---

Book Description:

Luke Garrison is a hometown hero, a member of the National Guard ready to deploy again. Strong, sweet, and sexy, he doesn’t have a girlfriend and doesn’t want one. When the wildly beautiful Harper stumbles into his life, though, he realizes that she’s the perfect decoy. A fake girlfriend to keep his family off his back until he’s out on another mission.

So what if a single bite of her lip sends his mind to wicked places? He can control himself. Can’t he?

Harper was on her way to starting a new life… again. But something about Luke makes her want to settle down in this small town and make Luke’s house a home. When his arms wrap around her like steel, she finally knows what it’s like to feel safe. Protected.

One night of sleeping in the same bed turns into something much, much more… and soon Luke can’t keep his mind off Harper’s wide gray eyes, or his hands off of her luscious curves. He never thought he’d feel this way about a woman again. But he knows that he can’t tell her the truth about his dark past, and she can’t reveal to him what she’s running from.

Anyway, this isn’t a real relationship. It’s only for a month. Only pretend. Until it isn’t…

You can’t put your worth in someone else’s hands like that. Whether those hands are stroking you or hurting you. It doesn’t matter. Your value comes from inside. Whether you mean something to him or not has nothing to do with how inherently valuable you are.

Don’t Judge a Book by Its Author: Why Pretend You’re Mine by Lucy Score is a Huge Disappointment

I have to admit, I was very disappointed with this book. I love Lucy Score and her other books, but this one just did not hit the mark for me. It felt like a different author wrote it, and not in a good way.

The main problem I had with this book was the main male character, Luke. He was supposed to be a swoon-worthy hero, but instead he came across as a jerk who treated the main female character, Harper, very poorly. He was rude, possessive, controlling, and manipulative. He lied to her, used her, and ignored her feelings. I quickly found him unattractive, and was disgusted with how things were playing out.

Harper, on the other hand, was a sweet and kind person who deserved better. However the choices she has made in this novel really have me scratching my head. She seemed to have put everything on hold for Luke, who was mistreating and walking all over her almost every part of the novel. She did not stand up for herself or assert her needs. She was too passive and naive.

The plot of this book was also very weak and disjointed. It started out as a fake relationship trope, which I usually enjoy, but it quickly turned into a mess. There were too many subplots that were not well-developed or resolved. There were also too many coincidences and unrealistic scenarios that made me roll my eyes. The pacing was uneven and the tone was inconsistent. The book tried to be funny, dramatic, sexy, and emotional, but it failed at all of them.

One of the worst scenes in this book was the karaoke scene. I have never read anything that has given me more second-hand embarrassment than that. It was supposed to be a cute and funny moment, but it was cringeworthy and awkward. It did not fit the characters or the story at all. It felt like it was added for no reason other than to fill up pages.

The only positive thing I can say about this book is that it made me appreciate how much Lucy Score has grown as an author over the years. Her writing style, character development, and plot structure have improved so much since this book. Her newer books are much more enjoyable and satisfying to read. This book is not representative of her talent or skill.

Overall, I would not recommend this book to anyone who likes Lucy Score or romance in general. I gave it 2 stars out of 5 only because I did actually enjoy the first half of the book. The second half was the downfall.

---