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The No Kiss Contract
Despite being the youngest partner at her firm, corporate attorney Davy Dugan is gunning for a recently vacant name partnership—it would mean finally having the power to make a real change in her conservative workplace. But eighty-hour workweeks don’t allow any time with her much younger half-sister, Tally, who doesn’t seem to need Davy in her life anyway.
Davy aims to get back into Tally’s good graces by throwing her a big birthday party, but that means dealing with Tally’s other half sister, Anna. To say Davy and Anna don’t get along is putting it mildly.
When a misunderstanding leads to her boss’s assumption that she and Anna are headed to the altar, Davy sees a way to leapfrog over the competition straight into one of the top spots at her firm. She just has to convince Anna to be her faux fiancée in order to do it and keep her growing attraction in check, of course.
Davy aims to get back into Tally’s good graces by throwing her a big birthday party, but that means dealing with Tally’s other half sister, Anna. To say Davy and Anna don’t get along is putting it mildly.
When a misunderstanding leads to her boss’s assumption that she and Anna are headed to the altar, Davy sees a way to leapfrog over the competition straight into one of the top spots at her firm. She just has to convince Anna to be her faux fiancée in order to do it and keep her growing attraction in check, of course.
302 pages, Kindle Edition
Published April 1, 2023
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 106 reviews
April 28, 2023
Cross-siblings...
In my opinion, there are two different kinds of slowburn romances. One is when the characters keep going in circles and getting nowhere and two is when the characters progressively become closer albeit at a slow pace. I tend to get frustrated with the first kind so I'm glad this book is a slowburn of the second kind.
This book is a taboo romance but also not really. It's a grey area because Davy and Anna are cross-siblings, i.e. people who share half-siblings. So consider this a content warning. But if you're up for this, I would say that this is an enjoyable story that wasn't weird at all.
I thought it was a heartwarming piece that follows the lives of Davy and Anna, who met briefly in their teens for a summer when their parents got together but drifted apart after their parents split, leaving only a shared sibling, Tally, as their only connection to each other. Years later, after finally being able to distance herself from her father, Davy decides to put in more effort in her relationship with Tally, which by extension, also means meeting Anna more often and having to make an effort to repair their relationship.
What follows is a heartwarming journey of healing as Davy and Anna rekindle their friendship and romantic feelings for each other and they do it while in a fauxmance Davy initiates between them to help her mission to being name partner in her law firm. One of the things I appreciated was how likeable the characters were and that includes Anna's mother and son. I also thought Nan Campbell did an excellent job of weaving in Davy and Anna's individual struggles, making their journey all the more compelling.
Overall, a beautifully written romance novel on second chances and family.
I received an ARC from Bold Strokes Books through Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.
In my opinion, there are two different kinds of slowburn romances. One is when the characters keep going in circles and getting nowhere and two is when the characters progressively become closer albeit at a slow pace. I tend to get frustrated with the first kind so I'm glad this book is a slowburn of the second kind.
This book is a taboo romance but also not really. It's a grey area because Davy and Anna are cross-siblings, i.e. people who share half-siblings. So consider this a content warning. But if you're up for this, I would say that this is an enjoyable story that wasn't weird at all.
I thought it was a heartwarming piece that follows the lives of Davy and Anna, who met briefly in their teens for a summer when their parents got together but drifted apart after their parents split, leaving only a shared sibling, Tally, as their only connection to each other. Years later, after finally being able to distance herself from her father, Davy decides to put in more effort in her relationship with Tally, which by extension, also means meeting Anna more often and having to make an effort to repair their relationship.
What follows is a heartwarming journey of healing as Davy and Anna rekindle their friendship and romantic feelings for each other and they do it while in a fauxmance Davy initiates between them to help her mission to being name partner in her law firm. One of the things I appreciated was how likeable the characters were and that includes Anna's mother and son. I also thought Nan Campbell did an excellent job of weaving in Davy and Anna's individual struggles, making their journey all the more compelling.
Overall, a beautifully written romance novel on second chances and family.
I received an ARC from Bold Strokes Books through Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.
September 28, 2024
➥ 3 Stars *:･ﾟ✧
Campbell brings to you a fake-dating, childhood friends to lovers, single mother, forced proximity romance! With complicated family lives, Davy (h) and Anna (h) break off their friendship at 17 that had formed because their parents got together, but now at 32 Davy escapes the command of her father and yearns to fix her relationship with her and Anna's half-sister, Tally. Davy is now competing for a higher position in her law firm and instinctively one-ups her colleague, by saying that she is a family-oriented woman, with a fiancee and a son. For practical reasons, Anna agrees to pretend to be Davy's fiancee, and moves in with her.
To highlight the positives, I think it's clear that Campbell has a passion for writing, particularly humour and mother-characters. Although it may not be for everyone, sneakily placed blasphemous sentences make me chuckle. Below in the spoiler tag is a great example.
I don't know how to measure humour quality but that fully sent me. In terms of characters, I unfortunately didn't feel that they were as fleshed out as I'd have liked for them to have been, for reason's that I'll elaborate on a moment. Despite that, I was impressed with how well Campbell characterised Anna's motherly mannerisms. I've read my fair share of single-parent romances, but I think this one really nailed the small but signature things that most mothers do.
Just a small thing that I thought was really well done, really authentic. In terms of the lacking characterisation in general for the personalities of the two heroines, I think it unfortunately boils down to the writing.
To be fair, the second half of the book was better at this, but in the first half, there was an imbalance of dialogue and description. Very often I read either a character spewing a whole paragraph of straight dialogue, or just back to back dialogue between the characters, without description of their tone or body language. This made it feel a bit jarring and took away from the emotional pull some of those discussions could have had. Because of this lack of body language and tone description, it felt as though the characters didn't have many defining traits, other than the things we are told they like, and were disappointingly immature for most of the first half of the book.
In the same vein, I felt that some moments lacked build-up. Which could have been accomplished with more carefully written and cushioned dialogue. It felt as though moments were just factually occurring.
I think this goes hand in hand, with another point of mine: that some moments were underutilised. Looking back at the novel in its entirety, Campbell had a very strong trajectory of plotpoints for the development of the characters' relationships. For instance, ...etc. These were moments with great potential for vulnerability, development and angst, but I was saddened to see that most of these moments were swept by quickly, without much elaboration or focus at all.
My desire for there to have been more build-up and more focus on these moments of great potential link together, in the sense that a small moment, that had been nicely drawn out and focused on, could have allowed for intimacy and development between the characters.
