Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? No
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0

Characters: 3
Connection to the book/Enjoyment: 3
Setting: 4
Plot/Overall Story: 3
Writing: 3

Every point= 0.25 stars, max per category 4 points

Overall a really sweet story! I enjoyed it more than some of her other more recent books. It was a wholesome, clean romance with a perfect setting for summer- just what I was looking for.

But once again, don’t go into this looking for Christian fiction even though it is published by Thomas Nelson. There are no faith elements in the story outside of a minor character mentioning she last saw the main character’s mom at a church event. Waiting for Christian fiction to truly become Christian fiction again.


Content Warnings
Minor: Abandonment, Alcoholism, and Infidelity

Thank you NetGalley and Thomas Nelson for the opportunity to read and review this book!

This was a fun beachy read set in my home state of North Carolina. I enjoyed the chemistry between Liam and Chloe. A sweet romance.

I always love Denise Hunter’s books and I loved the small town feel mixed with the movie star coming to town. Realistic characters and light romance, with some humor along the way make Love, Unscripted the perfect feel good read. Always recommend this author!

This is my first time reading a Denise Hunter book, and it was better than I expected. It drew me in, keeping my interest late into the night. It was so sweet and romantic. It would be a great book for the summer.

"Love, Unscripted" takes a heartwarming look at the enemies-to-lovers trope, pairing a small-town, hard-working author, Chloe, with the playboy male lead, Liam, who is set to star in the film adaptation of her book. Of course, they get off to a rocky start, but then plan a fake-dating scheme that will help them each achieve what they need to career-wise.

Over the course of several weeks, what starts out as a purely business arrangement starts to take on more meaning for them both as the sparks continue to fly.

I really enjoyed the story and appreciated that the romance wasn't too spicy. This has been one of my favorite reads so far this year.

Thank you to Denise Hunter, HarperCollins, and NetGalley for an advance review copy.

Stars: 4.25
Read: April 2024

This was quite enjoyable! I’m not one for relationships that start on a lie so I struggled with that. I admittedly have a valid and negative bias about Hollywood so I had to put that aside. That being said….

Their fake relationship strangely allowed them to be themselves and have no expectations or subterfuge about who they are as people. They developed a good friendship of respect. The lines became blurred, real feelings arose, and the kiss in the rain was pretty romantic. The scenes were they helped each other through the flu were pretty key because sick and yucky is anything BUT Hollywood.

At the end of the day, the dishonest way that they began bit them in their collective behinds. They fell back on their past pain and issues by default. I respected that they had to go through the mess to learn more about themselves and have the courage to be vulnerable. That made the initial bad premise of a fake relationship sit better with me. Bad decisions and dishonesty led to consequences. I’m glad they learned from it and made the necessary changes.

There were some really sweet romantic moments, sincere friendship, family ties, and the side stories blended in well. I really missed seeing a foundation of faith in this novel. It would have tied it all together that much more.

I recommend this novel because it became about much more than fake dating and movie-making.

—— I was graciously provided a e-Book digital copy of this novel from Net Galley after the release date. I was not required to give anything but an honest review. All words are my own.

What was it about Love, Unscripted that made me want to read it? Well, two things. The author, Denise Hunter, is a favorite of mine, having penned many romances that I’ve enjoyed, romances that are well-written, entertaining, and firmly full of faith. Secondly, the fact that this fictional author’s novel is being made into a movie. How fun is that?

Seriously, what’s not to love? We have a (perceived) Hollywood bad boy trying to redeem his reputation. We have an author who is, so far, a one-hit wonder… meaning her day job is working at her family’s restaurant. We have a charming beachside town… I love seaside reads! We have a fake relationship… and I’m trying to think why I love those so much! I mean, it’s basically lying on a grand scale, and it’s pretty clear what the Bible has to say about lies. But don’t we often rationalize things we know are wrong, telling ourselves this one thing is okay in this specific instance? And also, with a solid faith arc, there’s room for characters to grow. Room for their consciences to catch up with them. They have to come clean to those around them at some point, and come clean with each other. There are so many nuances that can be explored in a fake relationship story. I think that’s what appeals to me.

Beach read with depth

This was a fake relationship to more, celebrity and author romance. I loved the idea of an author watching her book be brought to life as a movie! Both Liam and Chloe had flaws and blind spots, it was fun to see them grow together.

This was a sweet romance, I'd rate PG for kissing, and mention of a side character's bigamy.

I really enjoyed reading this book. The characters were flawed and so relatable that the story just flowed. I appreciated the real life miscommunications and the family dynamics which leant authenticity to the story. A happy ending for all!!!

If you love Hallmark movies, then I'm sure you will love this book. This was fun, quick read that drew me in almost immediately. I loved the storyline and all the things that came together in order for the characters to fall in love.

Title: Love, Unscripted
Author: Denise Hunter
Genre: Romance
Rating: 4.5 out of 5

The perfect boyfriend only exists on paper…doesn’t he?

Fresh off the heels of a bad breakup, Chloe Anderson poured her heart into penning the perfect boyfriend—and the result was an off-the-charts debut beach read that resonated with women worldwide. Now, Chloe’s scripted hero is headed for Hollywood, with her book destined to become a major motion picture.

When Chloe gets wind that silver screen bad boy Liam Hamilton has been cast as the ideal-in-every-way hero of her novel, she’s horrified by the film director’s choice. How could a player like Liam possibly do Chloe’s perfect hero justice? Unafraid to speak her mind, Chloe lets her executive producer know she’s one hundred percent opposed to the casting. And oops—the call is on speakerphone, where the annoyingly attractive Hollywood star hears Chloe’s unbridled outrage firsthand.

