Benevolence, Book 1
From the publisher:
What if the love you’re faking becomes the home you’ve always needed?
From New York Times and USA Today bestselling author Lucy Score comes an emotional small-town romance overflowing with healing, hope, and irresistible slow-burn chemistry.
Harper’s on the run from heartbreak, desperate to find a place where she finally feels safe. Luke Garrison is a soldier, a local legend―guarding his secrets, his family, and his battered heart. When Harper agrees to play the part of his girlfriend to protect him from town gossip, it seems like the perfect arrangement: No feelings. No risk. Just pretend.
But sometimes pretending leads to the most real love of all.
As their fake relationship becomes dangerously real, both must decide if they’re brave enough to claim a second chance at happiness―or risk losing it all.
Start the Benevolence series now and fall for the book readers can’t stop recommending.
Harper’s life implodes when she catches her cheating boyfriend—who also happens to be her boss—in the act. She bolts with nothing but her car keys, leaving her phone, money, and dignity behind. Stranded and running on empty, she pulls into a small-town bar only to witness a man assaulting a woman. Without a second thought, Harper launches herself into the fray, ending up bruised but hailed as a hero.
The man who comes to her rescue is Luke Garrison, a brooding hometown hero shattered by the loss of his pregnant wife years ago. When Luke’s sister realizes Harper is broke and homeless, she brokers a deal: Harper will play Luke’s fake girlfriend for one month to get his meddling parents off his back before his next deployment. In exchange, Harper gets a paycheck and a place to stay.
What starts as a convenient arrangement quickly turns electric. Despite Luke’s vow to never love again, Harper’s fierce resilience cracks his armor. Their connection spans continents through a deployment, but the peace is shattered when the man Harper fought in the parking lot returns for revenge. A terrifying home invasion leaves Harper scarred and Luke consumed by a guilt he can’t escape.
As Luke’s tragic past collides with his present, he lashes out, pushing Harper away to protect himself from more grief. Harper, a former foster child who has spent her life rescuing others, finally stops fighting for a man who won’t fight for himself and disappears. It’s only when Luke realizes Harper is being hunted by the criminal she helped put away that he finally wakes up. He lost his first love to tragedy; he won’t lose Harper to his own fear.
Lucy Score delivers a masterclass in small-town romance, balancing gut-wrenching emotional depth with sharp, witty banter. Harper is a powerhouse of a protagonist—intelligent, sharp-tongued, and deeply compassionate. Luke’s journey from a man “dead inside” to a protective partner is raw and earned. With a vibrant cast of secondary characters and high-stakes tension, this story is a beautiful, sizzling reminder that even the most broken hearts are worthy of a happy ending.
1/2026 Stacy Alesi, AKA the BookBitch
PRETEND YOU’RE MINE by Lucy Score. Bloom Books. (September 30, 2022). ISBN: 978-1728282565. 480p.
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