Marrying Him Was Easy, Loving Him Was Hell

Marrying Him Was Easy, Loving Him Was Hell

Lola Quinn

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They Faked a Marriage in Summer. But Autumn had a Plan of Its Own. Ivy Monroe is in a bind. She's got a shot at the research grant of her dreams. There's just one catch: it's for couples only. No husband? No deal. That's where Lake Hart comes in. He's a broody, charming filmmaker who needs quick cash. She needs a fake husband. It's supposed to be simple: pretend to be married for one summer, fool a few people, and walk away richer. But nothing about this fake marriage is simple. They arrive at a romantic mountain retreat and things get complicated-fast: - Weird "touch therapy" that's way too intimate - One tiny bed that squeaks like crazy - "Practice" kisses that don't feel fake at all - Judges watching their every move-and a prize on the line Ivy swore she wouldn't catch feelings. Lake never sticks around long enough to. But the more they pretend, the more real it starts to feel. One lie. One summer. So many sparks. If you love: - Fake marriage shenanigans - Forced to share a bed (and a shower) - Enemies-to-lovers tension - Slow burn with major payoff - Hilarious, messy, steamy rom-coms Then this is your next read. Funny, flirty, and full of feels.

Marrying Him Was Easy, Loving Him Was Hell Chapter 1 The Retreat with a Catch

Ivy

There's a very specific kind of panic that hits when you realize you just lied on a government grant application. Not a tiny fib like adjusting your weight on your driver's license. No, I'm talking about a full-blown, bold-faced lie with consequences, signatures, and potential jail time.

I, Ivy Monroe, PhD in psychology, neurotic overthinker, and rule-follower extraordinaire, just told the Midlake Arts & Wellness Institute that I am married.

Spoiler alert: I am not.

It started innocently. I was scrolling through my academic email while chewing on a stale protein bar and avoiding grading ten research papers on attachment styles. And then-bam. There it was. An email titled: CONGRATULATIONS! Welcome to Midlake's Summer Creative Couples Residency!

I blinked.

Then I blinked again.

The email said I'd been selected for a two-month, all-expenses-paid retreat in the mountains. Just me, my "partner," and our shared creative journey. A $50,000 grant for couples who want to blend art and therapy.

I'd applied on a whim, inspired by a late-night rerun of Eat, Pray, Love and one too many glasses of red wine. I figured they'd never pick a nerdy psychologist whose idea of a wild night was reorganizing her spice rack. But they did.

And there, in neat bold letters, it said:

"Note: This retreat is for couples only. No singles permitted. All selected applicants must arrive with their partner or forfeit the grant."

My stomach flipped.

I reread the line at least twenty-three times, as if it would suddenly change to, "Just kidding! Singles welcome! We love lonely intellectuals with control issues!"

But no.

I was stuck.

I mean... it was just a small lie, right? I wasn't hurting anyone. And it was for a good cause-my research on emotional intimacy in long-term relationships. I needed this grant. I needed peace. I needed the space. I just... needed a fake husband.

So I did what any sane, rational adult woman would do.

I panicked.

First, I called my best friend, Elise. She's an ER nurse, always calm in a crisis. Except she laughed so hard, she dropped her phone into a bedpan.

"Wait-you told them you were married? Ivy! You haven't even dated since... what? Brian-the-Barista?"

"It was one date. And he kept quoting Fight Club. It doesn't count."

"Girl, you need help."

Yes. Yes, I did.

Because with just six days until the retreat, I had one choice:

Find a fake husband, or give up the biggest opportunity of my career.

The solution came in the form of Lake Hart.

Well, more like he barged into my life like a leather-jacket-wearing hurricane with stupidly nice cheekbones and a reputation for being allergic to rules.

I met him once at a university networking event. I was there giving a talk on trauma resilience. He was there filming a documentary on academic burnout. He drank whiskey straight, told inappropriate jokes, and stared at me like I was an alien. I called him arrogant. He called me uptight. We haven't spoken since.

And yet...

When Elise casually mentioned he was "in between gigs and desperate for cash," I heard myself saying, "Set up a meeting."

Because I needed someone convincing. Someone bold enough to lie through his teeth, kiss me in public if needed, and survive two months of pretending to be married to me without losing his mind-or making me lose mine.

Lake Hart fit the role.

Too well, actually.

We met at a coffee shop two blocks from campus. He was fifteen minutes late, wearing sunglasses indoors, and sipping a Red Bull like he was born to cause chaos.

"Ivy Monroe," he said with a lazy smirk. "Still wound up like a Swiss watch."

I folded my arms. "Still pretending Red Bull is a personality trait?"

He laughed. Bastard.

I laid it all out. The retreat. The lie. The fake marriage. The shared cabin. The shared bed. The shared shower. My voice cracked slightly on that last word.

He leaned back, eyes twinkling. "So you want me to be your husband."

"Pretend husband," I corrected.

"Right. The kind that kisses you in front of people and shares your toothpaste."

I opened my mouth to argue-but technically, yes. That was exactly what I needed.

He scratched his jaw. "Two months in the woods. With you. Playing house."

I narrowed my eyes. "Are you in or not?"

Lake tapped his fingers on the table. Then, slowly, he smiled.

"I'll do it."

Relief flooded me.

"But one condition," he said.

My heart paused mid-beat.

"If we're doing this, we're doing it right. That means cuddling. Hand holding. Convincing kisses. I don't half-ass roles, Ivy. I'm all in."

He leaned in close, his voice low and warm.

"And that includes kissing you-like I mean it."

Oh no.

What have I done?

