REVIEW & GIVEAWAY: FROM FAKE TO FOREVER by JENNIFER SHIRK

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By: Jennifer Shirk

Releasing June 6, 2016
Entangled Bliss

In From Fake to Forever by Jennifer Shirk, opening a business can be hard for some, and that's why Sandra Moyer's sister, Molly, has decided to help. However, Molly's latest promotional tool turns out to Ben Capshaw, a super-famous playboy actor that needs to gain some experience with kids, if he wants to succeed in his latest role. Reluctantly, Sandra agrees to giving Ben the opportunity to teach alongside the rest of her staff. Now, if only she can stop herself from falling for him, especially when he's so charming.

Ben Capshaw never knew teaching kids could be so fun. Then again, he is a big kid at heart and without a doubt proves that statement to be true the first time he meets Sandra. So, when she learns he's the one needing some practical experience, to hopefully help him with an upcoming role, he knows why she's wary to give him a chance. However, Ben won't be deterred from what he needs to do, even if he has to play dirty. Because more than anything, he's determined to show Sandra that she can trust him. Determined to prove that he's more than just an actor playing a role, and that love is worth fighting for.

Having read a few of Ms. Shirk's books, I've got to say that this is one of her best. The opening chapter had me laughing with the incident that finds Ben in trouble with Sandra. Yet, it was the moment Sandra learned that the hero was the one needing to spend time at her pre-school, so he could gain experience with kids that made this story captivating and fast-paced. Not only because I wanted to discover what obstacles this couple would face on their journey to happy ever after, but because it was palpable that it wasn't going to be easy for Ben to convince Sandra that she could trust him. Not when he's a playboy actor, and she hasn't had the best of luck with men.

I really liked both the main characters as well as the secondary ones. Sandra's daughter, Hannah, is adorable and I was charmed by the growing relationship between her and Ben. He proves himself reliable unlike the little girl's dad. Then there's Sandra's sister, Missy, and the other teacher at the pre-school, Carol. Their fan-girling was pretty hilarious, especially because it got a rise out of Sandra.

The dialogue was riveting, and the playful banter between Sandra and Ben definitely ups the sexual tension between the pair. However, the romance stays on the sweet side, and only brings about some hot kisses. Sandra has been burned by her ex, and it isn't easy for her to trust Ben. But the more she gets to know him, the more she realizes that he's nothing like her ex. He's someone she can rely on. Yet, how does she know it's real? He is an actor.

Sandra is strong, brave and I liked how determined she was to prove to her daughter that she loves her. That she showed her that there was no-one more important than her. That she had enough love to give for that of two parents, especially since Hannah's father couldn't be bothered to spend time with her. I also liked how much of a challenge she proved to be for Ben. She's not like other women that want to get to know him just because of his looks, his fame, and his fortune.

While Ben, he's confident, courageous and Sandra's assessment of him at the beginning definitely rings true. But the more I read, the more he changed my opinion of him. He's responsible and reliable, which he proves by what he does for Sandra and Hannah towards the end. Certainly, Ben is determined to convince Sandra that she can trust him, and prove that he's nothing like her ex because he's a man that keeps his promises.

Overall, Ms. Shirk has done a wonderful job penning this tale, which encompasses well-written dialogue, fun-loving characters that deserve their happy ever after and a heartwarming plot that entertained me from beginning to end. This story ended perfectly, as Ben surprises Sandra by fulfilling a promise and proving how much he loves her with the decision he made about his acting career. I would recommend From Fake to Forever by Jennifer Shirk, if you enjoy heroes that face quite a challenge to win the heroine's heart.

OVERALL RATING:

BLURB:
Sandra Moyer’s preschool is struggling, so when her sister suggests allowing a super-famous actor to research his latest role there, she reluctantly agrees. Except the actor turns out to be Ben Capshaw—a playboy who’s never serious, always joking around, and who knows zero about kids or being a parent. Case in point: his involvement in the untimely death of the preschool’s class pet…

Ben is enjoying teaching more than he thought he would, but that doesn’t mean he’s looking for a permanent position. Sure, he’s ready for more serious movie roles and less goofing off, but the buttoned-up, beautiful Sandra and her young daughter are more than he bargained for. Plus, Sandra still won’t trust him—what if it’s all an act, research for the role? As the lines between make-believe and reality blur, Ben will have to decide if love is worth casting aside the role of his life for a new role…that could last a lifetime.

