I was utterly swept into Davy and Anna’s story. A beautiful second chance at love, battling through angst, unexpected family members, trampoline bouncing ☺️and work drama. I absolutely did not think that I would learn so much about sea life, but it was awesome and added charm to the book. ( I love Louis ). It’s a brilliant masterpiece of a book and made me fall in love with second chance at love romances.
I have reviewed this on Instagram also
https://www.instagram.com/p/CqhzKlGr0Xm/?igshid=YmMyMTA2M2Y=

5 stars - I really enjoyed this story. A lot.

The no kissed contract is a second chances, fake relationship story. I love a good fauxmance and this story delivered.

One of the interesting twists in this story is that Davy and Anna are technically stepsiblings, but because they really only interacted for a single summer when they were 17 the whole “taboo” vibe is acknowledged, but not made into a big deal.

I really liked both characters. They’re both good people but neither one of them are perfect which makes them relatable. They have a falling out after the summer that they meet and basically don’t interact for the next 15 years. They both still like each other. However, Anna has some hard feelings to get over because of the way things ended when they were 17.

I think the story is solid and well written. I was completely engaged through the whole thing and would’ve finished it in a day if I didn’t have to get up early the next day so I had to put it down against my will.😂

My only complaint is, I wish that they had confessed their feelings for each other closer to the 80% mark and that we would have gotten a scene with the senior partners at the end. Perhaps that is part of the bonus epilogue available at the authors website. I’ll have to go check that out.

For fans of second chance romances and fauxmance’s, I can highly recommend this very entertaining read.

I received an arc of this book from the publisher through NetGalley in exchange for my unbiased review.

This is a fauxmance, second chance romance that centers around Davy Dugan, a workaholic lawyer and Anna Resnick who is an artist. The two met when they were teenagers during a summer break and became good friends, with a hope of something more. But they were then kept apart due to an unspoken misunderstanding which resulted in them not getting along. Many years later, they meet again as Davy was trying to get to know her half sister, Tally, a little more. Tally also happens to be Anna’s half sister. After a misunderstanding, it was thought that Davy and Anna were engaged to each other. They both kept up the charade as they both had something of value to gain from this pretend relationship. But of course, feelings then got in the way….

I really enjoyed this read! Both mains were really likeable. And the chemistry was there and strong. Both leads had some unresolved feelings from the past and these feelings are still there and are growing stronger as they spent time together. It was nice to see them try and hide their feelings or not admit their feeling to themselves. But the attraction between them was clearly palpable. I also enjoyed the banter between them. There were some funny moments. The author really told their story well, and we got to read from both their point of view. The side characters also added to their story; Tally, Louis, Pam and Halima. Even Davy’s boss Roland and his wife.

This was overall a great book and I can’t recommend it enough. I did not want this book to end and was ecstatic to discover that there’s an epilogue available to download for free at the author’s website.

I received an ARC from the publisher through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

I love Nan Campbell’s writing. It is earnest and her characters have real depth and emotions. I was instantly hooked on this slow burn, second chance romance and stayed up way too late reading as much of their story as I could. Davina (Davy) and Anna got to be friends one summer when they are 17 and their parents are involved with each other. Fifteen years later Davy is a driven, rising corporate lawyer with the goal of being a named equity partner in her firm. A half sister came from the affair of her father but she only sees her once a year. Davy decides to reconnect by hosting her fourteenth sister's birthday party at her newly purchased home. Her boss/mentor is a neighbor and mentions being family oriented as one of the values prized for a new partner. Davy claims Anna is her fiancé and then has to convince her to join the ruse.

Anna is lovely. She is nurturing and caring. She has a five year old son Louis who is her world and supports herself with her art and Etsy store. Davy and Anna are great. The communicate well and the banter can be playful. The author shows Davy being the workaholic capable lawyer and lets her blossom in her role with her new found pretend family. Anna is supportive and trying to keep her emotions in check as she is loving sharing the load of parenthood. The side characters also get nods for elevating the book. Davy’s assistant with her gentle nudges, Anna’s understanding mom Pam and Tally the half sister who gets to be a teen with moods and emotions. This is a wonderful example of the different connections and meanings of family.

I am happy to recommend this low angst story. I feel connected and want the best HEA for Davy and Anna. I also enjoyed the epilogue that can be found on Nan Cambell's website. I am a huge fan of the author’s debut novel, The Rules of Forever, and I spent this snowy morning reading it again. I love that the books aren’t really connected but they do take place in the same “world”. Davy attends the same private boarding college prep school as the MCs from her other novel.

Thank you to NetGalley and Bold Strokes Books for an ARC and I’m leaving a voluntary review.