We signed the forms. Sent our IDs. Packed our bags. And just like that, I was off to the most romantic mountain retreat in the country-with a man who made my brain short-circuit and my stomach feel like it was hosting the Olympic gymnastics team.

The Midlake shuttle picked us up in front of my apartment. Lake arrived with a single duffle bag and two cameras.

"You know this isn't a documentary, right?"

"You never know when real life gets interesting," he said.

I stared out the window as the city disappeared and pine trees took its place. The air smelled fresher already-or maybe that was just the scent of impending doom.

We pulled up to the retreat grounds by sunset. Rolling hills. Wooden cabins. A lake so still it looked painted. Couples wandered the grounds hand-in-hand, smiling like they'd never argued about dishes or in-laws.

Lake whistled. "Romance Disneyland."

A perky staffer named Willow handed us a welcome packet and two lanyards that read: "Dr. Ivy & Lake Hart – Couple #7"

My stomach dropped.

Couple #7.

It was real now.

We followed Willow to our cabin. It was nestled in the trees, cozy and private. Cute. Until she opened the door.

One bed.

ONE BED.

"Oh!" Willow chirped. "I almost forgot to mention-the cabins are set up to encourage intimacy and togetherness. So there's no divider. And the shower's a full-glass eco model! Just like nature intended!"

I choked.

Lake smirked. "Togetherness. Right."

Willow left. I stood frozen, staring at the single bed like it had personally betrayed me.

"Well," Lake said, tossing his bag on the mattress. "This is going to be fun."

I turned slowly. "You think this is fun?"

He grinned. "Come on, Dr. Monroe. What's the worst that could happen?"

The worst?

Falling for him. That would be the worst.

But I didn't say that.

I just gritted my teeth and started unpacking.

Two months. One bed. Zero chance of survival.

Let the pretending begin.

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Marrying Him Was Easy, Loving Him Was Hell Marrying Him Was Easy, Loving Him Was Hell Lola Quinn Romance
“They Faked a Marriage in Summer. But Autumn had a Plan of Its Own. Ivy Monroe is in a bind. She's got a shot at the research grant of her dreams. There's just one catch: it's for couples only. No husband? No deal. That's where Lake Hart comes in. He's a broody, charming filmmaker who needs quick cash. She needs a fake husband. It's supposed to be simple: pretend to be married for one summer, fool a few people, and walk away richer. But nothing about this fake marriage is simple. They arrive at a romantic mountain retreat and things get complicated-fast: - Weird "touch therapy" that's way too intimate - One tiny bed that squeaks like crazy - "Practice" kisses that don't feel fake at all - Judges watching their every move-and a prize on the line Ivy swore she wouldn't catch feelings. Lake never sticks around long enough to. But the more they pretend, the more real it starts to feel. One lie. One summer. So many sparks. If you love: - Fake marriage shenanigans - Forced to share a bed (and a shower) - Enemies-to-lovers tension - Slow burn with major payoff - Hilarious, messy, steamy rom-coms Then this is your next read. Funny, flirty, and full of feels.”
1

Chapter 1 The Retreat with a Catch

16/01/2026

2

Chapter 2 The Sexy Disaster

16/01/2026

3

Chapter 3 The Cabin Arrangement

16/01/2026

4

Chapter 4 The Pretend Makeout Practice

16/01/2026

5

Chapter 5 Couples Icebreaker

16/01/2026

6

Chapter 6 The Bedroom Tension

16/01/2026

7

Chapter 7 Touch Therapy Workshop

16/01/2026

8

Chapter 8 Scoring Chemistry Points With a Public Kiss

16/01/2026

9

Chapter 9 The Shower Situation

16/01/2026

10

Chapter 10 Their First Night Cuddle

16/01/2026

11

Chapter 11 Sexual Tension Hits Peak Levels

16/01/2026

12

Chapter 12 Jealousy Is a Turn-On

16/01/2026

13

Chapter 13 Almost Doesn't Count

08/02/2026

14

Chapter 14 The Sexiest Fight Ever

08/02/2026

15

Chapter 15 The Fake Massage Turns Into a Moan-Fest

08/02/2026

16

Chapter 16 The Forbidden Footage

08/02/2026

17

Chapter 17 Confessions Under the Stars

08/02/2026

18

Chapter 18 The Night It Almost Happened

08/02/2026

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Chapter 19 Lake Opens Up

08/02/2026

20

Chapter 20 The Fall Festival Kiss

08/02/2026

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Chapter 21 Judges Start Suspecting

08/02/2026

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Chapter 22 The Breaking Point

08/02/2026

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Chapter 23 Heartbreak in October Air

08/02/2026

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Chapter 24 The Public Reveal

08/02/2026

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Chapter 25 The Exit Interview

08/02/2026

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Chapter 26 Lake's Documentary Twist

08/02/2026

27

Chapter 27 The Viral Reaction

08/02/2026

28

Chapter 28 The Return of Ivy

09/02/2026

29

Chapter 29 Love Finally Spoken

09/02/2026

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Chapter 30 The Cabin Kiss

09/02/2026

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Chapter 31 Making Love in Autumn Leaves

09/02/2026

32

Chapter 32 A Proposal to Stay

09/02/2026

33

Chapter 33 One Year Later

09/02/2026

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Chapter 34 Ivy's Bestseller

09/02/2026

35

Chapter 35 Married in Fall

09/02/2026

36

Chapter 36 Morning After Forever

09/02/2026

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Chapter 37 The Call She Delays

09/02/2026

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Chapter 38 Lake's Unsent Message

09/02/2026

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Chapter 39 Breakfast with Secrets

09/02/2026

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Chapter 40 The First Crack

09/02/2026