Let’s Kiss and Tell Summary: A Fake-Dating Romance That Actually Works
Introduction
Lucy Reid writes about sex for a living but avoids real relationships.
When her column faces cancellation, she needs a story that resonates with couples. Marshall Oakley is a workaholic journalist dreading his ex’s wedding.
Their solution is a summer of fake dating.
Let’s Kiss and Tell by Joss Richard follows two colleagues who use each other to solve professional problems. The arrangement seems simple until real feelings complicate everything.
TL;DR: The Essentials in Under a Minute
Lucy needs relationship material to save her column. Marsh needs a plus-one for his ex’s wedding.
They strike a deal: fake date for the summer, no strings attached.
What follows is a slow-burn romance built on structured couples activities, a test kiss, and one night that changes everything. Both characters must confront their fear of vulnerability before they can find happiness together.
Key themes include emotional intimacy, corporate pressure, grief, and family reconciliation.
The ending delivers a satisfying happily-ever-after three years later.
Let’s Kiss and Tell Summary: The Full Story
Spoiler Warning: This section reveals major plot points, including the ending.
Lucy Reid is a twenty-nine-year-old sex columnist for The Rue, an online magazine owned by The LA Journal. Her distrust of relationships stems from discovering her father’s affair when she was fifteen. She has spent her adult life avoiding commitment.
Marshall Oakley is a thirty-six-year-old senior news reporter at The LA Journal. He still carries grief from his ex-girlfriend Julia’s infidelity and a miscarriage they experienced years ago. Work has become his shield against emotional pain.
They meet at a bar during a retirement party. Their connection is immediate and effortless. When Lucy learns her column is failing due to low engagement, she realizes Marsh works for the same parent company.
She proposes fake dating. He acts as her boyfriend so she can write about relationships. She attends his ex’s wedding and niece’s birthday party as his plus-one. Marsh agrees reluctantly, worried about workplace policies.
They create a checklist of couples activities. House hunting, the Santa Monica Pier, shared meals, and movie nights build their bond. The physical tension grows, but Marsh insists on maintaining boundaries.
A test kiss at a gas station near Fresno shatters their restraint. At his niece’s party, they present a united front against Julia and Marsh’s cold mother. That night in Sausalito, they sleep together.
The next morning, Lucy panics. She dismisses the night as casual sex. A heated argument ends their arrangement. Lucy tries to reset by sleeping with Chris, her casual partner, but finds the encounter empty. She ends things with him.
Therapy and a conversation with her mother reveal the truth. Her parents were separated when her father’s affair happened. They chose to stay together out of genuine love, not obligation. This shifts Lucy’s understanding of relationships.
Meanwhile, Marsh visits his family and confronts his emotional walls. He writes a vulnerable opinion piece confessing his love for Lucy. She reads it and rushes to his house just as he prepares to leave for Thailand.
They reconcile and commit to a real relationship. Three years later, they live together in Mar Vista with their dog, Pepper. Lucy’s memoir is being optioned for film, and Marsh has found his voice as a columnist.
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Let’s Kiss and Tell Summary Chapter by Chapter
Spoiler Warning: Chapter-level details included.
Chapter 1: Lucy
Lucy reviews vibrators for work and reflects on her cynical views about love. She receives messages from her casual partner Chris and a dating app match. She prepares for a date with Dylan.
Chapter 2: Marsh
Marsh attends a retirement party at the Gold Line bar. He meets Lucy while browsing vinyl records. They bond over drinks and discuss his dread about Julia’s upcoming wedding.
Chapter 3: Lucy
Lucy learns her column’s click-through rates are dropping. Her editor Eman warns she needs relationship content. Lucy discovers Marsh is a senior reporter at the parent publication.
Chapter 4: Marsh
Marsh gets Lucy’s text asking if he still needs a wedding date. He researches her online and learns she is a sex columnist. Nadia assigns him to cover the Alf Olson infidelity trial.
Chapter 5: Lucy
Lucy pitches fake dating to Marsh. He agrees after some hesitation. They establish rules over sushi and create a three-month backstory. Lucy learns about his vasectomy.
Chapter 6: Marsh
Marsh cannot sleep thinking about Lucy. He works on the Olson case and invites her to observe an interview with a former escort named Christina Logan.
Chapter 7: Lucy
Jonah returns and approves of Lucy’s plan. Lucy and Marsh have brunch and discuss her couples activities checklist.
Chapter 8: Lucy
Lucy and Marsh box together at a private studio. They share an intense physical moment on the gym canvas before Eddie interrupts.
Chapter 9: Marsh
Marsh reflects on his passionless past relationship. He and Lucy tour a luxury ranch house in Pasadena, pretending to be a couple.
Chapter 10: Marsh
They visit more open houses, eat tacos, and ride the Ferris wheel at Santa Monica Pier. Lucy shares her family history during a beach walk.
Chapter 11: Lucy
At The Peppermint Club, Lucy sits on Marsh’s lap to perform for Julia’s friend Dani. Their display feels too real.
Chapter 12: Marsh
Marsh struggles with boundaries after their club encounter. They dance closely, but he stops before things escalate.
Chapter 13: Lucy
Lucy wakes in Chris’s apartment feeling guilty. She and Marsh agree to meet at The Grove to talk.
Chapter 14: Lucy
They apologize and reset boundaries. Lucy tries on a dress for the wedding. They watch Pretty Woman at his house, and she straddles him before they stop.