For example, although the moment where was endearing in itself, I think the moment had potential that went unexplored and unelaborated upon. Considering the atmosphere of nightime calmness and quiet, this was a perfect moment for the characters to exchange a moment of vulnerability. As mentioned, there was little description of tone and body language, and I think that there could have been more done with the moment. Maybe we could have seen
Obviously that was just me daydreaming/brainstorming a little, but I mean to communicate that a moment like that was perfect to facilitate the development of their romance. Along with more body language description and tone description like "she whispered" etc. I think it could have made for a really impactful moment.
Another example is with the , we are only told how they in a flashback memory that Anna has while driving.
Along those lines (sorry, everything is connected), I'd prefer for the growth of their feelings to have been more like this:
Whereas it had actually been a bit more consisting of random moments of sexual attraction in the first half, to huge contemplations of marriage or what it'd be like to live with the person or be really married. This made it feel a bit jilted, in my opinion, and messed with the flow of their developing feelings. I'd have preferred for the characters to have grown fond and grateful of the other, then appreciative of their beauty and attractiveness and only then the consideration of a long term relationship.
I understand it's the romance genre's signature thing to have characters think "is this like a date?" or have them randomly have moments where they're attracted to the other and contemplate the potential of being with them way into the future, but, I think it takes away from the genuine feel of their romance.
Sadly, when the "I love you" did come, I felt it was too soon. The characters said it before having sex or even kissing privately, of their own volition. That's not to say that you cannot love someone without doing those things, but the options for romantic feelings aren't only "zero feelings" and "I love you". Even people who are in the beginning of a relationship with someone don't say I love you right at the beginning, so it was strange to me that, as soon as it was possible for them together at all, it was taken all the way to the intensity of "I love you", rather than the potential to pursue a real relationship first. I would have liked for Davy and Anna to still get romantically entangled but I wish they had saved the "I love you" to I think the domestic bliss they'd have been in then, would have been perfect for them to have a really romantic moment where they agree that their feelings for each other have reached "love" and "forever".
Also, I really enjoyed Davy's growing friendship and bond with Louis. The way she found ways to make him happy with sea-themed activities, and . I think it was a great start for their bond, but, I do wish that by the end, we had seen her in a more parental/motherly dynamic with Louis, because it felt like she'd reached more of like an "uncle"-level friendship with him. I want to see her taking Louis to school or making him breakfast - sharing the parenting responsibilities with Anna.
Toward the end, the angst was stronger and I really liked the way Anna supported Davy and vice versa. The characters were visibly more intimate and familiar with each other. But, I would have liked to have found the characters compelling and endearing from the beginning. For the actual fake-dating setup to commence, it took until 35%. This is a long book, which I didn't mind, but that means that 35% is around 100 pages to pull the reader to until we get to the fake-dating plot.
I would have liked an epilogue to be included in the story. It is an option to download it from a link online, but it's one where you have to give your email to get it.
Although I was quite critical, I hope it was in a way that was constructive and helpful, because I did still have a very pleasant reading experience. I enjoyed this novel, and I look forward to seeing Campbell's progression as an author in the future. Just to rehash, the plot points, the setup, the side characters, and the ideas are really strong, I think now it's just a matter of giving them more depth and elaborating upon certain aspects for the sake of being more emotionally compelling and genuine.
Thank you Nan Campbell and Netgalley for a copy of this ARC in exchange for an honest review.
Anna didn't kiss her, not her lips, not her cheek, not anywhere. But she did press her own cheek against Davy's neck and nuzzle against her. Then her lips were millimeters from Davy's ear and she murmured, "That was great. We're really selling it."
━━━━━━━━━━━ ♡ ━━━━━━━━━━━
Campbell brings to you a fake-dating, childhood friends to lovers, single mother, forced proximity romance! With complicated family lives, Davy (h) and Anna (h) break off their friendship at 17 that had formed because their parents got together, but now at 32 Davy escapes the command of her father and yearns to fix her relationship with her and Anna's half-sister, Tally. Davy is now competing for a higher position in her law firm and instinctively one-ups her colleague, by saying that she is a family-oriented woman, with a fiancee and a son. For practical reasons, Anna agrees to pretend to be Davy's fiancee, and moves in with her.
To highlight the positives, I think it's clear that Campbell has a passion for writing, particularly humour and mother-characters. Although it may not be for everyone, sneakily placed blasphemous sentences make me chuckle. Below in the spoiler tag is a great example.
I don't know how to measure humour quality but that fully sent me. In terms of characters, I unfortunately didn't feel that they were as fleshed out as I'd have liked for them to have been, for reason's that I'll elaborate on a moment. Despite that, I was impressed with how well Campbell characterised Anna's motherly mannerisms. I've read my fair share of single-parent romances, but I think this one really nailed the small but signature things that most mothers do.
“Hi, you two.” Davy placed the bakery box on the counter and saw Anna sitting in a chair with Louis standing between her knees as she put a comb through his disheveled hair. Two rosy cheeks, flushed from exertion, were lifted by his wide grin.
Just a small thing that I thought was really well done, really authentic. In terms of the lacking characterisation in general for the personalities of the two heroines, I think it unfortunately boils down to the writing.
To be fair, the second half of the book was better at this, but in the first half, there was an imbalance of dialogue and description. Very often I read either a character spewing a whole paragraph of straight dialogue, or just back to back dialogue between the characters, without description of their tone or body language. This made it feel a bit jarring and took away from the emotional pull some of those discussions could have had. Because of this lack of body language and tone description, it felt as though the characters didn't have many defining traits, other than the things we are told they like, and were disappointingly immature for most of the first half of the book.
In the same vein, I felt that some moments lacked build-up. Which could have been accomplished with more carefully written and cushioned dialogue. It felt as though moments were just factually occurring.
I think this goes hand in hand, with another point of mine: that some moments were underutilised. Looking back at the novel in its entirety, Campbell had a very strong trajectory of plotpoints for the development of the characters' relationships. For instance, ...etc. These were moments with great potential for vulnerability, development and angst, but I was saddened to see that most of these moments were swept by quickly, without much elaboration or focus at all.
My desire for there to have been more build-up and more focus on these moments of great potential link together, in the sense that a small moment, that had been nicely drawn out and focused on, could have allowed for intimacy and development between the characters.
For example, although the moment where was endearing in itself, I think the moment had potential that went unexplored and unelaborated upon. Considering the atmosphere of nightime calmness and quiet, this was a perfect moment for the characters to exchange a moment of vulnerability. As mentioned, there was little description of tone and body language, and I think that there could have been more done with the moment. Maybe we could have seen
Obviously that was just me daydreaming/brainstorming a little, but I mean to communicate that a moment like that was perfect to facilitate the development of their romance. Along with more body language description and tone description like "she whispered" etc. I think it could have made for a really impactful moment.
