Cocksure

This was so much better than I expected it to be. I knew from the title and the recent trademark situation what this author was doing, but I really wasn’t sure what the story was going to be like. I couldn’t have been more thrilled at just how GOOD it was! An incident in Luke’s life when he was young has haunted him throughout the years but with the help of his assistant, Sabrina, he has managed it to some small degree. When he is called home due to a family emergency he finds himself making an outlandish proclamation. What follows results in a truly romantic story as he finds himself falling in love with his best friend. Sabrina has been in love with Luke for years but she’s not a pushover when it comes to him. And yet, when he needs her to stand by him after he makes a crazy statement to his mother, she never really hesitates. She’s living her dreams knowing in the end she’ll have to let them go. But for now, she’s allowing herself to be consumed by Luke and what they have…albeit temporarily. I’ll admit there’s an issue with Luke at the very beginning that I was not a fan of. It’s also one of those things that makes it hard for me to like friends-to-lovers and boss-employee-to lovers tropes. However, I’m a relatively lenient reader so I chose to push that issue aside and just enjoy the rest of this story. As a result, I ended up really enjoying this couple as they work together, trust each other, and share their secrets. Their dynamic was perfection and is the stuff you know exists in real life. This is a lengthier book than I thought it would be but I never once skimmed. It does not repeat itself nor does it get bogged down with a lot of self-introspection. The steam is absolutely scorching and the secondary characters’ main goal was to help the story along rather than steal the limelight or lay foundation for future books. The angst is light up until the last portion when Luke and Sabrina have a major conflict and then it is elevated but not what I would call gut clinching. I especially enjoyed how hard Luke had to work to win his woman – romance readers who love groveling will appreciate this. Unfortunately, it doesn’t have an epilogue which I felt it needed and I desperately wanted. I may pout about that fact for a while because I wanted one so badly. Nevertheless, if you enjoy this trope I highly recommend this one. I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book provided by NetGalley. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

Three and a half stars. Who doesn't love a fake relationship with your boss romance? Sabrina has been Luke Cochran's assistant for four years and probably in love with him for all that time. Luke on the other hand, gorgeous millionaire actor that he is, doesn't have a clue. However, when his mother suffers a heart attack and tells him how much she worries about him he panics and tells her that he and Sabrina are secretly engaged. But Luke is hiding a secret from the world, something that made him run from home at the age of eighteen and his trips back were non-existent until Sabrina pushed him to make the trip. Can a fake relationship turn real and can Luke tell the truth? I liked the plot and the characters but I was put off by the incessant sex. Honestly, page after page after page, then there would be a snippet of plot and then page upon page of sex. I got bored and just flicked past it all wondering at times if there was any plot coming soon. Maybe I should have expected it given the title, I'm sure some people reading this are itching to go and buy the book - and good for them. It just didn't work for me. However, I am really intrigued by Luke's large family, Devin in particular, and look forward to reading more in this series. I received a free copy of this book from the publisher via NetGalley in return for an honest review.