Previously released as The Role of a Lifetime - (May 2008) and has been enhanced with new material.

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“I’d love to come,” he answered.

What?

“Hip, hip, hooray!” Hannah shouted as she galloped around the office.

Sandra gritted her teeth. Ben wasn’t helping the situation, standing there, laughing as her daughter jumped her little heart out. Frustration constricted in her chest, since she was left with no choice but to be the bad guy. No matter. She was used to it. The way she always made up excuses for her ex-husband, she had the bad guy routine down to an art form by now.

“Sweetie,” she said, taking her daughter by the shoulders, “Big Bens is a very busy”

“Sandra, I said I’d love to come.”

She looked up and saw he was serious. He really didn’t want her getting him out of lunch on the boardwalk. Huh. That was a new one to her. But out of habit, she tried one more time. “Aren’t you worried about being recognized?”

He flashed her a confident grin, reaching deep into his pocket, whipping out what looked like a black necklace and twirling it around his index finger.

“What’s that?” she asked.

Hannah’s little hands went for the object, but Ben yanked it out of her reach just in time. “Nice try.” He looked at Sandra, his grin widening. “It’s my eye patch.”

“Your eye patch,” she repeated dully. “Has this role you’re after changed to a pirates-of-the-Jersey-shore movie?”

“No,” he said with a chuckle. “Since you had me shave, it’s my new disguise. I stopped at a convenience store the other day and got accosted by two teenage girls who recognized me as soon as I reached for a gallon of milk. One of them even pinched my—”

“I get it,” Sandra said, holding up a hand.

“I’m just saying. Fame isn’t easy.”

Poor baby. “So now you honestly walk around wearing that thing?”

He answered her question by putting it on.

Oh, dear. She hated to admit it, but the eye patch looked good on him. Why was she even surprised? Of course it did. He was a handsome man, and now he made one heck of a handsome pirate. To her disgust, her heart even did a somersault.

That settled it. Ben coming with them to lunch had bad idea written all over it. She looked to Hannah, hoping for an ally, or at the very least, some kind of sign. “What do you think, sweetie? Do you want to go to lunch with a scary pirate?”

“Pi-rate, pi-rate, pi-rate,” her little traitor began to chant, giggling and dancing around some more.

Not the sign she’d hoped for.

Sandra shrugged at Ben. “I guess you can come with us.”

“Arr, shiver me timbers,” he said in an exaggerated pirate twang. He winked his uncovered eye at Hannah and hooked his thumbs in his pants. “This is the nicest your mom’s been to a poor old bloke like meself in days.”

Sandra poked a finger in his chest but grinned. “Don’t make me regret this, or you’ll walk the plank.”

He grinned back and, with that eye patch, turned kneemeltingly rakish in under ten seconds flat. “Aye, I won’t be asking you to make me Roger jolly, if that’s what has you worrying.”

She laughed. Then he surprised her by taking her hand in his and raising it up to his lips. “I’ve already given you me word,” he said huskily, still in his pirate character.

“Friendship and perhaps a kind word here and there ’tis all I’m after.”

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Jennifer Shirk has a bachelor degree in pharmacy-which has in NO WAY at all helped her with her writing career. But she likes to point it out, since it shows romantic-at-hearts come in all shapes, sizes, and mind-numbing educations.

She writes sweet (and sometimes even funny) romances for Samhain Publishing, Avalon Books/Montlake Romance and now Entangled Publishing. She won third place in the RWA 2006 NYC's Kathryn Hayes Love and Laughter Contest with her first book, THE ROLE OF A LIFETIME. Recently, her novel SUNNY DAYS FOR SAM won the 2013 Golden Quill Published Authors Contest for Best Traditional Romance.

