If you were in a dating slump, would you consider going out with someone else’s ex? That is the beginning premise of An Ex-citing Proposition by Kelly Ohlert and Linda Floyd. Moxie is not looking for love. She’s at her usual bar after work looking for a hook-up when a co-worker arrives in tears. Before she knows it, Moxie has agreed to a dating pact with her new friend, Hannah. What follows is a funny — if sometimes a little off the rails— fake-dating storyline. While these are not one of my favorite romance tropes, I am usually willing to go along with the silliness to get to the HEA. This book did not disappoint.

The chapters mostly alternate viewpoints between Moxie and the male love interest Wyatt. Both of them have issues in their pasts to overcome before they can be in a true relationship. I liked the creative jobs the characters had (blackjack dealer and outdoor adventures guide), as well as the dynamic of the friendship with Hannah, who set them up. The Colorado setting made me wish I could see what the characters were viewing. I felt the feud between Wyatt’s and Hannah’s parents was a stretch at times. Also, personally, I prefer less spice in my romances but they fit the character of Moxie very well and did not feel as if they were gratuitous.

An Ex-citing Proposition was my third book by Ohlert and I think I would read anything she wrote. She knows how to combine romance and comedy for a satisfying read. This is book one in the Date My Ex series. I look forward to reading An Uncharted Ex-perience, which will beHannah’s story.

Thank you to Kelly Ohlert for the ARC. All opinions are my own.