Aiden Slate.
Pro hockey star. Captain of the Redville Saints. And the bane of my existence.
All it takes is a little liquid courage to storm his castle.
Or, in this case, a cushy five-star hotel suite.
I’m supposed to give him a piece of my mind.
To unleash a decade of pent-up anger.
What I’m not supposed to do is sign an NDA meant for another woman.
He thinks I’m here to relieve his stress.
Well, he’s in for a rude awakening.
Problem #1? The boy I grew up with doesn’t remember me.
Problem #2? I fall to my knees at his command. Literally.
Next thing I know, I agree to be his fake girlfriend.
He doesn’t realize I’m the girl he left behind ten years ago.
The last thing I’ll do is admit it.
Because Aiden might have abandoned me all those years ago.
But me? I’ll forever be his.
Pippa had a really rough childhood, first losing her mom then her father losing himself in a bottle. He didn’t pay her any attention and didn’t even provide food or water. She was on her own to pay the bills and feed herself from a very young age. The trailer park where they lived was a very bleak place and even had a bully to make things tougher on her. Her only friend was Aiden Slate but he was older and had his own reasons to escape. Pippa was sad for herself but thrilled for her friend, until she realized he ghosted her.
Once her protector and confident, the man had left behind without a second thought and it hurt. Years later, Aiden is an NHL superstar and Pippa (now Cassidy) has the opportunity to confront him to ask why he abandoned her. She goes there to give her old friend hell and let him know how badly he hurt her, but when she arrives, Aiden doesn’t recognize her at all.
To be fair, she did change her name and dye her hair, plus she’s grown up a lot and looks nothing like the twelve-year-old Aiden left behind but that really doesn’t lessen the sting. As much as she’d like to teach this cocky man a lesson, he’s gorgeous and flirty and has no idea they’ve ever met before. Cassidy decides it won’t hurt to give in and have some fun with this perfect male specimen, but before their one hot night even ends, Aiden offers her a job as his assistant. It’s almost too good to be true but there is one catch: Cassidy has to pretend to be his girlfriend. He needs an assistant to help him manage his anxiety disorder but that’s his secret, one that can’t get out. He goes to great lengths to hide his anxiety from the world, so he decides a cover story works best and proposes a fake relationship.
This was such a sweet and funny story. I really loved the characters because they’re unique and real. Cassidy is my new girl crush, she’s just so resilient and determined, I love everything about her. I didn’t expect to like her so much because of the secret identity but she was so sympathetic and just wanted to help her old friend.
Yes, she was hurt and angry that he forgot about her, but she can’t get enough of him and just wants to stick close for a little while. Aiden was adorable too and not afraid to admit Cassidy gave him things he didn’t even know he needed. I’m also happy to report that I thought this book was a standalone but it’s the first in a new series and I can’t wait for more. I’d like to thank the author and Literally Yours PR for providing an ARC in exchange for an honest review.