Another example is with the , we are only told how they in a flashback memory that Anna has while driving.
Along those lines (sorry, everything is connected), I'd prefer for the growth of their feelings to have been more like this:
1) "Thank you for gifts/help, I appreciate it a lot"
2) "I love spending time with you, you make me feel safe and comfortable"
3) "You're beautiful"
4) "I love you"
Whereas it had actually been a bit more consisting of random moments of sexual attraction in the first half, to huge contemplations of marriage or what it'd be like to live with the person or be really married. This made it feel a bit jilted, in my opinion, and messed with the flow of their developing feelings. I'd have preferred for the characters to have grown fond and grateful of the other, then appreciative of their beauty and attractiveness and only then the consideration of a long term relationship.
I understand it's the romance genre's signature thing to have characters think "is this like a date?" or have them randomly have moments where they're attracted to the other and contemplate the potential of being with them way into the future, but, I think it takes away from the genuine feel of their romance.
Sadly, when the "I love you" did come, I felt it was too soon. The characters said it before having sex or even kissing privately, of their own volition. That's not to say that you cannot love someone without doing those things, but the options for romantic feelings aren't only "zero feelings" and "I love you". Even people who are in the beginning of a relationship with someone don't say I love you right at the beginning, so it was strange to me that, as soon as it was possible for them together at all, it was taken all the way to the intensity of "I love you", rather than the potential to pursue a real relationship first. I would have liked for Davy and Anna to still get romantically entangled but I wish they had saved the "I love you" to I think the domestic bliss they'd have been in then, would have been perfect for them to have a really romantic moment where they agree that their feelings for each other have reached "love" and "forever".
Also, I really enjoyed Davy's growing friendship and bond with Louis. The way she found ways to make him happy with sea-themed activities, and . I think it was a great start for their bond, but, I do wish that by the end, we had seen her in a more parental/motherly dynamic with Louis, because it felt like she'd reached more of like an "uncle"-level friendship with him. I want to see her taking Louis to school or making him breakfast - sharing the parenting responsibilities with Anna.
Toward the end, the angst was stronger and I really liked the way Anna supported Davy and vice versa. The characters were visibly more intimate and familiar with each other. But, I would have liked to have found the characters compelling and endearing from the beginning. For the actual fake-dating setup to commence, it took until 35%. This is a long book, which I didn't mind, but that means that 35% is around 100 pages to pull the reader to until we get to the fake-dating plot.
I would have liked an epilogue to be included in the story. It is an option to download it from a link online, but it's one where you have to give your email to get it.
Although I was quite critical, I hope it was in a way that was constructive and helpful, because I did still have a very pleasant reading experience. I enjoyed this novel, and I look forward to seeing Campbell's progression as an author in the future. Just to rehash, the plot points, the setup, the side characters, and the ideas are really strong, I think now it's just a matter of giving them more depth and elaborating upon certain aspects for the sake of being more emotionally compelling and genuine.
Thank you Nan Campbell and Netgalley for a copy of this ARC in exchange for an honest review.
━━━━━━━━━━━ ♡ ━━━━━━━━━━━
June 10, 2023
The No Kiss Contract, her second novel after a promising debut (now a Lammy winner!), confirms that Nan Campbell is an author to watch out for. If you’re into very slow burn, second-chance, and fauxmance, this is for you.
Fifteen years ago, Davy and Anna were each other’s first kiss but the circumstances in which they met and that led to said kiss are uncommon, to say the least. Davy’s father and Anna’s mother dated for a while and the two girls spent one precious summer together. What’s left today of these relationships is a teenager with an absent father, two half-sisters who can’t get along, loads of guilt and hurt feelings. Yet when, on her quest to become a name partner at her law firm, Davy needs to show she’s family-oriented, she talks Anna, in need of a new place for herself and her young son, into a pretend relationship that will bring all the feelings back to the surface.
First things first, there’s nothing awkward or unhealthy about Davy and Anna falling for each other. They’re not siblings, they weren’t raised together, they knew each other for a couple of months as teenagers and had no idea at the time that they would share a half-sister. They’re practically strangers who vaguely knew each other as kids.
One is lucky to have a fantastic mother, the other cursed with an unloving and manipulative father. The former is an artist and kinda broke, the other is an extremely wealthy lawyer, after following in the steps of the aforementioned father, in the hope that someday she’ll be worthy of his love. Davy’s wealth allows her to give Anna and her child whatever they need or want, but she never uses that power to control them (unlike her father). On the other hand, Anna knows what love is in a way Davy has never experienced, and she can help Davy both with her self-esteem and with her career moves. They each have something the other doesn’t and each use it to help the other, which nullifies what could have been a damaging imbalance between them.
Anna is a little too good to be true and so is her child but it didn’t bother me too much. There’s always a measure of suspension of disbelief in romance anyway and the story focuses on Davy’s character growth. Despite a slight slump halfway through, The No Kiss Contract is engaging and an enjoyable read. And if the ending feels a bit abrupt, there’s a free epilogue on the author’s website.
I received a copy from the publisher and I am voluntarily leaving a review.
Read all my reviews on my blog (and please buy from the affiliation links!): Jude in the Stars
April 26, 2023
Talk about a slow burn - this one was sloooooooooow but it was definitely worth the wait in the end.
Anna and Davy meet as teenagers when their lives intertwine due to the dating of their parents. Davy's dad is a horrible character and ends up severing their teenage friendship and impacting it well into adulthood. When they reconnect due to their half-sister years later, there is no love lost and here we begin the very, very slow burn romance between them.
I found this novel quite engaging throughout. I really enjoyed reading about their lives and certain aspects that they assist each other to deal with. It was a really sweet way to develop their relationship and romance.
I will say though that I felt like the novel ended abruptly and there was a slight loose end with Davy's dad and Louis' future. Maybe I'm coming from this due to feeling particularly attached to all three characters by the end of the novel, but I would've loved an epilogue to round out the story.
All in all though, a great second novel by Nan Campbell.
Many thanks to Netgalley and Bold Strokes Books for a copy of this novel. ARC provided in exchange for an honest review.
Anna and Davy meet as teenagers when their lives intertwine due to the dating of their parents. Davy's dad is a horrible character and ends up severing their teenage friendship and impacting it well into adulthood. When they reconnect due to their half-sister years later, there is no love lost and here we begin the very, very slow burn romance between them.
