Ten Rules for Faking It has a great premise. I'm a fan of Bachelor fanfic. Everly produces a radio show and after she finds her boyfriend cheating on her, she goes on a rant. On air. The attention spike for the station has them looking for a way to capitalize to gain advertisers and listeners.
There were several bright spots with some good one liners that had me chuckling, but overall I feel as if I wanted more. More dating disasters could have given it some more depth for Everly to be "brave". Or more of Everly doing for others to round out her character.
I liked how Everly's anxiety is shown throughout. I think there are a lot of people who brush it off and don't pursue help or some go to medication or therapy. One solution may not be best for all, but neither of these options are mentioned so I am left wondering why.
Everly's relationship with Chris is fun. I love the squishy cat and the supporting cast! I hope there is more of Stacey, Rob, and Noah in the future.
Thank you to St. Martin's Press and NetGalley for the advanced copy. All thoughts in this review are my own.

Found the novel excruciatingly slow and fairly repetitive when it came to the development of the plot and the hoops that the two key characters had to go through to get together.

Having said that, kudos to the writer for her effort to detail the emotions and stream of thoughts that goes through a person’s head when they suffer from severe stress and anxiety. It’s encouraging to see romance novels extending beyond the boy-meets-girl structure and shyly dipping their toes into further topics, especially mental health.

“Go ahead and laugh. This is thirty. I’m screwing it up, but you’re next, my friend. You’re next.”

There is nothing more relatable than having Everly as a main character. Her life is messy and unrefined. She has her dream job and a great set of friends but she is plagued with anxiety and chaos outside of her little bubble. This is such a great premise because I love how it gets Everly out there while discovering who she is. Chris is the perfect mixture of “Chris’s”. He “looks like Chris Pine, acts like Chris Hemsworth, smiles like Chris Pratt, and has a body like Chris Evans.” Chris is extremely cautious with Everly. He never pushes her out of her comfort zone to the point where she retreats and hides, but just enough so that she’s able to freely be herself on her own terms.

I love a slow burn romance. It allows the opportunity to see the foundations of the relationship build and it also leads to amazing tension filled scenes. The author did a wonderful job taking the reader on an enjoyable ride where we are rooting for Chris and Everly and swooning along the way. The writing is well executed. The author was able to elicit emotions that are typically seen with a first person narrative and give a sense of being inside the characters head, rather than an outsider looking in.

My main issues with the book came towards the end. There was a bit of a lull in the story. I typically love a good slow burn romance, but usually they are filled with tension and scenes that steal my heart. Though the build up to the main characters getting together doesn’t happen until the end, the story still has a fast pace. This one had some moments that gave me butterflies, but a majority of the time the romance took a back seat and the pace of the story slowed down. I had a hard time focusing on either Everly’s journey managing her anxiety or the epic romance storyline. The ending fell really short because of that and it seemed really rushed to wrap up the story.

Overall this was a fun read and I enjoyed the characters and this story, but how the ending played out felt out of place, rushed, and messy. Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martins Press for this ARC

I absolutely loved this book. Like our heroine Everly, I also suffer from Social Anxiety and I have never felt more seen in my entire life than I did when I was reading this book.

Sophie Sullivan did a wonderful job capturing Everly's anxiety and all of the 5 million thoughts and feelings going through her head at any one time.

But honestly, let's be real. The moment I knew I was going to love this book no matter what was when the author mentioned quite possibly the best and most underrated show ever, Veronica Mars on the third page (give or take, I'm reading on a Kindle so the page numbers may be different.)

Something that is always really important to me is liking the hero and heroine and I thought both Chris and Everly were great and so sweet together and I was so happy that the book was told from both Chris and Everly's POV.

I Love how supportive Stacey and Chris are of Everly, I think it is so important to have strong supportive friends and Everly really needs them to lean on. It is so important to have people on your side that understand your struggles and are willing to stand up for you. Although Everly herself was not always the best or most reliable friend but I feel like she really grew throughout this story.

