Three captivating tropes converge in this enticing read: the grumpy meets sunshine dynamic, an office romance, and a fake dating scenario with a paranormal twist. Prepare for steamy love scenes and an irresistible, sizzling chemistry between the characters. If that doesn't have you sold, I don't know what will! This paranormal romance, penned by the talented Lana Ferguson, combines the allure of Christine Feehan's paranormal romances with the captivating world of Grey's Anatomy. How could I possibly resist diving into its pages?

I must admit, I'm not typically drawn to shapeshifter romances, and when I first encountered the plot idea, I couldn't help but roll my eyes (just a little). However, I am now happily eating my words, as the inclusion of shapeshifter elements intensifies the steaminess of the romance—particularly the magical "knot" aspect. Oh boy, I must confess that, much like Mackenzie, my hormones seemed to take control as I began writing this review!

Aside from the added steamy elements, the relationship between an Alpha and an Omega is a classic case of opposites attracting, injecting an extra dash of spice into the story.

The narrative wastes no time in propelling the plot forward. Mackenzie, or Mack Carter, concocts a lie to appease her overprotective grandmother, who persistently attempts to set her up on meaningless and unsuitable dates. Mack claims to be dating Noah Taylor, the brooding big bad wolf of Denver General, known for reducing nurses to tears (although she insists it's an exaggerated lie).

When Mack approaches Noah and asks for his assistance in deceiving her grandmother, he reveals that he requires her help as well. On the same day, the hospital board summons him for questioning regarding his status as an Alpha—an identity he has kept secret for years, in order to control his inherent violent tendencies. The only way to appease the board is by proving he can manage his urges through a committed relationship. In a twist of fate, Noah urgently needs a fake mate, and Mack agrees to play the part, on the condition that he accompany her to her grandmother's dinner invitation to seal the deal.

Little do they know that by embarking on this lie and spending more time together, they will discover an animalistic attraction—an irresistible magnetic pull that draws them closer. Soon, they find themselves not only in a fake relationship but also in a friends-with-benefits arrangement they simply cannot resist.

Can Mack protect her heart from a man who is considering an offer to work in another city? Will Noah be able to restrain his feelings for her, convinced that she is out of his league and too good to be true?

This fast-paced and highly entertaining read is smoking hot, keeping me glued to its pages just like the author's previous work. I eagerly look forward to delving into more books by Lana Ferguson in the near future.

I extend my heartfelt appreciation to NetGalley and Berkley Publishing for providing me with a digital reviewer copy of this book in exchange for my honest thoughts.

This was a pleasant surprise! To be perfectly honest, I didn't read the description as well as I thought and was completely caught off guard by the fact that they were shifters, but I loved it. I loved the grumpy-sunshine trope and the spicy bits... So good. I did feel like maybe the main characters could've had more character development than they did, but I will still purchase this when it's released!

This book had me a bit apprehensive when I read the authors notes in the beginning talking about weird wolf sex. Thankfully there wasn't any beastiality going on, just amazing animal magnetism. Both main characters are adorable. They come from very loving supportive families, minus Mack's dad. I couldn't put this book down. I had to see how the author wove their attraction, to the misunderstanding altercation of separation, to being back together.

Such an addictive read! I finished it in one day and absolutely loved everything about this book. Definitely will reread it again in the future <3

I loved Mackensie and Noah's story. It had a lot of humor and sexy undertones that made me smile often. God Bless mothers and grandmothers for trying not to be involved.

The Fake Mate by Lana Ferguson is a wonderful sophomore novel. While readers who fell in love with Lana's distinct heat and humor mix in her debut might be surprised by the shifter/paranormal nature of Noah and Mackenzie's romance, I think that this book is such a wonderful way to dip toes into this subgenre for readers.

This fake dating, shifter romance became an instant favourite the first time I read it. It's light, while also dealing with some heavier topics. Noah and Mackenzie are sure to intrigue readers into more paranormal/shifter romances. These two are so special!!

Disclaimer: the author and I are friends and I did receive copies of this title from Lana. This has not impacted my review in any way.

4.5 stars. I love a good fake dating scenario and this is a fresh take on the trope, with a pair of doctors who also happen to be super compatible shifters. Mackenzie and Noah have great chemistry, physically but also personality wise. I felt a little like I should know more about paranormal shifter romance to get some of the subtleties of this book. I picked it up because I enjoyed The Nanny, and it has a similarly light but steamy tone. However, I don’t know the significance of being an omega, for instance, although I figured out most of it from context.

