Shock

by Marie Johnston

Marie Johnston’s Shock is a friends-to-lovers contemporary romance written in K. Bromberg’s Everyday Heroes World project.

Sunnyville was just a place to stop for a while and resuscitate my life—until I met Ford Monroe. To all the other women in town, he’s a player. To his ex, he’s a failure she doesn’t want around their kid. But to me, he’s a paramedic and my partner and my best friend. Dating isn’t worth ruining the best relationship I’ve ever had, no matter how hot he is.

But when my ex-fiancé comes to town to woo me back and Ford’s ex-fiancée claims he’s a poor role model for his son, Ford has an idea. An idea so crazy it might just work to get both our exes off our backs.

***

Fake dating the only woman who can resist my charms shouldn’t have backfired. But I’ve spent more than a year trying to pretend Lia Wescott isn’t the sexiest, smartest woman I’ve ever met. It’s not long before working together isn’t enough and we’re no longer pretending to date—we’re doing the real thing.

I’m getting the life back that was taken away years ago and enjoying time with my new girlfriend and my son. Until my ex drops a worst case scenario on me, and I’m suddenly faced with choosing between the two most important people in my life.

Genres: Contemporary

204 pages, Kindle Edition

First published December 10, 2020

About the author

Marie Johnston is an award-winning, best-selling paranormal and contemporary romance writer. She grew up in the upper Midwest and planned to go to college for English. Didn't happen. She started college in accounting and was awful! Grabbing her inner science geek by the pocket protector, she changed to microbiology and medical technology where her only writing involved scientific articles and procedures.
Eventually, she left full-time work for full-time baby raising but kept thinking, "one day, I'd like to write a book." Finally, before any more time passed, Marie decided to buckle down and write. She loves it!

Reviews

[Valeen Robertson (Live Thru Books Blog) · Rating 4 out of 5]

Amazon

Lia and Ford are just friends, and partners. He's hung up on his ex, trying to get custody of his child, and she wants nothing to do with his playboy ways, aside from being his friend. But when they need each other as buffers, there is no better shield than a friend. But what do they do when the fake develops to more? Can Lia make the biggest sacrifice of her life? Or will Ford find himself going at it alone?



Friends to lovers is tricky to write successfully, but Marie Johnston did right by the trope because Ford and Lia are a very solid couple, first as friends, then much more. They have the kind of chemistry only friends have, plus the added attraction that they're more than happy to explore. I hope Marie plans on writing more in Ford and Lia's world because I loved this story.



ARC via author for an honest review.

Review / Release Blitz: Live Through Books Blog.

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[Rebmay · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book hits all the right feels and will delight any lover of romance. The characters are very engaging and relatable, and their story is truly captivating. It was easy to become invested in their story, to root for them, to be angry at their exes and to admire them both for making difficult decisions that unexpectedly led to each other.

Lia and Ford both work for Sunnyville EMS and are often partnered together. They have respect for each other and get along just fine on the job, but they definitely don’t associate with each other when they are off shift. They know each other’s history with their exes, the bitterness and hurt they still feel in the aftermath of their breakups. Ford is known for being a player and has quite the female following, while Lia is choosy and not really looking for anything permanent either. They have had very disparate upbringings and have different outlooks on life, but they do like each other as work colleagues. Ford is also a father of a toddler son that he is rarely allowed to see on his own due to the animosity between him and his ex. Lia is dealing with a cheating ex who wants her back and parents who encourage her to go back to him because he fits in with their social standing. Ford comes up with the idea that they can pretend to date in order to get their exes off their backs. If he appears to be in a steady relationship rather than having a series of hookups, his ex might let him see more of his son. If Lia’s ex discovers she is dating someone else, maybe he will actually leave her alone.

Of course, it isn’t easy to just pretend to date, and lines become blurred and then very thoroughly crossed. The attraction between them has always been there, but they put their work relationship first and didn’t want any awkwardness or hurt feelings to affect their partnership. A platonic relationship soon turns to friends with very sexy and hot benefits. They both begin to think of building something more permanent and they think things are straightened out with their exes, but they are blindsided by a decision his ex makes that throws them both for a loop. His relationship with his son is in jeopardy. Do they fight stay together and make compromises or do they let what they are building go?