This is a total Slow Burn story so it was not steamy by any means, it doesn’t even get a steam rating, but honestly I was okay with that. The story itself drew me in enough that it did not feel like it needed the steam. 

This book releases on December 29th and I am for sure going to be buying a copy because I already want to read it again.

Ten Rules for Faking It by Sophie Sullivan is such a refreshing novel in the sense that it represented what I believe is sometimes an underrepresented subject; mental health. Specifically, generalized anxiety, panic attack disorder and social anxiety. The protagonist, Everly, suffers from it all. Sullivan does a phenomenal job accurately portraying the reality of these anxiety disorders!

I adored this story; it quickly became very special and very personal to me. I, too, suffer from anxiety disorders, but especially social anxiety. I’m certain this is why I immediately cared so much about Everly and her story. I could genuinely relate to most of her feelings.

The main three characters are well developed and multiple plot lines all come together in the end. The writing is succinct and the dialogue quick and realistic. Even the characters’ internal dialogues are well done.

This is not just a chicklit romance novel but includes elements of a family drama. Sullivan loops in several complex familial and marital relationship, again making this story relatable to most. Also carefully crafted is the delicate relationship between two women who are best friends — which is never a simple relationship!

Mental health and anxiety, family issues, realistic female friendships, some humor... and of course, romance! This story touches on a lot of relatable issues which I really appreciated.

The romance is believable with good chemistry and solid tension that builds. While this is a romance novel, that’s not the only story. Everly’s journey of accepting her own identity as a woman living with social anxiety is also a main plot line. And it’s a wonderful thing to see unfold.

I was cheering for and crying with Everly the whole book! I highly recommend this read.

Thank you Netgalley, St. Martin’s Press and Sophie Sullivan for a copy of this book for review.

I really tried liking this book, but it was so basic overall. It makes me sad because ever since the cover reveal, I've been eagerly anticipating reading it.

I mean, I love that the setting is at a radio station. That's so unique! But having read another romance book set at a radio station with a romance that shined through? This one just doesn't compare. I didn't care for the romance at the beginning and I still didn't care until the end.

This was enjoyable, easy to read, and a quick read! I found myself laughing along with the characters and could totally relate to Everly Dean and her anxiety.

The opening scene was a bit cringeworthy, but the book did get better if you can get past this one part.

Thank you for allowing me to read it and give my honest opinion.

Thanks to @stmartinspress and Sophie Sullivan for my review copy of Ten Rules for Faking It, and @lovearctually for the fun buddy read and discussion!

Poor Everly Dean learns, on her birthday, that her boyfriend is cheating on her with his assistant. And then, the DJ that she works with forgets that the microphone is on, and everyone listening to the radio hears Everly’s rant about her ex-boyfriend. Enter Chris, the radio station manager. Not only is he extremely attractive, he creates a bachelorette-esque scenario for Everly. She gets to date 6 men, narrow it down to two, and document the journey for listeners, who get to weigh in along the way. However, her social anxiety is intense. How’s she going to make it? By making a list of Ten Rules for Faking It!

This was a good Friends to Lovers read that also showed what it’s like to have social anxiety. I appreciated that we fully saw how Everly’s anxiety materialized and affected her life in several different settings. It didn’t feel like the author tried to make it into a punch line or sugar coat any part of it. The romance between Chris and Everly was sweet as well, and moved at a decent pace.

Ten Rules for Faking It is out on January 5th! Friends to Lovers fans, make sure to give this one a read.

This debut novel by Sophie Sullivan is a sugary, smoldering romance.

Chris, a man with a life plan, gets all-the-feels for a segment producer at the station he manages which is part of his father's media magnate. Everly, a socially apprehensive individual, regards Chris's behavior at the station as one of indifference and believes he doesn't appreciate her talents.

