This was such a cute book! Fast paced and easy to read. Loved the characters and their quirks, especially granny - she was a hoot! The story was perhaps a bit predictable, and it took a few chapters to feel the chemistry between the lead characters, but once it got going… yowza! That hot tub scene! 🔥 There were a few grammatical errors but not enough to detract from the story. I will read this author again!

This book was so much fun and I couldn’t stop reading it. Can’t wait for more books by this author- she knows what she’s doing. Aspen is amazing friend and daughter, so fun, strong, smart and (most of the time) confident. Luke is typical nerd, a bit shy at the beginning, but the more you read the more you learn that Luke is sexy, confident and that maybe the mug tells the truth after all. I really enjoyed the story, how everything developed and I absolutely loved Luke’s family - how they welcomed Aspen in their family with open arms and didn’t even know how much she needed that. After seeing the real Luke and what she could have with him, she needed to overcome her fear of a long term relationship because Luke doesn’t do casual. I truly loved every side character but Granny Mae is truly special. Her “tree advice” really touched me and I’m so happy that Aspen heard those words cause I think that was the moment she started seeing some things differently. This book was easy and fun to read and I was so happy that they figured everything out and that some things didn’t stop them to get their HEA.

This is Shannon Paige's first book and OMG I can't wait for more books!! She wrote such a beautiful book! This was so much fun and I didn't want it to end. You will fall in love with all the characters. This was a wonderful Friends to Lovers book. I HIGHLY recommend this book!


Thank you NetGalley and BooksGoSocial for allowing me to read this ARC in advance for my honest opinion.

I want to thank NetGalley for this Arc in exchange for my honest review as well as the author for this free copy.

This book has left me utterly captivated! Right from the opening pages, I found myself enthralled. The characters quickly won my heart, and I relished exploring the story from each main character's perspective. It beautifully captures the enchanting transition from coworkers to lovers, evoking the warm, festive atmosphere of a Christmas hallmark movie. The pacing was spot on, allowing each moment with the characters to unfold naturally. I'm eagerly anticipating diving into more of this author's work.

It's the holidays, and Aspen has found herself without anywhere to go. So when her co-worker Luke asks if she'd be willing to be his fake date to his sister's wedding, Aspen agrees. What Aspen doesn't realize is that Luke has been pining for her for years. And she never expects her closely guarded heart could fall so hard for the man who has been right in front of her for so long.

I LOVED this book SO MUCH. Luke is the PERFECT cinnamon roll hero. I mean PERFECT. There are multiple references to Jim and Pam from "The Office," and that's so true! Except Aspen is an edgier version of Pam with a more troubled backstory. She's used to being left behind, and finds it difficult to make space in her heart for Luke. But the week they spend together at Luke's family's ranch in Utah, which is such a beautiful setting, by the way, erodes Aspen's walls. I adored this couple, and seeing them fall in love was SO BEAUTIFUL. The love scenes were EVERYTHING. Spicy and emotional and just plain GORGEOUS.

This book is deep, too. Themes are explored such as what it means to be a family, how to support and love someone, and how to allow oneself to be loved in return. Aspen has a birthmark on her face that Luke finds beautiful, and, more than that, Aspen learns to love herself, flaws and all. And that's another beautiful topic covered in detail: how humans are flawed but worthy of love. This story delivers on romance, tension, emotion, and gives the reader something to think about long after reading the final pages. I cannot wait to read more by this author!!

Trigger warnings: alcoholism, drug addition, abandonment by a parent, sexual assault (off page), cheating (off page)

I'd like to thank BooksGoSocial and Netgalley for the eARC of this book. All opinions expressed are my own.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ 5 stars
🌶️ 1.5


Thank you so much to Netgalley, Good Guys Books LLC, and Shannon Paige for an ARC copy of Life Is Better With You in exchange for my honest review.

I am obsessed with this cozy holiday romance. It’s so warm and inviting, you just want to curl up by the fire with some apple cider or hot chocolate. Please be mindful that there are some serious topics discussed like substance abuse, domestic abuse, SA (off page groping), and resulting family impact. There’s a lot of vulnerability, self discovery, and healing as well.

We have Aspen and Luke who are coworkers turned friends that fall into a fake relationship (perfect timing for Aspen as she needs a place to stay while her place is not liveable) for a holiday wedding to save Luke from an ex-girlfriend and efforts to have them reconcile.

Shannon Paige does just a beautiful job weaving together Aspen and Luke’s interconnected dual POV. I fell for their love story faster than Luke falls for Aspen. Trope wise, we have a dash to found family, he falls first (*swoon*) fake dating, coworkers-to-friends-to-lovers, a lil forced proximity, one bed, and a slow-burn that’s well worth the wait. What else can you ask for?!

