The Plus One Pact - Portia MacIntosh (Blog Tour)

Date of Reading: 19/05/2020

Author: Portia MacIntosh

Publisher: Boldwood Books

Publication Date: May 21, 2020
Source: NetGalley
Rating: 5/5

(This review is part of the blog tour organised by Rachel's Random Resources)

About the book:

What if your plus one could be the one...?

Cara has officially run out of men. Her most recent dates have gone from bad to worse, and when her dating app informs her there is no one left in her area to choose from, she is at a dead end.

But with a summer of events ahead of her, she needs to find a solution, fast; someone to keep her company at the never-ending weddings, family gatherings and gender reveal parties that she can’t face going to alone. So when she meets handsome, confident Millsy on a night out she may be in luck. They could not be more different in personality, but he too has a summer of events ahead and is desperate to get his family off his back about finding a ‘nice girl’. What if they made a pact to help each other out and be a plus one for the summer? Just as friends of course...?

A brand new romantic comedy from bestseller Portia MacIntosh, perfect for fans of Zara Stoneley, Sophie Ranald and Mhairi McFarlane.

Review:

      Portia MacIntosh's works are always a treat and this one is no different. The moment I read that dedication, I knew this is going straight to my favourite shelf. Yup! I was right. Fake date trope is one of my preferred plot devices and the author brings a breath of fresh air to this oft used theme.

     What is so different then? For one, Cara and Millsy are not faking a relationship. They are just being friendly plus ones in each other's social gatherings. And there are a lot of events, making the story quite fast-paced. What is hilarious is that in each event there occurs some mishaps and the way they work in sync to cover the crime is definitely my favourite part. In each party, I found myself waiting for the about to happen havoc and it never disappoints.

       Cara and Millsy are polar opposites from the outside, but they do have obvious chemistry and perfect balance found only in meant-to-be relationships. Having a feminist brother does have some influence on Cara's personality though she may never admit it. I love her confident personality and nerdy ways which comes in handy regularly. Her career choice of building escape rooms was also something new and that captivated me from the very beginning.

      Millsy, on the other hand, is our typical playboy who comes to his senses when his best friend Ruby (you guessed right, its not a bloke's name) is about to get married. Throughout the story, we can see his kindness and caring nature. Added to this is the take life by the horns attitude and that brings the best out of his nature. It is only at the end of the book I came to know this was a standalone sequel to 'Truth or Date'. Well, that is something I definitely need to read now to know more about Ruby. 

    On the whole, a beautiful story that gives complete justice to that charming cover. Highly recommended!

Meet the author:

Portia MacIntosh has been ‘making stuff up’ for as long as she can remember – or so she says. Whether it was blaming her siblings for that broken vase when she was growing up, blagging her way backstage during her rock chick phase or,

most recently, whatever justification she can fabricate to explain away those lunchtime cocktails, Portia just loves telling tales. After years working as a music journalist, Portia decided it was time to use her powers for good and started writing novels instead.

Bestseller Portia writes hilarious romcoms, drawing on her real-life experiences to show what it’s really like being a woman today – especially one who doesn’t quite have her life together yet.