'Netgalley ARC provided by The Publisher in exchange for an honest review'

A generally successful,fluffy romantic story from an author to keep your eyes on. One of the most immediately striking aspects of this book is the cover. As the title might suggest 'Fitymi'--but in all honesty Ms.Ullrich's offering was more of someone being true to herself or really coming to grips with her sexuality and soothe without coddling plus the storyline will also foster empathy and understanding without ever preaching and most of all help us the readers to see clearly about love in its many forms: romantic love,family love,friendship love and self-love. The leads and supporting cast possess admirable qualities not to say there was not a few moments of misogyny to discourage us the reading community. Enjoyable ending and i do encourage everyone to read this lovely story from an incredible author.

The premise is unique and interesting. The magazine setting is engaging, the two leads are both likeable and genuine. The supporting characters are also well thought out. The story itself is well paced and well written. Some elements are not particularly believable (like Gen attending a job interview without even looking into the magazine) but overall this is a very enjoyable read.

I really like what I have read so far by M. Ullrich. This book was different from her others but still worth reading. If you are one of those readers who have trouble buying into love stories because it is too “far-fetched” you may want to pass on this one. Going from Life in Death to this book is a huge jump. This book is a fast read, and is perfect for a mindless bit of weekend reading. May be because this is a lighter read and flew by it just didn’t make me love it as much as her other books. Still a good book and well worth reading.

Fake it Till You Make It

Delightful, Sweet and Entertaining!!!


Thank you to both Net Galley and Bold Strokes Books for an advance copy of this title in exchange for an honest review

Light-hearted, sweet, joyful,easy read. These are the words that come to mind when I think of this book. Yet again this is a new author for me and this will not be the only one of her novels I will read.

This book was not trans-formative. It did not teach me the great mysteries of the world. It hasn't made a life altering impact on my life but it was several hours of entertaining reading and left me feeling good as I finished the last page. That is what I'm looking for from a book like this and that is what the author gave me.

Genevieve Applegate feels stagnant in her journalism career writing for the local paper in the small town she grew up in and stifled by the relationship she has with the same boy she has known her whole life and who was her high school boyfriend. She is the epitome of “the girl next door” in appearance but she longs for a more exciting career and life. She lives in Pennsylvania and applies online for a job in Asbury, New Jersey. She sends the magazine, Out Shore Magazine, her resume without checking out what the magazine is all about believing in fate to steer her destiny. A few days later she is called for an interview with the owner of the magazine, Harper Davies, and it's during this interview that she learns that she really should have checked out the magazine's website because Out Shore Magazine is a LGBT publication and she's a straight woman. She lies telling Harper she is a lesbian because she desperately wants to change her life and she doesn't think about all the lies that will follow to back up her first lie.

Harper Davies is still nursing wounds to her heart after the divorce from her cheating wife and Out Shore Magazine is her life. She hopes it will someday rival or surpass The Advocate. She hopes that “the small town lesbian girl moving to a more metropolitan area” column that Genevieve Applegate will write will increase subscriptions to the magazine.

After reading this book I wondered what would have happened if Genevieve had looked at the magazine's website, would she have still applied for the job and if she did and told Harper that she was a straight woman would Harper still hire her? They both were attracted to each other from the start so would the relationship still have happened? Would it have taken longer for Genevieve to acknowledge that she is a lesbian after all? I also wondered how I would have reacted to the lie if I were in Harper's shoes. Genevieve's feelings were real and there was no malicious intent. She wasn't from a competitor's magazine trying to destroy Out Shore Magazine.

Anyway... the characters were so likable and I thoroughly enjoyed watching them fall in love with each other. There was some tension but no heavy drama to wade through which was great. The writing was well done so I would definitely recommend this novel.

An honest review thanks to NetGalley. WOW. This was an amazing read; I just couldn't put it down. The writing style brought this book together as well as Gen is amazing. This book is a great romance that you will never want to end. I do want a sequel with Dana and Clarissa!

I loved the book Life in Death since it was so unique. I felt like this story had that potential, as it admittedly has a strange premises of someone faking gay for a job. I still enjoyed the authors writing style, however I thought this one was missing the extra in-depthness that her first book had.

Mini SPOILERS.........I had a bit of a problem when Gen thought she told Harper the secret but Harper didn't really know. It confused me in the way she did it SO much that I couldn't believe she actually thought everything was fine. She lost me too! I also some-what agree with someone else who said it would have been nice to get Harper's POV since it felt necessary to the drama and angst portion. I'm normally really into only one side of the story but so much feeling would have come from Harper, especially when she finds out the truth. The chapters from her side would have been very fun to read and would have helped with the missing depth.

Having said the few things that I felt could have been improved, I really did enjoy reading the story and didn't feel like it was a wast of time at all. I could see a lot of people really loving this story. Again, it's a nice twist on someone realizing they may not be as straight as they thought there were.

Reviews by the Wicked Reads Review Team

Rachael – ☆☆☆
There were some things about this book that I really liked, like the friendship between Chloe and Gen. Watching Gen realize that she has feelings for a woman for the first time. There were little moments that made the story an okay read for me.

