Oh, Lawdy, is it HOT-Lanta?
This story starts us off in the ever-busy downtown of Atlanta, Georgia, where Evie and Alex accidentally fall head over coffee into an interestingly family ordeal.
This is the birth of an idea Alex cooks up about becoming fake engaged!
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You heard right; it’s a Fauxmance trope, and boy, is it as spicy as a hot Atlanta summer.
Just when you think nothing could get as hot as summer and coffee, you have the sparks that fly between these two as they work to cook up a liaison to win over his grandmother and promise the company to him and not his smarmy cousin.
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This book is very easy to get lost in because it reads smoothly, the situations are authentic, and it has a taste of Cinderella and trauma thrown in to leave you with high hopes.
So add this to your TBR list, and you won’t be disappointed!

I’m a big fan of the fake dating trope! I loved that this book took of running and kept Elle interested throughout the book.
Evie is in need of money and Alex in need of a major favor to try and get ahead of his dirtbag cousin. Their unexpected relationship had great chemistry from the moment she spilled his coffee all over him. Her little sister Sabrina was the perfect comic relief as well as level headed. I adored her and made me wish I had my own little Sabrina in my corner!

At first I felt the first half went on too long, Evie and Alex were “getting to know each other” by going out on non-dates. The plot felt a little stalled the first half of the book. I still enjoyed it just want the story to move along a little quicker. Evie mentions Alex being arrogant, but he didn’t come across as arrogant as written. Has bits with humor, a light and easy read. Evie and Alex’s attraction is believable from the start.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for a free advanced copy of this book in exchange for my honest opinion. I really enjoyed this book! It was an easy read, and had a bit of steamy fun added to it as well. I couldn't put it down.

As an intern at the Jenkins Corporation, Ellie Cooper struggles to care for her sister and pay her rent. When she is asked to deliver a document to her superiors, she is mistakenly regarded as their secretary. Alex Jenkins is about to inherit the company from his family. His grandmother, who is the matriarch of the family, is visiting him and he asks a secretary to take notes.

Mrs. Jenkins believes that Alex and Ellie are seeing each other. Even though they only met a couple of weeks, their chemistry is undeniable. Alex is unsure of how to react to Mrs. Jenkins' revelation, as she is a responsible woman who would never approve of his actions.

When Alex offered her an incentive, she agreed to be his summer girlfriend. He would be spending time with her at family events and dates, and he would also be parading her around. Since she is already older than most young adults, she has no time for anything but love and protection for her sister, Sabrina. There is something enticing about Alex's kindness toward her.

After falling in love, Ellie and Alex find themselves at odds with each other. Is it a lie that they are getting married? Is it possible that Ellie is good enough for Alex's family? This book has been one of my favorites in the fake-engagement/CEO romance genre. The epilogue is also very entertaining.

Evie is so strong and has put up with a shitty hand in life.

Alex fell hard and I loved seeing his POV.. You could tell how much he loved and genuinely cared for Evie from the beginning.

I enjoyed the miscommunication at the beginning and the banter that follows. Evie is not afraid to stand up for herself

Kudos to Sabrina for realizing what her sister needed and taking it into her own hands.

Crash was easy to read and overall pretty cute. It's fairly formulaic in terms of the fake engagement trope, but honestly predictability is sometimes a good thing when you're looking for a read that is simply enjoyable.

I sometimes found myself forgetting whose POV I was in because there wasn't much difference in the narrative voices.

I also would have liked to see more resolution with the family because it doesn't seem like Alex and Evie's future will be very bright in terms of family relationships as they were left in the book.

All in all- could use a few more rounds of editing and more differentiation between who is speaking. But this book has a lot of promise.

I unfortunately didn’t love this one as a whole. While I loved the characters and dual POV, I can’t stand miscommunication. Top it off with the power dynamics at play and unlikeable side characters, I didn’t find too much enjoyment in this book. I loved the writing style, however, and would definitely be interested in trying this author’s other works!

Thank you NetGalley for the opportunity to read this arc! I really enjoyed this book! The relationship between evil and Alex had me smiling (almost) the whole time (iykyk). Evies’s sister was SO FUNNY! I loved the family dynamic between the two! Definitely recommend this book!

I really wanted to like this book. I usually like the fake dating trope, but I felt so lost at points while reading this. I almost gave up a few times, but it's not in my nature not to finish.

I wanted to like this book but it just lost me. The plot timeline seemed unrealistically short for falling in love, and there was too much information given in direct thought and not action. I did enjoy the dual POV but often Alex's inner thoughts focused on over sexualizing Evie which was offputting. I enjoyed the placement of Atlanta as the setting since that is a city rarely used in novels. As the book went further in the writing improved, but overall it leaned too much on juvenile than the plot called for.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publishers for giving me an ARC to review.

4 stars!

I was so surprised by this. I loved it, some parts felt repetitive to me but I loved how Alex was written, he wasn’t a complete arsehole just because like other books, he just wasn’t over friendly. He opened up more and tried to get to know Evie more and I just liked how he was written.

I was hoping there wouldn’t be. A third-act break up / miscommunication part but with romance books this seems like a must, but with how this book went, this part actually did make sense with the book and the agreement they made.

Loved, loved, loved! I love a good fake dating trope with spice and this did not disappoint! Alex and Evie had such great chemistry. Evie was such a strong character and I really loved the way she was written. I thought this book was so charming and fun! It was so easy to get into. Finished in one day! I actually wished the book were longer because I would’ve liked to read even more of what happens. ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️/5

📘: Crash by Tamara Lush
🗓 Pub Date: January 3, 2023

Thank you NetGalley, Tamara Lush, and Wattpad WEBTOON Book Group for this ARC!

