Mr. H.O.A.

Fake It #1

by Carina Taylor

Alternate cover edition of ASIN B085T8YKSC


Bane Fox knows exactly what he wants in life: financial stability.

He does not want to be homeless.
He does not want to be the president of an HOA.

It’s rather unfortunate he is both of those things.

Oh, and did I forget to mention he has a fake wife?
Yeah, that’s me.

Genres: Romance, Contemporary, Contemporary Romance, Fiction, Chick Lit, Clean Romance, Adult

216 pages, Kindle Edition

First published June 30, 2020

Reviews

[Neha Singh · Rating 4 out of 5]

It was surprisingly good! One of the cleanest romance I have read in a very long time. Despite having no sex scenes and very few kissing scenes, it was filled with great chemistry, the friendship and attraction between Bane and Nola was great, I loved both of them. Pretty sure the next book is about Riley and Nate, cannot wait to read about them!

[Jypsy · Rating 4 out of 5]

Thank you Give Me Books for a complimentary copy. I voluntarily reviewed this book. All opinions expressed are my own.

Mr. H.O.A.
By: Carina Taylor


REVIEW ☆☆☆☆
The cover of Mr. H.O.A. is so adorable, and I wanted to read the book as soon as I saw it. New to me author Carina Taylor has written a delightfully charming story about two "squatters" pretending to be a married couple. Bane and Nola were evicted from the same apartment building, and events led to an empty house, thus the squatting. Bane is elected to the H.O.A. with great irony. As Nola and Bane pretend to be a couple, could they legitimately become a couple? This book is a nice dose of lighthearted fun, and I'm so glad to have read it. It has a quirkiness that just pulls the reader into this world, and I didn't want to leave. I look forward to Carina Taylor's next book!

[Happy Reading Watching · Rating 5 out of 5]

Reread 2021
Oh my goodness this book! So much fun and the charcters, the story and the romance 😍

