ONLY PRETEND by Nora Flite

Only Pretend by Nora Flite
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

ARC provided by author for an hones review.

3.5 BLOND AMERICAN GIRL NEXT DOOR STARS

Celeste Barstow has had a rough time. Her boyfriend, who she works for, has just fired her and broken up with her, all in one fell swoop. Not only that... he says she boring. What's a girl supposed to do when she wants to prove to herself that she can be adventurous and spontaneous...? Go to Vegas of course! But while in Vegas, things take a turn and Celeste ends up in a position she could have never imagine.

This book was an easy and quick read. Although it started out like it could have been a romantic comedy. Girl gets dumped by her boyfriend. Decides to spend the last of her funds in her bank account on a wild weekend in Vegas, only to fall for a dashing stranger. If only that was the case. Where Celeste ends up isn't fun. Leonide is an interesting character. I don't understand how a world traveler could believe what he was doing was for the greater good. But in a way he was brainwashed as well.

I didn't love this as much as The Body Rock series, but I have to say I wasn't bored reading it at all. And I still like Nora's style of writing. Like when Leonide comes to the realization of his feelings for Celeste.

And Celeste Barstow.
She was an illogical miracle; a girl who brought so many feelings out in me.
Fuck.
I hated her with a passion

~ Leonide

Though there were tense times, it just felt a little too insulated. And though that worked for The Body Rock series. All the internal musings and conversation, it made for a few slow moments loosing momentum in the story, here.

I still love Nora's writing. I've read worse and think she dose a great job with her characters. And although sometime her women make easy hindsight mistakes, they are very strong and I respect that. They never completely fall apart, standing up and doing what needs to be done in the end. As Celeste did in this book.


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