PLAYING PRETEND { release blitz } by Tamsyn Bester

Self-Published | February 2, 2016 | New Adult Romance
★★★★★

SOURCE: PUBLISHER via NETGALLEY

Kadence Kavanagh has spent the last two years trying to rebuild her life. When a job opportunity presents itself, she can’t say no, even if it’s with the man who’s life was ruined by her father’s indiscretion. It’s been years since she last saw Caleb Callahan, and she’s not even sure he remembers her, but she’s determined to give herself a clean slate no matter who she has to work for.

In the unlikeliest of circumstances, Caleb becomes her savior – if somewhat reluctantly - and she discovers that the man she’s read about in the gossip columns is nothing more than a smoke screen. Kadence knows that keeping her distance is for the best, no matter how difficult, but when Caleb proposes the unthinkable, she finds herself caught between what’s real, and what she wishes was real.

Caleb and Kadence lose themselves in a lie, and when reality comes knocking, they realize that all they were doing was playing pretend…

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{ about tamsyn bester } .

I'm 23 years old & the ultimate Book Brat :) Coffee & Books are my drugs of choice, neither of which will be kicked to the curb any time soon! I go through a book a day & when I'm not reading I'm working on my next novel :)I'm a sucker for New Adult Contemporary Romance with a whole lot of sexy thrown in & my number one rule is I won't read a book unless it has a happy ending! I also have the unhealthiest obsession with the South,and I don't mean my home country of South Africa - I mean cowboys, pick up trucks, sexy as sin Southern accents, cowboy boots and barefoot bluejean nights! One day, I will live in Alabama & I will have my own Indie publishing house - my philosophy is if your dreams don't scare you they're not big enough :)

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{ review } .

I really, really enjoyed the journey that Caleb and Kadence embark upon in Playing Pretend. After separating herself from her family, and a relationship gone wrong, Kadence finds herself accepting a position at the company Caleb is CEO of -- and is convinced the man doesn't remember her. Five years ago, she had her first kiss with the man 8-years her senior and regardless of the family strife between the Kavanaghs and Callahans, she still finds herself nervous around him.

Told primarily in Kadence's point of view, we see her nervous and fumbling at times (more so when she doubts herself, something we see a few times from beginning to end), but we also see what a strong, independent woman she is. She can hold her own when the time calls for it and she doesn't take crap from catty women. Her fierce independence does get her into trouble a time or two though, and it's that same independence that opens up the new world of Caleb Callahan to her.

"Five years, Kadence. I haven't thought about you in five years, and all it took was two weeks for you to drive me crazy." 

-Caleb Callahan

He's not the same man as he was when she was seventeen. He holds himself harder, he doesn't talk about himself, is a cold, sarcastic bastard, and is a determined business man. It was partially the familial issues that made him that way, but Kadence learns throughout, just what an amazing man Caleb has truly grown into.

I was extremely frustrated with Caleb at times, but as his story opened up through Kadence's eyes, he became much more lovable, more rounded, and more of that protective alpha I love to read about. We do get Caleb's point of view, but not until the last 2 chapters and epilogue, and with it we get to see some of the earlier scenes through his view point, in retrospect, helping the reader learn who he truly is, and his motivations. The epilogue(s) are told in his view point, too; in my opinion, this was a great way to write this story. I like dual point of views, but sometimes you need to see it all in one person's eyes to get a full feel of the story, and I felt that this was a positive example of this.