However, I have to note that I didn't like the fact that Gen so quickly brushes off the thought that she could be bisexual when she most likely was (or one would assume since she was in a relationship with a man for such a long time). The characters really didn't have much depth and were hard to connect with, so it made it much harder to enjoy the story and like the characters.

Overall the story was a light, summery read. There wasn't really any drama, none that was surprising at all anyway.

Genevieve Applegate needs to make changes in her life and that includes a new job. She inadvertently applies for a job with a LGBT publication ‘Out Shore’ and decides to lie about being a lesbian. Will she be able to keep it up and what will it mean if she is found out? How does she keep it from her boyfriend Jeremy? How she negotiates her new life as a lesbian and the surprising things she finds out about herself make this a fascinating story. I loved it. Gen was a sweet, clumsy and adorable character and seeing her begin to realise things about herself was lovely. She had always felt something was missing. Harper Davies, her new boss is so hot it is no wonder Gen begins to question herself whenever she is in her presence. There is a lot of soul searching and emotional turmoil for Gen and it will really resonate with a lot of people. There are also some beautifully romantic and sexy moments that made me swoon. A fantastic read.

I was given this ARC by Netgalley and Bold Strokes Books in return for an honest review.

I have to say that I've never been in the situation that Genevieve finds herself in exactly, but, one of my mottos in life is if I can't do, fake it 'til I make it. When I use the phrase it's not so much a lie until you figure it out, as it is present a confident in command outer shell until it (hopefully) becomes real comfort and confidence.

So, I was intrigued by t he title and I wound up really liking the book.

It's the story of Genevieve and Harper. Genevieve finds a job posting for a journalist job at a magazine called Out Shore, and she doesn't look closely enough at the details of the posting, and so doesn't realize that it's a LGBT centered magazine until she's sitting in the interview with the owner, Harper. She then compounds her mistake by lying to Harper and saying that she's a lesbian. Where could that go wrong?

It's a fairly straightforward sorta lesbian romance after that, although there were a couple of places near the end where I was surprised by the turn that the story took.

I liked the characters. They were all interesting. Especially Clarissa (not one of the twists that surprised me unfortunately).

It was a fun book that I started because of the title and stayed for the solid writing and plot. Fun.

I got this ARC through Netgalley on behalf of Bold Strokes Books.

This book kind of bothered me from the beginning. It was one single lie until she told the truth. The book kind of represented everything I hate. Sorry I don't like liars.

The main character Gen is in a dead end job wanting to spread her wings and find the perfect job that she could excel at. One that would also take her away from small town life to spread her wings. What she didn't realise was the magazine she applied to was an LGBT publication. So in order to get the job she tells them she is gay. She lies to her family, her friends, her boyfriend of 10 years and to her new boss. Now to me there is no coming back from all that.

What I don't really fathom is how she could be engaged to a guy for 10 years and never feel something was off between them. Ok, so she could have been bisexual. But why no questions, why no wondering why this didn't feel great. These feelings only manifested when she started to fancy her boss.

Maybe I'm being too hard. I did find the book short but I'm not going to complain about that because I was just glad it ended. Also, how can you tell so many lies and your misdemeanors are forgiven without any repercussions. Hell, it was a law suit waiting to happen. I really like Gen in some ways. She was quirky and had a great sense of humor. But I didn't like her because she felt the need to lie to get what she wanted.

Yes, I gave it 3 stars because the story without the lies was pretty good. I'm just not sure if I would recommend it. Lies hurt, Lies destroy. Yet she walked away and everything is good in the world according to Gen. So please forgive me when I say that I will leave it up to you to decide whether to read it or not. Enjoy!

*ARC provided by publisher via NetGalley*

amazon 20 june

https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/1996685096

It could have been a good book, but all the artificial drama (she even told Harper like in chapter 5 that Jeremy was her boyfriend) and characters that have no depth (and no reason to act as they did) made it a okay story. The writing was kind of mediocre and rushed, I can't really understand the high ratings. Well taste is different

M. Ullrich continues to stretch her literary wings following the angst-filled Life in Death with something light and fluffy. The biggest mistake a reader can make when reading Fake It Till You Make It is to take the story too seriously. If you want to enjoy this quick, light-hearted read it would be wise to suspend belief on several fronts.

A small town girl, bored with her career and her ten year relationship with her high school sweetheart applies for a job online without googling the business or owner. Cue the awkward moment when Gen discovers the magazine she is interviewing for is an LGBT publication and she bluffs her way into the job with a little/big white lie.

After ten years with a boyfriend (because that’s what you do to survive in small town USA), when surrounded by gay coworkers it is impossible not to catch the gay and be infatuated with the androgynous boss, Harper. Ignore the queasy boss/employee dynamic. What is untenable in real life is possible in a fluffy romance, especially when someone is as handsome, suave and well dressed as Harper. Totally swoon-worthy. Historical evidence will eventually prove you might be more gay than you realized. Or Bi. That works too.