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
𝐘𝐨𝐮 𝐤𝐧𝐨𝐰 𝐭𝐡𝐨𝐬𝐞 𝐬𝐭𝐨𝐫𝐢𝐞𝐬 𝐲𝐨𝐮 𝐩𝐢𝐜𝐤 𝐮𝐩 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐢𝐭'𝐬 𝐥𝐢𝐤𝐞 𝐞𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐲𝐨𝐮𝐫 𝐟𝐚𝐯𝐨𝐫𝐢𝐭𝐞 𝐟𝐨𝐨𝐝. 𝐖𝐡𝐞𝐧 𝐲𝐨𝐮 𝐚𝐫𝐞 𝐠𝐞𝐭𝐭𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐜𝐥𝐨𝐬𝐞 𝐭𝐨 𝐟𝐢𝐧𝐢𝐬𝐡𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐲𝐨𝐮 𝐚𝐫𝐞 𝐚 𝐥𝐢𝐭𝐭𝐥𝐞 𝐬𝐚𝐝 𝐭𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐢𝐭'𝐬 𝐚𝐥𝐦𝐨𝐬𝐭 𝐨𝐯𝐞𝐫. 𝐓𝐡𝐞𝐧 𝐰𝐡𝐞𝐧 𝐲𝐨𝐮 𝐫𝐞𝐚𝐝 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐥𝐚𝐬𝐭 𝐩𝐚𝐠𝐞 𝐲𝐨𝐮 𝐚𝐫𝐞 𝐧𝐨𝐭 𝐫𝐞𝐚𝐝𝐲 𝐭𝐨 𝐬𝐚𝐲 𝐠𝐨𝐨𝐝𝐛𝐲𝐞? 𝐖𝐞𝐥𝐥 𝐭𝐡𝐚𝐭'𝐬 𝐡𝐨𝐰 𝐈 𝐟𝐞𝐥𝐭 𝐚𝐛𝐨𝐮𝐭 𝐌𝐫. 𝐇.𝐎.𝐀.
♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡
ᴛʜɪꜱ ʀᴏᴍ ᴄᴏᴍ ʜᴀᴅ ᴇᴠᴇʀʏᴛʜɪɴɢ
🍨ɪᴄᴇ ᴄʀᴇᴀᴍ
🍨ꜰᴀᴋᴇ ʀᴇʟᴀᴛɪᴏɴꜱʜɪᴘ
🍨ᴄʀᴀᴢʏ ɴᴇɪɢʜʙᴏʀꜱ
🍨ꜰᴀᴍɪʟʏ ᴅʀᴀᴍᴀ
🍨ꜱᴡᴏᴏɴ ᴡᴏʀᴛʜʏ ᴍᴏᴍᴇɴᴛꜱ & ᴍᴏʀᴇ
♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡
𝐖𝐞 𝐚𝐥𝐬𝐨 𝐬𝐞𝐞 𝐜𝐫𝐨𝐬𝐬𝐨𝐯𝐞𝐫𝐬 𝐨𝐟 𝐨𝐥𝐝 𝐜𝐡𝐚𝐫𝐜𝐭𝐞𝐫𝐬 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐛𝐨𝐨𝐤𝐬 ( @authorsarahadams 😉 ) . 𝐖𝐡𝐢𝐜𝐡 𝐚𝐝𝐝𝐞𝐝 𝐭𝐨 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐬𝐭𝐨𝐫𝐲 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐢𝐭 𝐰𝐚𝐬 𝐬𝐨 𝐦𝐮𝐜𝐡 𝐟𝐮𝐧! 𝐈 𝐡𝐢𝐠𝐡𝐥𝐲 𝐫𝐞𝐜𝐨𝐦𝐦𝐞𝐧𝐝 𝐩𝐢𝐜𝐤𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐭𝐡𝐢𝐬 𝐨𝐧𝐞 𝐮𝐩 𝐉𝐮𝐧𝐞 𝟑𝟎𝐭𝐡 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐭𝐢𝐥𝐥 𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐧 𝐲𝐨𝐮 𝐜𝐚𝐧 𝐚𝐥𝐰𝐚𝐲𝐬 𝐜𝐡𝐞𝐜𝐤 𝐨𝐮𝐭 𝐡𝐞𝐫 𝐨𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐫 𝐛𝐨𝐨𝐤𝐬. 𝐓𝐡𝐞𝐲 𝐚𝐫𝐞 𝐚𝐥𝐥 𝐚𝐦𝐚𝐳𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐠𝐨𝐨𝐝 𝐜𝐥𝐞𝐚𝐧 𝐫𝐨𝐦𝐚𝐧𝐜𝐞 𝐧𝐨𝐯𝐞𝐥𝐬.
𝐂𝐚𝐫𝐢𝐧𝐚 𝐲𝐨𝐮 𝐤𝐧𝐨𝐰 𝐈 𝐥𝐨𝐯𝐞 𝐲𝐨𝐮𝐫 𝐛𝐨𝐨𝐤𝐬, 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐰𝐢𝐭𝐡 𝐭𝐡𝐢𝐬 𝐨𝐧𝐞 𝐲𝐨𝐮 𝐫𝐞𝐚𝐥𝐥𝐲 𝐨𝐮𝐭 𝐝𝐢𝐝 𝐲𝐨𝐮𝐫𝐬𝐞𝐥𝐟! 𝐂𝐡𝐢𝐞𝐟𝐬 𝐤𝐢𝐬𝐬!!!
♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡

Romance: One descriptive kiss still clean and does not go further then that ❤

[Aimee (Getting Your Read On) · Rating 4 out of 5]

A Happy Diversion

Who doesn't love a good fake to real love story? This one was fun! Nola and Bane come together in an interesting way and fit each other well. The whole HOA thing may have been a slight exaggeration but not by much! I lived in a crazy HOA place so all that was particularly amusing to me. This story provided a happy diversion and I'm looking forward to the next book!

[Mandy · Rating 5 out of 5]

This romantic comedy was so fun to read; I read it in one afternoon and still can't stop thinking about it. The characters were charming and the plot felt very original for the fake marriage trope. Bane and Nola had great chemistry that had me completely swooning each time they "pretended" to be a married couple all while slowly falling in love. The way they teased each other and the well-written banter was a delight to read. The fun twists in the plot and interactions were all super entertaining, I was eating it all up. I can tell Carina Taylor is going to become a favorite Contemporary author for me.
I did receive an advance reader copy of this novel. I am voluntarily choosing to leave a review because of how impressed I was by this book and the author's ability to weave a fun and enjoyable clean rom-com that still delivered all the feels I want as a reader. Definitely a book I will reread and recommend.

