This was a fun and entertaining romance. The characters are so well done, and the plot was funny . She’s a lawyer who meets a hot furniture maker, and she needs a contract for everything, including visits home. It’s a great book to read when you need to put a smile on your face!

Thanks to the publisher and NetGalley I received a complimentary copy of this book. Opinions expressed as in this review are completely my own.

This book starts out with a BANG...literally. And I loved it! From one night stand to a fake relationship to happily ever after, I adored LOVE UNDER CONTRACT.

What's to love?

She's grumpy. He's sunshine.
I've never cum before.
My sister is marrying my ex.
We come from different worlds.
She's older.

Rebecca and Hudson are the best opposites attract. They have scorching chemistry (played out in scorching steamy scenes) and they are just so right for each other.

I took off a star from my rating because Rebecca is very difficult to like, particularly during the 3rd act break-up. And the clinch scene was pretty meh. There is a loose end that never gets addressed.

But LOVE UNDER CONTRACT is a great romance! Steamy and funny and sweet. It's a fairly light read that kept me hooked from beginning to end.

𝗥𝗔𝗧𝗜𝗡𝗚: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
𝗦𝗧𝗘𝗔𝗠 𝗟𝗘𝗩𝗘𝗟: Rated NC-17 / 5+ sex scenes, harsh language. *MIGHT* include props/bondage.
𝗧𝗥𝗜𝗚𝗚𝗘𝗥𝗦: past death of parent, parent in cancer remission
𝗙𝗘𝗘𝗟𝗦: 2/5 - A bit of drama, but still a pretty light read.

A brilliant read and one I really enjoyed. The characters are loveable and varied, the plot is one that is engaging and medium paced. I found myself completely drawn into the story and enjoyed the writing style.

It’s got all the feel good factors a great book needs together with well thought out characters and wonderful dollops of romance. If you need an escape from the Christmas mayhem then grab a glass of wine or a cup of hot chocolate, sit in your favourite comfy chair and treat yourself to a day of bliss. Love love loved this book!

Love Under Contract is an awesome romance. I didn't know it was a debut, so it's even more wonderful with this in mind.

Rebecca is a high flying attorney, destined to make partner but when her sister is getting married she is presented with a problem, she needs a date. It's imperative she has one because her sister is marrying her ex ! So Rebecca has an idea and connects with Hudson who we meet early in the book via their one night stand. Rebecca overhears Hudson has some financial struggles so she offers to pay him to be her date for her sister's wedding. It's a four day stint in New York. What Rebecca fails to consider in her contract is that Hudson needs Rebecca to accompany him to his family Christmas, because his mother has seen pictures of them in New York and thinks they're in love. Oops.

I admit to reading this twice now. Once when I was approved in November 2022, and forgot to write my review, and then again this past January when I thought I'd write my review (again). Best laid plans .....

Hudson was the kicker for me, just a great character in terms of how his character and relationships are written. Rebecca had some growing to do, and realisation about how other people in the world saw her - not that she needed to change, but from her own sense of self, and what she wanted to be, and what was important to her.

I can't help but recommend this book. It's well worth picking up.

I absolutely loved this book. It hooked me and kept me turning pages until I was done. Finished it in two days! The character development was strong, and the premise was unique enough that it didn't feel like anything else I've read.

Cassie Connor is a new author for me, and I would happily pick up another book from them. Here, FMC Rebecca is the epitome of the buttoned up, type-A, corporate lawyer, one who has adapted to and even adopted the toxicity of the old boys' club law firm culture in order to get ahead. MMC Hudson is a happy-g0 lucky furniture designer/maker who loves to "take the piss" as the Brits say and who charms everyone and their mother with his gorgeous exterior and sweet interior. Rebecca and Hudson have a meet cute that becomes a meet steamy, which eventually leads to her contracting him to be her fake date for Thanksgiving/her sister's engagement party and then her returning the favor by going home with him at Christmas (thanks to the power of Tik Tok).

This was a lovely love story. As a lawyer myself, I could identify with Rebecca and her experience of law firm culture, as well as her seemingly conflicting desires to be both happy and successful. Hudson does come off as almost too good to be true to be believable, especially given the way Rebecca treats him at times. He definitely comes off as more sympathetic than Rebecca, even though this story is told solely from Rebecca's POV. There is an ongoing joke about life copying The Wedding Date and it is a fun through-line.

A solid 4 stars. Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for an ARC of this book. The opinions herein are my own.

A fun story and cute chemistry between the characters! I love a strong main character and the fake dating trope. Fun book to read!

