Famously Engaged

By Robyn Thomas

Famously Engaged by Robyn Thomas
A chef and a rock star. They couldn't be from more different worlds…
Rock star royalty's favorite son, Jake Olsen, couldn't help but interfere after listening to his future brother-in-law talk non-stop about his ex-wife, Beth Carlisle. Jake decides that the only way to get the groom's mind off his ex-wife is to give her a fake fiancé.
Before Jake can convince Beth of his plan, he's forced to move in with her to avoid the paparazzi. Their instant attraction makes for a sizzling "first date", but soon Jake's fame gets in the way and Beth wants out. Too bad Jake's figured out just why her ex is so obsessed with her, and he's afraid he's not going to be able to give her up either.
Now it's up to Jake to convince this chef together they make the perfect recipe.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Macmillan Publishers
• Release date: Jul 8, 2013
• ISBN: 9781622660681

Book preview

9781622660681.jpg

Famously Engaged

Robyn Thomas

This book is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents are the product of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual events, locales, or persons, living or dead, is coincidental.

Copyright © 2013 by Robyn Thomas. All rights reserved, including the right to reproduce, distribute, or transmit in any form or by any means. For information regarding subsidiary rights, please contact the Publisher.

Entangled Publishing, LLC

2614 South Timberline Road

Suite 109

Fort Collins, CO 80525

Visit our website at www.entangledpublishing.com.

Edited by Liz Pelletier, Ann Kopchik, and Erin Molta

Cover design by Liz Pelletier

Ebook ISBN 978-1-62266-068-1

Manufactured in the United States of America

First Edition July 2013

The author acknowledges the copyrighted or trademarked status and trademark owners of the following wordmarks mentioned in this work of fiction: Hummer, Maid To Sparkle, Manchester United, Google, Grammys, BMW, Grand Hyatt, Kryptonite, Pride and Prejudice.

To my mum, who inspired this book. And to my dad, who has defied and delighted medical science for more than thirteen years. I’ll always love you both.

Table of Contents

Prologue

Chapter One

Chapter Two

Chapter Three

Chapter Four

Chapter Five

Chapter Six

Chapter Seven

Chapter Eight

Chapter Nine

Chapter Ten

Chapter Eleven

Epilogue

Acknowledgments

About the Author

Prologue

My wedding gown is exquisite. I loved it from the moment Beth pointed it out, but finding the perfect maid-of-honor dress for her has taken a lot longer. I finally found one online. It’s vintage, an absolute one-off, and Beth looks like a goddess in it. Wait, I’ll send you a photo. As Skyla’s excitement grew, the phone conversation picked up pace.

Jake Olsen clicked open the e-mail from his half sister and reeled back as a near-naked woman filled his computer screen. On closer inspection, the dark-haired beauty was fully clothed, but the fabric of her gown was the exact shade of her skin and it fit her like a glove. Lust strangled his vocal cords.

You’ve gone quiet, Skyla said. Did you get the photo? That’s Beth, who I’m always talking about. She’s too busy to shop so I’m so glad I found a dress that looks like it’s made for her. Brad’s spending extra time with her at the moment. I never imagined I’d be friends with his ex-wife, but Beth’s a sweetheart. She’s a talented chef with all the right contacts, so she’s organizing every detail of my dream wedding aboard a yacht, and even booked the honeymoon. The only thing she overlooked was a fabulous dress for herself.

This green-eyed goddess was the groom’s ex-wife?

Why are you letting your fiancé spend time with his ex-wife? Are you out of your freaking mind?

Skyla laughed. Beth’s not a threat. She divorced Brad because she wasn’t in love with him. Can I say ‘keep your opinion to yourself’ and still keep my job, oh mega-famous rock star? Too late, I think I already did.

Jake was tempted to tell her that he’d created her job just for her, that they shared DNA. But learning she had a famous half brother would be one more thing for her to deal with. What mattered was that she was about to marry a man who spent his free time with his ex-wife instead of his bride-to-be. Couldn’t Skyla see that was a disaster in the making?

Tell me more about Beth. Why does she look sad in the photo?

Beth is the friend I’ve been telling you about whose mother is ill and can’t walk anymore. Beth can’t lift her, so Brad helps out when the aide isn’t there. He also makes sure Beth eats and sleeps and takes a break occasionally. Brad and Beth are best friends and she’s like a sister to me. I love that because she’s the only family I have.

His heart kicked. He was related to Skyla. How he wished he could order her not to marry a man who was clearly still hung up on his ex-wife. He studied the image on his computer screen. Beth was beautiful, and her ex-husband appeared to be circling her like a buzzard.

Ooh, hang on for a second, Skyla said. Brad just walked in. The phone clunked and she put him on speaker. Hey, babe. How’s Beth? Did you pass along the hug I sent?

