Reverse Grumpy/Sunshine, fake dating, and celebrity romance? This book was targeted at me with all of my favorite things and I am so glad I was able to read it before it comes out next month!

When Chris Sterns finds his way to the small town of Two Harts, Texas in order to escape some drama that’s following him, he meets the local librarian Maebell Sampson. The pair find a way they can help one another and strike up a deal: she gets fake-engaged to him so some of the heat is taken off his back from a little tabloid issue and she gets paid a handsome fee that she plans on putting towards her mother’s medical bills—but we know it’s never quite that simple! Maebell suffers severely from older sister syndrome and we know that I am a sucker for that so I immediately fell in love with her; she’s so strong but still vulnerable and I think that’s such an important factor in her character. Chris is the epitome of a golden retriever man—I swear you can hear his tail thumping. I adore a grumpy/sunshine dynamic with a grumpy FMC and sunshine-y MMC so this was perfect for me.

I loved the rapport between Maebell and Chris; there was some fun quippiness but it definitely didn’t sacrifice anything in the relationship building department despite that. The conflict and resolution felt very realistic and I loved the little fumbles on the way to the grand gesture. It was just such a fun, charming read and I highly recommend romcom lovers giving it a shot when it comes out!

Reading this made me super excited to read other works by Sharon M. Peterson! Thank you to NetGalley, Sharon M. Peterson, and Bookouture for the ARC in exchange for my review!

This book is so cute! If you're looking for a light summer read, look no further.

Mae is a librarian in a small town with a hard life. She takes care of everyone without taking any time for herself. Then along comes professional football player Chris who makes Mae laugh. When Chris needs some positive publicity to offset bad press, Mae agrees to be his fake fiancee. Then of course feelings develop and more drama unfolds. This is a fun read. Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for giving me the opportunity to read this early.

I don't know if "it suits you" will be the next "as you wish," but it definitely got this girl's heart a swoonin'.

You all. This book is adorable! It's funny, sweet, mostly fluffy, and starting each chapter with a cheesy pickup line is perfection.

Thoroughly enjoyable read filled with all my favorite tropes: grumpy/sunshine, there was only one bed, fake relationship.

Sharon M. Peterson is quickly becoming a favorite author of mine. I think both this and The Do Over are going to be high on my favorites list at the end of the year.

Cuteeee! Female grump, loveable male , likeable characters all in all. I loved this so much it had me smiling throughout !

Oh my gosh I adored this book! The fake dating plot was so sweet. I also loved how Mae was the grumpy one in the pair. Chris was so sweet and swoon-worthy. This one had top tier banter and the side characters were as loveable as the mains.

“The Fake Out” is a contemporary romance book by Sharon M. Peterson. I must admit, I loved the “opening pick-up lines” that accompanied each new chapter. Some were awful - actual groaners - but some were pretty clever. This book was quick entertainment - just what I needed right now. Main characters - a small town librarian and a pro football star. Supporting characters - family members galore, friends, a cat, and folks from the small town. For a fake engagement trope, this one was pretty well done. The trope isn’t my favorite, but Ms. Peterson pulled it off with the use of the supporting characters and situations. I must admit, I was rather hoping that someone else was “the leaker of information,” but that might’ve been a bit too predictable. I really liked that the two main characters were calling out romance tropes in the book - nice touch Ms. Peterson. If you like a quick read with some good characters, great side characters (hello Ali!), and some sweet moments without steamy scenes - this might be a book you choose to pick up.

I loved this so much. We got a golden retriever energy hero, friends to lovers, grumpyish sunshine (saying ish cause she had very good reasons for grumpy), and engagement of convenience.

This was also a slow burn (and no spice) but I didn’t even care it was that good!! The friends to lovers was the sweetest and the tension is well placed. I could not put this down and I loved these two characters so much. This was also set in a small town that I did not mind. It was written realistically in a way that still had comic relief and charm but wasn’t perfect which I appreciate. The side character dynamics of their friends and families were some of my favorite parts.