Also, surprisingly, there may have been one or two too many sex scenes. Not because they weren’t well written, but they started to feel a little repetitive and weren’t all necessary to advance the plot. Fun to read, though.

Thanks to Netgalley, the publisher, and the author for the ARC to review. All opinions are my own.

Thanks to NetGalley and Berkley for a DRC of this title.

After loving The Nanny, I knew The Fake Mate was going to be one of my most anticipated reads of the year. All I can say is get you an author who can do both contemporary and paranormal/shifter romcoms.

I loved The Fake Mate every bit as much as The Nanny, and Lana Ferguson is going to be a must-read author for me. Mack and Noah were such a great couple, going from fake mates to friends-with-benefits to more. Fans of grumpy-sunshine will love this one— Mack is bubbly and fun omega, while Noah is an alpha grump who is a total simp for his mate.

I will say that I think this book would be very approachable for someone who is new to A/B/O dynamics. The shifter aspect was definitely present but didn’t feel like it dominated or bogged down the plot.

With a swoon-worthy romance, banter, and spice, The Fake Mate is another winner from Ferguson. I look forward to recommending this one to our romance-loving patrons and think this book could make a fun pick for our book club. 5 stars, and I’m already looking forward to reading Overruled.

I don’t think words are sufficient enough to explain how much I absolutely am head over heels in love with this book. The cute cover does NOT prepare you for what lies ahead. Lana did such an amazing job bringing these characters to life, and I was in stitches with the cute and adorable banter between the two main characters.

This is definitely a grumpy sunshine romance/office (hospital) romance. Add in a little wolf/shifter romance for fun! The main characters were so great and complemented each other well. In addition, the side characters were believable and witty. Now my darlings as for the spice…the spice and the tension between the two main characters…was goooood.

Did someone say, “Good girl?”

The way that she captured shifters with Alpha/Omega status and exchange it was just amazing. I couldn’t wait for every heat comment, possessive urge or scent driven comment or inner thought.

Definitely one of my favorite reads of the year so far and I can’t wait to own it in real life! Lana is definitely a one click authors now, and I wanna go on record saying…I would wife Noah Taylor in a heartbeat!

I really enjoyed this contemporary paranormal romance. Mack and Noah's relationship started as co-workers to fake mates to something a little more real! I loved the interactions between them! The only thing i found off-putting was the whole knotting situatuion. That was a little too weird for me.

I wasn't sure what to expect from based on the premise but I had a great time. Loved the oddity of the story and the spice. The cover is extremely misleading and I anticipate a lot of people aren't going to know what they're getting into and I'm excited about the number of people who are going to unexpectedly find out what "omegaverse" is.

Surprisingly, the shifter part of this shifter romance was really minimal. It didn't come into play as much as I thought it would but I didn't mind that.

Overall, it was a funny, spicy, odd book that I had a great time reading.

While I'm not a huge fan of shifter romance I saw Lana's name and knew i had to give it a try. I absolutely loved The Nanny.

While I enjoyed the story I still found myself struggling with the 'animal' portion of this - but absolutely enjoyed Ferguson's story and writing. I definitely won't be deep diving into shifter romance but this was a nice break from standard contemporary romance that I don't often read.

Thank you for the early copy.

Welcome to Lana Ferguson’s world of wolf shifters and everyone’s (my) favorite trope, fake dating (or in this case, mating)! Mackenzie’s grandmother’s has been hounding her to settle down, but with her long line of failed dating attempts the future doesn’t look so bright in the dating department. Noah works at the same hospital as Mackenzie and when his status as an alpha gets leaked he has two options - find a mate or potentially lose the job he’s been working towards his whole life. Luckily for Noah, Mackenzie has her own reasons for signing on to a fake mating agreement. The two strike up a deal, but neither is quite sure what the future holds for them.

This was my first novel with shifter main characters and I was pleasantly surprised! I loved Ferguson’s novel, The Nanny, and was a bit unsure of the paranormal spin added in The Fake Mate, but the novel was so well written that I instantly fell for this shifter-filled world. The paranormal aspects were presented in digestible ways that even readers who are new to the genre will feel knowledgable about how the world operates. The additions of the fake dating trope, spicy scenes, and witty banter all kept me invested and intrigued as Noah and Mackenzie’s relationship grew to new levels.

Reasons why I recommend The Fake Mate:
1. The story is told in alternating POVs allowing the reader to get inside the heads of both main characters.
2. It’s an easy to read, unputdownable story that keeps the readers intrigued throughout.
3. There’s a love story where both characters are likable and invested in the growth of the relationship.
4. Lana Ferguson’s spicy scenes, if you’ve read The Nanny you know what I mean.
5. The adorable cartoon character cover.

