The One Month Boyfriend

Wildwood Society Romance, Book 1

By: Roxie Noir

Narrated by: Scott Rose, Nara Austen

Length: 12 hrs and 19 mins

Publisher's summary

Fake dating my sworn enemy to make my ex so jealous he can't see straight? Worth it.

Silas and I agree on one thing, and one thing only: my ruthless, heartless, narcissistic jerk of an ex-fiancé needs to be taken down a notch.

So we do what anyone would do: we pretend to be a couple.

Even though Silas and I are polar opposites. Silas is a loud, cheerful, over the top showboat. He’s his hometown’s golden boy, the Marine who came back to rescue kittens from trees and walk old ladies across the street.

And me? I'm the awkward new girl who freezes up around strangers and can’t make small talk to save my life.

It shouldn’t work. We can barely have a conversation without arguing. There's no way we should be friends, let alone dating, except... Everyone believes it.

Especially my ex.

Now I'm having way too many real fantasies about the man who gets on my last nerve. My fake boyfriend is starting to feel a whole lot like a real one.

The kisses feel real.
The way he protects me feels real.
The night we spend together in a hotel bed feels very real.

This was supposed to be fake, but I think I might have fooled myself most of all.

The One Month Boyfriend is the first book in the Wildwood Society series, and can be listened to as a total standalone. It's for fans of high heat enemies-to-lovers romantic comedies, and features two enemies who fake date for revenge, a quirky, charming small town, a former military cinnamon roll hero, a grumpy heroine who's charmed despite herself, anxiety and PTSD representation, and plenty of steamy scenes. Of course, there's an HEA.

©2022 Roxie Noir (P)2023 Roxie Noir

Enjoyable, believable, relatable

I enjoyed this story enough to read it twice (electronically then this audiobook). What made it work for me twice? Because the author made me believe in this romance, how two people with such a messed-up backstory (years before this story begins she was his college teacher and he failed her class) and serious personal issues (anxiety for her and PTSD for him) and strengths could be so good together. I believed in how they both could fall into a limited-term fake relationship. After all, she needed to one-up the ex-fiancé who treated her horribly and who had also been a jerk to him, and he needed to appear more stable in his law firm. The story balanced the dark and the light, both in their own personalities and in each other, but also in the story overall, all in a small-town setting filled with gossip and friendships. The friction between the characters and their eventual bond was convincing. Not only that, but despite the characters' difficulties the book is a fun read/listen and the narrators' distinctive (but not over-the-top) voices brought the story even more alive. Recommended!

Silas and Kat!

This is Silas and Kat's story. We got to know Silas from the Loveless brothers series. He's that crazy best friend that would take a special kind of woman to put up with him. Kat was a brilliant choice for him. Silas himself described her as teeth and claws at one point and it really does fit her. She's socially awkward, says things she probably shouldn't, and yet it made her exactly what Sila's needed. This was a couple that you never thought would fit together. They seemed more enemies than anything, but once they are forced to be together, it made them really take a look at each other and see more than the surface. I liked that.

The One Month Boyfriend

The One Month Boyfriend is a funny book about Silas and Kat. Silas and Kat have a history so when they run into each other again, neither is happy to see the other again.

When both of them find themselves in a pickle, they decide to embark on a fake relationship.

As we get to know the characters, we realize there is more to both of them. Both of them have been through some things.

Can they help each other get through their troubles? Can they get this other person out of their lives for good? Will a fake relationship turn into something else?

I loved listening to this audiobook. The narrators were great. Silas and Kat had some great moments that had me laughing out loud.

A beautiful love story.

I adored these two characters and listening to the book was even better than reading it. The narrators were perfect and I can't recommend this book enough.

Lovely romance

A great mix of fun and serious. This book takes two people with lots of mental health problems and manages to tackle their struggles while also being gentle and heartwarming. Kat, especially, is wonderful. She's got social anxiety and is often grumpy. She reads as autistic to me, and I found a lot of her struggles super relatable and spot-on in the portrayal. Even though Kat and Silas start out disliking each other and kind of stumble into their fake-dating relationship, as soon as they start to get to know each other it becomes clear that they're a good match. They challenge each other, prop each other up in difficult times, and are super understanding and patient when it comes to trauma and healing. Silas's relationship to his friends is also wonderful. I love to see depictions of healthy male friendships, and it sets up future books in the series nicely.
4.5 stars - half knocked off for early comments from Silas calling Kat "android"/implying lack of humanity
I read the audiobook, and the narrators were competent and easy to listen to.

More than I expected

I was given an opportunity to listen to the audio for an honest review.

First, I want to say I was pleasantly surprised with how much I enjoyed the story. I felt that Kat and Silas were fleshed out characters who had regular struggles. Kat's anxiety and Silas' PTSD were dealt with in a way that I felt was realistic. And while these characters had heavy subject matters, it did not detract from the plot. I appreciated the slow build for their romance. It was not an instant since "we're faking it let's hit it" scenario. Instead it was a growth in friendship and trust that led to their relationship building. And I loved the hotel scene. One thing that I did not expect to encounter, but felt was done so well was how found families worry over one another. This was especially true with Silas and his friends. I loved that they were supportive of one another and quick to run and be there for one another.

The narrator were new to me. I was impressed with how well they presented the story.

Captivating Read

Loved this book! This was my first Roxie Noir book and I absolutely devoured it. I love the relationship and banter between them. The story had me captivated and feeling every emotion from laughter, to shock to happiness and empathy. I really appreciate the fact that there was also no third act breakup! Absolutely amazing read from Roxie, I can’t wait to devour more of her backlist now

Worth the wait!

I've been waiting for Silas's story for so long and boy did it deliver 💜

While The One Month Boyfriend deals with a lot of heavier issues, this book has so much light! I really appreciate that so much of the book was dedicated to Silas and Kat spending time together on-page, going on their "fake" dates so we got to watch these two fall in love in real time. The two MCs have a little bad blood between them at the start of the book because of the way some things transpired in the past but once we have the whole story, we can sympathize with both the characters. The two are complicated, hot, reluctant to let anyone get too close, and so so deserving of love.

Kat has anxiety, especially social anxiety, and I really liked the way this was handled by the author. I have the same kind of anxiety (though not as bad) so it was nice to come across this rep in a way I could (somewhat) relate to without feeling like it was a caricature.

I've been intrigued by Silas from his very first cameo in Enemies With Benefits and gah, I loved his complicated mind! His friendship with Levi is still one of my favorite things about Break The Rules. I also love that we got to see Javier doing better, and Levi and June's few cameos 💜

The audio was also wonderful and immersive, and I was hooked from the very start.

Silas and Kat are perfect!

I read this book when it first came out and I loved it. I just listened to the audio book and I LOVED it! Scott Rose and Nara Austen brought this book to life in the most wonderful way! I highly recommend this audio book!!

An Unlikely (but Amazing) Pretend Boyfriend Duo!!

Silas needs to “be dating” to appear more stable for his law firm boss. Kat was jilted, and now her ex will be sharing an office with her for the next month. Their needs are similar, but an earlier interaction makes them both mistrust the other. It doesn’t hurt that Silas greatly dislikes the ex for other reasons.

Silas has PTSD, while Kat has anxiety in groups. Another similarity for these two. This was an amazing journey for both characters. There is drama and humor, and the interactions will have you glued to the page until you reach “the end”. I can highly recommend this story.

Read this book when it first was published. I love "listening" to prior reads. I had forgotten just how witty and snarky this one was - the narrators are divine!

*** I am voluntarily leaving my honest review of this book ***