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 bookclubs. The narration was performed by Kathleen McInerney was excellent. I do enjoy her voice, tone, expression and story telling skills. If you enjoy a good, clean romance with great characters, then I recommend you pick this one up in whatever format you prefer.

Chloe and Liam. While this story was in ways predictable, it was still light and enjoyable. I loved the narration!

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 of her dreams, can Liam bring the character to life? A movie , fake relationship, fun storyline, entertaining and fun to listen to .

Liam is a movie star who is struggle with negative press stories and Chloe is a romance author. They are spotted together and the press goes wild for it. It’s decided they will fake date. I enjoyed this book.

Such a sweet and wholesome romance that involves a celebrity, fake-dating, and dramaaa! Our main character, Chloe Anderson, wrote a best-selling romance novel with everyone’s favorite “book-boyfriend”. Her novel is getting turned into a movie, and she is NOT thrilled with who was cast as the main man. Liam Hamilton is a known player and has a horrible reputation. He couldn’t do this sweet main character justice, right? Well, Liam is worried about his reputation, and Chloe is worried about how well Liam will portray her beloved “book-boyfriend”. Of course this leads to a fake-dating proposal. Chloe will pretend to date Liam to fix his reputation and in return Liam will study under Chloe to fully understand and become the main character she loves. Even if the relationship is fake, will any real sparks fly?
Thank you so much to NetGalley and HarperCollins Christian Publishing for giving me access to an ALC in exchange for my honest review! I really enjoyed this one!

This was a really cute beach read. Predictable yet still cute. I really enjoyed the main characters and the premise. Gave be Elin H. vibes.

I do hate a miscommunication trope but it didn't deter me.

What I didn't like is that they made such a big deal about Chloe's dad leaving his family that 1. it was a lifelong scandal and 2. that people magazine would care. That was way too farfetched and irked me.

Overall, really cute book that was enjoyable to read. I'd read another Denise Hunter book again.

Thank you to Netgalley for the advanced copy.

Chloe Anderson's journey from heartbreak to literary success takes an unexpected turn as her fictional boyfriend leaps from the pages to the silver screen. While her debut novel captivated readers worldwide, Chloe's own love story unfolds with less certainty.

Although the narrative offers solid character development, the love story feels somewhat predictable. Chloe's attraction to Liam lacks depth beyond surface qualities, leaving readers questioning the authenticity of their connection. Moreover, Chloe's tendency to doubt Liam without allowing him to explain himself raises concerns about the sustainability of their relationship beyond the book's conclusion.

While the fake dating trope adds an intriguing layer to the plot, this particular story fell short of expectations. Despite these drawbacks, the novel's exploration of love and creativity may still resonate with some readers.

Gratitude to NetGalley and HarperCollins Christian Publishing for the opportunity to engage with this work.

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 …

I didn’t love this narrator but not enough to where it kept me from listening. I think her accent was too strong for a third person pov. If it had been first person pov from the fmc perspective, I might feel better about the choice.

Content Warnings
Minor: Abandonment, Alcoholism, and Infidelity

Thank you Net Galley 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. Kathleen McInerney does a great job narrating as always. A very sweet romance.

After a bad breakup, Chloe Anderson penned a romance novel featuring her idea of the perfect man, and that book went on to be a bestseller, and now it is even being turned into a movie! When Chloe learns that the director has chosen Hollywood bad boy Liam Hamilton to portray the hero in the movie, she is horrified and tells the director how opposed she is to this casting – not realizing that she is on speakerphone, and Liam just heard every word. Liam’s agent comes up with a scheme for Chloe and Liam to fake date while filming the movie in Chloe’s hometown: Liam’s reputation will improve by being in a steady relationship, and Liam will listen to Chloe’s suggestions on how to portray his character. What to do when real feelings develop, though?

I found it hard to root for these two to be together. I never got a clear feel on what made Chloe attracted to Liam beyond his looks and ability to <i>act</i> like her fictional character. She also repeatedly believes the worst in him, without giving him a chance to defend himself, and I worry that if they were real people, that trend would continue after the end of this book. I love the fake dating trope, but this story just wasn’t for me.

Many thanks to NetGalley for providing me with an audio ARC of this book.

A small town author Chloe and the handsome actor Liam. First meet under not the best circumstances. The story line takes you into the life of an autohor who's book is made into a movie and Liam is the handsome actor that takes on the lead role. Can Liam live up to the expectations Chloe has for his character.
apparently not..... But can he prove her wrong......
It's easy listening excellent narration and excellent story line.

A sweet book! I did enjoy this and think it thrived as an audiobook. I didn't love the narrator for it and that they did both parts but it was just fine.

Plot wise, it was cute if not very predictable. I saw that the author has had 3 books be turned into Hallmark movies and this definitely read like one. It was warm and sweet and also not very lifechanging. It didn't make the biggest impression on me and I think that's okay too.

"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.

This was a heartwarming story that I really enjoyed listening to. The characters were quickly relatable.

Love, Unscripted by Denise Hunter is a feel good audiobook about finding love when you least expect it. Chloe is an author whose book is being made into a movie. The star actor, Liam, is the last person she’d have chosen for her hero. However, the studio believes he is perfect. And he needs to do some damage control to his playboy image. The studio decides that a fake relationship between Chloe and Liam is just what they need. However, what starts out as a ploy quickly becomes more. But how can they make it work? And can they really trust each other? Listen now and find out! You’ll be glad you did!

