THE HOMETOWN HOAX is Book 3 in Heather Thurmeier's Hoax series. For readers who worry about reading a series out of order, there is no worry here because the characters and places in each book are not connected but they all have a "hoax" theme. Heather Thurmeier is a new author for me, but after reading THE HOMETOWN HOAX, I am dying to try more books by her. THE HOMETOWN HOAX is a fun and sexy romance with a charming hero and a heroine who is easy to relate to.

Artist Tessa Cutter is trying to make it in the big city without much success and dreads coming back to her hometown as a failure. Although the pressure on Tessa is self-imposed, her well-meaning family doesn't quite get her. Heather Thurmeier does a wonderful job of getting across Tessa's frustration with her family and the townspeople, without having her appear unreasonably petulant. One thing I love about THE HOMETOWN HOAX is how the hero is able to empathize with her, even though he wants exactly the same things that are driving her crazy -- her family and her small town community. Even though I sympathize with how much her family's matchmaking machinations annoy Tessa, I adore these kinds of storylines. The majority of THE HOMETOWN HOAX is light and flirty but with an emotional resonance that becomes more apparent as the story progresses.

Since Tessa and Logan are first introduced to each other after being in a fender bender, I worried their relationship would be too combative. After a rocky start, their relationship changed to friendly, playful and ultimately racy. I love that Logan acts as Tessa's friend, confidant, and unexpected refuge. The bond that develops between these characters is emotional and not just physical. Logan is a hero that is definitely more than meets the eye -- he is both trim and brawny, but exceeding charming, intelligent and sensitive as well. THE HOMETOWN HOAX is the type of romance I love - sexiness combined with substance.

Hooray for THE HOMETOWN HOAX! Heather Thurmeier succeeds at creating an appealing story with a hero who is amazing and is totally swoon-worthy. If you love contemporary romance -- especially ones that will make you both laugh and sigh -- THE HOMETOWN HOAX is for you. I look forward to hunting down the previous books in this series and will watch out for future books by Heather Thurmeier.