Read if you were a fan of blindsided by Amy daws or Things We Never Got Over by Lucy Score. But also just read it anyway.

Thank you to Bookouture and NetGalley for this ARC! Easiest 5/5 stars, all opinions my own.

Well, this was just the sweetest book I’ve read in a while!
Mae is a librarian (I love books about book people) and Chris is a very sexy football player who also reads romance novels! I love their reverse grumpy-sunshine dynamic and their fake engagement. I also loved how they are both dealing with real life. Books like this can sometimes stay very fluffy, but Mae and Chris might have made me actually tear up a little as they cope with family! Seriously, romance readers of bookstagram: add this to your lists!

THIS BOOK IS INCREDIBLE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! IT WAS FUNNY AND HEARTWARMING AND VERY VERY SWOON-WORTHY!!!!!! Finished it in a couple sittings. I usually like to make good books last, but I really couldn’t put this one down. Plot twisty? Funny? It’s all here.

This book was FANTASTIC!

The Fake Out follows a small-town librarian living a complex life taking care of her mother and sister, while fighting to keep her library above water among budget cuts. Enter a sleeping football player to her library and everything goes upside down from there.

The Fake Out was a page turner, with incredible depth in side characters and MCs. I felt a relationship to every character, each being more well developed than the next. The small town feel and close knit bonds of the families made The Fake Out feel like a big hug. Some of my favourite tropes are sprinkled through this book like grumpy/sunshine, one bed trope, celebrity/nobody, and fake engagement. The twists and turns of the plot tied in with the sweet romance between MCs keeps you HOOKED!

To say I loved this book might be the understatement of the century! From the very first—very bad—pickup line at the beginning of Chapter 1, I was fully invested and enchanted by this story about a scrappy small town librarian and the oh-so-charming football player. (Truth be told, I’m very happy that this book is told in short chapters because I anticipated every one of the cheesy pickup lines!) The characters—oh, the characters!—were a dream cast, beginning with Mae and Chris but not leaving out any of the rest of them, because they were all so endearing. Mae, our librarian, is filterless, sarcastic, easily-annoyed, but also has the biggest heart. After years of being hurt and disappointed though, she’s erected impenetrable armor around her heart. She takes care of everyone else, but has trouble asking for or accepting any help for herself. Chris, the kindhearted football player who wears his heart on his sleeve, is the ultimate helper, much to Mae’s dismay, because, as I said, letting anyone help her is just so hard. I loved everything about them as a couple; they were stinking adorable even when (especially when) they were sparring. The dialogue between them was sparkling and fiery, teasing and tender. This slow-burn romance had me chuckling out loud, but it also had me practically biting my nails as they worked through all they had to before the walls came down, allowing them to finally give into their feelings. There are some beautiful lines in this book as well—Sharon M. Peterson has an extraordinary talent for giving us equal amounts humor and sincerity. This books suits me just fine. Just for fun, here’s a pickup line to be used in the author’s next book: They say Disneyland is the happiest place on earth. Well apparently, no one has ever been standing next to you.

I cannot emphasize enough how much I enjoyed reading this book. I knew from reading the description it was going to be something I really enjoyed, and The Fake Out did not disappoint! The banter between Mae and Chris had me laughing out loud. These characters were well written, and easy to connect to.

It was so hard to put this book down, I basically read it all in one sitting! I was glued to my tablet while reading this. I cannot recommend this book enough, and will absolutely be encouraging my friends to read this!

➳ arc rating: 4.8 ★

First of all, I want to thank the author, Bookouture and NetGalley for providing me with an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review. The Fake Out by Sharon M. Peterson will be coming out on July 5th, 2023.

Sharon M. Peterson is a Women’s Fiction rom-com author.

