I have been a fan of Emma Lord’s YA novels and was excited to read her foray into an adult romance. 

 

June and Levi were friends as teens. They were connected by her sister, Annie, who has sadly passed away. Now both are back in their hometown after their break-ups with their exes went viral. They decide to fake date to get back at the exes and help June with some needed funds for the tea shop she owns. Spending more time together gets hearts involved, and they must decide if a chance at love is worth the risk of heartbreak. 

 

Emma Lord writes messy characters well and writes their love stories even better. June and Levi are perfect for each other. They both have messy lives, but they work great together. The two together had a lot of chemistry which led to a lot of funny moments. June did irritate me a bit sometimes, she just seemed all over the place, and so stuck, but there was also a reason for who she was. She was living the dream of her sister. 

 

I loved so much about this story. Both June and Levi are struggling in their own lives and with the help of each other are reminded of who they are and what they want. I did feel at times these characters acted a bit younger than they were. They are around 27 years old and I felt that they read closer to 22, especially with some of their communication and avoidance. 

 

Overall this was a cute premise, that is perfect for a small town lover. I continue to enjoy Emma Lord’s novels and can’t wait to see what else she writes! 

 

Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for a copy of this book. All opinions are 100% mine. 

 

read if you like: fake dating, second chance-ish, friends to enemies to lovers