Review: My Phony Valentine by Courtney Walsh

My rating: 5 stars / It was amazing

Synopsis

A chance meeting. A hunky hockey player. A fake romance.
Hardly an ordinary day in the life of Poppy Hart.

My days usually consist of agonizing over my failing restaurant, worrying about my mountain of debt and nursing my broken heart.

Everything changes when I bump into a man in the coffee shop and claim him as my new boyfriend. To my absolute horror, he turns out to be hockey’s most renowned bad boy, Dallas Burke. To my absolute delight, he goes along with my story.

When his no-nonsense manager and meddling grandmother jump in the picture, they see a win-win solution for my failing restaurant and Dallas’s less-than-stellar reputation.

A full-fledged fake romance complete with contract negotiations, pretend dates and phony PDA.

But as I get to know the real Dallas Burke, who is not the man the press says he is, it becomes clear that if this isn’t real. . . someone better tell it to my heart.

My Review

Chemistry off the charts! I loved how chill Dallas is and the way he craves peace and the slower pace of a small town. He just goes along with Poppy's spontaneous claim on him, and her gossipy mean girl enemy is the impetus behind their fake dating which morphs into a win-win situation for them both. Their banter is so entertaining, and they become genuine friends while their scheme plays out- naturally falling in love, but not seeing how it would translate to their normal lives. I've got a thing for hockey players in fiction since reading the Northbrook Hockey Elite series, and My Phony Valentine totally hit the spot! I also love when either main character is a cook/chef/baker. Valentine's Day plays a small role in the story since there is a dance and town event on the holiday that the relationship is leading up to, but this is a book that can be read any time of the year.  Side note- I completely adore the cover design! As always, the author brings her trademark depth to Poppy and Dallas as they both have struggles which prompt introspection, development and growth, woven into their sweet romance. Highly recommend!

Disclosure statement: A complimentary copy of this book was provided from a tour group, publisher, publicist, or author, including NetGalley, OR was borrowed from the library, including OverDrive, OR borrowed from Kindle Unlimited, OR purchased. A review was not required and all views and opinions expressed are unbiased and my own.