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3.98 AVERAGE
3.98 AVERAGE
emotional
lighthearted
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
got very repetitive towards the end
✨ Caught on Camera by Chelsea Curto ✨
Memorable Moments/Ideas:
❄️ Family Snowball Fight
✨ Gift Giving to Families
❄️ Surprise Sushi Lunch Delivery
✨ Tunnel Kisses
❄️ “An equal”
Lacey and Shawn have quite possibly the cutest friends to lovers storyline I’ve read in some time. The friendship between the two is a strong one — founded on coffee drop offs, tasteful teasing, and strong confidence in one another. Add in their fake dating drama courtesy of the kiss camera and impending holiday season obligations, and what should seem like it’s too much, it’s definitely not enough for either one of them.
Lacey is an educated, confident, professional who wants to be seen for what she can contribute to the world, not just at home. Shawn is a successful coach (from player) and has unlimited resources, but wants to be see for who he is on the inside. I love their love so much. The dating game they play? Heart melt. The nicknames for each other? Swoon worthy.
In a careful balancing of holiday romance meets sports romance, there is good balance of both throughout. There is actual discussion of football and actual discussion of the holidays, but neither is overwhelming the other in the narrative. I also love that Shawn and Lacey’s relationship feels like it spans months, if not years, but this storyline is just over a month. I love that too. It’s a jam packed (and spicy!) narrative.
Spice:
Memorable Moments/Ideas:
❄️ Family Snowball Fight
✨ Gift Giving to Families
❄️ Surprise Sushi Lunch Delivery
✨ Tunnel Kisses
❄️ “An equal”
Lacey and Shawn have quite possibly the cutest friends to lovers storyline I’ve read in some time. The friendship between the two is a strong one — founded on coffee drop offs, tasteful teasing, and strong confidence in one another. Add in their fake dating drama courtesy of the kiss camera and impending holiday season obligations, and what should seem like it’s too much, it’s definitely not enough for either one of them.
Lacey is an educated, confident, professional who wants to be seen for what she can contribute to the world, not just at home. Shawn is a successful coach (from player) and has unlimited resources, but wants to be see for who he is on the inside. I love their love so much. The dating game they play? Heart melt. The nicknames for each other? Swoon worthy.
In a careful balancing of holiday romance meets sports romance, there is good balance of both throughout. There is actual discussion of football and actual discussion of the holidays, but neither is overwhelming the other in the narrative. I also love that Shawn and Lacey’s relationship feels like it spans months, if not years, but this storyline is just over a month. I love that too. It’s a jam packed (and spicy!) narrative.
Spice:
ugh SWOON!!! This book is perfect. If there’s one thing about Chelsea is that she knows how to write a man who has it BAD for his girl. Shawn Holmes needs to be the new blue print because this man was EVERYTHING, from sending lunch to her office to make sure she eats (hello my new favorite microtrope) to donating millions of dollars to the hospital that she works at, I mean he was such a golden retriever and I ADORE him.
As for our FMC, Lacey, talk about a girl with confidence. Lacey was such a refreshing character to me because she knew exactly what she wanted and was absolutely not afraid to ask for it. She also was pretty willing to do whatever it takes to protect Shawn which again SWOON!
At the end of the day all you really need to know is that this is a WHOLESOME story about two people who are fake dating but end up falling in love, but let’s be real they were always in love. Oh, and lots and lots of spice. Shawn and Lacey both have quite the mouth and their chemistry is just
As for our FMC, Lacey, talk about a girl with confidence. Lacey was such a refreshing character to me because she knew exactly what she wanted and was absolutely not afraid to ask for it. She also was pretty willing to do whatever it takes to protect Shawn which again SWOON!
At the end of the day all you really need to know is that this is a WHOLESOME story about two people who are fake dating but end up falling in love, but let’s be real they were always in love. Oh, and lots and lots of spice. Shawn and Lacey both have quite the mouth and their chemistry is just
funny
lighthearted
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Tropes
- Fake dating
- Best friends to lovers
- Found family
- NFL coach mmc
- Doctor fmc
- BANTER
- One night to get it out of their system
- Age gap, he’s 46 she’s 34
- 4
- Fake dating
- Best friends to lovers
- Found family
- NFL coach mmc
- Doctor fmc
- BANTER
- One night to get it out of their system
- Age gap, he’s 46 she’s 34
- 4
I loved the premise of this book, but wish it would have been executed differently. Which I’m finding might be a theme with this Author. Also, another spicy book & didn’t love certain aspects of the “spice” in this one.
4.5 ⭐️ this was so cute! A very fun & easy & unproblematic contemporary romance. Friends to lovers, fake dating, golden retriever MMC, mental health rep, sex-positive… I ate this shit UP. The perfect palate cleanser.
Loved this! I generally don’t love the friends-to-lovers trope because the ones I’ve read feel overdone, underdone, or completely forced, but this was really a very convincing friends-to-lovers story about Shawn, a good-hearted NFL player-turned-coach and Lacey, his compassionate, no-bullshit pediatrician bestie, as they navigate a fake dating arrangement that clues them into their real feelings for each other.
The banter between them felt really natural and funny and I really fell in love with them, both as their own characters and together as a couple.
I do have two gripes with it. First, it was glaringly obvious ten pages in that they were head over heels but both Lacey and Shawn realize very late in the book that they’re romantically interested in the other. Second, for a Christmas romance the holiday aspect feels more like background info than a meaningful plot point. To be fair, on the timeline the book takes place, both kind of make sense so neither were huge detractors from the overall story. On the positive side, I was delighted that there were no baffling miscommunications or huge final act breakups. Overall, loved it and wicked excited to read more from this author!
The banter between them felt really natural and funny and I really fell in love with them, both as their own characters and together as a couple.
I do have two gripes with it. First, it was glaringly obvious ten pages in that they were head over heels but both Lacey and Shawn realize very late in the book that they’re romantically interested in the other. Second, for a Christmas romance the holiday aspect feels more like background info than a meaningful plot point. To be fair, on the timeline the book takes place, both kind of make sense so neither were huge detractors from the overall story. On the positive side, I was delighted that there were no baffling miscommunications or huge final act breakups. Overall, loved it and wicked excited to read more from this author!
funny
hopeful
lighthearted
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
N/A
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No