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.

Lana! Sweet geez. You know, for someone who claims aren’t “into romance books,” I have somehow been swayed to coming out all because of you. Thank you for the publishing gods to match you and Ruby, Ruby for bringing The Nanny to my attention, and you being so kind, fun, and wonderful to let me read a perfect book. Wait. Thank you for writing that perfect book. And then writing this one! Look. Everyone. Read this book! Sometimes you have to just trust booksellers to know a great book when we read one.

Well, this one took me by surprise! In a good way! I really enjoyed Ferguson's previous book and was excited to get my hands on her other one. However, I won't lie and say I was a little skeptical when I read the fantasy aspect of the plot summary. I was worried it would be too cheesy or take over too much of the story and be distracting (like too Twilight-y). However, it was not! In fact, it totally added to the story line in a positive way and didn't feel overly embellished or ridiculous. Despite the fantasy aspect, I felt like the whole story could still work without it with a few tweaks because the overall plot was based around the characters and their feelings and development, with the fantasy aspect just being a supporting background part, which I really appreciated.
Noah was the perfect leading man, a bit broody and overly worried about professionalism and his career, and MacKenzie was his perfect counterpart. She was quirky enough but not over the top be annoying or unbelievable. They were cute together and it was an enjoyable relationship to read through!
Really enjoyed this and it makes me excited for Ferguson's next works!

A paranormal fake dating romance?! Sign me up! I loved the concept of how the magic/shifting/mating works. I thought it was well crafted. I wasn't in love with the miscommunication troupe, but overall it was a fun read.
Thank you to the author, the publisher, and NetGalley for providing this advance reader's copy for an honest review.

It took me a while to wrap my head around wolves but once I did, I really enjoyed this book. I can't wait to read more from Lana Ferguson.

Supper cute, a bit of a strange take on werewolves. Could have ended a bit better but still not a bad story.

I absolutely loved this read, it was a quick easy read for me. The way shifting was written was unique and enjoyable as it was important to the story but didn't over take it. A easy read and perfect for fans of feel good paranormal.

I was HOOKED while reading this book! Like I said no to sleep to read this. The chemistry, the tension, the pining, THE SPICE{!!!) and the looooove was all done so well.
I am incredibly new to the omegaverse, but i'm glad this was the first book in that world that I decided to read.

Lana Ferguson is a talent and I cannot see where her writing career takes her.

A huge thank you to NetGalley and Berkley for the eARC I received of this book. This is so not my usual genre, but something about the description seemed fun and I’m glad I requested it! As anticipated, “The Fake Mate” handles the fake-dating trope really well with solid tension, with the added bonus of fun banter and side characters. As I mentioned, this isn’t my usual genre, but I felt the shifter aspect of the story was solid as well. This book was <i>fun</i> and I found myself laughing out loud at some of the celebrity references. (Tim Allen?!)

Thank you to the Berkley Publishing Group and NetGalley for providing me with a digital copy of "The Fake Mate" by Lana Ferguson in exchange for an honest review.

Mackenzie Carter is a ER doctor, who also happens to be a wolf shifter. Cardiologist Noah Taylor (and alpha shifter) works in the same hospital. Unmated Alphas like Noah are unfairly considered dangerous, because their hormones make them aggressive and unpredictable (rumors of mauled hikers abound.) Noah's been on suppressant drugs for years to hide his alpha status and he's considered a grumpy yet brilliant physician. But someone has recently found out about his undisclosed alpha status and reported him to the Hospital Board, who duly call him forward to explain himself. When Mackenzie asks him to pose as her fake boyfriend to prevent her grandmother from arranging YET another bad date, Noah agrees, as long as she also poses as his mate.

And so they set off on the shifter equivalent of fake dating: fake mating. Fake mating is very similar to fake dating, except WHOA HORMONES. Because Mackenzie has secret status too: she is an omega. Where Alphas are stereotyped as uber-aggressive, omegas are rumored to be oversexed and baby crazy. Thing is, this pairing makes them crazy compatible, at least in the hormonal department. So much so that it actually causes her to go into heat ahead of schedule. It was an .... interesting... detail, because the condition seems to be like the unholy combination of influenza and nymphomania. (Maybe that's how canines really are? I have no idea.)

The story is very steamy (I practically needed a shower after reading, there's so much discussion of scenting). It makes for a hot time, but there really isn't much focus on the two of them developing their relationship apart from sex. I would have liked to see more bonding in the non-bedroom way. In one scene, the pull of attraction gets strong, she cracks a joke, and Noah thinks, "Humor is good. Humor makes me feel less like I want to kiss her." That line irritated me because I think having a laugh together contributes to emotional intimacy and increased emotional intimacy makes for better sexual intimacy.

