Falling for Her Fiance by Cindi Madsen (Accidentally in Love #1)

Danielle and Wes have been best friends since college, so when Wes needs a date for his sister’s wedding and Dani needs a partner for her company’s retreat, they devise the perfect plan: a fake engagement to get through both events unscathed. Adrenaline-junkie Wes can prove to both his ex and his family that he’s well and truly moved on, and serious-minded Dani can prove to her boss that she’s worthy of the promotion he seems to only want to give to a family-oriented employee. But amid the fake swoons, fake kisses, and forced proximity, neither expects the very real feelings that develop. There’s nothing more dangerous than falling for your best friend…but what if the landing is worth the fall?

Source: received from Entangled Publishing for review purposes

Characters:

Dani is living and working in Arkansas after moving there with her boyfriend, who subsequently dumps her and leaves her there alone with no family or friends.  She’s working for a marketing agency, though she graduated in History, and she is hoping for a promotion in order to help her mother pay for her grandmother’s medical bills.  Danielle thinks that if she had a husband or even a steady boyfriend, she would be more likely to get the promotion because the idiot she works under is married and that could be the only reason he was promoted over her.

Wes is living his dream of being a helicopter pilot, but his sister’s wedding is coming up and his ex-fiance  will be a bridesmaid. He’s tired of everyone giving him pitying looks because they don’t believe that he’s over her dumping him. Wes’ ex didn’t like his relationship with Dani, his best friend since college, the same way that Dani’s ex didn’t like Wes. But their friendship has withstood their exes because it’s so strong.

Conflict:

The conflict is that neither of them want to mess up their friendship, which is the most important thing in their lives. Add to that the fact that Wes attempted something early in their relationship when they were both drunk and there was no chemistry. Now they both feel an undeniable attraction, but are unwilling to act on it, so they  take every opportunity they have acting as fiances to touch, kiss, and be close to one another, both convinced the other cannot feel the same way.

Overall Thoughts:

I love a good “friends to lovers” story and this one did not disappoint, though there wasn’t any sexing. Both Dani & Wes were funny and smart and their chemistry was undeniable, but they were both very stubborn.  I enjoyed seeing both sides of the story and all the obstacles in their way, but at the same time, it wasn’t particularly earth shattering.  This story has definitely been told before, but I liked it and would read more by this author. It’s a great pick for a quick, light read that has a happy ending. And sometimes, that is exactly what you need.

Pecans: 3.5/5