Only a Fling: a small-town, military hero romance

What a fabulous start to a series! I adored Will Cruz (Navy call sign Fake Tom aka F.T.) and Lucy Dale. You will have to read the story to see how Will received his call sign. It was hilariously funny. There were some really great scenes here and some touching ones. Some scenes had some very profound life messages as well. Will leaves his dad's construction firm to help out a fellow military brother (Archie - call sign Ghost) and his sister renovate an old resort that they inherited from their uncle. The resort hasn't been in business in a long time and has fallen into disrepair. Archie doesn't have much to pay him with but Will is frustrated with his standing at his dad's firm. Will is to be the foreman on the and he hires a local contractor, Lucy. Lucy has been running her grandfather's (Papa) construction firm for awhile now and she is a straight-shooter. She has to be as construction is considered a man's world. She is fair with her crew and doesn't take any nonsense from men in the business. There is a sub-plot going on here and I can't wait to read more in this series. Apparently the uncle left Archie and his sister parts of a treasure map. The treasure hunt is woven throughout the story. I love it! There are some sexy scenes but they aren't overly graphic in nature nor do they overwhelm the story. But just a word of caution if you don't like that sort of thing, you could skip over it. I truly joyed this wonderful story that brought me to such high and some lows; laughter as well as a few sniffles. I highly recommend this story.

An enjoyable story about a self-reliant, hardworking, and family-oriented woman who finds and sticks with the right associate, ultimately resulting in a lifetime of love!

This is a beautiful story about love but it is also about the stories we tell ourselves that in turn shape our choices and our lives. This is a rivals, temporary fling, workplace romance with a side of slow burn. Lucy owns a construction company and is excited to work on the renovation of Kasper Ridge Resort which is in her home town. She often feels undervalued being a woman in a male dominated field. Will is a construction manager but feels he’s getting nowhere in his father’s company. So he jumps at the invitation from his military buddy to come to Kasper Ridge to manage the renovation project. Will and Lucy have instant chemistry but they also have individual issues related to competency and perception that cause clashing, communication issues, and some angst. Their relationship grows organically as the construction progresses and the mystery of Uncle Marvin’s treasure continues to unravel. For me the story started out a bit slow but once it caught my attention it was impossible to put it down. The book has a little bit of everything - sweet moments, steamy scenes, strong friendships, supportive family, laughs, painful pasts, a bit of mystery, and all the heart squeezing love. Experiencing the journey of Lucy and Will as they fall in love and work through their individual issues gave me all the feels - you will laugh, cry, swoon, grind your teeth, cheer, and happy sigh. I am excited to read the next story and to get more clues in the treasure hunt. This book was 4.5 stars for me. I willingly reviewed an early copy of this book.