I'm confused with this one because it made me laugh throughout. *Chef kiss* humour. I liked Riggs, though he isn't my usual type, his development was a gebuinely good read. .

I didn't like Duffy at all, even as her supposed inner traumatised commoner came out. I just couldn't connect to her or her story. The bones were there, but it didn't click for me.

I also felt like Riggs and Duffy didn't connect emotionally. Their emotional relationship just seemed to come from no where, or at least without significant foundation. I can't put my finger on it but it felt shallow. Or forced.

I can definitely see why this book has so many high rates, but for me, it missed the emotional mark (in terms of Duffy and Riggs) but hit the humour marks.

This is the series that introduced me to L.J Shen and I am forever grateful. This ending was perfect, only Riggs would be forced to get “fake” married to get out of something he didn’t want to do. Both Riggs and Daphne had some serious character issues at the beginning, throughout the book they helped each other. I think this was one had the most humor from all three books, Arsene and Christian brought in some dry laughs and Riggs and Daphne’s first couple of encounters were very insulting but not in a harmful tone.

“Never have I wanted to kiss a mouth and shut it up so equally.”

Thank you NetGalley for the free ARC of this book.

Spice rating: 🌶️ (a couple brief scenes, mostly fade to black)

Daphne “Duffy” is a British woman working in America. She is in desperate need of a visa to stay so makes a deal with Riggs, a billionaire posing as a poor man who wants to get out of going to Alaska for work. They have lots of witty banter in the beginning, which is the only redeeming quality of this book honestly. I didn’t really feel much chemistry between them at all and I didn’t find them likeable.

There were lots of things that didn’t seem to make sense. This guy is a billionaire and yet he doesn’t have a place to live? I realise he doesn’t see the point when he travels so much, but wtf? Why doesn’t he just leave his job so he doesn’t have to go to Alaska instead of marrying a woman he can’t stand? He’s a freaking billionaire - he can afford to travel the world and take the all the photographs he wants. Also, some of the things he said to her were massive 🚩🚩

I realise that LJ Shen is not British, but I couldn’t stand her attempt at writing an English person. It’s like she looked up a list of words and expressions that Brits use and needed to insert every single one - even ones that it makes no sense that she would say like “eejit.” Then Duffy still uses American words like “recess.” It’s incredibly inconsistent.

I honestly thought I was going to really like this book in the beginning. I thought their clever banter was great! Then it all went downhill and didn’t redeem itself in any way.

LOVED THIS BOOK! Fun, sweet, endearing, surprisingly heart breaking, spicy romance with a happily ever after.
I was horrified to think the cad introduced to us in the first chapter would be the main male lead. That I ended up rooting for him was a testament to the author's writing skills. There were a few soap opera worthy situations that I would normally roll my eyes at, but they were so well written and I was so invested in these characters that I ate them up. I look forward to reading more from this author!

Thanks so much to Montlake, NetGalley and LJ Shen for the eARC, all opinions expressed are my own.

I have mixed feelings about this and it generally not positive. Firstly Duffys backstory about why she’s currently a gold digger is just not strong enough and she comes across as an unlikeable character. The fact that she comes from London was so poorly portrayed and I cringed my way through her dialogue and references (as a native Londoner).

Secondly Riggs is a man child whose dialogue was so shocking, he said so many things that were out of pocket and I found it hard to believe he’s meant to be 37. Their relationship development didn’t seem believable and his background is briefly touched on but barely explored.

A miss from me.

Thank you to Netgalley and publisher for the ARC copy of this book!

If you are looking for billionaire, marriage of convenience, and lots messy situations? This work by L.J. Shen is for you!

Duffy is working on getting her green card for work and Riggs was fooling around with Duffy’s boss. Assuming that he was poor (which he is far from), she takes the advantage of marrying him for her benefit (and maybe a smidge of black mail). Riggs agrees for his own agenda to not be sent to Alaska for family business.

Reading their story, and how they grow and fall for one another. Especially through the hardships that Riggs finds out (no spoilers. Read to find out) that will affect him for the rest of his life. And Duffy fully letting go who she thought she was destined to be with.

Definitely worth the read!

Thank you to NetGalley and Montlake for an eARC of this book in exchange for an honest review. All thoughts are my own.

Daphne "Duffy" Markham wants two things in life: to marry well and to stay in the United States. Unfortunately for her, her well off boyfriend decides to take off to Katmandu to "find himself" for six months before he is ready to settle down. Daphne's work visa is going to expire in two weeks, and she is desperate to find someone to marry for her green card. Luckily for her, she finds her married boss in a compromising position with a very handsome and charming stranger.

Riggs Bates is a secret billionaire who loves to travel and sleep with lots of women. He has no desire to settle down or stay in one city for longer than a couple of weeks. His boss, Emmett, wants to send him on a photography assignment to Alaska, a place Riggs is determined to never visit. He's the only person in the office who isn't tied town and can be sent anywhere on a whim for several weeks, until Riggs realizes that marrying Daphne will get his boss off his back.

At first, the two cannot stand one another and set ground rules for living together while they wait for Daphne's marriage to help her get her green card and new work visa. After spending more and more time together, will the two be able to keep their marriage fake so that they can each get what they want out of this arrangement?

This book made me laugh out loud but also had me in tears. I read this book in two sittings because I found myself so emotionally invested in what would happen with Daphne and Riggs. Both main characters had some emotional baggage to sort through and watching them grow was very inspiring. If you love witty banter, a slow burn, enemies to lovers, marriage of convenience and found family, this book is for you!

I couldn't put it down. I was enthralled with the story. The characters were well-written. The story was good! It kept me interested from the beginning till the very end of this intriuging story.