Maybe it's different for people who can transform into wolves? But honestly, they don't even do that much. They only shift into wolves once. The shifter aspect mostly just explains the the pheromone angle and some very particular aspects of shifter sex. Like real canines, he *ahem* "knots" during the act, and they are therefore locked together for at least half an hour after the main event. (I will not be explaining that further. Either read the book, or look it up.) Otherwise, they seem more like humans with some animal abilities, rather than animals with some human abilities.

So if you want a steeeeeamy, lust-filled romance, this is a great story for you. If you want something where the protagonists admire their love interest in addition to wanting to jump their bones, it might not fit the bill. If you really prefer protagonists' bearing to be more heavily influenced by animal behavior, again, maybe not for you. But this is a relatively light, uncomplicated faking mating story. Fun, fast, easy to enjoy.

Lana Ferguson's debut, The Nanny, was one of my top reads in 2022 and I have been eagerly awaiting The Fake Mate. I am certainly not a paranormal reader, let alone venturing into the Omega-verse, but I was willing to go outside my comfort zone for Lana.

Lana is such a stellar writer - her banter is top notch and I loved this book. I had a tough time with some of the alpha/omega/shifter pieces but not enough to not love this book immensely, only further cementing that I will read absolutely anything Lana writes!

4.5 Stars

Quite an interesting read that I couldn’t help but rather love and adore it. Ferguson's writing style blew me away! I loved how it sucked me right in from the very beginning with with relatable, well-written characters that had well-thought-out arcs and struggles, with quite a unique plot-line. Already can’t wait enough to read more from the author!

I've never read a shifter romance before, nor an A/B/O. Do they always go together, or is it something special to this book? Either way, if you aren't sure about the definition of A/B/O, also known as omegaverse, you might want to do a little research before picking this up.

Once you understand what is happening, this was a really good read. GrumpyxSunshine fake dating (or mating, in this case) tropes are pretty standard, but I really liked the characters and the setting. The aspects of A/B/O certainly gave this book different flavor.

I would recommend this to readers looking for something different in the romance genre.

Wow. This book was so cute and SOOOO steamy. I loved this sort of introduction to an omegaverse.

Basically Grey’s Anatomy x shifter omegaverse.

Mack was hilarious and a force in her own right and I loved grumpy Noah.

I devoured this book! It did have a bit of a slow start for me and I felt like the conflict was predictable.

Anyway, it’s a fun smutty book!!!

You know that pretty universal experience that is a well-meaning relative trying to play matchmaker? Yeah, well Dr. Mackenzie Carter does--her grandmother has tried (and failed) to find Mack love, all of which has resulted in a ton of bad dates for the usually bubbly Mackenzie. Meanwhile, the stoic and grumpy Dr. Noah Taylor is facing expulsion from his position for not revealing his alpha status. Oh, because by the way, Mack and Noah are wolf shifters. During a phone call with that beloved grandmother, Mack is at her wits end and blurts out that she has a boyfriend, just as Noah walks into the break room. Mack blurts out his name as her new flame before her brain can catch up, and after an awkward exchange, Mack and Noah strike a deal: they'll fake date. It'll get Mack's grandmother off of her back, and will allow Noah to keep his job. The arrangement will be temporary, just until Noah secures the job he's vying for in Albuquerque. 

Then, after realizing that Noah is hot (and because it's me: think Adam Driver with blue eyes and a doctor's coat), Mack proposes they add some...benefits to the arrangement.

Can they avoid catching feelings?

I absolutely freaking loved this book! Lana has such a unique voice that instantly hooks you into her books, and her characters are always so relatable. Usually when you hear "paranormal romance," you think that the book might get kinda hokey, but Lana fully pulls this shifter romance into the contemporary genre, and I think she's opening the door for people to lean more into that paranormal realm; people who may not have picked up a shifter romance before. There's enough comedy to keep you laughing throughout, but also so much heart that you can't put the story down and truly feel what the characters are feeling. At times, she'll have you screaming at the characters, wishing they could hear you and heed your warnings, and at other times you'll have so many butterflies you don't know how to function with the squees!

You should also know by now that Lana Ferguson's books = spiiiicy.  If you love a good cartoon cover romance, this is the book for you; it was hot. 

Also, for fans of The Nanny: there's a Wanda cameo that was so Wanda you'll snort-laugh.

Wow this was awesome! What a great read, like I get we all know eventually what happens, but all the stuff in the middle was fantastic! This story evolved so much better then expected, I loved how they came together, there were plenty of laughs and even a couple tears. Definitely a great book I will be looking for more from this author.