With Liam’s reputation already on the rocks, his agent concocts a PR plan to upgrade Liam’s image while putting the story—and the film—in the spotlight. The catch? During the movie’s filming in Chloe’s cute hometown of Stillwater, North Carolina, Chloe and Liam will fake a wholesome, committed relationship. Both stand to gain something from the arrangement. Liam’s fans will see him in a new light, while Chloe can boost her struggling social media following and further her writing career. What could possibly go wrong?

As author and actor navigate the waters of the PR relationship, they’re unpre­pared when their professional agreement turns into an actual friendship. And when serious sparks start to fly—well, that’s an unread chapter for both of them.

Like Denise Hunter’s other books, this was a sweet, fun read. I enjoyed the chemistry between Chloe and Liam from the beginning, when they were basically enemies, as they got to know each other and grew closer. So many misunderstandings here! I loved the small-town feel of this—even though I don’t envy small-town life—and was invested in these characters from the very beginning.

Denise Hunter is an award-winning author. Love, Unscripted is her newest novel.

(Galley courtesy of Thomas Nelson in exchange for an honest review.)

Love unscripted

Chloe’s book is being made into a movie. She is not sure about the lead actor, Liam. Will Liam be able to play the character to her liking? Chloe and Liam meet by accident before the filming starts. They fake their relationship to get more attention for the movie. Will it end up more than fake? I love all the characters in the book besides Chloe and Liam. Loved the family restaurant. I really enjoyed the book.

I received an advanced copy of the book from the publisher and NetGalley. This book review is my own opinion.

A delightful contemporary romance that tugs at the heartstrings. It is a feel good read that leaves you swooning and smiling.
Many thanks to HarperCollins Christian Publishing and to NetGalley for providing me with a galley in exchange for my honest opinion.

I love reading a book about authors, but then I fall in love with their book and want to read it, too. I wish her book existed so I could read it. Chloe and Liam had quite the meet cute, both on the phone and in person. I loved reading their story and trying to guess what would happen next. This was a fun and sweet enemies to a lovers' story.

I received a complimentary copy from the publisher through Netgalley, and this is my honest review.

Love, Unscripted is a delightfully charming story and I enjoyed every page! The enemies-to-more and fake dating tropes shine bright in this super fun read from Denise Hunter. She does a fantastic job of keeping things realistic and light, while some deeper topics pop up now and again. The characters backstories draw you into their lives and make you want to cheer them on, while some difficult family dynamics remind you of that sometimes what you see on the outside isn't all there is to a person. This story is a wholesome romance, with multifaceted characters, plot twists and a satisfying ending. Enjoyable from cover to cover!

I received a complimentary copy of this book through NetGalley. All opinions expressed are my own.

Many thanks to NetGalley and Harper Collins Christian Publishing for the ARC, in exchange for my honest reviews.

I really really really enjoyed this love story. Though I don't typically read a lot of Christian Romance, this was beautifully written. I was rooting for Liam and Chloe almost immediately. They had wonderful chemistry - and though they fell in love during their fake-dating arrangements, they really CHOSE each other, which is something usually overlooked in a lot of romance books.

Read if you enjoy:
- Fake Dating
- Celebrity Romances
- Clean Romances

Love, Unscripted by Denise Hunter is the second book I have read by this author. And while I loved the other book, this is now my favorite of hers. It drew me right in. Probably because the first scene takes place at a bookstore. A bookstore owned by the main character’s best friend, Meghan. Chloe, the main character, has written a best selling book which is being turned into a movie, and which her friend is highlighting in her bookstore with a window display.
While Chloe approves of the actor chosen to play her female lead, she is horrified to learn that her perfect male lead, the perfect boyfriend she created, is being played by an actor with a far from stellar reputation when it comes to relationships. Not the kind of person she wants representing her dream guy.
Liam, the actor who is playing Ledger, the male lead, wants to work on fixing his image, an image that the media has really turned into a playboy worse than he really is. But, you know, that’s the media for you.
Liam and Chloe are not real fond of each other when they first meet, in a hilarious meet up. However, they come to an agreement that they feel will be mutually beneficial. A fake relationship. Liam gets to improve his image by having a steady relationship with Chloe, and Chloe can ensure that Liam portrays Ledger the way he is supposed to be portrayed.
Not surprisingly, this fake relationship starts to grow into something more through the time they spend together. I mean, this is a romance, so that wasn’t a big spoiler. But, both Liam and Chloe have hurts from their past that have affected their previous relationships, and these are things they will need to work through. Or should they even be trying to have a real relationship? I sure was rooting for them.
I loved the characters in this book, including the side characters, which also includes the cat Buttercup. The author did a great job developing them and making them real. I loved the bits of humor that were added in. I also loved seeing Chloe, as the book’s author, interacting with those who were making her book into a movie.
Even though I was already invested in the story, when the characters were dealing with the fallout of their deception I really didn't want to put the book down, and wanted to know how the author would resolve these issues.
I loved this book and highly recommend it.

I received an e-copy of this book through NetGalley and was not required to write a favorable review. These are my own honest thoughts.

This is a cute fake dating story about a bad boy celebrity and a small town author. I really loved the characters dynamic and their love story but it didn't always keep my attention. It was a fun summer read, not my first Denise Hunter but also not my last. I rated it 3.5 Stars rounded up!

Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Denise Hunter’s books are just what I need after some tough reads. Love, Unscripted was a cute love story about two people with trust issues who were determined not to fall in love. Thank you to Netgalley for the ARC. This is a perfect beach read!

This book took me a little by surprise but a good surprises when I read the overview.

Denise did a great job of character development and made me care deeply for them, so much so I struggled when the book was coming to a close.
The setting made me want to book a trip. I feel this story has been told by many authors with just a different angle her and there.Still worth the read!