REVIEW: Pretending He’s Mine by Mia Sosa

In Pretending He’s Mine by Mia Sosa, Ashley Williamson has had a crush on her brother’s best friend/Hollywood agent Julian Hart for years. Needing a place to stay, she chooses his place. While there, what better time to try to convince him that they should be together?

Julian has fantasized about Ashley but refuses to act on it. He doesn’t want to ruin his friendship or his business relationship with Carter, who is his biggest client. But when Ashley is reluctant to go to a family reunion because she’s worried about being picked on, Julian agrees to go as her pretend boyfriend. Only what he’s feeling for her isn’t pretend, and he doesn’t know what to do about it.

I liked Ashley and could sympathize with her. She has a successful, famous brother while she’s struggling to find her passion and what she truly wants to do with her life. She feels inadequate, and certain members of her own family that put her down certainly don’t help with that. I did, however, admire her determination to go after who and what she wants once she figures it out.

My frustration with the story lies with Julian. He struggles constantly with his feelings for Ashley and it often felt like he kept going around in circles. He wanted to be with her, would make a move, then pull back again, leaving Ashley in a state of flux. He also seems to have a difficult time separating his personal and business life, especially when it comes to Carter. His job comes first, even at the expense of his relationship with Ashley.

I haven’t read the first book, and I have to wonder if that book gives more insight into Carter’s and Julian’s friendship. Honestly, I didn’t feel much of a friendship between the two. In this book they mostly talked about business. They only really had one serious, non-business related conversation in this book and that was towards the end of it. Carter didn’t even tell Julian he was getting married. Who doesn’t tell their own best friend that they’re getting married? Even if Carter didn’t want it getting leaked out, I would think he would have trusted Julian enough to let him in on the secret.

I normally enjoy the brother’s best friend trope, but this one fell flat for me. I think I would have enjoyed it more if I had liked Julian. As it was, the constant push and pull had me wondering what Ashley even saw in him.
 

Book Info:

Publication: April 10, 2018 | Avon Impulse | Love on Cue #2

For Hollywood agent Julian Hart, representing his best friend—megastar Carter Williamson—means it’s nearly impossible to keep his personal life and career separate. To make matters worse, Carter’s younger sister has been starring in Julian’s wildest fantasies more often than he’d care to admit. He knows she’s off-limits, but when Ashley shows up on his doorstep, needing a place to crash… suddenly his greatest temptation is sleeping down the hall.

Free-spirited Ashley Williamson doesn’t do commitment. Jobs, apartments, men… why let herself be tied down? But she’s had a crush on her older brother’s best friend for years and she’s committed to making Julian want her, one towel-clad midnight encounter at a time. But just as things start heating up, their steamy flirtation is interrupted by Carter’s east coast wedding. Ashley has no desire to go home and face her reputation as the family disappointment. But living with—dare she say dating?—a successful, sexy film agent could give them something else to talk about.

Julian can’t believe he agreed to fake a relationship with the one woman he can never have. And it’s going to take more than a little willpower to remember it’s all pretend. Or is it?