2 1/2 Stars. This is a quick read romance. This book has a real beach read feel to me. I loved Ullrich's last book, Life in Death. In fact I think it was the best lesfic drama written in 2016. This book is totally different, and Ullrich even mentioned she wanted to write a light, feel good story. I know this has gotten a lot of great reviews, but for me, it was not any better than just so-so. I don't mind a beach read, I just think Ullrich excels writing drama, not so much fluff.

When I said this was a quick read, I meant it. It took me only 2 hours and 15 mins exactly, to read from start to finish. I read pretty fast, but not that fast. And after just finishing a book that was almost 5 times this length, I really noticed how quick this read was. I don't know where the cut off of pages is, or how this will be marketed, but it felt almost more like a novella to me.

The story is about Gen, who gets an interview to write at Out Shore Magazine. She thinks the move, and possible writing assignment, would be perfect for her. What she does not realize is, that it is an LGBT magazine. To get the job, she tells her boss she is gay. With a boyfriend at home whom wants to get married, this lie could get messy fast. When Gen starts to fall for her boss, will she tell the truth, or will she keep faking it until she makes it? I got a little corny there I know, but could not help myself:)

I do not care for books based on lies. It is very hard to enjoy them, since you are just waiting for the other shoe to drop and everything to fall apart. I felt that the whole time I was reading this. Especially, all the times Gen tries to come clean, it just never works out. To be honest, I was bothered by how the climax of the conflict happened. I just did not find it believable, especially since Gen got enough truth out over time. Also, without give too much away, I kept thinking lawsuit, since it was a boss/worker relationship. I was also surprised Gen never considered she might be bisexual. Of course she might not be, but she never even thought about it. Which I found a little odd considering she had a boyfriend for 10 years and no previous feelings for women. Yeah, the boyfriend drove me nuts. If she didn't like him, let the poor guy off the hook. Especially since he thought they would be getting married. The lies and stringing the boyfriend along, I did not like. It was implied she had sex with him, when she already had feeling for her boss, didn't make me very sympathetic to Gen. I wanted to like her. She had quirky qualities I liked, but damn she was a mess.

There was other things that irked me, but I don't want to spoil anything. I will mention one last thing. I was bummed about the setting. A large chunk of my family is from New Jersey and New York. I spent my summers at the Jersey shore, most of my child and teenager-hood. I wanted to get the feeling like I was back there, but Ullrich really ignored it as a background. This story could have taken place in Texas or California and nothing would really be different.

For my personally tastes, there was too many things that bothered me in this book. I can't recommend it, and it disappoints me to say that. I think Ullrich is a brilliant writer and would recommend Life in Death to anyone. This book is not bad, but it is not my cup of tea. A lot of other people really liked this, so I may be an outlier here. I would recommend reading some of the other reviews, not just mine, before making a decision if this book is right for you.

An ARC was given to me by BSB, for a honest review. (less)

Entertaining read with a bit of predictability, few surprises and drama to spice it up.

I discovered this author via an anthology I read. Having loved her short story in Girls Next Door, I couldn’t wait to dive into a full-length novel by her.

The words ‘A user’s Guide’ on the cover might lead readers to believe this is a work of non-fiction; however that’s far from the case. Despite the fact the chapters are titled, step 1, step 2, step 3 and so on, this is very much a work of fiction.

This story is told in third and completely from Genevieve’s point-of-view. She is a delightful and believable character. I absolutely loved the journey she took me on.

I could’ve done with the drama that occurred around the 80% mark; however it seems to be a pre-required factor in romantic fiction.

I look forward to reading many more books by M. Ullrich.

When you have the subtitle as "A User's Guide" it gives the expectation of a manual or diary or something along those lines. Maybe if the author had forgone that subtitle, I may have given this more of a pass. It's written entirely in the third person, and right away with these types of romance novels that tends to lead to a level of detachment and a tendency to rely upon telling instead of showing for any type of character development or story beat. The plot also heavily relies upon conveniences in order to buy the storyline, the biggest of which being that no one uses Google to ever look up this magazine or read any of Gen's "amazing" articles.
The hook that peaked my interest here was not the boss/subordinate romance (which now that I'm older and a boss myself, just feels icky and overwhelmingly unprofessional--not at all romantic) but that the story took place at the Jersey Shore, an area I am lovingly familiar with. However, this could have taken place literally anywhere, the fact that it was Jersey or "The Shore" had little play in the book other than lending its name to the magazine. There's one particularly memorable part of this book where after a breakup, Gen decides to return to Jersey because that's where she was able to cut loose and finally be herself--yet every single scene that didn't feature Gen sitting at her office desk, she was at home in sweatpants refusing to leave the house. It apparently took her months to even travel to the grocery store. Who is this woman? I never had any idea, I couldn't visualize her and frankly I didn't particular like her either. Nor could I figure out why she was considered some great writer as we never read anything she writes. Again, this is a faking it users guide, per the title, I was really expecting this speaking to the audience type tone a la Sex in the City.
The romance, again, just had me really uncomfortable and not rooting for these characters to get together, anathema for romance novels. I'm not sure how an author could really make the boss/employee relationship work with that level of power inequality always in play. The book would have worked just fine had Gen written her column as an actual column the reader could follow of her dating trials as a "small town" girl in a more liberal area. She still could have had a "surprise" lesbian reveal and the book would have still essentially been the same type of story, minus all of the self-induced melodrama and obvious grounds for law suits.
This one is firmly in the "meh" category; the best I could say about it is that it was a quick read.

