ARC Review: Fraud by JL Berg

Book Title: Fraud
Author: J.L. Berg
Series: Standalone
Release Date: April 29th, 2017
Genres: Contemporary Romance

From USA Today Bestselling author J.L. Berg comes a sexy standalone about love, lies and every dirty little thing in between.

It wasn’t just a job.

It was my way back to the top.

After losing my position as a journalist for one of the biggest news publications in the world, I knew I’d do anything to get it back.

Even if it meant breaking a few hearts to get there.

She was the hottest author in the country. Known only by a pen name, there wasn’t a person alive who wasn’t dying to discover her true identity.

And I’d figured it out.

Her real name was Kate O’Malley and not only did I plan on finding her, but I fully intended on learning every dirty secret she had and exploiting it for my own gain.

But I underestimated my prey.

I didn’t anticipate how her words would intoxicate me, or how the curves of her body would consume me.

I never meant to fall in love.

And now I had a choice to make.

Do I give up everything for the woman I set out to destroy, or walk away, making me the biggest fraud of all?

JL Berg has the innate ability to deliver both great plot, engaging characters, and steamy romance. She didn't fail us here with Fraud. Kate O'Malley is one of those quiet, introverted, unsocial types- preferring a Saturday night home alone with her beloved cat versus going out clubbing like most single women her age. A college loan officer by day, she's a best-selling sultry erotica writer by night. Hiding behind a pen name, it's the biggest kept secret- who is the author of The Scandal Chronicles?

Killian is down on his luck professionally. A news writer, he took an article a bit too far and offensive, finding himself fired and with a bad reputation. Chronically unemployed, he finds the perfect career changer. He knows the name of the true author of The Scandal Chronicles. Exposing this would gain him huge publicity and monetary success. So, he goes on the hunt for this Laura Stone, aka Katelyn O'Malley. What he doesn't bank on is how completely opposite she is to what he envisioned after reading her book! But you know what they say about the quiet ones!

I have to admit, this entire book I kept forcing myself not to envision E.L. James as our heroine. I don't know why but I just did. Anywho, Fraud was sexy fun and flowed well. Killian was one of those guys I really didn't particularly like early on in the book, but with his change of heart, my opinion of him warmed. He was truly kind of a weasel at first but he wasn't immune to our cute, perky heroine Kate. Both characters have a lot of growth in their journey through this novel. Both having endured sadness and using grief as a bit of a crutch over the years. Will they find strength together to conquer their fears? Will Killian's dishonesty and hunger for selfish professional gain be his demise? We shall see...

Advanced copy received by the author in exchange for my honest review.

I’m a California native, who lives in the South – Virginia to be exact. I still prefer sushi to fried chicken, avocados to okra, and I absolutely loathe humidity. I do love watching the seasons change though. My husband and I have been here for ten years, and I still get giddy like a school girl every time it snows.

I’m married to my high school sweetheart. We were married young, barely out of high school. Everyone told us we were crazy and stupid. We’ll be celebrating 12 years of marriage this year, and I love him more every single day. We’re living proof that true love knows no age limit.

We’ve been blessed with two beautiful daughters who continue to amaze and inspire me, and are probably making me go a bit insane. I’m obsessed with yoga and pilates and am a complete chocoholic. I apologize in advance for the amount of sweets in my book.

I’m absolutely obsessed with romance novels (duh) and probably could have built a vacation home with the amount of money I’ve invested in them over the years. Romance novels take you to another place, making your heart race, emotions swell, passion run free. After so many years of meeting hundreds of fictional characters and discovering their worlds, I found myself creating my own.

I am represented by Jill Marsal of Marsal Lyon Literary Agency, LLC.