Play Pretend (Cedar Ridge Book 1) By: Claire Brooks

A year ago, I told a lie...now, it's haunting me.

 Ronan Caldwell is my grumpy, too-handsome-for-his-own-good neighbor. He’s the town’s brooding sheriff...and my fake boyfriend.

 I’ve been lying to my family about dating him for the past year, convinced no one would ever know. But then they dropped a bomb—they’re coming to visit. Desperate to keep my story straight, I beg Ronan to play along. He agrees, but as the line between fake and real starts to blur, I keep reminding myself it’s all just for show. Right?

 Everything changes the night my house is broken into, and Ronan insists I stay with him. Suddenly, we’re sharing more than just a lie, and the sparks between us feel anything but pretend.

 With my family in town, our relationship feels fragile, uncertain, like walking a tightrope between reality and make-believe. And just when I think we might be finding our footing, my stepsister overhears a conversation that shatters our carefully constructed lie. Panicked, I do what I do best—I run.

 But Ronan isn’t the kind of man who gives up easily. He finds me, and when he does, there’s no more pretending. This time, we’ll find out if what we’ve been playing at was real all along.

 Meena’s Reading Vibe: Read this when:

• You’re in the mood for a swoony fake dating romance.

• You love that moment when friendship tips into something deeper.

• You want butterflies, banter, and a whole lot of longing.

✨ Vibe check: Fake dating • Friends-to-lovers energy • Small-town swoon