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caseroo7's review against another edition
4.0
Review originally posted at Ramblings From This Chick
Fiance by Fate is the first book that I have read by Jennifer Shirk, but it definitely won't be my last. This book was a short and sweet read, and I really enjoyed reading it. I wasn't sure how much I was going to like this book not knowing the author and it being a trope that has been done many times before. But I thought that Jennifer Shirk did a really great job making this story unique and different. This was one of those books that I was able to just sit back and relax, and it was a great escape for a few hours.
Sabrina Cassidy believes in fate and signs. When her fiance decides they need a break, she believes that it is only temporary because there are too many signs that says they are fated to be together. While waiting for him to figure things out, she throws herself to work and everything is going fine until the owner's entitled son decides to move back home and ends up becoming her partner. Jack is looking to get a promotion but his womanizing reputation has made the board question whether or not he is ready for the job. Having heard about Sabrina's break-up he comes up with the perfect plan. She will pose as his girlfriend which will both make the board realize that he is capable of settling down and will help make her fiance jealous enough to realize what he is missing out on. At first Sabrina is reluctant, but soon she agrees after seeing her fiance out with another woman. Before long though, both Jack and Sabrina are starting to feel very real feelings that are anything but fake. Will Jack be able to leave behind his commitment phobic ways and settle down, and will Sabrina realize that maybe she misread all the signs when it comes to who she belongs with?
I liked Jack a lot. He was really honest and was always up-front about everything even if it wasn't what Sabrina wanted to hear. He also had a fun and playful side to him and was able to get her to loosen up. He was smart and dedicated to his job, and was more than just the playboy that he seems at first glance. I really admired that he might not have been the greatest bet for a boyfriend when we first met him, but he was determined to show Sabrina that she deserved more than her fiance. He always thought that she was better than that, and even if he wasn't right for her he was going to get her to see that she deserved more in her life. I also really loved that he never took credit for her ideas, even when it would have greatly benefited him. Sabrina took a little bit of time for me to warm up to. At first she was really judgmental and she was also really naive and blind when it came to her relationship with David her fiance. She didn't seem to realize that he was a jerk for stringing her along like he was and she believed every excuse that he gave her. But once she started getting to really know Jack, she not only came out of her shell but also started to realize that maybe her relationship with David wasn't as perfect as she had thought that it was. I really liked who she became when she was with Jack, and I thought that they were really good together. They made a great team when it came to work, but they were also a really great couple as well. They had a lot of chemistry and it was clear that they both were really attracted to each other.
Being a bliss book, this one was sweet and cute but didn't have much in the way of the physical aspects of their relationship. I think it could have used a little more of that side of their relationship, but it didn't change how real and believable their connection was. I just personally would have liked a little more of that side of them. I really enjoyed the wit and banter between the two of them, and I thought that they were really fun. These two kept me laughing and grinning throughout, and I was left feeling happy and satisfied after finishing this book. I would recommend this book to anyone looking for a sweet and light romance read. This book is clean and has mild cussing and little sexual content, but will appeal to all romance fans because of the connection and chemistry between Jack and Sabrina. I look forward to reading more from Jennifer Shirk in the future.
**ARC provided by Publisher**
Fiance by Fate is the first book that I have read by Jennifer Shirk, but it definitely won't be my last. This book was a short and sweet read, and I really enjoyed reading it. I wasn't sure how much I was going to like this book not knowing the author and it being a trope that has been done many times before. But I thought that Jennifer Shirk did a really great job making this story unique and different. This was one of those books that I was able to just sit back and relax, and it was a great escape for a few hours.
Sabrina Cassidy believes in fate and signs. When her fiance decides they need a break, she believes that it is only temporary because there are too many signs that says they are fated to be together. While waiting for him to figure things out, she throws herself to work and everything is going fine until the owner's entitled son decides to move back home and ends up becoming her partner. Jack is looking to get a promotion but his womanizing reputation has made the board question whether or not he is ready for the job. Having heard about Sabrina's break-up he comes up with the perfect plan. She will pose as his girlfriend which will both make the board realize that he is capable of settling down and will help make her fiance jealous enough to realize what he is missing out on. At first Sabrina is reluctant, but soon she agrees after seeing her fiance out with another woman. Before long though, both Jack and Sabrina are starting to feel very real feelings that are anything but fake. Will Jack be able to leave behind his commitment phobic ways and settle down, and will Sabrina realize that maybe she misread all the signs when it comes to who she belongs with?
I liked Jack a lot. He was really honest and was always up-front about everything even if it wasn't what Sabrina wanted to hear. He also had a fun and playful side to him and was able to get her to loosen up. He was smart and dedicated to his job, and was more than just the playboy that he seems at first glance. I really admired that he might not have been the greatest bet for a boyfriend when we first met him, but he was determined to show Sabrina that she deserved more than her fiance. He always thought that she was better than that, and even if he wasn't right for her he was going to get her to see that she deserved more in her life. I also really loved that he never took credit for her ideas, even when it would have greatly benefited him. Sabrina took a little bit of time for me to warm up to. At first she was really judgmental and she was also really naive and blind when it came to her relationship with David her fiance. She didn't seem to realize that he was a jerk for stringing her along like he was and she believed every excuse that he gave her. But once she started getting to really know Jack, she not only came out of her shell but also started to realize that maybe her relationship with David wasn't as perfect as she had thought that it was. I really liked who she became when she was with Jack, and I thought that they were really good together. They made a great team when it came to work, but they were also a really great couple as well. They had a lot of chemistry and it was clear that they both were really attracted to each other.
