Pretend We Are Us
The Timberbridge Brothers #1
by Claudia Burgoa
Release Date: March 26, 2025
✔️ Former Hockey Player
✔️ Maple Syrup Heiress
✔️ Marriage of Convenience
✔️ Grumpy/Sunshine
✔️ One Bed
✔️ Small-Town Shenanigans
✔️ Fake Relationship Turns Real
ABOUT THE BOOK:
From USA Today bestselling author Claudia Burgoa comes a small-town romance where a marriage of convenience to a former hockey player might be her only shot at keeping her family’s legacy—and maybe finding love along the way.
I never expected to inherit a sprawling estate in a small town I’d never even heard of.
To claim it, I have to outmaneuver my scheming cousin and fulfill one impossible condition:
Find a groom.
Enter Ledger Timberbridge—the infuriatingly charming stranger I crossed paths with on my solo (read: canceled) honeymoon.
Now, he’s here in Birchwood Springs, fighting to save his family’s struggling logging company.
And somehow, he’s probably my only shot at keeping my inheritance.
A marriage of convenience between us seems like the perfect solution.
But between small-town secrets, high-stakes family drama, and the undeniable spark between us, nothing about this arrangement feels simple.
As the lines between convenience and something real begin to blur, I have to decide:
Can I trust Ledger with my heart, or will this small town end up costing me everything?
Available now with Kindle Unlimited: https://geni.us/PretendWeAreUs
Ledger
The crunch of metal still rings in my ears as I stare at the woman standing in front of me. She’s practically vibrating with anger—cheeks flushed, hands clenched into fists—and I’m stuck somewhere between disbelief and amusement.
This has to be a joke. A bad one. The kind my father would’ve orchestrated if he were still alive—or maybe the fucker’s having a good laugh from the other side. Hell, knowing him, he’s probably pulling the strings, just to see how far I can bend before I break.
I’ve had a shitty year, the sort that makes you wonder if the universe has it out for you. My mom died, my career tanked, and now I’m back in this godforsaken town, pretending I’ve got a plan when, really, I’m just winging it. But this? This feels like the universe sprinkling a little extra salt on the wound, just for fun.
Because here she is.
The woman who ghosted me eighteen months ago. No name. No number. Just one unforgettable night that felt like it was leading somewhere—until it didn’t. We talked, drank, and she leaned into me like she belonged there, like the world outside didn’t exist. Her laugh was low, throaty, the kind of sound that made my dick twitch with the promise of something wicked.
And the way she looked at me? Like she wasn’t just undressing me with her eyes but was halfway to deciding exactly what she’d do once I was naked. It wasn’t just desire—it was daring.
I think all started with something like, “Truth or dare?”
After so many truths exchanged, I responded, “Dare.”
“Kiss me,” she breathed, her voice a little too composed for someone who’d already drained two bottles of champagne.
Then I wanted to look at her pussy. I was seconds away from dropping to my knees, from burying my face between her legs and making her scream my name, when it all went to hell.
One minute she was playing, challenging me, and the next? She was asleep. Just like that.
Not a seductive fade-out, either. One second, she was there, practically vibrating with need, and the next, her head was on my chest, her breathing slow as I placed her in bed. I covered her with a blanket, muttered a string of curses under my breath, and tried to ignore the fact that my balls felt like they were about to explode.
The next morning, she was gone.
Gone.
There was no note.
No goodbye.
Just the faint scent of flowers lingering on the pillow and the memory of her laugh echoing in my head. For months, I couldn’t decide if I’d been played or if she was some kind of fever dream conjured by a cruel universe.
And now, apparently, she’s in Birchwood Springs. Looking at me like I’m the villain in her origin story.
“You really like fucking around with me, don’t you?” I fold my arms, leaning casually against the SUV, though my mind is anything but calm.
Her glare intensifies, her hazel eyes blazing like I just set her car on fire. “Wh-What are you doing here?”
A stupid question. One I shouldn’t bother answering. But there’s something about her tone—bristling, defensive, like a cat cornered—that makes me want to push just a little.
I shake my head, exhaling through my nose. “Shouldn’t I be asking you that? You’re the one who rear-ended me. Not exactly how I planned to be welcomed back to my hometown.”
Her jaw tightens, her nostrils flaring. For a split second, I catch something beneath the anger—embarrassment? Maybe. But she snaps back fast. “Don’t change the subject. Why are you here?”
Pretend We Are Us by Claudia Y. Burgoa
My rating: 5 of 5 stars
This start to a new series brings out the best of Claudia Burgoa’s world. She brings us intrigue, funny banter, undeniable chemistry, and a hero who’ll do just about anything for the woman he loves.
Ledger and Galeana (love the name) met at a low point in life for both of them. But it’s been almost two years since they saw each other, and life has decided to throw them together again. This time, there’s a lot more at stake than just their hearts.
I loved both our main characters. Galeana is a strong woman who won’t just roll over. Ledger may come off as a bit of an A-hole, but he’s really a teddy bear if you dig deep enough. I loved the pairing, and I cannot wait to see where this series takes us next.
***Review copy requested and reviewed on behalf of Claudia Burgoa’s review team***
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