I must firstly apologise for the amount of time it has taken me to provide a review of this book, my health was rather bad for quite some time, something that had me in hospital on numerous occasions and simply didnt leave me with the time I once had to do what I love most.

Unfortunately that does mean I have missed the archive date for many of these books, so It would feel unjust throwing any review together without being able to pay attention to each novel properly.

However, I am now back to reading as before and look forward to sharing my honest reviews as always going forward. I thank you f0r the patience and understanding throughout x

From best friend to fiancee, has all the emotional feelings this deep friendship entails.

Mixed with the growing sexual attraction, that they can no longer deny, which is making them question the staying only friends decision they are about to change.

A bit of manipulation by his grandmother, finds them with a fake engagement on their hands, but neither of them can ignore the fact that they want the real thing.

They each have emotional hang ups to overcome to achieve their true love and happy ever after.

Emotional rollercoaster
Lara is a social media influencer and Jannes is a professional yachtsman. They have been friends for years but Jannes is in danger of losing sponsorship because of newspaper reports claiming he is a playboy so he and Lara decide that they will fake date each other to stop the reports and to give him his professional image back
I loved Lara, she is a fun and genuine character. She was emotionally hurt when she was younger and it still haunts her so seeing her have to face some of her fears and realising that maybe she doesn’t have to go through everything alone makes her feel like a stronger person. She was instantly likeable and I found myself loving her more as the book went on
Because more of the story is written from Lara’s point of view it was harder for me to “get” Jannes initially but as the story developed and seeing him through Lara’s eyes did help me to start to adore him very quickly. Like Lara he had some emotional issues from his childhood that were still affecting his life but they were so much a part of his character and what motivated him to be the person he is now that seeing them challenged and his reaction made him a stronger character in my eyes which made me adore him even more
They challenged each other and led me onto an emotional rollercoaster as they and their relationship changed and developed making them look more at themselves and what is most important in their lives and as a result their story pulled me in and didn’t let me go as I ended up desperate to know what would happen next and if they were able to become the people I knew they could be
Both Lara, Jannes and their world felt so real to me that at times I forgot that it was fiction and wanted to look them up online so it will come as no surprise to hear that I totally loved this book which I would recommend to those who enjoy a romance with amazing characters who have to fight against the odds for their happy ending

Jannes and Lara are best friends but both have their own commitment issues, even though they are madly attracted to each other both have fought it as they are scared that the fallout would mean that they could no longer be friends. Now with Jannes needing to work on his PR he asks Lara to be his pretend girlfriend but one thing leads to another and suddenly they find themselves blurring the lines for pretend and falling into reality.
I liked how the story wasn't the usual straightforward fake fiance and liked the aspect Jannes Grandmother brings to it with her meddling ways, She was the highlight for me.

I read this ARC for an honest review
All thoughts and opinions are mine

A friends to lovers premise but with added twists which kept me interested

I enjoyed this

Friends to lovers romance always put the protagonists in a quandary. Will the physical attraction damage the emotional connection they have as friends? This is the question for Lara and Jannes as they embark on a fake relationship to help Jannes' career risking their friendship for a PR stunt.

Jannes and Lara have trust issues which make their friendship precious. Their emotional connectivity and the glamorous setting allow their physical attraction to develop. It makes the couple face their emotional issues together in a bid to be both friends and lovers.

The characters are flawed and likeable, the dialogue is witty, and the story explores contemporary issues.

I received a copy of this book from Mills and Boon via NetGalley in return for an honest review.

Oh how cute! The friends to lovers story has been told before and Ellie Darkins gives a new twist and puts her touch on it well. Our couple are good friends, both of whom have a lot of emotional baggage and worries and fears about commitment. With the help of an interfering grandmother they end up engaged and have to start working out their feelings and addressing their fears from there.

Ellie Darkins gained herself a new reader last year after reading Snowbound at the Manor and, being a sucker for a best-friends-to-lovers romance, I wasted no time diving in here, quickly discovering two people who between them have as much baggage as the carousels at Heathrow.

“You’re not with me for hearts and flowers. I don’t really go in for that.”
“Oh, really? What am I with you for?”
“The wild sex and Instagram freebies.”

I love flawed characters and Lara and Jannes are just that, two peas in a pod, commitmentphobes, a little frustrating at times but who already have the easy, natural chemistry and tight emotional bonds of close friendship. And what starts out as best friends doing a favour for one another is soon rocked with unexpected feelings and intense sparks entering the mix as they cross the romantic line

“We’re a little awkward but we’ll be fine.”

A well-crafted, enjoyable story with fun and flirty notes, if you enjoy a romance featuring couple who are outwardly confident yet a little more vulnerable underneath and are stronger together than apart, then this is absolutely worth a few hours of your time. Ellie Darkins excels at creating an intimate feel between her couples with not-so-much as a nudge towards the bedroom and I’m already looking forward to seeing what she has in store for readers next.

I received an ARC from Netgalley and Mills and Boon in return for an honest review.

This is a really well-written romance about best friends, neither of whom want to take the relationship any further in case they lose the friendship.

Helping each other out in a fake relationship inevitably leads to more and it is this journey which the author makes so understandable and so entertaining. I loved the characters and also found the settings she used played a key part in the story.

I usually like a bit more steam in my romances so I found the lack of love scenes rather disappointing but I know this line of Mills and Boon frequently has this approach so I ought not to have been surprised. Apart from that, I really liked it. .