A clumsy celebration of Everly's 30th birthday live on-air brings forward a plan to help boost the station's ratings and revenue bringing the two together. The author doesn't hesitate to showcase the paralyzing feelings of living with social anxiety. Everly triggers are recognized and acknowledged by sentimental gestures by her best friend and especially by Chris - squishy hand-held cat named Pepper Potts.

The reader gets to experience the anxiousness of Everly's mind through various life settings to understand it is acceptable to be "who" you are and the effort it takes to overcome the feeling that love doesn't exist for me.

Friends to lovers storyline that runs a bit long with detail. Overall I enjoyed the storyline, the enchantment of the Chris and Everly and the message of acceptance to be you!

Ten Rules For Faking It is not just a funny romcom. It has so much more than that.
As someone who suffers with anxiety, I related to Everly a lot. It was nice to see the representation in a book. I think the author did a fantastic job with that. I could see myself in Everly so much it was a bit crazy.

I really enjoyed this book.
The banter between characters was so fun. I loved all the characters!
Everly was a fun main character, her inner monologue had me giggling a few times. Though it was a fun book you also got to see what it’s like inside the mind of someone with anxiety.

I should add that while this is a romance novel there’s 0 steam. Just a heads up if it’s something you need to have.

The plot was very unique and I really enjoyed The Bachelorette feel we got from it.

I definitely look forward to more books by this author.

On the morning of radio producer Everly’s 30th birthday, she discovers her boyfriend is cheating on her. When she gets to work, her best friend and radio deejay, Stacey, wants to surprise her by singing Happy Birthday to her on the air but Everly (not realizing the mic was on) tells all the listeners about her now ex. This leads to an outpouring of support and an idea for a dating experiment with Everly. She wonders how she ever agreed to it given her social anxieties. Will she find love with one of the eligible bachelors? What about her boss, Chris Jansen? He’s always seemed to dislike her, but maybe that’s just her insecurities talking.

This was a cute, closed-door rom-com and a light read that I needed during this time.

Thank you to Net Galley and St Martins Press for the e-ARC of this book.

To be honest, when I started Ten Rules for Faking It, I wasn’t really sure what to expect. I knew it was a romance but I was not prepared for all that this book offered. It was exactly what I needed today.

WHAT I LIKED:
The anxiety representation!! Everly has anxiety and nearly everything that happened I was like “oh I’ve felt that way “ or “oh yup this is relatable.” I thought it was great.. so good.

How Chris treated her and reacted to her anxiety. Y’all. Chris was making me swoon 😍😍 Everly would have a panic attack or have one of her anxious quirks and he was always checking in, making she was okay, and never EVER making her feel bad about having anxiety. I loved how this part of the story was portrayed, what it should look like when you care about someone who has a mental illness. They aren’t broken or damaged, but they won’t always respond to things in life like someone without a mental illness would. Chris might just be my new favorite male lead in a romance that I’ve read in a long time.

All the tension and angst. LIKE JUST KISS ALREADY (I like kissing okay? Don’t judge me) BUT SERIOUSLY!!!! Gah, I just loved the romance and the build-up to the kissing and romance in this story.

WHAT I DIDN’T LIKE AS MUCH:
Uhhhhhhh honestly I can’t think of anything. I read 70% of this book in one sitting, so I can’t really say I didn’t like much about it if I couldn’t put it down. Ya know?

Ten Rules for Faking It comes out on December 29th and you need to add it to your list. This book wasn’t perfect, but it melted my heart and I loved it so dang much. 5/5 stars!

Steam level: some kisses, talk about wanting other things

I received a copy of this book from St. Martins Press via NetGalley. All thoughts and opinions are my own. (and I’m ordering a copy right now!!)

Have you ever felt like a book just gets you? Ten Rules for Faking It is a romcom with a great deal of substance along with the expected witty banter and funny situations, and it totally gets me.

