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The Donnigans #3
The Only Thing
What do you do when a "fake" relationship is so much better than the real thing?
Hope Donnigan is finlly getting her life together. She's working a job she likes, has some amazing friends, and is steering clear of Mr. Wrong. Now if only she could get her mother to understand that. Maybe a hot tattoo artist from the other side town is just the ticket to teach her mom a lesson.
J.T. Webster fell for Hope months ago at his sister's wedding. So when she propositions him to be her fake boyfriend to get her mother off her back, he's all in. The only problem is J.T. had no idea their pretend relationship would be better than anything real he's ever had...
The Donnigans Series:
A Sure Thing (Book 1)
Just the Thing (Book 2)
The Only Thing (Book 3)
Hope Donnigan is finlly getting her life together. She's working a job she likes, has some amazing friends, and is steering clear of Mr. Wrong. Now if only she could get her mother to understand that. Maybe a hot tattoo artist from the other side town is just the ticket to teach her mom a lesson.
J.T. Webster fell for Hope months ago at his sister's wedding. So when she propositions him to be her fake boyfriend to get her mother off her back, he's all in. The only problem is J.T. had no idea their pretend relationship would be better than anything real he's ever had...
The Donnigans Series:
A Sure Thing (Book 1)
Just the Thing (Book 2)
The Only Thing (Book 3)
352 pages, ebook
First published May 1, 2018
236 people are currently reading
656 people want to read
About the author
Marie Harte
210 books2,309 followersImportant:: Marie Harte is NOT active on GoodReads, so to contact her, please use her website at marieharte.com.
Caffeine addict, boy referee, and romance aficionado, New York Times and USA Today bestselling author Marie Harte has over 100 books published with more constantly on the way. She’s a confessed bibliophile and devotee of action movies. Whether hiking in Central Oregon, biking around town, or hanging at the local tea shop, she’s constantly plotting to give everyone a happily ever after. Visit http://marieharte.com and fall in love.
Caffeine addict, boy referee, and romance aficionado, New York Times and USA Today bestselling author Marie Harte has over 100 books published with more constantly on the way. She’s a confessed bibliophile and devotee of action movies. Whether hiking in Central Oregon, biking around town, or hanging at the local tea shop, she’s constantly plotting to give everyone a happily ever after. Visit http://marieharte.com and fall in love.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 167 reviews
April 17, 2018
I've never read a couple that was so completely devoted to each other and yet so in denial that they were in a relationship. It was pretty funny how these two dated on their non-dates. And lets not forget to mention how hot they were. Holy cow did this author steam up the pages with these two!
I actually found J.T. and Hope to be an adorable couple and I never felt cheated with their denial to being in a relationship. They are an opposites attract kind of couple. J.T., the ladies man who does not see long term commitment in his future. Hope, the blonde bombshell who gives off a good girl vibe but attracts all the wrong men.
J.T. is described as a Dwayne Johnson look alike and let me tell you that was not a hardship to imagine. He has a bit of a bad boy vibe to him but you really can't find a better man. He may like the ladies but he isn't a playboy. He doesn't believe that long term relationships work but he knows how to enjoy the short term.
Hope wants the husband and 2.5 kids someday but all she seems to attract are the jerks. She's had enough and decides to take a hiatus on men. It takes her mom pushing her about dating a rich man that motivates her to approach J.T. to be in a fake relationship with her to get her mom off her back.
Thinking J.T. will be her mom's worst nightmare being the owner of a tattoo shop, she wanted to show her mom that good men doesn't only mean a rich doctor. J.T. jumps at the chance to spend anytime with Hope. He hasn't been able to get her off his mind since he met her.
I love how the author keeps intertwining the McCauleys and the Donnigans. I love this big group of people and enjoy reading about all of them. I'm looking forward to the next book! ARC provided by NetGalley.
I actually found J.T. and Hope to be an adorable couple and I never felt cheated with their denial to being in a relationship. They are an opposites attract kind of couple. J.T., the ladies man who does not see long term commitment in his future. Hope, the blonde bombshell who gives off a good girl vibe but attracts all the wrong men.
J.T. is described as a Dwayne Johnson look alike and let me tell you that was not a hardship to imagine. He has a bit of a bad boy vibe to him but you really can't find a better man. He may like the ladies but he isn't a playboy. He doesn't believe that long term relationships work but he knows how to enjoy the short term.
Hope wants the husband and 2.5 kids someday but all she seems to attract are the jerks. She's had enough and decides to take a hiatus on men. It takes her mom pushing her about dating a rich man that motivates her to approach J.T. to be in a fake relationship with her to get her mom off her back.
Thinking J.T. will be her mom's worst nightmare being the owner of a tattoo shop, she wanted to show her mom that good men doesn't only mean a rich doctor. J.T. jumps at the chance to spend anytime with Hope. He hasn't been able to get her off his mind since he met her.
I love how the author keeps intertwining the McCauleys and the Donnigans. I love this big group of people and enjoy reading about all of them. I'm looking forward to the next book! ARC provided by NetGalley.
April 30, 2018
As a lover of Marie Harte and her Donnigan/McCauley/Webster “ecosystem” I’ve been waiting for this book and I wasn’t disappointed. I suspected this paring awhile back and I loved the way it played out. There is something about a couple who has such a combustible chemistry that despite knowing it might be messy if they end things, they simply can’t stay away from one another. The Only Thing features two people both a bit gun shy about relationships for different reasons realizing that while their heads try to say no, their bodies and eventually their hearts are all in.
J.T. Webster is a gifted tattoo artist with his own business and loves his Dad, his crazy sister Del, and his cousin and aunts with all his heart. J.T. is brawny and he’s been known to throw down when he has to but as his hands are his livelihood he prefers to use his brain when he can even though most people assume he doesn’t have one. Ever since meeting Hope Donnigan at his sister’s wedding, he’s found it hard to not think and fantasize about her. J.T. knows his reputation as a lady’s man follows him wherever he goes, but when Hope asks him to be her pretend boyfriend to drive her mother up a wall; he has no qualms about telling her yes.
I loved this pairing and the fact that they had so much in common, more than either of them ever expected. J.T. seemed to be a calming force for Hope and he respected her brain as well as her beauty, but even more than that he loved her work ethic and her independence. Hope seemed to center J.T. and made him feel whole and happy, something he can’t remember ever really feeling before. They were good for one another and I loved watching them try and keep their hands to themselves and progressing more and more into a physical relationship that was smokin’ hot.
I absolutely loved seeing the characters from previous books and the ragtag group of artists at J.T.’s studio. They added humor, depth, and attitude to this story. There were a couple of things that kept me from giving this book five stars; Hope and her mother Laura had a difficult relationship and it honestly was the basis for Hope and J.T. getting together and I kept waiting for there to be some tiny bit of resolution between mother and daughter. It was such a dominate part of this story and I felt like it kind of got left flapping in the wind. Secondly while it was easy to see these two falling hard for one another even though they didn’t want to admit it and while they finally did, I would have like to see how they were faring a couple months down the road so I’m hoping we catch up with them in a future book. The ending was just a bit rushed for me and I needed more.
In my opinion, you can’t go wrong with a contemporary romance from Marie Harte and The Only Thing proves that; characters you want as friends, humor, fun, and hot sexy times her books are awesome!
May 1, 2018
I received this book for free from Publisher in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.
I’ve been anticipating J.T.’s book since the McCauley Brothers books came out so I had some really high expectations for him. I’m pleased to say that Marie Harte stays true to his character and definitely delivers a scorching read for my favorite Webster family member. Although J.T. makes an appearance in the other books, I don’t necessarily think you need to read them in order to enjoy this book. However, reading the others will definitely richen the reading experience.
I wonder who Harte was going to pair J.T. with. He’s an incredible character and he needs an incredible heroine. Hope Donnigan fits that bill. I liked her character but actually it took me a while to warm up to her character. She’s complex and because of her family, she is kind of forced to make decisions for herself. This fake dating thing is probably not my favorite trope used in novels so that was probably the only thing that wasn’t my favorite thing about this book. However, I did enjoy the chemistry between Hope and J.T. I’m happy to note that the wait was worth it and I was pleased by J.T.’s happily ever after by the end.
*ARC provided by publisher
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May 2, 2018
I’ve been anticipating J.T.’s book since the McCauley Brothers books came out so I had some really high expectations for him. I’m pleased to say that Marie Harte stays true to his character and definitely delivers a scorching read for my favorite Webster family member. Although J.T. makes an appearance in the other books, I don’t necessarily think you need to read them in order to enjoy this book. However, reading the others will definitely richen the reading experience.
I wonder who Harte was going to pair J.T. with. He’s an incredible character and he needs an incredible heroine. Hope Donnigan fits that bill. I liked her character but actually it took me a while to warm up to her character. She’s complex and because of her family, she is kind of forced to make decisions for herself. This fake dating thing is probably not my favorite trope used in novels so that was probably the only thing that wasn’t my favorite thing about this book. However, I did enjoy the chemistry between Hope and J.T. I’m happy to note that the wait was worth it and I was pleased by J.T.’s happily ever after by the end.
April 30, 2018
This was such a cute, fun read about a non-couple who are non-dating. They’re in a non-relationship to trick Hope’s mother but the chemistry between her and J.T. is anything but fake. There is very little relationship drama but a bit of mystery regarding a stalker.
J.T. was a great hero with his teasing ways, his intense desire and his dedication to family. Hope was a pretty great heroine as well. She struggled with her mom, had a history of really poor choices when it came to men, and wasn’t working the job of a lifetime. Together they were quirky, sexy, steamy, and perfect.
This had a nice pace that never got bogged down, terrific secondary characters both from previous books and hopefully future ones as well. The steam was melt your kindle hot and the mystery is completely cloaked and you will not be able to guess who the villain is.
Overall, a wonderful read that I immensely enjoyed!
I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book provided by NetGalley and Sourcebooks. All thoughts and opinions are my own.
