Star is all about freedom and living her life with no-string attached, both in her career and in her relationships. When she meets Rafe, an uptight vet who is her complete opposite, she can’t help but poke at him to get a reaction. Rafe’s family has been nagging him to find the one and it’s getting to be unbearable, so he offers Star, who is a cheerful ball of sunshine, $10K to be his fake girlfriend for 6 months to get his family off his back.

This is the epitome of the grumpy vs. sunshine and opposites attract tropes. Rafe and Star could not be more different and could not have come from more opposite families. Despite their differences, they work, and their chemistry is incredible. Star seemed like a hot mess at first, but as the story went on, I came to really love her, I do wish we had gotten Rafe’s POV as well because I would have really loved to know what was going on in his head. Overall, I thought this book was very sweet.

Thanks to Berkley Publishing for the advance copy.

POV: Single FMC
Spice: 🌶️ 🌶️ 🌶️

I’m a Samantha Young fan but this is my first romcom by her and I really enjoyed it! It’s funny and steamy, but best of all we get to see the free spirited Star really find herself, with the help of her found family and of course, the grumpy vet Rafe.

I love dual POV, so I definitely missed that, especially with Rafe, a character that I liked so much, but it didn’t take away from everything I did love about the book. I really felt like the real villain of the story is Pippa, Rafe’s SIL, and I’m not sure she ever felt bad for the things she did, so I will continue to stay mad at her 😂

With fake dating, opposites attract, grumpy/sunshine tropes, I was really excited for this one and I was not disappointed!

I really enjoyed this book! It was a fake dating, opposites attract that I had so much fun with.

Star was a character that felt new and unique. I don't often read about characters with her background and outlook on life so it was refreshing to read this book through her pov. Rafe was a grumpy vet who owned up to his misconceptions and mistakes and wasn't afraid to speak his mind. I loved that these two had this in common when there were so many differences between them.

The chemistry and tension between the two of them was impeccable. The longing stares sent me over the edge every time. I also loved that this book was single pov so we really got to guess on what Rafe was thinking and feeling sometimes which also upped the tension.

I absolutely adored the first half of this book. I was gung-ho for 5 stars and then about 3/4 of the way through that went down to 4.5 stars, and by the end, I was at 4. I don't think the writing got worse or the story necessarily did. I think it just lost some of it's tension and sparkle for me. We were getting into real life problems and watching Star go through a bad transformation which felt so at odds to the sparkling first half of the book.

Overall, I very much enjoyed this one. This was my first book by Young, but now I'm committed to reading her backlist.

I was pleasantly surprised by this one! Star was raised by hippies. She’s a free spirit, bubbly and lives her life on her own terms and doesn’t care what other people think about her lifestyle. Rafe is from a rich family, he’s a veterinarian, grumpy and uptight. He meets Star at his niece’s birthday party where Star is working as a Disney princess. Rafe’s family has been pestering him about relationships and marriage so he makes an arrangement with Star to fake date to get his family off of his back. Their relationship starts out awkward but soon blossoms into a sweet and sexy romance.

I absolutely adored Star’s character…her personally and how she tries to be her authentic self even among Rafe’s elite and slight, snobbish family. Star and Rafe’s chemistry was steamy and there were some laugh out loud moments in the book. If you love fake dating, sunshine/grump, and opposites attract tropes then you need to check this one out!

“‘I think dogs are my soul mates.’ ‘How so?’..’Well, they’re just so open and full of love. Aggressive dogs are generally made, not born, right?’ ‘Correct.’ ‘And if you treat them well, feed them, take care of them, provide them with affection, dogs love with an unfaltering loyalty that puts us humans to shame.’” 💕 #Facts

The grumpy-meets-sunshine and fake relationship tropes where the guy is a (hot) veterinarian and is fostering a Great Dane?! Umm yes. Duh. #GreatDane

This was a quick and easy read/listen that I finished in a day. I loved watching Star heal with the help of a good, albeit a bit ornery, man, and dogs. Always dogs. She’s a commitment phobe stemming from hippie parents that gave her no sense of home. And now she’s afraid of anything that ties her down and that she could possibly lose or fail at. Enter Rafe, cranky animal lover extraordinaire.

The audiobook was fabulous and had me laughing out loud numerous times at the banter between these two. Their chemistry was hot Hot HOT! If you are looking for a fun, funny, and hot romance to round out your summer reading grab this one today!

Thanks for the free audiobook @PRHAudio #PRHAudioPartner and to Netgalley, the author, and Berkley Publishing for the ARC.