[Pixie Perkins]

My full review can be found here: bit.ly/3fObCSj

𝘏𝘦 𝘸𝘢𝘴 𝘮𝘺 𝘴𝘢𝘧𝘦 𝘻𝘰𝘯𝘦. 𝘏𝘪𝘮 𝘰𝘱𝘦𝘯𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘶𝘱 𝘵𝘰 𝘮𝘦 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘥𝘢𝘺 𝘣𝘦𝘧𝘰𝘳𝘦 𝘩𝘢𝘥𝘯’𝘵 𝘩𝘦𝘭𝘱𝘦𝘥. 𝘐 𝘸𝘢𝘴 𝘨𝘦𝘵𝘵𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘮𝘰𝘳𝘦 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘮𝘰𝘳𝘦 𝘢𝘵𝘵𝘢𝘤𝘩𝘦𝘥. 𝘏𝘦 𝘸𝘢𝘴 𝘮𝘪𝘯𝘦—𝘣𝘶𝘵 𝘩𝘦 𝘸𝘢𝘴𝘯’𝘵.

AND HOW COULD NOLA NOT GET ATTACHED TO BANE WHEN HE WAS SO FLIPPIN' AMAZING?!

So, y'all should know I haven't read a story by Carina Taylor that I didn't enjoy. And that statement still stands. Yep. She wrote another book for me to fangirllllll over!!

Mr. H.O.A was funny, romantic, witty, and so much more. Also, I loved the dynamics between Nola and Bane!! I feel like they really balanced each other out when it came to the different circumstances they found themselves in. And no spoilers here, but the plot twist about who owned the house that "Mr. and Mrs. Fox" were staying in was PERFECT! I truly didn't see it coming, and it was a pleasant surprise. 👏👏

As far as content goes: So, I personally wouldn't consider the book to be a complete "clean" read, and that's because of the accidental naked scene (which almost made this a 3 star review, but I reallyyyy enjoyed the rest of the book). The description/details of Nola being naked (due to her dropping the towel she had around herself) were vague, but it was very clear that Bane could definitely tell she wasn't wearing any clothes. I honestly just felt like the whole thing was awkward all the way around...and out of place? However, this is just my opinion. Based off most of the reviews I've read, it doesn't seem like this scenario bothered other readers, so it really just depends on what your preferences are. Other than that, there was some butt smacking/pinching, heated kissing, and the expected tension from living together when you like each other but "don't like each other."

Overall, Mr. H.O.A. was a superrrrr cute read, and I'm sure you'll find yourself swooning over Bane...without a doubt. 💕😍

Oh! And I loved seeing Ian, Tori, and Mumfordddd!!! I can't believe I almost forgot to mention that, lol!! 🙈🙈



~I received an e-copy of this story from the author, and am voluntarily leaving an honest review.~

[Tiffany (Bluestocking) · Rating 2 out of 5]

I initially loved Nola’s personality. She was snarky, outgoing, with a great sense of humor and she was a sure spitfire. Bane was calm, controlled and a stickler for doing things by the books which made him and Nola complete opposites but they just worked well together. I enjoyed their banter and couldn’t help laughing out loud at times.

In time though Nola became really annoying and behaved like an immature child instead of an adult. While I liked the characters and humor,there wasn’t anything that really stood out. Their story was forgettable, a little boring and more than a little unrealistic (IMO). The plot crashed and burned because nothing really made sense. Everything is already far fetched but even after Nola’s father comes into the picture I saw no reason for her to keep lying to Bane. Nor any viable reason for her father to go along with it.

The Riley subplot made little to no sense and didn’t add anything to the story. It was just a poor attempt at trying to make us understand why Nola hated her father so much. And honestly, she had no reason. She was just making assumption, misunderstanding everything and being dramatic. Her father was actually pretty awesome. Overall an okay read but some things were missing.


Content: Clean, Kissing

[Joan · Rating 3 out of 5]

There was a lot of promise in this novel, but my word, it needed some serious editing in places – far too many repetitions of information we'd been given just a few pages ago, a whole scene devoted to damp underwear draped over every surface in a bathroom only to find out - a few chapters on – that said bathroom contained a dryer!
The bathroom in question was also the laundry room, which might have been a plot point, but it was pretty ludicrous. I mean, this was a modern house built in a gated community! We're not talking about a two-up, two-down terrace in a UK city - which is the only place I've ever seen a washing machine in a bathroom!

But the basic plot was something different to the usual trite 'fake marriage' ones and I liked both characters. The two sub-plots - Riley and the one about the men fleecing the tenants - were never really developed and seemed thrown into the mix somehow. Which was a shame because this could have been a stonking good book.