Dual POV
Safe
Triggers
J.T. was a great hero with his teasing ways, his intense desire and his dedication to family. Hope was a pretty great heroine as well. She struggled with her mom, had a history of really poor choices when it came to men, and wasn’t working the job of a lifetime. Together they were quirky, sexy, steamy, and perfect.
This had a nice pace that never got bogged down, terrific secondary characters both from previous books and hopefully future ones as well. The steam was melt your kindle hot and the mystery is completely cloaked and you will not be able to guess who the villain is.
Overall, a wonderful read that I immensely enjoyed!
I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book provided by NetGalley and Sourcebooks. All thoughts and opinions are my own.
Dual POV
Safe
Triggers
April 27, 2018
Marie Harte is a new to me author, I have to say what a perfect way to be introduced to a new author!
The Only Thing is a story based upon a fake relationship, that in fact doesn't seem fake at all.
Hope Donnigan is a woman on the verge of insanity thanks to her control freak of a mother. Living a life in the shadow of someone else's objections is a difficult journey. After a series of hit and run relationships Hope is on a mission to live the single carefree life. That is why Hope has devised a plan to bring home a fake boyfriend who meets below her mom's standards. Little does Hope know, this plan is about to blow up right in her face.
J.T. Webster is the epitome of bad boy. He's tall, dark, and handsome with a players vibe and muscles for miles. But there is more to J.T. than what meets the eye. J.T. is a tattoo artist who also happens to own his own business. He's charming, charismatic, and an all around good man..but that's the side of him he only allows his close friends and family to see. Hope Donnigan has been on J.T.'s mind since the moment he watched her bring her sleazy ex boyfriend to his knees. Now he'll do anything to spend just a moment's time with her, even if that means following along with her plan to get even with her mother.
Often times when I read a novel involving a fake relationship, it doesn't end well for me due to one simple fact, the content feels staged. I look for real situations in these types of novels and real connections between characters. I also love when an author shows similarities between the two characters that are obviously so different. Marie Harte nailed this trope!
I freaking adored Hope and J.T.!! These two are dynamic and even though this was technically a 'fake relationship' you could tell from the beginning these two had chemistry that was soon going to ignite! I loved how Hope and J.T.'s friendship evolved and grew into something much more.
Hope and J.T. are the perfect example of how opposites attract. These two are complete opposites, from their skin tone to their different personalities and ambitions. I loved watching the two opposites meld and form on unique love story.
Not only is this novel full of romance, it also has a mysterious vibe when Hope finds she has a stalker. Which brings me to the only reason I had to drop a star on my rating. I loved the whole situation with the stalker. I loved the buildup but the big reveal was sadly a let down.
Overall, I really enjoyed The Only Thing by Marie Harte! I loved the steamy scenes and the emotional scenes. I loved the fact that even though this trope can be all about the drama, this novel didn't thrive on drama. J.T. and Hope are an epic match!
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The Staircase Reader
June 27, 2018
4.5 stars
Synopsis: JT is a tattooist who has his own tattoo shop. He is attracted to Hope, who is the niece of the woman his father is seeing, and a cousin to his sister's husband. They do run across each other once in a while, but it isn't until Hope wants to teach her mother to stop being such a snob that they see a lot more of each other. Hope asks JT to pretend to be her boyfriend. In order to pull it off and fool her mother, JT and Hope spend more time together getting to know one another.
JT has been attracted to Hope since he met her, but since he is a one-and-done kind of guy, and Hope is a dating kind of girl, he knows it will never work. Which is why the opportunity to spend time with Hope with no expectations sounds great to him.
Hope is trying to learn to be by herself, since she can't seem to pick good men. Before JT and Hope know it, though, their feelings are starting to grow.
What I liked: the fact that JT and Hope got to know each other first before acting on their physical attraction. Hope was determined to be her own person, and JT liked her and respected her for that. Even though Hope didn't really get along with her mother, she could recognize that she was a lot like her, which showed her self-awareness. It was nice seeing characters from other series and catching up on their lives. The family togetherness and love in both families was nice to see. JT was very protective of Hope, while still respecting her boundaries. I liked that they grew together, as individuals and as a couple.
What I didn't like: there was quite a bit going on, what with Hope's stalker, all the family issues.
Overall impression: JT and Hope were made for each other, and I completely believed their journey to their relationship. Alternating 3rd person POV between Hope and JT.
*I received a copy through Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.
Synopsis: JT is a tattooist who has his own tattoo shop. He is attracted to Hope, who is the niece of the woman his father is seeing, and a cousin to his sister's husband. They do run across each other once in a while, but it isn't until Hope wants to teach her mother to stop being such a snob that they see a lot more of each other. Hope asks JT to pretend to be her boyfriend. In order to pull it off and fool her mother, JT and Hope spend more time together getting to know one another.
JT has been attracted to Hope since he met her, but since he is a one-and-done kind of guy, and Hope is a dating kind of girl, he knows it will never work. Which is why the opportunity to spend time with Hope with no expectations sounds great to him.
Hope is trying to learn to be by herself, since she can't seem to pick good men. Before JT and Hope know it, though, their feelings are starting to grow.
What I liked: the fact that JT and Hope got to know each other first before acting on their physical attraction. Hope was determined to be her own person, and JT liked her and respected her for that. Even though Hope didn't really get along with her mother, she could recognize that she was a lot like her, which showed her self-awareness. It was nice seeing characters from other series and catching up on their lives. The family togetherness and love in both families was nice to see. JT was very protective of Hope, while still respecting her boundaries. I liked that they grew together, as individuals and as a couple.
What I didn't like: there was quite a bit going on, what with Hope's stalker, all the family issues.
Overall impression: JT and Hope were made for each other, and I completely believed their journey to their relationship. Alternating 3rd person POV between Hope and JT.
*I received a copy through Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.
August 9, 2020
There was nothing ‘fake’ about this stellar read!
Hope and J.T. were everything in this funny, romantic, full of all the heat, story! I’m not a fan of pretend or fake relationships at all. They are usually awkward and feel forced yet these two… They were awkward and anything but that. Natural, warm and completely engaging, they, and their author, have made me a convert…
Hope was in a good place really. Giving up on dating, steady employment, nothing was wrong. Well, except for her mother who couldn’t see anything right in her daughter’s life, or the choices she made. In matchmaker mode, she was relentless so Hope didn’t have a choice really. She had to rope J.T. into her plot… J.T. was in a very good place too. His shop was doing well, his family was too. The spark he felt for Hope didn’t go against his casual approach to dating, he could help her without endangering his heart. Of course he could…
I LOVED everything about this story. It was full of witty, witty banter and all the heat that these two could generate – and that was a lot! There were in jokes, family frivolity and sexual innuendo that had me smiling the whole way through. J.T. was charming personified, with a warmth that made him totally lickable – I mean likable ;-) – and completely irresistible. Hope was his match in every way, even as they both refused to admit it.
Funny, sexy, warm and absolutely one of the best reads of the year. The Donnigans and McAuleys are sensational and I will be catching up with all of them while hoping for more! ~Diane, 5 stars
Hope and J.T. were everything in this funny, romantic, full of all the heat, story! I’m not a fan of pretend or fake relationships at all. They are usually awkward and feel forced yet these two… They were awkward and anything but that. Natural, warm and completely engaging, they, and their author, have made me a convert…
Hope was in a good place really. Giving up on dating, steady employment, nothing was wrong. Well, except for her mother who couldn’t see anything right in her daughter’s life, or the choices she made. In matchmaker mode, she was relentless so Hope didn’t have a choice really. She had to rope J.T. into her plot… J.T. was in a very good place too. His shop was doing well, his family was too. The spark he felt for Hope didn’t go against his casual approach to dating, he could help her without endangering his heart. Of course he could…
I LOVED everything about this story. It was full of witty, witty banter and all the heat that these two could generate – and that was a lot! There were in jokes, family frivolity and sexual innuendo that had me smiling the whole way through. J.T. was charming personified, with a warmth that made him totally lickable – I mean likable ;-) – and completely irresistible. Hope was his match in every way, even as they both refused to admit it.
Funny, sexy, warm and absolutely one of the best reads of the year. The Donnigans and McAuleys are sensational and I will be catching up with all of them while hoping for more! ~Diane, 5 stars
May 22, 2018
ARC REVIEW
Donnigan's #3, All part of the big universe of that is the McCauley Brothers and the Body Shop Bad Boys, The Donnigan's are cousins to the McCauley's; now the nice thing is that each book can be read as a standalone. So even though this is a nice big family affair with lots of characters even if you miss one book you'll hate yourself for missing it not because it was imperative to read it just the fact that you missed out on Gavin's HEA aggravates me! Silly me can't keep track of all these books. So yeah I haven't read Just the Thing but that's nothing a little one-click can't fix. This book focus' on Hope Donnigan and JT Webster. Hope is the only girl of the Donnigans and her mother is harder on her than the boys, Hope hasn't decided what she wants to do with her life she hasn't found her place yet so she keeps going from job to job. Unfortunately her mother doesn't see it as that and is constantly pushing her hard for what she thinks is right for Hope including trying to set her up on dates. JT may be the son of a great mechanic but he never wanted to be one himself, thankfully his Dad was supportive of him and now JT has his own successful tattoo parlor.
Hope has had enough of her Mother trying to boss her around and telling her what she should do with her life especially since she got it in her head that Hope needs to date well off men so she can be financially secure. Hope finally blurts out she has been dating someone and that he's completely inappropriate. Unfortunately the guy she's thinking about when she says all this is JT and she know half of what she said isn't true she just wanted to rile up her mom. JT agrees to the fake relationship because one he's a nice guy and two it gives a reason to hang around the woman he's been crushing over since his sister's wedding. The beautiful thing about this "Fake" relationship is that it happened because they were both attracted to each other and no matter how much they protested that it was fake nobody believed them. Their fake relationship is probably one of the best relationships I've read.