What is the book about?
In the small town of Two Harts, a library employee finds herself caught up in the antics of an attractive NFL player named Chris Sterns, who frequents the library to escape his fans.

Despite his charm, she questions his true character when a scandalous photo of him surfaces.

Unexpectedly, Chris proposes marriage to her, presenting a potential solution to her financial struggles and his damaged reputation. Unsure whether it's a genuine offer or a ploy, she contemplates whether accepting the engagement could be a beneficial arrangement for them both or a game they might regret.

Tropes and themes:
• Fake dating
• Friends to lovers
• Grumpy (her) x Sunshine (him)
• Small town
• Marriage of convenience

My review:
That’s it. I need a real life Chris Sterns!

The Fake Out by Sharon M. Peterson was my first read by this author but after finishing it, I’m definitely putting her first novel ‘The Do-Over’ on my TBR! —Sharon M. Peterson has become a ‘must-read’ author.

This book started off a bit slow but I get that it was necessary for the author to introduce all the characters completely. Once the plot really started, it got me hooked right away! Chris had no right to be that sweet, funny and cute all the time (!!) And the story behind the ‘it suits you’ phrase got me going nuts about it.

I was all book dying to read at least one chapter on Chris’ POV and the epilogue made up for it.

I loved this reading this novel and I really recommend it.

My favourite quotes:
“‘How does he look at me?’
‘Like you're his favorite thing in the whole world,’”

“‘While all of this may have started as a fake engagement, my feelings are very, very real.”

Who I recommend this book to?
• People who like small town sweet romances with the fake dating trope.

#TheFakeOut #NetGalley

The Fake Out is Sharon M. Peterson's second novel and is filled with emotion and humour. This is the story of Mae and Chris. Mae is the town of Two Harts librarian. She loves being a librarian and surrounded by books. One day while closing up the library she finds a man sleeping in the stacks. Being the one to wake him up sends her life on a rollercoaster ride, as he is none other than Chris Sterns, a good-guy NFL player. He is immediately charmed by grumpy Mae, and when something happens that has Chris needing some help, he turns to Mae for a fake relationship. What happens when their fake relationship, starts to have real feelings?

This was a great fake dating romance. Chris and Mae have such great banter and chemistry between each other. Both Chris and Mae are unique and I like how they form a genuine friendship throughout their fake dating. I found the book is very aware of what tropes they are using (fake dating/marriage of convenience, grumpy/sunshine) and even call attention to it sometimes. I also loved both Chris and Mae's families. They were delightful to get to know and added unique parts to the story.

This is a single perspective novel (told from Mae's POV) and I think it could have benefited from dual perspective, as I would have loved to see some of the things Chris was thinking, or the motives behind the things that he did.

This was my first Sharon M. Peterson book, but it will not be my last. I look forward to reading more of what she writes in the future! Thank you to NetGalley and Bookouture for a copy of this book. All opinions are 100% mine.

This is the second book from Sharon M. Peterson that I've been privileged to receive an ARC for, and it's the second book from Sharon M. Peterson that I'll be buying on its release day because I need to have it on my shelves along with all my other favorites to read over and over again. She has a knack for building main characters who are wonderfully human -- flawed, brilliant, silly, hilarious, generous, a little prickly, loving and so very lovable. And she constructs some of the best book boyfriends in the game -- men who are tender yet strong, openhearted, hot as hell, packed full of banter and joy. These books give me modern screwball comedy vibes and I want more, more, MORE.

I absolutely love a grumpy/sunshine pairing where the lady gets to be the grump, and The Fake Out serves that dynamic up just perfectly. Other tropes include fake relationship, just one bed, small town romance -- if any of these story elements get you all giddy and giggly, pre-order this book IMMEDIATELY.

'The fake out' By Sharon M Peterson is a heartwarming, fun romance filled with humor and emotions. This is the first book that I am reading penned by the author and I have become a fan and sure to go and read the other books by her.

