Release Blitz + Review: "The Enemy Trap" by Maren Moore

I'm happy to participate in today's release/review blitz celebrating the publication of "The Enemy Trap" by Maren Moore.

Even after being knocked out for the season with a shoulder injury, professional hockey player Hayes Davis managed to make headlines because of his playboy reputation. The one woman who had always been immune to his charms was his old high school nemesis, Sophia St. James, whose best friend, Holly, was married to Hayes's best friend, Scott. Fed up with their constant bickering, Holly and Scott decided to take extreme measures to help Hayes and Sophia resolve their differences once and for all. Unfortunately, their plan backfired, resulting in a drunken one-night stand and Sophia's accidental pregnancy. Reluctantly, Hayes and Sophia agreed to fake an engagement to save his reputation and career, but Sophia was determined that their true relationship would be nothing more than co-parents. Would she be able to maintain that resolve as they began to spend more time together and it seemed as if Hayes might be more than just the egotistical jerk she had always believed?

I really enjoyed this story's fast-paced plot as well as the intense chemistry and witty banter between Hayes and Sophia. Also, it was incredibly sweet that Hayes was so excited to become a father, reading countless baby books to learn as much as possible about child care and development before the baby came. However, there were a number of loose ends and inconsistencies with the plot and character development that I wish had been tightened up prior to publication. There were two that I found to be particularly bothersome.

• Sophia quit her job two weeks before the story began and apparently never got another one. How was she supporting herself between then and the time that she moved in with Hayes? Also, how was she planning on supporting the baby without help from Hayes, since she kept telling him that she didn't want money from him and she (apparently) didn't have a job? 
• Did Sophia have any family? We know her father wasn't in the picture, but where was her mother? They referred to their "families" on several occasions, but Sophia's mother was never directly introduced.
  

I went back and forth on my rating for this book, but in the end, I rounded up to 4 stars because I really liked both of the main characters and there were some genuinely funny parts of the story. I recommend "The Enemy Trap" for all contemporary romance and romantic comedy fans and will plan to check out Maren Moore's next release.

 

*Review copy provided by the author via Wildfire Marketing Solutions. All opinions expressed are my own. 

 

About "The Enemy Trap"

Hayes Davis is America’s sweetheart, the #1 hockey player in the country, and my fake fiancé. 

Simple, right? It would be, if my betrothed were anyone else.

But it turns out America’s sweetheart is arrogant, selfish, and a guy I have no intentions of letting break my heart again.

It was never supposed to happen.
But then one night changes everything.

Now, he’s not only my pretend fiancé but my very real baby daddy.

How can two people who hate each other pull off the lie of a lifetime while figuring out how to raise a child together?

Everything between us was supposed to be fake, but I’m not pretending anymore.