One of my favourite tropes is fake dating/marriage of convenience and this book lived up to my expectations. Chris was a bubbly sunshine, while Mae was a more serious grump and their constant bickering left me with a smile on my face as I read. Why do I love it so much when a guy knows exactly how to get on your nerves?‽! If that’s not enough tropes for you there’s also the fact that he’s a NFL star (though you wouldn’t really know it cause he hardly plays it during the story), and we also have a “one bed” moment.

There was the right amount of heart, humour and chemistry to have me devouring this book in a day. There wasn’t any spice but you didn’t really need it in this book, it was cute and with enough longing in it that you hardly even noticed. I will definitely be looking for other books by this author. Please tell me Ali is getting her own book?

Thanks to #NetGallery and the publisher. I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

Genre: Romance
Format: Digital
POV: Single
Spice: 0/5
Age suggestion: 16+

Chris was such a cutie hero. I loved how much he enjoyed riling Mae up and how he was never faced with her grumpiness, in fact he was charmed by it. He was not only a adorable hero but a damn good brother too.

Mae was dealt with so many bad hands that she was kinda a pessimist. But a pessimist with huge heart. I love how responsible she was and how much she loved her family. She never once lost her cool. I loved her friendship with Ali they were so much fun with their pranks. Can’t wait to read her book.

I especially love a book when there are a bunch of colourful and eccentric secondary characters. They were such a lovely bunch from Chris’ 4 sisters to Mae’s library assistant. I couldn’t get enough of their antics.

Also the pick up lines in the beginning of each chapter…. Too good! I highlighted almost all of them.
Overall a very enjoyable and must read.
Standalone, KU.

—small town romance, fake relationship.
—reverse grumpy x sunshine.
—hilarious moments.
—athlete x librarian
—clean romance.

This was a very enjoyable read for me. I love the little pick up lines at the start of each chapter sent in by fans. They are so funny and add something special to the book. Mae was a take charge and in control woman who had so much weight to carry and a lot of responsibility that she took on. Chris was a golden retriever of a man and I loved his personality and how you could tell he fell for Mae. They worked so well together no matter how hard they (mainly Mae) fought against it. His family was amazing and so enjoyable! I also love how the Author included side characters with more serious health issues. I thought she handled them very well while also informing the reader about the condition along with the effects they had on loved ones. There were so many cute moments that had me smiling! I loved that the FMC was plus size without having the plot revolve around that or have her be constantly insecure about it. It was just how she was and Chris never treated her any differently because of it. The ending was really good, although I wish Peter had a little more payback come his way. I’m excited to read her other book “The Do-Over” after reading an excerpt of it!

If there's anything to take away from “The Fake Out”, it’s that it will suit you just fine.

“A frown tugged at his mouth, ‘Well, I like to read and I like you.’”

Welcome to Two Harts, where the latest small-town romance is the talk of the town. Local Librarian Maebell Sampson meets football star, Chris Sterns and a lot happens in a short amount of time that flips Mae’s life upside down. There's a book club (that consists of just the two), a house full of bunny memorabilia, an ex who just so happens to be the town's mayor, and a fake marriage agreement. Not to mention each chapter starts with a cute pick-up line or anecdote.

But by far my favorite thing? Although I loved seeing multiple stories unfold of everyone else around her, I also love Maebell’s character. It’s no secret that I love when a book specifically mentions if a character is plus-sized so I was super happy to see that Mae was confident in her own skin before Chris came along. She works hard and she is an example of how eldest daughters take on the burden of taking care of the family. If she helps others, then who is there to help her? *cough* Chris? *cough*

He definitely fell first but I’d say she fell harder and I was glad to be along for the ride. I’ll definitely add this to the books I will always reread.

This was so cute! Mae is a sarcastic librarian (hello self!!) carrying the weight of the world on her shoulders. Chris is a beefcake football player with a heart of gold. Lots of troupes here but it’s all in good fun. I love their banter and Two Harts. I want a friend like Ali and I would do my best to never get on her bad side. Thank you to NetGalley for an ARC

This is the 2nd book I have read by Sharon. I read her debut in August last year and absolutely loved it. I was very excited to read this as fake lovers to real lovers is a trope I really enjoy.