What I Loved

I loved the witty banter. The inner monologues during Everly's first couple of dates had me laughing so hard.
It sounded like something I would say or think. This novel spoke to me with its relatable sarcasm and observations - from Everly's not liking beer (I've never been able to develop a taste for it either) to the conversation about Pepper Potts, whom I argue is a Marvel superhero every chance I get.

The focus on an introverted character with social anxiety is so unexpected and so illuminating. The portrayal of social anxiety is aligned with my experiences of people who suffer from it. However, everyone experiences it in their own unique way. I especially loved the way the people closest to Everly supported her without judgment or petty advice. They were just present for her, never scared away by her emotions. That is very unusual in today's society. If this book helps even one person learn how to be a supportive friend to someone who suffers from any anxiety disorder, it has done a world of good.

I've long been an advocate for introverts, talking to as many extroverts as I can, predominantly teachers who penalize students for not speaking out in class. It is entirely unfair and stems from a lack of understanding. Extroverts learn from speaking, but introverts learn from listening. It's a fundamental piece of how people process information. One that cannot be changed because it is different from the other. I felt that the story strongly advocated for the understanding of introverts, especially those who suffer from introversion's debilitating sibling, social anxiety. I appreciated that even more than words can say. As you probably can tell, I can totally get on a soapbox when talking about this.

Everly is my favorite character. I found her endearing, relatable, witty, and intelligent. She has terrific ideas and a delightful sense of humor. Chris isn't always as likable as a character, but he does have some very positive qualities. His empathy knows no bounds. He is determined and focused to a fault. And, Stacey is the kind of friend everybody needs at least one of in their lives. She is fun, full of life, and puts herself out there always.

The romance had its frustrating moments, without a doubt. Still, as a reader, I knew it was inevitable from the very beginning. And the way the story ended actually brought a tear to my eye. Needless to say, I loved how it ended with just the right little heart-warming detail.

If you are looking for a romantic comedy with equal parts of substance to humor, this is the fabulous story for you to start the new year with.

Thank you to St. Martin's Griffin and St. Martin's Press for an advanced copy of Ten Rules for Faking It.

When radio producer Everly accidentally spills that she walked in on her boyfriend cheating on her on her birthday while live on air, her coworkers come up with a great idea for her to do a Bachelorette style dating segment..

I loved this book. It was cute and funny and the author does a wonderful job of writing about a character who has anxiety!⁣ There was major slow-burn romance here. The friendship between Everly and Stacey was also so well written. If you're looking for a fun rom-com, I highly recommend this one!

Actual rating: 3.5 out of 5

Ten Rules for Faking it is like a TV series but in book form. It follows Everly’s life after she accidentally broadcasted the situation with her boyfriend cheating on the day of her birthday to thousands of radio listeners. A dating show for Everly is the result of the accident and she is to go through dates to find the perfect one.

Again, it’s like a TV show for me. I really liked reading about the dates. From Everly preparing for the date to wrapping up the date after either a successful or disastrous one. I would’ve loved the book more if all the dates were given parts in the book. But I guess it’s hard to write about dates—which can be repetitive especially since the dates are only done on restaurants and the likes.

I had no expectations going into the book and I think that came out as a good thing! I really liked reading this one. It was a light and sweet read but it’s a new perspective in life for me because this is my first (adult) Romance! Speaking of romance, I LOVED Chris!! I liked him so much that I’m doubting whether or not he could be a real human person. LOL. I loved how he gets Everly and gives effort to understand and make her feel better.

I think Chris and all the other things that happened to Everly during the whole book helped her become a better version of herself. And not a perfect one!! The book didn’t end up making her a perfect character with no faults but instead it put her in a place where we know she’ll be in a better shape in the future (loved that).