Lately she's been on a serious exercise kick. But don't hold that against her.

Author Links: Website | Facebook | Twitter | GoodReads

Top Three Excerpts from FROM FAKE TO FOREVER

Hi, all, Jennifer here! I'm very excited to tell you about my new Entangled Bliss release, From Fake to Forever. Ben is a Hollywood heartthrob actor and Sandra is a preschool teacher. They are so different at first glance but the more they get to know one another, the more they really see how well they relate to one another. Plus, they were so fun to write! To SHOW this fun interaction, I'd like to share my TOP 3 scenes with you now:

Scene #1: Ben gets "Stuck". This is the first time Sandra actually "meets" and speaks to Ben.

Todd took off running. “You have to catch me first,” he called out with a laugh.

That little bugger. Ben dropped the football and ran after him. Todd was fast, weaving his way around the wooden maze of forts and playground equipment and then disappearing from his sight. Ben climbed up the rope to the wooden platform and scanned the area. From the corner of his eye, he caught sight of Todd ducking into a tube slide. Ha! Gotcha now, kid. He ran over and climbed into a slide himself, hoping to catch him by surprise.

The only problem was he didn’t slide down.

He began to twist, realizing his shoulders were wedged in tight. With one arm pinned down and the other arm up, he tried shifting his hips to wiggle back up. That didn’t work, either. Okay, he wasn’t sure how he’d managed this strange, bizarre feat, but he needed some help.

Crap. He could see the headline now: “Career Not Only Thing Going Down Tubes.” Oh, man, his agent and publicist would have his head on a platter if that happened. He’d be lucky to get local theater work after that. Served him right for showing off and acting like a ten-year-old instead of the thirty-four-year-old he was.

Where the hell is Todd?

Ben heard movement above him. Thank goodness. He looked up, ready to ream Todd out for leaving him hanging so long. But he clamped his lips shut when he stared directly into the face of a cherubic little girl instead.

“Excuse me. Now it my turn,” she said in a tiny voice.

“Uh…well, you have to wait. See, I can’t move right now.”

She frowned. “But I said excuse me.”

“Yeah, I know, but—”

Her little face puckered and those big blue eyes filled with tears, which set the alarm bells ringing. No, no, please. I beg you! Oh, man, the kid was going to cry on him.

Where the hell is Todd!

The little girl did begin to cry—not with the loud, obnoxious wailing he half expected, but with a quiet, trembling frown and dime-size tears that fell like an H5 hailstorm. It made him want to break down and cry, too.

He didn’t need this right now—stuck as he was—especially since he had no clue how to convey he was telling the truth to such a young child. About to send out a verbal SOS to Todd, he saw the blonde from the bench spring out before him.

Thank you, God. Maybe it wasn’t exactly how he wanted to meet this woman, but at least she would understand the situation, and he could finally get some help. But when he gazed up into the woman’s ready-to-kill eyes, he doubted very much that the cavalry had arrived.

“What did you do to my daughter?” she accused in that stern mother-cub-protecting-her-baby voice.

Oh, great. Her daughter. More bad PR. Now they were going to add child abuse to the headline. “Nothing,” he insisted. “Honest. Look, she just wants to go down the slide.”

The blonde folded her arms. “Well, let her, then.”

The woman’s demand gave him pause. Okay, she obviously didn’t understand his predicament any better than her kid had. “I…uh…can’t,” he said with a sheepish grin. “I’m kind of stuck. Maybe a little help?” He waved his one free arm, but she looked at it as though it were covered with warts.

“Maybe I should call the police for help instead,” she said, drawing her daughter to her side.

“No police!”

The woman flinched from his outburst. He didn’t mean to freak out on her, but the police equaled the press in his book. Then bad headlines. Then unhappy agent. Then less work. The list went on.

He cleared his throat. “No police, please,” he repeated more calmly. “In fact, don’t call anyone.”

An odd expression—somewhere between nausea and hysteria—crossed her pretty features, and she grabbed her daughter’s hand. “Let’s go.”