Brad said, I got a masseuse to come to the house and work the knots out of her neck and shoulders. You know Beth. She stores all of her tension there. Who’s on the phone?

No one. Just my boss again.

Jake scowled. It was easy to see where he ranked in importance.

Get rid of him, Brad ground out. I need to discuss something with you.

Is it about Beth?

I think one of us should move in with her, temporarily, to help her with her mum, Brad said.

So Brad had engineered the perfect excuse to spend more time with his ex ahead of his wedding to Skyla. Jake nearly exploded through the phone line. But alienating his future brother-in-law ten days before the wedding would damage the friendship he’d built with Skyla.

Maybe Jake should check out the situation for himself. He cleared his throat to calm himself down then said, "You two must have a lot to do. Why don’t I fly in and stay with Beth?"

Silence greeted his intrusion into their conversation, and then Brad piped up. Beth is a private person. She’d never allow a stranger—

Brad! Skyla said. Jake’s not a stranger. If he’s willing to consider—

I insist. Jake’s voice had an edge that didn’t belong. He softened his tone. We’ll call it an early wedding present.

Skyla squealed her delight. Thank you! You’ll love Beth.

If her curves were as luscious for real as in the picture, he just might…

I think it’s a terrible idea, Brad said. But I’ll run it past her if I get the chance.

You had better do it soon. I’ve got a plane standing by and once I reschedule a few urgent matters, I’ll be on it. Jake clicked off the phone before he added that speaking to Beth was all Brad should be doing.

He kicked the side of his desk. It was his duty as a big brother to make sure Skyla married a man who cared about her, and so far things sounded dodgy. He studied Beth’s sad expression and something in him tightened. He was concerned for her as well. Frazzled, caring for a sick mother, she probably lacked the strength to keep her overbearing ex-husband at bay.

Brad’s inability to move on after his first marriage affected both women.

Jake wasted no time in calling his manager and explaining Skyla’s predicament. Look at the photo I e-mailed to you. I need to get to Melbourne as quickly as possible.

Slow down, buddy. I know Skyla is important to you, but you’re making a lot of assumptions about Brad’s motives.

Oh c’mon. Look how gorgeous his ex-wife is. I can’t stand by and allow his attachment to Beth to jeopardize Skyla’s happiness. I’ll take his ex out of the equation if necessary.

Mike laughed. Murder is illegal in Australia as far as I know.

I’ve got something better than murder in mind. I’m going to keep Beth so busy that she won’t be available for the pre-wedding affair Brad is obviously planning to indulge in.

By planning your own pre-wedding affair?

Maybe? I’m intrigued. I admit it. I want to see for myself if Beth is as amazing as Skyla and Brad keep saying she is.

His manager chuckled.

I want you to hire a detective to delve into Beth’s background so that I know everything there is to know. Then schedule whatever you can as quickly as possible so I’m ahead of the game when I fly out. Jake dragged a hand back through his hair and waited for it to resettle.

The paparazzi will have a field day if they discover you there. If she’s got a sick mother, that will be the last thing she needs.

I’ll arrange for medical assistance and stay out of sight so no one will know I’m there. Beth can resume her life without Brad’s constant presence.

After sorting the details, Jake hung up.

Beth. The name whispered through him like a caress, igniting a hunger for more information. Was her name a shortened version of Elizabeth or Bethany? Would she be as soft as she looked? As sexy? Would she wear that dress for him? His need to know, to look into those wide, green eyes and probe the secrets they held, made him ache to move in with her immediately.

A knock sounded and Lois, his secretary, entered, waving a small bag. Just picked this up from the jeweler’s. I still say it’s an engagement ring—it’s quite similar to Kate Middleton’s.

Jake bit back a curse. It’s for my half sister. It’s a sapphire with a bunch of diamonds, but the setting is completely different. This is a dress ring. It’s a gift. I can assure you I won’t accidentally propose with it.

Your surname is inscribed inside it. I hope you know what you’re doing.

Jake took the bag and pulled out the red velvet box. He flipped open the lid and examined the family heirloom—a two-carat, square-cut sapphire ring flanked by diamonds. His father would be furious if he knew. Hell, they couldn’t stand each other, anyway.

He glanced at Lois. I asked the jeweler to modernize the setting. He did a good job. He called her back when she turned away. There’s something else. A change in plans. I’m leaving immediately on a trip, and I’ll be gone for eight-to-ten days. Hold my personal calls. This would keep Brad from telling him Beth didn’t want him at her house.

One way or the other, he’d show up, use his rock-god charm, and she’d be thrilled to have him stay.

Chapter One

Pungent smoke billowed through the kitchen, and tears of frustration stung Beth’s eyes. What a day: a funeral, cremated steak for dinner, and now the smoke alarm was blaring.