Received an Advanced Reader’s Copy from the publisher in exchange for an honest review. Thank you so very much! I’m aware that this review is coming in early, but I just had to talk about this book after how much I enjoyed it (lol spoiler alert). That being said, I’ve ensured that that nothing in this review is too spoiler-y.

The Fake Mate is my first Lana Ferguson book and about halfway through it I knew for sure that it absolutely wouldn’t be my last. When I read the blurb for The Fake Mate I couldn’t think of anything that could be more fun than reading this book right now.

However, even after I had the book in my Kindle waiting for me, I couldn’t start it. I was stuck between the very heavy slump following a fantastic book and the slightly difficult slump that comes from reading a book that required a lot of patience from me as a reader. So once I was done with them, I just knew that I had to dive into TFM and I was absolutely right. I finished the book in one and a half sittings. It’s been a long long time that a book had me up late into the night reading because it was so much fun and interesting! Even the most fun book I’d read last, I was taking breaks and pushing myself a bit to continue.

But The Fake Mate reminded me of everything I love about reading. A good book will keep you from remembering there are other temptations out there. I started the book last night and I was done this morning. I didn’t stay up the whole night but I started early once I woke, and the book was perhaps 400 odd pages. Ferguson has clearly mixed something addictive in the pages of her book.

The book is very adult and the theme is very interesting. The plot of the book, as mentioned in the blurb, revolves primarily around Dr. Mackenzie Carter, a sunny ER doctor and Dr. Noah Taylor, an interventional cardiologist whose primary mood is grump. The only similarities the two share? A hidden designation, a sticky situation and being wolf shifters. Long story short, they spin a wolfy web of lies to save their fur tailed behinds and embroil themselves in the largest rumour slash scandal of the century at the hospital they work at. Outside of this major plot line, there are many sub-plots that are both of a serious nature and of hilarious ones! Given how much steam this book produces, I’m so impressed with how well the plot stands for itself (is there an unintentional innuendo there somewhere? We’ll never know).

The characters are so very many! I loved, related, had a perfect idea of each and every one of them! The female protagonist, Dr. Carter—aka Mack—has to be one of my favourite heroines to date. She’s super fun, loyal, very funny, brave and most of all she’s got a Gran that’s the most nosiest, smartest wolf we see on page. I love how the author melds the heroine’s past into personality traits in her present and works them into the story; ensuring she heals, loves and becomes the person/wolf she was always meant to be. Also all the teasing she directs towards her “fake mate” made my month!

The male protagonist, Dr. Taylor—aka Grumpy McMoody—I think is one of least stereotypical male wolf shifters there are out there. Despite the strength his designation renders him, and likely all the excuses us readers make up for that in our minds, he was cautious, careful, a little shy, hesitant and very very human (but like wolf edition). I enjoyed seeing someone so strong be so different from what we expect and I didn’t think I would find it sweeter this way. Watching him open up slowly to both himself and those around him is so lovely. Woot woot Ferguson!

The secondary characters are the best part of this book and I can’t stress enough how well done the book was on ensuring that the personalities of all the important secondary characters and heck even tertiary ones came through! They’re all mostly laughter riots, gossip mongers that like to poke their nose everywhere and of course mystery informants that somehow know everything. They’re also friends that worry for your sanity—which honestly, I think is very realistic. It was absolutely lovely and I was genuinely there for it all.

The world building in this book was so interesting. Mostly because… even without one the book would’ve worked in many ways. It’s hard to explain this, but essentially I don’t think I’ve ever read a book based on the existence of fantastical creatures that felt so… real. Not in the sense that I forgot it was a fantasy book, but in the sense that it seemed like it was an absolutely normal world where some of the characters just happened to be shifters. Totally normal. Just like how I’m an introvert, but some of my friends aren’t. The book had a very “nothing unusual here to see here, move along move along” vibe throughout, which was surprising because there’s so many fantasy elements blended into the story. I was a little unaware of the rules that followed the designation the heroine falls under, but I wonder if that’s my ignorance or if the author just wanted us to find out as we read.

I loved loved loved all the unsureness, confusion, caution that Mack and Noah feel around one another. How scared they were, how worried and careful with one another. I loved the friendship that grew within that protective bubble they built for one another and the eventual relationship that forms. There was only one thing I hoped wouldn’t happen that did, but it lasted for such a short time and the resolution of it was so cathartic that I can barely complain at all.

Overall the book was so much fun! With lots of laughs, feelings and love, The Fake Mate reminded me, after Fourth Wing, why I love reading. Five wolfy stars from me! Check trigger warnings!

I’ve read the excerpt from Lana Ferguson’s next book and I’m already obsessed! Happy reading my fellow book lovers.