Mae is a librarian in the town of Two Harts which caters to 4 towns around it. This is her passion to work in the library and be surrounded by books. One day when she wants to close the library she finds a man sleeping in there. Waking him up is a task and an opening to a very roller coaster romance that she still doesn't know. The person was Chris Sterns an NFL player and he is charmed by this librarian who doesn't know who he is and give him back the way no one else has.....What makes him propose a fake relationship to her? What happens to the said fake relationship? Read the story to know more..

I love the 'Fake relationship' trope in romance books and this one has just topped the list among all the fake relationship stories I have read. The characters are unique, down to earth, yet hilarious and funny in their own way. The banter and chemistry between Chris and Mae is enjoyable and with many laugh out loud moments. The secondary characters of Mae's friend, her mother, her neighbor and Chris's family are so uniquely written that the personality of each and every one is visual to me as a reader. I would love top see this story be made into a movie.

After a really long time, I have stayed up at night to binge read this story and I am so happy I did that. I was hooked to it from the first line and the quotes and pick up lines written at the beginning of every chapter are quirky and enjoyable.

If you love to read romance stories that are equal parts fun and emotional with tear jerking moments, then this one is for you. I highly recommend it. Absolutely enjoyed this romantic story.

All opinions expressed ae mine and I thank the author, publisher and Netgalley for accepting my request to review this book and its a 5 star read for me.

I had to physically restrain myself from reading this book in one sitting. Literally. I only stopped because my legs started cramping.
"The Fake Out" was very aware of the romance tropes it used (especially the marriage of convenience and grumpy/sunshine), but it didn't make them feel old or overused. Mae and Chris were not stereotypical romantic leads (I think that this is the first romance I've read with a main character who was tall, like me!), and their chemistry was explosive. In addition each of the side/supporting characters was just as fleshed-out as the leads, and I can't think of a single character who was bland and one-dimensional. The chapter titles including pick-up lines submitted by readers was really unique, and it helped to show the (slightly corny, yet thoroughly honest) spirit of the book. It takes you on a rollercoaster of emotion that will have you laughing, crying (partially from laughter), and swooning-- truly an amazing feel-good romantic comedy.
Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for this ARC in exchange for my honest review!

"The Fake Out" is my first time reading Sharon Peterson's books, and it won't be my last! This book has many tropes I enjoy: grump vs. sunshine, sharing one bed, fake relationship becoming real, etc. Mae is a small town librarian desperately trying to make ends meet for her small family. Her single mom is on disability due to a stroke, and her high school sister has become sullen and unreachable. While she loves being a librarian, the town's mayor (and her former fiancé) has decided to cut the budget in half, making her life even more miserable. One day, one of football's biggest stars (although unbeknownst to her), Chris Sterns shows up at her library. Chris needs some time away from the media attention, and thinks the small town will be just right for him. Upon getting to know Mae and her financial situation, he offers her a deal: if she'll pretend to be engaged to him to help him recover his reputation, he'll pay her $100,000. While Mae at first resists, she soon realizes it's the only way to help her family.

Mae and Chris have great chemistry, and I love the sarcastic and witty barbs they throw back and forth at each other. While the relationship doesn't start out as real, it quickly develops into something more. This was a fun read, and I look forward to reading more books by Peterson. Thanks to NetGalley for the ARC. All opinions are my own.

Fake engagement. Pro-athlete and librarian. Small town romance. Only one bed trope. If you like these elements in a story, this book is for you!

Some laugh out loud moments and some “man I hate that guy” moments as well. I’ll let you decide who that “guy” is when you read it. There may or may not be several haha

Thanks to NetGalley for this ARC in exchange for my honest review. Watch for The Fake Out to come out July 5, 2023.

Thankyou to netgalley and the publisher for letting me read this book. it was good, i read this in 1 sitting as i was always wanting to know what happened next. I liked the writing style, it flowed very easily. i liked the characters and i liked the plot.