This was a cute love story. An author makes it big and the book is being made into a movie. The male lead has a reputation that the media loves to play on. Things don’t go as planned and they each have to do their part to get it right.

The start was a little slow for me but I was over happy with the ending

Love, Unscripted is a contemporary romance novel written by Denise Hunter.

Summary: Chloe Anderson has poured her heart and soul into writing a book about the perfect boyfriend.

And it’s resonated so well with the public, that it’s not only a best-seller, but is about to be made into a movie.

When Chloe discovers that Liam Hamilton (a notorious Hollywood bad boy) is going to be playing the lead role in the movie, she can’t believe it. There’s no way Liam can pull off the perfect boyfriend she has scripted in her head-not with his reputation!

But when Liam offers to take lessons from Chloe on how to portray the character in exchange for entering into an innocent relationship in order to fix his public image, she can’t resist.

She may not like Liam one bit, but if she can get more of a say in how the movie turns out, she’s ready to give it her all.

What could possibly go wrong?

My Thoughts: I enjoyed this story. The unique plot was very interesting. The characters were likeable, there was some good humor, and a nice light romance as well.

I loved how the story began with Liam finding out right away Chloe doesn’t like him, and how he uses that to his advantage with humor in their interactions.

It’s a fun read, and I would definitely recommend it.

I would like to thank HarperCollins Christian Publishing for providing me with a free digital copy of this book in exchange for my review. Thank you!

Chloe's dreams are coming true with her debut novel being turned into a feature film, the only problem is the actor they have cast to play the leading man--Hollywood bad boy with a reputation of being a womanizing player. In order to win favor with the press for the movie and remedy Liam's reputation they agree to fake a relationship, but will a scripted romance go off the books?

A fun romantic comedy, full of heart, and captivating characters. Engaging and easy to get into with one of my favorite tropes of a fake relationship. I liked the full cast of characters, in the quaint small town. Chloe is a fantastic sister, daughter, and friend to those around her. Liam has a good heart beneath his curated image, and I liked how he was willing to protect Chloe the best he knew how.

Overall, a quick read, fun and sweet, full of heart and good interactions. A solid standalone novel from Denise Hunter!

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

When Chloe Anderson's boyfriend walks away from their relationship, she channels her anger into creating the perfect "book boyfriend." Her debut novel flies off the charts and women around the world fall for Ledger, so when Hollywood picks up the story, and plans to make it into a major motion picture, she is thrilled. Until she hears who is playing Ledger. Her character is perfect in every way, so how could someone as imperfect as bad boy, player, and just plain wrong-for-the-part Liam Hamilton possibly do him justice? Calling the producer to express her dismay, Chloe is dumbfounded to learn that Liam heard every word and wants to meet her. He's willing to do what it takes to get her to believe that he CAN play the part.

Liam Hamilton may have earned his bad reputation, but he's trying to turn things around by living cleaner lifestyle. He hasn't dated in months, and dealing with his mother's increasingly drunken demands makes him see she needs more help than he is equipped to give her. He has no idea how to deal with someone like Chloe, whose ideal man is between the pages of a book. When his agent/publicist tells him he needs a committed relationship to turn his fanbase around, and to open doors to better roles, the only woman he can picture in that role is Chloe. Both have something to gain from being together, but what happens when they actually find out they like each other. Can a relationship, started in deception, find roots in the heart?

I liked Liam right from the start in this story. He knew his faults and was trying to turn his life around. Chloe was harder for me, partly because she
came off as pretty judgy and it didn't take much for Liam to fall from grace in her eyes. She didn't even verify the truth, or let him defend himself.

Readers who are fans of Denise Hunter, will not be disappointed in this latest installment. I listened to this one on my Libby app, but also have it on my Kindle, so I was able to enjoy it two ways.

