Make-Believe Match
Heat and Heart, and It’s All Too Real
Melanie Harlow has another beautiful hit on her hands with Make-Believe Match, bringing readers back to Cherry Tree Harbor for a story rich in heat, heart, and all the feels. I had a feeling Devlin’s story was going to be spicy, but I had no idea it would be so emotional as well. Yes, there were tears, but also laughs, cheers, a few jeers (I’m looking at you Bob and Tabitha), and several ice water breaks.
I absolutely fell in love with main characters Devlin and Lexi. They’re really wonderfully developed, with beautiful layers of vulnerability, hope, and resilience. And those traits set up the story for perfect undertones of angst and uncertainty that make a great marriage of convenience story work. I loved watching them try to hide their emotions and reactions, and the truths in their feelings, as they fell harder for each other. Like keeping up the ruse could prevent the inevitable. Just another excellent example of a couple who thinks they're fooling everyone else, but they're really working hard to try and fool themselves.
Beyond the steamy scenes and denial, there’s something powerful about these characters facing, confronting, and acknowledging their fears. With the help of impeccably placed supporting characters, they face some hard truths, overcoming old promises that are no longer relevant, and finding forever in someplace they tried really hard to convince themselves was temporary. And of course the grand gesture is perfectly fitting and swoonworthy.
I have enjoyed my time in Cherry Tree Harbor so much and I’m anxious to see what Harlow has in store for the next Buckley sibling. Although Make-Believe Match is part of a series, it can be read as a standalone. Just be prepared to dive into books one and two if you start here, because those Buckley boys and their HEAs are going to pull you into their world and make you want to stay for a while.
