Something Like Love

The St. James Family (Against All Odds, Book 5)

De: Claudia Burgoa

Narrado por: Grace Grant, Aaron Shedlock

We have to pretend that what we have is something like love…

USA TODAY Bestselling Author Claudia Burgoa pens a fun and sexy romantic comedy where playing pretend turns to playing for keeps…

I’m down on my luck.

Scratch that. This is the worst week of my life.

Enter the last person I want to deal with: Burke St. James.

He’s wealthy.

He’s a womanizer.

And a big liar.

And it turns out we need each other.

Burke needs a fiancée to seal the deal of a lifetime. I need help or my business is going belly-up. So, Burke very non-romantically asks me to marry him. Well, he asks me to be fake engaged to him, anyway.

I’ll attend a few dinners, pretend I’m in love, and meet the family.

In exchange, he’ll invest in my company and help me launch it off the ground.

All is easy, except his kisses feel more real than they should.

And the sex…damn, we’re not supposed to have sex.

It’s all for show…right?

Did I mention he’s a really good liar?

Pretending not to fall in love is more complicated than I thought.

©2021 Claudia Burgoa (P)2025 Claudia Burgoa

a cute fake engagement romance

Something Like Love is a sweet, feel-good fake engagement romance with just the right amount of steam. Chloe and Burke start as total opposites stuck in the same mess, but their slow shift from reluctant partners to something real feels warm and easy to fall into. I loved watching Chloe push Burke to drop his walls and seeing how fiercely he showed up for her once he did. Their chemistry is soft, steady, and surprisingly tender.
Grace Grant and Aaron Shedlock give the audiobook a smooth, engaging flow that fits the characters perfectly.

When Duped By a Mutual Friend Leads to...

Chloe and Burke briefly crossed paths once before in a meet cute wedding scenario only to lose track of the other.

Maddox, their mutual friend, was not who he portrayed himself to be to Chloe. He also poisoned Chloe against Burke, posing as a white knight saving her from Byrne's supposed wiley ways. They became friends and eventually roommates when he played on Chloe's sympathies. When Maddox commits the ultimate betrayal to both Chloe and Burke in very different ways, Chloe is left homeless and with her fledgling business in utter devastation. Burke turns out to be the white knight that Chloe never wanted to rely on.

Chloe resentfully winds up with another roommate while Burke's contacts search for the missing Maddox as they both try to unravel the tangled web Maddox left behind.

Burke prevails upon Chloe's better judgment offering her a win-win situation with a fake engagement to help him out with a business deal.

Each of the main characters gradually open up to one another while trying to pick up the ruins left behind by Maddox. They eventually start to also struggle with overcoming the scars from the past while getting to know one another better.

Suddenly, the fake engagement starts to feel more real than make believe.

The fifth book of the Against All Odds series is the next to last book. Even though I have two of the previous books in the series, I haven't read them before I listened to this audio version. In no way did I feel at a loss by not having read the previous books starting from the beginning of the series.

Grace Grant and Aaron Sheldock's interactive narration elevates dual audio performances to the next level. Instead of the typical chapter being narrated by a sole point of view, this is a return to old interactive radio programs before television became popular. By far these are my favorite type of narration to listen to.

Funny, heartfelt, sweet and steamy romance!

