Enchanted by Her

Mainely Books Club

by Chelsea M. Cameron

I was NOT looking forward to my sister’s wedding in the fall. It’s just another reminder of how single I am and how much pressure my family is putting on me to “find the one.” Don’t get me wrong, I’m a hopeless romantic, but all their meddling is making me feel a little murderous.

Then one day a woman walks into the bookshop where I work. She’s got a sleeve of tattoos, an undercut, and a smile that makes me want to swoon. Overcome by her hotness, I blurt out a how would she like to come with me to a wedding and pretend to be my girlfriend?

Turns out Ezra Evans is new to Arrowbridge and she’ll do it, but not for free. We shake on it and then I have my very own fake girlfriend and no idea what to do with her. Ezra seems to have plenty of suggestions, many of which make me blush. Things between us heat up even before the wedding, and I can’t stop wondering if this relationship might be something real after all.

Genres: Romance, LGBT, Lesbian, Contemporary, Audiobook, Adult, Lesbian Fiction

253 pages, Kindle Edition

First published October 25, 2022

About the author

Chelsea M. Cameron is a New York Times/USA Today/Internationally Best Selling author from Maine who now lives and works in Boston. She's a red velvet cake enthusiast, obsessive tea drinker, former cheerleader, and world's worst video gamer. When not writing, she enjoys watching infomercials, eating brunch in bed, tweeting, and playing fetch with her cat, Sassenach. She has a degree in journalism from the University of Maine, Orono that she promptly abandoned to write about the people in her own head. More often than not, these people turn out to be just as weird as she is.

Reviews

[Kexx · Rating 5 out of 5]

Good fun - you know what you get with Chelsea M and I like it. Having read a few Brokered Love stories it really is the way to go! Never fails! Good series.

[Juniper L.H. · Rating 4 out of 5]

I liked this novel. It was fairly simple and straightforward, with very little conflict or angst. This read like comfort food, and the experience was like a Hallmark movie. It wasn’t too significantly impactful, as reading experiences go, but I enjoyed it the whole way through and will be reading the next one (and the next, and the next…).

My Rating: “B”
GoodReads: 4-Stars

I like the companion-novel approach the author is taking, with plenty of cameos from the past characters and continuations of their storylines. I am truly looking forward to seeing how everything is going by the last novels (10 in the series as of right now!) as that is a lot of timeline to cover!

The protagonist in this one was sweet, and the love interest was mysterious-yet-delightful. I liked their dynamic a lot, as well as with the rest of the large cast of characters in this town. I didn’t really connect with this novel, yet still enjoyed it. It was an easy read that went quickly.

I was disappointed that we didn’t get to see more of the love-interests backstory, as it was teased throughout the novel but never really revealed. I was also disappointed with the lack of fake-dating hijinks, as the trope was vastly underused (or not used as I wanted it to be!) and its one of my favorites. All that said, the overall reading experience was a delight and any negatives I have didn’t really affect the experience; some things were missing in this novel, but nothing was wrong.

[Aunt Missa · Rating 3 out of 5]

A cute and low-angst read in this second book in the series. We follow Joy’s story, which is supposed to be fake dating that obviously turns real. No third act break-up, which I applaud. It’s a cute setting and I do enjoy a good bookstore in the story.

What we don’t get is a true resolution as to why Ezra agrees to be the fake date. It revolves itself without true answers, which left me a little bit salty. The ending was also quite rushed and the “I love you” came fast and furious after the spice.

[Vita L. Licari · Rating 5 out of 5]

Joy and Ezra meet at Joy's work, the bookstore. Joy needs a date for her sister's wedding (and all that goes with it). So, on an impulse she asks Ezra if she'll be her date and offers to pay her $1,000.
Joy is a wonderful person, an open book. Ezra is wonderful too, but closed off and mysterious. I found this story enchanting, and I can't wait to read the next book of the series. 5 stars

[Veda · Rating 3 out of 5]

I know I said I wouldn’t finish the series but I’m a liar

[RA Young · Rating 5 out of 5]

Sweet and satisfying

Loved it! I liked the side characters a lot, lots of set up for the next books. I wish there had been more family stuff, but I really like novels with non family themes that include a family oriented subplot, so that's just a personal preference I suppose, but I felt like for all of Joy's family being around throughout the story there wasn't much substance to their interactions when it came to contributing to the plot or forming a subplot.