Being a bliss book, this one was sweet and cute but didn't have much in the way of the physical aspects of their relationship. I think it could have used a little more of that side of their relationship, but it didn't change how real and believable their connection was. I just personally would have liked a little more of that side of them. I really enjoyed the wit and banter between the two of them, and I thought that they were really fun. These two kept me laughing and grinning throughout, and I was left feeling happy and satisfied after finishing this book. I would recommend this book to anyone looking for a sweet and light romance read. This book is clean and has mild cussing and little sexual content, but will appeal to all romance fans because of the connection and chemistry between Jack and Sabrina. I look forward to reading more from Jennifer Shirk in the future.
**ARC provided by Publisher**
mimireadsromance's review against another edition
4.0
Jack Brenner is a man on a mission. He's hoping to take over his father's company. Unfortunately, his playboy ways are preventing that from happening. His father wants to see him settle down, leading a more balanced home/work life. Enter Sabrina Cassidy. They have a contentious work relationship, but when her fiance calls off their engagement, Jack starts to formulate a plan. Jack will help her win her fiance back, but it means she'll have to fake a relationship with him. His hope is that the fake relationship will prove to the board that he's settled down.
From the beginning, Jack & Sabrina's chemistry was on fire. Their interactions were entertaining! Quick-witted banter & heartfelt confessions about their past, and their hopes for the future, made for a fantastic story. I especially loved Jack's nicknames for David, Sabrina's jerk of an ex-fiance. They were always perfectly timed & left me laughing out loud.
One of my favorite passages from the book (when Jack is beginning to acknowledge his true feelings):
"There was no describing the way his mood lifted when he saw her. Sabrina had the weirdest effect on him, provoking rushes of protectiveness and tenderness and...something else he wasn't entirely sure he liked."
I was provided a copy of this book, by the publisher, in exchange for my honest opinion.
From the beginning, Jack & Sabrina's chemistry was on fire. Their interactions were entertaining! Quick-witted banter & heartfelt confessions about their past, and their hopes for the future, made for a fantastic story. I especially loved Jack's nicknames for David, Sabrina's jerk of an ex-fiance. They were always perfectly timed & left me laughing out loud.
One of my favorite passages from the book (when Jack is beginning to acknowledge his true feelings):
"There was no describing the way his mood lifted when he saw her. Sabrina had the weirdest effect on him, provoking rushes of protectiveness and tenderness and...something else he wasn't entirely sure he liked."
I was provided a copy of this book, by the publisher, in exchange for my honest opinion.
jscarpa14's review against another edition
3.0
I normally like the fake relationships turned real plot, but this one really wasn't for me. First I didn't really care for the characters, well at least I didn't really care for Sabrina. She's really overly emotional and the most irritating part about it was how she was constantly claiming that she wasn't emotional and that she kept her feelings inside. It's like those people that claim they're loners but can't stand to be alone. They just say that because they're trying to hide just how much they hate being alone. Despite what she says her actions say that she's a character that wears her heart on her sleeve and cries at the drop of a hat. She's not someone who I'd describe as a strong character at all which seriously bugged me because I don't like weak heroines. On top of that this is a woman who's supposed to be in her 30s but is basing her decisions on her horoscope and fortune tellers? I don't see how someone who's such a flake could hold down a job in finances. I read the whole thing but I don't think I started to like her at any point in the book.
On top of this I couldn't really see them falling in love, it was just like they weren't and all of a sudden they were. Their hatred for each other disappears at the drop of a hat and this guy took her promotion because he's the bosses son even though she was more qualified for the job from the way it sounds but she's totally okay with that?! Who would be okay with that in real life? I for one can't think of a single person that would be okay with losing out on a promotion they deserved due to nepotism and possibly sexism considering all the senior salesman characters in this story are men and all the junior ones are women.
No offense to the people who liked this novel, but it was just not my cup of tea.
On top of this I couldn't really see them falling in love, it was just like they weren't and all of a sudden they were. Their hatred for each other disappears at the drop of a hat and this guy took her promotion because he's the bosses son even though she was more qualified for the job from the way it sounds but she's totally okay with that?! Who would be okay with that in real life? I for one can't think of a single person that would be okay with losing out on a promotion they deserved due to nepotism and possibly sexism considering all the senior salesman characters in this story are men and all the junior ones are women.
No offense to the people who liked this novel, but it was just not my cup of tea.
bookgurl488's review against another edition
emotional
funny
lighthearted
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
weecha22's review
5.0
This is a really fun enemies to lovers/ fake relationship story. The banter is great.
writergirl70's review
5.0
Jennifer Shirk has a way of writing characters that you can't help loving and rooting for and this book is no exception. I want to be friends with Sabrina-she is quirky and adorable and trying so hard to figure it all out-you just can't help but root for her and want her to get the best out of her life. A fantastic read from start to finish-as always you will never go wrong reading one of Shirk's sweet books! Well done!
writergirl70's review against another edition
5.0
Jennifer Shirk has a way of writing characters that you can't help loving and rooting for and this book is no exception. I want to be friends with Sabrina-she is quirky and adorable and trying so hard to figure it all out-you just can't help but root for her and want her to get the best out of her life. A fantastic read from start to finish-as always you will never go wrong reading one of Shirk's sweet books! Well done!