Love in Theory (The Elements of Love #3)

He needed a wife. She needed to stay to open her business. Neither of them planned on falling in love.

When California scientist and surf-obsessed genius Mike Walker realizes his grandmother’s health scare might be her last chance to see him married, he does the only logical thing.

He proposes a fake relationship.

Enter Renata Valenti—a feisty Italian interior designer with big dreams, stubborn independence, and a visa that’s running out faster than she’d like to admit. Staying in the U.S. means everything.

But love? That’s a risk she’s not willing to take.

What starts as a carefully crafted arrangement quickly becomes complicated as real feelings crash through their perfectly planned boundaries when Mike proposes, literally and figuratively, that they pursue a real marriage.

Because he doesn’t just want a wife for show.

He wants Renata forever. But she’s not sure her heart is capable of giving him the kind of love he deserves, and he’s worried she will find out the secret he’s been keeping from everyone.

As faith, family, and a few too many undeniable moments blur the line between pretend and real, they’re forced to face the question neither of them expected.

What if this wasn’t a mistake, but God’s plan all along? Throw in a group of inappropriate grannies and the friend group you’ve come to love from the rest of the series, and love and hilarity ensue.

A swoony, closed-door romance featuring fake dating, a marriage of convenience, found family, and a hero who falls first and falls hard.

Perfect for readers who love funny, heartfelt stories where faith leads the way to forever. All the books in this series are stand-alone stories.

However, due to recurring characters and fun inside jokes, they are best read in order. You’ll first meet Mike in Love by Accident and Renata in Love by Design.