The Summer Girlfriend

Forest (the Greene Sisters series) delivers a flirty fake-relationship romance. At 27, Noelle Lewis is determined to correct the past mistakes that cost her her college scholarship and finish her degree. To pay her tuition, she works at a bookstore and has a side gig as a bridesmaid for hire. When the wedding season slows down and she gets laid off from her bookstore job, customer Jeremiah Smith II offers to help her financially if she pretends to be his girlfriend for the weekend. A reformed party boy and heir to the famous bakeshop Smith’s Sweets, Jeremiah feels like the family disappointment, especially after the explosive argument he had with his late grandfather on the night he died. Determined to make something of himself, he left Smith Sweets to become an entrepreneur. He has no time for romance but lied to his mother about having a girlfriend to keep her from worrying. As the weekend turns into a summer of weekends, the chemistry between Noelle and Jeremiah becomes very real, but the transition from transactional relationship to true love won’t be easy. Forest couples the sweet romance with a heartwarming exploration of love, loss, and the courage required to pursue one’s own path. The result is an uplifting contemporary perfect for the lazy days of summer. (June)