I absolutely loved our main character Mae. She is very independent (perhaps too much), strong-willed and would do anything to help out someone in need.

Chris is a complete sweetie. He has a big heart and uses her fame and wealth for such good causes. He also knows how to take a joke and how to tease Mae. This clearly comes from growing up with 4 sisters. All in all, I adored Chris.

I really loved the pickup lines at the beginning of each chapter. Some were really funny and some were downright cringy but I looked forward to reading them all.

If you are looking for a funny, light-hearted read then this is for you. I found it a perfect way to spend my weekend.

This was so cute! A very sweet rom com with lots of swoon-worthy moments between the main characters. I love .e a good football player and Chris is a golden retriever through and through.

It's a little longer than I typically like for a romance book but the friendship and tension between the two MCs was great. I loved the Taco Truck scene 😂

Not quite as sweltering as I typically like, but definitely delightful and fun to read. I'm so glad I got to read this ARC and add another 5 star read to my list!

3.5 stars

I appreciated how complex Peterson tried to make Mae. She gave her a whole list of things she’s struggling with. However, when those conflicts bleed into their surface-level thoughts, it becomes a little too unrealistic. Trust your readers to read between the lines of a character’s organic thoughts.

One of my notes was that I couldn’t understand why Chris was immediately attracted to Mae. I think this story would have benefitted greatly by being dual POV. Especially when characters (Chris) make illogical decisions, it’s important for us readers to understand how those decisions came to be.

I love when authors play with format, so I really enjoyed the use of text messages! So fun and cute! I was excited every time one popped up on the page.

There were *great* displays of showing and not telling. Chris did an amazing job of trying to help her with her problems without being obvious about it. Very romantic subtleties that I adored.

Overall, this was a very solid book blended with some too-cheesy moments. I’m excited to see what Peterson does next

The Fake Out - Sharon M. Peterson.

#TheFakeOut is a scrummy love story, about a small town librarian and her unexpected connection with ‘The World’s Sexiest Man’ who just so happens to be a famous NFL player.

I completely fell in love with Mae and Chris. They are both so likeable, and totally sparked off each other.

I honestly can’t recommend this book enough.
It’s so warm and uplifting, squeeze your heart lovely and pee your pants funny!

I loved the one liners at the beginning of each chapter. They were very funny.

Extremely well written from start to finish, and very easy to get into.
I couldn’t wait to see how the story ended, but equally I didn’t want to leave these gorgeous characters behind.

Quite simply, I LOVE, LOVE, LOVED IT!
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

With thanks to Netgalley and Bookouture for a digital arc of this title.

#BooksOnTour

The Fake Out was seriously like a huge boost of serotonin.. I swear you cannot read this book and have a straight face throughout it. I was laughing out loud and giddy with how happy reading this book was making me.

I just finished it last night and I already miss this story world. This was my second book by this author & for the life of me I could not pick a favorite if I tried.

Not only is the female lead a hilarious (& grumpy) librarian but she may just be one of my favorite rom com female leads EVER! I never knew I needed the reverse grump/sunshine trope in my life but here we are and I can never go back.

Now, the male lead.. the famous football player who reads, is the sunshine personality of this story, loves his family to death, wants to be a doctor AND volunteers at a sick children’s hospital!! He is the epitome of the most perfect man on Earth who could only exist in the fictional world. 😭

This book will have you laughing out loud, swooning left and right and if you don’t give it five immediate stars after reading it then there is something seriously wrong with you and someone should send the Sisters, Iris AND Mae after you 😂 Kidding. Well not really, trust me and go read this book now!

My Thoughts: I absolutely adored this book! So much so that I’m struggling to put my thoughts into words 🤦🏻‍♀️

Mae, is working herself into the ground with a second job that her family don’t know about, to help pay off her mums medical bills that at the minute are staggeringly high and constantly increasing, adding her mums care to the mix as well as a teenage sister that can’t seem to stick to curfew and you soon realise that she’s spinning so many plates that it won’t be long before one gets dropped, but will she ask for help? – absolutely not!