*Reviewed on NetGalley and Goodreads. Will review on retail once published!

Thank you to @NetGalley and Wattpad Books for the ARC in exchange for an honest review!

"You’re giving me your time. Your entire summer. You’re giving me you.”

Unfortunately, I didn't love this one. The characters, Evie & Alex are great. Evie is relatable and "fierce" as Alex puts it. Her strong will and determination to care for her sister is inspiring. Alex is also dorky and lovable, although he claims to be geeky and we just don't see that in the book a ton, aside from his mention of liking sci-fi.

Spoilers:
I don't love the age gap and power imbalance. Alex was the managing director of a company she interned at... and it makes me uneasy that he then offered to pay her $100k to fake being his fiance. Then he stated blurring lines of physical affection. It just didn't sit well with me. If Evie hadn't been a literal intern when they met, I probably wouldn't have had as much trouble with it.

This was a fun iteration of the fake-dating trope! Alex and Evie were fun characters to get to know, with surprisingly deep backstories that really made their journey more interesting. The actual title seems entirely disconnected from the story, though..?

Alex Jenkins has a reputation. He is Atlantis, most eligible, bachelor, a former competitive motorcycle racer, and a man who isn’t afraid of a challenge. But when the off-limits marketing Intan, Evie Cooper catches his attention, South control has a whole new meaning.
Both Alex and Evie attempt professionalism, but that undeniable passion pushes them further to the edge. Between in office outfit, adjustments and late night, all secretarial work, they close Proximity survey is pure torture.
Suspense feels as Evie is reluctantly drawn into an engagement for show so Alex can secure his place as the companies successor. His reputation as a bad boy is not exactly on brand and a serious commitment to prove to his family that he is mature enough to take over. With engagement comes family drama and the ever present eye of the matriarch, Alex steely and strong grandmother Eleanor Dorothy Jenkins.
As Evie becomes emerged in the Jenkins clan, her humble origins comes into stark contrast, with the snobbery of the billionaire lifestyle. A wash in new found lust and overwhelmed by a world of luxury. Evie struggles to decipher between what is a ruse what is real.
Can Alex exchange his love for the chase for real love? Can Evie’s spunk and personality win over Alex’s family? Can their raw passion transform fauxmance into a meaningful relationship?
Really enjoyable read and totally recommend
Thank you NetGalley and Wattpad WEBTOON Book Group
I just reviewed Crash by Tamara Lush. #Crash #NetGalley

"You’re giving me your time. Your entire summer. You’re giving me you.”

Crash was adorable, swoonworthy, and easy to read. It was a fake dating romance between Evie, a marketing intern, and Alex, the managing director of the company. There was a usual misunderstanding-filled meet-cute that left both parties feeling a bit heated with the butterflies and attraction. Then came the fake engagement proposal by Alex to appear more stable and mature in front of his grandmother, the current chairperson of the corporation. With this engagement, he'll be able to secure the CEO spot, and Evie gets the extra cash to use to support her and her sister, Sabrina. Nobody falls in love and everyone walks away happy, right? Of course not, they fall in love for real and have to learn to navigate the sticky situation of real feelings in a fake engagement.

Crash was a solid fake-dating romance, but there was nothing really special or different about it. I liked the talk about class differences and privilege, but it felt a bit like a plot device used to build conflict. The whole arrangement also felt a bit too Pretty Woman-esque for me. I didn't know Alex was going to pay Evie to be engaged with him (but honestly good for her go get that bank), and it made it all a bit too much like the knight in shining dollars coming to save her from struggling financially trying to raise her sister. I like fake dating and romances more when it feels like both characters are on equal footing, instead of this weird power and financial imbalance.

I loved Gram but I hated almost every other side character (I mean, they were pretty terrible people). I wish there was a bit more resolution regarding how the family members view Evie and how they were planning on navigating that once they got together for real. Maybe they'll just never go to Thanksgiving, and that's okay. The main conflict and resolution also felt a bit underdeveloped. It all happened so quickly and there wasn't enough introspection or reasoning behind everything.

But overall, it was a quick and fun read and I really loved the title. I also learned something new about beluga whales.

Thank you to NetGalley for the ARC in exchange for an honest review!

Crash is a darling read. I’m a fan of the fake dating trope and Evie & Alex are adorable. I like how Evie never loses sight of her dream job. It would have been easy for her character just to fall into the” being save by a rich man” category.
For me, the third act felt like it went by super fast. We had so much build up in the beginning, then Eleanor dies and things kind of rush from there.
All in all, I enjoyed reading Crash. Thank you for the opportunity!

4.5

Evil and Alex were so addicting from the start!

Their first meeting had me rolling with laughter and I just blew through this read in one sitting. I couldn’t put it down and just adored everything about it!

I love Evie’s resilience and her strength. She is a woman who does what needs to be done but will not let others trample all over her. I think she truly made Alex a better person and showed him what love really is and means!

The end felt a little rushed but their love was not conventional so I guess it’s the perfect ending for them!

Crash by Tamara Lush was was just so good... sweet and fun... I didn't want to stop reading.

Alex and Evie pulled me into their fake engagement and delivered a story I got so consumed in.
They were both developed so well with their witty banter and amazing chemistry.
Tamara Lush has written a really great story and she wrote it very well.
The plot was natural and it just made sense.
The chemistry is so good, I truly inhaled this in one-two sittings.
I absolutely loved this book from beginning to end.
This is the perfect romance to get lost into!
A fun, heartfelt love story.
With great characters and it was fascinating to watch them grow and develop.

"I received a complimentary copy of this book. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own."

Wattpad Books,
Thank You for your generosity and gifting me a copy of this eARC!