“Beautiful things shouldn’t be boxed. It eventually dims their light.”

Dear diary,

This was the perfect rainy day book. It’s light hearted, snappy, with a ‘fake fiancé’ setup and just the right amount of charm, chemistry, and a satisfying emotional payoff. It’s a quintessential plot, but it hits the spot.

Josie Moore has given love plenty of chances. Four, counting all her failed engagements, and five if you include her long absentee famous father. As if that wasn’t enough, she now finds herself part of a complicated PR mess when her father, a powerful businessman, resurfaces and plans a big retirement announcement. With a splashy magazine piece about family, Josie finds her romantic history the center of a PR nightmare.

Meanwhile, Matthew Flanagan is unexpectedly back in his hometown of Green Oak, North Carolina, having just lost his job and literally getting stuck in the mud on his way in. The first person he comes across happens to be his best friend’s sister, Josie, who oddly introduces him as her fiancé. One thing leads to another, and what starts as a misunderstanding to cover up Josie’s failed engagement past quickly turns into a fake engagement that’s supposed to lead to marriage…

A fifth ring on Josie’s finger is the last thing she wants, but at least its temporary, right? Matthew and Josie have strict rules and an agreement in place: no matter what, there will be no ‘I dos’. But of course, like in life, things don’t go according to plan.

A fake fiancé, a tangled PR mess, and a whole lot of feelings. But when the curtain falls — who gets hurt, who gets healed, and who finally says “I do”?

read-o-meter rating: 4.2/5

Age rating: 16+

Until next time… dear reader of my book diary:)