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A review by justmevictoria
The Problem With Pretending by Emma Hart
4.5
Fake it till you fall in love.
Despite being a member of the Aristocracy, Grace has kept herself out of those circles for most of her life. What she’s not expecting is to be thrown back into the chaos and hob-knobbing of the upper class when she agrees to be the girlfriend of William, who just happens to heir to the Dukedom of Glenroch. With his grandfather threatening to set William up with someone for his sister’s wedding, he would rather pretend to be dating the woman he literally bumped into at a cafe rather than one of the heiresses he’s known all his life. The goal is simple: pretend they’ve been going out for a few months, attend the wedding, and then say they’ve amicably ended things once they return to reality. Except it’s not the easy. Grace is dragged into final wedding preparations, but with a snowstorm approaching, things are getting more chaotic by the minute. Then there’s the problem of Grace feeling a sense of familiarity in the castle and around the Glenroch family. Oh, and she’s starting to catch feelings for William.
Emma has once again written another fabulous addition to the EHAU (Emma Hart Aristocratic Universe), and I swear each book/couple just gets better and better with each installment! I adore this world and the little references Emma continues to sprinkle throughout to previous characters, all the while crafting sweet, swoony, and hilarious stories for the new characters.
Fake relationships are one of my favourite romance tropes, and while Emma has previously used this trope within the EMAU (Eva and Matthew in The Accidental Countess), this story was a different spin and I thoroughly enjoyed the drama and hilarity that followed Grace and William. They’re relationship was super fun and sweet, with a nice serving of swoon as well. And I appreciated that Emma didn’t just write your typical third-act breakup and added another whole layer to the story by further exploring the issues that lead to Grace’s insecurities with the aristocracy.
Not to mention, there’s some great family dynamics - Grace’s grandmother is an absolute riot, and William’s whole family was so fun as they prepared for Amy’s wedding. And Grace slotted into their dynamic SO well, and I loved seeing the connections she formed with all of them. As always, Emma not only nails it with the romance, but she also excels with the family and friends surrounding the main couple.
If you love regency romances but want a modern spin, this one definitely needs to be on your TBR! This is by far one of my favourite romance universes, and I can’t wait for Emma to release the next, and long-awaited, aristocratic book, so now’s the time to catch up on all the dukedom drama.
Despite being a member of the Aristocracy, Grace has kept herself out of those circles for most of her life. What she’s not expecting is to be thrown back into the chaos and hob-knobbing of the upper class when she agrees to be the girlfriend of William, who just happens to heir to the Dukedom of Glenroch. With his grandfather threatening to set William up with someone for his sister’s wedding, he would rather pretend to be dating the woman he literally bumped into at a cafe rather than one of the heiresses he’s known all his life. The goal is simple: pretend they’ve been going out for a few months, attend the wedding, and then say they’ve amicably ended things once they return to reality. Except it’s not the easy. Grace is dragged into final wedding preparations, but with a snowstorm approaching, things are getting more chaotic by the minute. Then there’s the problem of Grace feeling a sense of familiarity in the castle and around the Glenroch family. Oh, and she’s starting to catch feelings for William.
Emma has once again written another fabulous addition to the EHAU (Emma Hart Aristocratic Universe), and I swear each book/couple just gets better and better with each installment! I adore this world and the little references Emma continues to sprinkle throughout to previous characters, all the while crafting sweet, swoony, and hilarious stories for the new characters.
Fake relationships are one of my favourite romance tropes, and while Emma has previously used this trope within the EMAU (Eva and Matthew in The Accidental Countess), this story was a different spin and I thoroughly enjoyed the drama and hilarity that followed Grace and William. They’re relationship was super fun and sweet, with a nice serving of swoon as well. And I appreciated that Emma didn’t just write your typical third-act breakup and added another whole layer to the story by further exploring the issues that lead to Grace’s insecurities with the aristocracy.
Not to mention, there’s some great family dynamics - Grace’s grandmother is an absolute riot, and William’s whole family was so fun as they prepared for Amy’s wedding. And Grace slotted into their dynamic SO well, and I loved seeing the connections she formed with all of them. As always, Emma not only nails it with the romance, but she also excels with the family and friends surrounding the main couple.
If you love regency romances but want a modern spin, this one definitely needs to be on your TBR! This is by far one of my favourite romance universes, and I can’t wait for Emma to release the next, and long-awaited, aristocratic book, so now’s the time to catch up on all the dukedom drama.