Oh là là!

Grumpy meets sunshine in this fake dating to opposites attract book that I adored. I found this book to be captivating, hard to put down, and swoon worthy! Samantha Young has wowed me once again! She first came on my radar after I read Much Ado About You and I was excited to read this book.

Star Shine Meadows is a professional costume character actor and line sitter. Her jobs may not be all that conventional but then again, neither is she. When she accepted a job to entertain a little girl's birthday party, she was not expecting meet a grumpy uncle who seemed intent on having a bad time.

Rafe Whitman is a veterinarian who loves animals but due to meddling by his mother and sister-in-law, isn't too into humans at the moment. He is grumpy at his niece's birthday party and can't understand why the entertainer (Star) is so cheery.

When they run into each other again, Rafe makes Star an offer. It pays well and she will get to use her acting skills, so she agrees. How hard can it be to pretend to be a couple?

I thoroughly enjoyed this book and the way both characters who were total opposites grew as they spent time together. Rafe is initially grumpy, and it was easy to understand why. Who wants people meddling in your life? I would be grumpy and annoyed as well. Star is positive, cheery, and kind. She was very easy to like and root for.

Romance books are a journey and I enjoyed how the characters met, their banter, and how they had each other's back. Both characters were endearing, and I liked them both immensely. Like all of us, Rafe and Star had things in their lives that were stressors and issues that needed to be addressed. The supporting characters ranged from being highly likeable to not so likeable at all. Families can be messy, and Rafe and Star's families were no exception.

I also enjoyed the topics which Samantha Young addressed in her book ranging from communication issues, privilege, acceptance, Polyamorous relationships, neglect, opposites attract, what makes a family, and being yourself.

This was an enchanting opposite attract romance that had me fully invested in the plot from the very beginning. I adored both characters and could not stop turning the pages wanting to know how their journey was going to end!

Captivating, swoon worthy, well written.

3/5 ★
genres & tropes :
• contemporary romance
• romcom/chick lit
• fake relationship
• opposites attract
• frenemies to lovers

Star & Rafe come from two different worlds, so when their lives collide, things get a little messy. Star is a free spirit; she's the child of two easy-go-lucky hippies, and her life is centered around her immediate happiness. Rafe comes from a stereotypical "proper" & wealthy family; he decides to veer away from the family business & pave his own way by becoming a veterinarian. When Rafe & Star meet, he thinks she could be the antidote to the constant nagging he receives from his parents about settling down. The two start to fake date, and you can guess the rest.

This was my first Samantha Young book, and I was happy with it! Her writing is simple (much appreciated) and fluid, and this story left me with a cheesy grin after I finished reading! If you like Lynn Painter, Sophie Kinsella or Sara Desai, I highly suggest diving into this one!

I loved this fake dating opposites attract grumpy sunshine sizzling romance.

Rafe is an uptight grumpy snob who comes from a successful background, with a grounded family. Star comes from hippie flighty parents, and is a gig worker with limited responsibility and a thirst for joy and happiness.

When they agree to fake date to get Rafe's family to stop setting him up with women, something magical happens.

I loved both characters immensely and I especially loved the evolution of each character. They were great together. And their chemistry was off the charts.

I loved this one so much how have I never heard of Samantha Young before?

Truly Amazing - Fanning Self!!

Absolutely genius! Star works gig jobs; both as characters (usually Disney) and as a line sitter. Her parents were bohemian, and she did not feel the urge to go to college. Right now her goal is to be happy. At one birthday party she meets Rafe Whitman, grumpy, judgmental and from a well-placed family. He is also a veterinarian, sigh.

Star sees him shortly thereafter while line sitting, and yells embarrassing things to him. He responds by deciding to hire her himself - to be his fake girlfriend. His family is pressuring him to marry, even sending women to his vet office with agendas.

Definitely opposites. She has a heart of gold. He wants her free-spirited attitude to make an impact on his family. It is clever, witty, hilarious and difficult. Both have family issues, and both are perfect for each other - but this agreement has an expiration date. You will love this!

***** I am voluntarily leaving my honest review of this book *****

What a fun rom com! Star spends her days a professional line sitter and character actor. In fact, she met Rafe dressed as Merida at his niece’s birthday party. Rafe is Star’s complete opposite, a buttoned up veterinarian who can’t understand not having a plan. Fake dating is not my favorite genre but this one works for me. There is a lot of humor and so much heart in this one.
.