I thought it was very well executed as a single POV novel, but I bet this author could totally rock multiple POVs and I'm planning on checking out any books of hers that might offer that feature.

I love drama and angst, but I also really enjoy books that serve as a break from that, and this one was pretty drama and angst free. There was all the set up for typical tropey high drama, the. The bff's were like, "yo, just communicate. Right tf now." And the main character put on her big girl pants and did, and alas, there was plenty of story to be had even with mature communication! What a concept!
Their communication actually gradually improves throughout, which I found really sweet and satisfying. By the end they have feelings, and less time passes before they talk them out and it seriously soothed an oft frustrated part of my soul.
I think the least realistic part was that they were in their twenties. But maybe it's my generation (millennials) that didn't learn mature communication usually until our 30s. Maybe Gen Z, which these main characters are, are better at it. I remember my 20s being mostly me and my friends processing and communicating as a lesson or for closure after relationships fell apart, not during them to keep them intact.

[Lez_be_readin_ya · Rating 5 out of 5]

When a Sexy tattooed beauty walks into Mainely Books and Joy is struck with the urge and confidence to ask this woman to be her fake date to her sister's wedding. Ezra agrees at a cost of $1,000. After careful consideration Joy agrees and pays a third at a time.

Ezra pops into Mainely Books to visit Joy on a few occasions and suggests that they need to practice kissing to ensure that if they kissed in front of Joy's sisters and parents that it wouldn't look awkward. When they have their first practice they decided at the outset that there would be no tongue... safe to say, that didn't last long.

They start spending more time together and feeling grow but Ezra is very closed off and keeps her wall up. It takes a lot for Joy to break down her walls and get little bits of personal information out of her, but when she has a little, she can't help but want to know more and more.

Will Ezra let down her walls and let Joy in completely, will Joy have a real date for her sister's wedding? You'll have to read this great second instalment of the Mainely Books collection!

I highly recommend this book and am looking forward to the next instalment. If you haven't read them already, read the Castleton Hearts series starting with Just One Night, the series is fantastic and is set before this series! 😀

Star rating. ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Spice rating. 🔥🔥🔥

[Theo · Rating 5 out of 5]

so gooooood

Chelsea really writes amazing characters. Legit on of my favorite books for sure. I can’t wait for the next one!

[salomea · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was my first time reading/listening (audiobook again) to something that was literally just one trope and that was the plot. This was a “fake dating” kind of situation, and it was cute. It fit what I was looking for: something that didn’t require a lot of thinking so I could put it on while at work. There were parts of the book where I laughed out loud, so that was nice. I liked all of the characters enough and didn’t hate any of them, so that’s always a positive too. I didn’t really like the voice the narrator used for Ezra, but that’s not a critique of the book itself.

I have, though, come to realize that books where romance is the central plot/theme are not really for me, because once the two characters finally got together, it didn’t take long for me to think “ok when are they going to breakup, I’m over it.”

[Searchr.23 · Rating 3 out of 5]

A very funny, wise and light story full of love and interesting interactions. Chelsea M Cameron again proves that she can write interesting, dynamic and hot stories. I never cease to be amazed at her ability to keep readers on the hook in anticipation of a new meeting of the main characters. I think in the second series the name of the main character is Joy, because I laughed a lot from particular jokes

[Chlo Taylor · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is such a cute story! I love that it follows the girls in the book club!! Onto the next one :)

[ReadingwithCaz · Rating 4 out of 5]

I always turn to a Chelsea M. Cameron book when I need a light lovely romance and this one fits that category perfectly.