The chemistry and sexual tension between Aspen and Luke was incredible. I loved how Luke held space for Aspen to work through her commitment concerns, encouraged her to love herself in moments of self doubt, and was just overall so supportive. I loved the nod to non-traditional beauty standards and imperfect characters. Not only do you get to know Aspen (a spunky, alternative, soulful, woman in STEM) and Luke (a lumberjack-esque cinnamon roll, gamer with a heart of gold who *gasp* communicates), but their circle. I love Granny Mae so much, she is a spit fire who seems to see right into everyone’s soul (her advice is so heartfelt and I felt it in my soul). The reference to Aspen trees’ resilience, root people vs branch people - hit me right in the heart. I want to part of the Simmons family so badly! There’s so much depth built into these characters which means that they feel so relatable. I cannot wait to read more about these characters!!

Shannon’s way of writing that is descriptive in a way that I felt like was watching a movie as I was reading. I could totally visualize this little world and I got sucked in. I can’t wait to read more of Shannon’s work.

I loved this book. Luke was such a good man, he loved her so much and even though he first thought he would forget her, when it came down to it, he couldn't. He was there for her, once he was all in, he didn't give up, not even once. He knew her heart, he knew her soul, he loved her and that was that. Aspen had been abandoned more than once and didn't faith in anyone to have a long term relationship. Even though she tried to fight her feelings, there was no use, the heart wants what the heart wants. She had her guard up but Luke brought it down sucessfully. They wanted each other and they fought for it, fought to be together

Life is Better with You is a cozy story with depth and all of my favorite tropes. Listen guys, there is fake relationship, friends-to-lovers, one bed, ONE FREAKING CHAIR, found family, and LUMBERJACK GAMER TECH NERD (ok, I made that one up…)

The burn was deliciously slow and the sizzly moments made the wait worth it.
Absolutely 5 STARS and I can’t wait for more from Shannon Paige.

WHAT I LOVED MOST:
Let me repeat. LUMBERJACK GAMER TECH NERD. How hot is a guy who can chop wood and also games with his friends at night and has a flashy rainbow keyboard. New book boyfriend for sure.
The Simmons Family. Shannon Paige created such a diverse and loving group of people. The brotherly dynamic was adorable and playfulness between each coupling was sweet.
GRANNY mf’in MAE! We all know that grandma’s make the best characters! Granny Mae was sassy, quirky and she honed right in on Aspen. Honestly she reminded me of my grandmother-in-law and it squished my heart.
The Friend Group. I can’t wait to read about Charlie, Lina, and Annabelle.
Selfish Aspen, Horny Aspen, and Regular Aspen

MY FAVORITE QUOTES:
“All that’s left is this undeniable sense in my mind that there were lines. Once. There used to be very solid lines that every press of his hands, every movement of his lips, has swept aside.”
“It’s okay if your parents are leaves or branches. They don’t have to be roots. You will survive. Other roots will come along, intertwine with yours, and strengthen you.”
“But seriously, f^ck Brittany.”

There’s so much to love and hold onto from this book. I will definitely be reading the next one. I don’t want to leave this little world that Shannon Paige has created.

Thank you to Netgalley and Shannon Paige for the ARC. This is my honest review.

🎄Friends to Lovers
🎄Fake Dating
🎄Forced Proximity
🎄He Falls First

Life Is Better With You was such a fun read and I didn’t want it to end. This was my first book by this author and I’m looking forward to reading more by them. Aspen and Luke are coworkers and friends. When Luke asks Aspen to be his fake date to his sister’s wedding she doesn’t hesitate to say yes. She has closed her heart to love so nothing will happen between them, right? Little does Aspen know but Luke has had feelings for her for a while. He knows that she doesn’t feel the same so when he is offered a job opportunity he takes it…he just has to break the news to Aspen.

I loved the friendship between Luke and Aspen. There is angst, steam and fun shenanigans with some holiday mixed in. This was a story about learning to love yourself and letting others in to love you too. There are some tough subjects revealed and discussed so please check the trigger warnings. Overall, I really enjoyed this book and can’t wait for more of these characters!

"Life is Better with You" - A Heartwarming Holiday Romance That's a Total Sleigh Ride! Sorry for the cheesy pun 😂 (Xmas/wedding themes)

This book is like the coziest of Christmas sweaters – warm, charming, and guaranteed to bring a smile to your face. Aspen and Luke's office shenanigans turn into a fake romance that had me laughing and swooning simultaneously.

Luke, our leading man, is a lovable cinnamon roll hero who's been pining for his wonderful co-worker Aspen for ages. She's an edgier version of the girl-next-door, with her own set of troubles and a heart that's been tightly guarded.

