Member Reviews
This was a very sweet and funny romance novel. I loved the fake dating trope. Sloan and Brady were so good together. I really liked the writing and I can't wait to read more by this author.
Disclaimer: I received an Advance Reader Copy at no cost from the publisher/author. All opinions in my review are my own.
I love the fake dating trope and this book really did it right. This was such a sweet story with hilarious moments and just the right amount of steam.
I really fell in love with the author's fluid storytelling. The writing was so smooth and inviting that I fell into the story effortlessly. I really loved the premise of the story. The plot was engaging, entertaining, and intriguing.
These characters were ones that I connected with easily. I immediately gravitated towards them. Both main characters, Sloane and Brady, were developed really well and have plenty of depth. Their goals, aspirations, and heartbreaks were clearly defined in the story. They both had great character development and changed a lot through the course of the story. This cast of secondary characters was extremely fun to read about. I hope that we get to hear their stories sometime in the future.
The romance was really heartwarming. Sloane and Brady had a slow-burn romance that really made me swoon. They grow close after spending time together during their fake romance. The lines of their fake romance start to blur when real feelings start to develop between them. It was a lovely journey watching Sloane and Brady figure things out. I really enjoyed their natural chemistry.
Overall, this was a fun romantic comedy with relatable characters and lots of heart. If you are a fan of the fake dating trope then this is a book that you won't want to miss out on. I can't wait to read what's next from this author!
Sloane De Carlos has run away back home to Arbour Bay. After a drunken episode when she made her private blog public to the world, including revealing that she has a secret crush. The blog has gone viral, and Sloane, who has a long term plan to have her own wedding planning business, has the chance to get a book deal and earn some serious cash to fund her dream. There is only one catch - she has to reveal all including the name of her crush. There is only one person who knows her secret, the cute bartender from the local bar,
When she asks Brady to masquerade as her secret crush and new boyfriend, he agrees, if she will help him use the publicity to increase custom at his bar. As they fake date, grumpy Brady and shy Sloane are tricked into being part of the local parade and creating a float, as they plan and fake date their way towards the event, grumpy Brady and Shy Sloane, get more than they bargained for.
Sweet and nicely written fake dating trope, perfect for an easy holiday read.
I voluntarily reviewed an advance reader copy of this book and all opinions are my own.
Fake It Till You Make It by Anne Harper, book one in her Accidentally Viral series, was a funny, delightful, snarky with a side of smirk, and moving story that put two people in an awkward situation together, agreeing to a fake relationship. When Sloane’s private blog of all her innermost secrets, thoughts, and embarrassing moments “accidently” became public her quiet life suddenly exploded; making her the tending star of the internet. She even has a literary agent offering her a book deal, but there’s a catch; she needed to get closure with her crush “Guy” to give her story an ending. Returning home to her small town of Arbor Bay to figure things out and hide, Sloane discovers the real “Guy” is engaged to someone else. The only person who knows the identity of “Guy” is local bartender Brady. He won’t tell, but for a price. He will pretend to be Sloane’s “Guy” if she will use her newfound internet fame to bring more business to his struggling bar. But keeping secrets in a small town goes against the code of small town living.
From the start Sloane and Brady challenge, intrigue, and surprise each other. The chemistry between them could light the town and then there’s the physical attraction they share. Proving they are a couple gets funnier as they are forced by the town’s Mean Girl into activities as Mean Girl, who doesn’t know but happens to be the sister of the real “Guy”, tries to expose them, and announce it to the world; allowing her to be back into the spotlight. Despite all this, Sloane and Brady find ways to make this fake relationship look real and natural. Hmm, maybe it really is.
Ms. Harper wrote a wonderful, sexy and humorous story that should not be missed. She provided a tale rich with off the chart chemistry, hysterical banter, awkward situations, and endearing characters giving Sloane and Brady a chance for a real relationship. I highly recommend Fake It Till You Make It to other readers and look forward to the next book in the series.
I voluntarily reviewed a complimentary copy of this book.
Sloane De Carlo may have accidentally made her whole life public. Ok, she just made her blog from private to public but her blog has all the embarrassing stories of her life, her deepest secret and every emotion which she can't express she writes. Sloane fell in love with a Guy but never confessed her feelings to him and now internet wants to know who Guy is but unfortunately Guy is engaged in real life.
The only person in her teeny hometown of Arbor Bay who knows the truth is local bartender Brady Knox. And he’s not telling for a price. He’ll pretend to be Sloane’s “Guy” if she’ll use her newfound Internet fame to bring more business to his struggling local bar. But will it be so easy to hide the truth in a small town Arbor Bay where everyone knows everything about everyone. And there is a person who has vowed to steal all the limelight from Sloane
Review-
If you don't like cheesy romantic cliches this book is not for you. But I love cheesy romance where there is a sexual tension, a fun best friend, an ex lover, insecurities, gossipy town, an evil character, heartbreak, hesitance to trust and lots of hilarious accidents.
I finish this book in one sitting, it is so good. The writing is impressive it keeps you hooked from the starting line itself. I really like how the book starts with a serious statement but has a whole other meaning.
