Stranger Things Have Happened

Author: Kasie West Title: Stranger Things Have Happened Publisher: Saturday Books Date Published: 04/14/2026

Read Dates: 03/10/2026- 03/11/2026
Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐

 📖 I received a gifted e-book ARC. The following is my honest review✍🏻

Stranger Things Have Happened is a single POV fake dating romance. Sutton believes that anyone could benefit from therapy- she certainly can when she finds herself overwhelmed by trying to run her new restaurant business remotely while she steps in as temporary caregiver for her mother. Ducking into a bar for a drink after her boyfriend breaks up with her over the phone, she runs into her former best friend, Tara, and finds herself in the middle of a bizarre bet- she'll attend couples counseling with a stranger to see whether the therapist can figure out that they don't actually know each other. Enter Elijah, the prank-loving brother of Tara's fiancé. Sutton is sure she'll win their bet, but she wasn't counting on how charming Elijah could be, and the fact that real feelings might develop in their temporary fake dating scheme!

This was my first Kasie West book, and I enjoyed it. Possibly the most unusual fake dating scenario that I've read, but it was definitely a fun twist on a common trope! I liked both Sutton and Elijah. I liked how Elijah helped her to ease up a bit, and how Sutton supported him in pursuing his dreams. The family drama with Sutton's mother added an interesting layer to the story, and I felt it really helped round out Sutton's character.

Sutton knows she needs therapy. After all, she’s managing her newly opened restaurant remotely while taking care of her ungrateful sick mother. Plus, her boyfriend of two years just dumped her over the phone. But does therapy with a handsome stranger, who she has to pretend to be engaged to, in order to help her friend’s struggling relationship count? Probably not. Then why did she just agree to go? Because she’s had a few too many drinks? Because this stranger, Elijah, is smug and annoying and really, really handsome? Because she feels guilty that she abandoned her best friend, Tara, after high school and this might just make up for it? Whatever the reason, she has committed to this unhinged plan.

What the hell is Sutton doing?

Helping Tara prove a point: a good therapist can tell the difference between real love and fake love. That’s what she’s doing. But as they attend their sessions, Sutton and Elijah only seem to be proving one thing—the lines between pretend desire and real desire are very blurry. This true connection forming between them is threatening to unravel everything Sutton thought she knew about family, friendship, and her own heart.