[& · Rating 2 out of 5]

erza is so hot wtf 😭

[Ray · Rating 5 out of 5]

It’s hard finding queer books that feel normal! Most wlw books have mens pleasure in mind. Most are erotica meant for mens fantasies, but this book feels like it was meant for people like me. I wanted a book where I could read a cliché romance troupe that had characters like me. Queer without looking for the validation of men. It felt nice to read a romance book where I didn’t skip scenes because it was about fulfilling what men look for. The whirlwind relationship was perfect! I wish there was more build up, but it seemed like Ezra and Joy just wanted to take a risk. Most relationships I’ve had with women feel like that. Everything felt authentically queer! You don’t learn a lot about Ezra until the end. Joy is really lovable, reading from her POV I saw a lot of myself in her. The word choice the author used was intentionally crafted for allowing the reader to see things from Joy’s perspective. It felt like I was looking into her mind, but also seeing the world through her eyes. When she described Ezra in the beginning, it was the most details out of any of the characters including herself! Joy didn’t really describe herself which seemed like her “give-everything-for-others” nature. She needed a date for a wedding so she took a risk on Ezra. She paid someone to be her date!!!! Read this book if you want a fake dating troupe meant for queer wlw people. 10000000/10 would recommend! I’m still getting used to good reads, so if the format is weird I apologize.

[Dani Finn · Rating 4 out of 5]

I'm not usually the biggest contemporary romance reader, but I've been itching to expand my horizons, and Enchanted by Her was a lovely foray into the genre.

TLDR: Delightful small-town lesbian fake dating romance set in and around a bookstore.

It took me a minute to get into it because the trope map was laid out a little too clearly for me personally (this will be a selling point for some readers), but as the story gathered steam, that issue fell away, and I enjoyed the building romantic/sexual tension and the unfolding of the mystery of the love interest's character.

The small town full of queer people is a trope I can get behind, and this story has it in spades. The bookstore setting was especially enjoyable, as I could 100% relate to the experience, and there were several allusions to books I recognized (notably This is How You Lose the Time War and She Who Became the Sun). The love interest's emotional challenges (is she an Ice Queen? I'm not sure) are well drawn and resolved (not magically cured but improved with time and exposure to the positive relationship), and the third act breakup was mercifully brief.

Of particular note, though we wait a while for the steamy scenes, we get a solid bunch especially toward the end, some spanning multiple chapters, including some sex toys and the like. I hate it when we get one scene and that's it; the author delivers in the end.

Check it out and have fun!

[Steve Bruce · Rating 5 out of 5]

Loved this book! Just another great one in the series by Chelsea M. Cameron. I don't have a lot to say about why I like it other then the way the characters communicate seek consent (sexy!). Also like the previous novel this also doesn't fall into the bland trope where 70% of the way through the book they must have some kind of artificial breakdown then quick resolution. I really love that about Chelsea's writing.

I would like to point out another slightly spoiler thing I LOVE how the couple after they committed to each other did NOT run around yelling to the world that their previous relationship was fake. This is a tiny pet peeve of mine but it happens in so many fake -> real relationship stories that I can't help but roll my eyes when I see it. Sure later amongst friends it might come up as a funny conversation piece but do you really need to tell everyone your relationship use to be fake but now it's not?

[Tiffany · Rating 3 out of 5]

“Baby the apples,” Ezra said. “Don’t adult the apples. And definitely don’t old the apples.”

There's really not much to say. It was a cliché romance book, just sapphic. But in summary:Joy saw Ezra, Joy thought Ezra was hot and asked her to be her fake wedding date (completely normal thing to do). Ezra agreed and fell in love with Joy.

Gotta love how fast-paced Sapphic romances are. They said,'I love you' before they had even been on a proper date.

Favorite quotes:
•"I like the size of your…shelves" - Book pick-up line
•"Congrats on picking your apple,” I said as Ezra pulled the apple out to inspect it.
“Is that what the kids are calling it now?” she said, holding up the apple. “I don’t feel any different.” - if only it was a cherry farm
•"I came up with a better term for dry humping, at least for the two of us,” Ezra said.
“What’s that?” I asked.
She smiled down at me. “Clam slamming.” - because dry humping isn't dry.

[Alexandria Hill · Rating 4 out of 5]

First, I want to say that I love Chelsea M. Cameron’s books, and this one did not disappoint. Joy’s family has been bugging her to bring a date to her sister’s wedding. What does she do the moment she laid eyes on Ezra? She asks her, a stranger, to be her date to her sister’s wedding. She wasn’t expecting her to agree to it. She also wasn’t expecting Ezra to have a counter offer. Now, she’s paying someone to be her date.
This was a good, lighthearted book. The characters felt normal. They ahead their flaws just like anyone else. I loved the story, and the chemistry between the two characters. I did wish there was a bit more of a build up to some moment between the characters. It has a happy ending, which I’m a sucker for. Plus, there was that scene with a sex toy display shelf. I loved that part.