I found this novel quite engaging throughout. I really enjoyed reading about their lives and certain aspects that they assist each other to deal with. It was a really sweet way to develop their relationship and romance.
I will say though that I felt like the novel ended abruptly and there was a slight loose end with Davy's dad and Louis' future. Maybe I'm coming from this due to feeling particularly attached to all three characters by the end of the novel, but I would've loved an epilogue to round out the story.
All in all though, a great second novel by Nan Campbell.
Many thanks to Netgalley and Bold Strokes Books for a copy of this novel. ARC provided in exchange for an honest review.
April 10, 2023
This story, although not entirely original, it's about a fake relationship also second chances, has had some novel aspects that, together with the skill and good work of the author have made it a very interesting story and to which I will give my maximum valuation.
The two women who make up the protagonist couple, come from the same family, since their respective father and mother, married when they were teenagers and have a sister in common, but they have no blood relationship. And they could not be more opposite.
The first interesting thing is their relationship when they were teenagers, it will mark the rest of the story and already creates an interest in knowing the things that happened then. But today the two of them are going to have to relate again and because of a series of misunderstandings, needs and obligations, they must pretend a relationship, with everything that was in the past and was not clarified and with all the differences in their current lives.
What has made this story outstanding for me has been, in addition to its interesting approach, the way the author has developed it, the number of relevant characters she has used for it and the rhythm she has given it. It is also noteworthy that it has comic situations and at the same time also deals with serious issues in an intelligent and subtle way.
For me it has been excellent in all the senses.
Publisher Bold Strokes Books was kind enough to provide me with an advanced reading copy via Netgalley for my honest review
The two women who make up the protagonist couple, come from the same family, since their respective father and mother, married when they were teenagers and have a sister in common, but they have no blood relationship. And they could not be more opposite.
The first interesting thing is their relationship when they were teenagers, it will mark the rest of the story and already creates an interest in knowing the things that happened then. But today the two of them are going to have to relate again and because of a series of misunderstandings, needs and obligations, they must pretend a relationship, with everything that was in the past and was not clarified and with all the differences in their current lives.
What has made this story outstanding for me has been, in addition to its interesting approach, the way the author has developed it, the number of relevant characters she has used for it and the rhythm she has given it. It is also noteworthy that it has comic situations and at the same time also deals with serious issues in an intelligent and subtle way.
For me it has been excellent in all the senses.
Publisher Bold Strokes Books was kind enough to provide me with an advanced reading copy via Netgalley for my honest review
March 27, 2023
5 stars - I really enjoyed this story. A lot.
The no kissed contract is a second chances, fake relationship story. I love a good fauxmance and this story delivered.
One of the interesting twists in this story is that Davy and Anna are technically stepsiblings, but because they really only interacted for a single summer when they were 17 the whole “taboo” vibe is acknowledged, but not made into a big deal.
I really liked both characters. They’re both good people but neither one of them are perfect which makes them relatable. They have a falling out after the summer that they meet and basically don’t interact for the next 15 years. They both still like each other. However, Anna has some hard feelings to get over because of the way things ended when they were 17.
I think the story is solid and well written. I was completely engaged through the whole thing and would’ve finished it in a day if I didn’t have to get up early the next day so I had to put it down against my will.😂
My only complaint is, I wish that they had confessed their feelings for each other closer to the 80% mark and that we would have gotten a scene with the senior partners at the end. Perhaps that is part of the bonus epilogue available at the authors website. I’ll have to go check that out.
For fans of second chance romances and fauxmance’s, I can highly recommend this very entertaining read.
I received an arc of this book from the publisher through NetGalley in exchange for my unbiased review.
The no kissed contract is a second chances, fake relationship story. I love a good fauxmance and this story delivered.
One of the interesting twists in this story is that Davy and Anna are technically stepsiblings, but because they really only interacted for a single summer when they were 17 the whole “taboo” vibe is acknowledged, but not made into a big deal.
I really liked both characters. They’re both good people but neither one of them are perfect which makes them relatable. They have a falling out after the summer that they meet and basically don’t interact for the next 15 years. They both still like each other. However, Anna has some hard feelings to get over because of the way things ended when they were 17.
I think the story is solid and well written. I was completely engaged through the whole thing and would’ve finished it in a day if I didn’t have to get up early the next day so I had to put it down against my will.😂
My only complaint is, I wish that they had confessed their feelings for each other closer to the 80% mark and that we would have gotten a scene with the senior partners at the end. Perhaps that is part of the bonus epilogue available at the authors website. I’ll have to go check that out.
For fans of second chance romances and fauxmance’s, I can highly recommend this very entertaining read.
I received an arc of this book from the publisher through NetGalley in exchange for my unbiased review.
October 22, 2023
GR readers do not let me down. There was heavy buzz for this book so I read it as a quick pick me up after reading a heartbreaker. The No Kiss Contract is a perfect balm for the heart.
Davy and her cross sibling, Anna, have been at odds with each other since they were teens. But now as 30 something year olds, they keep the peace for the benefit of their mutual half sister, Talley. Recently, some special circumstances at work drive Davy to cook up a scheme where she and Anna pretend to be engaged.
It was such a pleasure to read this book because of the characters who are sweet and loving. The story is warm hearted and had me laughing out loud. Anna and Davy’s chemistry is right there with a slow, delicious build up to the inevitable falling in love. The No Kiss Contract has plenty of good moments to savor and it is just a wonderfully told romance that had me grinning all the way through to the end.
Davy and her cross sibling, Anna, have been at odds with each other since they were teens. But now as 30 something year olds, they keep the peace for the benefit of their mutual half sister, Talley. Recently, some special circumstances at work drive Davy to cook up a scheme where she and Anna pretend to be engaged.
It was such a pleasure to read this book because of the characters who are sweet and loving. The story is warm hearted and had me laughing out loud. Anna and Davy’s chemistry is right there with a slow, delicious build up to the inevitable falling in love. The No Kiss Contract has plenty of good moments to savor and it is just a wonderfully told romance that had me grinning all the way through to the end.
June 8, 2023
This is a story about attorney Davy Dugan who was sent to boarding school by her father as a young child since her mother died when she was 3. Davy has grown up alone without any family until she’s 17 and her father meets and marries Pam. Pam has a 17 year old daughter too named Anna. Davy and Anna spend the summer together and work on community playhouse scenic stage backdrops. Davy falls hard for Anna but keeps it a secret since Anna is fangirling all over the star actress of the play.
