Caught in Fake Romance

by Skylar M. Cates

For Lady Gaga it might be all about the bad romance, but I’m obsessed lately with the fake ones. I must be. Without even realizing it, I wrote two books with pretend relationships in them.

In The Last Guy Breathing, Henry and Locke must pretend to be a couple to solve a crime. In The Holiday Hoax, Evan and JD fake a relationship to fool Evan’s parents and save face. The two books are hugely different in tone and plot, so I was actually surprised they shared this feature. I had to ask myself: what is it about the fake romance trope that it continues to thrive?

In the fake relationship,  the idea is that two people are tossed together due to circumstances outside of their control and must pretend to be a couple. They might be hostile to each other at the beginning. This is true for Henry and Locke in The Last Guy Breathing.  Forcing them to spend time together, though, gives them an opportunity to see beyond the angst to the real person underneath.

The Holiday Hoax is a sweeter one.  They start out as potential friends with no intentions of becoming lovers.  As their friendship deepens, so does their possibility for romance.

In both The Last Guy Breathing and The Holiday Hoax, the couples risk exposure. Will somebody find out their secret? What will happen if the truth comes out?  Most importantly, the MCs must work for their happily ever after. The fun, of course, is watching them go from pretense to true love.  I had a good time writing these two novels, and I hope you enjoy them.

About The Last Guy Breathing

Henry Clueley doesn’t want to be in Glamour, not after moving far away to overcome a difficult, if privileged, childhood. He’s no longer that pudgy kid desperate to escape his hometown, but it still holds painful memories. When his recently widowed mother needs him, however, “dependable Henry” does the right thing—even if it means leaving the IRS to take a boring corporate position. Things don’t stay boring for long. Soon Henry helps the local sheriff’s department unravel a crime. Posing as half of a fake couple seems like a fun idea… until Henry learns he already knows the deputy playing his other half.

Deputy Locke may be new to the Glamour Sheriff’s Department, but he’s fought his way up in the world and is determined to make a good impression. He keeps his private life quiet, even from his beloved younger brother. Locke knows better than most the need to protect what’s his.

Henry resents the arrogant, gorgeous cop, and Locke thinks Henry is sheltered and spoiled. Their secret and steamy encounter only adds to the animosity. As they join forces, Henry thinks a relationship with Locke would be catastrophic, but the white-hot passion between them makes it hard to resist.

Available at: Dreamspinner Press & Amazon

About The Holiday Hoax

I’m Evan Goodman, budding actor, future star, college freshman. Oh, and let’s not forget—recently dumped. If only my family wasn’t expecting to meet my new boyfriend over the holiday break. Enter JD Laurens—a sweet and quiet science major who mostly keeps to himself. When he gathers the courage to come out, poor JD gets abandoned by his only family right in front of me, and now he has nowhere to go for Christmas. But I have a proposition for him: pretend to be my boyfriend for the holidays so I can take him home. It’s a win-win. What could go wrong?

Available at: Dreamspinner Press and Amazon

About Skylar M. Cates

Skylar M. Cates loves a good romance. She is quite happy to drink some coffee, curl up with a good book, and not move all day. Most days, however, Skylar is chasing after her husband, her kids, and her giant dog, Wasabi. Skylar dreams about spending her days writing her novels, walking along the beach, and making more time for her good friends. On a shoestring budget, Skylar has traveled all over in her early years. Although, lately, the laundry room is the farthest place she has visited, Skylar still loves to chat with people from all around the globe.

Find out more about Skylar on her Website, Facebook or Twitter.

Skylar has graciously offered up an eBook copy of winner’s choice from Skylar’s backlist!! The giveaway starts now and ends December 18, 2014 at 11:59 p.m. To enter, just click the link below!

Rafflecopter Giveaway

Please be aware that the only way to enter the giveaway is to click the Rafflecopter link above. Any comments on this post will not count towards entering the giveaway, except to verify your Rafflecopter entry.

Don’t forget to check out JustJen’s review of The Last Guy Breathing and Nikyta’s review of The Holiday Hoax to see what they thought of them!

Good luck!