Title:  Boyfriend For Hire
Series:  West Side Romance #2
Author:  Gail Chianese
Genre:  Contemporary Romance
Published:  November 24, 2015
Publisher:  Kensington Books / Lyrical Press
My Rating:  4 stars
Source:  NetGalley
Cover Description:

The only girl in a family of five brothers, Tawny Torres has had enough of waiting on men. She has her life and her career all mapped out, and neither includes an apron, an iron, or a husband—yet. But when a new job emphasizes a healthy balance of work and play, she needs a guy to stand in as her love interest at a company picnic. Gorgeous charmer David “King of Pleasure” Farber fits the bill perfectly—so well that Tawny is shocked to realize she’s having a hard time letting him go…
 
David’s a confirmed bachelor, but he can’t get enough of Tawny’s firecracker combination of tough and tender. Unfortunately, he’s overloaded with work at his construction firm and now definitely isn’t the time for distraction—he struggles enough with that already. Still, he can’t ignore his feelings for Tawny. He’ll just have to convince her that he’s more than a boyfriend-for-hire.

And she’ll have to prove he can trust her with his biggest secret…

Read on for my thoughts on Boyfriend For Hire.  No true spoilers, promise.

“Oh, the tangled web we weave…”

Tawny’s slimeball of a boss refuses to give her anything but bad recommendations when she quits her job after he promotes someone else over her.  In need of a paying job, Tawny looks outside of her comfort zone and applies for a job with a very, very family oriented, life balance believing company.  So, a  little white lie doesn’t seem like too  much of a big deal… except when it gets complicated.

David doesn’t mind being Tawny’s pretend boyfriend – for now.  The sparks have always ignited between them, so it’s no hardship to spend even more time with this fascinating lady.

Tawny and David will go from friends to lovers and maybe more in Boyfriend For Hire.  Two very strong, independent and yes, stubborn characters who don’t want to be burned but the attraction between them is just too hot and intense to ignore.  I love a female lead with sass who isn’t afraid to stand her ground, and a male lead who tries so hard to not be in love is bound to be a lovely spot for characters to be in.  While David doesn’t think he has time for the distraction of romance, he’s still not ready to give up his boyfriend status, even if it is pretend.  And while Tawny doesn’t need a man to make her life full, she certainly isn’t about to toss David back into the dating pool when there’s a part of her that wants to make this a permanent relationship.

Then comes that one moment when everything goes sideways – and they both have to discover what is real and what is pretend… and then fight for the very real that is right in front of them.

Boyfriend For Hire is simply a charming, fun story.  One with sass and stubbornness.  I enjoyed the characters – and it was a bonus to see Cherry and Jason again.

If you love romance and friends to lovers styled stories, then Boyfriend For Hire should be on your reading list.  I would definitely recommend this story, not only as a continuation of the series but because the characters are lively, believable and endearing.  What more can you ask for from your romantic reads?

*I received an e-ARC of Boyfriend For Hire from the publisher and NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. That does not change what I think of this novel.*

Available in paperback and for the Kindle