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.

I didn’t know I needed this book in my life but omg. This book is EVERYTHING.

This book seriously had me squealing, kicking my feet, and blushing. There wasn’t a single moment when I was bored. This book, the characters—SO adorable.

Mackenzie and Noah are so perfect together. And when you start getting to know Noah, he completely melts your heart.

I’m going to go reread this book because I can’t get over it.

Thank you to Netgalley for providing me with an ARC of the Fake Mate in exchange for an honest review. Unfortunately I DNFed at 60%.
I did not think there was any chemistry between the characters other than the primal lusting. They rarely interact with one another to form any kind of connection or even sell the fact that they are allegedly mated.
The spicy scenes in the book were not what I expected, I found them to be cringe worthy more than anything.
I’m sure others will love this book but unfortunately it is not for me.

I finally called it quits on The Fake Mate at 60%. The story started off so strong and promising! Unfortunately, the story started to become repetitive. It felt like I was reading the same chapter over and over again. Although I had problems reading this book, there were plenty of great elements to it. I liked the main characters and their chemistry. I also thought it was interesting how the author incorporated shifters into the modern world. Even though this book wasn't for me, I think many readers will enjoy this one. Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the arc.

The storyline's clever fusion of a beloved medical drama with the irresistible trope of fake dating creates an engaging and addictively enjoyable narrative. The seamless incorporation of Grey's Anatomy vibes adds a layer of familiarity that resonates with fans of the series. The chemistry between the characters is palpable, and the exploration of their fake dating dynamic is both heartwarming and entertaining. The pacing keeps readers eagerly turning pages, eager to delve deeper into the characters' evolving emotions. Overall, this arc offers an enticing blend of nostalgia, romance, and relatable emotions that make it a captivating read.

I absolutely adored this story- it was so unique and fun, while also giving all of the spice and steam. I love a good fake dating trope and this one was so great.

A interesting take on the normal fake dating trope! Although not expecting the omega verse lore to have found it’s way in this book

This was a shifter romance with a fake dating/mating plot. It was funny, cute and spicy. This was a quick read and it just drew you into the story. It didn't have the heavy shifter worldbuilding which I really liked because it made it super easy to read.

3.5/5 stars! The Fake Mate by Lana Ferguson is a fun, fake dating romance, that is the perfect Fall/Halloween read. it follows Mackenzie Carter, an omega, and Noah Tyler, an alpha, who are both doctors at the same hospital and agree to be fake mates to benefit one another. I had never read something that takes place in the Omegaverse, but it was cute, steamy, and overall really funny, which I was not expecting from a wolf-shifter romance.

I enjoyed the fake mate much better than The Nanny, Lana Ferguson's debut, which I read and reviewed last month. One thing that bothered me about The Nanny, was the 2-dimensional characters, but in The Fake Mate, both main characters, and all of the side characters were well fleshed out! the banter in The Fake Mate was also way smoother than the cringy dialogue in The Nanny. It honestly reminded me of Ali Hazelwood's books because of the hospital setting, so if you're a fan of her books or if you're a fan of paranormal romance, pick up The Fake Mate when it is published on December 5th, 2023!

Thank you to NetGalley and Berkley Publishing Group for the e-arc of the fake mate by lana ferguson in exchange for an honest review.

Dr. Mackenzie Carter is an ER Doctor and an Omega wolf-shifter who cannot seem to break her string of bad first dates. Her Gran is a very dedicated matchmaker and if she has to spend one more dinner learning about model trains, Mack might lose her mind. On an impulse, she tells her Gran that she is already seeing someone - an Alpha Cardiologist named Noah Taylor at her hospital. When she asks him to take a selfie with her to solidify her story and buy her a couple of weeks, he tells her that the hospital board has learned that he's an unmated Alpha and have concerns about his ability to practice medicine safely. Desperate to keep his job and avoid legal action, he asks Mack to give this fake relationship thing a try - he'll keep her Gran off her back and she'll keep the hospital off of his. What could go wrong?

