INTERNATIONAL RELATIONS

Max’s dreams hinge on becoming a trade ambassador at the British Embassy in Greece. Hunter hasn’t had a big break since starring as Rizzo in an off-Broadway gender-swapped version of Grease, the musical.

Hunter is an amazing actor, but he’s been driven to the U.K. by a messy breakup with his ex, a well-connected nepo baby who directed the play that launched his career. Unfortunately, he’s finding it hard to find acting gigs without a work visa. Max, on the other hand, keeps getting one-upped by his work rival, Quentin, and Quentin’s girlfriend, the brilliant Flora. When a co-worker points out that as a single gay man, he’s unfavorably positioned for a job that requires a lot of social hosting duties, Max realizes he needs to do something big to improve his chances. He hires Hunter to pretend to be his boyfriend, but Hunter needs more than a boyfriend to get himself a work visa—he needs a husband. And so fake dating becomes fake marriage. There’s a deep chemistry between the two men from the very beginning, which causes them to alternately put space between themselves and be drawn together like magnets. The longing becomes real when both of their dreams become possible—Hunter nails an audition, and Max lands the job in Greece. Luckily, the hilarious secondary characters add a bit of lighthearted humor to cut through the complicated angst. Readers looking for realistic portrayals of diplomacy will be disappointed, and Hammett’s sophomore romance struggles a bit with pacing, but the love story between Max and Hunter is sweet and sexy despite the repetition of their respective romantic dilemmas.

Slightly rushed, but ultimately a quick, fun, spicy read for romance readers who don’t need a heavy dose of reality.