REVIEW & GIVEAWAY: UNMISTAKEN IDENTITY by MARIE JOHNSTON

Too bad secret identities only last forever in comic books.

UNMISTAKEN IDENTITY

Fanboys #1

Marie Johnston

Releasing June 21, 2017

In Unmistaken Identity (Fanboys #1) by Marie Johnston, Mara Baranski is determined to do anything she can to keep her comic book shop from closing, even if it means confronting the son of her late landlord who wants to knock down the building to put more money into his already huge bank account. With only forty-five days to get Wesley 'Wes' Robson to change his mind, Mara has her work cut out for her. However, when she realizes what a mistake she's made in getting involved with someone she meets at Wes's club, it's too little too late for matters of the heart not to be involved. Will Mara will able to find a way to get through to Wes who resented his father, or will she lose the business that she worked so hard for and her chance at happy ever after?

From the moment I started reading this book, I was absolutely charmed by the main characters, especially the heroine. Because her chance at keeping her shop open is dependent on how persuasive she can be and whether Wesley will do the right thing in honoring the deal his father had offered to Mara before he died. The way this story started had me sympathizing with the heroine, as her comic store is a popular shop and it's not fair that it should be closing just so Wes can make more money. However, it was from the moment that the hero and heroine meet that had me absolutely hooked because Wes is determined to deceive Mara.

With the dialogue, it was absolutely fantastic and kept me entertained from start to finish due to the main characters back stories that made me empathize with the hero and heroine; the challenges these two face that make them enemies; the moment the truth is revealed about the hero; the heroine's feistiness when it comes to what she thinks of the hero; and what Wes discovers towards the end about his father. However, there were some light-hearted moments that I absolutely loved between the hero and heroine; and between the hero and his best friend. The hero's best friend is extremely determined to see that the hero doesn't make a mistake of sticking to one woman -- Mara.

Both the main characters are compelling, and drew me into this story due to their growing relationship and their back stories. The heroine has so many reasons for needing the hero to keep the building and I liked her determination to win him over. I also liked how strong and brave she was and how she handles everything when it comes to her mother's illness. Yet, what I liked most about the heroine was how feisty she was when it came to things she says about the hero and his pit-bull ways as a real estate tycoon. He doesn't back down from anything, not even the obstacles that stand in his way. While the hero, he goes through a lot in this book in order to get a better understanding on why his father became more and more absent from his life. He's confident, cocky and I liked how determined he was to fight fire with fire so to speak in regards to the things the heroine does to interfere with his business deals. Yet, what I liked most about the hero is how honorable he was once he realizes how wrong he is in regards to the heroine.

Overall, Ms. Johnston has penned a deliciously hot and wonderful read in this book, encompassing three really good tropes in the enemy to lovers, opposites attract and mistaken identity tropes. The way this story ended had me loving the hero even more than I already did because of what he did for the heroine when it came to one of the reasons why she finds it so hard to trust men and what he did for her business. However, it was what happened right at the end that wrapped this story up nicely, as Wes proves how much he loves the heroine. Her business and comic conventions can be so much fun. I would recommend Unmistaken Identity by Marie Johnston, if you enjoy the opposites attract trope, the mistaken identity trope, the enemy to lovers trope or books by authors Helena Hunting, Max Monroe, Lauren Blakely or Karina Halle.

BLURB

Mara Baranski is living the fangirl’s dream, running a comic book shop that supports her and her ailing mother. She is even given the chance to buy the building—for a dollar. That is, until her dear friend and landlord dies before the sale goes through. Now Mara has forty-five days to clear out her shop or convince the resentful son of the old owner to change his mind—if she can only corner him long enough to ask.

Despite being abandoned by his father years ago, Wesley inherited all of his dad’s assets and ambition—but not his gullibility. When the tantalizing woman at his nightclub turns out to be the woman who scammed his lonely father, he seizes the chance for a little revenge. But after using a fake name to get close to his target, Wes is soon coming up with excuses to keep his identity secret a little longer.

As the forty-five days count down, Mara’s loyal customers swoop in to help save her store. Even more, her handsome new boyfriend is making her believe in happy endings again. Too bad secret identities only last forever in comic books.

She had to hunt Wesley Robson down tonight, didn’t want to waste more time on her search. As it was, the night would be too short for decent sleep. Saturday was game day at her comic book shop. Participants showed early and played intensely for hours. Board games, card games, electronic games. She would jump in and play them all, or run around the store helping customers.

It was her favorite day of the week, but still a long one.

What did Wesley look like, anyway? She would’ve seen him if she’d been able to go to the funeral. By the time she’d found out about Sam’s sudden death, though, he’d been gone and buried. There had to be a picture of his boy online. Just as she pulled out her phone to do a search, someone settled onto the barstool next to her.

“Macallan 12.”

The deep voice resonated through her bones. She almost groaned. He had the rumble of a rugged man, a primal mating call in her opinion. Admittedly, her last few dates had put the “boys” in fanboys, not men who knew their way around a woman.

She peeked at him from the corner of her eye. Her fingers tightened around the stem of her glass.

Holy hotness, Batman! He reminded her of one of her favorite superheroes. Jet-black hair, sky-blue eyes nearly glowing under the club lights, wide shoulders. If he wore a cape and had a large S on his shirt, she’d sit on his face. She’d still consider it, given his charcoal slacks and white-striped shirt, which likely had been cinched by a tie all day. The first two buttons were undone and his sleeves were rolled up. What was that style called? Industrial hot-as-hell businessman.

“What’s your poison?”

She shot him a surprised glance. He gestured to her already half-empty glass.

What had the bartender said it was? “I think it’s named after some rapper.”

He chuckled with genuine humor. “Are you here with the bachelorette party?”

When hell froze over. “No.”