This was my first ever Omegaverse! All in all, not bad. I definitely did a lot of googling. What is rutting? Who has heats? Lol. But I enjoyed this and I loved the chemistry between Mack and Noah. The first 3/4 of the book was fabulous, but the ending lost me a little bit. I hate when couples have drama at the very end of a romance novel that could be easily resolved if they TALKED TO EACH OTHER, but at least it was resolved quickly. It also drove me a little crazy that a purported HIPAA violation was used to resolve this drama, despite the reality that HIPAA only applies to covered entities. Not a huge deal, and I get there was all sorts of non-reality happening, like heat leaves and werewolves, but it still bothered me that romance novel set in a hospital would have doctor characters that didn't understand HIPAA.

Overall, what a fun book!

✅ Omegaverse
✅ Fake dating
✅ Grumpy x sunshine
✅ Workplace romance
✅ Spice spice spice
❌ Not how HIPAA works

Thanks so much to Lana Ferguson and Berkley Publishing Group for this ARC through NetGalley. The Fake Mate will be available in December of 2023!

Mac's Grandma won't stop meddling in her love life, and that has led to some truly awful dates. She would much rather focus on her career as a doctor than finding love. Determined to stop her grandma's matchmaking, Mac makes up a fake boyfriend, but accidentally uses the name of the grumpiest doctor in the whole hospital, Noah. As luck would have it, Noah needs a fake mate to help him keep his job at the hospital, so the doctors embark on a whirlwind fake romance that becomes complicated when they start to sleep together.

Readers who are new to paranormal/shifter romances will find Fake Mates a great place to start! This novel offers a good balance of shifter lore and character development.

Not gonna lie, the fact that this was a wolf-shifter romance caught me SO off guard 😭.

In starting this book, I didn’t actually read the full description since it was a netgalley arc and I knew I was gonna read it regardless (gotta keep my feedback ratio up yfm), and when I tell you I was like ??? Honestly I’m not even mad at it though so 🙌🏾.

To be fair, this is the first omegaverse type of book I’ve ever read, so my knowledge of wolf hormones is limited💀, but I liked how it was portrayed in this novel. Ferguson did a great job at making the idea of “mates” and “wolf shifting” the forefront, but also leaving human aspects that make it all cutesy and adorable rather than straight “me alpha you omega #reproduction”.

I LOVE me a brooding man who only has a soft spot for me, and when I tell you Noah’s transition from “this is just business” to “you’re my business” was so scrumptious. I will say that the dialogue did keep me going a lot of the time, so there was some skimming through pages done, but overall it was really cute.

Although this was not 100% my type of book, it was still lovely regardless and I would recommend it to someone I thought would enjoy it.

I love this author's writing style! I am a sucker for a paranormal romance and this did not disappoint! I will definitely continue reading and buying this authors' books!

The premise of this book was so unique it drew me in. I loved the characters but the world-building was a little off for me, it didn't feel believable at times and needed more details. The fake-dating trope worked really well and I was satisfied with the ending. Lots of spice!

The Fake Mate was my first ever shifter romance and oh my gosh I had a blast reading it! I could knot (😉) put it down. This story was so addicting. I cannot wait to read more from Lana Ferguson!

I loved Mackenzie & Noah so much! Their romance gave me Grey’s Anatomy vibes and I ate it up. They were literally perfect for each other. I enjoyed seeing how their relationship progressed while trying to fake mate. It was definitely a wild ride for sure. The banter between them was great. They had me laughing out loud a lot. I did read The Nanny so I know Lana Ferguson writes some good spice but this book?? It was hot! Like I read about new spicy things and well I was 100% here for it! 🌶️ 🌶️🌶️

Do yourself a favor and add The Fake Mate to your TBR! This book makes me want to read all the shifter romances now! I feel like I have found a new love.