Pam gets pregnant with Davy’s dad and has a daughter, Tally. Shortly afterwards their marriage ends. Over the next 15 years Davy sees her dad and Talky only on Tally’s birthdays. And completely looses contact with Anna. Anna has built up a complex dislike for Davy blaming her for them losing contact.
Years later Davy wants back into her old family and decides to host a huge elaborate birthday party for Tally's 16th birthday at her new fancy home in the suburbs.
And at the party Davy and Anna share a dance and hidden feelings come back for both of them. At the same time Davy is trying to become a senior partner in her firm. Davy decides that to get this position other partners need to see her as a solid family person. So she purposes a faux wedding with Anna. Anna agrees only because she is being evicted from her apartment and needs a home and school for her autistic son.
I really enjoyed this book. The fauxmance was very well written and believable. Both MCs were well developed. The dialogue between them was funny at times and otherwise very serious.
Highly recommended for people who love a good fauxmance story.
ARC received from NetGalley for an honest and voluntary review.
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Pam gets pregnant with Davy’s dad and has a daughter, Tally. Shortly afterwards their marriage ends. Over the next 15 years Davy sees her dad and Talky only on Tally’s birthdays. And completely looses contact with Anna. Anna has built up a complex dislike for Davy blaming her for them losing contact.
Years later Davy wants back into her old family and decides to host a huge elaborate birthday party for Tally's 16th birthday at her new fancy home in the suburbs.
And at the party Davy and Anna share a dance and hidden feelings come back for both of them. At the same time Davy is trying to become a senior partner in her firm. Davy decides that to get this position other partners need to see her as a solid family person. So she purposes a faux wedding with Anna. Anna agrees only because she is being evicted from her apartment and needs a home and school for her autistic son.
I really enjoyed this book. The fauxmance was very well written and believable. Both MCs were well developed. The dialogue between them was funny at times and otherwise very serious.
Highly recommended for people who love a good fauxmance story.
ARC received from NetGalley for an honest and voluntary review.
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May 19, 2023
I'm flying through books on this holiday! 4 books in 6 days is a lot for me :)
Anyone who's been following my reviews knows I love the fake relationship trope, and No Kiss Contract is no exception. We follow Davy and Anna as they agree to be each others fake fianceé's, Anna for a place to live and to get her son, Louis, into a good school, and Davy to get a promotion at work.
The twist is that they were once step sisters. Davy's dad and Anna's mum were briefly together and had a daughter, Tally. I was wondering how that would play out, but tbh it was fine. They weren't biologically related and they never grew up together, so I didn't think of them as siblings at all. They just happen to share a sister. You might think that's rare, but one of my friends is the affair child and shares half siblings, who I guess are like Davy and Anna, minus the romance.
I liked both protagonists. They were nice to follow on their journey. I liked the side characters as well. Tally was especially written well, I firmly believed she was an annoying teenager.
I didn't quite believe Davy's prowess as a hotshot lawyer, however. We're told a lot that she's fantastic, the best, but that never quite translates onto the page. I also found the romance itself lacking. I think it would have benefited from more chemistry, especially sexual. They hardly ever commented on their own attraction to each other.
I thought it ended a bit abruptly. We never get any closure about Davy's arsehole dad, which was unfortunate.
Overall, a nice read!
Anyone who's been following my reviews knows I love the fake relationship trope, and No Kiss Contract is no exception. We follow Davy and Anna as they agree to be each others fake fianceé's, Anna for a place to live and to get her son, Louis, into a good school, and Davy to get a promotion at work.
The twist is that they were once step sisters. Davy's dad and Anna's mum were briefly together and had a daughter, Tally. I was wondering how that would play out, but tbh it was fine. They weren't biologically related and they never grew up together, so I didn't think of them as siblings at all. They just happen to share a sister. You might think that's rare, but one of my friends is the affair child and shares half siblings, who I guess are like Davy and Anna, minus the romance.
I liked both protagonists. They were nice to follow on their journey. I liked the side characters as well. Tally was especially written well, I firmly believed she was an annoying teenager.
I didn't quite believe Davy's prowess as a hotshot lawyer, however. We're told a lot that she's fantastic, the best, but that never quite translates onto the page. I also found the romance itself lacking. I think it would have benefited from more chemistry, especially sexual. They hardly ever commented on their own attraction to each other.
I thought it ended a bit abruptly. We never get any closure about Davy's arsehole dad, which was unfortunate.
Overall, a nice read!
November 8, 2023
2.5 stars? This had so many things about it that I should’ve loved. But it just didn’t come together for me.
March 15, 2024
High 4 ⭐️
A wonderful read with sweet, lovable characters who somehow find themselves in a fake relationship to smooth the path to getting that partnership. Story definitely had me laughing and grinning from ear to ear, and it gave me that heartwarming feeling that you so often get from a good romance novel.
A wonderful read with sweet, lovable characters who somehow find themselves in a fake relationship to smooth the path to getting that partnership. Story definitely had me laughing and grinning from ear to ear, and it gave me that heartwarming feeling that you so often get from a good romance novel.
March 31, 2023
This is a fauxmance, second chance romance that centers around Davy Dugan, a workaholic lawyer and Anna Resnick who is an artist. The two met when they were teenagers during a summer break and became good friends, with a hope of something more. But they were then kept apart due to an unspoken misunderstanding which resulted in them not getting along. Many years later, they meet again as Davy was trying to get to know her half sister, Tally, a little more. Tally also happens to be Anna’s half sister. After a misunderstanding, it was thought that Davy and Anna were engaged to each other. They both kept up the charade as they both had something of value to gain from this pretend relationship. But of course, feelings then got in the way….
I really enjoyed this read! Both mains were really likeable. And the chemistry was there and strong. Both leads had some unresolved feelings from the past and these feelings are still there and are growing stronger as they spent time together. It was nice to see them try and hide their feelings or not admit their feeling to themselves. But the attraction between them was clearly palpable. I also enjoyed the banter between them. There were some funny moments. The author really told their story well, and we got to read from both their point of view. The side characters also added to their story; Tally, Louis, Pam and Halima. Even Davy’s boss Roland and his wife.
This was overall a great book and I can’t recommend it enough. I did not want this book to end and was ecstatic to discover that there’s an epilogue available to download for free at the author’s website.
I received an ARC from the publisher through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
I really enjoyed this read! Both mains were really likeable. And the chemistry was there and strong. Both leads had some unresolved feelings from the past and these feelings are still there and are growing stronger as they spent time together. It was nice to see them try and hide their feelings or not admit their feeling to themselves. But the attraction between them was clearly palpable. I also enjoyed the banter between them. There were some funny moments. The author really told their story well, and we got to read from both their point of view. The side characters also added to their story; Tally, Louis, Pam and Halima. Even Davy’s boss Roland and his wife.
