Can I See You Again? — Books, Beauty, & Buys

By: Allison Morgan
Published Year: 2016
Publisher: Berkley
Pages: 384

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I received a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. This in no way shape or form influenced my opinion.

Summary (Provided by Goodreads): Matchmaker Bree Caxton has a 98% success rate, a book about to hit the stands, and an amazing boyfriend. Until, that is, he gets cold feet about their future and runs from their relationship.

Afraid no one will buy a book on love from a woman whose love life is a mess, Bree begs her one matchmaking failure, Nixon Voss, to pose as her boyfriend. But when they become a hit with readers, they must carry on their charade just a little longer. Fortunately, they’re both having fun...

But then Bree’s ex decides he wants her back and a newspaper presents a challenge that could expose the truth about her rocky love life. Now she must find the courage to embrace what is, or risk losing something much bigger than her reputation: her heart...

First Impressions

This cover really appealed to me. Something about it makes me feel warm and fuzzy inside. The red door is a bit Christmassy but the book has nothing to do with Christmas. It looks like the cover for a chick flick and I was definitely drawn in. The summary confirmed my interest based on the cover and I was so excited to get a chance to read this book.

What I thought

This book was adorable. I read it while on a lake trip with my friends and it was the perfect book to read while relaxing. I think the best way to describe this book is like a PG-13 romance novel. It has a lot of the essential romance novel/rom-com tropes (fake boyfriend) but without the raunchiness of your typical romance novel. It had some moments that were reminiscent of How to Lose Guy in 10 Days, so it’s definitely a chick flick/rom-com type of novel, which I loved.

Bree runs a matchmaking business with her friend Andrew. She is currently at the perfect point in her life, with her business doing well, her first self-help novel coming out, and her 4 year relationship with her boyfriend Sean moving to the next level with combining their finances. That is, until he breaks up with her weeks before her book is supposed to come out and the day before her 5-part interview with an important reporter. Her publicist meets with her the day before the interview to remind her that her boyfriend is expected to be a part of the interview and be there tomorrow. Bree tries to explain that her boyfriend broke up with her, but before she can do so, her publicist reminds her that in order to be a successful matchmaker, her love life needs to be successful. Succumbing to pressure, Bree uses Nixon, one of her clients, as her fake boyfriend.

In addition to all of the drama with her book and her fake boyfriend, her grandma is also notified that she hasn’t been paying taxes on her house and owes over $40,000 to the IRS. In order for Bree to help her out, she is banking on the $25,000 bonus she will get if her book debuts on the New York Times Bestsellers list. This also influences her decision to use a fake boyfriend instead of telling the truth.

As expected, romance blooms between Bree and Nixon, and Sean slowly realizes the errors of his ways. I found Bree likeable, which is very important in books like these where the main character will inevitably make stupid decisions that will make you temporarily dislike them. However, she has a lot of redeeming qualities, so you can’t hate her for long.

Nixon, of course, is heart melting. I wish that we had gotten a little bit more of him as I think he was a sweet character. I loved the way that he teased Bree and pushed her but also supported her. I did feel that his character development was a bit quick, but it still worked. I also appreciated that while I didn’t love Sean, I didn’t hate him until I was supposed to. It wasn’t a case in which you wondered what in the world Bree saw in him and how could she have wasted her time with him. I definitely appreciated it because, again, it made Bree more likable.

Even though the book is predictable, Morgan’s writing is so enjoyable that I couldn’t put this book down. I liked that there were some unique twists to this done before plot of fake replacement boyfriend that doesn’t make this book seem stale. If we were still in the late 1990s, early 2000s, I could see this book being picked up for a movie and being so successful.

I really enjoyed this book and it was just what I needed after reading some heavier books. It is light, fun, and enjoyable but still written very well. If you enjoy romance novels and chick flicks, I highly recommend this book. Morgan’s writing is sweet and solid. The characters are likeable and the story is consistently entertaining. I look forward to reading more of her novels! I wouldn’t re-read this one, as it is relatively predictable, but if it came out as a movie I would definitely see it!