Huge thank you to @berkleypub @berittalksbooks @thephdivabooks @dg_reads and @netgalley for an advanced copy in exchange for an honest review.

Star was raised by hippie parents and although her upbringing was not the best has a determination to be happy that I can’t help but admire. Always trying to bring a smile to people’s faces, and live a stress-free, no strings attached life is completely different than how Rafe Whitman lives his own. He is very structured, has expectations, and comes from a privileged family. He is tired of his mother and sister in law trying to set him up with various women and takes this leap of hiring Star so that she can give him six months of peace. What he doesn’t expect is to be drawn to this woman, not just for her spectacular looks, but also because of the way she has chosen to live her life. Reading about their journey and how they both change through this novel was rewarding and I realized how skilled this author was to draw me in by such a simple plot.

This plot may be simple, using trope’s I’ve read before, but Star was a completely new character to read and I really enjoyed seeing her open Rafe’s eyes, as well as transforming her own life to be a more complete person. It was interesting as well as heart warming. I truly enjoyed reading this book, it was a weekend well spent.

I received a copy of this book through NetGalley for an honest review and it was honest!

This book was so good! I loved Rafe and Star chemistry. Lots of laugh out loud moments. No spoilers. Highly recommend! I was given advance copy for a voluntary review.

As with every Samantha Young book I've got my hands on, I've seriously loved them all. The Love Plot is definitely a grumpy/ Sunshine story that's a slow burn until it finally takes off about half way into the book. I love a book where the male character is dropped to his knees with a woman who is so his opposite he doesn't realize what's hit him until he's too deep into his feelings for her. Star was a free spirit who seriously swept Rafe off his feet, and everything I wanted the story to be was written in the end. Steamy chemistry between these two was well worth the wait. Didn't care for some of the family scenes, Hugo and Pippa were definitely idiots. Overall a great book that I was really looking forward to reading.

I voluntarily reviewed an ARC copy of this book.

En bref, j'ai été totalement embarquée par la romance entre Star et Rafe, ils sont tous les deux intenses, d'une manière très différente et j'ai apprécié de les voir tomber amoureux, parfois douter et parfois aller au bout des choses sans peur. Leur relation est forte mais ils vont devoir dépasser certaines choses pour être heureux. Les embûches sur leur route sont nombreuses, elles commencent par la famille et j'ai aimé les voir se battre pour ce qui compte pour eux, les voir comprendre leurs erreurs, les voir aller au bout de leurs idées et se donner à fond pour leur histoire. Les événements s'enchainent, je ne me suis pas ennuyée une seule seconde et le final est pour le moins chouette. J'ai adoré ce couple et ma lecture du début à la fin !!

Grumpy/Sunshine? ✅
Fake Dating? ✅
He falls first? ✅
Billionaire cinnamon roll? ✅

The tropes were all there and it was sooo good y’all! I loved how they met, their plan for the fake dating, their relationship development…all of it.

What didn’t I love? About 15% in the middle when Star was being a bit too much for me to handle. Was it necessary? Yes. Did I enjoy it? Not particularly.

I also wish we could have gotten some chapters from Rafe’s POV because I’m sure he would have had some incredible things to say. 😍😍

Overall, I enjoyed this 👍🏻

4.5 stars (release date 8-29-23)

You can read all of my reviews at Nerd Girl Loves Books.

This book was a delight to read and I absolutely loved it! I could not stop reading and read it in one sitting. Now I'm bummed, because I would love to go back and read it again for the first time. Fake dating is my favorite romcom trope, so this book was *chef's kiss*. This is the first book I've read by this author, but now I can't wait to go back and read her previous works.

Star Shine Meadows and Rafe Whitman are the epitome of sunshine/grumpy characters. Star works as a costume character actor and line sitter - Rafe is a veterinarian. Star basically raised herself, loves her stress-free, ambition-free lifestyle, and no-strings-attached relationships. Rafe was raised within a loving family, is tense, uptight, and doesn't do casual. A chance meeting at a child's birthday party puts the duo into each other's lives. When Rafe asks Star to pretend to be his girlfriend for six months to get his matchmaking family off his back, Star sees it as a chance to earn enough money to take the road trip of her dreams. What neither expected was to fall in love.