This was overall a great book and I can’t recommend it enough. I did not want this book to end and was ecstatic to discover that there’s an epilogue available to download for free at the author’s website.
I received an ARC from the publisher through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
March 31, 2023
This is a fauxmance, second chance romance that centers around Davy Dugan, a workaholic lawyer and Anna Resnick who is an artist. The two met when they were teenagers during a summer break and became good friends, with a hope of something more. But they were then kept apart due to an unspoken misunderstanding which resulted in them not getting along. Many years later, they meet again as Davy was trying to get to know her half sister, Tally, a little more. Tally also happens to be Anna’s half sister. After a misunderstanding, it was thought that Davy and Anna were engaged to each other. They both kept up the charade as they both had something of value to gain from this pretend relationship. But of course, feelings then got in the way….
I really enjoyed this read! Both mains were really likeable. And the chemistry was there and strong. Both leads had some unresolved feelings from the past and these feelings are still there and are growing stronger as they spent time together. It was nice to see them try and hide their feelings or not admit their feeling to themselves. But the attraction between them was clearly palpable. I also enjoyed the banter between them. There were some funny moments. The author really told their story well, and we got to read from both their point of view. The side characters also added to their story; Tally, Louis, Pam and Halima. Even Davy’s boss Roland and his wife.
This was overall a great book and I can’t recommend it enough. I did not want this book to end and was ecstatic to discover that there’s an epilogue available to download for free at the author’s website.
I received an ARC from the publisher through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
I really enjoyed this read! Both mains were really likeable. And the chemistry was there and strong. Both leads had some unresolved feelings from the past and these feelings are still there and are growing stronger as they spent time together. It was nice to see them try and hide their feelings or not admit their feeling to themselves. But the attraction between them was clearly palpable. I also enjoyed the banter between them. There were some funny moments. The author really told their story well, and we got to read from both their point of view. The side characters also added to their story; Tally, Louis, Pam and Halima. Even Davy’s boss Roland and his wife.
This was overall a great book and I can’t recommend it enough. I did not want this book to end and was ecstatic to discover that there’s an epilogue available to download for free at the author’s website.
I received an ARC from the publisher through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
August 16, 2023
This was a very clever fake relationship with a second chance romance plot. Family dynamics were the focus of the drama, with a little work-related intrigue. Well written. I am looking forward to more from this author.
May 13, 2024
Enjoyed this slow burn romance. The story itself dragged a bit at the beginning, but then picked up speed to where I could enjoy it more.
Bonus that the main characters had an interesting connection that I’d never seen before in sapphic fiction. A nice beach read.
Bonus that the main characters had an interesting connection that I’d never seen before in sapphic fiction. A nice beach read.
March 27, 2023
This book is a mix of several plots. None of them is neglected by Campbell whether it’s the second chance, the fauxmance or the slow burn (especially this one !). Add to this, layers of broken family, a cute child and you have The No Kiss Contract.
First part of the book starts with a broken and really tense relationship between Anna and Davy after a fall out in their teenage years. Anna is blinded by her own wounds and anger, keeping her from seeing how a life without love from a parent scarred Davy.
Then in the second part, the way the relationship between Davy and Anna shift from "benefiting from each other" to "wanting to put the other’s needs first" was really sweet and well written. I particularly appreciate Davy’s evolution, since she came from a really lonely place, where work is the only thing filling her life. Seeing her settling in her «fake but not so fake » family life with Anna while trying to build a relationship with her sister was really warming.Side characters add a lot to this book : Louis’s storyline, Pam’s thoughtfulness, Cupid/Halima’s lightness, Tally being her teenage self, sexist characters (whose names I didn’t bother remembering) showing how Davy has to work twice harder to get what she wants as a woman...
After an excrutiating slow burn, the ending was a huge lesbian cliche with a commitment that came at the speed of light 😆⚡. But that will give entire satisfaction to the hopeless romantic out there. I had a good time reading this book and would recommand it to any fauxmance lovers.
Don’t forget to go download for free the epilogue on Nan Cambell’s website
First part of the book starts with a broken and really tense relationship between Anna and Davy after a fall out in their teenage years. Anna is blinded by her own wounds and anger, keeping her from seeing how a life without love from a parent scarred Davy.
Then in the second part, the way the relationship between Davy and Anna shift from "benefiting from each other" to "wanting to put the other’s needs first" was really sweet and well written. I particularly appreciate Davy’s evolution, since she came from a really lonely place, where work is the only thing filling her life. Seeing her settling in her «fake but not so fake » family life with Anna while trying to build a relationship with her sister was really warming.Side characters add a lot to this book : Louis’s storyline, Pam’s thoughtfulness, Cupid/Halima’s lightness, Tally being her teenage self, sexist characters (whose names I didn’t bother remembering) showing how Davy has to work twice harder to get what she wants as a woman...
After an excrutiating slow burn, the ending was a huge lesbian cliche with a commitment that came at the speed of light 😆⚡. But that will give entire satisfaction to the hopeless romantic out there. I had a good time reading this book and would recommand it to any fauxmance lovers.
Don’t forget to go download for free the epilogue on Nan Cambell’s website
March 17, 2023
As the name implies, this is an unputdownable fake dating meets second chance romance. The premise is a bit out there but I picked it up because I loved Nan Campbell’s debut, and this delivered too. Her characters are so realistic. There are two kids of different ages and they’re both very realistic too. The banter is there, which is tough to do since she’s balancing real feelings with a fake relationship + found but also blood family. That’s an intricate web, but reading it isn’t complicated. It’s a smooth, beautifully told love story with great chemistry, and a wonderful example of what family can and should be. The end gets a bit syrupy, but it’s rounded out by a sweet epilogue, available free on the author’s website. The best part about Nan’s work, is her writing. There are fun facts sprinkled throughout, clever puns, and I especially love that she uses elevated language and themes, and trusts the reader to stick with it. I’m definitely along for the ride. Look for this one April 11. Highly recommend!
Short summary: Thrown together by their parents’ love affair, Anna and Davy become best friends for one summer until they’re separated for about 15 years, connected only by their half sister. A misunderstanding leads to Davy asking Anna to be her fake fiancée so she can get ahead at work. As they spend more time together a real attraction blossoms, but will either of them be brave enough to admit it?
Thanks to Bold Strokes Books and Netgalley. ARC provided in exchange for an honest review.
