Review: One Week Girlfriend by Monica Murphy

ONE WEEK GIRLFRIEND
by Monica Murphy
Kindle Edition, 290 pages
Published May 6th 2013 by Loveswept (Random House)

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New Adult Contemporary Romance

**Mature situations and sexual content - recommended for ages 17+**

Temporary. That one single word best describes my life these last few years. I’m working at a temporary job until I can finally break free. I’m my little brother’s temporary mother since our mom doesn’t give a crap about either of us. And I’m that temporary girl all the guys want to get with because I give it up so easily. According to the rumors, at least.

But now I’m the temporary girlfriend of Drew Callahan, college football legend and all around golden guy. He’s beautiful, sweet—and he’s hiding way more secrets than I am. He’s brought me into this fake life where everyone seems to hate me. And everyone seems to want something from him. The only thing he seems to want though is…

Me.

I don’t know what to believe anymore. All I know is, I think Drew needs me. And I want to be there for him.

Forever.

I had never read anything by Monica Murphy, and after this book I was searching for other works of hers. This novel starts out with the main female character, Fable Maguire, a down on her luck pretty girl with a seemingly bad reputation. Being cornered into a proposition by Drew Callahan -- a boy she only knows by name, his amazing good looks, and his college football standings. Drew needs Fable's help for just a week. All she has to do is go home with him and pretend to be his girlfriend and he will pay her 3,000 dollars. Seems odd, kind of rude, but easy, right? Wrong.

I loved the dynamics of Drew and Fable. Yes, he is asking her something outlandish, but he really needs the help and is pretty embarrassed about it. I won't give away Drew's reasons for needing to 'rent' a girlfriend, but I will say Fable needed to take the money. She has an alcoholic mother and a teenage brother she needs to take care of. It's supposed to be all business, but that seems to change as they are "stuck" pretending to be in love for his father and his step mother sake. Over the course of the week, we see the pretending turn real and end up with two people not only falling for each other, but willing to go to any length to protect the other. The reality of what happens AFTER the one week is over is where they must face reality.

This book surprised me for sure. I loved the dual POV, and the quotes before each chapter. Fable isn't as needy, and whiny as other female leads I've read before, and Drew isn't as demanding as other male leads. With their personal jokes, and code words (MARSHMALLOWS!!!) I got to feel like I knew them both and their relationship. The book ends up having tons of plot twists and turns, and as most ebooks I've read lately, a cliffhanger. Drew & Fable are a couple that will stay with you for sure!

My favorite line in the book:

"For once, I want to know what it feels like to be someone's first choice." -Fable M.