Flinging the windows open, she shuddered as a blast of icy air rushed in. Ugh, winter was early in Melbourne this year. She kicked off her slippers and dragged a ladder into position under the smoke alarm.

The alarm shut off, but her phone and doorbell were both still ringing. Perched barefoot atop the ladder she gritted her teeth. Another perfect hat trick. I’m burning the house down, my ex-husband is making his twelfth call of the day, and some moron is at the door.

She swiped her cordless phone off the bench and answered it as she hurried down the hall that divided her house into two mirror-image halves.

You’re not moving in, she told the caller. And you can’t come over for dinner either, because I’ve just set it alight. If you want to read me the riot act about nutrition and balance, then you’d better make it snappy. Someone’s at the door and my kitchen smells like molten saucepan and burned butter.

Silence greeted her confession and she paused with her hand on the doorknob. It’s you, isn’t it? You’re at my front door and I’ve just told you all that for nothing.

Without waiting for a response, she swung open the heavy oak door and gaped at a handsome stranger with a mobile phone pressed to his ear. Six feet of gorgeous masculinity graced her doorstep, broad shoulders filling out an overcoat that looked tailor-made. Any woman would be proud to have chestnut hair as lustrous and artfully styled as his, but the hard lines of his face and the intensity in his hazel eyes were 100 percent male. She’d never met anyone so arresting, and speech eluded her. He raised his chin, the smooth motion shifting the heavy fall of hair across his forehead to settle just clear of his eyes.

She didn’t want to be impressed. She was.

A smile softened his chiseled features as he tucked his phone into the inside pocket of his overcoat. Ah, the face of indecision. Which part are you reconsidering? Dinner? Or moving in?

She blinked in surprise at his fancy English accent, then laughed when she saw the suitcases near his feet. It looks as if you’re serious about moving in, but you’ll have to take a number.

His lips twitched, and he offered her his hand. Go ahead and stare, he said when she failed to take it. Get it out of your system.

Dragging her attention away from the sensual curve of his mouth, she grabbed his hand and pumped it. I was looking at your hair. It’s a dozen different shades of brown and probably takes an hour to style each morning but needs trimming.

Disbelief flashed across his features and he made a choking sound that might’ve been a laugh. Millions would disagree.

Millions, huh? That’s impressive. Look, I appreciate you—and your hair—stopping by, but I’ve got plans for an early night and I’m afraid they don’t include you.

He opened his mouth to speak, but she didn’t give him a chance. I know my friends are persuasive and they’re convinced I shouldn’t be alone tonight, but a stranger on my doorstep with suitcases is the last thing I need. I’m sorry they’ve wasted your time. She shrugged. Despite what they might’ve told you, you’re not welcome here. I don’t want company.

He flashed even white teeth at her as he chuckled and leaned closer. I’m not welcome? Do you know who I am, Bethany Louise Carlisle?

She tugged on her hand, but he refused to give it up, his fingertips tracing slowly over her knuckles as if he found each and every one of them fascinating. Tucking her phone between her head and shoulder, she stepped forward

Reviews for Famously Engaged

[msromanticreads · Rating: 2 out of 5 stars]

Jake Olsen, famous rock star of the UK band Five Awesome Emperors, is on a mission. He suspects that Brad, the fiancé of his half-sister Skyla, is still hung up on his ex-wife, Beth. It doesn’t matter that Skyla and Beth are friends and that Beth has agreed to plan their wedding. Brad talks about her non-stop and has even agreed to move in with her temporarily to help her through a difficult time. Jake’s curiosity and protective instincts lead him to devise an eyebrow raising plan to insinuate himself in the middle of this perceived love triangle. Beth is about to become the lucky winner of a fake bridal lottery.

Beth is still mourning the recent loss of her mother when a stranger shows up on her doorstep and declares himself her fiancé. She’s not about to let a total stranger into her home, but once it dawns on her who he is, and he shows her the future headlines announcing their engagement, she has no choice but to listen as he gives her a rundown of the mayhem about to come crashing down on her.

The forced confinement brings Jake and Beth intimately close together in a very short time. As feelings develop and are squashed, the question becomes whether Jake is willing to give himself to something other than his career, and will Beth be able to handle the fame and lack of privacy.

This story overall was cute but peculiar. It definitely had a very modern vibe of a Cinderella fairytale (it certainly made enough references to it). I had to suspend disbelief for the majority of the book before things evened out a little towards the end. My main concern with this story wasn’t Jake’s crazy plan, but rather Beth’s reaction (or lack thereof) to the whole debacle. Jake may have had good intentions, but poor execution. Poor guy.