I really wanted to love this book - I really liked both characters and they were well-fleshed out and believable – but the editing and the lack of any real substance to the subplots were irritating. However, that hasn't put me off looking for other books by this author.

Two and a half stars rounded up to three because I read the whole thing to the end. I just wish I could have given it five.

[Annaschultz7 · Rating 2 out of 5]

I really wanted to like this book. It was such a cute story and it had so much potential, but there were too many little things about it that I couldn’t get over. The side plot with Riley was confusing and vague, and we never fully get that whole story. I did not find that it added much to the rest of the story and acted more as a distraction. I thought the Nola and Bane romance was great and loved that you could see the friendship at the base, but it took a long time to build up and I still felt like there was something missing. I would have liked to get to explore more into the Chippy and Sterling subplot, but we don’t even see their main conflict resolution there. I felt like there were so many aspects of this book that really could have been explored more but that didn’t get the time in the story they could have. I liked the idea of this book more than the novel itself.

[Cindy Davis- Cindy's Book Corner · Rating 5 out of 5]

Mr. H.O.A. is the first book I have read by Carina Taylor.
The cover and title are what drew me to this book. It's always hard to know what to expect when trying a new author, and this one lived up to my expectations.

Mr. H.O.A. is set in Oregon and starts with our main characters receiving an eviction notice for their condemned apartment complex. What follows is the budding of a beautiful friendship, leading to a fake marriage and quite a few laugh-out-loud moments.

I absolutely adored Bane and Nola. They are both excellent characters, each with secrets of their own. Suddenly homeless bonded them in ways that living in the same apartment complex never did. I enjoyed their witty banter and how they handled the obstacles they faced and admired their tenacity.

The only thing I did not enjoy was the ending...it left one thread unraveled and I was left wanting to know what happened with the person. It leaves it open for another book, but I am not sure there is another book. (I just popped over to Goodreads, and there are two more books!)

I loved Mr. H.O.A. and highly recommend it to anyone who enjoys a clean, fun, romantic comedy! I look forward to reading more books by Carina Taylor. As a side note, this would make an excellent romantic comedy movie!!!

[Marilee · Rating 4 out of 5]

Cute slow-burn opposites attract fake romance. Loved the nosy neighbors and Bane getting elected the HOA president - so many fun laughs!

There were a few repetitive plot points (as in the same pieces of information were explained multiple times like the reader didn't already know) that threw off the pacing just a bit but it was still a fun read.

(Also fyi, there is a naked towel scene that kinda pushes this book past the line of "sweet and clean").

[Jes Drew · Rating 5 out of 5]

Speaking of rom-coms, this one is one of my absolute favorites. It's perfect. I love fake relationships, but it's more than just that. There's banter, crazy neighbors, and someone's dad getting dragged into the hijinks... it's the best thing ever. I pre-ordered it the moment I saw it, and once I finally had it in my hot, little hands, I read it twice, one read right after the other, because it was so good. If you need an escape from the insanity, here it is.

Review first published on my blog: https://agencyofbooksandspies.blogspo...

[Sharon Moritz-rosenthal · Rating 5 out of 5]

I received a free ARC copy of this book from the author prior to release and am voluntarily leaving a review.

This is the first time I am reading this author and I really enjoyed this story. It had a lot of humor, fun and good times with a couple that I liked a lot. That said I did not feel it should be listed as a romance. I felt it was very chick-lit rather than a romance.

Nola and Bane live in a crappy set of apartments when they are condemned and they are forced to move. These two start out as ex neighbors and end up as friends as they run into each other and try and find a solution to their homelessness.

Nola knows of an empty house in a very nice neighborhood while she continues to live at the condemned apartment. So she offers the empty house to Bane. He ends up squatting there and when she is forced to move, they end up cohabitating.

The house they end up living in has a very involved HOA and so the neighbors think they are married and so they become fake husband and wife. But Nola has a BIG secret that she is keeping from Bane and how will he react?

I loved this story and I loved their relationship. But Nola's lie is really BIG and then later she conspired to keep something even bigger from Bane so I had issues with her. Bane and Nola play that they are married and so they never really date and before the book ends they are in love.

I did love them as a couple and together but I also felt they went from I love you to a marriage proposal way too fast. And I wanted less fake marriage and more real romance since I was reading a romance.

[Drew Taylor · Rating 5 out of 5]

Perfect for fans of clean, wholesome romantic comedies!