In every sunny lesbians life a little rain must fall. You can’t just walk off with the most eligible lesbian in New Jersey and not expect some fur to fly. They call it “living your truth” for good reason. Somebody will want to bring you down for your errors of omission.

I might laugh at the implausibility of some of the situations which our intrepid journo Genevieve found herself but like a Goldie Hawn or Sandra Bullock movie, sometimes it’s just fun to sit back and enjoy the awkward moments you know are coming. I loved the chapter titles as they foreshadowed what adventures awaited Gen. I did wish Harper wasn’t so one-dimensional or maybe she just came across that way when compared to the plucky Genevieve.

M. Ullrich remains on my must read forever list because from one book to the next, you never know what you’re going to get. I love a surprise.

4 stars

ARC received with thanks from Bold Strokes Books via NetGalley for review.

<a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/35273668-fake-it-till-you-make-it" style="float: left; padding-right: 20px"><img border="0" alt="Fake It Till You Make It" src="https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1496403589m/35273668.jpg" /></a><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/35273668-fake-it-till-you-make-it">Fake It Till You Make It</a> by <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/14161854.M_Ullrich">M. Ullrich</a><br/>
My rating: <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/2017917357">3 of 5 stars</a><br /><br />
I rec'd an ARC from NetGalley/Bold Strokes Books in exchange for an honest review. Main characters Genevieve and Harper carry this romance (with some comedy) to a satisfying ending. This is a quick uncomplicated read from Ms. Ullrich. 3.5 stars.
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<a href="https://www.goodreads.com/review/list/31134832-gail">View all my reviews</a>

ARC provided by the publisher and Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

Fake It Till You Make It is a light and fun book with very likable may chaacters, a lot of humor, sweet romance and a few good ending. The dialogue was flowing and felt natural and was well written there were just a phrases overused by the two main characters and a lot of back and forth when it came to coming clean and telling the truth that got a little repetitive. The whole book was from the viewpoint of Gen, which worked well for this kind of story. The pace of the story was excellent - it was never too slow or or felt hurried. Although the book was on the shorter side, I feel like it was the perfect length for the story. It resolved all points in the story and since it was only from Gen's view, it could only talk about her feelings and what she knew so I think it ended at a perfect length for it.
Reading through I kind of felt that there might be a possibility for a second book/ spin off with Chloe. She was a fun character and kind of seemed that there is more to her story.

This was my first M. Ullrich book and what a fabulous first impression it was!!!!! I will definitely be getting my hands on her previous two books.

Genevieve is a writer working at a local newspaper. She is trying to get out of the small town in Pennsylvania that she grew up in, so on a whim she applies for a job on the Jersey Shore, without bothering to look up the company where she applied. In the interview she discovers she'll be working at a top LGBT publication and she quickly covers for her surprise with a lie. She'd determined to change her life and her career. So she leaves behind her longtime boyfriend and moves to the Jersey shore where she's immersed in this new diverse world and where she's working for a women she's inexplicably drawn to.

This was a simple, sweet and funny read. Definitely short and sweet. I read this in a couple of hours, on a flight from Toronto to Florida. It was the perfect start to my holiday. The characters were fun and likeable, with quirks that made them real and relatable.

The humour in this book was just precious. It was scattered perfectly throughout the novel without being too in your face. It kept me giggling the whole flight and I kept on reading lines out loud to my girlfriend. I loved it!

I loved the little snippets we got to read of Genevieve's writing - I thought it was a really nice way to get a better understanding of her character and to see the amazing writer that she was.

Also the fact that Harper was one sexy character didn't hurt in the least!

I received an ARC via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

This is a funny and light-hearted romance. The romance isn't very deep and there is no angst here. It's a fun book and I enjoyed it.

This is another good book by M. Ullrich. It is a pleasant romance with just enough drama to keep the reader’s attention.

There are two main characters Genevieve Applegate, a writer for a newspaper, and Harper Davies, the owner of an LGBT publication, Out Shore. Genevieve is tired of her current job and is looking for a change. She finds a job posting for a writing position for Out Shore. Genevieve gets the job but tells a little lie to Harper. Harper is led to believe that Genevieve is gay. Instead, she is straight and has a long-time boyfriend.

Chloe, Genevieve’s supportive best friend, Clarissa, the office bully, and Jeremy, Genevieve’s boyfriend, are a few of the sub-characters. They are also solidly written characters.

The plot is enjoyable and even believable. Genevieve’s humor adds to the lightness of the storyline.

I would recommend this book to anyone wanting to read a fast-paced romance with a happy ending. I give this book a 5 out of 5 stars.

I was given this ARC in return for a fair and honest review.

A good coming out/self-discovery novel that is familiar to those who follow this genre closely, with characters that were standard fare and whose romance did not surmount my somewhat preset expectations. In comparison to the author's last volume, "Life in Death," to which I had (an expected) visceral reaction and was thoroughly passionate about, this novel conveyed what Ms. Ullrich intended aptly-a light read. I wanted more but received what I needed for this type of book, but look forward to meatier publications with memorable heroines like Marty from this lovely writer.