On top of the fake relationship Hope has a secret admirer and one that has been growing increasingly violent. Never attacking her but those around her that show her interest. JT ends up in the hospital after getting beaten up. Everyone is on high alert trying to find out who is behind it. Overall, between the stalker, Hope's problems with her mom, and the fake relationship this was a great read. Hope is a little hard to take sometimes especially when she's around her mother. What makes this fake relationship trope so much better than others is that there was genuine affection between them to start and attraction that lead to friendship, and finally love and the harder they fought it the funnier it gets and the deeper the feelings become, it's such a fun read. I kinda hope JT tattoo parlor gets its own spin-off.
Donnigan's #3, All part of the big universe of that is the McCauley Brothers and the Body Shop Bad Boys, The Donnigan's are cousins to the McCauley's; now the nice thing is that each book can be read as a standalone. So even though this is a nice big family affair with lots of characters even if you miss one book you'll hate yourself for missing it not because it was imperative to read it just the fact that you missed out on Gavin's HEA aggravates me! Silly me can't keep track of all these books. So yeah I haven't read Just the Thing but that's nothing a little one-click can't fix. This book focus' on Hope Donnigan and JT Webster. Hope is the only girl of the Donnigans and her mother is harder on her than the boys, Hope hasn't decided what she wants to do with her life she hasn't found her place yet so she keeps going from job to job. Unfortunately her mother doesn't see it as that and is constantly pushing her hard for what she thinks is right for Hope including trying to set her up on dates. JT may be the son of a great mechanic but he never wanted to be one himself, thankfully his Dad was supportive of him and now JT has his own successful tattoo parlor.
Hope has had enough of her Mother trying to boss her around and telling her what she should do with her life especially since she got it in her head that Hope needs to date well off men so she can be financially secure. Hope finally blurts out she has been dating someone and that he's completely inappropriate. Unfortunately the guy she's thinking about when she says all this is JT and she know half of what she said isn't true she just wanted to rile up her mom. JT agrees to the fake relationship because one he's a nice guy and two it gives a reason to hang around the woman he's been crushing over since his sister's wedding. The beautiful thing about this "Fake" relationship is that it happened because they were both attracted to each other and no matter how much they protested that it was fake nobody believed them. Their fake relationship is probably one of the best relationships I've read.
On top of the fake relationship Hope has a secret admirer and one that has been growing increasingly violent. Never attacking her but those around her that show her interest. JT ends up in the hospital after getting beaten up. Everyone is on high alert trying to find out who is behind it. Overall, between the stalker, Hope's problems with her mom, and the fake relationship this was a great read. Hope is a little hard to take sometimes especially when she's around her mother. What makes this fake relationship trope so much better than others is that there was genuine affection between them to start and attraction that lead to friendship, and finally love and the harder they fought it the funnier it gets and the deeper the feelings become, it's such a fun read. I kinda hope JT tattoo parlor gets its own spin-off.
May 11, 2018
Originally reviewed at http://smexybooks.com/2018/05/review-...
Favorite Quote: He smelled like an invitation to sex and tasted like candy. Good Lord but that man knew how to kiss.
Hope Donnigan is finally getting her life together. She has a job she enjoys, good friends, and is taking a break from all the Mr. Wrongs in her life. Unfortunately, her mother is determined to fix Hope’s life, despite what Hope wants. When her mother’s interference goes to far, Hope tells her she is already dating the perfect guy for her. Now, she just needs to find him.
J.T Webster has crushed on Hope Donnigan since meeting her at his sister’s wedding. When she asks for his help to get her mother off her back, J.T. jumps at the chance to spend more time with her. Not looking for anything serious, a fake relationship with benefits sounds like the best of both worlds. Except, now he wants to make it real.
“You shine when you’re happy, you know? It’s like you bring out the sun, and I get all warm, basking in you.”
Marie Harte has become my go-to author for blue collar romances with heroines and heroes who live, laugh, and love hard. Humorous, playful, and sensual; her deceptive small-town romances start out with a casual air of a lightweight contemporary only to deepen into a weighty story of love and growth as Harte digs deep into the lives and insecurities of our hero and heroine. Using issues that readers can relate to, Harte builds a hot and steamy romance that blends perfectly with the world she has created. Every series mildly interacts with the others, keeping readers in the loop while introducing new characters and scenarios.
Heavily character driven, this family oriented installment is firmly built around our protagonists, Hope Donnigan and J.T. Webster. I haven’t read the first two books in the Donnigan series but I am well acquainted with the McCauleys and Websters. I was so happy to see J.T finally get his story. His deep love for his family solidified his permanent position on my book boyfriend list. Likened to “the Rock” in terms of looks and brawn, J.T. is a sexy tattoo artist whose legendary antics aren’t as scandalous as his sister likes to think. Charming, witty, and gorgeous, his smooth moves hide a heart of gold. A serial dater, he just likes to have fun and isn’t looking to play house with anyone in the future.
Hope looks like the girl next door but can go bad when necessary. A blonde bombshell, she just wants to find her dream guy with the option for kids in the future. Having spent a long time looking for love in all the wrong places, Hope is finally settling down though not in the direction her family wants which is causing a lot of friction.
Fake relationships can be tricky. You have to not only make the reasoning behind it viable but produce just enough chemistry to catapult it from fake to real while allowing the characters to grow and work through their issues at a reasonable pace. J.T. and Hope are the most adorable lovey-dovey fake couple ever. Though seemingly very different on the outside, their similarities become glaringly apparent as the story reveals. I love watching them go out on “not dates” and slowly fall in love as they get to really know one another; despite their insistence that neither was looking for anything permanent. Witty conversation and internal musings reveal their attraction to one another and open the doorway for a much deeper connection.
“We used to joke around, pretend that we weren’t as close as we really are. You see, when you’re new to falling in love, it’s scary to let yourself be vulnerable with another person.”
As always, Harte does a wonderful job of building the romance amongst the backdrop of our couples personal issues. The humor flows through effortlessly; helping to keep the story on track and provide entertainment. Harte takes her time addressing the issues and providing legitimate results. It’s an emotional journey for them both of them and nothing is guaranteed. J.T. uplifts Hope by showing her he likes her just the way she is while Hope shows J.T. relationships don’t have to be destructive and he is worthy of love and Their smoking hot chemistry is felt from page one and Harte amps up the heat with plenty of sex and dirty talk. I like a couple who are well matched in bed and who enjoy sex and aren’t afraid to let the neighbors know. :) J.T. has a very talented mouth and uses it on Hope on every chance he gets.
“Lay back in bed and spread those pretty thighs. We have a lot of no-sex to get to.”
The McCauleys, Websters, and Donnigans are out in full force as they offer advice, threats, and the occasional insult to our couple and each other. All their energy and enthusiasm adds to the story’s appeal as they keep you giggling with their antics. I loved meeting J.T.’s employees and of course, seeing more of Liam and Del. Colin is always a treat and thank goodness Rena and Heller seem to be moving forward. I hope they get their story soon. I wasn’t as enamored with Hope’s family but maybe they will grow on me.
As always, Harte delivers what she promises romance wise though the supposed suspenseful conflict fell flat and added nothing to the story. Regardless, I’m looking forward to reading more about this melting pot of families and friends in the future.
Grade: B
Favorite Quote: He smelled like an invitation to sex and tasted like candy. Good Lord but that man knew how to kiss.
Hope Donnigan is finally getting her life together. She has a job she enjoys, good friends, and is taking a break from all the Mr. Wrongs in her life. Unfortunately, her mother is determined to fix Hope’s life, despite what Hope wants. When her mother’s interference goes to far, Hope tells her she is already dating the perfect guy for her. Now, she just needs to find him.
J.T Webster has crushed on Hope Donnigan since meeting her at his sister’s wedding. When she asks for his help to get her mother off her back, J.T. jumps at the chance to spend more time with her. Not looking for anything serious, a fake relationship with benefits sounds like the best of both worlds. Except, now he wants to make it real.
“You shine when you’re happy, you know? It’s like you bring out the sun, and I get all warm, basking in you.”
Marie Harte has become my go-to author for blue collar romances with heroines and heroes who live, laugh, and love hard. Humorous, playful, and sensual; her deceptive small-town romances start out with a casual air of a lightweight contemporary only to deepen into a weighty story of love and growth as Harte digs deep into the lives and insecurities of our hero and heroine. Using issues that readers can relate to, Harte builds a hot and steamy romance that blends perfectly with the world she has created. Every series mildly interacts with the others, keeping readers in the loop while introducing new characters and scenarios.
Heavily character driven, this family oriented installment is firmly built around our protagonists, Hope Donnigan and J.T. Webster. I haven’t read the first two books in the Donnigan series but I am well acquainted with the McCauleys and Websters. I was so happy to see J.T finally get his story. His deep love for his family solidified his permanent position on my book boyfriend list. Likened to “the Rock” in terms of looks and brawn, J.T. is a sexy tattoo artist whose legendary antics aren’t as scandalous as his sister likes to think. Charming, witty, and gorgeous, his smooth moves hide a heart of gold. A serial dater, he just likes to have fun and isn’t looking to play house with anyone in the future.
Hope looks like the girl next door but can go bad when necessary. A blonde bombshell, she just wants to find her dream guy with the option for kids in the future. Having spent a long time looking for love in all the wrong places, Hope is finally settling down though not in the direction her family wants which is causing a lot of friction.
Fake relationships can be tricky. You have to not only make the reasoning behind it viable but produce just enough chemistry to catapult it from fake to real while allowing the characters to grow and work through their issues at a reasonable pace. J.T. and Hope are the most adorable lovey-dovey fake couple ever. Though seemingly very different on the outside, their similarities become glaringly apparent as the story reveals. I love watching them go out on “not dates” and slowly fall in love as they get to really know one another; despite their insistence that neither was looking for anything permanent. Witty conversation and internal musings reveal their attraction to one another and open the doorway for a much deeper connection.
