Love Happens Anyway in RJ Scott

Nov 29, 2017 Serena Yates rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Shelves: gay, read-2017, holiday

‘Love Happens Anyway’ has one of my all-time favorite plots: a pretend-boyfriend, hired to stop questions from meddling parents, turning into so much more than a temporary stopgap measure. Not without obstacles, of course, and with many a misunderstanding and even some hurt feelings along the way, but the basic idea had me fascinated and enthusiastic before I even opened this book. The fact that it is written by RJ Scott, one of my favorite authors, clearly had something to do with my excitement ...more

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Dec 05, 2017 Paul rated it it was amazing

Shelves: bought_it, review-copy

This is a lovely holiday story! Derek needs a boyfriend and Luke needs cash. The fake-boyfriend trope is one of my favorites and Ms. Scott does this one to a tee :) Derek is a bit of a mess, and while Luke REALLY doesn't want to be a fake-boyfriend for cash, he needs the money and Derek is adorable.

There's a LOT of "stuff" jammed into this novella. Both our MCs have family and work issues. The secondary characters are terrific and I really like the moms. Luke's sister and Derek's co-worker are a ...more

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Dec 15, 2017 LeeAnn rated it it was amazing

There are so many wonderful things in this book. From beginning to end I was totally caught up in the story as it unfolded. What started out as a business deal became so much more. The main characters background stories, their families and the main characters themselves were so well written. I LOVE the Moms. I could see myself doing and saying what they did when dealing with their sons. This story had me chuckling out loud at parts, getting angry on the behalf of Derek and tearing up at others. ...more

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Dec 12, 2017 Rachel rated it it was amazing

Exactly what you want to read at Christmas, romance, yellow snowmen *snort*, sad and happy tears and as with any RJ Scott book, family & love.

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Dec 03, 2017 ButtonsMom2003 rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Shelves: blog, audio

Edited to add my comments on the audiobook released in November 2018.

Sean Crisden and RJ Scott make magic again.

I enjoyed this story a lot when I read it last year but now that I've listened to Sean Crisden's performance of the audiobook I love it even more. He's bumped it up to 5 stars all around for me. I think I must like listening to first-person POV better than just reading it.
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A sweet and hot Christmas story.

Love Happens Anyway is a sweet story of a man, D Edited to add my comments on the audiobook released in November 2018.

Sean Crisden and RJ Scott make magic again.

I enjoyed this story a lot when I read it last year but now that I've listened to Sean Crisden's performance of the audiobook I love it even more. He's bumped it up to 5 stars all around for me. I think I must like listening to first-person POV better than just reading it.
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A sweet and hot Christmas story.

Love Happens Anyway is a sweet story of a man, Derek, who feels pressure from his parents to find the right guy and a man, Luke, who's had to change his life to fit his new circumstances.

The story is told in first person POV, alternating chapters between Derek and Luke. I believe that this is the only first person POV story that I've read by RJ Scott. I have to admit that first person POV isn't my favorite but I've come to realize that the author has a lot to do with my enjoyment of this POV. RJ Scott is on my list of favorite authors and she did a great job telling this story.

I love fake boyfriend (or girlfriend) stories, add in the fact that this is a Christmas story and that makes it all that much better. The fact that Derek is paying for Luke's services as a boyfriend complicates their growing relationship. Once they finally start talking to each other things start to work out.

I usually judge books by how much they engage my emotions. I admit that it took a bit longer for that to happen with this story (Derek was kind of a jerk in the beginning) but once I became fully invested in Derek and Luke's situation the tears came. That's a perfect indication of how much a story touches my heart. There were wonderful and respectful mentions of nine-eleven in the story. Luke's father and uncle were heroes and casualties of that terrible day.

I have to mention how much I love the cover for this book and the great way it ties into the story. I'm also quite fond of the name that RJ has given to one of the kittens. 😊

RJ Scott always delivers an HEA for her characters and I loved the epilogue that gives an insight into how Derek and Luke are doing a year down the road.

An advanced copy of this book was provided to me but my review was voluntary and not influenced by the author.

***Review will be posted to Xtreme-Delusions dot com on December 6, 2017.*** ...more

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Dec 06, 2017 Heather Rawlins rated it it was amazing

What can I say, I’m ready for Christmas and this was a perfect book to read while I can smell cookies in the oven. Derek and Luke were both charming and I loved the honesty of Luke and the vulnerability of Derek. I think boyfriend for rent is a great trope and I like how the story unfolded. I really felt like I was at all the ‘boyfriend’ events and I especially liked when they were off the clock. I always imagine New York City at Christmas and I enjoyed reading it from Derek and Luke’s perspecti ...more

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Nov 02, 2018 Joscelyn Smith rated it it was amazing

Derek and Luke were such sweet characters (although Derek was just a bit neurotic). I just love the fake boyfriend trope and this one was perfect, sweet, low angst, and a great seasonal offering.

“Doesn’t matter how we met,” he said. “Love happened anyway.”

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

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Dec 13, 2017 Nicole rated it it was amazing

Enjoyable and entertaining.

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Oct 22, 2017 Marge rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Shelves: holiday, m-m, romance, stars-5, want-to-reread

I really enjoyed this story, with two guys I really liked. No over-the-top drama, no Big Misunderstanding, mostly nice secondary characters, and just a little angst to flavor the holiday sweetness. Highly recommended.

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