After a decade of pining over her best friend Malcolm, Joy is certain he has finally noticed her in the way she’s been longing for when he asks her to accompany him on a weekend getaway… with the new woman he’s fallen for… who is decidedly Not Joy. But she can’t say no to him; she’s never been able to. Thus begins a lakeside cabin retreat with Joy, Malcom, Summer, and Summer’s friend Fox, where Joy plans to finally tell Malcolm how she feels. If that doesn’t work, she’ll fake date Fox until Malcolm realizes what he’s been missing all along. With all the messy forced proximity, this trip might seem destined for catastrophe–but some things need to be broken before they can be fixed. The characters are flawed and their circumstances are complicated, which for a lot of readers will feel really true to life. I recommend this book to avid romance readers who are looking for some classic romance tropes presented from a fresh, new perspective.
