The Fiancé

Stefanie London takes the fake fiancé trope and adds lots of heat. This was a great addition to the Close Quarters series. Ava and Daniel were both interesting characters that were fun to get know. And watching them navigate their relationship made for a great read. I’ve been a fan of London’s books for some time, and I love her writing style. She draws you in and makes you care about the characters. This could have been just another cliched version of the fake fiancé trope, but London manages to make it feel fresh and fun. And sexy. Can’t forget sexy! I definitely recommend this book, and also recommend checking out the rest of Stefanie London’s work if you haven’t already.

Ava Matthews has run into a string of bad luck. She’s recently found out the apartment she’s been living in and has a deal worked out with the owner for rent, is being sold. She’s also a teacher without a permanent class. When she’s caught in a compromising position in the storage closet during a catering gig, she’s in jeopardy of losing the last paying job she has. Ava KNOWS she can’t move back in with her mom, so she agrees to become the fiancé to Daniel Moretti—billionaire CEO. Daniel Moretti grew up with a cheating father and a neglectful mother. Daniel was very protective of his brother and vowed to never make the same mistakes his parents made. When his brother accuses him of cheating with his wife, Daniel is blindsided. He would NEVER betray his brother like that. After having words at a benefit, Daniel goes off to the storage closet for peace and quiet so he can practice his speech, never seeing Ava until it’s too late. Daniel devises a plan to help Ava if she’d help him by becoming his fake fiancé believing his brother will finally believe he’s not a cheater. Holy smokes!!! Loved Ava SOOOO much! I loved her snarky personality, her mom and grandmother, her kindness, and her strength. I loved that she stood her ground, never settling for less. Ava knew she deserved more and as much as it hurt to walk away...she deserved MORE. I also loved that Ava was normal, not a model or fashionista. It makes the story more believable. I loved that Daniel was able to learn from his parent’s past mistakes and admit his flaws. Great story and couple! Highly recommended. I read a gifted copy and all opinions stated are my own.

Ava Mathews is having a tough time. She is losing her rent controlled apartment, she can’t find a job as a teacher, so she has to sub and work catering jobs, and her mother keeps trying to marry her off to guys she is not attracted too. Daniel Moretti is CEO of his family’s company and is throwing a party for the launch of a new project. He is going through his own turmoil, the press is spreading rumors that he is sleeping with his brother’s wife and his brother believes it. Daniel ducks into a storage closet to get away from the press, and walks in on Ava while she is changing. Of course, after talking, he convinces Ava to act as his fiancé to throw off the press. This book has a lot of steam and really enjoyable protagonists. Overall an enjoyable read. I received an ARC of this book from the author for my honest opinion.

If you love a good fake relationship storyline then this book will not disappoint. I loved everything about the relationship between Ava and Daniel. The fact that Ava stood her own against Daniel’s alpha-ness was fantastic and their back and forth was hot. It definitely showed the chemistry and attraction between these two. And wow when that attraction was acted on... Be prepared for some great bedroom(or not so bedroom) scenes. I liked the reasons behind why Ava and Daniel decided on a fake relationship and the issues that is brought up between them. This storyline is a favorite of mine and this book was perfect. Definitely would recommend this book!