When Luke invites Aspen to his family's ranch in Utah for a fake wedding date, sparks fly, walls crumble, and the love scenes are hotter than a yule log. These two have the kind of chemistry that can warm up even the chilliest winter night.

This book also deals with some pretty deep & hard themes so definitely check your TW. I thought the author handled with care but some may have found more content warnings helpful.

Overall, "Life is Better with You" delivers a sleighful of festive cheer, swoon-worthy moments, and lessons about the true meaning of family and love. This book's a winter win, and I can't wait to see what this author serves up next. ❤️📚

I loved this book! My heart was so full, I’m so glad she was able to spend time with his family to realize that she does deserve love and she can be happy with someone.

I love a good friends to lovers book but I think there was a missed opportunity. We find out later in the book that these two didn't actually meet at work. They meet via a accidental pen pal situation. It would have been much more interesting to have that element explored rather than coming in the middle. OR if that element had been left out, I would have been more interested in the longing element from Luke.

Aspen Shaw has commitment issues, so she stays away from serious relationships. Luke Simmons is her best friend at the office. So when he asks if she'll be his fake date for a holiday wedding, she goes along with the idea. There's no way anything will happen between them. (Only Luke has been pining for her since he met her, for her beauty, her adorable birthmark, and her intelligence.) When they get stuck sharing a bed, he's not sure he can be this close to her without revealing his true feelings for her!

I love Aspen, and Luke is the perfect book boyfriend. Their relationship was delightful to read. It was so much fun getting to know both of them. Very well-written characters. I love how Luke helps Aspen learn to accept herself.

There are a lot of side characters in this one that I'd love to read more about. I can't wait until the other books in the series come out. Fun and heartwarming with the perfect amount of spice. If you like friends-to-lovers and the fake dating trope, pick this one up. You won't be disappointed!

Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for the advanced digital reader's copy (ARC) in exchange for an honest review!

Cute fun read. I really enjoyed the fake dating trope in this book! I loved that the FMC and the MMC. This was a fun easy romance read to have over the weekend. It has spice, HEA and a golden retriever MMC. 10/10

A big thank you to NetGalley and BooksGoSocial for the eARC. I am voluntarily reviewing this book. This is a friends to lovers romance. I could not seem to connect at all with the characters. Luke and Aspen seemed like nice people but I just couldn't seem to care. It is a cute book. I just couldn't seem to relate. 3 stars I am sure that many others will enjoy.

Friends to lovers is always one of my favorite tropes, so I started out already having high hopes for this book. I really loved how Luke didn't hold his unrequited feelings against Aspen, which sometimes happens in friends to lovers and gives me icky vibes. This book didn't do that, though, and Luke was always able to maintain a good and loyal friend to Aspen, which I loved. The spicy scenes in this book were some of the best I have read. I loved how the author focused on the emotions and intimacy in those moments, which made it feel like the spicy scenes were there to help move the plot and characters forward instead of just checking a box. It made me really see the depth of their relationship and feelings for each other. I would definitely recommend this book and read more reviews from this author!

Luke and Aspen have my entire heart! I love a good friends-to-lovers book without over-the-top drama. This is perfect weekend holiday read. Sweet and wholesome! The spicy scenes weren’t overdone and it had the right balance of plot to steam!

Oh my heart! I just fell in love with Luke. He knew he had feelings for Aspen and kept quiet for two years. He was so patient waiting in the wings hoping their relationship would cross over from just friends. Aspen’s life has been full of let downs and had a brick wall up. I loved that she wasn’t a flawless main character and over time she came to love herself. Overhearing a conversation spurred her into looking at Luke in a different light. I loved his family that made her see what she had been missing her whole life. This was right up my alley. Friends to lovers, one bed and a sharp to the point granny! Definitely worth the read! A big thanks to NetGalley for approving me for this ARC. A five star love story in my opinion!

This was such a sweet holiday romance! Paige mixed some classic tropes (fake dating! One bed) with unique characters with real interests, characteristics, and jobs. Loved the diversity as well, and the varying POVs were great.

Thank you to BooksGoSocial and NetGalley for this ARC.

Spoiler:

LOL that the characters thought Salt Lake City and San Jose were sooo far apart.

What a sweet, beautiful story! I was drawn in from the very first page, invested in Luke and Aspen and seeing their relationship unfold. I really enjoyed the premise (got to love friends-to-lovers, fake relationship, and one bed tropes) and appreciated the characters' depth, growth and healing throughout the story. Thank goodness for Granny and her wisdom - especially the message of the Aspen tree! Looking forward to reading the author's next work!

Thank you to BooksGoSocial and NetGalley for the digital arc in exchange for my honest review.