Harper's Worst Day

Harper Wilde's day goes from bad to worse: she catches her boyfriend cheating, storms out with nothing but her car keys, and runs out of gas in the small town of Benevolence, Maryland. Broke, lost, and bruised, she stumbles into a bar and into the middle of a violent altercation, where her impulsive bravery lands her in trouble—and in the path of Luke Garrison, a local hero with his own scars.

A Hero in Benevolence

Luke, a National Guard captain and local contractor, intervenes in the bar fight, helping Harper and earning her the town's admiration. The small town's warmth and nosiness envelop Harper, who quickly becomes entangled in Luke's world. With nowhere to go, she accepts his offer of a place to stay, setting the stage for a relationship built on necessity, attraction, and secrets.

The Fake Girlfriend Pact

Luke's meddling family pressures him to settle down, and his sister Sophie proposes a solution: Harper will pretend to be his girlfriend in exchange for a job and a roof over her head. Both agree, thinking it's temporary and harmless, but the lines between pretense and reality blur as they navigate small-town life, family dinners, and growing chemistry.

Family, Small Town, Secrets

Harper is swept into the Garrison family's orbit, experiencing the warmth and chaos she's always craved. Yet, both she and Luke carry heavy baggage: Harper's foster care scars and a dangerous past, Luke's grief over a lost wife. Their fake relationship becomes a lifeline, but also a minefield of unspoken pain and longing.

Lines Blur, Hearts Stir

Living together, working together, and sharing daily life, Harper and Luke's attraction intensifies. Their banter and physical closeness lead to passionate encounters, but both are haunted by fears—Harper of abandonment, Luke of betraying his late wife's memory. The town watches, gossip swirls, and the couple's emotional walls begin to crumble.

Past Wounds, Present Fears

Harper's past resurfaces in the form of threatening letters from her abusive foster father, soon to be released from prison. Luke's unresolved grief and guilt over his wife's death keep him distant. Both struggle to trust and open up, even as their feelings deepen. The threat of deployment and the specter of old trauma loom over their fragile happiness.

Pretend Turns to Real

As Harper and Luke's relationship shifts from fake to real, they face the reality of Luke's impending deployment. Harper finds belonging in Benevolence, but fears losing it all. Luke, torn between duty and desire, pushes Harper away, convinced he can't love again. Their intimacy is passionate but fraught, and the town's support becomes both comfort and pressure.

Shadows and Confessions

Harper discovers the locked room in Luke's house, uncovering the truth about his late wife Karen and the child they lost. Joni, Karen's mother, and Harper bond over shared grief. Luke's inability to let go of the past and Harper's dangerous stalker converge, forcing both to confront their deepest wounds. The couple's inability to communicate leads to heartbreak.

The Break-In and Betrayal

Harper's stalker manipulates events from prison, orchestrating a break-in that nearly costs Harper her life. The trauma exposes the cracks in her and Luke's relationship. Luke, overwhelmed by guilt and fear, pushes Harper away, ending things in a moment of pain and self-loathing. Harper, devastated, finds refuge with Joni and friends, but feels lost and alone.

Love Lost, Love Fought

Harper tries to rebuild, supported by the town's love and her own resilience. Luke spirals, haunted by regret and the realization that he loves Harper but doesn't know how to move forward. Friends and family intervene, forcing both to confront their choices. Harper prepares to leave town, believing she and Luke are truly over.

Facing Demons, Finding Strength

Luke, with the help of friends and law enforcement, ensures Harper's stalker is put away for good. He faces his grief, visits Karen's grave, and finally accepts that loving Harper doesn't mean betraying his past. Harper, meanwhile, finds the courage to let go of her fear and embrace the love and family she's built in Benevolence.

The Reckoning and Reunion

In a public, heartfelt display, Luke confesses his love for Harper, asking for forgiveness and a future together. The town, family, and friends rally around them, celebrating their reunion. Harper, after so much loss, finally believes she is worthy of love and belonging. Together, they promise to build a life that honors both their pasts and their future.

Healing, Home, and Hope

Harper and Luke marry, adopt the foster children they've come to love, and welcome a child of their own. The house that was once a place of ghosts becomes a home filled with laughter, chaos, and hope. The scars of the past remain, but are now woven into a tapestry of healing, resilience, and enduring love.

Family Grows, Love Endures

The story closes with Harper and Luke surrounded by family—biological, chosen, and adopted—at a baseball game, their lives richer for every hardship and every act of courage. The message is clear: love, when fought for and chosen every day, can transform even the deepest wounds into a legacy of hope.

Characters

Harper Wilde

Harper is a woman shaped by abandonment, abuse, and the foster care system, yet she remains open-hearted, impulsively brave, and hungry for belonging. Her journey is one of self-discovery, learning to trust, and refusing to let her past define her. Harper's humor and vulnerability make her both relatable and admirable. Her relationship with Luke is both a catalyst for healing and a crucible for her deepest fears. She is the emotional heart of the story, embodying the struggle to believe in love after trauma.

