Anna Green thought she was marrying Liam "West" Weston for access to subsidized family housing while at UCLA. She also thought she'd signed divorce papers when the graduation caps were tossed, and they both went on their merry ways.
Three years later, Anna is a starving artist living paycheck to paycheck while West is a Stanford professor. He may be one of four heirs to the Weston Foods conglomerate, but he has little interest in working for the heartless corporation his family built from the ground up. He is interested, however, in his one-hundred-million-dollar inheritance. There's just one catch.
Due to an antiquated clause in his grandfather's will, Liam won't see a penny until he's been happily married for five years. Just when Liam thinks he's in the home stretch, pressure mounts from his family to see this mysterious spouse, and he has no choice but to turn to the one person he's afraid to introduce to his one-percenter parents—his unpolished, not-so-ex-wife.
But in the presence of his family, Liam's fears quickly shift from whether the feisty, foul-mouthed, paint-splattered Anna can play the part to whether the toxic world of wealth will corrupt someone as pure of heart as his surprisingly grounded and loyal wife. Liam will have to ask himself if the price tag on his flimsy cover story is worth losing true love that sprouted from a lie.
Anna Green thought she was marrying Liam "West" Weston for access to subsidized family housing while at UCLA. She also thought she'd signed divorce papers when the graduation caps were tossed, and they both went on their merry ways.
Three years later, Anna is a starving artist living paycheck to paycheck while West is a Stanford professor. He may be one of four heirs to the Weston Foods conglomerate, but he has little interest in working for the heartless corporation his family built from the ground up. He is interested, however, in his one-hundred-million-dollar inheritance. There's just one catch.
Due to an antiquated clause in his grandfather's will, Liam won't see a penny until he's been happily married for five years. Just when Liam thinks he's in the home stretch, pressure mounts from his family to see this mysterious spouse, and he has no choice but to turn to the one person he's afraid to introduce to his one-percenter parents—his unpolished, not-so-ex-wife.
But in the presence of his family, Liam's fears quickly shift from whether the feisty, foul-mouthed, paint-splattered Anna can play the part to whether the toxic world of wealth will corrupt someone as pure of heart as his surprisingly grounded and loyal wife. Liam will have to ask himself if the price tag on his flimsy cover story is worth losing true love that sprouted from a lie.
Reviews-
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March 4, 2024
A marriage of convenience leads to unexpected romance in the swoony latest from bestsellers Christina Hobbs and Lauren Billings, writing as Lauren (The Honeymoon Crashers). Aspiring artist Anna Green married fellow grad student Liam Weston to secure the cushier student housing available to married students. It was strictly platonic and, Anna believes, ended in divorce three years before the start of the book. She’s shocked when Liam shows up at her door to reveal that the divorce was never finalized and that he’s the heir to a grocery store fortune. As required by his grandfather’s will, Liam must be married for at least five years to receive a $100 million inheritance. He’s almost run out the clock, but needs Anna’s help to convince his family that their relationship is real. Anna agrees to play the role of Liam’s loving wife at his sister’s Indonesian destination wedding for a cut of the money. As Anna holds her own among Liam’s toxic, privileged family, especially his father, she and Liam form an unexpected bond and their lovey-dovey playacting becomes real love. But will Liam be able to get out from under his family’s thumb? There are just as many emotionally charged moments as sizzling sex scenes, and readers will adore down-to-earth Anna, who’s the perfect match for uptight Liam. Lauren’s fans will be swept away. Agent: Holly Root, Root Literary. -
All Anna Green, portrayed by Patti Murin, knew about West when she married him in college to gain subsidized family housing at UCLA was that he kept the pantry immaculate. When Liam "West" Weston, portrayed by John Root, arrives on her doorstep five years later needing her help for one last marital ruse, she quickly learns a lot more about him. Mainly, he comes from an obscenely wealthy family, his father is a narcissist, and he has an incredible body. Anna's genuinely funny banter is enhanced by Murin's delivery; listeners will hear the italics every time she mentions "Liam's goddamn . . . " Root's deep monotone voice for Liam could either be interpreted as sexy, reserved, and mysterious--or flat and emotionless. S.S. © AudioFile 2024, Portland, Maine
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September 1, 2024
Anna Green thought her ex-husband was simply some guy she married so they could both take advantage of subsidized student housing during their college years, not Liam Weston, one of the four heirs to the Weston Foods grocery store chain. Not only is Liam wealthy and very cute but he's also still Anna's legal husband, and he has a proposition--attend Liam's sister's destination wedding as his happy wife in order to finally fulfill the terms of Liam's $100 million inheritance. Along with getting a free private island vacation, Liam will also pay Anna $100,000, a life-changing sum that will help her afford her father's long-term medical care and give her the financial cushion to pursue a career in art. Anna is expecting to feel like a fish out of water with Liam's �ber-rich family members and suspicious father; what she doesn't expect is to find herself falling in love with her ex-husband, especially since Liam is still so tied into his family's toxic dynamics. VERDICT Narrators Patti Murin and Jon Root deftly entertain while voicing the large cast of characters that make this an entertaining adventure. Lauren's (The True Love Experiment) many fans won't want to miss it.--Elizabeth Gabriel
Copyright 2024 Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.
