Thank you to Netgalley and the Publishers for this Advanced Readers Copy of The Fake Mate by Lana Ferguson!

Mackenzie Carter is tired of her grandmother trying to set her up on dates and, without thinking, she blurts out that she’s met someone. Unfortunately, the first name out of her mouth is the last man she would ever want to be paired up with - Noah Taylor, the big bad wolf of Denver General. Noah has worked hard to keep his alpha designation a secret for years, afraid that the stigma surrounding unmated alphas will ruin his career. But an anonymous tip has his world crumbling down around him. So when Mack asks him to be her fake boyfriend on the same day he has to meet with the board, he proposes a fake dating scheme that will keep her grandmother off her back and the board off his. But chemistry is hard to ignore and the pair find themselves developing a very real friends with benefits arrangement that has them blurring the lines between what’s real and what’s just pretend.

I never knew I need a contemporary paranormal romance, but when Lana Ferguson tells me she’s got some “wolfy shit” (her exact words) coming out, it becomes an immediate need. The grumpy/sunshine vibes are immaculate, the fake dating turned real friends with benefits is hot as all hell, and the underlying question of whether they will be found out had me flipping pages as fast as I could.

As a Grey’s Anatomy enthusiast (despite how outrageous it is), it was so much fun to see a story like this in a hospital setting. The hospital politics, the one person who always has all the gossip, the exam room shenanigans - it hit all the right notes. Plus, the scene that directly references Grey’s made me actually laugh out loud.

One thing that does not need to be stated but will be anyways: Lana Ferguson knows how to write spice. If you’ve read her debut THE NANNY, then you know exactly how much steam to expect. Maybe keep a fan close by so your hand doesn't get tired from fanning yourself through all the spicy scenes.

And speaking of THE NANNY, there is a quick cameo from our favorite geriatric bestie Wanda and it’s the most Wanda cameo ever and had me chuckling well after I read it.

Disclaimer: I received an advanced copy of this book from the author for free and have voluntarily written this review.

In a moment of exasperation, Mack tells her grandmother a small lie - that she is dating fellow shifter (and doctor) Noah. Turns out that Noah could also use a fake girlfriend to appease the medical board who are concerned about his shifter temperament. As the two stumble into a fake relationship, they discover that shifter biology might be stronger than intentions and feelings are unpredictable.

Several tropes weaving together to make a fast paced and spicy romance. Mack and Noah are well rounded and full of banter. Perfect for fans of Ali Hazelwood.

I feel I must start my review by saying that while I have read a lot of werewolf and shifter fiction (with the usual alphas, submissive, and dominants) I don’t typically read omegaverse.

I loved the plot itself - where the plot existed. Mackenzie, or Mack, is a relatively new surgeon in the ER. Noah is a grumpy head of Cardio. Despite being 2 of the few shifters in the hospital, they don’t really talk much until Mack tells her grandma they’re dating in an attempt to avoid more awkward setups. Noah for his part needs a fake mate to protect his job - can’t have an unmated alpha doing surgery on people with open chest cavities after all.

The problem is the pacing of the book. The whole plot gets set aside for a good portion of the middle to just have some repetitive sex scenes followed by knotting. This is coupled with some awkward mid coitus language that just took me out of the moment repeatedly. (How many times does he need to ask her to come on his knot?) I don’t know if this is awkward because it’s awkward or if I just don’t typically read these kinds of stories.

They finally get back to the plot and we’re into some pretty usual 3rd act romance fare but I don’t buy the reasoning for their break up at all. It felt pretty forced that the nemesis of the book even cares whether Noah and Mack are together as long as Noah is out of the way, so the blackmailing to make them break up is just weird and out of place.

In addition I take some issue with these 2 medical professionals repeatedly thinking that facts of their anatomy have been grossly over exaggerated. In a world where there is medicine (suppressors) to manage an Alpha’s urges and their anatomy is discussed in medical text books AND THESE PEOPLE ARE DOCTORS I just don’t buy that they aren’t fully aware of what will happen when they couple.

This book was a LOT of fun. I highly recommend it, especially if you enjoyed Ferguson’s book The Nanny. You can expect just as much delectable tension and steam in this book.

-fake dating
-grumpy x sunshine
-workplace romance
-shifter romance
-contemporary paranormal romance

Steam rating: 4/5

CW: abandonment

After seeing everybody RAVE about The Nanny on booktok, I was very excited for The Fake Mate. Lana Ferguson is known for her spice x sweet combo, and her second novel did not disappoint. I thought the premise of the book was very intriguing, and the chemistry between the characters was lots of fun to watch play out on the page. There was a very well written enemies to lovers arc, and the hospital setting only added to the depth and complexity of the story. As someone who loves both romance with a plot and romance without a plot (hehe), this was a delightful combination of both. I can see this being a great fall/Halloween read, but it can also be enjoyed with a cup of hot apple cider all year round.

This book was a ball of fun! I read it as we were entering the fall season, and I absolutely enjoyed the Paranormal vibes. This was a fun fake dating story that has the humor and writing that captivated me in Lana's debut, The Nanny. Noah and Mackenzie's banter made this story enjoyable and the book is definitely spicy and fun, I think there were times that I felt too lost in the book, but otherwise, this is a fun PNR book that will be fun to read in the winter.

I loved Lana Ferguson's last book and was looking so forward to reading this one but I didn't even end up finishing it. I could not get past the whole "wolf/shifter" aspect. It was a disappointment to find that there was more of a fantasy element to this story rather than a straightforward rom-com like I was expecting.

