3 1/2 Stars ~ Twenty-three year old Mattie owns Green and Beautiful, a floral service that has contracts to supply and care for the plants and floral arrangements for several London businesses. Still suffering from stung feelings from a boyfriend that had kept secret his engagement to another woman, Mattie acts impulsively when the secretary for the CEO of J.B. Industries gives her the order for four floral arrangements to be sent to four different women, with personally addressed cards from the CEO, claiming "much love, J." Miffed at this man's womanizing ways, she deliberately shuffles the cards onto the wrong arrangement, knowing Tina will be surprised to learn about Cally, and Sally will be surprised to learn about Sandy, and so on. But the last laugh isn't Mattie's, as the CEO turns up at her mother's kennels to make arrangement for his dog while he's away in Paris. Jack doesn't know that Mattie is his florist, and he doesn't hide his attraction to her which only puts him further in her bad books. Realizing that what she's done could impact badly not only on her mother's business but her own, Mattie decides to come clean and confess to Jack. Jack is rather shocked at Mattie's opinions of him, and so he doesn't explain about the women, but lets her hang on to her misconceptions. He tells her that as a result of her mischief he's lost his companion on the family weekend trip to Paris, and he insists that Mattie takes her place. The weekend in Paris is to celebrate his younger sister's engagement, and included in the party goers is his future brother-in-law's sister who delights in putting her claws into Jack. So in a not so subtle way, Jack hints that if Mattie comes to Paris as his pretend girlfriend, he'll drop what she's done.
This is a refreshing and flirty romance that was a lot of fun to read. It's clear that Mattie's impulsive nature tends to get her into trouble, but it's also part of her charm. Jack is clearly enchanted, and recognizing her inexperience, he sets out to woo her, but first he has to prove to her that he's not a cheating womaniser. Both feel tremendously vulnerable having fallen in love so fast and so hard. This is a lovely summer time read.