Rating: 3 out of 5.

I listened to this book and the narrator did a pretty good job, although I was a bit confused with the accent he used for the male MC. The guy is supposed to be from a fake country that I equate to something like Sweden or Denmark, but the accent the narrator used was more Spanish than Nordic. The narrator sounded like Puss in Boots from the Shrek movies and it was really hard for me to get that image out of my mind. Because of that, the romance and spicy parts of the book were a bit icky.

Cherry works in a school administration office and runs into Prince Ruben. Cherry is a no-nonsense woman that knows what she wants, but Ruben makes quite the impression on her. There was definitely chemistry between the two, and when they are caught kissing in an alley Ruben knows he needs help to avoid yet another scandal. He convinces Cherry to pretend to be his fake fiance for one year and offers her enough money to help pay for her sick sister’s medication. Ruben opens up a bit when he let’s Cherry help him with his charity, and it’s nice to see him as more than just a stereotypical Prince bad-boy. The couple go on a few fake dates for the press, and figure they can just kill time in London while the year ticks by. That is, until the King, Ruben’s evil step-brother, orders them to return home. Suddenly the fake couple need to convince an angry King and an entire court that they are a real couple.

I liked how confidant Cherry is and that she unapologetically lives her life despite society’s lack of acceptance of plus-size women. The couple’s will-they-or-won’t-they back and forth was overused a few times too many, and the miscommunication misunderstanding that happens in the middle of the book irritated me. The storyline at the palace was uneven, especially the dynamic between the King and his wife.

I love the author’s Brown Sisters book series, but this one just fell flat for me.