I just love Lana Ferguson writing. This book is perfect for the fall season. A shifter, fake dating. romcom? It’s what I always needed but never thought about. Funny and spicy, this was a fun read.

Let me just start off with the dedication: it was cute & made me laugh which is a great way to start a book. I know a lot of people who never look at the dedication page or read the author’s notes but I do because it gives me a peek at the person behind the writing and I love that☺️

No spoilers here since it’s not out until December 5th BUT pre-order it right now. I already have because I like to have physical books with cute covers💜 The Fake Mate was so cute & fun & spicyyyy🌶️ So if you want a quick romance read with plenty of cheesy lines and a good amount of spice, then this book is for you! And if you’re an omegaverse fan then it is definitely a book for you🐺

A little synopsis:
Mackenzie is an ER doctor and wolf shifter with a track record of disastrous dates and an overly interested grandmother who’s set her up on those bad dates. So she does what any normal person would do: lies to her grandmother about being in a relationship. But she doesn’t stop there, she gives her gran the name of a physician she is certainly not friends with and definitely does not vibe with. At least he’s a shifter.

She needs someone to fake date & he needs a fake mate. What could possibly go wrong?

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️/5
🐺Romance
🐺Dual POV
🐺Delightfully awkward moments
🐺Lots of alpha energy

The book was well written and engaging with great characters and an interesting plot. I didn't want to put it down! I'll definitely be recommending this one to friends(:

I was unaware what a wolf shifter was before reading this novel. I now am fully aware of what a wolf shifter is. I am not a fan of paranormal books, so it makes sense. Both characters are wolf shifters and they are doctors at a hospital in Denver. The two need to pretend to date. Mack needs someone, so her grandmother stops setting her up on dates. Noah needs someone, as the hospital board was told he was an Alpha. After some steamy moments, they realize they are perfect for one another.

This was the perfect sick day read - I got approved for it, was super bored so I picked it up, and then binge read it in six hours. It was so much fun! The Fake Mate is a contemporary paranormal romance and the two main characters are doctors who also happen to be werewolves! If you like the fake dating trope or shifter romance, this will be the book for you.
Mackenzie Carter is a kind young ER doctor establishing her career while also trying to avoid another bad date set up by her grandmother, and she accidentally puts her foot in her mouth when she panics and says she’s dating Noah Taylor. Noah is the head of the cardiology department and is known to be a grouchy, intimidating werewolf, but he’s in a situation where pretending to be mated to Mackenzie is good for his career so the pair come to an agreement. For the hospital board to be okay with his status as an alpha wolf, they pretend to be mates but for Mack’s grandmother, they are merely in the dating stage of things. It’s a complicated deceit, and one that ends up with them falling for each other as one might expect.
This book is an absolute riot of laughs and is surprisingly full of steamy scenes. Those cutesy cartoon covers are a LIE, but I admit I’d rather read that in public than something with like, shirtless chiseled Fabio on the front. I was super invested in the romance and both characters getting their happy ending. I was super pissed that they went through the whole third act breakup thing (spoiler) because I really hate that trope 95% of the time. I could see it coming from almost the very beginning of the book and the reasoning behind it was flimsy and entirely because the characters didn’t communicate like real adults. That being said, I loved the rest of the book and thought Mack’s bad jokes were fabulous and Noah was the perfect gentle grump.
Overall, I was delighted by this and it made for a perfect sick day binge read. I know I’m posting this review quite early, but I didn’t want to wait to hype it until December! It’s really good and has definitely encouraged me to pick up more contemporary paranormal romance.

Y'all I ate. this. book. UP! 4+ stars. 4.25? 4.5? I can't decide, I just know it was deliciously fun.

I devoured this in two sittings in less than 24 hours and the only reason it took me that long was because I was so rudely interrupted by real life and having to do things. Had I started this on a lazy weekend day it would have been a one sitting read, I did not want to put it down. It's funny, it's sweet, it's GrumpyxSunshine and Fake Dating (two of my favorite tropes), and it's Reylo coded. This is a romance novel that was made for me, it is deliciously fun.

I will say this book assumes you already know omegaverse mechanics because it's throwing around concepts like omega/alpha/scent/heat/glands/etc without any real explanation, so if you need a primer on all that head to google first or learn the way god intended, like the rest of us did: on accident on AO3.

Wow, what a departure from The Nanny, which I read earlier this year. There's still a workplace romance and both novels are intentionally sex-positive, but that's about where the similarities end. The biggest difference is that this one has a paranormal/urban fantasy element front and center - both of the main characters are wolf shifters. They're also both doctors at a hospital in Denver, with FMC Mackenzie "Mack" Carter in the Emergency Department and MMC Noah Taylor in Cardiology. The main trope here is fake dating - Mack needs someone to pretend to date her so that her grandmother stops setting her up on horrible dates and Noah needs someone to pretend to be his mate now that the hospital board has been tipped off that he's secretly an Alpha. Apparently Alphas are considered to be dangerous and unstable, and he's afraid he'll be fired, but mated Alphas have a much tamer reputation. They decide to help each other out, and of course things get a bit complicated. I definitely enjoyed their whole sunshine/grump dynamic, and the shifter thing was fun, though I would have liked a little more world-building to better understand that whole situation. Overall a fun and surprising read.