Thank you NetGalley and Cassie Connor!

Fake dating is one of the best tropes out there in my opinion, and Cassie Connor did not disappoint. Who wouldn’t want to hire a hunky fake boyfriend in a moment of need? Loveable characters, enjoyable story - perfect!

I DNF.
I couldn’t get into the story. Lost interest 50% in. It couldn’t keep my attention.

Thank you to netgalley and the publisher for the opportunity to read and review this title.

Spicy parts were good but middle part was long. Could have down without all the details and story lines about each of the families. Skimmed the last half.

This was so fun and I really, really enjoyed it!

We’ve got fake dating, grumpy/sunshine and a little forced close proximity (at moments) all in this one.

It’s set in New York (which is always my favourite for a Christmas book) and England too, so having the 2 locations was fun and kept it really interesting!

I read this super quick as it was just so sweet and swoony!

Definitely one to pick up this festive season

From the blurb -

Hotshot lawyer Rebecca Madison is dreading the annual family Thanksgiving break where the question on everyone’s lips will be ‘why are you still single?’.

When it comes to her career, she’s the best of the best, hired for her take-no-prisoners approach and sharp instincts. But when it comes to her love life…well, she hasn’t found the loophole for happy ever after yet.

So when she has a one night stand with a gorgeous stranger she meets in a bar, Becca decides to do what she does best: make a deal with Mr One Night to be her Mr Right (just for the holidays).

With an iron-clad contract setting out the terms for their fake relationship, Becca has one important point. Clause 1.a. No kissing, no sex (as mind-blowing as it was), and absolutely no emotional attachment!

But five thousand miles from home and spending every waking moment in the company of a man who makes her feel things she’s never felt before, just how easy will it be for Becca to stick to her own rules…

Advanced copy from NetGalley ✨

I really liked this book. Great tropes. I loved the grumpy vs sunshine and fake dating tropes. I loved Hudson. Very readable and a lot of chemistry between them both. I loved the character development. Would read more by this author!

Insta love with some grumpy sunshine mixed in. This was a very enjoyable read. While Rebecca’s annoyed me here and their with her decisions, overall I really loved her wirh Hudson.

Hudson pushed her out of her comfort zone, made her try new things. Rebecca kept him grounded.

I think this would make for a very cute movie and I would definitely watch it!

This was a fun story. I really enjoyed it. I loved the fake dating along with the reverse grumpy/sunshine.

I found both characters really likeable. Hudson was a friendly guy who seemed to charm just about everyone he met. Rebecca was more uptight and I liked how her confidence grew as their relationship developed.

There was a lot more spice in the book than I expected, not that this is a bad thing 🤣

This was definitely a great book to read during the holidays, I read it in pretty much one sitting.

Thank you to the publisher and Netgalley for an ARC, I am leaving this review voluntarily.

I had zero expectations for this book. I haven't read a Cassie Connor book before or a contemporary romance with this particular plotline. I was very happy with the results. This romance was sexy, funny and extremely adorable.

I adored that the woman was the grump and the man was the pleasant one. Cause women can be grumpy as well and men can be the ones who fall first.

Soo, Rebecca is all about her career and thriving in that area. she has no interest in a relationship however, her sister and the ex just got in engaged and although she doesn't want anything to do with her ex - she doesn't want to show up alone

Boom... here came Hudson who has some financial issues with his company and is in desperate need of funds.

And the story just gets better from there - it's like a modern twist on the rom-com called the wedding date. The cherry on top is the sex scenes are spectacular - I mean absolutely fire!

Long story short - this is a great read that I truly enjoyed

I really loved the premise of this book-- a lawyer MC, holidays, and instant attraction! I like the book, but it had a bit too much smut for my liking. I think the story was cute, and dealt with some clear commitment and control issues that can manifest itself. I love holiday romances too, so this was fun to read before and during the holidays. I gave four stars because it was written well and the plot was cute, and I think it would be a favorite for fellow fans of Tessa Bailey!

I received a complimentary copy of Love Under Contract in exchange for an honest review. This exactly what I expected from the date for hire theme. Rebecca and Hudson were both very likeable and kept the story going with their bantering. Overall, it's a good read that I would recommend.

This one had me at Fake Dating. One of my favourite tropes and this book does it well. I also enjoyed this take on Grumpy vs Sunshine. A quick and easy read with a fair bit of spice. Perfect if you want some open door romance with your holiday reads!

This story was a bit of a surprising delight for me. I honestly wasn’t sure what to expect but I quite enjoyed it. It’s got some heat to it so be prepared for open door scenes.