Saturday, November 1, 2025

Fake it til it's real

 I do enjoy a good romance story. One of my favorite tropes is that of the "fake relationship". There is.something about watching two people fall in love with each other as they pretend to be lovers in front of others. Below are a few of my favorites. All blurbs from Goodreads.


Fauxmance - Cookie O'Gorman

Fauxmance (foh-mans): Term for a romantic relationship that is fake. Real feelings, like love, are strictly prohibited. See also: Why would anyone enter a fake relationship?

Eighteen-year-old Magnolia believes in true love.

Or she did.

When her boyfriend dumps her the day before her sister's wedding, Maggie is devastated—but her broken heart is only part of the problem. Maggie is the maid of honor, and her sister insists: Every member of the bridal party must have an escort. No exceptions.

Thank goodness for Hayden Davenport.

Sarcastic, cocky, a surprisingly good listener and self-professed player, when Maggie gets stuck in an elevator with the handsome stranger, she thinks she's found the perfect wedding date. Unfortunately, Hayden hates weddings. Like really hates them.

But one soul-shattering kiss changes everything.

Maggie needs a fake boyfriend. Hayden wants to prove he's changed his playboy ways. Faking it should be easy. The hard part?

Remembering it's all pretend and not falling in love for real.

This book features two opposites with sizzling chemistry, a sweet, hopeless romantic and a cynical bad boy who'll steal your heart. Elevators, fake romance, and weddings, oh my! Get ready to swoon, laugh, and say 'I do' to this heartfelt YA romance.

Quirky-Cute Heroine + Charming Hero with major bad boy vibes = A fun novel you will find a favorite. Their chemistry sizzles on the pages of this teen romance.


Honestly, I'm Totally Faking It - Amanda Gambill

Rach is a down-on-her-luck, happy-go-lucky kind of lady … Sure, she may be an assistant to personal assistants, crashing on her ex-boyfriend’s couch, and have a whole secret past, but mostly, things are great.

Until she:

1. Meets Pres — an aspiring politician, certified Capricorn, and a definitely “unlikable” dude (he knows, he had a poll done on it) —and

2. Accidentally goes viral at the same time. (The internet is calling it “Boobgate.”)

His PR person says they should capitalize on the fame. Pres only wants to win an election. And Rach, well, she really just wants to keep her job.

Now she must decide if she can be herself and get the guy, too, or if faking it until you make it is all it’s cracked up to be…

Boobgate will now enter my vocabulary. Fudge Nuggets is already there. Prepare yourself for a workout. Your stomach muscles will be sore after reading this one. This is a novel for mature readers.


 #Awestruck - Sariah Wilson

A sweet all-American story of love and revenge.

Ambitious intern Ashton Bailey is about to get closer to her dream of being a sports announcer. All she has to do is prove that too-perfect-to-be-true NFL quarterback Evan Dawson isn’t quite as wholesome as his contract requires. It’s also the perfect opportunity to get delicious payback on the boy who broke her teenage heart. At least that’s her plan. But she forgot just how easy it is to crush on the irresistible charmer. #OhNoNotAgain.

Evan has a knack for getting through the opposing team’s defenses, and he won’t let this tall, redheaded knockout be the exception. He’s determined to make things right between them and earn back Ashton’s trust—and maybe her heart, too.

Then the press mistakenly announces their engagement, and Ashton and Evan find themselves going along with the lie. Now the whole world is watching as Ashton flirts with attraction and disaster. But while revenge is sweet, it just might come at the cost of something sweeter still.

I binged read the series this book belongs to a few years ago. It is still a favorite of mine. A sweet, clean read. Definitely time enjoyed.


Accidentally Married - Victorine E Lieske

Madison Nichols, aspiring actress, is floundering. Her rent is due and she needs a job. Desperately. After getting a tip about an open position, she rushes to Jameson Technologies and meets CEO Jared Jameson. Unfortunately, due to a misunderstanding, she is put in the awkward position of pretending to be his girlfriend. Not the job she was applying for. And when she finds out Jared lied to her to get what he wanted, she decides to get back at him. In front of his family.

Jared is stunned when Madison announces they are getting married. She pushed her revenge too far. How can he tell them it’s all a lie? And when his sick aunt asks them to be married before she dies, Madison comes up with a hair-brained plan to hire an actor and stage a fake wedding.

What they both don’t know is Jared’s father has found out about the fake wedding. And he’s got his own hair-brained plan.

This is a sweet romance, appropriate for any age.

Oh, this one was a family favorite. I read this one aloud to my mom when she was doing my sisters hair and we were just cracking up. A funny clean read.


Acting Married - Victorine E Lieske

Tara McDermott needed a job, so she took the only thing available--cleaning house for the swoon-worthy actor, and Hollywood Bad Boy, Rick Shade. When he comes up with a crazy plan to tame his wild reputation by marrying her, she reluctantly agrees so she can pay off her debts and move her daughter back to the Midwest where life is simpler. If only he wouldn't make her heart pound every time he kisses her. 
Rick's reputation is in the toilet and it's affecting his job. In order to get a good role, he needs to show Hollywood he's now a family man. After enticing Tara with a large sum of money to go through with the farce, he sets out to show the public he's in love. But Tara's soft lips keep calling to him and soon he doesn't know what's pretend and what's real.

Part of the same series as the one above. This one is more angst-filled. Still a clean read. Just, meatier.


The Cinderella Deal - Jennifer Cruise

New York Times bestselling author Jennifer Crusie brings humor and storytelling magic to this modern-day romance of a match made anywhere but in heaven—but destined for a fairy-tale ending.


Daisy Flattery is a free spirit with a soft spot for strays and a weakness for a good story. Why else would she agree to the outrageous charade offered by her buttoned-down workaholic neighbor, Linc Blaise? The history professor needs to have a fiancée in order to capture his dream job, and Daisy is game to play the role. But something funny happens on their way to the altar that changes everything. Now, with the midnight hour approaching, will Daisy lose her prince, or will opposites not only attract but live happily ever after?

Quirky Queen + Uptight Professor = Beautiful Mad Match. They work cause no one thinks they work. Hilarious perfection.


As always, feel free to leave me a message below.


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