I received this book via Netgalley. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of this review.

Series: The Chicago Falcons #3
Published by Entangled: Teen on 2018-11-05
Length: 210 pages
Reviewing eARC from Netgalley
Rating:
Reading Challenges: #NGEW2019, 2019 Finishing the Series Challenge, Beat the Backlist 2019





It's not easy being royal. Sixteen-year-old Evangeline wears her crown proudly, but between her duties and her overprotective big brother, the idea of romance is just a dream. But a chance encounter in Chicago changes all that….
Sure, seventeen-year-old Tyler Evans loves playing hockey, but he's more concerned about providing for his dad and little sister. Then he meets Eva--and falls head-over-heels in love—and he has two more problems. One, she's his best friend's little sister. Two, she wears a crown.
But then Eva accidentally mistakes Tyler for a visiting prince, and for the first time, Tyler doesn't feel like a nobody. He knows he has to tell her the truth…but not yet.
His plan? To keep up the royal charade as long as it takes to convince Eva he’s the guy for her. Even if he’s lying to everyone…including himself.
Disclaimer: May cause disillusionment. Those girls looking to find their Prince Charming might consider scouting out hockey rinks.
This is the book I was waiting for in Leah and Kate Rooper‘s The Chicago Falcons series. Just Pretending is the final book in the series and Tyler’s story. I was already in love with the shy friend of the trio and I couldn’t wait to find out more about him. Y’all I wasn’t disappointed. If anything, I fell more in love with him.
At seventeen, Tyler Evans has a lot on his shoulders. While he loves hockey, he worries about helping his dad provide for his little sister. Poor doesn’t begin to cover their situation, and my heart ached for him as he struggled to help his dad make ends meet. He’s passionate, has zero self-confidence, and hopeless in love with his best friend’s little sister who is completely off-limits. However after a mixup leaves him spending an entire day with the young queen, he begins wishing for a different reality, one that would allow him to love her.
Evangeline was first introduced in Just One of the Royals as Daniel’s little sister. Now queen she doesn’t get many opportunities to see her big brother or venture outside her kingdom. Deciding to take a vacation, she finds herself in Chicago being shown all the sights by Daniel. When her mother calls and tells her that a neighboring prince will also be in Chicago and that her job as queen is to welcome him and show him around, she reluctantly agrees. Through a series of hilarious events, she mistakes Tyler for Tiberius and finds herself falling in love with the down-to-earth “prince.” Eva is a typical sixteen year old with a big responsibility, one that weighs on her shoulders and makes her long for another life.
The plot surrounds Tyler and Eva as she hosts Christmas at the castle and Daniel and his friends attend. I loved Tyler and Eva’s interactions, but at times I wanted to smack Tyler for hiding his true identity. The will he get caught added an edge of suspense to their romance. And the steaminess?! I didn’t expect it. I expected a sweet story from Tyler, and I got one. But man the paint scene had me blushing. 😉
Overall Just Pretending is my favorite of the series. Tyler and Eva were easy to root for. If you enjoy YA romance, I highly recommend you grab a copy.
glad to see the series keeps on giving for you
sherry fundin recently posted…Spiderman – No Mercy by Joanna Schaffhausen @slipperywhisper @MinotaurBooks