Small Town Pretender is the fifth book in the Havenbrook series by Brighton Walsh, and it just released on June 24! This small town, friends to lovers romance has a fake marriage, which means there is forced proximity as well. Oooh, yes please! So many fantastic tropes all in one book!
Having just finished Small Town Pretender late last night I have one thing I want to say before moving on to my recap and review. IF you are an emotional/sensitive person, who tends to tear up easily while reading stories, have tissues on hand. I wasn't prepared, and well my poor pillow got quite wet.
As the book begins, we find Nat on assignment somewhere overseas, and she is having a conversation with her sister. Nat is preparing to give her niece some advice on babysitting, and Nat finds herself missing her family and friends. It must be time for a quick visit. Fast forward a few days and Nat's phone rings late at night. Those late night phone calls never bring good news. When she looks at her phone, she sees that it is her best friend, Asher. Asher is a singer/songwriter who is getting ready to sign a contract with a label. That is until the night he receives a phone call from the Havenbrook PD informing him that his sister (and her husband) had been in a crash, and he is listed as her emergency contact. Asher quickly calls Nat, and breaks the news to her. Asher then breaks down on the phone with her. After that phone call, Nat changes all her plans (except one), and moves heaven and earth to get home to support Asher. You see not only is Asher grieving the death of his sister and her husband, but he is also the guardian of his niece and nephew. So he is now responsible for these two little kids who just had their world destroyed. What happens next is a court date for custody purposes (the paternal grandparents want the kids and are prepared to fight), an impulsive announcement, convincing Nat that it's a good plan, planning everything, and trying not to fall in love with his best friend.
My heart has not fully recovered from this story! I went into Small Town Pretender expecting a nice, sweet, friends to lovers story that is set in a small town. I was not expecting the death of two characters, and the grieving that goes into that. I also was not expecting to witness the 4 year old eventually grieve her parents. THAT GUTTED ME. That right there. My heart. It is bringing tears to my eyes as I just think about it. UGH. Also, yes I knew there was a fake marriage in this story, but how it all went down, wasn't what I was expecting. I wasn't expecting Asher to just say "downpour" and that this would be the outcome. Personally I loved Asher and Nat together. I loved how she just jumped in with little to no questions asked. How she had no issues sharing a bed with her bestie. How the kids just handled it and went with the flow. From the wedding ceremony to the reception to the custody battle to life after, I just loved it. So dang much. Oh, and when Nat's Dad did what he did? My heart. Then when the dramatic moment happened in Asher and Nat's relationship, UGH. The tears came again. But when Nash butted in, YES! Loved that. Appreciated that. It needed to happen. I absolutely adored Small Town Pretender.
I cannot say enough good things about Small Town Pretender. If you are a fan of small town romances, the friends to lovers trope, having a musician as a main character, and/or forced proximity, then go grab Small Town Pretender. Just remember to grab tissues first. If you're curious about my rating, I am giving it 4.5 stars. Oh, and while this is the fifth book in the series, they are all standalones, so you don't need to read the first four before reading Small Town Pretender.
Thank you for reading my thoughts,
Laura
Asher McCoy can win over a crowd with a husky note and a strum of his guitar, but proving to a judge he’s responsible enough to gain custody of his niece and nephew? Not so easy. His big idea—a fake marriage. And who better to play his doting bride than his longtime best friend? He just needs to get her home first...
Natalie Haven couldn’t get away from her suffocating hometown fast enough. For years, she’s fluttered around the globe as a freelance photographer. And if that unconventional job pisses off her daddy? Well, all the better. But when her best friend sends out an SOS, she heads back to the one place she swore she’d never land.
Except a fake marriage means a not-so-fake living arrangement, including only one bed. Nat's witnessed enough women fall for Asher’s charms, but she refuses to be one of them. Because permanence isn’t in her blood. Not even for him.
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AUTHOR BIO
USA Today and Wall Street Journal bestselling author Brighton Walsh spent a decade as a professional photographer before taking her storytelling in a different direction and reconnecting with her first love—writing. She likes her books how she likes her tea—steamy and satisfying—and adores strong-willed heroines and the protective heroes who fall head over heels for them. Brighton lives in the Midwest with her real life hero of a husband, her two kids—one who’s already taller than her and one who's catching up too fast—and her dog who thinks she’s a queen. Her boy-filled house is the setting for dirty socks galore, frequent dance parties (okay, so it's mostly her, by herself, while her children look on in horror), and more laughter than she thought possible.
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Thank you to Brighton Walsh and Give Me Books PR for providing me with an advanced copy of Small Town Pretender.