In keeping with Entangled Indulgence’s guidelines of being dialogue-heavy, oh yes, it was. But most of the time it felt like the characters were talking a lot without really saying anything, other than Jake repeating more than once why he’d devised that plan, why she can’t leave the house, what usually happens to women he’s associated with, Beth’s wishes for a family or her connection with Brad. I skipped some of those passages as they arose. On a positive note, Ms. Thomas does really well with angst and pulling at heart-strings. During the climax of the story, I truly “felt” for these characters for the first time. Getting Jake to open up to her and tell her personal, deep, meaningful things about his life took a little too long to get to. The ending felt like a rush in an effort to bring the two love sick characters back together.

In summary, I liked it, but unfortunately this story lacks something to make it memorable. I would read more from this author, but not at this time. My rating: 2-2.5.

Favorite Lines:

“It’s quite simple. Don’t propose marriage unless you mean it.”

~*~

“Taking something that should be life-alteringly special and making it into a farce will be unforgivable. Please don’t do it.”

~*~

The confirmation should’ve come as a relief. Instead it fractured something inside her. Purely by chance she’d found her prince charming. But he was already married.

~*~

Disclaimer: I received an ARC from the publisher in exchange for an honest review.

[gloria.herrera · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

Engaging story. Interesting banter and battle of the sexes between the main characters.

[aribookzilla · Rating: 2 out of 5 stars]

TWO HEARTBREAKING STARS (imagine glittery stars .gif here) - because it breaks my heart to rate the book so low? *hinthint* ;)

I've struggled with this one for a couple of days. But I was determined to finish it.

It wasn't that it was bad, because it wasn't. I wish the author had the patience to develop the story over a few weeks (at least) rather than measly two days during which I'm supposed to believe they fell in love.

The characters are pretty inconsistent - both of them saying one thing, doing another, then the third, it was pretty hard following what exactly they wanted.
But here's the thing - I still liked them. I think this is why this book was hard for me to DNF, because I cared what happens to them because they were so clearly made for each other, but everything was happening in a very ridiculous way and too fast.

The story begins with Jake just randomly deciding Beth is having an affair with his soon to be brother in law (and her ex-husband) and that he would (get this) announce to the world they're engaged and move in with her, but still keep it all a secret.

I have no freaking idea what his plan was. No, really. I'm going to say it slowly (or, you read it slowly) - he decides to fake a story about bridal lottery of some sort, announce Beth won it, move in with her and have a fake engagement, but no one can know he's there. What exactly did he think to achieve by doing this, I don't know, because it makes no sense if no one was supposed to know that he actually had the paper run the story (oh, he's famous, btw).

Beth, on the other hand (and I couldn't get over this) - she opens the door, and there's Jake in all his Rock God Famous Man glory (not that she recognizes him), telling her he ran a lottery she didn't participate in, and won. And she's like "no. okay. yes."

And what comes next is insta-love, level: infinity.

There are these little gems strewn out throughout the book.
“I doubt that,” Jake said in a tone she’d never heard from him before.
Yes, never had she heard that tone from him in all of one day that she knew him.
He didn’t know how or when it had happened, but he’d come to rely on a daily fix of alone-time with Beth.
Yes, he'd come to rely on a daily fix of alone-time with Beth of which he'd had TWO - because that's how long they've known each other.

Now again, that's not to say I didn't like these two, separate or together. There's a good story underneath there somewhere and they had good chemistry, but it's hard to get over the fact that everything felt so forced because she crammed it in less than a week's time. Really, it was only like three or four days and then the end.

At times it was verging on ridiculous. Completely unrealistic story line that I think would have me file a restraining order or something against someone who finds out everything about me, runs it all in the paper, then barges into my life uninvited, moves into my home, and I DON'T EVEN KNOW - but Beth is like "oh, well."

The dialogue doesn't feel natural, and honestly, almost everything they said felt like info dump. There's so much dialogue! And half the time I was wondering if it's some sort of monologue or are there two people participating in the conversation.

And then the ending, rushed like the rest of the book. Bam - everything fixed. I did like that Beth sort of takes control of the situation because Jake, the coward that he is, would never have done it.

There are a couple of graphic scenes of sexual nature. I sort of had a hard time figuring out what was happening.

And that concludes this review. I don't know what else to say.

OH! Beckham and Hugh Grant show up randomly.

*** Free copy of this book provided by the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

[mybookaddiction_1 · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

This was an odd story about a famous rock star who thought he needed to protect his half sister from the ex-wife of her fiance. Jake thought Brad should be focusing on Skyla instead of his ex-wife Beth. So Jake showed up on Beth’s door and announced that they are going to pretend they are engaged so that Brad will focus on Skyla instead of Beth.I just didn’t understand why Beth would agree to this because it brought attention and the paparazzi to her door. Beth ended up with his whole band, security and reporters in her house. I felt like we didn’t really get enough of a chance to get to know the characters to decide if we liked them and wanted to root for them. It ended in a cute love story but something was missing.Rating-3Heat Rating-MildReviewed by Donna McClaugherty,Review courtesy of My Book Addiction and More