New Release Review ~ Between Marriage and Merger ~ Karen Booth (@karenbbooth, @DesireEditors) #2018NewRelease #COYER

Between Marriage and Merger by Karen Booth
The Locke Legacy #3
Release Date: February 1, 2018
Genre: Adult, Contemporary Romance
Source: I received a complimentary copy from the author. This does not affect my opinion or rating. I voluntarily provided a review. 
Rating: 4 Bookworms
Challenges: #2018NewRelease, #COYER
Goodreads

Synopsis
From boardroom to bedroom...and back?

Hotel magnate Noah Locke has worked too hard to let a PR scandal ruin the biggest deal of his career. If a fake engagement will fix his image, he's in. So is Lily Foster, his assistant - and the one woman he's wanted for years. Soon there's nothing fake about their heated kisses and steamy nights together. Can this arrangement turn real...or is Lily playing for a different prize?

Having met Noah and Lily in the previous books of the series, I'd been eager for their story. KBooth didn't let me down, delivering a fun story with a few of my favorite romance tropes. :)

Noah is the Locke sibling that's always felt the effects of living in Sawyer's shadow. With how their father treats him - and even Sawyer and Charlotte to a certain degree - Noah feels like he's never quite good enough. So when he's attracted to his assistant, Lily, from her first day on the job and Sawyer warns him away, he does his best not to let his brother down. Lily came to NYC to escape a mortifying incident - one she doesn't like to think about. She has lived the last two years determined to focus on work and creating her own security while fighting the intense attraction she feels toward Noah.

One of the best things about Noah and Lily denying their attraction is that they've spent a lot of time together and have become really good friends. So when a video showing Noah in a less than favorable light threatens an important deal for the business, Lily agrees to be Noah's fake fiancee. 

So, Office Romance? Check
Friends-to-Lovers Romance? Check, check.
Fake Engagement Romance? Check, check, check.
Which all equaled a sweet, romantic story.

My favorite parts were watching Noah and Lily's friendship blossom into more - which, honestly, didn't take much after a scorching kiss. ;) I also enjoyed seeing how they each helped the other overcome insecurities, accepting their vulnerabilities. They were both strong as individuals, whether they realized it or not, but together they were a powerhouse team!

A thing that bothered me was that Lily said she was close to her family but she never let them know about her engagement, which even if it was fake, they were sure to see on social media. Overall though, Between Marriage and Merger was a satisfying installment in the Locke Legacy.