There’s a magnetic attraction when a happy-go-lucky gig worker agrees to a fake relationship with a rich, uptight New Yorker in this steamy romantic comedy from New York Times bestselling author Samantha Young.
Star Shine Meadows is all about freedom, thanks to the hippie parents who raised her. Juggling her jobs as a professional costume character actor and a line sitter, she believes in no expectations, no stressful ambitions, and no-strings-attached relationships. So when she meets a birthday girl’s grumpy uncle while working a princess party, she can’t help but needle him. She’ll never see him again, and honestly, he's pretty hot.
Rafe Whitman may be a veterinarian with a great bedside manner, but that doesn’t mean his patience extends to anyone with opposable thumbs. His family will not stop nagging him about finding “the one,” so when he runs into obnoxiously cheery Star again, he makes her an offer: He’ll pay her more than she would make doing her odd jobs if she’ll pretend to be his girlfriend at family gatherings. She can stop sitting in line waiting for someone else’s new phone, and he’ll get his family off his back.
When the tension between them heats to a breaking point, Star’s desire for "no strings" is tested against Rafe’s staunch stability. They say opposites attract, after all....
Christy's Review:
"I've always believed every human being belongs to themself, and in all the important ways that matter, I still believe that. But I also think it's bull. Because I've never felt like I belonged more than when I'm with you."
I don't think there is another troupe I love as much as the 'grumpy/sunshine' troupe, and add in fake dating and I was sold on reading
The Love Plot. This story was so much fun, but it also had it's emotional moments and frustrating moments. Overall, I enjoyed it so much. And that's mainly because of how much I loved both Star and Rafe.
When Star and Rafe first meet, it's clear that they are complete opposites. And we all know that opposites attract... Rafe is a veterinarian who comes from a wealthy family. He decided to go his own way and not follow the family business. Star is a professional line sitter and also a character actor for parties etc. In fact, she's playing a Disney princess at Rafe's niece's birthday party the first time they meet. Star may not know what she wants to do for a future career, but the most important thing to her is that she's happy and she genuinely is. Being just herself.
"...My ambition is to live a life that makes me truly happy. And I reckon that's probably the most ambitious anyone can be in this world."
Rafe needs his meddling family off his back and decides fake dating Star would be the key to do that. He never dreams he would fall for someone so different for him, but that's exactly what he does. Even though there were some things on Star's part that made her hesitant to commit and truly give in to Rafe, he was patient with her. I loved that Rafe loved her for her and never tried to dull her sparkle.
The Love Plot is a fantastic romantic comedy and one I highly recommend. I love Samantha Young's writing and this was such a win for me!
EXCERPT:
I was shocked to find Rafe striding determinedly in my direction again. His broody face was more brooding than usual, so I braced myself.
Rafe Whitman drew to a stop before me and blurted out, “You’ll literally do anything for money?”
Anger flared in an instant from the tips of my toes to the ends of my hair, so I didn’t hear the tone in which the question was asked. I threw back my shoulders. Taller than average height at five-seven, I was still a good seven or eight inches shorter than this arrogant Manhattanite, but I was prepared to take him. Anyone who knew me knew I was a patient, laid-back kind of person . . . but Rafferty Whitman had crossed the line!
“What the hell does that mean?” I seethed. “Are you suggesting I charge money for sex?”
Rafe’s blue eyes flashed with indignation. “No, I am not,” he hissed at me, eyes darting around. “And lower your voice.”
“I will not lower my voice.” I crossed my arms over my chest. “I like most people, but you sure do make it difficult, Whitman. It’s like you get off on being as insulting as possible.”
He mirrored me, crossing his arms over his chest. “I’m not insulting you. If you’d paid attention, you’d realize the question was not meant to be untoward.”
“Untoward?” I grimaced. “What, are you from the nineteenth century? Is that why you hate phones? Because if the technology is difficult for you to grasp, I can teach you how to use a phone.” I was being a little shit now, but he brought it out in a person.
Rafe sneered. “How much will that cost me?”
Argghhh! I narrowed my eyes but smiled. “Oh, for you . . . twice as much as I’d charge anyone else.”
“I see. Well.” Rafe uncrossed his arms to reach into his back pocket. He removed his wallet and then a business card from that. Holding it out to me, he continued, “I guess you stand to make a lot of money for doing very little. If you’re interested, call me.”
Flummoxed, I took the card. “Um . . . doing what?”
But he was already walking away.
“Doing what, Whitman?” I yelled after him.
He didn’t answer, just casually strolled off. His suit pants molded perfectly to his sculpted ass. So unfairly physically perfect.
“Are you going to call him?”
I looked up from the business card that read Whitman Veterinary Clinic, Dr. Rafferty Whitman.
His vet clinic was on the busy, tree-lined Columbus Avenue. Nice location, Dr. Rafe.
There was his phone number right beneath the address.
Yvonne grinned at me, and I answered her question. “Nah.”
Her eyes bugged out of her head as her friends gaped at me in shock. “Uh, Clark Kent just asked you to call him, Star. You don’t turn down Clark Kent.”
“You do if he’s an asshole. Life lesson, girls: an attractive face should not sway you if a pompous, arrogant, insulting, offensive turd lurks behind it.”
Yvonne chuckled. “You did yell at him and try to embarrass him with the peanut butter and jelly stuff. That’s not true, is it?”
I rolled my eyes. “No, it’s not true.” But she was right. I had antagonized him.
“You should make it true. I’d roll in a bathtub of jelly with that man.”
Slipping the card into my purse, I shrugged. “Impossible. His ego would take up the whole tub. No room for jelly. Or me—I mean you.”
“You’re not the least bit curious to find out what he wants to pay you to do?”
“Considering how that sounds, nope. Not at all. Ooh, look, the line is moving. Yay.”
But as the girls turned to move with the line, I knew I was lying.
I was so curious, my heart still raced from my encounter with Rafe.
Author: Samantha Young
Samantha Young is the New York Times and USA Today bestselling author of the On Dublin Street series, including Moonlight on Nightingale Way, Echoes of Scotland Street, and Fall from India Place, and the Hart's Boardwalk series, including Every Little Thing and The One Real Thing, as well as the standalone novels Fight or Flight and Much Ado About You.
*author photo by Mark Archibald
After the Storm by Laura Pavlov