(review to be posted on my blog--ronthebookworm.wordpress.com--on December 8, 2020 at 9:00pm, Philippines time)

T en Rules for Faking it has a great premise. Everly Dean consistently has horrible birthdays but after this year’s fiasco of her accidental on-air rant about her cheating boyfriend she’s decided that she’s going to do something different. She’s going to make a list of The Ten Rules for Faking It to take charge of her life – including finally pitching her podcast idea to her boss.

While I loved the idea of this book (and how Everly’s anxiety was handled) I just couldn’t get as into this story as I had hoped. I liked Everly and Chris separately but as a couple they fell a little flat for me. I can’t quite put my finger on what it was about them but I just didn't find myself as invested in their story. Everly was a very likable character and I related to her really well. I thought the way to learned to take more charge in her life and the growth she showed was fantastic. However, I was actually more interested in the friendship between Everly and Stacey. I’d love to read another book by this author featuring Stacey in the in the future.

3.5 stars. This was cute and fluffy, and I loved the anxiety rep, as an anxious person myself. It was very slow burn, which isn't really my favorite in a romance, and I think there were places that it felt like a lot of drama over nothing, but hey, that happens. I thought the end was real sweet, but it kinda wrapped up really fast given that it took so long to get to the relationship and the drama. The dating competition was cute, and I really felt for Everly at the beginning when she was cheated on, on her birthday no less.

This was a light hearted but very slow burn book. I enjoyed the premise where Everly, a radio show producer, accidentally airs that she caught her boyfriend with another women. She humiliated and sent home, imagining she just lost her job. The radio station is losing ratings and they take this opportunity to help boost them by starting a dating contest where Everly will date several contestants over a series of weeks.

I like the show premise but it sorta fell flat for me towards the end and just fizzled out as the book focused more on Everly and her boss, and real love interest, Chris.

The book did a wonder job exploring anxiety and understanding what it truly feels like.

Read to 50% and then started skipping around.

I liked Everly and Chris well enough. They’re both good people looking for something. Stacey is a good friend who knows when to push and when to relax. I loved her constant acceptance and reliability that she provided. Chris’s brothers were also great.

Plot wise, it was so very slow. There’s loads of inner monologue and my main complaint is that I didn’t see the chemistry between Everly and Chris. I’m usually 1000% on board with longing filled glances and pining away, it didn’t work for me here. However, I really liked the anxiety rep and thought it felt authentic.

Overall, it was an interesting idea, but the execution didn’t work for me. I may be interested in a companion book of Stacey is the MC.

**Huge thanks to St. Martin’s Griffin for providing the arc free of charge**

Ten Rules For Faking It:

“She’d rather be home watching Veronica Mars, texting Stacey, and eating cookie dough. But you’re not, because you turned thirty, not thirteen. So, get your head in the game, Dean. Rule number one: Focus on the good.”

They started it with a Veronica Mars quote. OF COURSE I was going to love it. (and another Everly, so duh)

Everly is hilarious y’all. Ten Rules for Faking It is cheeky as hell. I laughed at the sarcasm and could see us being friends. Stacey had me laughing and truly reminds me of my group of friends.. all four of them rolled into one. Their friendship and banter had me actually laughing out loud (not just trying “lol” for dramatic effect). I actually laughed to where I choked a bit on the water I drank.. so I mean, it was funny. Clearly.

Everly has social anxiety. Girl, me too! Shoutout to Sophie Sullivan for normalizing mental health and making our girl Everly a normal and functional adult. Social Anxiety does not mean she has 4 heads and something is “wrong” with her. It just means she gets anxiety in certain social situations. Thank you. 👏🏼

Their love was adorable. I clung to every word. I can see how some folks may be annoyed by Everly and her indecisiveness or the fact that she does stress easily, but this is why I love her. I’m a lister as well, so the lists were cute.

Overall, one word: Obsessed. Can I get a series #2 with Stacey and Rob? Really would love to hear that angle. Thank you so much St. Martin’s and Net Galley. Ten Rules for Faking It is out Dec 29th. The song Shiver by Walk The Moon is definitely the closing track to this book.