Sloooow set up but then a lovely version of the fake relationship trope with a dreamy but calculating leading man (with a tragic past) and an emotionally vulnerable heroine who is smart and sassy but not particularly self confident who finds her power along the way.

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While the book moved a tad slowly for me, it held my interest. Set in Manchester, England, it contains lots of Britishisms (and one that I'm not familiar with!), so readers on my side of the pond might be confused by some of the dialect. With that being said, the story is Laurie's journey toward rediscovering herself. After her long-time partner decides "things just aren't working out" and abandons her, Laurie launches into self-recriminations and the whys and wherefores. She makes a deal with the gigolo at work to 1) make the partner jealous and 2) get the gigolo a promotion. The story explores the glass ceilings women encounter in the workplace, including well-meaning men with latent misogynistic tendencies. Laurie deals with all of these things with grace and a sharp wit, and without spoiling the ending for you, I did have to wonder why what her bosses suggest to her hadn't occurred to her sooner. A once strong woman finds she still has the inner strength she's lost and, in the end, rediscovers herself and finds yes, she can have it all. ( )

This is an unabashedly Chick-Lit novel by Mhairi McFarlane, who manages to write so that none of her books resemble each other and her characters are likewise varied. I've yet to read a dud, although this one is maybe my least favorite, largely because of the ending. To be fair, it is hard to stick a landing and McFarlane having to do a little jump at the end doesn't spoil my enjoyment of this fun book.

Laurie is a lawyer, working for the same large law firm as her partner, although they work in different divisions. Yet when he leaves her for another woman, she dreads returning to work and the gossip she'll face. The solution comes in the form of the company's ladies man, who needs to be taken seriously by the law firm's partners to be promoted. They will pretend to be dating; her reputation as a steady worker will make him look more steady, his reputation and looks will prevent her colleagues from feeling sorry for her. Of course this is an often-used plot and a predictable one, but McFarlane makes it fun by providing a bunch of secondary characters who are also living full lives and in making both main characters interesting enough to spend time with. And McFarlane writes so well that her books always make for a few hours of real enjoyment. ( )

Laurie and Dan have one of those storybook romances: they met in college, and there's never been anyone else for either of them. They've been together for eighteen years, and are both successful lawyers in the same large firm. They've recently been talking about the possibility of having kids. Then, one day, Dan drops the bombshell: he's not happy with the life they've created together, and he wants out. Laurie is emotionally destroyed by the end of the relationship that she thought was solid. She wants answers, and she wants revenge. So, when another lawyer at the firm, handsome Jamie Carter (who has a reputation as a womanizer) suggests a fake dating scheme that will make Dan jealous and put Jamie in a better position within the company, Laurie agrees to the charade. She's sure that she's in no danger of falling for Jamie: she knows just what kind of man he is, and she's in no mood to get romantically involved with anyone, ever again. All she wants is to get a little bit of herself back after the breakup -- but will the lies inevitably backfire on both of them?

The emotions in this book are a rollercoaster ride. The first part of the book, dealing with the breakup and its aftermath, could best be described with words like "raw" and "visceral." I wouldn't recommend this to anyone who's recently gone through a painful breakup, as McFarlane evokes all of the feelings. It's strong writing, but a little heavy for a light romance. Things get a bit more fun when Laurie and Jamie get into the fake dating scheme, though there's plenty of strong emotion throughout. A few plot points felt extraneous, though they contributed to character development. To me, the ending wraps up a little too neatly, but perhaps anything more drawn out would feel belabored. Readers who enjoy the fake dating trope should take a look at this book. ( )

I adore McFarlane and this was so much fun to read. She's a lovely writer. But this just felt so overdone--the plot was so predictable because we've seen it before in a million other books and movies, and I wish there had been an x factor to shake it up. ( )