Characters are lovable. I fell in love with Sloane and Brady. This book has both the POVs which helps to understand the emotions from both the sides. I like how characters are vulnerable but they are trying to take the risk for love. And their chemistry was sizzling. I love books where you can actually feel the chemistry between the characters.
The plot is really hilarious. Situational comedy is bang on. I love the madness and eccentric way of Sloane and her small hometown. This book actually makes you laugh out loud.
There is vast character development and you can see the way they act and embrace their feelings. This book is fun, quirky but at the same time has an emotional depth which will touch your hearts.
And the ending is so perfect! I am all for cheesy surprise romantic endings and this book fills my quota perfectly. You will definitely be shedding happy tears at the end.
I was in 2 minds about this one. My score was swinging between 3 and 4 🌟
I love a fake romance story and loved the plot of this book. Sloane has accidently during a drunken state set her most private blog to public. Her blog where she rambles from everything about her rubbish first time experience to her pining after a guy she can't have. No one knows the name of the mystery guy who has stolen her heart except for local bartender Brady whom she confessed her Dark secret to during a drunken evening propping up his bar. Feeling caught between wanting to come clean and wanting no one to know her secret the pair decide to fake date so people think Brady is the guy. Brady has his own reasons for helping her out. Sloanes object of affection happens to be engaged to his ex.
The story itself was good and I enjoyed it, it had some definate laugh out loud moments and some really sweet moments. The one thing I struggled with was gauging the ages of the characters as our resident mean girl acted like she was still in high school and I struggled to get past that. Also the whole fake dating didn't seem very well thought out it was more a go with the flow and hope they don't get caught rather then trying hard not to get outed by getting to know things that couples should know about each other.
Overall a good easy read that out a smile on my face
Ah Sloane and Brady. Two great characters in a really good book. I enjoyed this a lot. The story flowed well and was entertaining. Excited to read more from Anne! Would recommend.
I absolutely love fake dating romances, they have something a little extra for me that gets me every time and I adored this one! I connected right away to our leading lady, Sloane, while she is put through probably the most embarrassing moment EVER. I can definitely have embarrassing moments myself, so that totally resonates with me! You can't help but root for things to work out for her! Now, it took me just a little bit longer to get behind Brady, but you just have to peel back the layers, you know, like an onion! ;)
All in all, if you like the fake dating style, you will like this book. It is a bit more of a slow burn between the characters, which is extremely sweet, but the humor and heart and definitely in play and it makes for a fun and entertaining read- I give it 4 outta 5 stars and liked it!
PS: Thank you to Anne Harper and Wildfire Marketing Solutions for allowing me an advanced copy of the book to read and review honestly.
Fake It Till You Make It
**received an ARC in exchange for an honest review**
5⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
I instantly fell in love with this book. Anne Harper does an amazing job weaving the story between Sloane and Brady. I love how they are themselves with one another without realizing it and by doing that end up falling for one another for real. With each pretend date they had, I couldn’t wait to see what would happen next and if they would finally see what was right in front of them. If you are looking for a great rom-com you need to check this book out!
Sloane’s who life is now available for the world to read about. And they all want to know who the mystery man is that she has a crush on. But that is the one secret Sloane has told no one except for Brady when she was drunk. Now she is trying to control the damage, but also complete the book that she has been hired to write, and she needs to finally tell the mystery man that she likes him.
Brady loves his hometown and the bar he owns. But he lost the girl and wants to just move on especially when he finds out she is engaged. When he sees Sloane again he remembers what she drunkly admitted to that one night and thinks maybe they can help one another.
As Brady and Sloane pretend that they are in a real relationship they have to make everyone believe that the mystery man is really Brady. And Brady is trying to show his old flame that he is over her. But can they really keep their true feelings out of the picture? Or will they find that maybe their happily ever after is right in front of them?
What I liked:
Oh, but I've said it before and I'll say it again: I love a good fake - relationship and this is cute, super cute. I flew through it. it looks like it's the first in a series so I'll like read the others when they're published too. I love a story set in small town everybody knows everybody America and parts of this made me laugh out loud.
What I liked Less:
I don't think i got it. I don't get how Sloane's blog went so mental. I'd like some tips actually, because I'm obviously doing something wrong. The characters felt younger than their years -this read more like YA but with sex - and the characters sometimes felt a little flat.
Thank you NetGalley, Entangled and Wildfire for a complimentary copy. I voluntarily reviewed this book. All opinions expressed are my own.
REVIEW ☆☆☆☆
First, that cover is too cute! As for the story, Fake It Til You Make It is delightfully charming. Sloane, this poor girl, has gone viral for accidentally posting some personal information. Now, she has to play out this scenario about a secret "guy" crush, so she finds Brady. He agrees to be a fake boyfriend "guy" because the social media exposure might save his struggling bar. There are plenty of shenanigans and cringe worthy moments in true romcom fashion. What began as a mutually beneficial business arrangement, might be a lot more than that for Sloane and Brady. Or not. Read and find out!
Thanks to Entangled Publishing for the ARC!
This story is so funny!
