You're The One: a fake-marriage romance (Very Irresistible Bachelors Book 1)

Hunter has lived in the US since he was four and has just learned that his visa will not be extended. Josie has been his best friend since grade school. She's a lawyer and tries to find the bet way to get him a green card. It looks like marriage is the way to go. And she volunteers but it will be in name only with an end date of three years. Only something happens along the way. Josie and Hunter fall in love. This is a beautiful love story that I highly recommend.

Once again Layla Hagen has delivered an incredible sizzling romantic story in You're The One. You're The One is the first book in her new Very Irresistible Bachelors series and I could not put it down. Once again she has introduced us to amazing characters, that I immediately fell in love with, flaws and all. You're The One takes place in New York, so it's a change from her usual San Francisco. I always love how she describes all the places where her characters roam. You're The One is a wonderful friends to lovers story, of BFFs Josie Gallagher and Hunter Caldwell. Josie and Hunter have been best friends since the two met fifteen years ago at a private high school in NY as scholarship students. Both having achieved the dreams that they imagined, they are still best friends and will do anything for each other. Hunter's visa renewal is denied, and he and Josie come up with a solution, to get married and then Hunter can apply for his green card. Once he got his green card, they would wait for a couple of years and then divorce. Just like all best plans theirs went awry when Hunter's and Josie's feelings for each other changed from friendship to something more. An immigration officer is investing their marriage as a "sham wedding", especially since Josie did not take Hunter's last name when she married him. I loved how their feelings transformed on their honeymoon. Loved the descriptions of the honeymoon locale. Both Josie and Hunter confess their true feelings for each other. I love the sizzling romance scenes that Layla Hagen always seems to deliver. You're The One contains the usual bittersweet and poignant moments, as Hunter and Josie share secrets that they have kept hidden from everyone. I loved everything about the book from the characters and setting to the romantic tale on two best friends. My favorite part was celebrating their first Christmas together. I loved all the tender moments in the book. All the sweet little things that Hunter did for Josie to show his love for her. Layla Hagen has once again proven that she is a extraordinary storyteller. Layla Hagen also included normal her plot twist that make them question whether or not they want to risk their friendship for their fake marriage, but is it really a fake marriage. It was the best friends to lovers book that I have read recently. Could not put it down. So looking forward to the series continuing with the next book in the series about Hunter's cousin Ryker.

MY RATING SYSTEM5 stars--WOW4 stars--would read again3 stars--was good, won't read again2 stars--read it, but didn't enjoy it1 star--didn't finish, it was so awfulDo I need to read books before this one: noCliffhanger: noSUMMARYJosie and Hunter have been best friends since high school, when he defended her from a bully. He's now a real estate mogul, she's a lawyer. She's had a crush on him since she was 15. He wonders when she became so sexy.He tells her his entrepreneur visa isn't being renewed. She researches, tells him the easiest way is to marry an American. The next day, Hunter visits her. “I come bringing gifts.” I smelled grilled cheese and pancakes. My mouth watered. I narrowed my eyes. “Are you trying to bribe me into going to one of those fancy-pants galleries with you? Because I’ve got to tell you, once was enough for me.” I was grinning, but I kind of meant it. He usually started buttering me up by bringing me breakfast on the weekend. His smile widened. “I’m trying to bribe you to marry me." She asks for time to think about it.She can't say no. He's never asked for anything. Could I live with Hunter for three years, pretend I was head over heels in love when we were in public, and not actually fall for him? Hunter comes over that night. He convinces her they have to have a real wedding so their families aren't suspicious. She refuses to wear white, saving that for when it's real. They go to get dessert to continue discussing the details. A former classmates sees them. Hunter pulls her close, tells classmate they're engaged, kisses Josie. She doesn't want it to stop. They leave. “We did well out there, didn’t we?” he asked, and I instantly deflated. “Yes, I think we did.” “Josie, did I do something wrong?” “You’re a hell of a kisser. Threw me off my game,” I said, to lighten up the mood. Hunter grinned. “I see. Now I know what to do next time we have an argument.” I narrowed my eyes. “I think we need to set some rules.” “I’m all ears.” “Why are you so agreeable? You’re not a fan of rules.” “I didn’t say I’ll follow them.”EVALUATIONFriendship is the basis of Josie's and Hunter's relationship, but we get none of it. No memories, no inside jokes, no shared stories, nothing. While the pretend wife trope gets a twist with his needing his visa renewed, everything else feels predictable.I liked going to the Maldives.RECOMMENDATIONIt's a nice story. There are better ones.POSSIBLE TRIGGERS (SPOILERS)Sex: multiple scenesLanguage: 45 F words, 36 Lord's name in vain, 50 S wordsViolence: none

