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3.93 AVERAGE
3.93 AVERAGE
funny
hopeful
reflective
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
The Husband Hoax by Saxon James is a swoony, feel-good MM fake engagement romance that gave me all the feels. Christian is the sweetest, most chaotic cinnamon roll who just wants to be loved, and Emile is the guarded rich boy trying to do good with his unexpected inheritance, that is if he can get fake-married in time. Their chemistry is adorable, the banter is top-tier, and the found family vibes? Chef’s kiss. I laughed, I swooned, I highlighted like crazy.
funny
hopeful
lighthearted
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
emotional
funny
hopeful
lighthearted
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
emotional
funny
lighthearted
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
4.5⭐️
Emile’s rich family sucks, and he needs to marry someone to inherit his grandfather’s wealth. Christian’s family sucks too, and when Emile suddenly agrees to being Christian’s pretend date to a family wedding, they hit it off right away. From strangers, to fake boyfriends, to fake finances, these two do the whole relationship thing backwards!
I really enjoyed this book! The setup is absolutely ridiculous, but the characters have great chemistry. I can’t believe I’ve put off this book for so long, especially since I’ve read other interconnected ones! Saxon James is a sure thing for a light, fun romance book.
Tropes and themes include:
-funny meet-cute
-class difference
-found family
-marriage of convenience
-very clumsy man x man that thinks his clumsiness is adorable
-an over the top, giggle-worthy happy ending
-sticking it to homophobic family
Emile’s rich family sucks, and he needs to marry someone to inherit his grandfather’s wealth. Christian’s family sucks too, and when Emile suddenly agrees to being Christian’s pretend date to a family wedding, they hit it off right away. From strangers, to fake boyfriends, to fake finances, these two do the whole relationship thing backwards!
I really enjoyed this book! The setup is absolutely ridiculous, but the characters have great chemistry. I can’t believe I’ve put off this book for so long, especially since I’ve read other interconnected ones! Saxon James is a sure thing for a light, fun romance book.
Tropes and themes include:
-funny meet-cute
-class difference
-found family
-marriage of convenience
-very clumsy man x man that thinks his clumsiness is adorable
-an over the top, giggle-worthy happy ending
-sticking it to homophobic family
emotional
funny
hopeful
lighthearted
reflective
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
funny
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
🪁🪁🪁🪁4.5 kites out of 5.
(4.5 = I loved it and definitely recommend it!)
One would think that someone who has absorbed MM romance novels for a while now has listened to Saxon James but before this one, I had not. I have had several of their books on my TBR since forever but, I admit, the cover put me off a bit. I know I can be a cover snob and this one wasn't the first to not meet my expectations - in a good way! I'd love to say I won't make the same mistake again but I know I will. 🤪
Émile and Christian, 26 and 27 years old, meet by coincidence when Émile is attending a funeral and Christian a wedding. On first glance they probably couldn't be more different. One a guy with a trust fund and more money to come, the other one just getting by, living with a bunch of roommates because renting his own place is not within his budget.
They bond over both having rather insufferable families and enter in an agreement to help each other out with, erm , family stuff, to not spoil anything. Their natural chemistry soon makes it pretty clear that this is not only a case of someone helping out a new friend.
Oh, my goodness. As I said, I have had this on my TBR for a while and was not ready for the... sweetness and the warmth. And I mean that too in a good way! I loved the tenderness, the PDA, the trust, the support - everything these two were together was precious! Their effortless appreciation of one another, the respect they expressed and the joy they sparked in each other, absolutely swoonworthy! And while I liked James Joseph's narration a lot, Teddy Hamilton is still the voice of my dreams!
(4.5 = I loved it and definitely recommend it!)
One would think that someone who has absorbed MM romance novels for a while now has listened to Saxon James but before this one, I had not. I have had several of their books on my TBR since forever but, I admit, the cover put me off a bit. I know I can be a cover snob and this one wasn't the first to not meet my expectations - in a good way! I'd love to say I won't make the same mistake again but I know I will. 🤪
Émile and Christian, 26 and 27 years old, meet by coincidence when Émile is attending a funeral and Christian a wedding. On first glance they probably couldn't be more different. One a guy with a trust fund and more money to come, the other one just getting by, living with a bunch of roommates because renting his own place is not within his budget.
They bond over both having rather insufferable families and enter in an agreement to help each other out with, erm , family stuff, to not spoil anything. Their natural chemistry soon makes it pretty clear that this is not only a case of someone helping out a new friend.
Oh, my goodness. As I said, I have had this on my TBR for a while and was not ready for the... sweetness and the warmth. And I mean that too in a good way! I loved the tenderness, the PDA, the trust, the support - everything these two were together was precious! Their effortless appreciation of one another, the respect they expressed and the joy they sparked in each other, absolutely swoonworthy! And while I liked James Joseph's narration a lot, Teddy Hamilton is still the voice of my dreams!
The thought of something like yesterday happening again and me not being there to comfort him is too much. I need to be close. I need him to know I am his biggest supporter. And sure, he has got his friends, who know him a hell of a lot better than I do, but I want to be more. Everything. The one person in his entire world who's his. Who he doesn't need to worry about leaving him. Who he knows he can always count on. He deserves it.
The further the story progressed the more I dreaded the drama that was likely to unfold. I knew it had to come eventually because of, well, dramaturgy and stuff but I really, really didn't want anything or anyone to disrupt their magic. When it happend it of course was one of these issues that could have been avoided if they had communicated but at least it didn't drag out.
Christian's roommates and found family, Bertha's Boys, were almost as precious as our two love birds. The taco hunt was one of the cutest things! Not to mention the roommate sandwich to cheer up Christian after a rather dreadful theater performance. Well, and of course the epic fundraiser at the end.
And a shout out to Émile's sister! A fantastic side character and I thought it was great how not only Émile but her, too, immediately took to Bertha's crazy boys.
Now I have a bit of a dilemma. Pretty Boy by Brienna Flores was released as audiobook today and I have it lined up as my next book. But now I also want to continue this series with the second book, Not dating Material, featuring some of Christian's roommates... Decisions, decisions.
🪁🪁🪁🪁4.5 kites out of 5.
(4.5 = I loved it and definitely recommend it!)
challenging
funny
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
Content Warnings
Graphic: Classism
Moderate: Homophobia, Abandonment