Go? Go where? He watched in disbelief as the woman began to lead her daughter away. Did she think he was faking it? Didn’t she recognize him? The woman was actually turning her back on him.

“Wait!” he shouted. “I’m not kidding! Come back! What about me?”

His complaints and shouts didn’t even register on her radar. The woman had to have heard him—heck, upstate New York had to have heard him—but she didn’t turn around. Didn’t so much as pause. In fact, she picked up her little girl and ran.

Scene #2: This is where Ben is observing his preschool class but has an unfortunate tangle with the class mascot.

Ben stood up and walked over to the windows, grabbing the attention of Missy and the rest of the class. His eyes swept around the floor a few seconds, and then he finally saw it. Holy crap, how could he not? That thing was huge.

“What’s the matter, Big Bens?” he heard Missy ask.

“Nothing.” Gargantuan spider, actually. But he didn’t want to announce that in case there were any squeamish kids in the room.

It was one mother of an ugly insect and—now that it began to move—remarkably fast for possessing those thick little legs. Being the he-man he was, he wasn’t about to let it get away so it could boast to all its hairy little friends. So he grabbed a heavy dictionary off the shelf, aimed, and then let the book drop. “Got it!” he called out.

The children shrieked. His head whipped up and around, trying to sort through the sudden mayhem. He’d had absolutely no idea ten little preschoolers had the ability to create enough noise to blow out an eardrum, but at that precise moment there was enough sound to fill a stadium. But even among the loud chatter, he heard some of the kids cry out, “Herbie!”

Herbie?

That thing had a name?

Ben’s eyes shot to Missy for an explanation, but she just stood there like a corpse with wide eyes bulging out and a hand raised to her mouth. Oh-kay. He obviously wasn’t going to get any support in that corner. He was officially on his own.

Great. Now what? He was going to make things much worse if he picked up the book and allowed the class to see the smeared-up guts of Herbie, so he simply froze, wishing for some big hook to come and yank him away.

Then his wish was granted.

Sandra, aka big hook, appeared at the door of the classroom with her no-nonsense line of attack that stomped out all the commotion around them. Oh, man. She was not looking happy with him, either—not that he’d seen her looking any other way. More bad timing on his part. She had a way of popping in on him when he wasn’t exactly his best. Too bad he couldn’t have screenwriters helping him out with choice lines in real life, because he could sure use a witty one now. Coming up with nothing on his own, he hiked his shoulders up at her, hoping she’d take it as a white flag being waved. However, Sandra didn’t seem ready to declare peace.

“Ah, Mr. Ben, a word, please?”

Scene #3: A fun little scene with Sandra, Ben, and Sandra's child, Hannah.

“What’s that?” she asked.

Hannah’s little hands went for the object, but Ben yanked it out of her reach just in time. “Nice try.” He looked at Sandra, his grin widening. “It’s my eye patch.”

“Your eye patch,” she repeated dully. “Has this role you’re after changed to a pirates-of-the-Jersey-shore movie?”

“I get it,” Sandra said, holding up a hand.

“I’m just saying. Fame isn’t easy.”

Poor baby. “So now you honestly walk around wearing that thing?”

He answered her question by putting it on.

“Pi-rate, pi-rate, pi-rate,” her little traitor began to chant, giggling and dancing around some more.

Not the sign she’d hoped for.

Sandra shrugged at Ben. “I guess you can come with us.”

Sandra poked a finger in his chest but grinned. “Don’t make me regret this, or you’ll walk the plank.”

He grinned back and, with that eye patch, turned knee-meltingly rakish in under ten seconds flat. “Aye, I won’t be asking you to make me Roger jolly, if that’s what has you worrying.”

She laughed. Then he surprised her by taking her hand in his and raising it up to his lips. “I’ve already given you me word,” he said huskily, still in his pirate character. “Friendship and perhaps a kind word here and there ’tis all I’m after.”

Thanks so much for allowing me to stop by and share a little bit of Ben and Sandra with you!!

I hope you all get to check out From Fake to Forever available now!

Happy reading!

Jennifer