*****Spoilers*****I had such high hopes for this book, I so very much love the friends to lovers thing. Someone you've known forever but for whatever reason never took it further and at some point, at some catalyst, come to realize that your "one" is that same person. Even so, and even though this book was that, I found it to be boring for the most part and was disappointed. Josie is doing Hunter a favor and married to help him because he'll be deported soon if he doesn't marry or jump through other tougher alternative hoops. Great lead in to marriage and once they're on this path, Hunter stays on it and doesn't move away. Josie on the other hand is doing certain things to protect herself in the process by trying not to change too much of herself when they'll only be married for 3 years. Ironically, their marriage opens an investigation which I found to be snooze worthy, other than it caused Josie to be fired from her job. Mostly I was frustrated with her, particularly when the relationship began to change and she was stuck on plan A when clearly plan B was needed. It was a decent read, different characters and whatnot but wouldn't pick it up again for a second read.

I don’t understand how this book got so many positive reviews. If you’re fan of the author that’s fine but that doesn’t mean that if she writes a book which is not worth you have to leave a positive review. This author is new to me and to be honest I am not sure if I want to try her other books because I can’t trust the reviews left.I like the characters Josie and Hunter! But the plot not so much. First I didn’t get how Hunter mom would live him alone so she can go back to London! Then how come after so many years of renewed visa suddenly is not and we actually don’t get the reason for it. Then the whole family who are all very close have to believe they just decided to get married after no relationship or any indication of one. Also for best friends it looks like they don’t know each other so much and when the whole he doesn’t love me that way/ she doesn’t feel this way started I just couldn’t continue waistline my time. So I DNF and I won’t be reading the next book in the series for sure. I just don’t like books where the whole plot is based on miscommunication basically!

Friends to lovers is one of my favourite tropes, throw in a sham marriage and you have a winning formula.This is the first book I have read by Layla Hagen and I highly enjoyed it, I will certainly be adding more of her books to my collection. Hunter and Josie were likeable characters and although at times the dialogue for both got slightly repetitive and almost childish, it was easy to get past and didn't interrupt my enjoyment of the book. There were a couple of tiny niggles for me to do with the immigration case and Josie's job, but nothing that really detracted from what what happening outside of this. Great characters and side characters p, an entertaining family. I'm very much looking forward to Ryker's book next.

Interestingly, Hunter Caldwell is a handsome, powerful, wealthy and charismatic man in New York. He is the owner of a huge country wide real estate development company. Beautiful Josie Gallagher is a hard working, dedicated lawyer who hopes to be made a partner within the year. Both have been best friends since childhood. For precisely fifteen years. So when Hunter asked Josie to help him out by doing him a favour, she readily agreed. But why did he need to ask? Will there be consequences?Well, to get the answer, I strongly suggest you get this book. There is plenty of banter and good intentions . There is also much angst and subterfuge in the plot which had me in tears at certain moments in the story. But there is some doubt? Can friends ever become lovers? Intriguing reading...

Hunter is a very successful business man worried that he has been told his status in America is no longer safe. He has lived there since he was four but never bothered to complete his citizenship. Josie his best friend since school decides to help him get his green card and the story is about how they evolve as friends to lovers with what started out as a sham marriage. It was nicely written and worth a read.

I enjoyed reading this book. It was quite predictable, and some phrases were a little repetitive. Also there was so much repetition of one of the characters showing doubt in the other’s feelings, even though they had had frank discussions about it many times. Those doubts served to halt the story a few times and it was a bit frustrating constantly having to take two steps back with them. But these things didn’t stop me from enjoying the read overall