3.5 Shooting the Shit Stars ⭐️
Spicy Level: 🌶️.5/5

This is the kind of book that is going to give you what you want to get... if that is a light, fluffy romance that you have probably seen or read before but want those vibes again. It’s not going to change your life; it’s not going to change your world, but it’s light and fluffy, and you’re going to enjoy it. It’s a quick little read that has a couple of delicious tropes that will SCRATCH THAT ITCH... if it’s an itch you want to scratch. There is a reason Hallmark makes 30 Christmas movies each year, and yes, they are all pretty much the same, but you still voraciously devour them because they make you happy.

Camila is heartbroken. She has just found out her cheating ex-boyfriend is engaged to the woman he cheated on her with, and on top of that, her bathroom just exploded. So drunk and wet, she phones "Rent a Husband," a repair service run by the Abbott Brothers, that offers after-hours services to people who need it (mostly elderly women who just like to stare at the sexy men fixing their pipes).
Lucas, the eldest, pulls the short straw when Cami’s call comes in and grumpily rocks up to fix her "plumbing disaster" because she cannot figure out how to turn her water off. He realizes he’s probably going to have a problem because she’s drop-dead gorgeous. After determining there is extensive damage to her inner walls, he offers to do an after-hours and weekend bathroom overhaul as he needs some extra cash. Cami soon has another problem: she’s invited to a coworker’s wedding, where her ex is going to be, and she doesn’t want to face him alone. So Lucas gets to fix another one of her problems by pretending to be her boyfriend.

Camila is a sweetheart. She’s also pretty intelligent and pretty self-sacrificing. She is emotionally struggling after her breakup, and the emotional trauma it caused has left a lot of scars as her trust has been broken by not one but two men in her life.

Lucas has the difficult job of needing to reestablish that trust. He is stubborn and carries the world on his shoulders. Being the eldest brother of three normally means you have to be the most level-headed and responsible. He has an inherent sense of loyalty to his family that is adorably sweet, especially seeing how he is willing to sacrifice his happiness to make them happy. I loved how much love you could feel in the pages when he interacted with his grandparents and how much he was willing to give back to them after everything they gave him. He is also a very forgiving man because the OMG situations that Cami puts him into and how he handles them like a gentleman with grace (mostly) were super commendable.

My one problem with this is that we never actually see them fall in love. They go on one date, and then we have "time passing" — you know, while he is always at her house fixing her bathroom — and then they are in love. It felt very much like telling me they now love each other versus showing me how they fell in love. This causes part of their connection and chemistry to feel missed because while there is that initial attraction, massive chemistry, and connection they have... it’s almost implied that because they had it, you have to assume it translated into the times we as readers are not shown, and that is why they love each other... I just wanted to see more development before the "love switch."

Tropes in this include:
▶ Strangers to Lovers
▶ Repair man fixing all her problems
▶ Fake Dating & Fake Marriage
▶ Dual POV
▶ One Bed
▶ Primal Play
▶ Third Act Breakup

Micro Tropes:
▷ "View is Amazing" - Looking at her
▷ Rolled Sleeves and Forearm Focus
▷ Chin Lift
▷ Forehead Kisses

Overall, the writing was easy to follow, and the book made me giggle, gasp, and smile, delivering exactly what I wanted. If you’re looking for a low-angst, straightforward story that fulfils its promise, I highly recommend picking this up!

Thank you to Everly Ashton and ValentinePR for my gifted copy!
All thoughts and opinions are my own.