I loved Star, and always dreamed of living her carefree life. Sadly, my type-A personality just can't do it. She is sweet, joyful, and tries not to let other people's hurtful comments affect her. It frustrated me how long she gave her parents a pass on how they treated her, but it kept her from becoming a bitter person, so I guess it was for the best. It's shocking that she was as well-balanced as she was. Well, except for the never being able to be in a committed relationship part. It's understandable she fears abandonment, which was a central theme for her throughout the book. Her personal growth throughout the book, subtle as it was, was wonderful to read.

Rafe was a typical gruff guy that had been hurt one too many times to trust. He keeps everyone except his family at a distance, and can't be bothered with anyone anymore. So, it's understandable that he thinks Star's optimistic outlook on life is fake. When he finally starts to let his walls down a bit and let her in, his gooey insides start to seep out and it's very sexy to read. I mean, c'mon. What woman doesn't melt a bit when the big tough guy shows his vulnerability? Amiright?

The chemistry between Star and Rafe was off the charts. Their teasing banter was so fun to read and the descriptions of Rafe's dimples and laugh were adorable. This book was such a rollercoaster and although I knew it was going to have a HEA, I still held my breath with each wall the couple encountered. Now, I hate the miscommunication trope almost as much as I love fake dating, but here the author handled it very well. It wasn't true miscommunication as much as it was two people working through their sh*t, but it still hurt my heart every time. I can't say enough great things and recommend you immediately pick this fantastic book up. You will not be disappointed.

I received a complimentary e-copy of this book from Berkley | Penguin Random House and NetGalley. All opinions are my own.

I love Rafe and Star. Samantha outdid herself with this book.

Rafe and Star's meet cute was definitely not cute. Rafe grumpiness should have turned Star off, but when she saw him next, she took the chance to learn more about the man who caught her eyes.

What follows is Rafe proposing a fake dating scheme to help Star with her goals and get his matchmaking family off his back. But when things get real, Rafe and Star have to decide if they want to end their arrangement or modify it.

Star and Rafe have so much banter and chemistry. While they had so many differences, they only enhanced their relationship and helped the other learn and grow.

Seeing Star open up to Rafe and fall in love was magic.

This is one of my favorite books from Samantha!

Tropes:
Grumpy Sunshine
He Falls First
Fake Dating
Opposites Attract
Slow Burn

***ARC Provided by the Publisher via NetGalley***

I loved everything about this book, pretty much from page 1. I loved the characters, the story, the pacing...all of it. I really like fake romances where the man falls first and it's obvious, as he's the grumpy, that was what was going to happen.

I loved Star and Rafe, well he was adorably grumpy.

Fake romances are one of my favorite tropes. Yes they are predictable, and you know it's going to be real eventually, but it's watching them figure out there's something there, while already pretending there is, that appeals to me.

I liked so much about this book and that has to do with the author. Her books always manage to draw me in and leave me wanting to keep reading when I should be sleeping, or working, or generally doing things that aren't reading.

There was a wonderful depth to this story, and I loved the idea of not only accepting who you are but being accepted as you are. Watching Star find that for herself, and learning to let go of the things that were harmful, was really wonderful.

I enjoyed and recommend this title.

I will forever love every book Samantha writes – both traditionally and independently published. But this might be my favorite of her romcoms yet!

I loved the energetic, spirited, and eccentric FMC, Star, who lives her life for enjoyment. A job is a job – not meant to be a career. And then she meets her complete opposite: grumpy, up-tight Rafe, who seems to not be able to deal with her…at least until he asks her to be his fake girlfriend.

I honestly love the chemistry between the opposites attract characters that Samantha writes – I just cannot get enough of them!

But these two characters aren’t just opposites – they also want opposite things in life. He’s sworn off love, but if he were to attempt it, it would be relationship-style all the way. And Star is a casual dater at best. But their chemistry is something neither of them can deny. You’ll have to pick it up to see what they decide!

Tropes:
- Fake dating
- Opposites attract
- Grumpy/sunshine
- Rich MC
- Free-spirited FMC
- Romcom
- Enemies to lovers
- Banter
- Polyamory rep (not between main characters)

This was my first Samantha Young book and I am officially a fan. The Love Plot is the perfect opposites attract, fake dating romance. I am a sucker for a good opposite attract, grumpy/sunshine trope and Star & Rafe absolutely delivered. Star and Rafe's chemistry pops off the pages and their banter is *chefs kiss*. I loved how they challenged each other. For two people who are sometimes complete opposites, they are not trying to model the other person to fit into their boxes.

What I did not expect from this fun romance was the emotional side of things. The emotional subjects blended well into the story and did not feel like they took away from the characters.

I absolutely loved this book and read it in one weekend!