I was cautiously optimistic when I happened onto The Fake Mate by Ferguson on Netgalley. Her previous book has so much hype surrounding it in the romance novel world, but I was disappointed at the character building and story line.
I can officially say, I was wrong to be cautious. The Fake Mate follows two wolf shifters living in the human world navigating the immense amount of shifter stereotypes to survive in the cutthroat world of medicine. I thought Ferguson took a rather interesting approach that separates her story from all the other paranormal romances. She created a world where shifters are known, and (for the most part) accepted into society.
Mack and Noah circle each other through the novel, fighting the pull of nature and attempting to navigate a relationship that was both fake and real. Ferguson’s character building was astronomically better this time around and I was pleasantly surprised and excited to continue reading.

I loved this new book from Lana Ferguson, author of The Nanny. You think you know a fake dating trope until you add wolf shifters and an actual alpha male into the mix! Mackenzie and Noah come together to get her grandmother off her back and the hospital administration off of his by pretending to be mates. But soon enough, real sparks and pheromones start to fly and the two find themselves coming together for real. Fabulously spicy, with two delightful main characters! I hope Ferguson brings us back to this world in her next book!

The two main characters were fantastic and fun.

The premise of the story and how it plays out isn't anything new, but Mackenzie's sarcasm and sass really make the relationship.

That being said, there were a few things that kept it being a full five-star rating. I may be in the minority, but the "knot" situation (or at least the continued obsession with it), was uncomfortable. Like, it could have been a super sexy detail but because everyone around Mackenzie kept mentioning it and she kept thinking about it was kind of ick. Also, I felt like there wasn't a ton of character development for anyone but Mack and Noah. Not that it's overly necessary with a romance, but it was like their relationship took place in a cardboard cutout town except for a handful of interactions with family/friends.

A sweet ending that tied up the story neatly.

What you can expect to find in The Fake Mate
-STEM leads
-alpha/omega pairing
-🌶🌶🌶 scenes
-grumpy/sunshine
-fake dating(mating)

Dr. Mackenzie Carter needs her grandma to get off of her back. She's not quite ready to settle down yet and her recent string of bad dates isn't helping matters. Dr. Noah Taylor has been working as a cardiologist for a number of years, but he's hiding a secret. He's an alpha shifter and an anonymous tip has let the board know about his secret. He needs to nip the stigma in the bud. When a chance opportunity presents itself - Mackenzie and Noah find themselves pretending to be fake mates. Mackenzie gets her grandma off her dating life and Noah is able to put the board at ease. Win-win, right? Except the more time Mackenzie and Noah spend with one another the more they seem to want to turn their fake relationship into something help. Will these two find a way to give their budding relationship a chance?

Did I have to google "what is the omegaverse" while reading The Fake Mate? Yes, yes I did. And oooohhh does Lana bring the heat in The Fake Mate. My pages were smoking while reading this spicy, shifter romance. If you read Lana's debut The Nanny you know that Lana can write a spicy scene and she did not disappoint in The Fake Mate.

This shifter romance was so spicy but also very sweet. Noah was always so gentle with Mackenzie. And I loved how badass and fearless Mackenzie was. The third act breakup felt a bit forced and I felt not entirely necessary, but I still ended up binging this shifter romance.

If you're looking for a sweet, spicy, shifter romance with the fake dating/mating trope - I recommend you pick up The Fake Mate.

This book gave me EVERYTHING. I think this is foremost a great shifter novel with just the right amount of monster, a great take on paranormal romance and great for those that haven’t read a lot in the genre but want to dip their toes in!

The dialogue was witty, modern and flowed with the story and the banter made me fall absolutely in love with Noah and Mack. The Fake Dating scenario made sense as well as the stakes for why the couple had to do so.

The plot to smut ratio was INCREDIBlE and the passionate scenes were well written and took great care with consent in the omegaverse character world. I often times think that some authors who use this world waylay consent and its importance for the submissive (usually omega) females need and I loved that it was not the case with this novel.

The romance swept me up and I was incredibly invested in these two being together. Great cast of side characters and a conclusion that made me SO happy.

I look forward to reading much MUCH more from Lana Ferguson, this was incredible!

I absolutely loved this book, it was funny, it was steamy it was angsty and it was highly entertaining read. It was Greys Anatomy meets wolf shifters and make it a steamy rom-com. Lana Ferguson has now become an auto buy author for me!

A fun paranormal romance with a lot of spice and a lot of heart!