Chris Sterns is a hugely successful NFL player who has escaped to Two Harts for a little bit of down time, they’re talking about him and some girl in the press, it’s not what they think but he won’t give up what he knows, he has to protect her anonymity at all costs.. but why? who is she?

As soon as these 2 meet, they hit it off, not in the way that you think. But they both give as good as they get, the banter is off the charts! I was laughing out loud repeatedly throughout the whole book!

I won’t give too much away because where’s the fun in that, but this book was the distraction I needed at just the right time, I finished it 4 days ago and I’m still thinking about it, all the characters feel like friends, friends that I was sad to leave behind.

I got the warm and fuzzies regularly, i swooned more than once.. (a guy that reads romance books, it’s like my perfect man smirk 😏)

The fact that all the chapters were started with a pick-up line/pick-up story that I assume were sent into the author was something unique and added something extra to the story.

I love a good romcom because you know a HEA is guaranteed, but sometimes I wish that it was part of a series so we get to see the characters again.. this is one of those times.

Will I read this again in the future? absolutely yes.

Is Sharon an author I will look out for in the future? also yes but Mae, Chris and all the other characters will be hard to beat!

Mae is a librarian in her hometown of Two Harts and finds her life turned upside down when famous NFL player, Chris Stern strikes up a friendship with her. It all comes about when she wakes him up upon closing time, only to find him listening in to her steamy audiobook. When a article is leaked of Chris coming out of a Las Vegas club with a woman, Mae agrees to fake an engagement with him to give him a better image, whilst in return she will have the funds to pay her mother’s medical bills. Yet, their relationship turns into something that is definitely not fake.
This was an entertaining read with plenty to keep anyone entertained. Chris and Mae are two great characters whose dialogue is full of banter and quips. Many of the secondary characters were delightful and also quite quirky!
I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book from NetGalley. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

This was such a cute book. I was obsessed with Mae and Chris from the start definitely recommend checking this out.

I was worried because it’s not your typical steamy romance and I usually get bored but it kept me entertained throughout the whole book 🥰

Lately I am all about the fake dating, so let’s up the ante and make it a fake fiancé. And while our hero, and trust me he is almost too good to be true, is a football lineman, you don’t need to know anything about the sport or even like it to enjoy this one. And our heroine is a librarian. What an opposites attract story. In addition he has money and she has two jobs to make ends meet. He is sunshine to her grumpy. They are opposites you can really root for.

I can so relate to Mae and her I can’t ask anyone for help attitude. After seeing all she does for her family and how her life has been, I wanted to see good things happen to her. There is a meet cute with a twist of it happening again later in the book. I rarely pick up book boyfriends, maybe because i read thrillers LOL, but he might be on my list. Defensive linemen are known for being big and gruff and he is just a big softie protecting those he loves. And I’m not what I liked more: her questions about his life after reading his Wikipedia page or his question about the regency romance they read as part of their book club.

And what made this one even better was not only the romance, but showcasing friendships and family. Mae got to learn how to give and take in all of her relationships. There were some heartwarming moments that borught a tear to my eye in addition to laughing at the pranks pulled on the town meanie. I really want to learn how to pull off the cucumber trick.

This is a great choice for a summer/beach read as you get romance, laughs and a little bit of heart rolled up into one book.

I absolutely loved this romcom. It follows Maebell, the local librarian of a small town who is doing her best to look after her family despite struggling with finances. She meets Chris, an American Football player hiding out from the world. They embark on a fake relationship, which leads to real feelings.

This is an equally fun and emotional book. I loved Mae’s journey of learning to let other people support her, instead of being solely self-reliant. She is a fantastic protagonist, both empathetic and flawed. The comedy perfectly balanced out the heavier scenes, adding in elements of preposterousness with the cast of supporting characters.

Mae’s relationship with her sister Iris was one of my favourite parts of the book. The tension getting in the way of their love for each other was really moving and I particularly appreciated that Iris felt like a real, 3-dimensional person rather than a stereotype of a grumpy teenager.

