Just finished re-reading this and honestly, the core plot still hits. It's about this woman, Vivian, who gets ghosted at the altar by her fiancé, Carter. Fast-forward a few years, and she's rebuilt her life as a moderately successful interior designer. The inciting incident is when Carter's brother, the notoriously cold and powerful CEO Alexander Blackwood, shows up at her door with a business proposition: pretend to be his fiancée to secure a massive deal. The whole premise hinges on the tension between Vivian's old humiliation and Alex's calculated, emotionless deal-making.
What I think the book does well is the push-and-pull of power. Vivian agrees, but on her own terms, forcing Alex to acknowledge her as an equal partner in the charade. The main plot arc is them navigating high-society events and corporate warfare, all while Vivian's unresolved feelings for Carter simmer in the background. It's less a 'will they, won't they' with Alex initially and more a 'how far will she go to prove she's moved on.' The climax revolves around the deal falling apart when Carter re-enters the picture, forcing Vivian to choose between the safe, known pain of the past and the risky, confusing allure of a future with Alex.