I received an ARC of this book and I am voluntarily leaving an honest review.

[Susanh · Rating 3 out of 5]

Good but not my favorite Marie Johnston book

Ford and Lia have both been burned, bad. When Ford’s mother needs him, he drops everything to help her, but his fiancé didn’t appreciate it, she wouldn’t even put his name on their son’s birth certificate. Ford has to beg to see him. Lia caught her fiancé with his ex, but now he wants her back.

On the spur of the moment, they come up with an idea. If Lia’s ex thinks she’s with someone else, maybe he, and her parents, will leave her alone. If Ford’s ex sees him in a stable relationship, maybe she’ll let her see their son more often. There’s no way that they’ll fall for each other, right?

[Karen L Ledee · Rating 4 out of 5]

Lia and Ford are coworkers and friends. Her parents and ex are pressuring her to go back to the political life she ran away from. She is an EMT making ends meet in her somewhat lonely but independent life. Ford has a very young son that his ex uses to punish him for becoming a paramedic instead of a doctor. Family had to come first. He needs a stable relationship to convince his ex that he can be a good father. They both have problems that could be somewhat resolved by a fake relationship. What they didn’t expect were blossoming feelings. Nicely written and enjoyed reading a book with some real life issues.
I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced reader copy of this book

[Nicole Ortiz · Rating 4 out of 5]

I loved reading Lia and Ford's story. This is a fake relationship and friends to lovers romance. Lia and Ford are partners at work and friends. Both characters are heartbroken from previous relationships. Ford needs to prove to his ex that he deserves to see his kid more and Lia needs to get her parents to back off trying to get her to go back to her cheating ex. They decide to pretend date, that soon turns into a friend's with benefit and then feeling get deeper the more time they spend together. What happens when ex's get in the way. Enjoyable story with great characters.
I received an ARC and volunteered to leave a review.

[Sandie Chraponski · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love a good friends to lovers story and Marie Johnston wrote a good one. This story sucked me in and held me there for the whole story.

Lia needed someone to help her keep her cheating ex out of her hair and Ford needed to settle down for his son. When these two get together they realized that what REO Speedwagon used to sing about was really true. 🎶What started out as friendship had got stronger and I can’t fight these feelings anymore🎶. I’ve probably just aged myself but it’s a classic and it works here.

This is a heartwarming story about friends, it will hit you in all the feels and you will be better for it. Don’t miss out on this new addition to KB Worlds Everyday Heroes.

[Angela · Rating 4 out of 5]

What's not to love about an "everday hero"? Ford is a paramedic in Sunnyvale. While he had aspirations of being a doctor, life sent him in a different direction. But that meant he met, and worked, with Lia. Lia's own journey to Sunnyvale meant she was gun-shy of any entanglements. But Ex's have a way of destroying hard-won peace and when hers, as well as Ford's, re-enters the picture, trouble starts anew. Will work partners make for good personal partners?

[Lesley · Rating 5 out of 5]

I was meant to be doing housework and instead I spent the whole day reading, and loving, this novel. A paramedic, an EMT, two ex’s, custody of a toddler and family dynamics are all interwoven seamlessly into a compelling story. Highly recommended.
I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book from the author. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

[Mari (Mystics & Metaphysics Book Blog) · Rating 4 out of 5]

I liked reading about Lia and Ford and how their relationship turns to more. Even though their dating started as fake, I liked that they already knew each other and worked together. I was angry at their exes and family and was practically fuming at their decisions. The chemistry between Lia and Ford however was palpable and the suspense of what would happen had me on edge.

[Marie Johnston]

I'm so excited to be a part of K. Bromberg's Everyday Heroes World with Shock! I called on my EMT experience from a long (long) time ago. Except when I worked my volunteer shifts, nothing happened. Good for the town, boring for me :)

[Angi Everett · Rating 4 out of 5]

On page 1 the FMC tells us she has a lunch the next day but then on page 12 she makes plans to have lunch with her ex the next day. Proofreading is critical if you don't want to let mistakes get thru. There's also a spot where the author spelled Lia Leah. Even tho it was spelled Lia only a paragraph before
Lia also tells us that Ford is hung up on his ex but constantly says misses her ex.