What do you do when your fake engagement starts to feel too real…
Aspiring clothes designer Victoria Scott spends her days working in a bar in Chelsea, and her evenings designing vintage clothes, dreaming of one day opening her own boutique. But these aspirations are under threat from the new department store opening at the end of her road. She needs a Christmas miracle, but one is not forthcoming.
Oliver Russell’s Christmas is not looking very festive right now. His family’s new London department store opening is behind schedule, and on top of that his interfering, if well meaning, mother is pressing him to introduce his girlfriend to her. A girlfriend who does not exist. He needs a diversion. Something to keep his mother from interfering while he focuses on the business.
When Oliver meets Victoria, he offers a proposition: pretend to be his girlfriend at the opening of his store and he will provide an opportunity for Victoria to showcase her designs. But what starts as a business arrangement soon becomes something more tempting, as the fake relationship starts to feel very real. But when secrets in Victoria’s past are exposed will Oliver walk away, or will they both follow their hearts and find what neither knew they were looking for…
Review
If you live in the UK then you probably heard of the author from the show "Made in Chelsea" and winning "I'm a Celebrity..." in 2017. I liked the sound of the description of the novel, but wondered would she be a good author? I'm going to say right upfront - when I finished the book I said to myself book was "well, she can write!"
The story follows Victoria who works in a bar but her real passion is her dress design work and working with a group of kids helping them to express themselves through fashion. She's just come out of a messy break up and what's more she has a heartbreaking backstory. (There is a trigger warning here for infertility.) Then she meets Oliver - well collides with him whilst carrying a box of fabric and then she recognises him as a guy in the bar the night before who drunkenly proposed to her.
The next part begins a little bit like a "You've got Mail" Megan Ryan/Tom Hanks story line, as she has no idea he is the owner of the new store that could be putting all the local businesses at risk, including her ex boyfriend's. She actually finds out quite quickly who is and so then goes on to agree to be his fake fiancee, as he offers to help local businesses and showcase fashion made by the kids she is tutoring. It also helps that he is mega rich and treats her to some magical experiences along the way. Oliver also has a backstory and we get to find out it more as the story progresses. Despite being rich he maybe doesn't have it all or lead the perfect life, also his father is very ill.
I really got hooked into this book, it helped that Victoria likes fashion and beautiful fabrics, but even without that it was a fabulous will they won't they journey. Very well written with great down to earth dialogue and lovely characters. I was waiting for their to be a horrid person, but apart from a couple of characters everyone is truly lovely.
If you are looking for a little bit of escapism and a look at how the other half live, then this is the book for you. Hours flew by whilst I was engrossed in this book.
I'm giving this book five out of five stars. My thanks to netgalley for the ARC.
The book is released on 15 October and is available for pre order
here.
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