Pretend You're Mine

This book was a struggle for me, taking me a full 9 months to finish. The male main character (MMC) was basically a walking, talking gorilla—constantly beating up anyone who so much as looked at the female main character (FMC) out of sheer jealousy. For 95% of the book, he showed absolutely no emotional depth or romantic feelings for her, remaining completely fixated on his late wife. Meanwhile, the FMC repeatedly expresses her love for him, only to be met with... silence. Instead of a heartfelt connection, we get possessive, anywhere-anytime sex, which did nothing to convince me of their supposed chemistry. I will say, the small-town found family aspect was enjoyable, but it wasn’t enough to salvage the romance. My favorite part? Their breakup. Honestly, I wish it had stayed that way. On top of all that, I’ve come to realize that military romance is so not for me. The MMC has a thriving business, yet he chooses to go off to war, which… let’s be real, is just about shooting innocent civilians. That didn’t sit right with me at all. Overall, this book was way too long, way too dragged out, and seriously lacking in believable emotional development. My recommendation is to stay away as far as you can.