The book points out being bored, which reminded me that there wasn’t anything particularly interesting or gripping or unique that it offers the genre. I stopped after the prologue, which actually was 7% of the book. Feels like the pacing is off.

Thank you to NetGalley and Berkley for the ARC.

If there is an "accidentally married in Vegas" book, I am going to read it. I absolutely loved that this was a second chance for these soulmates too.
Violet and Xavier were ment to be, until they weren't. Violet was off living her dream as a stylist to some of the most famous people, and Xavier has lost all of his dreams. His injury prevented him playing basketball and his pride cost him the one girl he loved the most. He didn't want her to give up her dreams for him, so he let her go and has regretted it ever since.
One chance meeting in Vegas and he knows he can't live without her in his life anymore. He has lived the last ten years trying to fill the Violet sized hole in his heart and no one will replace it but her. Their lives are so different now though, with her traveling and him being in one place all the time, could this even work?
Finding true love is rare, but it's even more rare to have someone who will fight to be with you and never give up. I feel like that is what these two have and I really enjoyed their journey.
Thank you to Berkley, Netgalley and Kristina Forest for an early copy.

Kristina Forest's writing was so wonderful! This book was filled with humor, romance, and amazing banter! I really enjoyed this story!!

Once upon a time, Violet Greene adored her high school boyfriend Xavier Wright. The two of them had big dreams of fame: Violet as a celebrity stylist, Xavier as an NBA star. And despite the drama, the fights, and the making up again, they both knew that ultimately they wanted to marry and have their happy ever after. But their final breakup in college sent them in different directions with broken hearts.

Fast forward 11 years, and Violet has recently dumped her cheating fiance. She's off to Las Vegas with her best friend and top client, Karina (or rap star Karamel Kitty), who is opening a new casino. Violet has been moving up steadily in her business and has a busy schedule even after the whirlwind Vegas trip, but everything skitters to a halt when she runs into Xavier, now an English teacher and assistant coach at their old high school, who is in town to celebrate his cousin Raheem's birthday. And after a night of drinking, talking, and dancing at the casino's club, Violet and Xavier wake up together -- naked, in the same bed, with rings on their fingers.

Though they both realize that their Vegas wedding was fake, they both find reasons to keep up the pretense of being married. For Violet, announcing herself as married in a big magazine article takes the spotlight off her recently failed relationship, and Xavier needs to appear married and settled in order to be considered for a college coaching position. But when their fake marriage throws them into closer proximity and causes them to share more about their lives, that first love returns full force.

This book follows up with the Greene family after the events of The Neighbor Favor. In that book, Violet had thrown an anti-wedding celebration after the breakup with her fiance, so to see her find true love in the mature version of her first love is rewarding. Violet carries herself with so much confidence, even from an early age and even knowing that many people would think her passion to be superficial, but she also reveals her exhaustion with the ongoing hustle her work demands -- something that also helps her open herself to what she really wants in life. Xavier has struggled with his own confidence and still doesn't quite recognize the value of where he is now, but having Violet back in his life helps him recognize his priorities much more clearly. I loved how they learned to communicate more honestly and openly with each other and how that in turn influenced how they saw themselves. Another solid turn from Forest. 4 stars.

Thank you, Berkley Romance and NetGalley, for providing an eARC of this book. Opinions expressed here are solely my own.

i’m debating between a 3.5 star and a 4 star because i’m the beginning i was bored but i ended up being won over by the characters. i thought it was super funny and i enjoyed karina as a side character. i thought the romance was cute but it was like so fluffy? there was smut but it was over so quickly. i guess i just expected more angst? also i’m just not in my romance era so that might also play a part idk.