When Jessica and Galvin have hit a wall in their personal lives, these college acquaintances find each other, and a solution. Jessica was so strict about making the right decisions that she held herself back from happiness and living life - and then her boring, safe boyfriend moves out with no notice. Galvin kept his relationships shallow to avoid being hurt, and then gets the ripping of the century after ending a relationship with someone famous for being famous. He's drowning his sorrows, she's moving through the stages of grief, but when they're face to face they find the relief they've been looking for. Cue fake relationship as she's about to launch a book about dating and he desperately needs image rehab.

The fun part about these two fake dating but also giving in to their attraction is that it sets up an oddly safe space for them to talk openly and make mistakes. Jessica is a trained therapist, yet she's very careful not to cross boundaries with Galvin, or push him toward explanations - they explore it like a real couple with a little bit of a boost. Galvin thinks she's wonderful and is the fluffer that Jessica's self-esteem, self-image, and ego all need. The way he holds back out of concern for her is precious.

These two are a little but unbelievable and at times a little too clinical, but when they turn of their brains and let emotions run free...adorable. Spicy. Sweet. The way they see the most broken, vulnerable secrets in each other and try to be reassuring was so cute. They built a true connection in their hearts and minds before giving in to their bodies. He unintentionally drives her crazy in the spice department and oooooo it's good.

This was cozy, thoughtful, smart, and sweet. A solid entry for your TBR!

✨It’s called Unrealistic Expectations because it WILL give them!! Old college classmates are probs not going to be that hot!! Or communicate that well!!✨

Yaaaas this is my new favorite Andie J. Christopher book! It was super fun and felt very adult/mature/healthy but still jazzy and fresh. Also she reamed out her ex in a very public and very bad bitch way and he stood up to her mother for her! Two great tropes 💅

If you’re a fan of Do You Take This Man by Denise Williams or are looking for something similar, I think this is the perfect follow up (I even enjoyed it more)! As all good things are wont to do, the only time I was disappointed was when it ended. It was a bit short, and I wanted to spend more time with the characters. I could’ve easily read 100 more pages.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️.5/5 🌶️🌶️.75*/5

*It could’ve been a bit spicier, as the scenes were on the short end and there were some fade to black moments that were a bit confusing. Don’t get me wrong, it’s hot!!! But maybe didn’t reach its full potential.


Thanks to the publisher for an eARC via NetGalley. All opinions are honest and my own.

This book explores one of my favorite tropes and boasts an engaging premise!

When Jessica, a therapist on the verge of releasing a self-help book for men about dating and treating women with respect, faces an unexpected breakup, Her publicist fears this could harm her image with the media. She suggests that Jessica fake date Galvin, a college acquaintance. Galvin, having also recently endured a public breakup, is in dire need of an image overhaul after a viral video tarnished his reputation.

This story presents a mature take on the fake-dating trope, where Jessica and Galvin quickly discover that their emotions for each other are genuine. They engage in surprisingly open communication about their feelings and needs. Galvin proves to be an attentive partner in more ways than one. And the chemistry is steaming!

I especially enjoyed Jessica's profession as a therapist! especially as she attempts to dissect her own emotions regarding her mother and her new relationship with Galvin.

An overall enjoyable read with great character development and 👏👏👏for healthy communication!

"Unrealistic Expectations" is a spicy romantic comedy that provides a refreshing twist on the genre. Jessica Gallagher, a relationship therapist, takes center stage in a story that's equal parts funny and heartfelt. When her relationship falls apart just before the release of her new dating handbook, Jessica faces a PR nightmare. However, her solution is delightfully unconventional: she proposes fake dating her old crush, Galvin Baker.

This book offers a charming narrative filled with moments that will have you both laughing out loud and feeling a tug at your heartstrings. The chemistry between Jessica and Galvin is palpable, and their "fake" dates quickly start to feel more real than any of their previous relationships.

While the plot may follow some familiar rom-com tropes, it earns a solid four stars for its witty dialogue, entertaining premise, and its exploration of the complexities of modern dating and relationships. "Unrealistic Expectations" is a spicy and enjoyable read that serves up both laughs and genuine moments, making it a perfect choice for fans of romantic comedies.

Christopher does it again! Her books are just a ton of fun to read. I love a good fake dating story and this one hit really solidly for me. While there was a bit of difficulty in pacing (the end was more abrupt than I’d like), I still got absolutely sucked in to the book. I love the concept of an actual actual professional being super frustrated by fake dating advice and writing a book. There’s a nice bit of spice and lots of thoughtful connection. Thoroughly enjoyable.

This was cute. I didn’t love it but I didn’t hate it. It was a little slow in the beginning but it kind of picked up. This book has some elements that I dislike in romance/books in general so it wasn’t really my cup of tea BUT I do suggest to try it out!