This is my first Carina Taylor book, and I am looking forward to reading more! Mr. HOA was witty, flirty, and unique. The storyline was great, the characters were so much fun, and the dynamics were perfect. I love how most of this book was centered around Bane and Nola truly getting to know each other—the physical attraction was the bonus, so to say. This is the type of book I aspire to write! On to the next one ☺️

[Elizabeth · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is a light fluff of a book. It’s a fun story but feels a bit unrealistic and the conflict is resolved way too easily. But if you’re looking for something light and upbeat, check it out.

[Summer Dowell · Rating 5 out of 5]

I LOVE Carina's writing style--its not stop laughs throughout the whole book! This story was such a good one, swoony worhty moments and witty dialogue that leaves you feeling happy!

[Margot Meanders · Rating 5 out of 5]

To relax with a light thing after a depressing day is really a luxury I enjoy but only if the romcom fits my taste. This one does. I thoroughly enjoyed this cute and clean romcom. (I only read clean romances).

This one has, to me, some of the most likeable characters I have found in a romance story. their interactions are fun and endearing and the tiny bit of conflict is both enough and sufficiently understandable much as I would prefer no obfuscating was involved. Bane is a realtor with a housing problem. Nola runs from her own problems. Chance puts them in the same house. Will those two make good roommates? Honest, I have not thus far found a romance that I could say is this likeable and fun at once. The characters have quirks that are quite endearing and the writing doesn't judge them. The writer feels like she loves what she's doing. Nola's dad is also quite lovely. I really enjoyed how it all played out. It's good-natured and entertaining, light and likeable and not heavy-handed. The writing is light and fun. Not to mention the concept was fun and it was engaging from the start. It's one I'm very happy to put on my liked sweet romances shelf for which I'm steadily and carefully handpicking titles.

And most of all, it's clean.

I can easily say this is the first rom-com book I've enjoyed completely. Plus, it was the first that genuinely made me laugh out loud. And yes I find Bane on the swoon-worthy side of things :)

[Brenda Moser · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is an entertaining romantic comedy with strong characters in Bane and Nola. I loved the chemistry between these two. They have a fun banter with a slow burning romance. The author does a great job building the story with humor and a sweet romance. It's well written with detailed scenes,moves fluidly and is a great read.

I voluntarily reviewed an ARC of this book. All opinions in this review are my own and freely given.

[Barbara Hackel · Rating 5 out of 5]

Acquaintance to love with a fake marriage inbetween

After being evicted from his apartment, Bane Fox has difficulty finding a new place to live. Another renter in the complex (Nola) chooses to stay until the wrecking ball comes, but she shares an address of a house with Bane that he can use. When Nola shows up at the house, they begin an uneasy (for Bane) squatting experience. So many funny situations result.
Sweet, funny, clean romance that offers enjoyment and satisfaction at its conclusion.

[Crystal · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved the concept. I loved the hijinks that ensued. I loved the neighbors. And, I really loved Mr. HOA. This was just a fun, sweet romance!

[Ashley Johnson · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book was simple, cute and entertaining. A quick read that was clean and enjoyable and enough humor without going overboard.

[Luisa Rivas · Rating 5 out of 5]

What a cute and funny story! I loved that it was a slow burn romance, so it gave me a lot of time to fall in love with the characters and enjoy the plot and all the entanglement that Nola and Bane got involved in!

Nola and Bane were living in a derelict apartment building. It was riddled in mold and asbestos. They were suddenly evicted from their apartment and told to leave fast because the building was going to be demolished soon and replaced by a luxurious apartment building. Suddenly homeless, Nola rebelled and stayed until the very last day before demolition, and Bane slept in his car, in his office, wherever he could find. The funny thing, neither of them had a need to be homeless, they had options but didn’t chose to use them.

Nola convinces Bane to shelter at a friend’s house in a ritzy community. Under rather obscure explanations that the friend was “traveling”, both took up residence there, feeling like squatters. In a rather hilarious moment, Bane was invited to a HOA meeting and after giving some very good advice to other homeowners, he ended up unanimously voted HOA President!

Both characters were delightful and their personalities were perfect for each other. Nola is vivacious and impulsive, Bane is thoughtful and cautious. They were both kindhearted and affective, so their stay at their “home” was pleasant. And that is what caused them to fall in love! Living together was a delight for them, they got along famously, they were both very good looking and their chemistry was hot. As time went on, their chemistry started to chafe and some bad humor was detected. Then a person arrived at their house and it was the catalyst for the rest of the story.