When an overbearing grandma and some workplace discrimination put doctors Noah Taylor and Mackenzie Carter in a compromising position, the best course of action seems to be to fake a relationship and hope for the best! But when feelings grow and other more sinister objections are in play, it doesn't seem like either of them will come out of this unscathed.

Overall, I found this to be a cute read! I didn't enjoy the author's previous book, but I love paranormal romances and I found this book to be enjoyable and a fun addition to the genre.

It feels like the author had fun and is a fan of the genre as well as knowledgeable about the different dynamics. I'd caution those who aren't as familiar with the alpha/omega/omegaverse subset of the genre to go in with an open mind as it can be confusing and isn't fully explained throughout.

As for the characters, I enjoyed both Noah and Mack. They felt genuine and not over the top in their grumpiness or commitment phobia. Once they established their feelings, there wasn't too much push back on either side with the exception of outside forces keeping them a part. I found that refreshing instead of the usual dramatic third act breakdown. But know there is slight miscommunication so brace yourself! And there quite a few side characters to keep track of and some of those relationships are more fleshed out than others but side characters definitely added to the story.

I did find this to be rather formulaic and predictable, but it still made for a fun, light read that I didn't mind enjoying in between heavier reads. And the spice was hot hot HOT and made up for any shortcomings of this book.

Read For:
Grumpy/Sunshine
Fake Dating (Mating? lol)
Workplace Romance
Shifter Romance

Thank you to the publisher and netgalley for an advance e-copy in exchange for my honest review.

I liked this a lot.

I'm a big fan of fake relationship combine with force proximity. Also you have grumpy dude who is secretly a sweetie.

I love the way this book started out. These two people haven't hung around each other before but just so happen to be in the vicinity when they both have a need for a fake relationship.

This might be the first book with alpha knots and omega slick where the two are actually shifters! The sister part doesn't come into this very much. I think they only shift once in the whole book.

If you read omega verse you'll recognize a lot of the set up.

What didn't work for me as well is how shallow their relationship ended up being. I was super excited to have them get to know each other while they're in a fake relationship and they did. But it wasn't that evident. We didn't get to hear deep conversations or have them have huge revelations. Both of which I enjoy!. Their biology started taking over their feelings. It kind of went down the traditional omegaverse road which was to have them smell each other and not being able to resist.

I did appreciate that consent was super important and there was no accidental mating.

The other thing I didn't enjoy was the dude caving in to blackmail. And the fact that they didn't talk enough to build trust.

This is a really cute book and I think a lot of people will like it but it's not one I would read again. I might be interested in meeting the author again though.

Safety deets
- No OM/OW. The heroine has been dating a lot unsuccessfully. She also has several guys who are interested in her. The hero doesn't seem to have interest in any woman. And has no real history of dating for years and years.
- Concert was amazing!
- there is no epilogue showing them mated and together, however it's pretty obvious that they are committed and will work out.

This was a fun, sexy cute read. It was keeping me up at night reading. I enjoyed the fake relationship that builds. Y

This book is a whirlwind of emotions. It has fake dating, omega/alpha trope, and the humor. The storyline flowed well and moved enough to make sense. Normally books with fake dating take a turn where they end up finally together, then not, then back together. This had that, but it was done really well. I loved that it wasn’t a rushed relationship (marriage/babies). They still were figuring out themselves first and the book showcased that well

The Fake Mate by Lana Ferguson is a fun and quick read, good for people who like their romance tropes (fake dating, alpha/omega relationships, bad boy is really cinnamon bun). There's a little bit of angst about the "realness" of the relationship, but a Happy Ever After in the end.

Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for the eARC.

I'm not sure why, but I wasn't expecting this to be a paranormal romcom and didn't even realize it until i started reading. Normally I don't do well with surprises when it comes to books but I LOVED THIS ONE. I even squealed with delight when I found out! I guess whatever Lana Ferguson writes is going to be amazing no matter if her characters are paranormal or humans!

Mackenzie and Noah <3 I love them so much!! Noah is a grumpy shifter doctor that underneath all his grumpiness is just a softie. Mackenzie the sunshiny shifter doctor that helps bring of the Boogeyman of Denver General out of his shell after she asks him for a selfie to get out of going on bad dates set up by her grandmother. We love when characters are developing feelings for one another but still carry on the charade that it’s still fake. SO OBVIOUS TO ANYONE BUT THEM THAT THEY ARE IN LOVE!!!
I gobble up these tropes every time!!! 5 ⭐️

Grumpy x sunshine ✅
Fake dating or in this case mating (🤪) ✅ Just bang to get it out of our systems and think we won’t fall for each other ✅
Call me alpha 🥵 ✅
Knotting 🤭✅

Taking fake dating to a whole new level with the addition of omegaverse and done so well. I was so charmed by the characters and the unique take on the trope. Great intro to omegaverse too if you’re new to that world, this was an easy entry that really allowed you to fall for the characters and their journey to realizing their true feelings.