Tropes:

Enemies to lovers/rivals

Meddling friend/family

Professor-student

Animal

Age gap

Fake relationship

MMC sporty/coach

FMC smart, perfectionist

Blurb:

Fake-dating my hunky professor was not supposed to be part of my story.

He’s older. A single dad. The last person in this town I should fall for…

How I wanted the start of my science doctorate program to go:

1. I’d finally study the brain

2. I’d no longer be a puppet in my parents’ cosmetics company empire

3. I’d date and get over my ex

That was my vision. My plan. I journaled about it all summer. I vowed that for once, I’d become the heroine of my own fairytale. Those heartfelt scribblings didn’t get me far, though. Rather than steer my future into bold new territory, I actually drove my hot neighbor’s classic Cadillac into a cement barrier.

It was an accident, but Micah didn’t see it that way—and he made that clear to the cops.

To avoid jail, I agreed to help him out and play the part of his girlfriend while his family’s in town. That sounded harmless enough… until I arrived at my first neuroscience class and saw him standing at the front of the lecture hall: wild, wavy brown hair, dreamy eyes, athletic body and all.

Now I’m stuck in a faux relationship with my professor. I spend my days getting butterflies during his office hours, swooning over his cooking abilities, and feeling protective of his adorable son.

Micah can’t be my prince charming. He’s over a decade older than me. He has major baggage. Plus, a relationship between us is strictly forbidden by school rules. I feel guilty riding in his car, let alone sipping merlot with him in his cozy home. When flirting leads to kisses, we both know the situation is dangerous.

I’m an A student, smart enough to hang with the other science geeks in my program. My head knows that this is wrong. My heart, however, hasn’t gotten the memo…