Professor Valentyn Shevchenko isn’t sure how to react when, after months of ineffective flirting, the cute barista’s first words to him are a proposal. In many ways, Peter Grunberg is the solution to all his problems. With his work visa inexplicably denied, Valentyn is running out of options to keep from being deported. But is a green card marriage really the answer? Is it still a marriage of convenience when he’s this attracted to his potential spouse?
Peter came to his uncle’s coffee shop in Boulder, Colorado, to reset his life after his struggles with selective mutism returned with a vengeance. He never meant his first words to the handsome ecology professor to be an offer of marriage, but he’s not backing out now. It doesn’t matter that Peter struggles to find words. He can say everything he needs to with his body.
Though this relationship may have started out back-to-front, Valentyn and Peter are determined to make their fake marriage real. But one misstep in their immigration interview could bring everything crashing down. They’ll have to hope that their love is enough to overcome all their obstacles and give them the prize they’ve both been dreaming of: a certified happy ever after.
Cute and heartwarming.
Professor Valentyn Shevchenko is about to lose his job, and the country he has come to call home, after his visa runs out.
Peter Grunberg, the cute barista with selective mutism, offers the solution completely out of the blue - a marriage proposal.
Those first words set off a whirlwind romance that neither man expected, or could have hoped for.
The fake relationship trope is one I generally enjoy. Peter and Val up the ante with a full-on marriage, very real communication hurdles, and a race against the deportation clock.
Though their relationship begins quite suddenly, both men are genuinely committed to giving it a real go.
Fair warning if it isn’t your thing - this is pretty close to insta-love. It doesn’t take Val and Peter long at all to begin thinking of their green marriage as a forever-after commitment.
While things did move along a bit too quickly for my usual tastes, I was all on board for it.
The connection between the two men is undeniable, right from the first date. And it only grows and strengthens with each subsequent date, and as each man learns to make space for the other in his life.
I absolutely adored Peter. His daily struggles are real, but he refused to let his selective mutism dictate his relationship with Val.
And I loved how patient and understanding Val was, giving Peter the time, support, and space he needed.
Also, their physical chemistry - wowza. Good on them for letting their dirty sides out to play!
The big issue is of course the immigration process. In classic Cullinan fashion, there’s a lesson to be learned here.
Peter and Val come through at the other end the stronger for it, and their HEA well-deserved! Overall, I quite enjoyed this read and would definitely recommend it.
A review copy was provided.
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