Here For The Cake: A fake dating, beach wedding romance by Jennifer Millikin Published by Self-Published on May 2, 2024
Pages: 472
Genres: Romance
Amazon B&N
A spicy, sassy, and swoony fake dating romantic comedy from Amazon Charts bestselling author Jennifer Millikin.
A week on an island sounds like the stuff of beach dreams, but for Paisley Royce, it's a nightmare. Her little sister is marrying her ex-college sweetheart, and Paisley is serving as maid of honor. To add insult to injury, nobody will let Paisley forget she’s single.
Bachelorette weekend changes everything when she runs into her old college frenemy, Klein Madigan.
Klein is still intelligent and funny, and somehow time has only made him more attractive.
Paisley is Klein’s ‘one that got away’, not that he’d ever admit it to her. A colossal misstep (and one terrible kiss) in college sealed their fate.
Or so they thought.
Klein’s an aspiring author allergic to social media. Paisley owns a digital marketing agency.
A brilliant plan is hatched: A trip across the country for a week of faking out her family in exchange for her firm marketing his work.
One hastily scrawled and signed contract on a bar napkin later, Paisley and Klein embark on a journey of tension, only one bed, and fake dating shenanigans.
Paisley’s goal is to survive the week.
Klein’s plan is to enjoy the sun, sand, and wedding cake.
But then there’s a scorching kiss to make up for that bad one in college.
And another kiss in a lighthouse during a thunderstorm. A gentle palm on Paisley’s lower back, and a reassuring hand squeeze under the table.
Everyone is convinced Klein and Paisley are the real deal, but as the week wears on, they begin to wonder if the only people they’re kidding are themselves.
There’s sun on my face, a smile in my heart, and a rush of fresh air kissing my skin. It’s all thanks to Here For The Cake, a feel-good fake dating romance that’s a pleasure to read.
Klein and Paisley felt an instant connection back in college, but one drunken kiss ruined everything. Years later, Paisley, now the owner of a successful marketing agency, hasn’t forgotten the embarrassment of Klein’s rejection. Klein, a struggling writer, remembers Paisley as the girl of his dreams and yearns for a do-over. Opportunity presents itself when Paisley walks into the bar where Klein works and the two reconnect. Paisley needs a date for her sister and her ex-boyfriend’s week-long destination wedding. Klein needs Paisley’s social media skills to help him land a book deal. They reach a mutually beneficial agreement that causes all the rom-com angels to sing.
The wonderful thing is that from the very beginning, nothing about the couple’s relationship feels fake. Their chemistry is very real, and their mutual admiration is genuine. It helps that they’re only pretending to be dating, not married. Between the fun wedding activities and close proximity, there are plenty of opportunities to build something real—and erase the memory of that awful kiss.
I always have a sense of dread while waiting for the gotcha moment that typically comes with fake dating tropes. You know, the point when everyone finds out the relationship was just a hoax, and the main characters are mortified. I was so grateful that Here For The Cake manages to avoid the awkward drama and the ensuing anticlimactic third act break-up.
I adored book, but I do wish Klein would have done some work on himself to address his extreme insecurities. I also felt the social media campaign idea was weak. However, the story is entertaining, and the cozy beach town setting left me feeling nostalgic for a place I’d never even been.
Recommended for fans of:
Fake dating
Beach romances
Revenge dating
Social media
About Jennifer Millikin
Jennifer Millikin is a two-time recipient of the Readers Favorite award. She writes contemporary fiction with elements of romance, emotion, and hard-learned lessons. Her characters are flawed and authentic, and some parts of her stories are more fact than fiction.
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