“We used to joke around, pretend that we weren’t as close as we really are. You see, when you’re new to falling in love, it’s scary to let yourself be vulnerable with another person.”
As always, Harte does a wonderful job of building the romance amongst the backdrop of our couples personal issues. The humor flows through effortlessly; helping to keep the story on track and provide entertainment. Harte takes her time addressing the issues and providing legitimate results. It’s an emotional journey for them both of them and nothing is guaranteed. J.T. uplifts Hope by showing her he likes her just the way she is while Hope shows J.T. relationships don’t have to be destructive and he is worthy of love and Their smoking hot chemistry is felt from page one and Harte amps up the heat with plenty of sex and dirty talk. I like a couple who are well matched in bed and who enjoy sex and aren’t afraid to let the neighbors know. :) J.T. has a very talented mouth and uses it on Hope on every chance he gets.
“Lay back in bed and spread those pretty thighs. We have a lot of no-sex to get to.”
The McCauleys, Websters, and Donnigans are out in full force as they offer advice, threats, and the occasional insult to our couple and each other. All their energy and enthusiasm adds to the story’s appeal as they keep you giggling with their antics. I loved meeting J.T.’s employees and of course, seeing more of Liam and Del. Colin is always a treat and thank goodness Rena and Heller seem to be moving forward. I hope they get their story soon. I wasn’t as enamored with Hope’s family but maybe they will grow on me.
As always, Harte delivers what she promises romance wise though the supposed suspenseful conflict fell flat and added nothing to the story. Regardless, I’m looking forward to reading more about this melting pot of families and friends in the future.
Grade: B
May 3, 2018
I didn’t realize how much I like the fake relationship trope but this gave us a natural development of the romance and a nice blend of sexy and sweet.
How would you like to never measure up to someone else’s standards? In The Only Thing, Hope Donnigan has no desire to fulfill all her mother’s wishes for Hope’s life. No matter what success Hope achieves, it is not what her mother wants for her. Hope and her mother have never had a smooth relationship but Hope had always hoped once she was grown up, her mother would allow her to choose her own path. But, apparently that’s not going to happen.
In utter frustration with her mother’s latest list of must-date rich, successful men who Hope has to meet, Hope tells her mother that she is dating a tattoo artist. A man who has been in prison and has multiple baby mamas through the city.
Hope may just have said that because she has T.J. Webster on the brain and while he is a tattoo artist, she might have been making up the baby mamas and the prison thing. Maybe? She isn’t even sure. Now she just has to convince T.J. to be her fake boyfriend.
T.J. couldn’t take his eyes off Hope when he saw her at his sister’s wedding. When she approaches him about playing her fake boyfriend, T.J. wonders if this is his chance to get to know Hope a little better and maybe convince her that they should take the “fake” out of their relationship.
The romance grows nicely as Hope and T.J. get to know each other. Even though they were still in the “fake” part of their relationship, they both give in to the sexual tensions between them and were clearly well into a real relationship before they made the conscious jump to stop faking it.
While the relationship between Hope and T.J. was sweet. The conversations between Hope and her mother kept raising my blood-pressure. There is a difference between love and persecution and Hope’s mother definitely crosses the line and is always on Hope’s back. Something her mother doesn’t do to any of the three boys in the family. And her brothers and Hope’s father would just quietly back out of the room and leave Hope to the slaughter. This isn’t the first time the author has introduced a horrific mother figure who was constantly on the attack.
I did like that race was barely brushed upon even by the persecuting mother. She was only concerned about his employment and the only skin issue was whether the tattoo artist had tattoos himself since Hope’s mother found them distasteful.
This was a nice romance and to add something besides mama-drama, Hope has a stalker and T.J. jumps into full protection mode, which works against the stalker by bonding Hope and T.J. even faster since T.J. all but moves in with Hope to keep her safe.
All of the author’s separate series merge in her books and while you don’t have to have read them all, the different groups and families are a big part of each story.
How would you like to never measure up to someone else’s standards? In The Only Thing, Hope Donnigan has no desire to fulfill all her mother’s wishes for Hope’s life. No matter what success Hope achieves, it is not what her mother wants for her. Hope and her mother have never had a smooth relationship but Hope had always hoped once she was grown up, her mother would allow her to choose her own path. But, apparently that’s not going to happen.
In utter frustration with her mother’s latest list of must-date rich, successful men who Hope has to meet, Hope tells her mother that she is dating a tattoo artist. A man who has been in prison and has multiple baby mamas through the city.
Hope may just have said that because she has T.J. Webster on the brain and while he is a tattoo artist, she might have been making up the baby mamas and the prison thing. Maybe? She isn’t even sure. Now she just has to convince T.J. to be her fake boyfriend.
T.J. couldn’t take his eyes off Hope when he saw her at his sister’s wedding. When she approaches him about playing her fake boyfriend, T.J. wonders if this is his chance to get to know Hope a little better and maybe convince her that they should take the “fake” out of their relationship.
The romance grows nicely as Hope and T.J. get to know each other. Even though they were still in the “fake” part of their relationship, they both give in to the sexual tensions between them and were clearly well into a real relationship before they made the conscious jump to stop faking it.
While the relationship between Hope and T.J. was sweet. The conversations between Hope and her mother kept raising my blood-pressure. There is a difference between love and persecution and Hope’s mother definitely crosses the line and is always on Hope’s back. Something her mother doesn’t do to any of the three boys in the family. And her brothers and Hope’s father would just quietly back out of the room and leave Hope to the slaughter. This isn’t the first time the author has introduced a horrific mother figure who was constantly on the attack.
I did like that race was barely brushed upon even by the persecuting mother. She was only concerned about his employment and the only skin issue was whether the tattoo artist had tattoos himself since Hope’s mother found them distasteful.
This was a nice romance and to add something besides mama-drama, Hope has a stalker and T.J. jumps into full protection mode, which works against the stalker by bonding Hope and T.J. even faster since T.J. all but moves in with Hope to keep her safe.
All of the author’s separate series merge in her books and while you don’t have to have read them all, the different groups and families are a big part of each story.
May 3, 2018
Hope Donnigan and her mother are constantly at odds. Annoyed with her latest attempt to set her up on a date, Hope decides to invent a fictional boyfriend, who might just have a couple traits of a certain sexy man who actually exists...
J.T. Webster has been attracted to Hope forever, but at the wish of his sister, has held himself back from getting involved with her. When she approaches him about having a little fake relationship to placate her mother, all of those boundaries are about to change...
When these two friends embark on a crash course of getting to know each other for the sake of their ruse, it isn't long before they realize that keeping their hands to themselves is just not going to happen... and their fake relationship turns into something that neither one of them has the desire to end any time soon...
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
This was a really fun read, I loved Hope and J.T.'s adorable banter and their completely unique relationship.
Hope is neurotic in her feud with her mother, but even though she recognizes how childish their arguments can be, she isn't above trying to stick it to her every once in awhile. J.T. is someone whom she has been attracted to ever since meeting him, but with their family members now married, a relationship between the two of them might cause more problems than necessary.
J.T. is simply adorable. He is super hot, sweet and incredibly funny. He agrees to help Hope simply as a way to spend time with her, and the two of them seamlessly move into a non-relationship that works for them like no real relationship ever has. And when Hope starts to get some unwanted attention, J.T. is prepared to do whatever it takes to protect her...
With a sexy, friends-to-lovers vibe and a little bit of suspense added in, this book was a delightful and entertaining read.
I received a complimentary copy of this book for my honest and unbiased review.
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J.T. Webster has been attracted to Hope forever, but at the wish of his sister, has held himself back from getting involved with her. When she approaches him about having a little fake relationship to placate her mother, all of those boundaries are about to change...
When these two friends embark on a crash course of getting to know each other for the sake of their ruse, it isn't long before they realize that keeping their hands to themselves is just not going to happen... and their fake relationship turns into something that neither one of them has the desire to end any time soon...
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
This was a really fun read, I loved Hope and J.T.'s adorable banter and their completely unique relationship.
Hope is neurotic in her feud with her mother, but even though she recognizes how childish their arguments can be, she isn't above trying to stick it to her every once in awhile. J.T. is someone whom she has been attracted to ever since meeting him, but with their family members now married, a relationship between the two of them might cause more problems than necessary.
J.T. is simply adorable. He is super hot, sweet and incredibly funny. He agrees to help Hope simply as a way to spend time with her, and the two of them seamlessly move into a non-relationship that works for them like no real relationship ever has. And when Hope starts to get some unwanted attention, J.T. is prepared to do whatever it takes to protect her...
With a sexy, friends-to-lovers vibe and a little bit of suspense added in, this book was a delightful and entertaining read.
I received a complimentary copy of this book for my honest and unbiased review.
Check out the Blog!
http://nightbirdnovels.com/2018/05/03...
Follow Me on Facebook
Follow Me on Twitter
Follow Me on Instagram
May 2, 2018
Hope is determined to stay far away from love. She doesn’t want to be set up by her mother nor does she want to worry about her brother and cousins trying to watch over her, all protective like. She just doesn’t want to waste her time with love. The truth is, Hope is happy with her life. She's happy at her job, and someday she will be ready to settle down but not right now. One thing Hope isn't happy with is her mother. Her mom constantly is on her case to get married and give her grandkids. So finally Hope comes up with a plan- invent a boyfriend, one her mom would totally hate. She describes someone she recently met thru her family and someone there was chemistry with-- J.T. Webster. JT isn’t looking to settle down; he is a very successful tattoo artist, owns/runs his own tattoo shop and has a great family and friends that he totally loves/appreciates. But there is some things in his past that make him a commitment phobic when it comes to relationships/marriage. While he's had his eye on Hope for months, he knows starting something with her could upset the McCauley / Webster / Donnigan balance so he never pursued anything before now. When he hears what Hope is looking from him, he doesn’t see there being any problem in his helping a friend yet the sparks between the two could set off a forest fire, its so intense between them. Their pretend relationship is better than anything real they’ve ever had... will they continue on and try a real relationship or will they pull back and not give love a chance? I loved JT and Hope. They have style and flair. I enjoyed the humor and the passion between them both. It was great also to see the past characters make an appearance. There is a subplot also going on that had me entertained. I don’t want to give too much away but just know this story will have you hooked from start to finish. I find this a highly enjoyable storyline.
