A Charmed Little Lie

Sharla Lovelace

Apr 2017 · Charmed in Texas Book 1 · Lyrical Press

About this eBook

Charmed, Texas, is everything the name implies—quaint, comfortable, and as small-town friendly as they come. And when it comes to romance, there’s no place quite as enchanting . . .

Lanie Barrett didn’t mean to lie. Spinning a story of a joyous marriage to make a dying woman happy is forgivable, isn’t it? Lanie thinks so, especially since her beloved Aunt Ruby would have been heartbroken to know the truth of her niece’s sadly loveless, short-of-sparkling existence. Trouble is, according to the will, Ruby didn’t quite buy Lanie’s tale. And to inherit the only house Lanie ever really considered a home, she’ll have to bring her “husband” back to Charmed for three whole months—or watch Aunt Ruby’s cozy nest go to her weasel cousin, who will sell it to a condo developer.

Nick McKane is out of work, out of luck, and the spitting image of the man Lanie described. He needs money for his daughter’s art school tuition, and Lanie needs a convenient spouse. It’s a match made . . . well, not quite in heaven, but for a temporary arrangement, it couldn’t be better. Except the longer Lanie and Nick spend as husband and wife, the more the connection between them begins to seem real. Maybe this modern fairy tale really could come true . . .

Ratings and reviews

Early on I didn't think I was going to like Lanie. I kinda get the whole lying to her aunt thing to make a sick woman feel better but you start to understand that she made up stuff as a young girl too. That kind of bad character trait tends to be off-putting but Lovelace does an amazing job of making her likable. She's sassy, funny, and a bit of a disaster, but she has a huge heart and means well (most of the time :) ). The story is all from Lanie's POV so we don't get the inner-workings for Nick, but his actions speak pretty loudly. While it is a bit of a hit to his pride, once he decides to help her out he definitely gives Lanie 100%. He does everything he can to sell their relationship but still respect that getting involved is not a good idea for either of them. He's a stand up guy, doing this for his daughter, and he also has a healthy sense of fun. If I had to have a fake husband I would definitely be willing to share my inheritance with him! ~~spoiler alert~~ Buuuuut, I do wish we'd been given some details about Nick's side of things, especially at the end. We get the kiss and make-up and live happily ever after moment, but I had so many questions - about where he went, what he did while he was gone, what he felt, why is he back in charmed, especially if he thought she'd gone to California ... we really don't get much from his side but what we do get is text-book Nick and fantastic! ~~End Spoiler~~ With a lively writing style, full of humor and fun, Lovelace gives her readers a delightful, comical and still heartfelt journey of two people who don't trust in love but find themselves falling anyway. You might know going in that it all ends with a HEA but that doesn't mean they aren't going to screw it up a few times along the way! *** I voluntarily read a Review Copy of this book. All opinions stated are solely my own and no one else’s. ***

There is a little bit of everything here from ex's, drama, jealousy, lies, secrets, surprises and so much more. I just adore it and had a hard time putting it down. You are drawn in from the first page with the heartbroken Lanie who just lost her beloved aunt who is more of a mother to her. She would have done anything for this woman and did by tell one BIG lie to make an old woman happy before she left this world. Her aunt is a woman full of surprises. You will fall in love with her as she throws a twist to win her way until the very end. Lanie is in a pickle she must now find a husband to bring home to prove she is married. You are so going to love how these two meet and start their new life as husband and wife. I really loved these two characters and lord the messes they get into. Of course they have a little help getting into them which brings you hours of laughter, a little heart break and a lot of love. Nick has his hands full not only with Lanie but the whole town. As you well know small towns know everything and what they don’t know they make up. Throw in a few cousins and their friends and what a mess that makes. You are not going to believe what these people come up with and what they are willing to do to get their hands on aunties house. There were a few times my jaw hit the floor and some other times I just laughed myself silly. I stayed up late, got up early and read through my breaks and lunch. I had to force myself to stop to work around the home. There is sorrow and heartbreak with a big mess that you don’t see anything good coming out of this. The romance is slow and steady but the passion is hot and wild. There is conflict in different levels as wells as deep meaning, humor, strength, and learning to give and take. Both Lanie and Nick have issues they will have to overcome from past relationships. Alan and his wife is something else but they are dealt with in a way that leaves you laughing your head off. I love the wisdom her boss gave her I think we could all live by it. Her aunt even though we never get to meet her plays a big rule. I was a shocked at times and other times I laughed out loud. What a wise older women, I wish so much I could have gotten to know her. This is a laugh out loud book with lots of humor, a time or two I did have to reach for a tissue. The characters and supporting characters are wonderful all but the cousin and Alan I would have liked to run them out of town. I loved the dog, her best friend and I even grow to like the ex. This book is full of surprises. It was just a delightful fun read. One of Ms. Lovelace’s best stories yet. I can’t wait to read the next book in this series. Ms. Lovelace as a winning series that would make a wonderful movie, I loved it from start to finish.

Loved this small town romance. A little white lie that turns into true love. Lanie needs a husband and marriage certificate per her grandma's will or everything will go to her hungry cousins. She meets Nick at a diner, who is done on his luck and out of a job but is willing to become her stand in husband. Not expecting anything more, but soon the little lie becomes so much more. Loved this small town with everything honey. Great characters with fun banter that will have you laughing out loud. I am looking forward to the next book in the series.

About the author

Sharla Lovelace is the bestselling, award-winning author of sexy small-town love stories. Being a Texas girl through and through, she’s proud to say she lives in Southeast Texas with her retired husband, a tricked-out golf cart, and two crazy dogs. She is the author of five stand-alone novels including the bestselling Don’t Let Go, the exciting Heart Of The Storm series, and the fun and sexy new Charmed in Texas series. For more about Sharla's books, visit www.sharlalovelace.com, and keep up with all her new book releases easily by subscribing to her newsletter. She loves keeping up with her readers, and you can connect with her on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram as @sharlalovelace.