I laughed and delighted at these two characters, their shenanigans, their banter and their joy of living. There were several hysterically funny scenes, and the moments after the visitor arrived totally completed the story. Lovely!

[Chelsea | chelseadennreads Dennison · Rating 4 out of 5]

Oh man this was such a cute read. I thought this was such an interesting spin on the fake marriage trope. A lot of times I feel like the fake marriage trope is to gain an inheritance or because one party is broke and needs money. In this story, the fake marriage is to keep suspicions off of Bane and Nola since they’re basically squatting in someone else’s house and I thought that was so fun. Nola and Bane were a fun pair that had some great banter. And it became quickly apparent that the two were forgetting the marriage was fake.

This book also had some elements that were a little bit deeper that I didn’t expect. I loved how much of a helper Nola was and the love she had for the kids at the foster home where she helped out. I am also excited to keep reading this series, because the book ended on a bit of a cliffhanger and I need to know more about a certain character’s story.

All in all I thought this one was fun and it’s a series I’m excited to read more of!

4⭐️
🚪Closed Door Romance

[Ga Books LoverX · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was such an adorable romantic comedy, especially with the fake wife trope, which is one of my favorites!! It had my chuckling in some spots and sighing in others, which basically makes for a fun and entertaining romance read! This author is new to me and I liked that everything was pretty tame, though I did miss having steamy scenes. The characters were relatable and the story had me engulfed from the very beginning!

All in all if you are looking for a lighthearted romance that will keep your entertainment, this is definitely one that you should check out! It has the humor, heart, and feels that you totally would want to see and I give it 4 outta 5 stars!

PS: Thank you to Carina Taylor and Give Me Books PR for allowing me an advanced copy of the book to read and review honestly.

[Sunny Shelly Reads · Rating 4 out of 5]

Smart, funny and quirky, Mr. H.O.A. is a fantastic fake marriage romance with interesting characters, witty dialog and a swoony hero. From start to finish, Bane and Nola had me hooked. They were playful and teasing as they fell in love while pretending to be married.

I pretty much read this lighthearted romantic comedy during a road trip, and it is definitely a binge-able book to take in poolside or on a rainy afternoon. It's also a relatively clean read, if that's your jam. There are some steamy kisses and touches, but this is a no-sex story.

Mr. H.O.A. is a sweet contemporary romance, with lots of crazy family drama and a couple you will fall in love with! I received an advanced copy and voluntarily left a review.

[Anonymous 5 · Rating 5 out of 5]

You shouldn't judge a book by its cover, but this has such an adorable one, I couldn't resist! Ms. Taylor is a new-to-me author, so I didn't know what to expect. I was pleasantly surprised, as this was such a fun romantic comedy. I've read a lot of different books with a fake marriage trope, and I have to say this was certainly an original. Nola and Bane are pretending to be a married couple. They were both evicted from their apartments and through the course of certain events, were led to live together in an empty house. These characters were so charming and endearing, you can't help but fall in love with them. They were such a cute couple! The banter between them was entertaining and hilarious. The storyline was fun and lighthearted and I found myself hooked till the end. I think I have found a new author to follow and I would definitely recommend this book. Looking forward to Ms. Taylor's next book!

I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.

[2OCC Reviews · Rating 5 out of 5]

Bane and Nola were super cute and their story really fun. It was a clean wholesome read with light drama, laugh out loud moments and a hero that was sweet to the core. I loved Bola and her huge heart. Right from the start I could feel it and it just continued to shine as the story went on. Bane was awesome from start to finish. That man didn’t have a mean bone in his body. There wasn’t a lot of drama so it was really laid back and just a great read for the weekend. I can’t waist it read more from this author. 5 stars #2OCCJD

[Sandra · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a nice feel good read with a down to earth H who wanted to escape his parents money mistakes & make his own way in the world.
Nola our h, was escaping money for a different reason, perhaps the opposite to that of Bane's family. Eventually you will work out who her dad is & how he unknowingly bought these two together. I did think their meeting was a bit OTT though.
Well how Bane became involved in the HOA was a classic as well as the odd collection of homeowners who lived there.
This was an enjoyable tale of opposites attracting.

I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review. 4.5*

[Diana (DomesticGoddess)]

I tried but I just can't do it anymore *yawns*. DNF at 42%

[✧ Emily ✧ · Rating 3 out of 5]

3 stars

Needed some more backstory building but overall cute and enjoyable!