Falling for Real (Dare to Fall #2)
Carly Phillips

Blurb:

One canceled date.

One overbooked hotel.

One fake boyfriend who feels way too real.

I arrive at a family wedding expecting maid-of-honor chaos—not to share a room with Tristan Hayes, the devastatingly charming nightclub owner I’ve crushed on for too long.

When the hotel runs out of rooms, Tristan gives his to an elderly couple without hesitation, and I see the kind of man he is.

So, I offer to share my king-sized bed.

Just for the weekend. It’s totally innocent.

Until my ex shows up with a date.

Suddenly Tristan’s hand is on my waist, his smile lethal, and he becomes my fake boyfriend. It's temporary and perfect.

Except the chemistry isn’t fake.

And wedding weekends don’t

last.

Themes: Contemporary, Second Generation

Rating: 4 stars

Heat Rating:

Review:

I just love a good fake date trope especially when you add in one bed accident and two people that have never admitted they were attracted to one another. Carly Phillips gives us a sweet and sensual novella between two friends of friends that are suddenly thrown together due to unforeseen circumstances and find that their feelings for one another are much more explosive than they ever realized. Kaylee Martin and Tristan Hayes have been in the same friend circles for ages, but they’ve never let their chemistry move into dangerous waters, until they find themselves at a wedding in Key West and sharing a hotel room with only one large bed. Then Tristan goes a step further pretending to be her boyfriend to save her from an awkward situation with her egotistical, rude ex when he is trying to embarrass Kaylee, which just pushes Tristan over the edge. The more time that Tristan spends with Kaylee the more he comes to respect and admire the sweet and sensual party planner that has always been in the background of his life, but can he convince her to give their relationship a real chance once the wedding is over, or will their unexpected fling end when they head back home? I enjoyed every page of this short read, gobbling up all the amazing romantic and gratifying interactions between Kaylee and Tristan, but also the way they both worked through their fears and had to come to terms with their pasts and present in order to accept that their “wedding fling” was so much more and they were meant for one another. Tristan was loving, sexy, noble and just the kind of guy I would like at my side, even just pretending to be my boyfriend; but ultimately the fact that he was so self-aware and knew immediately that Kaylee was different, that she was the woman the finally convince him to enjoy a relationship, made him perfect in my mind. Kaylee was a great character, admitting her flaws to herself, as well as those around her, but not letting them stop her from getting things done, or being there for those she loved, and of course she knows how to go for the things she wants, even if she sometimes overthinks things when she lets fear rule her. The chemistry that sparked between these two was apparent from the first moment they allowed themselves to open their eyes to one another, and I cannot wait to see more of them in future novels in the series. Carly’s style and grace for bringing characters to life and knowing the way to readers’ hearts is mystifying but she never fails to hit every note and proves to me why I’ve been a fan for decades.

*eARC provided by author for the purpose of an honest and unbiased review. No compensation was provided.