Single mother Kyra Kokinos spends her days waiting tables, her nights working on her real estate license, and every spare moment with her precocious six-year-old daughter, Ruby—especially when Ruby won’t stop pestering their grumpy next-door neighbor. At first glance, Dax Bishop seems like the kind of gruff, solitary guy who’d be unlikely to offer a cup of sugar, let alone a marriage proposal. But that’s exactly what happens when Ruby needs life-saving surgery.

Dax showed up in East Beach a year ago, fresh from a painful divorce and looking for a place where he could make furniture and avoid people. Suddenly his life is invaded by an inquisitive munchkin in sparkly cowboy boots—and her frazzled, too-tempting mother. So he presents a practical plan: his insurance will help Ruby, and then they can divorce—zero strings attached.

But soon Kyra and Dax find their engagement of convenience is simple in name only. As their attraction deepens, a figure from the past reappears, offering a way out. Can Kyra and Dax let go so easily—or has love become a preexisting condition?

Titles in the Lake Haven series include:  Suddenly In Love – Suddenly Dating – Suddenly Engaged –

Title:  Suddenly Engaged
Series:  Lake Haven #3
Author:  Julia London
Genre:  Contemporary Romance
Published:  July 25, 2017
Publisher:  Montlake Romance
My Rating:  4.5 stars

Suddenly Engaged is one of those stories where you don’t have to stretch your imagination to believe it could be taking place in real life.  Those are the types of romance that simply draw me in for the entire journey.  Yes, I love fantasy and the unusual, but I also love the down the street kind of romance where everything is perfectly plausible to have happened to a friend or to me.

Dax intended to escape people.  His passion these days is building furniture, and if he’s become somewhat of a hermit so be it.  People are annoying anyway… well most are.  One little girl, cute as a button and with sparkly cowboy boots climbed his fence and wandered right into his heart.  Ruby was a person he could let into his world… her mother, well they were a package deal in a way.  Yet Kyra sparked quite a different reaction from her daughter.  In truth, he wasn’t hero material, at least he didn’t believe so.  But one little girl’s desperate need outweighed any of his reluctance to allow the world back in.  It really was quite simple – Ruby needed him, and it turns out he needs both Ruby and her mom.

Kyra is a hard working single mom, at times frazzled, overworked and full of life lessons.  Right now she’s dealing with work, a grumpy neighbor, learning a new career and a precious, beautiful daughter who wraps everyone around her little finger with ease.  Could one pretend engagement, for her daughter’s sake, actually turn out to be a happy ending for them all?  Hopefully, if the past doesn’t get in the way.

I adored Ruby, she is the shining star of Suddenly Engaged.  I enjoyed this romance very much.  It’s not completely light-ish for it does involve some serious situations.  Yet it could easily be played out in any neighborhood, maybe even yours.  I found Dax and Kyra to be believable, likable and entertaining.  I wanted their love to win, and when I can root for a couple it  makes the story all the sweeter for me.  I’d recommend this one for any romance reader… and now excuse me while I go back and pick up the first two stories.  Yeah, I’ve become hooked on another series.

*I received an e-ARC of this novel from the publisher via NetGalley. That does not change what I think of this story. It is my choice to leave a review giving my personal opinion about this book.*

Available in a variety of formats including the Kindle