Chapter 15: Marsh
Oliver calls about Sadie’s party. Lucy agrees to attend. They interview OnlyFans model Brixley Carter together.
Chapter 16: Lucy
Eman praises Lucy’s recent clicks. Coworkers discuss rumors of layoffs. Nadia Lewis compliments Lucy’s writing.
Chapter 17: Marsh
Jay warns Marsh about the fake relationship. Marsh claims Lucy would never want someone like him.
Chapter 18: Lucy
Lucy packs for the Bay Area trip. At a gas station near Fresno, Marsh gives her a passionate test kiss.
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Chapter 19: Marsh
Julia arrives with Chad at the birthday party. Marsh defends Lucy to Julia. Later, he opens up about his miscarriage and grief.
Chapter 20: Lucy
Their hotel room in Sausalito has one king bed. They finally have sex after Marsh confesses his desire.
Chapter 21: Marsh
Lucy calls their night a one-time thing. Marsh confronts her outside her apartment. They call off the arrangement.
Chapter 22: Lucy
Lucy sleeps with Chris and finds it meaningless. She ends things with him. Jonah encourages her to publish an honest column.
Chapter 23: Marsh
Lucy apologizes and explains her fear. Marsh proposes casual sex with no strings. Lucy agrees.
Chapter 24: Lucy
They spend every evening together. Lucy’s column thrives. Marsh interviews her as an expert for his article.
Chapter 25: Marsh
Marsh realizes he is falling in love. Lucy’s parents arrive unexpectedly. He takes her to an exclusive Italian restaurant.
Chapter 26: Lucy
Marsh’s article credits Lucy as an expert. At Julia’s rehearsal dinner, Julia announces her pregnancy, leaving Marsh pale.
Chapter 27: Marsh
Lucy confronts Julia about her cruel announcement. Marsh has a final conversation with Julia and finds closure.
Chapter 28: Lucy
Lucy realizes she loves Marsh during a slow dance. A layoff email panics her. She breaks off their relationship and flees.
Chapter 29: Lucy
Lucy drives back to LA in tears. Jonah urges her to fight for Marsh. She takes a week off work.
Chapter 30: Lucy
Lucy visits her parents in Santa Clarita. Her mother reveals the full truth about the affair and their choice to stay together.
Chapter 31: Marsh
Marsh visits Oliver and Quinn. Oliver helps Marsh see he has been hiding behind work.
Chapter 32: Lucy
Lucy starts therapy with Ana. She realizes she used sex as a shield against intimacy.
Chapter 33: Marsh
Marsh sleeps with an actress named Kathy but feels empty. He decides to write an honest personal essay.
Chapter 34: Lucy
Lucy reconnects with her half-brother Jordan. Nadia offers her a junior reporter role, but Lucy wants her promotion. She learns promotions are frozen.
Chapter 35: Lucy
Lucy reads Marsh’s vulnerable opinion piece about falling in love with her. She rushes to his house and confesses her love as he prepares to leave for Thailand.
Chapter 36: Marsh
Three years later, they live together in Mar Vista. Lucy’s memoir is being optioned, and Marsh writes monthly columns.
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Characters In This Book
| Character | Role |
|---|---|
| Lucy Reid | Sex columnist for The Rue who enters a fake relationship with Marsh. |
| Marshall Oakley | Senior news reporter at The LA Journal who agrees to fake-date Lucy. |
| Jonah Katz | Lucy’s best friend and coworker who supports her personal growth. |
| Eman | Managing editor at The Rue who pressures Lucy to change her column. |
| Nadia Lewis | Managing editor at The LA Journal and Marsh’s mentor. |
| Julia | Marsh’s ex-girlfriend who cheated on him and is marrying Chad. |
| Chad | Julia’s fiancé and later husband, a neurosurgeon. |
| Oliver Oakley | Marsh’s older brother who encourages his happiness. |
| Quinn Oakley | Oliver’s wife and a fan of Lucy’s column. |
| Sadie Oakley | Marsh’s six-year-old niece. |
| Charlotte Oakley | Marsh’s mother who initially favors Julia. |
| Chris | Lucy’s casual partner whom she ends things with. |
| Selena Reid | Lucy’s mother who explains the truth about her marriage. |
| Jonathan Reid | Lucy’s father whose affair shaped her views on love. |
| Jordan | Lucy’s eighteen-year-old half-brother. |
| Natalie | The woman Jonathan Reid had an affair with. |
| Jay Dunn | Marsh’s friend whose retirement opens a job for Marsh. |
| Christina Logan | Former escort interviewed for Marsh’s article. |
| Brixley Carter | OnlyFans model interviewed for Marsh’s article. |
| Ana | Lucy’s therapist. |
| Kathy | Actress Marsh briefly dates. |
| Sam and Shanna | Colleagues fired for violating dating policies. |
Story Snapshot
| Element | Details |
|---|---|
| Genre & Subgenre | Contemporary Romance / Fake-Dating Romance |
| Core Narrative Tropes | Fake dating, workplace connection, grumpy meets sunshine, dual POV |
| Tone & Atmosphere | Witty, intimate, emotionally mature, set in LA and Northern California |
| Primary Conflict | Lucy’s fear of intimacy versus Marsh’s workaholic emotional walls |
| Pacing Style | Slow burn with structured activities leading to dramatic breakdown and resolution |
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