"Review: 'Just Act Natural'- A Rom-Com Fake Dating Adventure"

Rating: 4.9

Clean Level: Level 1.5

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Synopsis: 

Lila feels like her life is crumbling around her, but the bright spot is that she has a shot at a big promotion in her hometown. Now all she needs to do is explore the great outdoors her town offers. She will survive, even though she prefers clean clothes, a shower, and electricity. So maybe camping isn’t for her, but the cute guy who is part of the group just might be.

Grant has had his own struggles, and the great outdoors is where he finds his peace of mind. Meeting Lila was definitely a nice surprise. Sadly, he isn't staying in town for too long, and he's not sure if he's ready to put his heart out there again.

Once Lila and Grant get back in town, they run into a horde of an ex. Grant can’t just stand by and watch Lila suffer, so he does the only sane thing: pretending to be her boyfriend. Now Lila is wondering; Why would Grant go along with this scheme? Why does he want to spend all his vacation time with her?

Being with Grant is the most natural thing for Lila.

Review: 

Likes: 

Lila’s honesty! This girl does not survive well in nature, and I totally feel this. She knows what she likes and sticks to it, well sometimes trying something new. Her struggles. Lila went through a lot, having to bring her self-confidence back up. This isn’t something that happened overnight. This took her the whole book; even in the end, she understands she is still building her self-worth. 

Grant is a complete cinnamon roll. He wants to be there for everyone, taking care of everyone and making sure all are happy. This is also his downside. He struggles with finding contentment and peace. Even in the one place he finds happiness, it is more of a way to distract his mind than actually enjoy it. Seeing him work through his problems and learn to let things go was so captivating. 

*Spoilers *

I need to rant a little about how amazing Grant is and all the sweet thing he had done for Lila! Every interaction he has he is commenting on how amazing she is as a person. He spent the whole day and night with her while she was sick. He held back her hair, helped her walk to shower, stayed with her until she was back to her healthy self. When they first had to share a tent he offered to stay outside in the cold, just to make sure she felt comfortable!! Grant was a green flag the entire book, even his thoughts! Ok i'm done for now.

*Spoilers end *

The romance between Lila and Grant was pure sugar! The two of them worked on themselves and built each other up. They were what each other needed.

The story was entertaining, joyous, and at the same time dealt well with the serious subject of self-worth. The writing was witty and honest, keeping the reader enticed to finish. The plot was well-rounded with characters that were fully fleshed out, leading the reader to cheer for HEA.

Dislikes: 

Lila’s Ex-boyfriend! 

This is an excellent summer romance, even if you're not a camper yourself!

Vibe of Just Act Natural

Content:

• Kiss only

• No Language

• One Tent trope

• Cinnamon roll MMC

• Fake dating

• Nicknames

Memorable Quotes:

"His low chuckle does criminal things to my insides. Doesn't my body know it's in distress out here? I could be dying and it's swooning over angular jawlines and pillowy lips. Get your priorities in order body. Survival first."

"I move closer to the nearest tree, but manage to stop before my fave lands in a giant spider web, complete with a fat spider. My skin crawls as though phantom insects are doing the cha-cha on me. So peaceful out here."

"There's a sparkle in her smile again. I'm lost for it. If this is all it takes, I'll drink boba tea with her every day."

"He doesn't kiss me like I'm the only woman in the universe, which sounds good enough. He kisses me like out of all the billions of women in the world, I'm the one he wants. Like he's marking me as his own."

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