My Rating: 4.5 stars *****
“I received an advanced copy of this book from the author at no cost to me."
My Rating: 4.5 stars *****
“I received an advanced copy of this book from the author at no cost to me."
June 4, 2018
FTC DISCLAIMER: I RECEIVED AN E-ARC FROM THE PUBLISHER THROUGH NET GALLEY. I VOLUNTARILY OFFER MY HONEST REVIEW OF THE BOOK, THOUGH IT IS NOT EXPECTED OF ME! RECEIPT OF THIS BOOK IN THIS MANNER DOES NOT AFFECT MY OPINION OF THE BOOK OR THE CONTENT OF MY REVIEW!
I've been looking forward to J.T.'s book since he was first introduced in the Donnigan/McCauley/Webster/BodyWorks universe, and I am pleased to say that this story didn't disappoint!
I loved how Hope and J.T. interacted with one another! They just oozed chemistry and connection, and their romance, even mired in fake beginnings, was a joy to watch unfold! I connected with them both right away, and was sad to see the book end.
The only thing that detracted from the book for me was the relationship between Hope and her mother. I absolutely hated it! They weren't talking to one another in a meaningful way at all, and if one tried to, the other didn't listen! It felt so manufactured! I knew that we wouldn't have a story with out this scenario between them, but it still didn't sit well with me.
All things considered, I would highly recommend this book and series!
I've been looking forward to J.T.'s book since he was first introduced in the Donnigan/McCauley/Webster/BodyWorks universe, and I am pleased to say that this story didn't disappoint!
I loved how Hope and J.T. interacted with one another! They just oozed chemistry and connection, and their romance, even mired in fake beginnings, was a joy to watch unfold! I connected with them both right away, and was sad to see the book end.
The only thing that detracted from the book for me was the relationship between Hope and her mother. I absolutely hated it! They weren't talking to one another in a meaningful way at all, and if one tried to, the other didn't listen! It felt so manufactured! I knew that we wouldn't have a story with out this scenario between them, but it still didn't sit well with me.
All things considered, I would highly recommend this book and series!
May 10, 2018
~~I received a free copy of this book to read and review for Wicked Reads ~~
I must admit that this is my first read of a book in this series, so I had less invested than many readers I am guessing. However, I loved it and have added all the others that fit with this story to my TBR!
From the first dinner Hope has with her parents, and she tries the shock tactic of the inappropriate boyfriend to the very end, this is a fun, sexy and very enjoyable read. The writing style is easy and just entices you to turn another page, and then another!
I had to laugh at their denial of anything meaningful, even when it was blatantly obvious how much they cared - I felt that Ms Harte wanted to see just how far she could push them, and she timed it to perfection.
Whilst I may have missed some of the nuance, I found this to be a very good stand alone read too.
I must admit that this is my first read of a book in this series, so I had less invested than many readers I am guessing. However, I loved it and have added all the others that fit with this story to my TBR!
From the first dinner Hope has with her parents, and she tries the shock tactic of the inappropriate boyfriend to the very end, this is a fun, sexy and very enjoyable read. The writing style is easy and just entices you to turn another page, and then another!
I had to laugh at their denial of anything meaningful, even when it was blatantly obvious how much they cared - I felt that Ms Harte wanted to see just how far she could push them, and she timed it to perfection.
Whilst I may have missed some of the nuance, I found this to be a very good stand alone read too.
April 29, 2018
Hope is determined to stay clear of love. No matchmaking mother or gorgeous face is going to throw her off course. She has a foolproof plan. So what happens when that foolproof plan starts to unravel her resolve and infiltrate her heart? A sexy guy, a tempting romance and a sassy heroine make for a savory entree. Marie Harte is the go to for all things spicy and her Donnigans series is a repeat offender. The Only Thing is IRRESISTIBLE!
April 17, 2018
Review written: April 17, 2018
Star Rating: ★★★½☆
Heat Rating: ☀☀☀☼☼
An Advanced Reader Copy (ARC) of this book was received free via Netgalley for an honest review.
Ah, Hope Donnigan. And J.T. Webster (That's short for ... read it and find out!). They've been dancing around each other for a while now. And then, they aren't. But wonderfully, you don't have to have read the earlier books to get it (I sure didn't.).
And the Donnigans! While Landon and Gavin don't show up too much, Hope's Mom is everywhere! After all, she is the whole reason Hope asks J.T. to be her "fake boyfriend". I can't say I have ever liked her, but she had her moments in The Only Thing. Plus, Hope is a lot like her mother, and I mean a lot.
I liked Hope for her differences though. She's not uber ambitious. She is happy with an "ordinary" life. She's sweet and kind, when she's not out-stubborning her mother. She clearly loves her family and she's really just the "girl next door". In short, in a lot of ways, Hope is normal.
J.T. Webster is an artist. That's the core of who he is and he has the sensitivity of an artist, but can fight with the best of them. After all, he is his father's son! He runs a tattoo place that does excellent work and brisk business. His crew seem like they could get books soon. He's a good guy and respects women (in a sweetly neanderthal way, sometimes). But, he's also definitely all man, and has a bit of a reputation, both with the women and with the law.
Hope and J.T.'s romance is pretty standard fare. Plot hook (pushing Mom's buttons) brings them together and then they realize they really do love each other but are afraid to admit it since it's all supposed to be fake. There really wasn't that much drama in the relationship itself. That said, this is an inter-racial relationship. Not that anyone cared or it really seemed to matter in any way beyond physical descriptions. I think someone might have looked askance at J.T. once? I was a little disappointed in that. It doesn't have to be an issue, but reality says someone might have said something or looked at them funny at some point or there might have been a DWB incident.
There were two subplots that woke this book up. First: Rena and Heller are kill-ing me! I just love them and I am so ready for their story. As in, seriously, give me this story now! I love hard hitting and taciturn Heller. And Rena is just too cool. Second: Hope stalker. It's an ever-present though quiet subplot that doesn't get the in-depth work it deserves. It was a great opportunity to deal with mental health issues and that opportunity just went whooshing by. I'm a little disappointed by that.
Definitely some missed opportunities in The Only Thing, but overall a good story that I enjoyed. I'm looking forward to more books in this world.
This review is ©April 2018 by Monique N. and has been posted to Netgalley.
Star Rating: ★★★½☆
Heat Rating: ☀☀☀☼☼
An Advanced Reader Copy (ARC) of this book was received free via Netgalley for an honest review.
Ah, Hope Donnigan. And J.T. Webster (That's short for ... read it and find out!). They've been dancing around each other for a while now. And then, they aren't. But wonderfully, you don't have to have read the earlier books to get it (I sure didn't.).
And the Donnigans! While Landon and Gavin don't show up too much, Hope's Mom is everywhere! After all, she is the whole reason Hope asks J.T. to be her "fake boyfriend". I can't say I have ever liked her, but she had her moments in The Only Thing. Plus, Hope is a lot like her mother, and I mean a lot.
I liked Hope for her differences though. She's not uber ambitious. She is happy with an "ordinary" life. She's sweet and kind, when she's not out-stubborning her mother. She clearly loves her family and she's really just the "girl next door". In short, in a lot of ways, Hope is normal.
J.T. Webster is an artist. That's the core of who he is and he has the sensitivity of an artist, but can fight with the best of them. After all, he is his father's son! He runs a tattoo place that does excellent work and brisk business. His crew seem like they could get books soon. He's a good guy and respects women (in a sweetly neanderthal way, sometimes). But, he's also definitely all man, and has a bit of a reputation, both with the women and with the law.
Hope and J.T.'s romance is pretty standard fare. Plot hook (pushing Mom's buttons) brings them together and then they realize they really do love each other but are afraid to admit it since it's all supposed to be fake. There really wasn't that much drama in the relationship itself. That said, this is an inter-racial relationship. Not that anyone cared or it really seemed to matter in any way beyond physical descriptions. I think someone might have looked askance at J.T. once? I was a little disappointed in that. It doesn't have to be an issue, but reality says someone might have said something or looked at them funny at some point or there might have been a DWB incident.
There were two subplots that woke this book up. First: Rena and Heller are kill-ing me! I just love them and I am so ready for their story. As in, seriously, give me this story now! I love hard hitting and taciturn Heller. And Rena is just too cool. Second: Hope stalker. It's an ever-present though quiet subplot that doesn't get the in-depth work it deserves. It was a great opportunity to deal with mental health issues and that opportunity just went whooshing by. I'm a little disappointed by that.
Definitely some missed opportunities in The Only Thing, but overall a good story that I enjoyed. I'm looking forward to more books in this world.
This review is ©April 2018 by Monique N. and has been posted to Netgalley.
May 3, 2018
I really enjoyed this super hot, humor-filled book! J.T and Hope’s story is interesting, funny and will have you unable to put it down!
Hope is happy with life, she’s finally figuring things out and has made a decision to stay away from guys for a while. Her mother has other plans, she wants to see Hope settled down with a “nice young man” and still stop at nothing to make it happen. Hope winds up scheming a way to keep her mom off her back – she winds up in a “fake” relationship with JT Webster, a man whom she knows is the opposite of everything her mother wants for her. JT has been crushing on Hope since he first seen her at his sisters wedding. The two aren’t able to keep their hands off one another long but Hope remains in absolute denial that they’re in a real relationship, while JT is fighting tooth and nail to get them to “real” status.
I was back-and-forth on my feelings about JT and Hope’s denial about being in a relationship. At some points I was frustrated because I just wanted it to happen but the author does such a great job keeping the storyline flowing that the frustration didn’t last long. Other than that, this is a fantastic read and I can’t wait to see more from The Donnigans!
Read and Reviewed for Wicked Reads!
