5 SMOOCHES!
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SYNOPSIS:
How did you two meet?
The quintessential question asked to every couple. And the answer is usually some bubbly, lovey dovey tale of being struck in the bum by Cupid’s arrow.
My meet cute (well not so meet cute) is slightly different. I was trolling a wealthy neighborhood in Beverly Hills, searching for someone to take me as their bride, you know, to make my arch nemesis jealous who consequently just fired me.
He was stomping around the block like some sort of gorgeous ogre, mumbling about a business deal gone wrong and attempting to finagle his way out of it.
And that’s when we bumped into each other.
There were no sparks.
Not even a hint of blossoming love.
But next thing I knew, I was scarfing down free chips and guac, listening to this man lay out all of his problems which led to his big ask . . . he wanted me to be his Vivian Ward, you know, from Pretty Woman–minus the frisky behavior.
We’re talking about living in a mansion, intimate double dates, and pretending we were head over heels in love . . . and engaged. Can you imagine?
The absolute audacity.
But people do crazy things when they’re desperate. And I reeked of desperation. So, I struck up a deal.
My one big mistake, though . . . big . . . HUGE? I accidentally fell for the incomparable Huxley Cane.
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REVIEW:
A mix of some of my favorite tropes, A Not So Meet Cute was part enemies-to-lovers and part fake romance with a bit of a fun spin. Fans of the classic romantic comedy, Pretty Woman, will love Quinn’s modern take on it here. I’m a huge fan of Meghan’s, and her outrageously hilarious writing style is a big reason why I reach for her romcoms time and time again.
As the title implies, Huxley and Lottie’s first meeting isn’t all that cute. They’re both in situations of their own making essentially because they’ve lied to people in their lives. Huxley, a billionaire workaholic real estate mogul, needs a fiancé to cover his lie and seal the deal of a lifetime. Lottie’s life is swirling in the toilet in an epic crash-and-burn scenario that her family told her was coming. She’s desperate to dodge the “I told you so” comments from them. She needs a place to stay in a hurry, and while wandering through a wealthy neighborhood looking for a rich husband, as one does in this situation, she runs into Huxley—literally.
Lottie and Huxley had this natural fiery chemistry, and I really enjoyed the preposterous premise of their situations. On the surface, A Not So Meet Cute was a seriously funny romcom, but Meghan is a master at building in real emotion and surprising her readers with it. There were layers of intense emotion in Lottie and Huxley’s story, and I loved wading through it with them. Witty banter and undeniable attraction made for the perfect kindling to burn the fake part of this couple’s relationship to the ground.
A Not So Meet Cute was an addictive combination of hard-fought, heartstring pulling romance, a raging inferno of blistering chemistry, and slap-stick style humor. Meghan penned a story full of charm, comedy, passion and emotion, and I laughed, I swooned and I blushed my way through this book. Five smooches from me for A Not So Meet Cute by Meghan Quinn!
~Danielle Palumbo
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