Hello, Mother. Hello, Father. Here I am at . . . sex camp? A review of Meghan Quinn's Till Summer Do Us Part

I've yet to read a Meghan Quinn book that I didn't at least like a little bit. And, more often than not, I really like her headstrong female leads, stoic and often grumpy males, and madcap shenanigans that make me literally laugh out loud. You'd think this would happen more reading romcoms but, IMHO, too many authors overlook that suffix. What, or rather whom, I love even more is when she gives us a goofy, sunshiny MMC who, despite the cheery veneer, has untold depths. (Looking at you, Brody from Bridesmaid for Hire and Wyatt from The Reason I Married Him). And, Wilder, despite his cringe-worthy romcom name (sorry, not sorry), fits the bill and then some.

Scottie, newly-ish divorced and making her way in NYC after having settled for a passionless romance and life in the (gasp) middle of the country, is an editor at a golf company and is surrounded by grown-up frat-boys: the Chads and Brad. In addition to being the only female in the room, save for the CEO, Ellison, whose favor Scottie is trying to garner, she's the only one who's not happily married. Or, as aforementioned, married at all. So, when one of the Chads comes for her in a meeting and she does that thing that every fake relationship trope begins with - lies about being in said relationship - and calls her out for not wearing a ring, Scottie not only has to invent a husband but one with whom her relationship is on the rocks. This mightn't have been a thing were it not for the fact that her boss's husband is a famous, or, rather, infamous relationship expert. And he has an opening to see Scottie and her non-existent husband! Tomorrow morning!

Fortunately for Scottie, her bestie, Mika, has a younger brother, Wilder, who just so happens to be free and is more than willing to pretend to be her estranged spouse. While it'd be easy to assume, as Scottie does, that Wilder, an improv aficionado, is some sort of hipster unemployed actor, we come to find out that he's available because, well, he is an improv aficionado, but one who's incredibly wealthy since he sold off an app that he developed while in college. Just your run-of-the-mill billionaire sans requisite douche canoe vibes. Scottie can't deny Wilder's obvious good looks - as though a romcom lead could be anything but 6 foot plus with abs of steel, hair that defies physics and the elements, and piercing grey eyes that only exist on the page - she can his complete inability to stay on script. (Oh, and he has a lip ring which, personally, ew, but does more than a little somethin' somethin' for Scottie in a big time way.) In a LOL-worthy bit of ridiculousness, Wilder goes all in on the problems that plague their "marriage" - including, but not limited to, the fact that she zipped his dick in a sleeping bag - and Scottie can't help but pick up what he puts down. Couple their energy with Sanders', Elliot's husband's, unconventional therapy - the man never met a sports metaphor he didn't like and spends the session with some sort of stick or ball in hand at all times - and Scottie finds herself facing an offer she can't refuse: a week-long getaway at his marriage camp. Literal camp. At the tune of 15K for 8 days, which Wilder pays for without batting an eye.

After realizing that she can't use work as an excuse to opt out of the prospect of putting her pretend relationship under a microscope, since - surprise! - the entire staff attends the yearly camp, Scottie is wound tighter than a camel's ass in a sandstorm. And what a "camp" it is. Participation in the fun and games is mandatory, even if no fun is to be had as Scottie, stuck in a one-bed trope with the drool-worthy, irreverent and younger (by two years, mind you) Wilder, finds herself in a sex-dungeon cum cabin (complete with a mini bar that features lube rather than late-night snacks). It soon becomes clear that the reason Scottie is so good at this role playing thing is that she's unpacking all the baggage from her shitty ex and their equally shitty marriage and using that as subconscious fodder for her not-so-fake feuds with her fake husband.

As Scottie works through her demons, Wilder proves that there's more beneath the easy, breezy, genuinely good guy (and did I mention hot?) persona. While he causes as many, if not more, of the ridiculous situations that give the audience a laugh and Scottie agita, he realizes, via his fake (but also not) therapy sessions that he has put caring for his family ahead of caring for himself and, while this is what makes us fall for him at the same time Scottie does, it's put him in a limbo where he can't pursue a relationship. This, of course, is at least half of the stumbling block when it comes to our couple, who, after a night in a (callback!) shared sleeping bag give in to their off-the-charts chemistry. Scottie realizes that her feelings for this (gasp, again!) now not so fake attraction could run deep - like hurt her even more than her lackluster marriage deep - and can't risk her heart on someone who's been very upfront about the fact that he. Doesn't. Do. Relationships. The nail in the coffin comes on day 7 of their whirlwind camp romance when Wilder's (honest) response to Sanders' question "Will you hurt her?" is "I don't want to." Does it suck to hear, for both Scottie and the reader? Yes. Is it what Quinn gives us to make both our MCs grow as people and make their inevitable HEA that much more worth it? Yes again.

Returning to reality, Scottie, who's come clean to Ellison, Sanders, and even the Chads before leaving camp, finds herself in a funk with a Wilder-shaped hole in her heart. Meanwhile, Wilder has some much needed conversations with Mika (I want his love story next, please) and his mother, getting himself right before he can woo his lady. And woo her (and, by default, us) he does. Refraining from the physical side of things (boo!), Wilder works his way through Scottie's divorce bucket list, proving himself to be the opposite of her ex in every way, shape, and form.

Between the ridiculous nature of the fake fights and real competition of the various contests that Scottie and Wilder are subjected to at camp, I felt this was the perfect beach read - fun, light-hearted, sexy, but with enough heart that I really cared about both characters, which is not always the case - and I haven't had one of Quinn's leading men skyrocket to the top of my book boyfriend chart as quickly since the aforementioned Brody of Bridesmaid for Hire. Wilder's commitment to improv doesn't go away, even after he admits that his father's passing is the reason for his desire to suck the marrow out of life, and has me along for the ride and eagerly awaiting Meghan Quinn's next offering. Yes, and . . . more please.

Rating: 5 / 5 Single Sleeping Bag Sex-capades