Meet Hannah Thompson: wife, mother, teacher and secret writer of erotic fiction - not porn, definitely not porn. With her eldest son heading off to university and the pressure to write a sequel to More Than Sex, Hannah struggles to juggle all the balls it takes to lead two lives. Feeling her life isn't exciting enough to spark fun ideas for Book Two (untitled), Hannah attempts to step outside her comfort zone and become her alter-ago, Twinky Malone. We follow her on the journey of self discovery, awkward results of attempting to liven up her sex life and, above all, trying to be the perfect mum. What could possible go wrong?

Before the first chapter had even finished, I'd already lost count of how many time I'd laughed out loud. My stomach genuinely hurt. The witty narration and relatable thoughts were one of the things I loved so much about this book. Relating to a mother who is an erotica writer in her private time isn't someone I thought I'd relate to, but Smith does a brilliant job of making Hannah's character one who anyone can take bits from and find them in ourselves.

One aspect of Faking It that caused me to smile to myself whenever it was brought up was how body and sex positive it is. The subject of sex is inevitable, especially when the main character writes about that exact thing when she isn't teaching high school students. Hannah truly grows as a character and realises that just because she's a mum, doesn't mean she can't wear clothes that seem intimidating but ultimately make her feel amazing - that goes for both a simple pair of skinny jeans and a latex jumpsuit fit for a dominatrix (yes, really). These positive lessons lead to Hannah's multiple discussions about feminism with her daughter, which I adored. Talk of feminism isn't shoved down the reader's throat but it's there nonetheless and, on a personal note, was something I wish my own parents had taught me more about from a younger age. However, there was a particular conversation about strippers that showed Hannah could be quite the hypocrite. The discussions of feminism didn't quite reach the career choice of being a stripper, it seems.

When a book is written from the first person perspective, it tends to put me off as I think it can easily destroy a story. But not this. Going through Hannah's inner monologue about the small things - work colleagues, a particularly controlling mum at her youngest son's school - added that level of realism. It made me think of how I perceive others around me and how we all have similar thoughts, whether we like to admit it or not.

Is this a masterpiece? No. But I'll tell you what it is: a hilarious, light-hearted, brilliantly written piece of women's fiction that will have you laughing loud enough to wake someone sleeping next to you. Trust me, that's spoken from experience.

This book was laugh out loud funny. There were many scenes in the book where I found myself cackling to myself. I really enjoyed the authors depiction of motherhood, children leaving the nest, and sexuality. I found this book really enlightening, heartwarming, and sweet. The characters were all very realistic, easy to understand, and relatable. It’s one of my favourite romantic comedies this year.

Thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for an early review copy.


This book is, if you want a full on belly-laugh, for you.

Hannah Thompson, she a wife, mother, teacher and... secret erotica author?

She has a book to publicise. So Hannah A finds she has no choice but, pull up her big girl pants and become her writing alter-ego, What could possibly go wrong...

She has a Guilt List:

If she goes on a date night, she’s asleep halfway through. then I’m always asleep before it’s halfway through, Instead of that she’s choose to have a hot bath and read her book.

During her you-know-what with her husband, there’s always the chance that her mind will start thinking of things that what food she has in and stuff like when she has to take car for service.

Her struggling to write about anything that could be maybe thought of as a little bit sexually adventurous, this she has a problem with as she is supposed to be an erotica writer.

A 40something mum secretly writes erotica, desperately trying to keep her work from her children.

The blurb sounded really interesting and an enjoyable read. The book was ok. It was lighthearted and funny in a few places.

I struggled to get into this book and found myself skim reading copious amounts of dialogue between characters.

I realy wanted to love this book, but it was just ‘ok’ for me.

Thank you NetGalley for my advanced copy of this book 📚

A charming and funny story about a mom who has gotten into writing erotic novels and juggling to find her inner Sex Goddess while raising kids. Hannah is a funny and relatable character. She’s funny and her insecurities are real, her struggles and discovery of confidence were fun to read about: I really liked this book and found it to be an overall great read!

Hannah is balancing being a mother, wife, teacher, and a secret erotica writer. This novel was absolutely amazing and hilarious. It was a fun and fast pace read. Her inner dialogue and conversations with others had me laughing so hard, making me wonder the last time I had laughed as hard as I did when I read this book.

I highly recommend this book to those who love witty dialogues and brilliant writing.

Faking It is the story of Hannah. Her public persona is 40 year old senior school teacher and Mother of 3, she also happens to have a pseudonym of Twinky Malone, author of the erotic fiction book More Than Sex
She is having to write a debut novel whilst carrying on her “normal” life and hoping her teenage children do not find out her secret.
I loved the Mum issues Hannah faces as I can identify with them and the book is very body/sex positive and promotes feminism without ramming it down your neck.
The book was a bit of a slow burn for me and it took me a while to get in to it. the only real funny part of the book for me was when Hannah went to “Sex Con” - yup, like Comic Con only sexy ha ha
Not sure if I was the target audience for this book despite being a 40 something year old Mum of a teenager but it wasn’t for me.

Thank you to the Author, Publisher and NetGalley for gifting me this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

‘Faking It’ is about forty-year-old Hannah, who is a mother of three children, a high school English teacher, and also happens to be the author of a debut erotica novel called More Than Sex. This book is about Hannah’s time exploring ways to make herself feel sexy and finding ways to keep her marriages sex life alive, whilst also tackling having to write the sequel to her debut book.

I am definitely not the target audience for this book, but despite that I did enjoy reading it. This book was very sex positive and told the truth about how sex is uncomfortable and not as perfect as it is shown within movies and books.

