THE BOSS' FAKE FIANCÉE by Inara Scott provides authentic enjoyment and elicits genuine emotion. While the title may give the novel a cheesy feel, the plot is anything but cheesy, as it illuminates a major medical and social issue - autism. I give it 4 stars and recommend that readers not overlook this novel when browsing their online bookstores.
In THE BOSS' FAKE FIANCÉE, employee Melissa Bencher allows her cheating, dirtbag ex-boyfriend to believe that she is dating her boss, billionaire Garth Solen. The paparazzi get a photo of Garth dropping Melissa off at home after a late night of work, and by the morning, their families and friends, not to mention gossipmongers across the country, believe that they are engaged. Garth's eighty-five year-old grandmother, who raised him since he was five, is attempting to recover from a bout of pneumonia, and Garth believes that disabusing her of the notion that he is engaged will literally kill her. So he persuades Melissa to act as if they are in fact engaged. Only neither of them is ready to deal with the very real emotions that accompany their fake engagement.
I enjoyed THE BOSS' FAKE FIANCÉE. The plot was not complicated, but the writing definitely draws you into the complicated emotions that arise from the characters' proximity, pasts and personal problems. The pace is steady and comfortable, and the dialogue is absolutely believable, especially when it comes to the characters' trying to express things they've never before put into words.
The development of the romantic relationship in the novel was believable, surprisingly so. It isn't often that authors persuade me to accept the love at first sight idea, or as it is here, love in 18 days, but the relationship here was very well done. I believed the characters' feelings for each other. Their romance isn't forced into a neat little box; it is real, gritty and occasionally heartbreaking. As for the romantic scenes, I would give this a heat level rating of 3, appropriate for those 18 and older. The editing was also done fairly well; there were only a few grammatical issues/typos, but nothing that significantly disrupts the flow of the story.
Overall, I really liked this book, especially the twist near the end. (I won't give it away!) THE BOSS' FAKE FIANCÉE is an enjoyable contemporary romance that I recommend to all avid fiction readers. Don't miss out!
*Review originally written for The Romance Reviews.com at http://www.theromancereviews.com/viewbooks.php?bookid=9641