Love, Unscripted was a fun read/listen about a fake romance trope that eventually turns into a happy ever after. Chloe Anderson was dealing with a bad breakup when she wrote a book with her perfect boyfriend in it. It was a hit and resonated with women worldwide. The movie rights were quickly picked up and Hollywood is planning a major motion picture. Chloe is devastated to find out that bad boy, Liam Hamilton has been hired to play her ideal boyfriend. How could a player like Liam do the role justice. When she shares that with the producer, she is told that she is on speaker phone and Liam is there. Woops. Once she meets him, she doesn't change her mind, but will do whatever she needs to do to make the movie a success. When Liam's agent proposes a fake relationship to do both of them some good, he a nice girl to be in a relationship with, her to increase her social media following, they both reluctantly agree. As they spend more time together and share secrets, their feelings begin to change and become real. But, secrets often come out, and when they do, the relationship ends and they both suffer because of it.

Love, Unscripted is a cute romance with a handsome, swoon worthy, Hollywood hero and an introvert romance writer heroine. I enjoyed getting to know Chloe and Liam and watch their relationship blossom. The secondary characters were also interesting and added much to the story. Chloe's brother and BFF play important roles in the story and have their own little romance along the way. Secrets both bolster their relationship and almost derail it at one point, but feelings overcome and being honest with feelings is the way to go. Both characters had some hurts in their past to overcome and it is hard to deal with at times. Liam's mom is a piece of work, but she is realistic, it just made me angry. I found this a sweet story with friendship, family, honesty, forgiveness, tough love and more all coming together so that our main characters will have their happy ever after. I did a read/listen and enjoyed both formats. If you read, there are some discussion questions at the end for further thought or book clubs.

This is a good book. The two main characters are Chloe and Liam. Chloe is an author and manages the family restaurant. Liam is an actor. Chloe has written her first novel and has been sold to a movie producer. They have chosen Liam for the starring role. There is an instant attraction when Chloe and Liam meet. They start dating. They each have trust issues but they work them out and fall in love.

I received an arc of this title from NetGalley for an honest review. I liked this book, but in the beginning found both main characters to be annoying, though they grew on me and I ended up liking it.

I have come to really love Denise Hunter's summer beach reads. They're always so full of heart and love, they're inspirational and wholesome. If you're looking for a solid beach read, look no further than her backlist of books.

I really enjoyed Love, Unscripted. The premise of this was fun - an author finds out that Hollywood's bad boy will be the lead role in the movie adaptation of her novel - and she voices her concerns...on speakerphone...in his presence. That's definitely not the best way to make a new friend!

When Liam arrives in Choe's hometown of Stillwater, North Carolina, they end up embarking on a fake dating ploy as a PR tactic to make everything look better than it truly is. You'll have to read the story to see what happens next!

There was a lot to love about this book - enemies to lovers with fake dating, a small beach town, forced proximity and a celebrity romance...the list just goes on from here. I didn't love the miscommunication and the third act break up. That was the biggest issue for me with this book. Otherwise, it was a lovely read and one not to be missed!

This was a very sweet novel about an author who’s making her book into a movie and an actor who is trying to reshape his image. They come up with a deal that will help them both but along the way they start to fall for each other.

I don't know what it is about DH books that just feels so dang relatable, but whatever it is, it's my favorite part of what she writes. I haven't come across a single one of her books, that I didn't just wish would keep on going.

A sweet story about a Hollywood hunk and small town author crossing paths that will change their lives forever, this is a story well worth picking up. I only wish I had read it sooner.

Thank you netgalley for a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/6420978070.

A sweet to romantic story, come to life , literally for Chloe and Liam .Two people who are drastically opposites, he's a actor , she's a author, , She is looking for the man if her dreams, can Liam bring the character to life? A movie , fake relationship, fun storyline, entertaining and fun to read .

Love, Unscripted by Denise Hunter is one of the loveliest sweet rom coms that I have read this year. Denise Hunter has long been a favorite author of mine. In this book, she remains at the top of her game. The characters in this book were immediately likable and relatable from the very first pages. I was rooting for Chloe ever since she hid in a clothing rack. I cannot recommend this book enough to readers of this genre. It is a delight! I received a digital copy of this book from the publisher with no obligations. These opinions are entirely my own.

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.