A Friendly Engagement by Christine Warner – a Review

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Description:
Omar Esterly is married to his job. But when Omar sets his sights on a potential, family-oriented client, his confirmed bachelorhood becomes a problem. Fortunately, his friend and employee, Devi Boss, has the perfect plan…

Okay, so it wasn’t exactly Devi’s plan to become her friend’s fake fiancée. Lies aren’t her style. However, Omar offers her a big, beautiful raise—enough to track down the missing father she’s never known—and Devi reluctantly agrees to the whole engagement hoax…

This was supposed to be a no-strings-attached win-win for both Devi and Omar, but when they cross the line between friendship and…well, something more, Devi realizes she’s made a huge mistake that just might cost her both job and friend—falling for her fiancé.

Review:

A Friendly Engagement by Christine Warner is the first book in her Friends First series. When old friends and work colleagues get together, you can always rely on drama and tears.  Within the first few pages, I thought Omar was half in love with Devi, he wants to be more like her. She is free spirited, but has a great work ethic, work hard, play hard on the weekend.

Omar was brought up with the ethics of work hard, work harder on the weekend. He wants his father to be proud of the achievements he had brought to the family company. He wants the contract that his father never could. The only problem, the contract will only work with family orientated businesses.

So Omar plans to get an invite to a week long ocean retreat, and show this company what they are missing. Omar and Devi’s relationship starts out as mutual friendship. They like each other, they work well together, so why shouldn’t they pretend to be a couple, it’s all for the greater good.

But Devi isn’t convinced, she hates lies, and liars. She might live her life as a free spirit, but Devi isn’t comfortable lying.  Omar has it all planned out, and in his head it all sounds perfect, what could possibly go wrong ????   Devi grudgingly agrees. And an engagement is announced, from there it all goes …..not exactly to plan.

Omar starts looking at Devi in a different light, he is wondering why now, why does he feel the need to hold her in his arms and the fierce need to kiss her !?  This could complicate things, he wants the contract, but I don’t think he wants it at the loss of his friendship with Devi.

The week long retreat starts, and both Devi and Omar realise that their mission to snag the new contract might be harder than they thought. Trying to pin the boss and talk to him was proving harder than Omar thought. And what with his untoward feelings for Devi, poor Omar is in a bit of a bind. And if he had realised that Devi had thinking the same thing, I think he would have taken a few more chances. And when they finally get together, the sparks flew and everything was glorious.

They decide to continue this new development,(neither want to say relationship) both wanting each other, but afraid to say what’s in their hearts.   The fall out when it happens isn’t a pleasant one !!!  There are a few twists and heartache that soon follows, family betrayal soon threatens to tear the new couple apart. Will they survive, how do they go back being just friends? You will need to read this book to find out. 🙂

Reviewed by Julie B.

Copy provided by Publisher