ARC REVIEW - Only Pretend by Nora Flite

Title: Only Pretend
Author: Nora Flite
Publisher: Silver String
Release Date: Expected 2 June 2014
Series or Standalone: Standalone
Genre: Dark Erotica
Rating: ♥♥♥♥♥

Synopsis:
If you hated your life—wanted to prove to the world that you could change—how would you do it?

I had a plan. I also had no family, no friends, and definitely no jerk of an ex-boyfriend who thought I was boring. I was tired of being me. In Vegas, I could be anything.

And then I saw him. His hungry smile wanted a taste of the new me. Only a boring person would have said no.

It was reckless to follow a stranger to his bed. Dangerous to take the drink he handed me. I thought the worst regret I'd have would be a hangover, a walk of shame through the hotel.

Except I didn't wake up in the hotel. Or in Vegas.

I doubt my face will end up in the news. “Woman missing,” the headline would say. “A stupid person who thought she could be someone else.”

I'm not someone else. I was only playing pretend.

Too bad he was playing for keeps.

--Author's Note-- This is a very dark romance novel with themes that could make readers uncomfortable. Be wary, it contains violence and beyond-steamy content aimed at mature audiences.

Buy It: B&N | Amazon

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My thoughts:

I'm sure, at some point in everyone's life, you've been blindsided by a breakup with a significant other. You might have even thought about having a "Waiting to Exhale" party with the insignificant other's belongings, complete with lighter fluid and a Zippo; hopefully you had a BFF who was able to keep you from catching a felony charge and ending up on an episode of "Cops" by taking you out for a wild night of Sake bombs and oil wrestling. Even if you didn't get that far, I hope you didn't endure what Celeste Barstow went through in this book.

All Celeste wanted to do was prove to herself that she wasn't boring like her ex claimed her to be; she decides to step outside her comfort zone in an effort to prove that she's not boring. After a makeover, she decides to live it up in Vegas; it doesn't take long before she captures the attention of a handsome gentleman, but is he the man of her dreams, or her worst nightmare?

By the time I reached Chapter Two, I was thoroughly hooked on this book and didn't want to let go; it was hard reading about some of the things Celeste went through during her "training", but I have to applaud her tenacity with trying to get away. Leonide (I just love that name), was a hard character for me to like; I know he was carrying on the family business (the Eastern European version of match.com), but like Celeste, his mood swings threw me for a loop as well. My opinion of him changed during the dinner party; with his actions, I was pretty much "Team Leonide" after that.

There are a couple of ways this book could have ended, but what is written is just right. Not every story needs a HEA, and certainly doesn't need to be drawn out over several books that eventually dwindle in story quality. Ms. Flite played this correctly and there is no doubt that most who read this book will be happy with it.

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ARC provided by author in exchange for an honest review.