It could be too early to tell, but Hard Feelings might be my favorite read of the year. It has a satisfying mix of romance, humor, and emotional depth. Not to mention the sizzling chemistry and heartfelt character growth. Loathe-to-lovers trope paired with accidental marriage works especially well here, with Dom and Cecily proving to be a genuinely well-matched pair. Their banter is sharp and fun, their connection feels earned, and once the central misunderstanding is resolved, their relationship truly excels. A slight downside was the original cause of the miscommunication. That didn’t exactly land for me; thankfully, the conflict was resolved quickly.

Both Dom and Cecily have a complicated relationship with their families. For Cecily, she’s always felt like the “difficult” child. Hard to love and harder to understand. She had every intention of telling her family the truth about her marriage to Dom; however, when her father demanded that she annul the marriage, she felt defiant and took her back to her childhood.

Her grandma stands out as a powerful and loving presence. She is one person who has always been firmly in her corner. Cecily’s world shatters when she learns that Grandma is dying and has orchestrated one last family road trip as a way for them heal old wounds and resolve long-standing conflicts. Although there are moments of confrontation, the resolution with her parents felt less satisfying than the arc involving her older brother, Duke. His reconciliation with Cecily was more emotionally complete and rewarding.

Both Dom and Cecily are actively working through their pasts and repairing old wounds as they build something new together. Dom understood that parents can love their children and still cause deep harm. He sees his parents as flawed people and carries resentment over the instability in his childhood. However, Cecily’s arc does feel more fully resolved.

Final Thoughts

Hard Feelings is a highlight of the year. It delivers a tender, emotionally rich romance that shines in its character work. The book has a few small flaws; however, the story more than makes up for them with heartfelt growth, healing, and a love story that feels both passionate and genuine.

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About the Book

A spicy, sassy, and swoony fake dating romantic comedy from Amazon Charts bestselling author Jennifer Millikin.

A week on an island sounds like the stuff of beach dreams, but for Paisley Royce, it's a nightmare. Her little sister is marrying her ex-college sweetheart, and Paisley is serving as maid of honor. To add insult to injury, nobody will let Paisley forget she’s single.

Bachelorette weekend changes everything when she runs into her old college frenemy, Klein Madigan.

Klein is still intelligent and funny, and somehow time has only made him more attractive.

Paisley is Klein’s ‘one that got away’, not that he’d ever admit it to her. A colossal misstep (and one terrible kiss) in college sealed their fate.

Or so they thought.

Klein’s an aspiring author allergic to social media. Paisley owns a digital marketing agency.

A brilliant plan is hatched: A trip across the country for a week of faking out her family in exchange for her firm marketing his work.

One hastily scrawled and signed contract on a bar napkin later, Paisley and Klein embark on a journey of tension, only one bed, and fake dating shenanigans.

Paisley’s goal is to survive the week.

Klein’s plan is to enjoy the sun, sand, and wedding cake.

Review

This was a refreshing fake dating story, just in time for hot weather. I adored this story and the characters. For the entire time I was reading I had such a huge smile on my face.

The story centers around Paisley. She has been asked to be her younger sister’s maid of honor. The problem is that her sister’s soon-to-be husband is Paisley’s ex-boyfriend. The situation with her sister and ex-boyfriend is not something ideal for her. However, Paisley is considered a “people pleaser” and of course agrees to the entire thing. One night she runs into Klein, someone she kissed years ago in college. He’s a writer who is struggling with having an online persona. They strike a deal. She’ll help him market his book if he agrees to be her fake boyfriend. Their story is intoxicating filled with humor, chemistry, and sweet moments.

As mentioned previously, Paisley is a people pleaser. Her family is constantly walking over her. They don’t know the real her because she’s scared of them blaming her. She has a thriving business and is charming. I loved how as the book progressed, she began to stand up for herself. It was a natural progression that wasn’t jarring. Klein was the perfect love interest to her. After their kiss in college, there was some bad blood between him in Paisley, something he understood. To him, she was the one who got away. Klein was lovely. My favorite thing about him is that the author just didn’t say he was a writer. His passion was something obvious in his words and how he saw and interacted with the world.

Final Thoughts

Here For the Cake was such a great fake dating story that stands out from the rest. Paisley and Klein are incredible, as well as their story. I seriously have zero complaints about this story. I felt everything played out wonderfully.

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