Whilst this book was positive about sex, I did feel like Hannah was a bit hypocritical at times. She would talk about how women should enjoy sex and their bodies and she would talk about feminism, but when a conversation about strippers came up, she was very negative towards even the idea of strippers.

This book also tried to talk about many other important topics but at times it felt like these topics were simply mentioned and then placed aside as if the author only wanted to scratch the surface on these topics and not go into a lot of depth about them.

‘Faking It’ is a light-hearted, comedic book which gave a positive message about sex and talked about how sex does not have to be perfect, it only has to be real.

This was a delightful romantic comedy that I literally couldn’t put down. The characters made me laugh and cry, and the storyline was well developed. Highly recommended!

I haven't read anything by this author before but I am so glad I did. Very lighthearted, not to be taken too seriously, so a perfect summer read.

Hannah is a teacher, a mum to 3 children, a wife and has secretly written an erotic novel!

What I liked about this was the way Hannah had to deal with normal "mum issues", be a loving wife to Nick (with whom she had a perfect marriage) and then try to discover how her alter ego "Twinky" would react in certain circumstances.

The only thing I would have enjoyed more is if the final part of the book (Sex con) had happened a bit sooner or gone on a bit longer. It felt as though it was too brief and was over far too soon.

There were several laugh out loud moments for me, especially after Hannah had hosted a "gathering" of ladies for a night of fun. The morning after was hilarious.

If you expect lots of sex, then you will be disappointed but if you want a good laugh this is the book for you. I read it in a day as I couldn't put it down.

Many thanks to netgalley and the publisher for allowing me to read and review an advance copy.

With a book to publicise, Hannah has no choice but trade her M&S cardis for S&M parties, and become her writing alter-ego. What could possibly go wrong…

With that description I was hoping for a more risqué book that the one I read, so I was a bit disappointed. We get to see Hannah's life with her husband and their kids but I got bored waiting for the writing alter ego thing.

This book was just perfect. There is something so delightful about a fantastic British Rom Com, and Faking It is that and so much more. Rebecca Smith kept me in hysterics, and this story was such a welcome reprieve from the stresses of day to day life. Hannah, our protagonist, felt familiar. She is eager to be recognized as "more than a Mom," and, of course, she is. She is smart and loyal and ridiculously funny, but she has difficulty seeing beyond the school pick-ups and the grocery store runs and the laundry. Don't we all? I'm so grateful for the warm reminder that we contain multitudes, and for all of the laughter, too. I can't wait to see what Rebecca Smith does next!

Thank you NetGalley and and One More Chapter for the ARC.

Hannah's success in writing an erotica novel threatens to throw her life into chaos and alter her identity as a woman, a teacher, a wife, and a mother.

This is my kind of chaos, actually. So many chicklit novels focus on falling in love and settling down - and a lot less on what comes after. Despite not having read the first book, I easily connected with Hannah and her family. Hannah herself was very relatable (if a bit frustrating as a character at times) and I was highly entertained by her attempts to find her inner Sex Goddess (the sex party just about had me in hysterics). I also found this book to be surprisingly empowering.

Thank you NetGalley and and One More Chapter for the ARC in exchange for an honest review

This is Hannah's story as she balances being a mother, wife, teacher, and a secret erotica teacher. It is a light and fun read.

I truly enjoyed Hannah's relationship with her husband and how that was not a source of conflict/drama for the book. Rather it was Hannah trying to assert herself and more active in her own life. What was frustrating was her insistence on a sexual liberation as she wrote her second erotica novel. Any steam in the book came from her writing. All of Hannah's interactions in the bedroom with her husband were ultimately closed door and it hurt the story rather than helped.

I enjoyed Hannah's struggles as her son left for university and all of the British humor. The story was very realistic and I laughed throughout. I think with different expectations, and maybe a different synopsis I would have enjoyed this one more.

3.5 stars

I loved more than just mum so was so excited to read faking it! And it’s brilliant! such a tonic to read a lighthearted funny read during this strange covid time! Hannah, nick and the three children Dylan Scarlett and benji are so likeable and totally relatable! This book follows Hannah’s trials and tribulations as she attempts to write her second erotic novel! The hilarious research she undertakes whilst still working as a teacher,parenting three children and being a wife demonstrates the juggling act so many middle aged mums have to contend with on a daily basis!
Total escapism in a book I loved it!
Thank you net galley for this early read.

Faking It by Rebecca Smith is a lighthearted, slice of life romp that is the perfect emotional escape. Warm and relatable, this one will have you laughing out loud, and likely more appreciative than ever of your own less than outrageous life.

Hannah Thompson is trying to juggle it all. She is a wife, a mother to three children, one of whom has recently left for university, a teacher, and an aspiring writer of erotic, but tasteful, fiction. Fearing that her hectic but average life is not providing enough fodder for her racy novels, Hannah attempts to leave her comfort zone to adopt an alter ego, one who is not afraid to take the occasional walk on the wild side.

This is a fun read, and the perfect distraction if you are seeking some levity in this time of fear and uncertainty. Recommended for an amusing escape.

Many thanks to NetGalley and HarperCollins UK, One More Chapter for this ARC.

Thank you to netgalley for this advance review copy. (For reference I read this during Covid lockdown)

Solid women’s fiction. Hannah is parenting a first year uni student, the head girl of a six form and a Ten year old. Whilst also being a teacher and secret Erotic writer.

I appreciated how the main character had a functioning marriage and the conflict of the story came from how she was able to manage all the areas of her life.