"Lottie and Knox Fake It Until Love Gets Real"
Reviewed by Sandra Wurman
Posted August 7, 2026
Romance
You know I had taken a short break from my ever-consuming
relationship with Carolyn Brown. I had practically caught up
with this consummate literary entertainer and her awesome
stories. Have been a fan since, well, forever. When I started reading UNTIL IT GETS REAL, I quickly
recollected why I am such a fan. All she had to do was refer
to a small town as a wide spot in the road, and I was
immediately returned to the special world of Carolyn Brown.
There is a phrase β way with words β turning a
phrase. Thatβs her wheelhouse, and we are quickly
brought along for what will certainly be a joy. Once again, Carolyn Brown is going to regale us with her
library of country-western songbooks. Totally meshes in with
her wondrous characters like Lotte and Knox, who are the
leading actors in this lovely story about finding love when
you really arenβt looking for it. Lottie has been on the less friendly side of most
relationships. Certainly has experienced more than her share
of bumpy roads. Leaving her with strong doubts about her own
value and worth. The one exception to this angst is her
ability to construct buildings. Lottie is candidly second to
none, which makes her a valuable member of any construction
team. But the fact that she is a woman puts her in a
position to garner quite a lot of attention from the guys.
So what she has decided is to create a boyfriend, which
would certainly dissuade the guys from bothering her. Knox is in a sort of strange position as well. His aunt
has been busy playing matchmaker. Her success with his two
brothers has now convinced her that Knox would be next. So Lottie and Knox come up with an idea that helps them
both. Fake boyfriend and girlfriends. So simple. What could
possibly go wrong? Carolyn Brown makes her characters so real that you
experience their feelings through their shared dialogue and
experiences. UNTIL IT GETS REAL also shines with an amazing
cast of supporting characters. If you are looking for a
wonderful, heartwarming tale about looking for love in all
the wrong places, UNTIL IT GETS REAL is it. SUMMARYCaution: Fake relationship in progress. Try not to fall in love.
Charlotte "Lottie" Johnston, the only woman on her construction crew, has had enough or the catcalls, teasing, and flirting from the men on her team. So when she spots Knox Callahan on the job site, she hatches a plan: a fake boyfriend arrangement to keep the guys in line.
Knox agrees. After all, pretending to date Lottie might also keep his meddling Aunt Bernie from setting him up with a date every weekend. What starts as a simple arrangement soon is anything but as the crew looks for signs to prove Lottie and Knox are pretending.
Between long workdays, shared lunches, and stolen laughs, their make-believe romance begins to feel dangerously real. But while Knox's roots are planted deep in small-town soil, Lottie's work will send her hours and miles away. Settling down in one place might be scary, but that's what it will take to build a life together.
EXCERPT“I need a boyfriend,” Lottie whispered seductively as she threw a long leg over the bench beside the picnic table and sat down close to Knox. “Are you game?”
What was wrong with this woman? She had appeared to be kind of sweet at his brother’s wedding when she introduced herself as Charlotte Johnston.
Maybe he heard her wrong.
“Would you repeat that, please?” he asked.
“Do you need to get your hearing tested?” Her voice went from silky smooth to as rough as 40 grit sandpaper.
“I hear just fine—most of the time,” he answered and then realized what day it was. “April Fools.”
“I’m serious as a…” she started.
He held up a palm and butted in before she could finish. “You are a pretty good actor, but I’m not falling for her joke.”
His thoughts went back to Spanish Fort where Aunt Bernie, the matchmaking queen of north Texas, was already hard at work attempting to set him up with blind dates every weekend. The Universe [DD1] might have just plopped a good situation down into his lap, but then again, this was most likely the workings of Bernie. She could be very manipulative, and she and Lottie had spent time together at his brother Tripp’s [DD2] wedding.
Lottie flipped her straw-colored braids over her shoulders and nudged him on the shoulder and crossed her heart with her finger. “This is no one’s idea but mine, and it’s not an April Fool’s joke, I promise.”
“Yeah, right,” Knox said.
“No one put me up to it.”
Knox shook his head. “Not happening, and I still don’t believe this is anything but another attempt to fool me.”
“I just need a boyfriend for six weeks, and then we’ll go our separate ways.”
“Are you talking about a fake boyfriend?” Knox asked.
“Of course. What did you think I meant?”
“You need to be clear when you sit down beside a man and whisper sweet nothings in his ear that sound desperate and more than a little bit scary.”
She threw up her palms. “You should have known what I was asking without me having to say it. It’s a simple yes or no answer. Bernie told me that you weren’t seeing anyone, so I figured you would be a good guy to ask.”
So, Bernie was at the core of the whole thing after all.
BOOK SERIESThe Paradise MEET ME IN THE ORCHARD
#1.0
β’ August 2025
 A LITTLE CHRISTMAS MATCHMAKING
#2.0
β’ October 2025
 UNTIL IT GETS REAL
#3.0
β’ July 2026
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