Olivia's Only Pretending

College professor Olivia Rhode has spent two years guarding her heart after a painful breakup. When Victor Hernandez helps remodel her fixer-upper home, he quickly turns into her flirty, dependable best friend. Olivia keeps him firmly in the friend zone, partly because of their age gap and her past hurt. Everything gets complicated when the fall term kicks off and her ex-boyfriend shows up on campus as a visiting professor. To dodge awkward questions from her colleagues, Olivia lets everyone believe Victor is her real boyfriend. The story delivers plenty of lighthearted humor alongside sweet, slow-burn tension as the fake relationship starts to feel very real. Victor brings cheerful energy to every scene, and watching Olivia learn to trust again feels natural and earned. The romance stays completely clean with a closed-door approach, keeping the focus on banter, emotional connection, and gentle swoon. It fits anyone who loves campus settings, friends-to-lovers tropes, and sweet contemporary romantic comedies.