Thank you to NetGalley and Berkley for the ARC in exchange for an honest review

CW: toxic relationship with a parent, toxic relationship, cheating, internet bullying

I would recommend if you're looking for (SPOILERS)

-m/f contemporary romance
-fake dating
-player turned simp
-second chance elements
-he falls first and hard
-forehead kisses

This was such an enjoyable read. Jessica should be riding high, she has a book coming out, her therapy practice is doing well, but her live in boyfriend is moving out and forgets to tell her. She runs into an old friend from college, who she never would have considered dating due to his player ways, and Galvin hasn't changed.

But to redeem both their reputations they agree to fake date. I loved how there wasn't really denial in this book. Galvin was in almost from the begging and while Jessica understandably needed to get over her ex, I loved watching these two fall for each other. How they built intimacy through sex and just sharing their vulnerabilities. The forehead kisses. This was a great story of two thirty-somethings finally getting what they need out of a relationship and being loved for who they are.

Steam: 3.25

Jessica Gallagher is a relationship therapist who finds herself dumped just before the release of her new dating handbook. Galvin Baker, a college acquaintance of hers, is used to dating around but when his last girlfriend used her large social media presence to tell the world he "underperforms" he's left quite undesirable to the single woman of SoCal. To salvage her reputation and avoid a PR disaster, Jessica proposes fake dating Galvin, who is quick to agree. As they begin to spend all their free time together they begin to open up to one another and real feelings begin to develop.

While Jessica and Galvin both help one another out as they begin to open up to each other, their character arcs are truly their own and I loved that.

This was my first book by Andie J. Christopher and while I did enjoy certain aspects I thought this was just an okay read. I struggled with the pacing of the book here and there and the ending felt so abrupt and left me wishing for more.

Thank you to Netgalley and Berkley for this arc.

Fake dating and steam? Please sign me up!

I adored this book for so many reasons! There were great steamy seasons, a he falls first and hard trope, a protective in charge leading man and so much more!

Once I got to the fake dating part of this book and my only complaint is the fact that there is no epilogue and I think another hundred pages would’ve helped with the relationship development. I NEED AN EPILOGUE AND A LONGER LOVE STORY😭

If you’re looking for a sweet, short, and fast fake dating whirlwind of a book? Pick this one up!

#QOTD: Do you love an epilogue or could you do without?

I really enjoyed this one! I found that the story Andie J. Christopher wrote around dating culture was super realistic. There were some hilarious moments and we were given a full story between Jessica and Galvin.

Read this for:
- Fake dating
- Just a hookup
- Opposites attract
- Met in college, fall in love as adults

Jessica Gallagher is about to have her dating book geared towards men on getting a relationship come out when her boyfriend of over a decade up and walks out on her. She is reeling from the abrupt loss, when she runs into Galvin Baker, a guy she knows from college.

Galvin is not doing his best. Since college he's been a rake just hooking up and never having very serious relationships. He just got humiliated by his former girlfriend who is a star of reality tv.

Jessica and Galvin realize they can help one another, with a little push from Jessica's publicist Abby. They can fake date and rehab his image while also showing her book works and she has a committed relationship for credibility.

What they didn't expect was to like one another so much. To really help one another uncover their issues and heal their trauma by developing a communicative and loving relationship. The chemistry between the two works and then they realize so does everything else.

I thought this was well done to show each of their traumas and how they were able to move forward. It was a great romcom that you most definitely will enjoy!

Thank you to Berkley for this ARC in exchange for my honest review.

I absolutely loved this romance.

When Jessica, a relationship therapist, gets dumped by her boyfriend of 10 years, she questions everything about her life.

She randomly runs into Galvin, a former college classmate and big F Boy who just had his performance slandered on social media.

They form a plan to fake date to help their reputations.

These two characters are FANTASTIC! I loved everything about them, and their chemistry was off the charts.

I can't recommend this book enough.

Unrealistic Expectations features one of my very favorite tropes and has a fun premise. Jessica is a therapist who is about to release a self help book for men about dating and how to not be a jerk to women. And she was just dumped. Her publicist realizes that fact may not go over well with the press, and decides Jessica should fake date Galvin, a man she knew from college and had a steamy make out session with recently. Galvin was also dumped recently by a social media influencer, and a video of her trashing his reputation has gone viral, necessitating an image overall for him. The pair agree to give their fake relationship a try.

This was fake dating for grown ups- the pair both quickly realize that their feelings for each other are real, and they are constantly communicating about how they feel and what their needs are. Their attraction is instantaneous, with the chemistry to match. Let’s just say that Galvin is a giver.

Jessica being a therapist added some interesting layers to the book, particularly when she was attempting to analyze her own feelings towards her mother or towards Galvin. She knew exactly what she would tell a patient in those situations but found it difficult to follow her own advice.

The third person POV is always tricky for me. I don’t feel as connected to the characters, which makes it harder to have an emotional connection to the story. I found that to be true here. It was an enjoyable and quick read, though I did find the ending to be a bit abrupt.

Thank you to NetGalley and Berkley Publishing Group for the ARC in exchange for my honest opinion.

A fuckboy with a trashed reputation and a recently dumped relationship therapist about to release her newest dating advice book for men, fake date to help repair both their images.