This was actually a nice surprise and i’m quite shocked that i liked it considering i wasn’t s big fan of the characters in the previous books. I think LJ Shen really nailed the tropes here and it made the reading experience way better. It was a fast paced entertaining read that I one hundred per cent recommend to those who love the authors style.

This book made me laugh, mad and ball my eyes out. I would say the beginning was a bit slow but worth it for the end!

5/5 ⭐️

L.J. Shen did an impeccable job with this whirlwind of a rollercoaster— My hands were in the air and I was screaming the whole time. I love a marriage of convenience trope, and Cold Hearted Casanova definitely delivered! 

Our two main characters matched each other’s personality quip for quip. Duffy and Riggs were so refreshing and it was an absolute joy to watch them slowly fall for each other. It was the subtle things y’all… While reading their dual POVs, it was the little acts of service you could make out before either of them realized they were doing it. The heart knows. 

This is one of those stories where you’re hesitant about both of the main characters at first— Their flaws are essentially thrust right in your face and it can be hard to understand or connect with who they are. But once you get to know them and learn their stories, you fall fast. And hard. (That one was for you Riggs) 

The writing was amazing. The story was amazing. The characters. The twists. The lessons. The banter. I loved it all so much! I also loved how Duffy ego-checked the F out of Riggs LOL. 

I haven’t read the previous 2 books in the series, but will absolutely be checking them out in the future. However, this book can definitely be read as a standalone.

* Thank you to the publisher and Net Galley for the opportunity to read this ARC. This is my unbiased opinion and is given with free will. *

This book was probably LJ’s best work!

The banter was awesome, it made the book go by super quick. I read it in one sitting because it was so good. It’s a romance that I would definitely read again. Some of her previous works felt more rushed, but this work was done really well.

Everything in the story made sense- the flaws of the main character were understandable, the plot didn’t have holes in it. The writing was really-well done!

Even the miscommunication that happens, the main characters act like adults about the whole situation, which is much preferred. This book was a wonderful read!

Pub Date 09 Apr 2024 - ⭐⭐⭐⭐/5

TROPES :
✨Fake Marriage
✨Enemies To Lovers
✨Forced Proximity
✨Secret Billionaire
✨Opposites Attract

Atlast we have a book for our stunning RIGGS BATES, let me tell you I didn't like him in the first two books but unexpectedly he did great in this book and I think he is my current book boyfriend. His humour and badass self didn't disappoint me a bit. I loved each and every part of his character. I loved how Shen developed his character in this book. Giving his past and understanding what he has been through really made me fall for him.

Coming to Daphne Markham AKA Duffy AKA Poppins.
My feminist self hated her at first but once I got to know her I felt sorry for her. Poor thing just wanted a secure life for her. Also, if someone is going to call her a gold digger I'm going to whoop their ass. She is a sweetheart and deserves all the love.

Overall I wanted to know both of them a bit more. I felt like the book ended too soon, taking me out of the fictional world too soon. I loved their chemistry and did cry during the last chapters but at the end I got the ending I wanted. So, yeah I’m happy.

The humour in this book was worth every bit. The book did make me laugh. I was giggling at 4 AM holding my kindle 😆 but unfortunately I didn't get those heart skip dialogues or quotes which made me a bit disappointed. In the end, it's a good read. You will get to know a lot about Riggs and his past and the suspense at the end will make you go crazy. So, do give it a read.

Cold-hearted Casanova.. ah where do I start?
□ Enemy's to lovers? Check.
□ Awesome characters? Check.
□ A voluptuous story? Check.

This is the first time I have read anything by LJ Shen and I must say that I will definitely be adding her to my list of New Author's to follow.

Her characters are real, the story light with their constant banter but complex with the twists and turns that pop its lovely head up here and there.

The story encompasses Riggs, who is a free spirited, spontaneous Billionaire and Daphne, an English rose, who moves to the US in hopes of marrying rich.
There's definitely a slow burn with them going from enemies to lovers and I especially liked that the Author did not rush it. I also particularly liked that there was alot of unhurried character development with Daphne.

Without giving too much away, the writing style was great and it kept me engrossed enough to want to know what happens next. The characters believable. And a few twists and turns to keep you guessing.

All in all, a solid 3.75 stars.

Thank you to the publisher and Netgalley for approving this request. All opinions expressed are my own.

𝘊𝘰𝘭𝘥 𝘏𝘦𝘢𝘳𝘵𝘦𝘥 𝘊𝘢𝘴𝘢𝘯𝘰𝘷𝘢 follows Riggs and Daphne in an arranged engagement which is starting to feel a little too real for a guy who's never not with a girl by his side.

- ~ -

Hell yeah, it's Riggs's time.
And man did he rule - this book and his bedroom.

I'm so in love with Shen's writing. It's an intimate expanse of any character she ever writes and perfect for the pace of plot.

I know I'm not spoiling the storyline but I believe it's best to go into it blind, same as with most of the author's other works, and we already did have some insights into Riggs's life from the other books so it all worked well.

- ~ -

3.97 / 5✩

𝘛𝘩𝘢𝘯𝘬𝘴 𝘵𝘰 𝘔𝘰𝘯𝘵𝘭𝘢𝘬𝘦 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘕𝘦𝘵𝘨𝘢𝘭𝘭𝘦𝘺. 𝘈𝘭𝘭 𝘵𝘩𝘰𝘶𝘨𝘩𝘵𝘴 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘰𝘱𝘪𝘯𝘪𝘰𝘯𝘴 𝘢𝘳𝘦 𝘮𝘺 𝘰𝘸𝘯.