Reviewed by Kat
TITLE: Whiskey Business
SERIES: Love in No Man’s Land (Book 3)
AUTHOR: Becca Jackson
PUBLISHER: Silver Crown Books
LENGTH: 208 pages
RELEASE DATE: August 9, 2023
BLURB:
ARI
When Marcus suggests we make a bet and if I win I get his ex’s ticket on a four day cruise, I’m not sure he’s for real. He doesn’t like to gamble and he hates to lose even more than I do. Yet, the allure of sharing a room with him for four glorious days is too tempting to resist.
To my surprise, I win, and Marcus doesn’t resist the outcome. It’s almost like he actually wanted to lose. But that would be crazy, right?
Things take an even wilder turn when Marcus’s mom mistakes me for his fiancé, and neither of us corrects her. Now, his whole family believes we’re engaged, and we’re caught in a tangled mess of lies, with even his brother and our friends joining the charade.
Amidst the chaos, I have to admit that this plan might just be the best idea I’ve ever had. Well, except for our little rehearsal of a staged kiss, just in case we need to perform it in front of his family. That was the best idea ever, because with his hands on my waist and his mouth on mine I’m starting to think this fake relationship might be more real than either of us thought.
But when a past hookup threatens to expose everything, it forces Marcus to choose between revealing the truth or pretending I’m just like his former flame.
Can our fake relationship survive reality, or will it crumble under the weight of secrets and revelations?
REVIEW:
A quick trip back to Normanland!
Ari has been crushing on the older bar owner Marcus every since he walked into the man’s bar in his fishnet tank and skinny jeans when his car broke down. When Marcus challenges him to a bet and he wins he now gets to accompany him on Marcus’s family reunion cruise with some of their lose and dear friends. The cruise Marcus was suppose to be on with his now ex-fiancé Harvey, the scum bag, that he still hasn’t told his parents about their split. Now, after finally having the guts to tell his dad he has no plans what do ever to follow him at the law firm, Ari is free to go on the cruise with his crush. But when mistaken as Marcus’s fiancé the two decide to go with the ruse. But when things heat up can they keep it all together after the trip ends?
I had wondered about Marcus every since we learned he had been jilted by this ex. And Ari, although an outward flirt with everybody (boy or girl), seemed to have eyes for the sexy older bartender. I love how it turns out that Marcus also had a thing for Ari too and basically threw the bet to get to go on the trip together. And what a trip it was. That first kiss and chemistry exploded with these two. There was no need for acting once they figured it out because these two literally couldn’t keep their hands off each other.
I will say that this book didn’t do it for me as much as the first two. Don’t get me wrong, Ari and Marcus are perfect for each other. And I loved getting to see some of the other couples we have gotten to know and love. Plus, who wouldn’t love helping Duckie hide his rubber duckies all over the ship? But the whole fake fiancé thing just didn’t work as well for me. I was actually finally relieved when it all came out. Marcus’s parents adored Ari and just want their son happy so coming clean should have been much easier. I did love that these two really got into each other quickly and were a perfect match but the fake fiancé thing just didn’t work for me. And then I wanted them to be engaged for real but that was disappointing too. I can settle, for now, with them being just serious relationship boyfriends and hope to hear that they get engaged sometime soon in one of the future books.
RATING: 
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