To Have and To Pretend

By Noel Bailey

A fake dating pact. A best friend I can't stop thinking about. And one wedding season that could ruin everything.

Owning a magical flower shop in Magnolia Cove should be enough to keep me busy-and it is. Mostly. Between crafting enchanted bouquets, dodging my mother's matchmaking attempts, and pretending I don't still think about kissing Tom Bryson in a sunflower field when we were thirteen, my hands (and heart) are full.

Then Tom walks in with a problem. He's been roped into planning a bachelorette party, and I... well, I need a date to avoid my family's endless "perfect match" dinners. So we make a pact: I'll help him plan the party, and he'll be my plus-one to Ethan and Alex's wedding. It's the perfect arrangement. Just two old friends, fake dating for a few weeks, no strings attached.

Except somewhere between porch stargazing, stolen glances, and the kind of quiet moments you can only have with someone who's known you forever, pretending stops feeling pretend.

I can't lose him-not as my best friend, not as my safe place-but I can't seem to stop wishing for more, either. And in Magnolia Cove, where the magic always has its own plans, I have a feeling our little pact is about to change everything.

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: B0GMC28SVL
• ISBN13: 9798247400950
• Release Date: February 2026
• Publisher: Independently Published
• Length: 288 Pages
• Weight: 0.63 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.7" x 5.0" x 8.0"