I love small town romances. Chloe Anderson is the MMF who is a author who just wrote about that is turning into a movie because everyone went crazy over it. Liam Hamilton is the MMC who has been cast to star in her movie. Chloe is horrified. The are find themselves in a fake relationship for their own personal reasons. They form a friendship and their chemistry and banter evolve into something more. The narrator does a good job bringing the book to life.

Tropes
fake dating,
forced proximity
celebrity status
small town romance

Thank you #NetGalley#ThomasNelsonFiction HarperCollins Pubishing for the audio ALC of the audiobook
#LoveUnscripted by #DeniseHunter. also narrated by #KathleenMcInerny in exchange for my honest review.

“I guess Love is complicated. No matter who you are.”

I listened to the audio of this book. It took me a little while to adapt to the narrator, but it went smoothly after that. I know it matters for some people, so know it’s a dual POV (told 3rd person), but with a unique narrator. (It was perfectly fine for me)
I found that fake-dating story very cute. Despite the fact the story happens during a movie’s filming, the main vibe remains “small town”, and I truly enjoyed that. Both Chloe and Liam were easy to love, even with (thanks to?) their flaws. I enjoyed that –despite some pretty loaded family history– most of the book turned around mundane things, the building of domesticity and intimacy. It made it a cute and relaxing read, where I often forgot “who” (a writer and a Hollywood famous actor) was involved, to see the humans first.
That said, the stakes are recalled more than once. I loved that under the cute love story we can reflect on the impact of celebrity, about how being a public person makes for someone losing their right to privacy, and how a person’s life can turn to belong more to their fans than to themselves. On the same line, the conflict resolution was interesting as it was about finding a way to live together, accepting ourselves, remaining who we are, more than absolutely working on every flaw (and asking for help). That made Chloe and Liam even more endearing.

Thank you NetGalley, Denise Hunter & Thomas Nelson Fiction for this ARC in exchange for my honest review.

A sweet, clean love story with likable and memorable characters. The narrator is enjoyable. The story deals with family relations, past trauma, therapy, and moving on.

Chloe Anderson’s best-selling novel is being made into a movie, and she has a lot to say about the Hollywood playboy chosen for the role. She shares those opinions freely…on speaker phone, with the actor, Liam Hamilton, unknowingly on the call. With their working relationship off to a rocky start, Chloe’s worried Liam won’t take his role seriously and she’s willing to go along with a PR ploy to make sure he puts in the effort – she agrees to date him publicly to rehab his playboy image and in turn he’ll do the research to make his portrayal of her fictional leading man perfect. But when they genuinely strike up a friendship, it’s just a matter of time until those friendship feelings turn into something more…

Love, Unscripted is the perfect, clean beach read <3 I’ve read a lot of Denise Hunter’s novels over the years and always enjoy her writing and characters. When I pick up her books, I know I won’t be disappointed. Love, Unscripted has the same sweet, clean romance I’ve found in her other books. Swoony characters and chemistry without explicit content. Definitely recommend Love, Unscripted!

My favorite parts include their first in-person meeting (lol), the sick scenes, and of course, the ending <3 I also thought the side characters were hilarious and enriched the story (and I’ll be steering clear of digital thermostats from here on out ;)

Intimacy: Kisses Only
Sensitive Topics: alcoholism, divorce

Thank you to HarperCollins Christian Publishing/Thomas Nelson Fiction for giving me the opportunity to listen to the audiobook of Love, Unscripted through NetGalley in exchange for my honest review.

Chloe Anderson has written her debut novel and within it, created her "perfect man" as Ledger, the heartthrob and romantic lead. Ledger has all of the qualities she has found lacking in her own love life and has dreamed of finding in a real partner, wrapped up in literary perfection. The book is a smash hit with the female beach-read crowd, and the movie rights are soon picked up. Chloe is on cloud nine until the actor cast to play dreamy Ledger ends up being the complete opposite of what she had envisioned.

From what Chloe has heard from the tabloids, Liam Hamilton is nothing more than a Hollywood player. She is devastated that this is who will bring her beloved character to life on screen and worries what this means for the movie. In an effort to get ahead of any issues, the PR team comes up with a plan. Chloe and Liam should fake a serious relationship to help soften Liam's bad boy image while bringing attention to the movie as it's being filmed and produced. Initially on the fence about this, Chloe and Liam eventually agree, and come to an arrangement. As they spend time together canoeing and picnicking and posting lovey dovey selfies on their respective social media accounts, Chloe realizes that maybe not everything you hear online about celebrities is true.

I listened to the audiobook of this story over a weekend, and it kept my interest the entire time. The story itself was light and pleasant, with some expected conflict and misunderstandings thrown in. The setting of Stillwater, North Carolina sounded beautiful and interesting, and I wish the small town had been fleshed out even more. I realized after I started the book that it was listed as Christian Fiction which is not a genre I typically enjoy. If I wouldn't have seen it shelved that way though I never would have known. The book was not preachy or overly religious in any way. The romance was a bit tamer than many of the other books I've read, but not prudish. Overall I would rate this 3 1/2 stars.

Thank you to NetGalley and HarperCollins for the opportunity to listen to this advance reader audiobook in exchange for an honest review.