Short summary: Thrown together by their parents’ love affair, Anna and Davy become best friends for one summer until they’re separated for about 15 years, connected only by their half sister. A misunderstanding leads to Davy asking Anna to be her fake fiancée so she can get ahead at work. As they spend more time together a real attraction blossoms, but will either of them be brave enough to admit it?
Thanks to Bold Strokes Books and Netgalley. ARC provided in exchange for an honest review.
February 4, 2024
The book to read if doing LesRom Bingo! A delightful read, loved the characters and the dialogue. Highly recommended.
April 3, 2023
I really enjoyed the start, from the prologue to catching up to present day, with little crumbs of backstory being dropped. I like the writing style, some lines are amusing and others are illuminating in an off hand way. This is a book I will concentrate on as I think the picture is building up. Going by the title I’ve a pretty good idea where the story is going and a good job has been of setting out why, for at least one of the mains, this would be tempting.
22% in and I’m about to get the popcorn out. The plot is hotting up and I can’t wait!
This is one of those rare books, that when you are not reading it you just want to be reading it. I am struggling to define why. Yes it is well written and well paced with amusing lines. The only thing that slightly bothered me was explained. The characters are believable and although, as is normal for fake romance trope, both believe they are the only one that feels that way, it is not annoyingly done. There are, I think a couple of plot bombs still to be sorted, and with only 20% still to go, I hope they will be. They are. I really enjoyed this book. I’m struggling on star rating. Gut feeling is 4.5, should I round it up to 5? I wanted to get back to it, I liked the mains, it was perfectly paced and I enjoyed the humour. 5 if some secondary characters had maybe a bit more depth but that is me struggling to explain to myself why it’s not a 5, but it is a very strong 4.
22% in and I’m about to get the popcorn out. The plot is hotting up and I can’t wait!
This is one of those rare books, that when you are not reading it you just want to be reading it. I am struggling to define why. Yes it is well written and well paced with amusing lines. The only thing that slightly bothered me was explained. The characters are believable and although, as is normal for fake romance trope, both believe they are the only one that feels that way, it is not annoyingly done. There are, I think a couple of plot bombs still to be sorted, and with only 20% still to go, I hope they will be. They are. I really enjoyed this book. I’m struggling on star rating. Gut feeling is 4.5, should I round it up to 5? I wanted to get back to it, I liked the mains, it was perfectly paced and I enjoyed the humour. 5 if some secondary characters had maybe a bit more depth but that is me struggling to explain to myself why it’s not a 5, but it is a very strong 4.
March 31, 2023
I love Nan Campbell’s writing. It is earnest and her characters have real depth and emotions. I was instantly hooked on this slow burn, second chance romance and stayed up way too late reading as much of their story as I could. Davina (Davy) and Anna got to be friends one summer when they are 17 and their parents are involved with each other. Fifteen years later Davy is a driven, rising corporate lawyer with the goal of being a named equity partner in her firm. A half sister came from the affair of her father but she only sees her once a year. Davy decides to reconnect by hosting her sister’s fourteenth birthday party at her newly purchased home. Her boss/mentor is a neighbor and mentions being family oriented as one of the values prized for a new partner. Davy claims Anna is her fiancé and then has to convince her to join the ruse.
Anna is lovely. She is nurturing and caring. She has a five year old son Louis who is her world and supports herself with her art and Etsy store. Davy and Anna are great. They communicate well and the banter can be playful. The author shows Davy being the workaholic capable lawyer and lets her blossom in her role with her new found pretend family. Anna is supportive and trying to keep her emotions in check as she is loving sharing the load of parenthood. The side characters also get nods for elevating the book. Davy’s assistant with her gentle nudges, Anna’s understanding mom Pam and Tally the half sister who gets to be a teen with moods and emotions. This is a wonderful example of the different connections and meanings of family.
I am happy to recommend this low angst story. I feel connected and want the best HEA for Davy and Anna. I also enjoyed the epilogue that can be found on Nan Cambell's website. I am a huge fan of the author’s debut novel, The Rules of Forever, and I spent this snowy morning reading it again. I love that the books aren’t really connected but they do take place in the same “world”. Davy attends the same private boarding college prep school as the MCs from her other novel.
Thank you to NetGalley and Bold Strokes Books for an ARC and I’m leaving a voluntary review.
Anna is lovely. She is nurturing and caring. She has a five year old son Louis who is her world and supports herself with her art and Etsy store. Davy and Anna are great. They communicate well and the banter can be playful. The author shows Davy being the workaholic capable lawyer and lets her blossom in her role with her new found pretend family. Anna is supportive and trying to keep her emotions in check as she is loving sharing the load of parenthood. The side characters also get nods for elevating the book. Davy’s assistant with her gentle nudges, Anna’s understanding mom Pam and Tally the half sister who gets to be a teen with moods and emotions. This is a wonderful example of the different connections and meanings of family.
I am happy to recommend this low angst story. I feel connected and want the best HEA for Davy and Anna. I also enjoyed the epilogue that can be found on Nan Cambell's website. I am a huge fan of the author’s debut novel, The Rules of Forever, and I spent this snowy morning reading it again. I love that the books aren’t really connected but they do take place in the same “world”. Davy attends the same private boarding college prep school as the MCs from her other novel.
Thank you to NetGalley and Bold Strokes Books for an ARC and I’m leaving a voluntary review.
March 26, 2023
The No Kiss Contract, by Nan Campbell, puts together a couple of fun tropes; fake dating and enemies-to-lovers and the result is fantastic.
Davy grew up forced to follow in her father’s footsteps, always feeling the burden of responsibility to please him, even if it goes against her own wants and desires. She is a career-driven lawyer, with no life outside of work. When she finally breaks free, and steps into her own path, her rekindling with Anna pushes her on a path she never knew she wanted.
Anna is happy and family-orientated, raising her son and helping her mother with her teenage half-sister Tally. When Davy (Tally’s other half-sister) insists on being a bigger part of Tally’s life, Anna can’t help but be worried that the woman will come and go as she pleases, messing with Tally’s emotions. At the same time, Anna’s own life is thrown into turmoil, and the offer to move in with Davy as her fake fiancé seems like the only way to give her son the education she deserves.
Davy and Anna spent a summer together in their late teen, and even though their relationship has soured since then, both women can’t deny the feelings that linger from those days.
The No Kiss Contract is a character-driven romance and I found myself drawn to both MCs for several reasons. Davy is confident and loyal, her determination sometimes becoming a barrier to her happiness. Anna shares similar traits, always ensuring the happiness of those around her and being quick to offer her help and support. The overall story is fast-paced, turning some common tropes into an original well-written romance not to be missed.
