The Invitation by Adriana Locke

I hate Ripley Brewer.

So, why am I fake dating him while being trailed by cameras recording our every move?

My best friend was in a pinch, and she’s the only person in the world I would do anything for. Helping her by pretending to be in love with a stranger for a few weeks would net me good karma, a few bucks, and a bit of exposure—all of which I need desperately right now—to help secure my dream job.

Pretty straightforward, right?

What could go wrong?

Ripley. He’s what always goes wrong.

I’m surprised the producers hired Ripley and me for the reality show after we realized we would be working together and not with strangers, and we almost came to blows in the conference room. But they did. Now I’m stuck pretending to be in love with the biggest, cockiest, most gorgeous billionaire playboy in all of Tennessee.

I’m even more shocked at Ripley’s acting skills.

As we settle into our new roles, it becomes increasingly difficult to separate the real Ripley from the character he’s portraying. His strong hand nestled in the small of my back blurs the line between reality and fiction. His dazzling green eyes and decadent smirk distract me from the man I loathe. I could almost believe his small acts of kindness—bringing me soup when I was sick and threatening to dismantle an overbearing ex—were because he was falling for me.

And that I’m falling for him, too.

This season of The Invitation began as an enemies-to-lovers (pretend) romance. Can we possibly finish it with a real-life happy ending?