Pretend Its Forever is book 5 in the Cage Family series and follows professional ballerina turned ballet school owner and teacher, Sophia as her life falls apart and she learns to trust herself and others again.
About Pretend Its Forever
Sophia is one of the other Cage’s. Her mother never married her father and she and her siblings were not raised with the Cage last name. She grew up dancing ballet, and even danced professionally. She retired from the ballet, opened her ballet school and married her longtime boyfriend, Kale. She seemingly had it all growing up.
Carson is the son his father always wanted. When his sister was born first, his parents had another child to try for a son, and hit the jackpot. His father is a narcissist who only cares about what helps him and not what is fair or best for others. Carson swore he would never be his father and went out on his own in business instead of joining the family business.
Sophia suffered in silence in her marriage. But when tragedy strikes, her brother Flynn and his friend, Carson, are there to intervene on her behalf. Carson had never met her, but she left a mark on him. At her most damaged point, all she was worried about were her babies.
Even with all of the Cage resources, Sophia was never able to get justice for what was done to her. As the victim, she suffered even more. She is in constant pain, which now makes it nearly impossible for her to teach the ballet classes at her school. Her attacker is free and never served a day in jail. All she has to show for it is a restraining order, a single piece of paper.
More than a year after Sophia’s attack, Carson finally meets her officially. He is friends, business partner and sparring partner with her brothers. Something about him triggers her in a way she cannot identify. He tiptoes around the attack, until he finds out what the outcome was in court and that he is bothering her again.
Sophia and Carson have a pull. They try to pretend it is not there, but eventually they give in. It is just supposed to be the one time. Yeah right.
But when two of her brothers show up at her house, will their one night tear apart friendships, a business relationship, and fracture their family that has worked so hard to come together after their father’s death?
Impressions
I had a hard time with this book. I have a hard time with domestic assault. Anyone who has grown up with it understands my feelings. I understand it is not uncommon for a woman to hide the effects of the abuse, but I was surprised Sophia put up with it for as long as she did. It broke my heart to see what was done to her, both physically and mentally. Although I do not normally condone serving justice, in this case Kale deserved it. I wish she had let her brothers and Carson take care of the problem.
Carson is a saint. Well, not really, but the restraint he shows is outside his normal. But he treats Sophia like a princess and her little girls absolutely love him. One of his most endearing traits, for me, is being willing to change his last name to Cage so Sophia and the girls do not ever have to change theirs again. Talk about an aaahhhhh moment.
I was surprised that Aston was not involved in confronting Carson about his relationship with Sophia. As the oldest Cage, I thought for sure he would be right there ready to give him a beat down. But he kept things professional.
Finally, Flynn redeemed himself when tragedy struck. He was the one, along with another brother, who came to notify Sophia about what happened. He was the one to support her. For someone who was so against her and Carson getting together, he was her support system in a time of need.
Narration
Jason Clarke is dreamy to listen to and I love him as Carson. His caring nature when dealing with Sophia, and his sister, his dark side, everything. Emma Wilder always nails it as the female characters in the books she narrates. I have been listening to her, with Jason Clarke, for years and these two work so well together.
Availability
Pretend Its Forever is currently available for purchase in all formats on Amazon.
Series Listing
- Before I Knew (The Cage Family Book 0.5)
- The Forever Rule (The Cage Family Book 1)
- An Unexpected Everything (The Cage Family Book 2)
- If You Were Mine (The Cage Family Book 3)
- One Quick Obsession (The Cage Family Book 4)
- Pretend Its Forever (The Cage Family Book 5)
- Wish It Were You (The Cage Family Book 6)
- Only Half Without You (The Cage Family Book 7)
- Time Stands Still (The Cage Family Book 8)
About Carrie Ann Ryan
NYT Bestselling Author Carrie Ann Ryan is a prolific author known for her heartfelt and steamy romance novels that sweep readers off their feet and leave them yearning for more. With over one hundred novels to her name, Carrie Ann has carved a niche for herself in the world of contemporary and paranormal romance, infusing her stories with passion, humor, and undeniable chemistry.
Carrie Ann’s novels span a range of sub-genres within romance, from small-town charm to paranormal intrigue, each one delivering an emotional punch that resonates with readers around the globe.
When she’s not busy writing swoon-worthy love stories, Carrie Ann can be found curled up with a good book, indulging in her passion for photography, or spending time with her loving family and menagerie of pets.