Hope is happy with life, she’s finally figuring things out and has made a decision to stay away from guys for a while. Her mother has other plans, she wants to see Hope settled down with a “nice young man” and still stop at nothing to make it happen. Hope winds up scheming a way to keep her mom off her back – she winds up in a “fake” relationship with JT Webster, a man whom she knows is the opposite of everything her mother wants for her. JT has been crushing on Hope since he first seen her at his sisters wedding. The two aren’t able to keep their hands off one another long but Hope remains in absolute denial that they’re in a real relationship, while JT is fighting tooth and nail to get them to “real” status.
I was back-and-forth on my feelings about JT and Hope’s denial about being in a relationship. At some points I was frustrated because I just wanted it to happen but the author does such a great job keeping the storyline flowing that the frustration didn’t last long. Other than that, this is a fantastic read and I can’t wait to see more from The Donnigans!
Read and Reviewed for Wicked Reads!
May 3, 2018
The Only Thing (The Donnigans #3) by Marie Harte
4 stars
M/F Romance
Triggers: Stalking, Assault
I was given this book for an honest review by Wicked Reads.
This is a sweet story and I enjoyed it more than book #2. This was more of a love story and kept you guessing as to where it was going to go.
JT is a hard working, honest guy who loves what he does. He is also dedicated to his family and friends, but knows that something is missing. He can't quite figure it out, but when his friend Hope, whom he is wildly attracted to asks for his help in tricking her mom, he is all in.
Hope is loving her life right now. However, the constant nagging by her mother is making her feel both inadequate and like a failure. When she hatches a plan with JT to show her mother up - who is very judgmental, everything goes the way Hope believes it will... until it changes.
Hope is getting strange messages, flowers and feelings. JT wants nothing more than to protect her. In order for both of these characters to stop running, they have to decide if love is worth the risk. It was a sweet story about trusting in your feelings and taking some risks.
4 stars
M/F Romance
Triggers: Stalking, Assault
I was given this book for an honest review by Wicked Reads.
This is a sweet story and I enjoyed it more than book #2. This was more of a love story and kept you guessing as to where it was going to go.
JT is a hard working, honest guy who loves what he does. He is also dedicated to his family and friends, but knows that something is missing. He can't quite figure it out, but when his friend Hope, whom he is wildly attracted to asks for his help in tricking her mom, he is all in.
Hope is loving her life right now. However, the constant nagging by her mother is making her feel both inadequate and like a failure. When she hatches a plan with JT to show her mother up - who is very judgmental, everything goes the way Hope believes it will... until it changes.
Hope is getting strange messages, flowers and feelings. JT wants nothing more than to protect her. In order for both of these characters to stop running, they have to decide if love is worth the risk. It was a sweet story about trusting in your feelings and taking some risks.
June 7, 2018
I love a book that can make me laugh out loud in public, and I laughed a lot with this book. J. T. and Hope makes an awesome couple with lots of chemistry. Their story grabbed me from the first page and held it until the last. I also love that we got glimpses of all the couples/characters from all the previous books.
May 8, 2018
Eh....the book was slow to take off (if it ever does) and honestly quite boring. I stopped reading about 17% of the way through. I needed something to pull the two characters together, but it was just slow, getting to know you until that point.
May 9, 2018
I received a free copy of this book to read and review for Wicked Reads.
What's better than a real relationship? A fake one with a guy who knows the score. What hope doesn't realize is that JT is all in and he's willing to play Hope's game to get what he wants. And he wants Hope.
Hope's tired of her mother setting her up with guys or being on her case for not dating at all. So she invents a boyfriend and her mother wants to meet him, she convinces JT to play along. What she doesn't realize is that she's not as good an actress as she thinks she is.
~~Wicked Reads Review Team~~
What's better than a real relationship? A fake one with a guy who knows the score. What hope doesn't realize is that JT is all in and he's willing to play Hope's game to get what he wants. And he wants Hope.
Hope's tired of her mother setting her up with guys or being on her case for not dating at all. So she invents a boyfriend and her mother wants to meet him, she convinces JT to play along. What she doesn't realize is that she's not as good an actress as she thinks she is.
~~Wicked Reads Review Team~~
May 1, 2018
Originally posted on NallaReads.com
A sweet quick romance, the next Donnigans novel is a romance gone wrong then right. Hope has sworn off men; after disastrous exes and failed chances at love, she’s focusing on herself. But her mother’s got higher expectations and it seems no matter what Hope tries, she’s never enough. fed up she claims that the risqué tattoo artist she met at a family wedding (and can’t stop dreaming of) is her latest boyfriend and challenges her mother to accept him. J.T. now has to go along with her ridiculous scheme. But when these two fake a romance then end up falling for one another when neither had planned for it.
J.T. is one hot man! I loved watching him push Hope’s buttons on what qualified as their fake romance and their true friendship. There’s and obvious chemistry between the two of them and I found myself just wanting to slap Hope upside the head and realize how much J.T. loves her. There aren’t a lot of your typical romance trope of “how will they ever get back together” due to some climax of a breakup. J.T. and Hope are a true slow burn romance filled with sweet moments, funny as hell moments, and moments of clarity that these two are a perfect match (for each other AND a readers).
A sweet quick romance, the next Donnigans novel is a romance gone wrong then right. Hope has sworn off men; after disastrous exes and failed chances at love, she’s focusing on herself. But her mother’s got higher expectations and it seems no matter what Hope tries, she’s never enough. fed up she claims that the risqué tattoo artist she met at a family wedding (and can’t stop dreaming of) is her latest boyfriend and challenges her mother to accept him. J.T. now has to go along with her ridiculous scheme. But when these two fake a romance then end up falling for one another when neither had planned for it.
J.T. is one hot man! I loved watching him push Hope’s buttons on what qualified as their fake romance and their true friendship. There’s and obvious chemistry between the two of them and I found myself just wanting to slap Hope upside the head and realize how much J.T. loves her. There aren’t a lot of your typical romance trope of “how will they ever get back together” due to some climax of a breakup. J.T. and Hope are a true slow burn romance filled with sweet moments, funny as hell moments, and moments of clarity that these two are a perfect match (for each other AND a readers).
May 26, 2020
Loved Hope's story. I really like JT. I was glad her story wasn't gym based. Nothing much sexier than a sexy tattoo artist. Definitely a favorite character type.
July 7, 2018
I was very intrigued by the premise of this book. Too bad the book was one big disappointment. I rounded up to a 3 because I think many people will like the book more than me.
Where to start? There is WAY too much frivolous dialogue and many of the scenes seem like they could have easily been cut (no substance, no entertainment).
J.T. and Hope talk WAY too much about their past relationships (although neither ever says anything specific-just that they were bad or casual). J.T. is not attractive to me at all. He’s known as a man-whore, which he objects to bc 1) he lets the ladies know upfront he’s only there for a good passing time between the sheets and 2) he’s no cheater (but if you’re not ever in a committed relationship would it even be cheating?). The sexy muscle dense alpha ladies man is such a cliche H character, and EVERY SINGLE ONE of Harte’s male leads is this exact same character. Oh their features and jobs change, but the blueprint is the same.
Another HUGE issue I have, and again has been repeated in most of her books, is this quick transition to no condoms. The H always swears to wearing a condom every time he’s ever had sex (bc he’s been with a lot of different people and knows that could be risky), but with the h in no time at all they’re doing it bareback... Yeah, I’m not buying it.
And back to the man-whore thing, that’s fine, he can have had many partners, but WHY must they always have cameos and interactions with the h? And WHY does the author make it such a big part of the story?? Hope is constantly asking JT about his past hook ups, she comes across as super insecure and clingy-it is not flattering. Just write about the H/h and leave the past in the past.
The stalker element was the only interesting part of the book, but it never really played out as a true mystery because the culprit hasn’t ever actually met Hope (he saw her once at her job and thought she was pretty). It would have been MUCH better had it been written thriller-style with little clues and more suspense.
Other than the stalker piece the rest of the book was pretty boring and I skimmed most of it. The dialogue was redundant, nothing really happens, there’s A LOT of meaningless small talk and very drawn out boring sex scenes.
This is a fluff romance with an alpha-artist H and a head strong (kind of) h who have very few blips in their romance which starts out as ‘fake’. Not much else to the book; it’s a light read.
Where to start? There is WAY too much frivolous dialogue and many of the scenes seem like they could have easily been cut (no substance, no entertainment).
J.T. and Hope talk WAY too much about their past relationships (although neither ever says anything specific-just that they were bad or casual). J.T. is not attractive to me at all. He’s known as a man-whore, which he objects to bc 1) he lets the ladies know upfront he’s only there for a good passing time between the sheets and 2) he’s no cheater (but if you’re not ever in a committed relationship would it even be cheating?). The sexy muscle dense alpha ladies man is such a cliche H character, and EVERY SINGLE ONE of Harte’s male leads is this exact same character. Oh their features and jobs change, but the blueprint is the same.
Another HUGE issue I have, and again has been repeated in most of her books, is this quick transition to no condoms. The H always swears to wearing a condom every time he’s ever had sex (bc he’s been with a lot of different people and knows that could be risky), but with the h in no time at all they’re doing it bareback... Yeah, I’m not buying it.
And back to the man-whore thing, that’s fine, he can have had many partners, but WHY must they always have cameos and interactions with the h? And WHY does the author make it such a big part of the story?? Hope is constantly asking JT about his past hook ups, she comes across as super insecure and clingy-it is not flattering. Just write about the H/h and leave the past in the past.
The stalker element was the only interesting part of the book, but it never really played out as a true mystery because the culprit hasn’t ever actually met Hope (he saw her once at her job and thought she was pretty). It would have been MUCH better had it been written thriller-style with little clues and more suspense.
Other than the stalker piece the rest of the book was pretty boring and I skimmed most of it. The dialogue was redundant, nothing really happens, there’s A LOT of meaningless small talk and very drawn out boring sex scenes.
