My biggest mistake was falling in love with my fake husband.
It was supposed to be a marriage of convenience between two best friends in the military. Our plan was to collect extra money and stay stationed together.
But what failed? Me. I did. Because suddenly I wanted a man who was never meant to be my real husband.
In an attempt to remedy my mistake, I severed all ties and put my life as a combat medic and Emmett Maxwell behind me. I’ve lost too many people to open myself up to love.
Now I’m working as a private investigator, and fate has stepped in, forcing our paths to intersect again when I’m looking into the disappearance of a missing girl with ties to Emmett’s hometown. A case I fear puts his life in danger.
He gives me one week to prove my suspicions and then I need to sign the divorce papers and leave. The problem with that? The moment I see Emmett again, I realize how foolish it was to leave him, to think I could ever stop loving him. All I want is a second chance.
When the case threatens not only my life but also his, I’m faced with my worst fear. How many times can a heart break before it shatters beyond repair?
Dare I say a good fake relationship is one of my favorites? I dare. As are friends to lovers and marriage of convenience turns into more, so this book was calling my name. This was my first book by the author and though it can be read as a standalone, there’s a continuing mystery that started in the previous book, so I wish I’d read the first book in the series before this one. There was enough information to follow the story but it was just vague enough that I missed those little details that weren’t repeated.
Emmett and Blakely were best friends who married during their tours in the desert, simply to get extra benefits and to be there for one another when things went bad, like when he got shot. She ran to his side but when things took a turn from friends to lovers, Blakely ghosted him and he never forgave her. Years later, Emmett just wants to finalize the divorce on their fake marriage so he can close that chapter of his life but when private investigator Blakely’s latest case brings her to his town, she wants to make things right with her former BFF. She quickly realizes it won’t be easy because she hurt him even more than she knew.
I liked Blakely and Emmett. She had a lot to make up for, but ultimately redeemed herself. There’s a fun supporting cast and a quirky small-town backdrop that plays a big part since Emmett is the sheriff. I liked the town and the characters but there was a cliché element to the setting and some of the secondary characters were typical small-town stereotypes, which is always a little disappointing. I enjoyed the story but I’m not sure I liked it enough to read another in the series.
