Review: The Fiancé by Stefanie London

The Fiancé by Stefanie London
Series: Close Quarters, Book 4
Publisher: Harlequin Dare
Genre: Erotic Contemporary Romance 

ISBN: 9780369702319
Release Date: January 1, 2021
Source: Publisher
Buy it here: Amazon | B&N | Kobo | Harlequin

I may be a barely employed, soon-to-be-homeless teacher/waitress, but that doesn’t mean I’ll marry any creep my mum brings around. Some guys like short and curvy! And I haven’t given up on the dream—the love of a man who makes me hotter than a Melbourne summer night.

Getting caught in a supply closet with CEO Daniel Moretti is the cherry on top of my day from hell…until the heat in his dark eyes makes me want to rip off my spaghetti-sauce-stained catering uniform. Daniel can’t risk more salacious rumors, so he proposes a deal—I agree to be his fake fiancée and he’ll help me get back on my feet.

Moving in to Daniel’s luxurious loft puts us in close quarters. And it’s not long before we’re saying yes all night long! But Daniel wants nothing to do with passionate love, and I won’t settle for anything less. Could a fake engagement lead to true love…or am I only fooling myself?

The Fiancé is sexy, fun, and a truly enjoyable romance to be swept away by for a few hours. I love a wound-tight hero who is undone by a straight-shooting heroine and Daniel and Ava gave that in spades.

Ava is a teacher who has had a run of bad luck. She isn’t able to land a permanent job as a teacher, has to work at night for a catering company, and now her apartment is being sold and there’s no way she can find a place like it at a rate she can afford. It seems like the cherry on top of a s--- sundae when she’s caught in the supply closet with Daniel Moretti. She can’t afford to lose her job if her boss thinks she’s hitting up supply closets with clients, but Daniel offers an interesting proposition: he’ll help her get back on her feet if she agrees to pose as his fiancée. Ava is a kindhearted, hardworking woman who can’t catch a break and I felt for her. There are elements of Cinderella as she’s swept away by Daniel and finds herself living a life so far from her normal. And Daniel is a Prince Charming…just a flawed, emotionally scarred one. Daniel knows image is everything and he needs Ava’s help to stave off false rumors that are threatening his company and his relationship with his brother. Daniel has seen firsthand the toxic side of love. His parents’ marriage was a disaster – to put it mildly – and he’s scarred and afraid to open up because of it. He keeps himself apart from everyone, but Ava isn’t about to let him hide behind his walls.

A fake relationship becomes all-too-real almost immediately thanks to the irresistible pull between Ava and Daniel. Their chemistry is fantastic and Stefanie London cranks the heat on high to devastatingly sexy effect. I love the heat and the heart as Ava and Daniel become more and more intertwined. So if you’re looking for a sexy Cinderella story where things only get better after midnight, The Fiancé is the perfect read for you.



FTC Disclosure: I received this book for free from the publisher in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.

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Review: Hard Deal by Stefanie London

Hard Deal by Stefanie London
Series: Melbourne After Dark, Book 2
Publisher: Harlequin Dare
Genre: Contemporary Romance

ISBN: 9781488082658
Release Date: September 1, 2018
Source: Publisher
Buy it here: Amazon | B&N

For one night only, Imogen Hargrove is a sexy spy. She’s donned a mask for the Carmina Masquerade Ball, where she hopes to catch her sister’s cheating fiancé, Daniel, in the act. But she’s the one who gets rumbled when she strays too close to her target—only to realize she’s been tailing the wrong man. A searing kiss makes her forget her mission altogether, and the mysterious stranger awakens something inside her: a burning passion she hasn’t felt since the brutal breakup of her last relationship.

Imogen is mortified to discover that the man behind the mask is her colleague, notorious womanizer Caleb Allbrook. He’s the last person she wants to get close to, and she doesn’t need another playboy in her life. But that kiss has her curious—besides, Caleb knows her sister’s fiancé and could prove very useful in digging up dirt.

She makes a deal: she’ll go on a date with Caleb in exchange for information on Daniel’s affair. But Caleb’s irresistible charm turns a casual conversation into a night of sultry seduction. Imogen knows Caleb is bad news—yet he makes her feel sexier than any man ever has. Can she pull herself away from yet another toxic relationship, or will Caleb prove there’s more to him than just sex appeal?

Hard Deal is so much fun to read. It’s both steamy and playful and the chemistry Caleb and Imogen have practically snaps and sizzles on the page.

To all the world, nothing can ruffle Imogen Hargrove. She’s smart, organized, and keeps her passionate nature tamped down. But beneath the surface is a woman who wants to live a more vibrant, sensual life. Imogen was badly hurt by her cheating ex-husband and it’s easy to see why the emotional scars she carries have heavily impacted her life. She’s a kind-hearted heroine who is easy to like, even when she makes mistakes to guard said heart. I really liked Imogen, so I was eager to see her come out of her shell. Caleb helps her do that by knocking her off her axis. He’s a swoon-worthy hero who is so much more than the playboy people know him as. Caleb is charming, good looking, and sexy as sin, but that’s only a small part of him. He made me smile with his rebellious socks and the way he could read people. But it tugged on my heartstrings to see the hidden, vulnerable part that feels unwanted and unloved by his father. He and Imogen both have ghosts in their pasts they have to overcome in order to open their hearts and have a shot at a real relationship. Yet while Imogen and Caleb have to work for their happily ever after, that doesn’t mean the road to it is lacking in fun – quite the contrary. Hard Deal is deliciously dirty and Imogen and Caleb are anything but shy when it comes to pleasure.

Hard Deal is the second book in Stefanie London’s Melbourne After Dark series but it can easily be read as a standalone. That being said, I will definitely go back and read Unmasked because I absolutely adore Ms. London’s writing. I’ve only read a few of her books, but the ones I’ve read are flirty, fun, and wholly addictive. Caleb and Imogen’s romance is no exception and I cannot wait to re-read it.


FTC Disclosure: I received this book for free from the publisher in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.

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