This is a fluff romance with an alpha-artist H and a head strong (kind of) h who have very few blips in their romance which starts out as ‘fake’. Not much else to the book; it’s a light read.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
August 12, 2019
This is the third book in the series and they really read better if read in order. You cannot help but feel for hope her mum was such a pushy parent hope had no way of being everything her mother expected so when she starts butting into her love life she invents a fake relationship. She met JT at a wedding and he is tatted up and looks like a bad boy but he is a wonderful guy and will do anything to help her especially if it means he can spend time with her this was a super end to the series I really enjoyed it.
July 29, 2018
Hope and J.T.’s (aka the Rock) story...”fake” relationship. We all know how they turn out...
April 28, 2018
With her latest release Ms. Harte has brought together the friends and families inhabiting some of her much-beloved series to have them all put in their two cents when it comes to the love lives of Hope Donnigan and J.T. Webster. What starts out under the guise of a lie soon becomes oh so much more, but with familial intervention and inner fears it’s a somewhat rocky road to HEA. Add in a bit of unnecessary drama courtesy of a scary secret admirer and readers will be left feeling a bit of whiplash but satisfied by all the action, sexiness, and banter.
Hope Donnigan is unlucky in love. As the lone daughter in her family she has been surrounded by loving and overprotective brothers and a judgmental mother who have added to her burden in finding true love. After two particularly awful relationships she’s sworn off men, but her mother’s criticism and meddling has her doing the unthinkable...creating a fake boyfriend (who’s the complete opposite of what her mother wants) in hopes of ending her mother’s matchmaking forever. As she describes her new “boyfriend” though he starts sounding a lot like the hot tattoo artist she recently met at a family function. This one lie changes everything for her and unexpectedly gives Hope exactly what she’s always longed for in a rocky and scorching journey to HEA. Hope’s a likable heroine. She’s strong-willed, down-to-earth, with a loyal heart. She’s not overly ambitious and isn’t consumed with finding a rich man to marry. She just wants to be happy. She’s an average gal who told it like it was. She has no filter when it comes to talking about sex and it often made me chuckle. She ultimately sees herself married with kids, but is tired of being hurt, and is in no rush despite her mother’s machinations. There’s a lot about Hope that’s easy to relate to and it had me rooting for her every step of the way.
J.T. Webster comes from a big family too, an outspoken and loving family. He’s a bit of a player, but he’s so charming and sexy that women are happy with whatever crumbs he’s willing to give them. Though there aren’t many women who’ve caught his attention...Hope definitely has him wanting her and happy to play her fake boyfriend. They’re a crackling couple from the very start and J.T.’s more than happy to jump into his role wholeheartedly. In scenes that were funny yet erotically-charged you could see him growing closer to her against his better judgment as he’s also had heartache in his life courtesy of his dad who’s twice widowed. It’s made him leery of opening his heart for fear the happiness he feels while being with Hope will be snatched away. When it comes to J.T.’s looks he’s one sexy beast! He’s big and burly and more than capable of flexing his muscles. Whereas Hope is blond with a sense of carefree to her, he’s got an aura of darkness and steadiness. He’s devoted to family and gentle with the kids. He’s charming with a talent for dirty talk too that made their scenes even hotter. I fell for him completely and am still drooling over him nightly in my dreams!
Hope and J.T. are a likable and entertaining couple. Their relationship was easy, minus the unnecessary crazy admirer, sweet and sexy with no angst. The honesty between them about what they want and who they are made them even more likable and had me rooting for them. Learning about each other to make their fake relationship more real was erotically-charged and their extended foreplay quickly evolved into so much more. Through their words and deeds it’s clear that they were a couple long before they admitted it to themselves. Surrounding this dynamic duo was a large cast of characters from previous books who all started to get jumbled after awhile. I forgot who was who and wished there hadn’t been so much stuffed into this story as it all became a distraction. Another thing that I never warmed up to was Hope’s mother. She meant well but her words and judgments were hurtful. She could tear Hope down with just a few words and I wanted to slug her whenever she came on the scene. The mystery surrounding Hope’s admirer was also unnecessary. Hope and J.T. had enough excitement going on just becoming a couple that the danger and suspense this brought was just another distraction. Hope and J.T. were utterly delightful all on their own, with rapid-fire banter full of sexy innuendos, and I became captivated by them in a story where watching them together was satisfaction enough. All the extras just got in the way of my enjoyment of Hope and J.T! Throughout this story readers will have a perpetual smile on their face, along with a few blushes, as you soak in their decadently delightful relationship while waiting to see where life takes these families and friends next.
Hope Donnigan is unlucky in love. As the lone daughter in her family she has been surrounded by loving and overprotective brothers and a judgmental mother who have added to her burden in finding true love. After two particularly awful relationships she’s sworn off men, but her mother’s criticism and meddling has her doing the unthinkable...creating a fake boyfriend (who’s the complete opposite of what her mother wants) in hopes of ending her mother’s matchmaking forever. As she describes her new “boyfriend” though he starts sounding a lot like the hot tattoo artist she recently met at a family function. This one lie changes everything for her and unexpectedly gives Hope exactly what she’s always longed for in a rocky and scorching journey to HEA. Hope’s a likable heroine. She’s strong-willed, down-to-earth, with a loyal heart. She’s not overly ambitious and isn’t consumed with finding a rich man to marry. She just wants to be happy. She’s an average gal who told it like it was. She has no filter when it comes to talking about sex and it often made me chuckle. She ultimately sees herself married with kids, but is tired of being hurt, and is in no rush despite her mother’s machinations. There’s a lot about Hope that’s easy to relate to and it had me rooting for her every step of the way.
J.T. Webster comes from a big family too, an outspoken and loving family. He’s a bit of a player, but he’s so charming and sexy that women are happy with whatever crumbs he’s willing to give them. Though there aren’t many women who’ve caught his attention...Hope definitely has him wanting her and happy to play her fake boyfriend. They’re a crackling couple from the very start and J.T.’s more than happy to jump into his role wholeheartedly. In scenes that were funny yet erotically-charged you could see him growing closer to her against his better judgment as he’s also had heartache in his life courtesy of his dad who’s twice widowed. It’s made him leery of opening his heart for fear the happiness he feels while being with Hope will be snatched away. When it comes to J.T.’s looks he’s one sexy beast! He’s big and burly and more than capable of flexing his muscles. Whereas Hope is blond with a sense of carefree to her, he’s got an aura of darkness and steadiness. He’s devoted to family and gentle with the kids. He’s charming with a talent for dirty talk too that made their scenes even hotter. I fell for him completely and am still drooling over him nightly in my dreams!
Hope and J.T. are a likable and entertaining couple. Their relationship was easy, minus the unnecessary crazy admirer, sweet and sexy with no angst. The honesty between them about what they want and who they are made them even more likable and had me rooting for them. Learning about each other to make their fake relationship more real was erotically-charged and their extended foreplay quickly evolved into so much more. Through their words and deeds it’s clear that they were a couple long before they admitted it to themselves. Surrounding this dynamic duo was a large cast of characters from previous books who all started to get jumbled after awhile. I forgot who was who and wished there hadn’t been so much stuffed into this story as it all became a distraction. Another thing that I never warmed up to was Hope’s mother. She meant well but her words and judgments were hurtful. She could tear Hope down with just a few words and I wanted to slug her whenever she came on the scene. The mystery surrounding Hope’s admirer was also unnecessary. Hope and J.T. had enough excitement going on just becoming a couple that the danger and suspense this brought was just another distraction. Hope and J.T. were utterly delightful all on their own, with rapid-fire banter full of sexy innuendos, and I became captivated by them in a story where watching them together was satisfaction enough. All the extras just got in the way of my enjoyment of Hope and J.T! Throughout this story readers will have a perpetual smile on their face, along with a few blushes, as you soak in their decadently delightful relationship while waiting to see where life takes these families and friends next.
April 26, 2018
Being the only girl in the family, Hope Donnigan gets her fair share of over-protectiveness from her brothers and cousins. From her mother, she gets criticism on everything she does, every choice she makes especially when it comes to her love life (or current lack of love life). The truth is, Hope is happy with her life. She's happy at her job, and despite someday wanting to settle down and have kids, Hope is happy giving all that a rest after a string of horrendous boyfriends / dates. One thing Hope isn't happy about: her mother constantly putting her down. To get her off her back, and let's be honest to get back at her a little bit, Hope invents a boyfriend, the type of boyfriend she knows her mother would hate. To fill in the shoes of the fake boyfriend, Hope has one person in mind:
JT Webster isn't looking to change anything about his life. He owns / runs a successful tattoo shop, he's got a wonderful family and extended family. While he's never been into commitment, after seeing his father pretty much shut down after losing two wives, he's never lacking for dates either. But when Hope Donnigan approaches him with her idea, he can't seem to say no. While he's had his eye on Hope for months, he knows starting something with her could upset the McCauley / Webster / Donnigan balance that the family has going. He figures helping out a friend won't hurt matters. But as the charade slowly turns into real feelings between the two of them, they'll have to either decide to go all in, or step away.
I feel like this book does really well in show-casing the various intersections of Marie Harte's McCauley Brothers, Body Shop Bad Boys, and The Donnigans series / spin-off series. At times it's complicated to puzzle everyone together and how this person is related to that person by either blood or marriage. I like how, in this one at least, you get characters from all the series flowing in, out, and around, Hope and JT's story.
Typically, the "fake fiancee", or in this case fake boyfriend, trope is not one of my favorites. I just liked everything about Hope and JT. JT's easy-going attitude was fantastic. He didn't get too intense about his feelings for Hope one way or another. Same with Hope. Besides trying to pull one over on her mother, and the insecurities her mother's criticism's cause her, Hope is pretty chill and steady. She's intelligent and knows what she wants out of her life, and is happy, even if those same wants don't match up with what her mother wants for her. These are two people who's lives are pretty standard lives. They're not multi-millionaires. They're not down-on-their-luck. I liked the normalcy of it all. Plus, the chemistry between them was oh so hot! I do not remember things being quite so hot in the other books. I think that Hope and JT have the honor of being my favorite couple throughout this series. We'll see if everyone's cousin Rena (who I'm assuming will have her own book as a romance has been teased for a while now) can usurp them.
