Reviewed by Dan
TITLE: The Loophole
SERIES: Firsts and Forever Stories Book 12
AUTHOR: Alexa Land
PUBLISHER: Self-Published
LENGTH: 246 Pages
RELEASE DATE: January 17, 2025
BLURB:
My family has given me an ultimatum—get married or kiss my inheritance goodbye.
I planned to tell them where they could stick their money, until my restaurant failed and I lost everything. Now I guess I have to play their game. But the deadline is looming, and I can’t find anyone who’s willing to marry me—except for a guy I just met named Embry.
I’m straight, but that shouldn’t matter. It’s a fake marriage anyway, and nobody said I had to marry a woman. In fact, marrying a man might be the perfect loophole. Not only is it a way to push back against my controlling family, it also means I can’t possibly catch feelings during this little charade… right?
This upbeat grumpy/sunshine, opposites attract MM romance features a cranky chef who just might have a bi-awakening in his future, and a sweet little cinnamon roll who thinks of himself as a walking disaster. It’s part of Alexa Land’s Firsts and Forever Stories collection, and it can be read as a stand-alone.
REVIEW:
Is there a better way to spend a snowy cold day in northern Vermont than curled up in a recliner in front of the gas Rinnai heater with a blankie, a cat, and a Cane Corso curled up on top of me while I enjoyed a new Alexa Land story? That was a rhetorical question, because no, that is the perfect way for me to spend the morning!
When Dani asked if I would consider appearing again as a guest reviewer to review another book, and I found out it was the latest book from Alexa Land… who everyone knows is one of most favorite authors… I jumped on it. I must be honest, she knows I love Alexa Land’s stories, every single one of them, so she knew it was a given.
Now let’s talk about this newest installment from Ms. Land. The Loophole is the story of a man named Bryson who is out shopping for a bride before he runs out of time to inherit a large sum of money from his grandfather. Bryson’s grandfather has given him the ultimatum that he must get married and have been married for at least one year by the time he reaches his 38th birthday or he will forfeit his inheritance and not get a dime.
Bryson’s 37th birthday is less than a month away and he is meeting with what we later learn is not the first woman that he has approached through dating apps with a proposal. The previous ones have all turned him down flat when he proposed a business arrangement where the woman would marry him and the woman would receive $100,000 after 1 year, at which time they could get a divorce or an annulment. The latest ‘date’ is at a Starbucks and the woman is outright pissed off at the offer, throwing her glass of water in his face and walking out. He isn’t sure what to do when a slight young man who was sitting at the next table comes over and asks if he could marry a man and still get his inheritance.
Embry has been listening to the man at the next table pitch his offer to the woman. The man’s game is way off, and Embry isn’t surprised that the woman turned him down. But what does he have to lose?
Thus begins a fast-paced story where Bryson, in desperation, accepts Embry’s offer and he and Embry jet off to Las Vegas and get married. Then they meet up with Bryson’s family for Christmas to announce their marriage. Bryson’s brother is immediately dubious and doesn’t believe them from the get-go. Bryson’s grandfather, however, tells them he and Bryson’s great-uncle had a long-standing bet that Bryson was secretly gay, so he isn’t at all surprised at the arrival of Embry. But Bryson is straight. He has never been attracted to a man. Right? This is all for show and to get his inheritance.
I really enjoyed this story. Ms. Land has again delivered a delightful tale that ties in with her former tales that involve the residents of a certain pink Victorian house in San Francisco. As usual it went far too quickly for me. I tried to slow down, even venturing outside into the cold with the dogs to delay finishing it, but in the end, I read the last few pages of the book with a big smile on my face. Take my advice and pick up this one today, I highly recommend it.
RATING: 
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