Happy Ending
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- Pre-Order
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- Expected Apr 14, 2026
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- $13.99
Publisher Description
From USA TODAY bestselling author Chloe Liese, a clever and heartwarming rom-com that is perfect for fans of Christina Lauren and Annabel Monaghan about two best friends who must fake a relationship for their exes.
Thea and Alex have three things in common—they love food, they hate where they live, and they’re both divorced. Otherwise, they couldn’t be more different.
Thea’s never cooked a day in her life. Alex is a world-class chef. Alex resents feeling stuck in his hometown. Thea resents the town for not feeling more like home. Thea and her ex are in a contentious custody battle for their dog. Alex and his ex amicably coparent their daughter. Beyond a few friends in common, a couple small-world connections (welcome to life in a mid-size city), their lives look nothing alike. Fast forward two years, and they’re truly the best of friends. No one would ever know their friendship began as a lie…
Two years ago, their exes got together immediately following their divorces, and somehow, Thea and Alex found themselves spinning a spite-fueled story about being old friends and first loves. Two years later, what began as a ruse has grown into real friendship—just friendship, despite what friends and family seem to think. But when their exes invite them on a two-week, “two family” beach vacation—daughter and dog included—Alex and Thea start to wonder if this story they’ve spun might have gotten away from them, and if it’s led them to the last place they ever thought it could: a happy ending.
APPLE BOOKS REVIEW
A fake romance becomes real—two years later—in this delicious friends-to-lovers romance. Bookseller Thea and chef Alex become instant friends when they discover that their ex-spouses are in a relationship. Both still smarting from their breakups, they immediately embark on a fake romance together, hoping to make their exes jealous. But the plan quickly fizzles, leaving them with an unexpectedly solid friendship. The whole ruse has become a distant memory when, during a pleasant family holiday, the yearning they once faked starts to feel real. We loved the novel’s dual timelines, which put Thea and Alex’s comfortable present into the context of their amusingly odd past. Author Chloe Liese fills the narrative with wit, heart, and humour, not to mention characters that we absolutely wanted to hang out with (preferably over one of Alex’s homemade meals). Fans of Emily Henry and Kate Clayborn will love the emotional depth and satisfying romantic tension of this heartfelt read.
PUBLISHERS WEEKLY
A slow-burning love story keeps the pages turning in this cute contemporary from Liese (Once Smitten, Twice Shy). Bookseller Thea Meyer and Michelin star chef Alex Bruscato become instant best friends when they discover that their ex-spouses are now in a relationship with each other. After impulsively suggesting to the couple that, they too, have a long romantic history, Thea and Alex quickly realize their compatibility isn't hard to fake. Thea enjoys the food Alex cooks her and bonds with his six-year-old daughter, Mia, while Alex takes Thea's book recommendations and falls in love with her dog, Argos. They spend more time together than apart as Thea works up the courage to present her plan to purchase her bookstore and Alex develops a cookbook. When Mia's mom asks Alex and Thea to join a summer family vacation, it prompts them to consider whether fake dating and friendship could lead to something more. By toggling between the early days of their relationship and that romantic turning point, Liese does an excellent job maintaining tension and building a solid, trusting, and believable connection between the pair. Friends-to-lovers fans won't want to miss this.