[Doug Elliott · Rating 4 out of 5]

This follow-on to the Mainely Books Club series is a nice take on the hire-a-wedding-guest trope. Joy and Ezra make a decent couple and there seems to be some basis for their fast mutual attraction.

That said, following the couple as they get to know each other is problematic. This makes it more difficult for the reader to feel invested in their relationship. While there is ample opportunity to understand what drives Joy, there is only minimal insight into Ezra’s character. Their interactions occur somewhat randomly and tend to end abruptly on a down note. With this background their professions of love seem like too much too soon.

These concerns aside, this a pleasant low angst tale with an opportunity to catch up with several characters from earlier books in the two series.

[Jamie (TheRebelliousReader) · Rating 3 out of 5]

3 stars. I keep trying with Cameron’s books. I want to love them, I really do but none of them have been higher than three stars for me. Her writing is good so it’s not that but there’s just something about it that I don’t fully connect with her characters for some reason. Joy and Ezra were both fine and perfectly likable characters and so were a lot of the side characters but I genuinely just didn’t care. Everything was nice which made me bored. I’m determined to keep reading this author’s work because I think there will be something that I like but so far I just haven’t found it yet.

[Cara Ramsey · Rating 5 out of 5]

I Loved This Fake Romance!

It’s easy for a writer to get too cliche with a fake romance story but Chelsea Cameron avoids that pitfall with a story that looks like a fake romance but is really a love at first sight story. The fun comes from Joy and Ezra discovering that they both care for each other in the same way. This is another fun story in the Mainely Books Club series of sapphic novels and I’ll recommend it as much and as enthusiastically as I’d recommend all the others. (I’ve read these somewhat out of order.)

[Maya Turner · Rating 4 out of 5]

A quick, light read with a cute romance! Again, this did not totally change my world or anything, it was just a nice book without much angst.

I will say, first person romances are harder for me as I do like knowing how both parties think / feel. Making it believable that the other party in first person books has feelings for the narrator is difficult, but I feel books one and two have accomplished that well enough!!

[Carolyn G. Manuel · Rating 5 out of 5]

Fahe Girlfriend

Joy Greene is being hounded by her mother about a date for her sister’s wedding when Ezra Evans comes into the bookstore. On an impulse she asks a total stranger to be her fake date to the wedding. A great romance with a lots of humour and sexy tension. Great series and author.

[Lilouae · Rating 3 out of 5]

I didn't like Ezra. I think she was overly mysterious and standoffish so her feelings came out of nowhere, when it needed development. With a dual POV I might have appreciate this book better, but since it's from Joy's perspective, we're are clueless as her as to what Ezra's feeling are. Also Joy inability to understand what's going on around her nagged me.
It was still a pretty cute story.

[Olivia W · Rating 4 out of 5]

I think I liked this one better than the first one, but I think that has to do with the style or relationship. I love the teasing, flirty attitude of both of them. Yes, they can be awkward at first, but they seem to find their groove pretty quickly. A sweet little meet cute and some hilarity as always.

[Marybeth · Rating 5 out of 5]

Chelsea Cameron is always a delight. Her characters are well drawn and the story draws you in. This book didn't disappoint. Ezra and Joy make a delightful couple. Looking forward to the next one.

[Brittany · Rating 5 out of 5]

Chelsea Cameron does it again!! She’s the best sapphic romance writer ever. Every book I pick up by her has me interested in page 1. I’m obsessed with this series and all her books. I’m a forever fan!!

[Megan Kenney · Rating 5 out of 5]

Another good read

Another good series. The author has done it again by writing a new series. I am glad we still get glimpses of the characters from the other series. I cannot wait to read the next one.

[M L Brooks · Rating 3 out of 5]

A little rushed

So this book started off a little slower with the pair flirting back and forth and then all of a sudden they were declaring love and the ending was a few pages later. It felt very rushed to get to the end.

[SUTTON (Kade) · Rating 5 out of 5]

Why doesn’t this have a photo do there are reviews? This is book 1. Photo wrong for audiobook so it looks like I read twice. The book was cute. Everyone was a little too nice but whatever. Wish I knew more about one main character’s background but she is so hot and sweet in a non bubbly way everyone else is so bubbly.