Because of the normalcy, Marie Harte throws in a subplot involving a mysterious admirer of Hope's whose tactics escalate to violence towards the end of the book. I went back and forth with this. There were times that I was pulled into who the person could be and their motivations, and then there were times I utterly forgot about it. Overall, I thought it was handled pretty plausibly. I'm just not sure if I think it should have been included in the first place at times. As though just the building of a relationship between JT and Hope and wanting to keep as much conflict out of the relationship as possible was cause to throw in an external conflict. I'm not sure.
Regardless, I enjoyed The Only Thing a lot. I'm not sure where things will go from here, if we'll get a standalone, or more in this series, or another spin-off, but any which way things end up, I can't wait to read more.
*ARC provided by NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
JT Webster isn't looking to change anything about his life. He owns / runs a successful tattoo shop, he's got a wonderful family and extended family. While he's never been into commitment, after seeing his father pretty much shut down after losing two wives, he's never lacking for dates either. But when Hope Donnigan approaches him with her idea, he can't seem to say no. While he's had his eye on Hope for months, he knows starting something with her could upset the McCauley / Webster / Donnigan balance that the family has going. He figures helping out a friend won't hurt matters. But as the charade slowly turns into real feelings between the two of them, they'll have to either decide to go all in, or step away.
I feel like this book does really well in show-casing the various intersections of Marie Harte's McCauley Brothers, Body Shop Bad Boys, and The Donnigans series / spin-off series. At times it's complicated to puzzle everyone together and how this person is related to that person by either blood or marriage. I like how, in this one at least, you get characters from all the series flowing in, out, and around, Hope and JT's story.
Typically, the "fake fiancee", or in this case fake boyfriend, trope is not one of my favorites. I just liked everything about Hope and JT. JT's easy-going attitude was fantastic. He didn't get too intense about his feelings for Hope one way or another. Same with Hope. Besides trying to pull one over on her mother, and the insecurities her mother's criticism's cause her, Hope is pretty chill and steady. She's intelligent and knows what she wants out of her life, and is happy, even if those same wants don't match up with what her mother wants for her. These are two people who's lives are pretty standard lives. They're not multi-millionaires. They're not down-on-their-luck. I liked the normalcy of it all. Plus, the chemistry between them was oh so hot! I do not remember things being quite so hot in the other books. I think that Hope and JT have the honor of being my favorite couple throughout this series. We'll see if everyone's cousin Rena (who I'm assuming will have her own book as a romance has been teased for a while now) can usurp them.
Because of the normalcy, Marie Harte throws in a subplot involving a mysterious admirer of Hope's whose tactics escalate to violence towards the end of the book. I went back and forth with this. There were times that I was pulled into who the person could be and their motivations, and then there were times I utterly forgot about it. Overall, I thought it was handled pretty plausibly. I'm just not sure if I think it should have been included in the first place at times. As though just the building of a relationship between JT and Hope and wanting to keep as much conflict out of the relationship as possible was cause to throw in an external conflict. I'm not sure.
Regardless, I enjoyed The Only Thing a lot. I'm not sure where things will go from here, if we'll get a standalone, or more in this series, or another spin-off, but any which way things end up, I can't wait to read more.
*ARC provided by NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
May 12, 2018
Check out our
The Only Thing
post on Wicked Reads.
Reviews by the Wicked Reads Review Team
Lee’Anne – ☆☆☆☆
I really enjoyed this super-hot, humor-filled book! J.T. and Hope’s story is interesting, funny, and will have you unable to put it down!
Hope is happy with life, she’s finally figuring things out and has made a decision to stay away from guys for a while. Her mother has other plans, she wants to see Hope settled down with a “nice young man” and still stop at nothing to make it happen. Hope winds up scheming a way to keep her mom off her back – she winds up in a “fake” relationship with J.T. Webster, a man whom she knows is the opposite of everything her mother wants for her. J.T. has been crushing on Hope since he first saw her at his sister’s wedding. The two aren’t able to keep their hands off one another long but Hope remains in absolute denial that they’re in a real relationship, while J.T. is fighting tooth and nail to get them to “real” status.
I was back and forth on my feelings about J.T. and Hope’s denial about being in a relationship. At some points I was frustrated because I just wanted it to happen, but the author does such a great job keeping the storyline flowing that the frustration didn’t last long. Other than that, this is a fantastic read and I can’t wait to see more from The Donnigans!
Avid Reader – ☆☆☆☆
M/F Romance
Triggers: Stalking, Assault
This is a sweet story and I enjoyed it more than book #2. This was more of a love story and kept you guessing as to where it was going to go.
J.T. is a hardworking, honest guy who loves what he does. He is also dedicated to his family and friends but knows that something is missing. He can't quite figure it out, but when his friend Hope, whom he is wildly attracted to, asks for his help in tricking her mom, he is all in.
Hope is loving her life right now. However, the constant nagging by her mother is making her feel both inadequate and like a failure. When she hatches a plan with J.T. to show her mother up – who is very judgmental – everything goes the way Hope believes it will... until it changes.
Hope is getting strange messages, flowers, and feelings. J.T. wants nothing more than to protect her. In order for both of these characters to stop running, they have to decide if love is worth the risk. It was a sweet story about trusting in your feelings and taking some risks.
Mary Jo – ☆☆☆☆
What's better than a real relationship? A fake one with a guy who knows the score. What Hope doesn't realize is that J.T. is all in and he's willing to play Hope's game to get what he wants. And he wants Hope.
Hope's tired of her mother setting her up with guys or being on her case for not dating at all. So she invents a boyfriend and when her mother wants to meet him, she convinces J.T. to play along. What she doesn't realize is that she's not as good an actress as she thinks she is.
Ruthie – ☆☆☆☆
I must admit that this is my first read of a book in this series, so I had less invested than many readers I am guessing. However, I loved it and have added all the others that fit with this story to my to-be-read shelf!
From the first dinner Hope has with her parents, and she tries the shock tactic of the inappropriate boyfriend, to the very end, this is a fun, sexy, and very enjoyable read. The writing style is easy and just entices you to turn another page, and then another!
I had to laugh at their denial of anything meaningful, even when it was blatantly obvious how much they cared – I felt that Ms. Harte wanted to see just how far she could push them, and she timed it to perfection.
Whilst I may have missed some of the nuance, I found this to be a very good stand-alone read too.
Reviewers on the Wicked Reads Review Team were provided a free copy of The Only Thing (The Donnigans #3) by Marie Harte to read and review.
Reviews by the Wicked Reads Review Team
Lee’Anne – ☆☆☆☆
I really enjoyed this super-hot, humor-filled book! J.T. and Hope’s story is interesting, funny, and will have you unable to put it down!
Hope is happy with life, she’s finally figuring things out and has made a decision to stay away from guys for a while. Her mother has other plans, she wants to see Hope settled down with a “nice young man” and still stop at nothing to make it happen. Hope winds up scheming a way to keep her mom off her back – she winds up in a “fake” relationship with J.T. Webster, a man whom she knows is the opposite of everything her mother wants for her. J.T. has been crushing on Hope since he first saw her at his sister’s wedding. The two aren’t able to keep their hands off one another long but Hope remains in absolute denial that they’re in a real relationship, while J.T. is fighting tooth and nail to get them to “real” status.
I was back and forth on my feelings about J.T. and Hope’s denial about being in a relationship. At some points I was frustrated because I just wanted it to happen, but the author does such a great job keeping the storyline flowing that the frustration didn’t last long. Other than that, this is a fantastic read and I can’t wait to see more from The Donnigans!
Avid Reader – ☆☆☆☆
M/F Romance
Triggers: Stalking, Assault
This is a sweet story and I enjoyed it more than book #2. This was more of a love story and kept you guessing as to where it was going to go.
J.T. is a hardworking, honest guy who loves what he does. He is also dedicated to his family and friends but knows that something is missing. He can't quite figure it out, but when his friend Hope, whom he is wildly attracted to, asks for his help in tricking her mom, he is all in.
Hope is loving her life right now. However, the constant nagging by her mother is making her feel both inadequate and like a failure. When she hatches a plan with J.T. to show her mother up – who is very judgmental – everything goes the way Hope believes it will... until it changes.
Hope is getting strange messages, flowers, and feelings. J.T. wants nothing more than to protect her. In order for both of these characters to stop running, they have to decide if love is worth the risk. It was a sweet story about trusting in your feelings and taking some risks.
Mary Jo – ☆☆☆☆
What's better than a real relationship? A fake one with a guy who knows the score. What Hope doesn't realize is that J.T. is all in and he's willing to play Hope's game to get what he wants. And he wants Hope.
Hope's tired of her mother setting her up with guys or being on her case for not dating at all. So she invents a boyfriend and when her mother wants to meet him, she convinces J.T. to play along. What she doesn't realize is that she's not as good an actress as she thinks she is.
Ruthie – ☆☆☆☆
I must admit that this is my first read of a book in this series, so I had less invested than many readers I am guessing. However, I loved it and have added all the others that fit with this story to my to-be-read shelf!
From the first dinner Hope has with her parents, and she tries the shock tactic of the inappropriate boyfriend, to the very end, this is a fun, sexy, and very enjoyable read. The writing style is easy and just entices you to turn another page, and then another!
I had to laugh at their denial of anything meaningful, even when it was blatantly obvious how much they cared – I felt that Ms. Harte wanted to see just how far she could push them, and she timed it to perfection.
Whilst I may have missed some of the nuance, I found this to be a very good stand-alone read too.
Reviewers on the Wicked Reads Review Team were provided a free copy of The Only Thing (The Donnigans #3) by Marie Harte to read and review.
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