Former college acquaintances, Jessica and Galvin knew one another but never dated back in the day. Galvin is intrigued by Jessica's take on relationships and agrees to the arrangement, with nothing but good things to gain. Jessica, on the other hand, has a really hard time resisting the hot, charismatic guy from her past.

Steamy with great emotional depth and interpersonal relationship insights. I really enjoyed this latest from Andie J. Christopher!! In fact I'm pretty sure it's my new favorite! Good on audio narrated by January LaVoy and perfect for fans of authors like Sarah Smith.

Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for an early digital copy and @prhaudio for a complimentary ALC in exchange for my honest review!!

A always love a AJC heroine. They're spicy and unlikable to some, but it's so incredibly relatable. I prefer messy characters and AJC always delivers.

Also, it's so refreshing to read Biracial characters where their identity isn't necessarily the central point of the story, and this book delivered. She simply was Biracial, the end.

There are a lot of things that can go wrong on an author's publication day, but breaking up with her long-term boyfriend might just be at the top of Jessica Gallagher’s list. She also didn’t expect to run into her old crush, Galvin Baker, the very next day. When Jessica goes into crisis mode about the PR nightmare, she proposes the first solution that comes to mind: fake dating. Luckily, Galvin seems game. Galvin Baker is used to being a constant disappointment, which is why he can’t—and won’t—commit to a relationship. Unfortunately for him, his last girlfriend used her vast social media power to make sure everyone knows how much Galvin "underperforms.” Fake dating for Jessica’s book promotion seems like the perfect cover—and maybe she can teach him something along the way. Hookups “for science” and some seriously sweet gestures later, Jessica and Galvin’s fake dates are feeling more authentic than any of their previous relationships did. Have they replaced unrealistic expectations with unexpected realness?

I liked the premise of this book. We mostly think of therapist as the ones who have their shit together the most, but in reality they aren't a superclass of human, they are just like you and me! Jessica comes off as put together perfection, but really her life is falling apart. She really is just coasting and doing what people expect of her. We have ourselves a classic fake dating trope between two old college acquaintances. I loved Galvin as the hero of this story. He was always kind of a playboy to protect himself from heart, but with Jessica he really seems to blossom. I liked that this was relatively quick and to the point read. There was no dragging or unnecessary plot points. Did we ever figure out why Luke and Galvin hated each other so much? I definitely wanted to figure it out but I don't think it was ever mentioned.

Thanks to the publisher for the ARC in return for an honest review. This book releases 9/26.

Rating: 3/5
Warnings: Cheating (off page), difficult relationships with parents
Steam: 3/5

Thank you to Berkley Romance and PRH for these advanced copies in exchange for my honest opinion.

Here's the thing...it started off so so strong and then it went all downhill then immediately ended. The pacing was super off for me and the abrupt end left me feeling a lack of any resolution. For a therapist, Jessica is remarkably immature and did not have much growth period. Are you sure these characters were in their 30s?

For all the moments I did enjoy, there were many other meh moments.

This is honestly just a great short romcom without a lot of extra fluff. Coming in at just over 300 pages, the focus is definitely on Jessica and Galvin growing as people rather than serving any convoluted plot. Jessica was recently dumped by her partner of a decade while Galvin was put on blast for not being able to deliver in the bedroom. And somehow these college acquaintances somehow end up in an epic fake dating publicity scheme to promote Jessica's debut dating book. It was great seeing that even therapists can fail to communicate effectively, though all of Galvin and Jessica's conversations (even the arguments!) were really mature. That's motivated partially by them being older, but also just the investment they both have in each other. This was my first Andie J. Christopher, but not my last by far.

*Thank you to Berkley and NetGalley for an ARC in exchange for my honest review*

I want to start by saying that I love all of her books and I have them all they are all so good and fun to read it is like a little Vacation from real life and I can't wait for this one to come out because I will be reading this and making sure everyone at my library knows how good it is

Thank you to Netgalley and the Publisher for this Advanced Readers Copy of Unrealistic Expectations by Andie J. Christopher!

Unrealistic Expectations is the entertaining story of Jessica and Galvin. Jessica is a therapist whose book on how to date has just been published. So it is the worst timing that her boyfriend of 15 years has dumped her the day before its release. This will surely hurt her credibility and ability to promote the book. Galvin has recently been not only dumped but publicly humiliated by his influencer girlfriend with millions of followers. Now, the former playboy is seen by women everywhere as a man who can't perform in the bedroom. When these former college acquaintances make a bargain to help each other out, it is more than just their chemistry that brings them together.

The story has good banter between Jessica and Galvin. Though clearly opposites, these two are able to grow and learn from each other. It was nice to see them be vulnerable, especially Galvin who had a lot of past to make up for. Both of our lead characters become more developed as the story progresses and we understand the motivations for their past actions. The story has a bit of steam which felt appropriate for the level of chemistry the couple clearly had. I enjoy a fake dating story line and the fact that these two had a previous attraction added to the how well the idea fit into the story.

Thank you NetGalley and Berkley Publishing Group for the advanced reader copy. This is my honest review.