Read This Book…

Our main protagonist is Kian Andrews and this story is told from his point of view. Kian is a gay Black man just out of college (Northeastern) and still living in Boston. He studied journalism and fully intends to go on to be a journalist but he is currently unemployed. Kian’s best friend is Divya Evans. She is studying Law at Harvard and calls Kian on his b*llshit every single time. She doesn’t let anything slide.

Not too long before this book begins Kian’s boyfriend broke up with him and left him devastated. This is probably why right at the beginning, Divya is yelling at Kian via text. Turns out that Kian responded to a text from the ex-boyfriend asking to meet up. Kian said yes. He knows it’s probably an awful idea.

This ex is Hudson Rivers and he is from Atlanta. The Rivers family is the third richest in the South, as they are the family behind the Rivers and Valleys brand of alcohol. Hudson is gorgeous, absolutely stunning, and a really good person. Unsurprisingly, Kian is still madly in love with him.

So they meet up at the coffee shop, as Hudson asked. He wants a favor (which it’s clear he doesn’t deserve). Much to Hudson’s family’s dismay, Hudson doesn’t want to be involved with the family business at all. He actually wants to go into a grad program and become a psychologist and help people. His parents are incredibly disappointed by this decision. They were also disappointed that he went to Northeastern and not Yale. Basically, they think that every decision Hudson makes is a bad one except for the decision to date Kian. His parents think that dating Kian is the one good decision he has ever made. They do not know he broke up with Kian and they are coming to town for a visit.

Hudson is desperate for his parents’ approval and so he asks Kian to pretend to be his boyfriend, just for the one lunch date during their visit. In return, Hudson will make a connection between Kian and the CEO of Spotlight, an online news corporation that Kian is dying to get a job at. Fake date for one lunch and be set for the rest of his life. Easy, right?

I laughed so loudly reading this book. Yes, it’s sweet and very sexy (there is definitely sex on the page) but it’s also absolutely hilarious. Every character pops. I love it so much.