I loved this story about Elijah & Sutton... a fun "fake dating to falling in love" trope. The book is well written, I loved the characters & how the story played out.

Sutton has Daddy issues (understandably) & her Mom has never gotten over her husband who left... Sutton patiently takes care of her Mom & then even recommends she could use some therapy also. She's gracious to understand that a lot of why her Mom treats her the way she does is because she's hurt.

Elijah & Sutton find their happily ever after & I enjoyed seeing their story play out.

Thanks to the author, publisher & Netgalley for the ARC read. All opinions are my own.

Once again Kasie West has filled my heart with joy! I don’t know how she consistently does it, but this book is filled with fun banter, an accidental relationship and some swoons along the way.

I struggled with Sutton’s mom 100% but it explained a lot of how Sutton lived and felt regarding relationships but it was so amazing to see her growth as she found people she could rely on and trust … I won’t lie… the big issue that caused the strife for Elijah and Sutton was not what I had expected and while I understand why Eli would have felt it wasn’t a big deal (it was all in fun) I totally see why she felt so betrayed by his reaction.

Even knowing Kasie West was going to give me an HEA I was still worried in that last 1/4 of the story.

Overall another amazing read from West and just further solidifying her stories on my auto read list. (As much as I adore Xander… Elijah maybe my new ‘of age’ crush!)

Thank you for the chance to read this early!

The bantering was fun and the relationship build up felt organic and charming. Sutton is so relatable. She is fiercely independent because of childhood experiences force her to not rely on people. So when she agrees to go to therapy with a stranger to prove her friend’s point, it opens up a lot of issues she never worked on and gave her the opportunity to get to know Elijah who shows her what she needs. The saying of not changing yourself and finding someone who loves you for who you are is resounding in this novel.

Kasie said she loved writing this and I definitely loved reading it!

Keep writing adult romance because I am consuming these like AIR!

Highly recommend

I’ve been a huge fan of Kasie West’s YA work for years, and I am entirely unsurprised that I love her adult work just as much, if not more.

Typically, I like my romances to be dual POV, but I’m really glad this one wasn’t. We learn about Elijah’s issues early. He’s open and honest about them, about his people-pleasing tendencies and daddy issues.

The focus needed to be on Sutton so we could really watch her character to develop, to watch her confront a lot of really hard things about herself and overcome them.

I loved the therapy aspect too! I’m such a big proponent of therapy myself, and the way the conversations were handled in this book were such a breath of fresh air. The romance between Sutton and Elijah was raw and real, while also being fun and playful and soooo hot.

Oh and Elijah Russo is a walking green flag. I LOVE THAT MAN DEEPLY.

All said, I’m entirely obsessed with this book. Highly recommend.

I am obsessed with Kasie West’s books, and this one was no different! I started it and could not put it down until I finished. Kasie West has such a talent for crafting creative, unique storylines filled with characters who feel completely real.

I absolutely adore fake-dating tropes, and this one had such a unique twist. Sutton’s trauma and her struggle with relationships and control made her an incredibly realistic and relatable character. I also love how Kasie handles mental health and trauma with so much care and compassion. In every book, she creates awareness and builds empathy for characters facing difficult life challenges, and she always shows that healing is possible. This book was no different, with both Sutton and Elijah learning and growing—both apart and together—as they navigated their own personal trials.

And Elijah? The chemistry between him and Sutton was off the charts. I loved the slow burn, the growing trust, and the way they truly built something together. I laughed, I teared up, and I felt everything throughout the whole book.

This is another must-read for Kasie West fans and romance lovers alike. I can’t wait to see what she writes next!