This book is a mix of several plots. None of them is neglected by Campbell whether it’s the second chance, the fauxmance or the slow burn (especially this one !). Add to this, layers of broken family, a cute child and you have The No Kiss Contract.
First part of the book starts with a broken and really tense relationship between Anna and Davy after a fall out in their teenage years. Anna is blinded by her own wounds and anger, keeping her from seeing how a life without love from a parent scarred Davy.
Then in the second part, the way the relationship between Davy and Anna shift from "benefiting from each other" to "wanting to put the other’s needs first" was really sweet and well written. I particularly appreciate Davy’s evolution, since she came from a really lonely place, where work is the only thing filling her life. Seeing her settling in her «fake but not so fake » family life with Anna while trying to build a relationship with her sister was really warming.Side characters add a lot to this book : Louis’s storyline, Pam’s thoughtfulness, Cupid/Halima’s lightness, Tally being her teenage self, sexist characters (whose names I didn’t bother remembering) showing how Davy has to work twice harder to get what she wants as a woman...
After an excrutiating slow burn, the ending was a huge lesbian cliche with a commitment that came at the speed of light 😆⚡. But that will give entire satisfaction to the hopeless romantic out there. I had a good time reading this book and would recommand it to any fauxmance lovers. Solid 4.5⭐
Don’t forget to go download for free the epilogue on Nan Cambell’s website.

Anna and Davy met while their parents were dating. They reconnect 15 years later through their sister. A misunderstanding leads to Davy asking Anna to be her fake fiancé to advance her career. Nan Campbell did an exception job with this slow burn, second romance allowing the reader to get to know the characters and their history.

Thank you NetGally and Bold Strokes Books for this ARC

When they were 17 Davy and Anna met and became friends during one summer. Although they vowed to meet up again circumstances changed and this did not happen. Anna blamed Davy. 15 years later circumstances have again changed and through their younger sister (the product of the father of Davy and mother of Anna) they start communicating again. Davy is hoping for a promotion with her firm and Anna and her son need somewhere to stay. Through a misunderstanding, Davy’s boss thinks they are getting married and indicates a steady family life is looked on favourably by the company. An idea is born. A second chance is possible. This story is of the growing love between Davy and Anna and Davy’s reconciliation with her young sister. Good reading. Keeps your attention. Shows Davy moving from being a work driven, lonely woman to a woman who has something and someone to go home for.
There is an epilogue available free after reading the book that shows Davy and Anna a year on.

The No Kiss Contract, by Nan Campbell, puts together a couple of fun tropes; fake dating and enemies-to-lovers and the result is fantastic.

Davy grew up forced to follow in her father’s footsteps, always feeling the burden of responsibility to please him, even if it goes against her own wants and desires. She is a career-driven lawyer, with no life outside of work. When she finally breaks free, and steps into her own path, her rekindling with Anna pushes her on a path she never knew she wanted.

Anna is happy and family-orientated, raising her son and helping her mother with her teenage half-sister Tally. When Davy (Tally’s other half-sister) insists on being a bigger part of Tally’s life, Anna can’t help but be worried that the woman will come and go as she pleases, messing with Tally’s emotions. At the same time, Anna’s own life is thrown into turmoil and the offer to move in with Davy as her fake fiancé seems like the only way to give her son the education she deserves.

Davy and Anna spent a summer together in their late teens and even though their relationship has soured since then, both women can’t deny the feelings that linger from those days.

The No Kiss Contract is a character-driven romance and I found myself drawn to both MCs for several reasons. Davy is confident and loyal, her determination sometimes becoming a barrier to her happiness. Anna shares similar traits, always ensuring the happiness of those around her and being quick to offer her help and support. The overall story is fast-paced, turning some common tropes into an original well-written romance not to be missed.

I thought this was pretty good. A different spin on a fake romance. This was a little bit more of a slow burn because there was prior history to go over but it felt as though this was handled in the right spot to allow space to watch the mains grow closer. But yeah, overall, a decent read with a happy ending. There wasn’t anything in particular that stood out to me though.

Davy and Anna have known each other since they were teenagers. Davy’s father and Anna’s mother had a baby together but the two went their separate ways.
Now years later they are about to spend more time together than they could have imagined. Anna has become Davy’s instant pretend fiancé in order for Davy to become a partner in her law firm. Anna comes with some baggage, a small son. how is Davy going to adjust to these stressful changes since she’s always lived alone?
How far can they take the PDA that goes along with being in love? Since Davy’s a lawyer a contract will set some rules.
Rules are made to be broken….
This is a well written story that will keep you interested and hoping they can become a family
Thank you #NetGally. #BoldStrokesBooks for this ARC

As the name implies, this is an unputdownable fake dating meets second chance romance. The premise is a bit out there but I picked it up because I loved Nan Campbell’s debut, and this delivered too. Her characters are so realistic. There are two kids of different ages and they’re both very realistic too. The banter is there, which is tough to do since she’s balancing real feelings with a fake relationship + found but also blood family. That’s an intricate web, but reading it isn’t complicated. It’s a smooth, beautifully told love story with great chemistry, and a wonderful example of what family can and should be. The end gets a bit syrupy, but it’s rounded out by a sweet epilogue, available free on the author’s website. The best part about Nan’s work, is her writing. There are fun facts sprinkled throughout, clever puns, and I especially love that she uses elevated language and themes, and trusts the reader to stick with it. I’m definitely along for the ride. Look for this one April 11. Highly recommend!

Short summary: Thrown together by their parents’ love affair, Anna and Davy become best friends for one summer until they’re separated for about 15 years, connected only by their half sister. A misunderstanding leads to Davy asking Anna to be her fake fiancée so she can get ahead at work. As they spend more time together a real attraction blossoms, but will either of them be brave enough to admit it?

Thanks to Bold Strokes Books and Netgalley. ARC provided in exchange for an honest review.