Luke Garrison

Luke is a decorated National Guard captain and successful contractor, but beneath his stoic exterior lies a man paralyzed by guilt and loss. The death of his wife Karen and their unborn child left him emotionally locked down, convinced he can never love again. His journey is about learning to forgive himself, accept love, and risk vulnerability. Luke's protectiveness is both his strength and his flaw, as he tries to shield Harper from pain but often causes it instead. His growth is hard-won, making his eventual openness deeply satisfying.

Sophie Garrison Adler

Sophie is Luke's irrepressible sister, a whirlwind of energy, humor, and meddling. She orchestrates the fake relationship that brings Harper and Luke together, and her fierce loyalty and insight make her a vital support for both. Sophie's own happy marriage and family life serve as a model for what's possible, and her refusal to let either Harper or Luke give up on love is a driving force in the narrative.

Aldo Moretta

Aldo is Luke's best friend and fellow soldier, whose own journey through injury and recovery mirrors the central themes of resilience and hope. His humor and blunt honesty provide levity and perspective, and his romance with Gloria offers a parallel story of healing and second chances. Aldo's role as confidant and truth-teller is crucial in pushing Luke toward self-awareness.

Gloria Parker

Gloria is a local woman escaping an abusive relationship, whose friendship with Harper and romance with Aldo highlight the power of community and the possibility of starting over. Her quiet courage and kindness make her a mirror for Harper's own struggles, and her happiness is a testament to the story's faith in redemption.

Joni Whitwood

Joni, Karen's mother, is initially a figure of blame and pain, but her relationship with Harper becomes a source of healing for both. Through shared grief, Joni and Harper find understanding and forgiveness, and Joni's eventual support of Harper and Luke's relationship is a powerful symbol of moving forward without forgetting the past.

Frank Barry

Frank is Luke's right-hand man at the construction company, a curmudgeon with a soft spot for Harper. His tough love and dry humor provide grounding, and his own late-in-life romance with Joni adds depth to the story's theme of love's persistence.

Claire and Charlie Garrison

Luke's parents embody the warmth, chaos, and unconditional support of family. Their acceptance of Harper and their own journey through loss and healing provide a model for the next generation. Claire's meddling and Charlie's quiet wisdom are both sources of comic relief and emotional ballast.

Linc Reed

Linc, the local fire chief and Luke's high school nemesis, provides both tension and humor. His flirtation with Harper and rivalry with Luke force the latter to confront his feelings, and Linc's good-natured support ultimately helps Harper see her own worth.

Clive Perry

Perry, Harper's abusive foster father, is the shadow that haunts her life. His manipulations and threats force Harper to confront her deepest fears and ultimately to reclaim her power. His defeat is not just a plot resolution but a symbolic victory over the past.

Plot Devices

Fake Relationship as Emotional Catalyst

The central device of a fake relationship allows Harper and Luke to lower their defenses, creating intimacy and vulnerability that would otherwise be impossible. The pretense becomes a safe space for both to explore trust, desire, and the possibility of love, while also forcing them to confront the lies they tell themselves.

Small Town as Character and Crucible

Benevolence is more than a setting; it's a living force that both supports and pressures the protagonists. The town's nosiness, warmth, and traditions create both obstacles and opportunities for growth. The interconnectedness of everyone's lives means that secrets can't stay hidden, and healing must be communal.

Parallel Traumas and Healing Arcs

Both Harper and Luke are survivors of profound loss and trauma, and their parallel journeys allow the story to explore the many faces of grief, guilt, and recovery. The supporting characters—Gloria, Aldo, Joni—mirror and reinforce these themes, creating a tapestry of resilience.

Letters and Locked Rooms

The threatening letters from Harper's abuser and the locked room in Luke's house are tangible manifestations of the characters' unresolved pain. Their eventual confrontation and resolution of these plot devices mark turning points in their emotional arcs.

Public Declarations and Grand Gestures

The story uses public confessions, family interventions, and grand romantic gestures to force the characters out of hiding and into vulnerability. These moments are both cathartic and necessary, underscoring the theme that love is an active, daily choice.

Analysis

Pretend You're Mine is a masterclass in the contemporary romance genre, blending small-town charm with deep psychological insight and high emotional stakes. At its core, the novel is about the transformative power of love—not as a cure-all, but as a force that demands honesty, courage, and the willingness to confront one's darkest fears. Lucy Score's narrative is unflinching in its portrayal of trauma, grief, and the messy, nonlinear path to healing. The book's greatest strength lies in its refusal to offer easy answers: love is not a magic fix, but a daily act of bravery. The supporting cast and the town of Benevolence itself reinforce the message that family is chosen as much as inherited, and that true belonging comes from vulnerability and acceptance. In a world where so many feel unworthy or afraid of love, Pretend You're Mine offers a hopeful, hard-won vision of what it means to be seen, cherished, and home.

Last updated: July 29, 2025