The message of ‘The Fake Out’ is one of being brave, even when it’s difficult, and opening your heart up to be vulnerable and let other people help you. It is one of my favourite books I’ve read this year and I will definitely be picking it up again.

When All-Star NFL player Chris Sterns starts hiding out in Two Harts library, librarian Mae Sampson is not impressed. But not half as shocked as when he asks her to be his fake fiance. But are either of them really pretending?
Sharon M. Peterson has quickly become a one-click author for me. I loved this grumpy/sunshine fake dating rom-com. I like when the grump is the female lead, and Mae has the perfect amount of sass and vulnerability. Trying to solve everyone's problems, she's stretched herself to breaking point. Then she meets Chris. Chris is a cheeky but adorable cinnamon roll, and the story shines when they are together. The pickup lines woven throughout the story are hilariously cheesy, and mix perfectly with the rest of the humour. But The Fake Out also touches on some deeper topics, from absentee fathers to serious illness, and these are dealt with sensitively and compassionately.
The supporting characters were great: Mae's mum and Sue were legends; and I loved Iris and Aidan. I appreciated the sense of community in Two Harts, and I would LOVE this book to become part of a series. I NEED Ali to get her own HEA, plus there is so much potential for more stories after that hint about Ali's brother, plus the Stern sisters (who I absolutely ADORED).
This is a heartwarming small-town fake-dating romance that leaves you smiling from ear to ear.

Overall Rating: ❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️
Heat Rating: 🔥
Emotional Rating: 😂💓💔😊😂🥰🙈😬😊😉👏🏻🥰😂🙈😍💓😉😬🥰😍😬🤬💓👏🏻💓🥰

*Thanks to NetGalley for the opportunity to leave an honest review. The Fake Out is published on 5th July in the UK*

Favourite Quote:
'You suit me just fine.'

I absolutely loved this book. I couldn't put it down. I love small town stories about love at that first glance and the sparks that fly. The big famous football player just hanging out at the library just to rattle the librarian is so much fun watching the push and pull that goes on between them. This is definitely a swoony book that will have you in all the feels. Thank you to NeyGalley for the advanced copy to review.

This was more like a 4 point 9, i had a busy few days and couldn't read it in one sitting but every time my eyes touched the page i couldn't stop reading
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This is my second Sharon Peterson book and I loved it just as much as the first one, my only complaint could be the passage of time in the last few chapters, for me it would have been perfect if it hadn't been so long but it works very well
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Mae grabbed my attention from the first paragraph, she's smart, funny and hardworking. By day she works in the public library of her small town and at night she works in a bar as a waitress to pay the medical bills of her mother who had a stroke and needs therapy to recover.
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And Chris is the perfect cinnamon roll, professional football player staying in a remote town to take a break from the press, until a librarian wakes him up from his nap in the library
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She is a grumpy hard worker and he is the romantic sunshine who has no problem being her friend, starting a book club and waiting for her to notice him but when he needs help to distract the Press with a scheme and needs a fake girlfriend she agree and then all the faking start to bring up real feelings almost forgotten for a love skeptic like Mae
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I really enjoyed this book, its characters and each beginning of the chapter with phrases and anecdotes from other people
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Thanks to Sharon M. Peterson and Bokouture for give me a copy of this Beautiful book in exchange for my honest and voluntary opinion

"The Fake Out" is a delightful fake engagement romcom! I absolutely loved all of the characters (Chris may be the perfect man) and I laughed out loud at all their witty banter and incredibly cheesy pickup lines (it’s definitely worth reading just for these).

I was sold on this book within the first chapter and I could not stop reading it. It’s sweet, lighthearted, fun, and the characters have amazing chemistry. My one wish was for more of their book club content because I would love to be able to be a part of it 🥲

Here’s hoping for more books in this series! (Maybe about Ali or Ellie??)

* Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for providing me with an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

The Fake Out had all my favourite tropes. We had small town, fake dating and grumpy/sunshine. It also made a nice change that it was Mae that was the grump. Chris was the lovable golden retriever sunshine in this story. The pick up lines at the start of each chapter were a nice addition.