I absolutely loved this Opposites attract, fake relationship romance. It was so addicting I couldn't put it down, and has become one of my favorite books of the year! This sizzling romcom has it all. A yummy hot, arrogant billionaire hero, a lovable heroine with a sassy attitude, fun banter, and a rich, heartfelt story with lots of steam. Something Like Love completely captivated me from the start. Burke St. James and Chloe Lafferty meet at a beautiful romantic vineyard wedding. They were there as observers and had totally opposite views of the event and location. Chloe saw it as a magical place where true love exists and Burke sees romance thru a jaded lens as a lie that hurts you. They are still attracted to each other and enjoy their banter. But something happens and they go their separate ways. Now a year later they have been horribly betrayed, and even though they have extreme misconceptions about each other, they are forced to work together and pretend they are engaged and in love. They are total opposites who work so beautifully together. Burke helps Chloe find her confidence and passion for her business, while Chloe helps Burke overcome some of his own demons from his past. They work so well together that it soon becomes hard to tell what is real and what is fantasy. What happens when they break their own rules and their hearts become involved? I loved the chemistry between Burke and Chloe, they connected instantly, really seeing and understanding each other. I loved their little quirks, their fun banter, and their sizzling passion was off the charts! They had me totally swooning and rooting for their HEA! This is a funny, genuine, and all-consuming romance that will have you holding your breath as these two wonderful people start to find themselves and each other. I loved getting to know the rest of the St. James family. They are unique in their own way, and they are so close, loving and supportive, and their sibling banter is hilarious!
I loved the narration by Grace Grant and Aaron Shedlock. They really brought out the push/pull between both Burke and Chloe and allowed us to experience their vulnerabilities and growth, and their sexual tension was palpable! I really enjoyed this funny, heartfelt, sweet & steamy romance!

Fake Relationship + Grumpy/Sunshine!

Trope Alert: Fake Relationship + Grumpy/Sunshine!

We knew a match between a St. James and a fiery, down-on-her-luck heroine was going to be a ride, and Claudia Burgoa does not disappoint! Something Like Love is a fun, sexy romantic comedy built on the irresistible foundation of a fake fiancé agreement.

Our heroine is facing the worst week of her life, and the only solution comes in the form of the last person she wants to deal with: Burke St. James. He’s wealthy, a notorious womanizer, and a big liar, yet he needs a fiancée to seal a massive business deal. She needs an investor to save her business from going belly-up. The deal is non-romantic, transactional, and beautifully disastrous.

The premise is pitch-perfect: a few dinners, a meet-the-family session, and some convincing public affection. The problem? The chemistry is too real. When Burke’s kisses start blurring the lines, and the rule about not having sex is accidentally, hilariously broken, their simple contract turns into an emotional gamble. This is pure, high-stakes fun where the only thing more complicated than a fake relationship is pretending not to fall in love with your handsome, morally-grey savior.

The Audio Experience
The dual narration by Grace Grant and Aaron Shedlock elevates the story from page to ear:

Aaron Shedlock expertly captures the smooth, wealthy arrogance and underlying vulnerability of Burke St. James. His voice is perfect for the "broody" hero who is good at lying but terrible at hiding his desire.

Grace Grant brings the perfect blend of exasperation, wit, and vulnerability to the desperate heroine. Her performance makes the internal conflict and the humor of the fake relationship shine.

The narrators seamlessly convey the transition from guarded animosity to sizzling attraction, making every internal monologue and every forced interaction feel authentic. This is a must-listen for audiobook lovers!

If you love a high-heat, high-stakes fake relationship that turns into forever, grab the book or hit play on the audiobook. You'll be rooting for Burke and his reluctant fiancée from the first scene.

Burke and Chloe

Something Like Love was a good book. It honestly wasn't one that stood out for me from Claudia's collection. but it was good. Chloe had just gotten swindled from her roommate, who sold his house and all of her belongings inside of it. Burke was also taken for millions of dollars by the same man. Burke tries to help Chloe, but she doesn't believe that he is a good person. While they try to capture the man who stole from them, they also pretend to be engaged so that Burke can land a winery sale. Along the lines, they actually fall for one another.

This is classic Claudia and her writing style really shows through. I listened to this copy in 2025, so her writing has evolved a bit over the last 3 years, but the same pretense is around. This book didn't have a lot of angst, but it did have a good amount of self discovery and find out who the main characters are.

I listened to the audio book. The male narrator, Aaron Shedlock was good. I'm still deciding about Grace Grants voice. It is nice, but there is something in her pronunciation that sticks out a lot when I listen to her.

Thank you for the copy, this is my honest opinion. Please be aware of any trigger warnings, as your mental health is most important.