In a Rush by Kate Canterbary is live!
A friends-to-lovers, not-so-fake relationship romance, this is a sweet, fun and sexy read
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Blurb
What’s better than a revenge date?
A revenge husband.
Pro quarterback Ryan Ralston has always known two things.
First, he’s desperately in love with his best friend Emme Ahlborg.
Second–and most importantly–he still has no idea how to tell her.
The marriage pact they made in their senior yearbook was the closest he ever came.
Years passed and Emme forgot about their promise.
Ryan never did, especially not on his thirtieth birthday.
Emme can’t catch a break. Always unlucky in love, her cheating ex is a groomsman in her best friend’s wedding—and there’s no way she’s showing up alone.
Ryan offers her the one thing better than a wedding date: a revenge husband. And he’s not just any fake husband but the NFL’s brightest star…and in need of serious reputation rehab.
Playing the part of the happy couple comes easy and soon enough, the lines between real and fake blur. They disappear altogether when there’s just one bed.
All Ryan has to do is save Emme from her ex, find her step-sister an internship, and get his wife to fall in love with him—or fumble the one thing he’s ever wanted: her heart.
Review
“It’s always been real for us.”
4 stars!
A friends-to-lovers, not-so-fake relationship romance, this is a sweet, fun and sexy read, and I really enjoyed it.
Note – this is the third book in the Friendship, Rhode Island series. There is some character crossover (Emme is friends with Shay from In a Jam), but you can easily read this book as a standalone.
Emme and Ryan met in high school and became the best of friends. They were each other’s person and leant on each other for everything, but for Ryan, it meant so much more. He loved Emme fiercely, but nothing ever happened between them, though they did make a pact to marry at 30 if they were both still single.
Well, 30 has arrived, Emme has jus discovered her long time boyfriend cheating on her, and Ryan – now a NFL quarterback – needs to show he’s a family man for an upcoming business deal. They may not be as up-in-each-other’s-lives as they once were, but they’re still there for each other in all the ways, so they agree to help each other out.
“I want to be married, I want to be settled, and I want to stop feeling like I’m living in the in-between I want to stop looking for someone to love me.”
When I was finished heaving my sob story into his lap, he met my eyes with a dark, even gaze and said, “You can.” … “Stop looking. Marry me.”
Of course, Ryan has an ulterior motive. He is still desperately in love with his best friend, and OMG, he’s so beautiful about it! He may be grumpy with everybody else in his life, but I love how smitten he is, and how completely unashamed he is about it, and he dives on into the marriage, embracing everything about it, and he’s determined to win Emme’s heart.
“Ryan Ralston has a heart,” he said. “I haven’t seen it until now because you left it with her.”
“She’s my favorite thing in the world.”
It’s a fun set-up, and such a great ride. There’s lots of flirting and touching, lots of “wifey” moments, and it’s so, so hot! These two are wild for each other, their chemistry is insane, and when they give in to it, the sexy time is seriously steamy. The emotion is there too – mostly from Ryan who unashamedly cares for and loves on his wife at every opportunity, and he’s so beautifully swoony!
“We’re going to last, Em.” I laced my fingers with hers, held them to my chest. “I’m not going anywhere. There’s no world where I exist without you and I don’t want there to be one.”
It’s more of a slow burn for Emme. I enjoyed watching her fall for Ryan, but her doubts and confusion over his intentions became frustrating. I’m not sure what else Ryan could have said to convince her that he was in it for the long haul, but he’s a very determined man, I enjoyed the build-up to the big romantic realisation, and seeing them come together was really gorgeous.
“I love you … I’ve always loved you but I love you and I had to-to-“
“I know, Emme. I love you too.”
“Like I’m your wife?” I asked. “Is that how you love me?”
“You are my wife,” he said, his voice like sandpaper. “And that’s the only way I ever want to love you.”
There’s a great group of friends who are with them along the way. From Ryan’s football buds to Emme’s girl circle and her best friend’s upcoming wedding (which just so happens to be held at Shay’s tulip farm), there’s plenty going on around them, and there’s lots of fun moments as the different friend groups collide – special shout out to Ryan’s epic smackdown moment, Gennie, and Ryan meeting Noah, absolute gold!
I really enjoyed this book. It’s an easy read with a gorgeous romance, and I loved it.
4 stars.
An Advanced Review Copy was generously provided by the author for an honest review.
Friendship, Rhode Island
About the Author
USA Today Bestseller Kate Canterbary writes smart, steamy contemporary romances loaded with heat, heart, and happy ever afters. Kate lives on the New England coast with her husband and daughter.
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