Faking It by Lydia Michaels

 Sheilagh McCullough has been pretending to be someone else her entire life. When she takes her rebellious act too far, her overbearing brothers decide it’s time for her to grow up and face her future. After six years of procrastination and parties, Sheilagh is finally going to college.

Dr. Alec Devereux is an ethical man, but when Sheilagh McCullough enrolls in his class, his morals as a professor are put to the test. Brilliant, tenacious, and a contradiction to herself in so many ways, Alec is enchanted by his new student and unable to resist temptation. Persistent and logical, Alec unravels the mysterious woman who has captured his heart only to discover the greatest threat to their future might be her past.

A courageous journey of the soul that confronts one woman’s fears of love and embraces the truth in her heart.

I loved Faking It! I know that’s not really a shocker as I am completely enamored with the McCullough clan. What was shocking to me was to learn that Kelly wasn’t the most misunderstood McCullough after all. The truths I learned about Sheilagh were so much more surprising to me. Maybe because she’s the only daughter in the McCullough clan, Sheilagh’s presence and story intersects everyone else’s far more pervasively than the other siblings. This actually makes several parts of her story off-limits because of spoiler issues; additionally, her biggest secret is a major spoiler in my opinion. However, I can say that it was amazing to watch her journey as she finds herself, finds happiness in and around her, and finds her other half. Her relationship with Alec was a joy to read and I liked how they both grew from it, despite the age difference. The highs and lows that Sheilagh experienced both saddened and elated me and is a true sign, for me, of just how invested in a character I am. And of course I found Alex as the British professor to be an extra bit of sexy.

I thoroughly enjoyed Faking It and it is an excellent addition to the McCullough Mountain series. I do have one tiny issue with this book – and it’s not really an issue but more of a recommendation. I read this series out of order, starting with book five, Forsaking Truths (Luke’s story). Having done so, I think Sheilagh’s story was that much more meaningful as I was already aware of her issues with Tristan. I’m not sure that I would have felt the same depth of character growth had I not already read about Sheilagh and Tristan. I can only imagine how difficult it can be for a writer to decide when to release which book in a series such as this (especially if they’re having to deal with a less than cooperative muse), but this is one of those rare cases where I am actually recommending that you read book five before reading book four. Although with the McCulloughs you really can’t go wrong in whatever order you read them in. Sadly, this is the last of the books available in the series that I haven’t read and I must now wait for Braydon’s story. Until then, I at least get to revisit the McCullough clan anytime I want. Thank you Ms. Michaels for sharing them with me.

 

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