Publisher: St. Martin’s Press, May 20, 2025

Format: ebook

Pages: 320

Rating: 3/5 stars

Summary (From Goodreads):

It’s a thin line between love and love-hating.

Katie Vaughn has been burned by love in the past—now she may be lighting her career on fire. She has two choices: wait to get laid off from her job as a video producer or, at her coworker Cole’s request, take a career-making gig profiling Tom “Hutch” Hutcheson, a Coast Guard rescue swimmer in Key West.

The catch? Katie’s not exactly qualified. She can’t swim—but fakes it that she can.

Plus: Cole is Hutch’s brother. And they don’t get along. Next stop paradise!

But paradise is messier than it seems. As Katie gets entangled with Hutch (the most scientifically good looking man she has ever seen . . . but also a bit of a love hater), along with his colorful Aunt Rue and his rescue Great Dane, she gets trapped in a lie. Or two.

Swim lessons, helicopter flights, conga lines, drinking contests, hurricanes, and stolen kisses ensue—along with chances to tell the truth, to face old fears, and to be truly brave at last.

My Review:

Thank you St. Martin’s Press for the copy of this book.
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Read if you like: close proximity, grumpy/grumpy trope??
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Katie goes to Key West to shoot a promotional video in order to save her job, but the problem is that the star of the video, Hutch, doesn’t love the idea of being the star of the video. He just wants to do his job, not be famous, and he isn’t happy that his brother sent Katie instead of coming himself.
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This started out cute but I wanted more from the romance. I felt like it wasn’t really flushed out and they just poorly communicated with each other. There was also a couple other things later on in the book that I was uncomfortable with that I am happy to discuss, but don’t want to spoil anything. Overall, this isn’t my fav Center book, but I will continue to read her books!