Reviewed by Sadonna

TITLE:  Better Be True

SERIES:  Harrison Campus

AUTHOR:  Andy Gallo & Anyta Sunday

PUBLISHER:  Self-published

LENGTH:  248 pages

RELEASE DATE:  August 3, 2020

BLURB:

Two friends. One bed. A big Italian Wedding.

Nico Amato is in trouble.

He’s in love with his roommate. Who’s hung up on his ex. This so isn’t part of his summer plans. Luke’s an all-American jock, a jeans and t-shirt kind of guy. The kind of guy who thinks Nico is too much.

That doesn’t stop Nico from pretending to be Luke’s boyfriend, once, twice, thrice . . . A friend does what a friend does to make an ex jealous.

Just . . . How many favors before Luke gives up on his ex?

Lucas DeRosa has a problem.

His roommate pushes every one of his buttons. Every. Damn. One. This so isn’t part of the script. Nico is flamboyant, a tight jeans/purple blazer kind of guy. The kind of guy who thinks Lucas is boring.

That doesn’t stop Luke from pretending to be Nico’s boyfriend again, and again, and again . . . A friend does what a friend does to repay a favor.

Just . . . How many favors before he wins Nico’s heart?

“Better Be True” is a roommates to lovers, fake-boyfriend, slow burn M/M romance with a HEA. This New Adult, college, opposite attract novel can be read as a standalone. The Harrison Campus series can be read in any order.

REVIEW:

Note:  This book is the third in the series but works fine as a stand alone.  It does, however, contain spoilers for book 2 😉

Nico’s frat boy boyfriend dumps him just before the end of school and Nico does NOT want to go home to deal with his family.  He’s really hurt by the breakup because basically the guy (Tomas) tells him that who is he – “dramatic” and “colorful” is not what he bargained for.  This isn’t the first time Nico’s been told he’s “too much” but it really hurts him.  Luckily (?) his sister’s wedding planner has had to quit and since the wedding is in Philly, Nico agrees to take over, so he’ll spend the summer in Philly getting things in order for her.  But he needs someplace to stay.  So he answers an ad for a roommate and decides he’ll have to tone himself down 🙁

Luke is all set to go to Philly for a dream internship at the same firm with his long distance boyfriend.  The same boyfriend who then breaks up with him via email leaving Luke in the lurch with an apartment he can’t afford on his own and a need for a room mate to share a one bedroom apartment for the summer.  An apartment that it turns out only has a king sized bed.  But he really needs a room mate to help cover the costs for reasons.  So he advertises for a summer room mate to share the place – which Nico answers 🙂

After a rocky start, Nico and Luke decide to make a go of it with the apartment in Philly. It’s only for the summer and they both have things they want to get out of the summer and things they are avoiding as well 🙂  Nico has Luke’s back when he agrees to go to some work functions with him and after he meets the cheating ex, Kent and his new boyfriend – who it turns out isn’t that new after all – he’s doubly going to be there for Luke.  When Nico has to go home to New York for a family dinner, Luke agrees to return the favor so that Nico won’t be bombarded by his grandmother with questions about his latest breakup and shades of her trying to set him up again.  This works out pretty well until “the kiss”.  Nico and Luke practice to make sure that they have the family fooled with the celebration kissing for his sister and her fiance, but it seems maybe they like it a little too much 😉

As the summer goes on, Nico and Luke have more opportunities to support each other – particularly with Luke’s internship and firm activities where he needs a plus one.  Nico knows he’s falling for Luke, but he can’t help feel that Luke will find him to be too much and go back to his ex – even though he’s a pretty awful person.  Luke is falling for Nico, but after Kent’s comments about Luke being boring and predictable, etc. he’s sure that he’s not enough for Nico.  Their relationship moves more and more in the direction of being a couple for real, but Nico is still scared of what the future will bring.

While they are getting closer, Luke’s internship is going really well and he’s happier with Nico than he’s ever been with anyone.  But of course you know that it can’t be that easy.  So of course there is a bit of a monkeywrench that gets thrown into the system and Nico is sure that his very fears have come true and he’s once again not going to get what he wants 🙁  Luckily Luke gets help in convincing Nico that he’s wrong 🙂

Oh how I enjoyed this story.  It has a lot of great tropes – room mates finding they have to share a bed, jock and flamboyant guy, fake boyfriends, opposites attract 🙂  We met Nico in the second book in this series and loved him and get to see him come into his own in this one.  I totally understood his reaction to being dumped by his ex.  It’s hard when you’re “too much” for someone. It goes to the very core and essence of a person – which is why Nico has actively tried to tone himself down during the summer in order to not set Luke off.  But Luke actually really likes the “real” Nico even though it takes him a while to see what is happening 😉  Luke is adorable – he thinks he’s too boring for someone as bright and colorful as Nico because of his experience with Kent.  The hangovers from these bad relationships keeps affecting how Luke and Nico are with each other. Their two steps forward, one step back routine was realistic and not too drawn out.  But finally they are able to share their real fears and their desires and it makes them stronger together 😀  I loved Nico’s family – especially his grandmother and his sister.  I really hated the exes, so well done there.  I liked getting to visit characters from past books in the series as well.  I’m not sure if there will be more stories in this setting, but this book was delightful and I would definitely read more.  Highly recommended especially for fans of the fake boyfriend, room mates to lovers and opposites attract tropes!

RATING:

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