The Fake Mate
Pub Date: Dec. 5th, 2023

Read if you like:
🔬The Love Hypothesis x Shifter Omegaverse
🩺 Doctor Romance
🌦️ Grumpy/sunshine
👫 Fake dating and Dual POV
💜 Age-gap
🩻 Workplace romance

What I liked:
- I absolutely LOVE socially awkward men and Noah is no exception to that. A smart, bumbling, social outcast?? Hello, sign me up.
- I love Mackenzie so much!! This might be the only time where I will ever love a female character over a male (only by a tiny tiny amount). She loves soup, knock-off pink drinks, is admirably sociable, brave, etc,. She's perfect, and I loved spending time with her.
- This romance was super spicy and super funny! Noah and Mackenzie's dates were super cute, their little meet ups in the hospital, their texts/emails, and the ski lodge....chef's kiss, really.

What I didn't like:
- This book was a *little* long for my liking. I found myself skimming over a couple bits about either of the characters inner-thoughts, but it's not long enough where I would suggest you don't read it. Just long enough where I felt the need to dock its rating a bit...
- No epilogue showing Noah and Mackenzie actually mated! I know it's obvious they they will one day mate, but it would have been a cute moment to have at the end.
- (I liked The Nanny better. I'm so sorry. It had to be said. I still loved this book though! Obviously because it only took me a day to read it LOL).

I personally enjoy paranormal romances during the fall, but the setting of this book is also perfect for its wintery release date! I LOVE LOVE LOVED The Nanny, so if you feel the same, I would certainly check this one out!

I was nervous and excited to try this read - the cover art is gorgeous and I adore a fake relationship trope. Add to that the fact that the premise is a contemporary paranormal romance about wolf shifters? Yeah, sounded like a perfect fit for my fall reading vibe and a must try.

I was not disappointed- this was a cute, fast read that fit right into the cozy, magical / fantasy vibe I enjoy in a fall read. It was a nice mix too, since usually mine are witchy and this was a new type of read for me. It had a good balance of Contemp romance and paranormal tinge vibes.

It was an enjoyable read and I love an opposites attract, grump hero situation. Both our mains were good characters- I liked them both and was rooting for them as a couple. Perfect little, light afternoon escape read. I look forward to trying more by the author soon.

Delightful! What a fun twist on a contemporary shifter romance. The concept does require you to know about the omega verse going into this, but nothing a quick internet search can’t fix. Highly recommend!

It's not often you see a fake relationship blended with a fated mate setup, but this managed that particular combination deftly while making a setting where shifters are known and part of the regular working conditions believable. Throw in a surprise pon farr and you've got a winning recipe for all the feels.

3.5 stars

i really like this, i thought it was fun and i hope a lot of werewolf books like these come out in the future. i think the authors biggest problem is that these books are 400 pages. there’s no reason a romance book should be longer than 320 pages and this was no exception. i felt like the smut happened too soon. it was about 39% so the rest ended up being ok because the build up was gone. i also felt like these characters were too grown to be dumbasses. why are you confused as to why you can tell when his mood changes. you know why, don’t be dumb. other than that! i do recommend this book!

This book was so FREAKING cute! I ate this up and left no crumbs. After reading Lana's the Nanny, I already knew going into this book that I would love it & I absolutely did.

It was cute, fun, had a good paranormal plot, and such a fantastic amount of chemistry between the two main characters. Characters who are doctors. Who are also wolf-shifters. It could not be more perfect to me.

They were adorable, sweet, and their romance blossomed so beautifully throughout the entire book. I was hanging on the edge of my seat as I read it. The fake dating trope has always been my favourite, so add it on top of the omega verse and it's guaranteed to be a good read for me!

This book was absolutely fantastic and I loved every minute of it!

Thank you NetGalley for an eARC in exchange for an honest review!

Just on vibes alone, this was freaking amazing! There were a few parts of the story that was meh to me but the connection I felt between these two completely overshadowed it. I could not stop smiling, they were that cute. 😍

Noah is a huge grump but Mackenzie is super sweet and sassy so the two of them together are hilarious. The banter was funny as hell especially with how serious Noah is because Mackenzie is so unserious. They would seem like oil and water but they're somehow perfect together.

HIGHLY RECOMMEND.

*I received an ARC of this book and am voluntarily leaving a review with my honest opinion.*

I. Loved. This. This is the first time I've read an alpha/omega story traditionally published and I want more of it. I don't know how people who have never read such a fanfic will feel about it but it's also a good way to introduce people to it. However I think it could do a much better job explaining terminology to people at the start. The other tropes in this are really fun, workplace romance and fake dating!

The Fake Mate by Lana Ferguson was cute... from what I remember.

I read this a little over a week ago and I'm already forgetting what happened. However, if you're looking for a fun quick fake dating book then this one goes on my list of recommendations (because how good are they most of the time anyways).

I would definitely argue that this is one of the better rom coms I've read this year, but there still wasn't anything "wow" that popped out to me.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher foor an advanced copy of this book.

Ferguson’ books are already and automatically becoming my favorite and I can’t get enough. I grabbed this one for a quick break between some longer series I’ve been reading. This was the perfect mix of hot steaminess and super sugary sweetness. Although this is merely the second book by the author but I’m just so happy to be reading an another Fergsuon story. They seems to be positively the best! Loved and adored it

I didn't end up finishing this one but it wasn't the book's fault. I definitely think you'll enjoy this if wolfy paranormal romance is your thing.

What a fun read with lots of spice!! (I wish I had a dollar for every time I read the words “knot” and “slick”.)

My biggest issue with this book is the writing style and general vibes. I, personally, didn’t care for the writing in this story. Additionally, The Fake Mate felt like a lackluster version of The Love Hypothesis with doctors and wolf shifters instead of PhDs.

If you are a fan of Ali Hazelwood and are looking for spicier boos, this one is for you! Sadly, it just didn’t work that great for me. Thank you for an advance copy in exchange for an honest review.