed out and that would have made this a much more engaging read. 3 stars.

This story has been good, it is a mix between fake romance, resurfacing after a break up adding to that the physical consequences of a traffic accident, reencountering a past that you had been denied access to. Quite a few important and heavy things that the two protagonists must bear, but the weight is shared so also through their unexpected relationship the two are helping each other to get rid of those burdens.

Jayden has been abandoned by her partner, in a bad way, cheating on her. And just when things were breaking she was in a car accident that left her battered and damaged in need of rehabilitation. So her self-esteem is in tatters.

Taylor has found her place as a personal trainer in a gym. She has not always been in good physical shape or very athletic but the circumstances of her life have brought her here and she does not regret it. Her life in addition to her has left her alone, she does not know her father and her mother died, she has a grandfather but he never treated her well, even the opposite.

So when Taylor receives the news that her grandfather has died and has left his inheritance to her, she can't believe it. He can least believe everything that her grandfather has left her, after being so stingy with her and with her mother. But things will not be so easy. He has set one condition, she must get married and be married for at least a year, then she can own a resort in Hawaii.

Who could Taylor marry? She doesn't have many candidates. And in a conversation with Jayden she considers her options, a warm climate will help her rehabilitation and she has no ties here either. And Taylor is hot, so why not? Let's do it.

So the story takes place mostly on Maui where the two go for different reasons but need each other's support, which actually happens there, along with the discovery of other secrets from Jayden's grandfather that nearly wiped her out.

It has been a good story, moving and also tough, but pleasant to read.

This was a scenic, thoughtful and sometimes painful view of an unexpected love story. I likes the characters, especially Charlotte. I really liked the way the whole family dynamic came full circle. I appreciated the way the author made Maui sound greater because of the terrible winter climate the characters left behind. I look forward to reading more from this author. I received an ARC of this book from the publisher via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

A marriage of convenience is made between two friends per conditions set in a Will.
The setting in Hawaii was beautiful to read about.
The characters are likeable.
Loved Charlotte the sea turtle.
Definitely a fun, cute story.
Many thanks to NetGalley, the publisher and author for the opportunity to read this book for my honest opinion. All opinions expressed are my own.