Being completely honest, at first I didn't think I would enjoy it. For some reason, I wasn't connecting with the characters. I ignored the book for a few days... But then, I decided to give it another chance, and ended up laughing out loud and having a lot of fun.
I had a great time reading it. Sloane and Brady are so adorable!
Totally recommend it for fans of fake dating and slow burn. :)
CUTE!!
Laugh out loud funny, quirky, witty read set in a small town with fake relationship goodness and characters that are completely relatable and entertaining! Really loved Sloane and Brady’s story! (
This is a cute, summery read. Perfect for days stuck indoors! Sloane has to find a way face life in her small town after she puts her online diary 'live' for the whole world to see. Luckily, bartender Brady decides he'll step in anf play the role of Guy to help her out. As you can imagine, hilarity ensues.
Sloane and Brady are quite the pair, and this small town comes with everything you can think one would, even a town mean girl. Ugh. So, as Sloane navigates the murky waters, she has to figure out where she's headed in life and what's important to her.
I enjoyed the connection between Sloane and Brady. He was quite charming and eager to start their fake relationship. Sloane was too but then felt guilty. But I liked the bond they formed. She helped open him up to other people and got him to really know his community. Sloane is a woman who could be your friend, one who has been through a tragedy and I loved her explanations of her true feelings. I loved the closeness she had with her friend Emma and her brother Callum. Both were protective of Sloane but also made her see her truth. My heart loved those scenes, but then my heart hit a sad spot forming a tear in my eye. Thankfully and sweetly everything worked out perfectly.
This is my first book by Ms. Harper and for sure will not be my last. Her characters were very real, entertaining, and are like people I would want in my life.
I received this book in exchange for an honest review from the publisher through Netgalley.
DNF at 75%. Fake relationship is one of my favorite romance tropes so I was really excited to read this one. Unfortunately this book just didn’t work for me.
Sloane made her private dating blog public one night after too much wine and it immediately went viral. Everyone wants to know who Guy is - the man she has been in love with but never told. She’s even dangled a book deal - but in order to get it she has to confess her feelings to Guy. Uhhhh....questionable but okay.
Brady is running a bar that’s struggling against new competition in town. So he thinks he can cash in on her new social media fame. If they pretend he’s Guy - it solves both of their issues.
There are a lot of side plots - largely around the “mean girl” in town and a big pageant/parade that’s coming up. And for me it was way too much about these side dramas and not nearly enough about the romance. I’ve waited to watch things develop but at this point I’m not invested and am going to put this one down as not for me.
Thank you to the publisher and Netgalley for the advance reading copy.
Fake It Till You Make is a laugh out loud have you smiling the entire time while reading this book!
If rom-coms are your jam then you will want to pick up this book.
I'm a big fan of the fake relationship trope and this one did not disappoint.
Waking up after a night of drinking Sloane De Carlo suddenly realizes she has become a viral sensation when she discovers sometime during said night of drinking she made her private blog NOT private. This wasn't just any blog .. this was her life blog .. where she wrote down many private things but the most private was when she talked about "Guy" from her home town who she was madly in love with but never had the guts to tell him. The internet was crazy for her story and she even has a book deal offer but the catch is she’ll have to get closure with “Guy” and give her story that pitch-perfect ending.
The only person in her teeny hometown of Arbor Bay who knows the truth is local bartender Brady Knox. And he’s not telling...for a price. He’ll pretend to be Sloane’s “Guy” if she’ll use her newfound Internet fame to bring more business to his struggling local bar. Brady’s always been a lone wolf, but there’s something about the pint-sized, supremely awkward, yet beautiful Sloane that charms him.
Thank You NetGalley and Entangled Publishing for allowing me to read the advance copy for my honest review.
When Sloane accidentally goes viral for publishing her secret, super embarrassing, super private blog she has to go into hiding in her small hometown. The whole world wants to know who the "guy" is that she wrote about for years and years as her soulmate. Rather than admit it's the most popular guy in town, she agrees to fake a relationship with Brady, local bartender and total babe.
The fake relationship trope is one of my favorites. Consensual, non-creepy forbidden attraction is always great. Add in a cute small town full of all the cute traditions and characters you find in them and this debut is a winner.
Very pleased with this book. Like other reviews, I too agree that this would have been great written in 1st person POV to really get inside Sloane's head. But besides that, its a witty, funny good read. The author has a strong writing style and I would read more by her. The romance is sweet, slow to build but with the dialogue, you dont really notice it. It did feel a little rushed a the end but again, with a great story, you dont mind it too much. I would recommend this for a sweet read and witty banter.
My thanks to the publishers for an advanced copy of this book
This was my first read from the author, and it was a funny one. The writing and the flow were fine, although I would have preferred it to be told in a first person POV.
Sloane, afraid the 'Guy' she wrote about in her private blog-turned-public would find out it was him, made a deal with Brady to fake a relationship. They thought it would be easy to fake it, but they soon realise it wasn't..
One only issue that I have is that I don't feel like it was a fair deal for Sloane. All of the things they do is mostly for Brady's advantage, for his bar. But if you’re looking for a quick read with a little steam, a little humor and a little drama, then this one's for you