The bartender leaned over the counter to hand him his drink. “The lady said she was looking for the owner.”

Stay out of it, dude. Wait, he knew the total package next to her? Maybe the new arrival also knew the owner. “Do you know Mr. Robson?”

His eyes crinkled with his smile. Even the man’s teeth were perfect. “Why would you want to find him? I’ve heard he’s an ass.”

She rolled her eyes. “Tell me about it.”

Hotness savored a long sip of his…whatever a Macallan was. “You’ve gotta tell me what he did to you.”

The pink bangs that framed her face dropped into her eyes. She feathered them away. His gaze traced from her hand to her dual ponytails, the plain brown hair streaked with pink. Instead of blond highlights, or lowlights, or whatever stylish women did, she’d chosen pink—because it was fun and girly. One of the few splurges she allowed herself.

Her hair often drew attention, not always the flattering kind. But she enjoyed his. “He’s shutting down my store. Tearing down the whole damn building. ‘Upgrading.’” She gave the last word air quotes.

His right eye twitched and he stared at her for a heartbeat. Humor drained from his expression and his gaze narrowed slightly.

Her heart rate increased at being the object of such scrutiny. She wanted more, but she also felt like she’d done something wrong.

Finally, a grin curled his full lips. “That bastard.”

Marie Johnston writes paranormal and contemporary romance and has collected several awards in both genres. Before she was a writer, she was a microbiologist. Depending on the situation, she can be oddly unconcerned about germs or weirdly phobic. She’s also a licensed medical technician and has worked as a public health microbiologist and as a lab tech in hospital and clinic labs. Marie’s been a volunteer EMT, a college instructor, a security guard, a phlebotomist, a hotel clerk, and a coffee pourer in a bingo hall. All fodder for a writer!! She has four kids, an old cat, and a puppy that’s bigger than half her kids.

I’d love to share a few of my favorite scenes from Unmistaken Identity. My top pick is from the first scene and I included my favorite snippet. Mara’s determined to find Wes, the man shutting down her business and avoiding her calls.And she does track him down—only she doesn’t know it. It was fun for me to write because I was getting to know the characters and I got to be the first to witness it dawning on Wes who he was hitting on.

“Do you know Mr. Robson?”

His eyes crinkled with his smile. Even the man’s teeth were perfect. “Why would you want to find him? I’ve heard he’s an ass.”

She rolled her eyes. “Tell me about it.”

Hotness savored a long sip of his…whatever a Macallan was. “You’ve gotta tell me what he did to you.”

His right eye twitched and he stared at her for a heartbeat. Humor drained from his expression and his gaze narrowed slightly.

Her heart rate increased at being the object of such scrutiny. She wanted more, but she also felt like she’d done something wrong.

Finally, a grin curled his full lips. “That bastard.”

Excerpt #2 defines Wes’s relationship with his mother and hints at how far he’s come with Mara, that he may not think she’s the manipulative woman he first thought. The relationship with his mother, and her personality, explains a lot about why Wes would assume the worst of Mara. When I wrote the mom, I had the voice in my head from the mom on The Fifth Element. You only hear her over the phone in the movie, but her voice has stuck with me all these years.

“Wesley, I think I’m dying.”

“You’re not dying, Mother.” Wesley sat on Mara’s front step. It was a little after seven thirty and she was late.

“It’s the cold. It’s going to do me in. Have you rented that villa in the islands for me yet?”

“I’m not renting a villa.” But it was tempting. Months of his mom out of the state. Out of the country. What held him back was the tab she’d rack up because he’d have to open a line of credit for her to use.

“It’s either the villa or a hospital bill. I’m telling you, I won’t survive another Minnesota winter. Perhaps I’ll need to move in with you.”

“Stay inside and order in. They deliver everything nowadays. And no, you can’t live with me.” Access to his housekeeper, chef, and driver was what she really wanted. Coveted his private jet, too.

“We’ll talk about this later. I have another doctor’s visit and he’ll write a note. Not that I should need one for my own son,” she finished with sarcasm.

It wouldn’t matter, but he let his mom hang up. Villa or a hospital bill. He toed a rock off the step. Would he even visit once or twice a week like Mara did with her mother?

Mara could visit his mother, too. They could both worm their way into his bank accounts. Even the thought was half-hearted because despite his best efforts, Mara wasn’t giving him those vibes.

He breathed a sigh of relief when she finally pulled up. How’d that girl always pull him out of his head?

He went to go open her car door, but he stalled at the look on her face. Stricken. His bubbly girl looked like she faced her worst nightmare.

One of the excerpts I really like is the last one, but I don’t want to ruin the ending so I picked the runner-up for excerpt #3. I like this scene because Wes does something for Mara that’s majorly unselfish and out of character for him. And it’s the same with Flynn, who’s the hero of the next Fanboys book. So I got a twofer as far as character growth with these guys.

Wes dressed and had time to play a few rounds of Super Mario before Flynn knocked on the door.

“What a freaking dive, dude.”

Defensive instinct rose. “It’s not that bad.”

Flynn snorted and came inside. He carried a bag of food in one hand and an old, dusty bag of tools in the other.

“How long has it been since you’ve actually gotten your hands dirty?”

“Haha. I still do some work. Usually on the weekends so I don’t have to put up with anyone.” Flynn set his bag down but didn’t come any farther inside. “Besides. I like to see how the contractors dick with me when they think I don’t know what they’re talking about.”

Wes grabbed the food. “I’m starving. You should see what that girl eats.”

“If it looks like this place, I don’t want to.” Finally moving inside, he didn’t stop, roaming Mara’s house. “Ready to get your hands dirty, bro?”

Yeah, actually, he was. He looked forward to hanging out with Flynn and improving Mara’s home.

Thank you for letting me share some of my favorite scenes!