Review: Faking It by Christine d'Abo (Ringside Romance #2)
Note: This ARC was provided by Riptide Publishing in exchange for an honest review.
Faking It is the second book in the Christine d'Abo-penned series, Ringside Romance, and features Max Tremblay, owner of Frantic, a gay-friendly nightclub, and an investor in the Ringside Gym, the place which he and his two best friends, as well as countless other children and teenagers, their refuge during more turbulent times. Max is paired up with Grady Barnes, a reality TV celebrity and someone who lives a life of privilege. When they first meet, it's as Max trying to help who he thinks is yet another drunk patron of his nightclub. When they meet again, however, Grady makes Max an offer that's difficult to refuse: pretend to be the man he's engaged to and Grady invests in the gym. This will hopefully get Grady's father off his back and nix any plans to force Grady into an arranged marriage, and getting more money into bringing Ringside back to its full glory is a good enough reason for Max to agree. Now, all they need to do is convince Grady's father that they're the real deal and the fact that Max and Grady are attracted to each other should make it easier. But could they make a go of a relationship when fake feels too real?
I tend to have an aversion to stories that employ the fake relationship trope, mainly because I've read more than my fair share and, more often than not, they follow the well-worn tread in terms of story line. In the case of book two of the Ringside Romance series, you already know how it's all going to end even before you start reading (hello, happy ending!), but I was hoping for something to throw me for a loop. Well, everything played out the way I was expecting it too, so there is a tiny bit of disappointment. I'm the kind of reader that appreciates being surprised by an author, and well, no surprises here. Christine d'Abo's quality of writing is, as always, worthy of praise. She knows how to tell a story, and she certainly knows how to give readers two main characters that you want to get to know and cheer for. I've liked Max since he was introduced in Working It, and I had been looking forward to his story since then. It did take me several chapters to be convinced that he and Grady belonged together, but by the end, they had won me over. While not my favorite, Faking It was still an okay 3.5-starred read. ♥
I tend to have an aversion to stories that employ the fake relationship trope, mainly because I've read more than my fair share and, more often than not, they follow the well-worn tread in terms of story line. In the case of book two of the Ringside Romance series, you already know how it's all going to end even before you start reading (hello, happy ending!), but I was hoping for something to throw me for a loop. Well, everything played out the way I was expecting it too, so there is a tiny bit of disappointment. I'm the kind of reader that appreciates being surprised by an author, and well, no surprises here. Christine d'Abo's quality of writing is, as always, worthy of praise. She knows how to tell a story, and she certainly knows how to give readers two main characters that you want to get to know and cheer for. I've liked Max since he was introduced in Working It, and I had been looking forward to his story since then. It did take me several chapters to be convinced that he and Grady belonged together, but by the end, they had won me over. While not my favorite, Faking It was still an okay 3.5-starred read. ♥
-------------------------
Read my reviews for the Ringside Romance series:
Working It (book one) - four stars - My Review
Faking It (book two) - 3.5 stars - My Review (posted above)
-------------------------
Date Read: 10 May 2017
Learn more about Christine d'Abo.
Comments
Post a Comment