Fake Marrieds Meme
The Cinderella Deal
Desperate for a position at a conservative college Lincoln invents a fiancee. Daisy’s life is in chaos – her plans to become an artist have hit the skids and her savings have run out.
Linc offers a way out – her back rent paid if she pretends to be engaged to him until he gets the job. Of course events conspire and to keep his new job they have to follow through and get married.
I’ve read a lot of Crusie’s books recently and while they’re all reliably enjoyable this is the first one I’ve loved.
By far the best execution of the fake marrieds meme I’ve come across so far, Crusie nails the transitions from dislike through to committed love perfectly.
I particularly loved the whole section from “my house is suddenly full of good people doing interesting things and I kind of like it” through the “looking after each other while sick” bit. So sweet and perfectly nailing what a fake marrieds story should be.