Davy grew up forced to follow in her father’s footsteps, always feeling the burden of responsibility to please him, even if it goes against her own wants and desires. She is a career-driven lawyer, with no life outside of work. When she finally breaks free, and steps into her own path, her rekindling with Anna pushes her on a path she never knew she wanted.
Anna is happy and family-orientated, raising her son and helping her mother with her teenage half-sister Tally. When Davy (Tally’s other half-sister) insists on being a bigger part of Tally’s life, Anna can’t help but be worried that the woman will come and go as she pleases, messing with Tally’s emotions. At the same time, Anna’s own life is thrown into turmoil, and the offer to move in with Davy as her fake fiancé seems like the only way to give her son the education she deserves.
Davy and Anna spent a summer together in their late teen, and even though their relationship has soured since then, both women can’t deny the feelings that linger from those days.
The No Kiss Contract is a character-driven romance and I found myself drawn to both MCs for several reasons. Davy is confident and loyal, her determination sometimes becoming a barrier to her happiness. Anna shares similar traits, always ensuring the happiness of those around her and being quick to offer her help and support. The overall story is fast-paced, turning some common tropes into an original well-written romance not to be missed.
January 11, 2025
I really enjoy family stories and this was so readable and involving. And lost families that are found again are lovely. Well-drawn characters. Believable plot. Nice romance. Satisfying HEA. What more could a reader want?
January 16, 2024
Enjoyable, companionable, something worth reading and engineering feelings of family and belonging.
That said, the true intimacy period was a rollercoaster...one minute they realise they're into one another and the next the book ends. I wish their realisation came about a little earlier to have readers along
That said, the true intimacy period was a rollercoaster...one minute they realise they're into one another and the next the book ends. I wish their realisation came about a little earlier to have readers along
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
May 1, 2024
Lovely characters, nice writing, great story. Really enjoyed it.
June 11, 2023
The No Kiss Contract by Nan Campbell centres around Davy Dugan, a young corporate lawyer who is excellent at her job. Her unforgiving work hours and commitment to her job leave little time for her half-sister, Tally. Tally’s other half-sister, Anna Resnick, is an artist and has been in her life since day one. Anna has little time for Davy and has her own assumptions about Davy’s life since they last saw each other as teenagers years ago, and the assumptions are not good. Davy vows to make amends to be more a part of Tally’s life, starting with her upcoming birthday party; for this Davy needs the help of Anna.
As the story progresses and the party is in full swing, Davy’s neighbour concludes that Davy and Anna are a couple. Nothing can be further from the truth. However, this leads Davy to an idea that could work to her advantage.
This very slow burn, low angst, second chance, faux romance covers a full range of emotions. I thought this would be a fade to black, but this was not the case. I enjoyed getting to know the MC’s as they drew me into their world. Davy and Anna had chemistry from the start, and I enjoyed their repartee. The secondary characters added to the story, my favourite is little Louis who is so intelligent for his age.
I would recommend this book.
Thank you to NetGalley for a copy of this book for an honest review.
As the story progresses and the party is in full swing, Davy’s neighbour concludes that Davy and Anna are a couple. Nothing can be further from the truth. However, this leads Davy to an idea that could work to her advantage.
This very slow burn, low angst, second chance, faux romance covers a full range of emotions. I thought this would be a fade to black, but this was not the case. I enjoyed getting to know the MC’s as they drew me into their world. Davy and Anna had chemistry from the start, and I enjoyed their repartee. The secondary characters added to the story, my favourite is little Louis who is so intelligent for his age.
I would recommend this book.
Thank you to NetGalley for a copy of this book for an honest review.
April 2, 2023
Davy and Anna knew each other one summer when they were teenagers but family drama that was misunderstanding got in the way. Davy now is attorney who working herself to become partners. Anna is a single mom who trying give her son Louis a good life she supports herself with her art and store. Davy is trying to reconnect to her half sister Tally that she doesn’t get to see much who also happens to be Anna half sister also when Davy wants to throw her sister birthday party as a way to connect. When her boss who happens to be a neighbor thinks Davy and Anna are together she realizes the company values families in order to become partners she convinces Anna to play along but as they continue to pretend it’s start to feel real especially when the supportive characters gently push them into seeing what’s right in from of them. Low on angst with a great slow romance.
I received an ARC copy of this book from the Publisher via Netgalley and voluntarily leaving my review.
I received an ARC copy of this book from the Publisher via Netgalley and voluntarily leaving my review.
April 11, 2023
Davy didn’t know too much about how families worked seeing as she was sent to a boarding school from the age of six. Her mother passed and Davy’s father wasn't a father or really didn’t want to be one when he showed repeatedly how little she meant to her dad. When her father met Pam and was planning to marry he brought Davy to meet her and her family.
Pam’s only child was Anna, about the same age as Davy, and when they met a friendship was formed. Anna worked on a school play, in charge of the set’s. Davy started hanging around her so she was working on the sets. It’s not until last night, when Davy and Anna were breaking down on the stage, that they kissed for the first time. Both were looking forward to meeting again at Christmas but Davy’s father didn’t think that was a good idea so the two girls. She didn’t meet up with Anna until Tally’s sixth birthday.
Now as Tally’s starting her senior year at school Davy decides it’s time for her to become the big sister she should have had when Tally was much younger. Anna just didn’t like Davy. Too many misunderstandings along the way. And now Davy had to ask for a favor, nothing too much, just pretend Anna is engaged to Davy.
A nice romance, nice characters , and an interesting plot make for a very enjoyable read.
ARC via NetGalley/Bold Stroke Books
Pam’s only child was Anna, about the same age as Davy, and when they met a friendship was formed. Anna worked on a school play, in charge of the set’s. Davy started hanging around her so she was working on the sets. It’s not until last night, when Davy and Anna were breaking down on the stage, that they kissed for the first time. Both were looking forward to meeting again at Christmas but Davy’s father didn’t think that was a good idea so the two girls. She didn’t meet up with Anna until Tally’s sixth birthday.
Now as Tally’s starting her senior year at school Davy decides it’s time for her to become the big sister she should have had when Tally was much younger. Anna just didn’t like Davy. Too many misunderstandings along the way. And now Davy had to ask for a favor, nothing too much, just pretend Anna is engaged to Davy.
A nice romance, nice characters , and an interesting plot make for a very enjoyable read.
ARC via NetGalley/Bold Stroke Books
April 22, 2023
(4.00)
October 18, 2023
90% family/professional dynamic, 10% romance about 2 people with no chemistry
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