Genevieve needed a change and opted to spread her wings from small town PA to the Jersey shore. At her interview she realized the journalism job she had applied for was wish an LGBT magazine. The owner assumed she was gay and Gen let her believe. In theory the plot is a good one but it's really difficult to like a character and root for her when her whole being is a lie. I understand she did it for a reason and regretted her decision soon after she began having feelings for her boss. The writing was good and the characters were nice. This was an easy read but it lacked substance and really the main characters were missing that spark.

I love the books with plots like this one. I was very eager to get my hands on this book, so to speak, and I wasn't exactly disappointed. The book is a very nice read, it practically flows once you start reading it. However, in order to be perfect, for me, this book has one big flaw: the supporting, minor characters in this book were far more interesting than two main ones. I actually thought Clarissa and Chloe were better written, with more substance than Harper and Genevieve. Hence, 4 stars from me.

Review of Fake it till you make it by M. Ullrich

This read was a nice surprise for me. One might think by the book and chapters' titles that it will be a handbook on how to fake things to make them happen but this book goes beyond that. The story takes us to Genevieve Applegate's​ search for an ideal job that eventually turns into a sexual identity exploration. Add to the plot a slow burn romance, great dialogues and realistic supporting characters and the reader gets a very well written and entertaining story.

Overall a fun and enjoyable light read. 4 stars.

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

M. Ullrich is a fantastic writer, one of the best, in my opinion in the f/f romance genre. I think when we pick up a book we are looking for a few key factors. Developed characters, yup Ullrich gives us those in spades. Good dialogue, once again we have that too, thank goodness. A strong balance between showing and telling, again we are good. Lastly the originality element. Is this another recycled plot line, and if it is you better bring it better that the predecessors. This factor Ullrich owns easily, her books have a uniqueness that we don’t always see in this particular genre. Her stories go a bit outside the box and they do it in the best possible way. Fake It Till You Make It is no exception.

Our main protagonist is Genevieve Applegate. Gen is your small town girl, from rural Pennsylvania. She has had the same friends since birth, knows every soul in town. Unlike everyone else, Gen feels this need to get out and do more. She feels as though her wings have been clipped both professionally and personally. So she scours the employment ads for a newspaper or magazine journalist position that will take her anywhere outside of Milan, Pennsylvania.

Harper Davies is the editor/owner of Out Shore Magazine. Harper who has been burned by love once does not see that in her cards anymore. She pours her heart and soul into the magazine and that takes precedence in her live above everything else. Everything changes when she interviews, the adorable girl next door, Genevieve Applegate. For the first time in a very long time, Harper wants to get to know a woman in more than a professional aspect.

There is a big problem, Gen has no clue she just accepted a position at LGBT publication. She also digs herself in a big ol’ self-inflicted hole by allowing everyone to believe she is a lesbian. This is especially a problem since she has a fiancé, a man, named Jeremy who she has been dating for a decade. EEK! You can see the dilemma, the drama from a mile away. You also get the see the amazing chemistry Harper and Gen have. A sweet romance, that is eye-opening for both of our leading ladies.

My only complaint is I wish the book when have been longer. This one is definitely on the shorter side than I usually prefer. Overall this is a really good book, and you can count on this author giving you a fantastic story time and time again. I cannot wait to see where she takes us next. 4.25 stars

Fake It Till You Make It is another very good book by M. Ullrich. It is much less dramatic and complex than my all time favorite of hers Life in Death, but I liked it because of very likable protagonists, nice dose of humor, sweet romance and a nice satisfying ending. Some things in communication between the main characters are overused or done unconvincingly, especially all attempts of telling the truth interrupted by others, and that is my only major complaint worth mentioning in this review. Everything else is done properly, and I could easily recommend this book to all romance fans. M. Ullrich has become one of my trusted authors, and I can not wait to read her next book Time Will Tell.

Although the title of this book and also the naming of the chapters could lead to expect otherwise, this is not any guide not even a diary of the adventures and desventures of a straight country girl trying to lie her way to the top. In fact, I found it was a very nice story about discovering self by a woman that rebels against what it was expected of her in the small town she was born and raised. The book has its enough amount of drama given the circunstances but also has a very sweet romance, well paced and developed, that I have enjoyed a lot. I consider this book quite advisable.