Rumor Has It
by Jessica Lemmon
Barrett: As a former pro football star, I’m used to playing the field. After injuries cut my NFL career short, my second act as a broadcaster ended on live television when a hot mic picked up a little verbal . . . indiscretion. But this latest publicity stunt might just land me back on top—much to the chagrin of Catarina Everhart, the prissy, beautiful journalist who’s been assigned to date a bad boy (i.e., me) and write about it. Catarina swears I’ll never touch her, let alone kiss those full lips of hers. Based on our chemistry, I’m not buying it. . . .
Catarina: Barrett Fox seems to be doing everything in his power to make me hate him. The cocky egomaniac is infamous for his bad behavior, and now, thanks to my boss’s harebrained schemes, he’s apparently my problem. As one fake date leads to another, I start to see a different side of Barrett. He’s close with his family. He does volunteer work. And, okay, he kisses like a dream. Am I really dating Barrett Fox? Or is he playing me? Because suddenly I’m risking my reputation—and my heart.
Momma Says: 2 stars⭐⭐
I'm always up for a good enemies to lovers romantic comedy, and having enjoyed this author's work before, I was excited to read Rumor Has It. The story does have all the elements for a potentially hilarious and romantic read, but it missed the mark for me. The wonderful thing about a bad boy in romance is that he meets that special someone who makes him want to be better, to be redeemed. Barrett comes across as so over the top sexist in his interactions with Catarina that I found myself asking why she would even bother to try. Then we have Catarina who is so reserved and stuffy, she seems unapproachable. They are enemies right from the start, and they're most certainly opposites. So much so that I couldn't believe a romance would blossom from this arrangement. Grated, Barrett and Catarina are forced together for the sake of an article, so it is a fake relationship from the start. The problem is it never felt like anything more to me. I assume that the over the top personalities were done that way for the comedic element, and while parts were amusing, neither character was particularly funny. In the end, it's just hard to root for and connect with unlikable characters, making this one a disappointment.
❃❃ARC provided by NetGalley and Random House Publishing Group - Loveswept
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