Almost Real

Almost Ever After

De: Nicole Snow

Narrado por: Lucy Rivers, Bryant Walker

A love for paws and claws unites a fiery vet tech and a bad boy billionaire in this intense and steamy fake engagement fiasco by Wall Street Journal bestselling author Nicole Snow.

Lena Joly has a fierce soul for healing every pet who limps into her struggling clinic. Taming human jerkwads is nothing new—until the day Brady Pruitt storms in with an adorable lost puppy.

There’s nothing cute about him. His wicked reputation overshadows devastating good looks and a jaw-dropping fortune. She’s relieved to send Seattle’s infamous bad boy billionaire packing and get back to fighting for her clinic. But Brady already decided the spitfire who ranks him lower than a banana peel can convince his family he’s finally respectable.

Lena could scream. A temporary “engagement” to fool his optics-obsessed parents? An obscene payday to keep tails wagging forever? And practice kissing?

Holy hell. The girl with barbed wire guarding her scarred love life can’t hide when the butterflies hit. And after their love for animals sweeps them away, after pillow talk becomes bad habit, after it feels too real, two stone hearts will be glorious confetti…

©2026 by Nicole Snow. (P)2025 Brilliance Publishing, Inc., all rights reserved.

Enjoyed storyline

This story contains everything for an emotional rollercoaster of feelings. I chose this because I love stories contains endearing animals, romance, angst, endearing characters and hateful characters. Narration was very good but prefer Duet style. Still good plot. Lots of sexual romance as well.

A Corgi, A Vet Tech, and A Fake Fiance

The following ratings are out of 5:
Romance: ❤️💙💚💛
Spice: 🌶️🌶️🌶️
Chemistry: 🧪🧪🧪🧪🧪
Story/Plot: 📕📗📘📙
World building: 🌏🌍🌎🌏
Character development: 😋🙂😁😛
Narrator(s): 🎙🎙🎙
Narration type: Dual Narration

Character Backgrounds and Plot Summary

Lena has spent years working as a Vet Tech, and her devotion to animals is matched only by her loyalty to Dr. Ezzie, the woman who gave her a chance when she needed it most. Pawsome Hearts has always been a warm, community-focused clinic, but lately the cracks are showing. Dr. Ezzie is struggling to care for her aging parents, and the business has been forced to make painful cuts. Lena fears that the clinic may not survive, especially in a Seattle market overflowing with corporate chains that prioritize profit over pets. The idea of losing Pawsome Hearts feels like losing a piece of herself.

Late on a Friday afternoon, while Lena is closing up, a last-minute walk-in arrives. A strikingly handsome man with sculpted muscles steps inside, carrying an exhausted Corgi puppy. His companion, a woman with a sharp, irritated expression, looks like she would rather be anywhere else. The contrast between them is almost comical. He radiates warmth and concern, while she radiates annoyance.

They explain that they found the puppy while hiking. The little dog appears to be suffering from heat exhaustion or possibly irritation from wildfire smoke drifting down from Canada. The man introduces himself as Brady. He wants to make sure the puppy gets proper care, while his companion pushes for dropping the dog at animal control. Lena appreciates Brady’s willingness to help, so she checks with Dr. Ezzie to see if they can take the puppy as a walk-in.

Lena has strong opinions about Seattle’s wealthy elite, and Brady initially fits every stereotype she dislikes. When he casually mentions having his driver circle the area to look for the puppy’s owner, she mentally rolls her eyes. Who brings a driver on a hike? Her skepticism deepens when she sees him posing for a photo with the puppy, assuming he is collecting social media points. Her past relationship with an abusive predator has left her wary, and she often sees warning signs even when they may not be there.

When the puppy’s owner cannot pick him up right away, Brady volunteers to take the dog home overnight and return the next day. He insists he is a dog person and promises to take excellent care of the pup. His girlfriend complains the entire time.

What Lena does not know is that Brady recently sold a wildly successful dating app and has stepped in as CEO of his family’s company, Pruitt Brands. His next project is a line of affordable, healthy dog food. His parents are pressuring him to settle down, and the woman he brought to the clinic is the one they have chosen for him. Brady’s reputation as a playboy has not helped his case, and he is under pressure to clean up his image.

Highlights

• Fake engagement chemistry
The fake engagement setup is lively and full of spark. The banter, tension, and emotional push and pull between Lena and Brady make their dynamic entertaining from the start.
• Lena’s compassionate character
Lena stands out as a hardworking, empathetic heroine. Her dedication to the struggling clinic and her deep love for animals give the story a warm, grounded heart that animal lovers will appreciate.
• Brady’s layered personality
Brady is more than the typical billionaire archetype. His softer side, his desire to do good, and his complicated family dynamics add depth to his character as the romance unfolds.

Limitations

• Familiar tropes
The story leans heavily on well-known romance staples like fake engagement, billionaire hero, and enemies to lovers. Fans of these tropes will enjoy it, but seasoned listeners may find the beats predictable.
• Uneven pacing
Some scenes linger longer than necessary while others move too quickly, especially during the emotional turning points later in the story.
• Classic billionaire traits
Brady, while likable, still fits many familiar billionaire romance patterns. Listeners seeking something radically different may not find him groundbreaking.
• Predictable third act conflict
The breakup and reconciliation follow a structure that experienced romance listeners will see coming.

Narration

The audiobook is performed in dual POV with narration by Lucy Rivers and Bryant Walker. Lucy Rivers delivers a soft, expressive performance that suits Lena beautifully. Her voice feels warm, youthful, and emotionally connected. Bryant Walker has a deep, appealing tone that works well for Brady, though his delivery can feel a bit stiff at times and does sound quite a bit older than Brady’s 30 years. Together, though, they create a solid listening experience that supports the story’s emotional beats.

Final Opinion

This audiobook offers a sweet, trope-forward romance filled with warmth, humor, and plenty of puppy charm. Lena and Brady’s chemistry is easy to root for, and the animal-centered storyline adds a comforting layer of heart. While the plot follows familiar patterns and the pacing wobbles in places, the story still delivers an enjoyable, feel-good experience for listeners who love fake engagements, billionaire heroes with hidden depth, and heroines who lead with compassion. If you enjoy romances that blend emotional growth with lighthearted charm, this one is a pleasant addition to your listening queue.

Read and Listened

Nicole Snow is an excellent author. I enjoyed the storyline and characters. Especially the relationship between Brady and his parents. Loved it. I smiled, laughed, and grit my teeth. I was completely invested in the characters. The best past was reading and listening to the book!! I was able to keep going when I had to leave the house or start chores.

The narrators were excellent. They brought this audiobook to life with emotional performances that had it rolling like a movie in my head. Perfection.

* I read/listened to this through the Kindle Unlimited program.

loved it

This was a really good book! I liked this author, I'll definitely have to read more!

Just okay

I don’t like a miscommunication trope and although this story wasn’t quite that, it felt like a good chunk of the drama could have been excluded, or had some actual depth, with a conversation. Not my favorite male narrator but their performance was good.