Thank you NetGalley, Berkley, & Lana Ferguson for the ARC for review!

I really like the story's pace. Even though it's fantasy, it feels very contemporary and it's highly entertaining!
The MCs are hilarious and I loved reading their relationship development.

After reading Lana’s The Nanny I was absolutely FERAL for her next book and I was NOT DISAPPOINTED!! 😭 I love that she went in a different direction and did a shifter romance. It wasn’t my first omega verse but the first one that I would categorize as a “cozy” omega verse. It had SUCH sweet and funny moments which you don’t typically see in gritty omega verses.

In this book we meet two wolf shifters who agree to be fake mates but unexpectedly find something real. I loved our grumpy Alpha wolf Noah Tyler he was sexy and relatable and I equally loved our sunshine, soup loving FMC Mackenzie. I loved their relationship journey it was really cute!

And I mean the spice?!? THE SPICE!!! 😭🫠🥵 it was SO GOOD. Lana just knows how to write characters that get my bi panic raging because they are SO HOT. We got role playing, praise, possessive Alpha dirty talk, and purely shifter stuff like scenting and heating!!

Overall I had the absolute best time reading this book and I can’t WAIT to have a physical copy in my hands! And also the excerpt for Lana’s NEXT BOOK?! 😮‍💨 I’m unwell! AUTO BUY AUTHOR FOR ME!!!

This was one of my most anticipated this year- partially because I loved The Nanny and also because the premise is unique. You don't get many shifter workplace romances!

It did not disappoint- Mac and Noah are both great protagonists, and I loved reading their dual POVs. They both have had romantic disappointments, and their ruse serves a purpose, though it does bring them together in a way neither expects.

I do like that this one does not rely too heavily on the a/b/o dynamics tropes for the characters' personalities. Mac is ambitious, independent and determined, she doesn't need someone to complete her, but she is lonely. Noah is lonely too, and that is one of the things they have in common despite their differing dispositions. Noah is kind of a grump, but he has reasons for being reserved and Mac helps him open up. You can see how societal expectations have shaped Noah into the person he is, and I think he is grumpy without being an "alphahole" my least favorite thing.

Overall, I wasn't disappointed! The teaser chapters at the end of The Nanny made me excited to read this, and it was a great one. Lana's definitely on my list from now on.

I wasn’t sure what to expect from the book. This is normally not my genre of romance but I thought I should expand my horizons. I was hoping it wouldn’t be one of those stupid teenage vampire/wolf type of books, it’s not. The book is about Mackenzie and Noah who are both doctors and happen to change into wolves and happen to be on the upper portion of the wolf hierarchy. There are a lot of spicy scenes that involve typical human activities but there is also something called “the knot” that seems to be very enjoyable to both parties. There isn’t a love triangle or cliffhanger, but there is a person who tries to cause as much chaos as possible to the main characters. I had so many questions, which may sound similar to many of Mackenzie’s dates had. Overall this would be a good book for those who, like me, need to be slowly introduced, so that we don’t freak out/get grossed out, to a new category of romance.

Note to author: tell your “weird wolfy shit” friend that there isn’t a lot of it in the book and as someone who normally doesn’t read non-human romance, I found the book to be generally enjoyable.

Only Lana Ferguson could convince me to read a new romance genre... and make me fall in love with it!

The Fake Mate is my first ever paranormal romance and I think I'm in love?? This book is wildly entertaining from the first page. I ripped through this book in approximately 48 hours simply because I could not put it down. Filled with Ferguson's signature humor and steam fans of The Nanny (and romances in general) will want this on their TBR come December! I loved the workplace grumpy x sunshine-- perfect for fans of Grey's Anatomy and Teen Wolf!

Thanks so much to Berkley Romance for the free ebook in exchange for my honest review!

In this paranormal romance, MacKenzie and Noah team up for mutually beneficial fake dating. They are both doctors and werewolves in a universe where humans and werewolves coexist. MacKenzie needs to get her sweet but meddling grandmother to stop setting her up on terrible dates, and Noah needs a mate to help the hospital to not fear his Alpha status. The only problem is that their fake scheme is causing them to develop real feelings.

Okay, wow, Lana Ferguson has firmly established that I will read anything she writes. This is a paranormal romance that I didn’t know I needed, but I definitely loved. I am not a big fantasy reader, but the world building and fantasy elements were not the main focus of this book. It is a very spicy, salacious read that is full of funny banter and sweet characters. Noah, the MMC, reminded me of Adam Carlson from The Love Hypothesis, which is a very high compliment as he is one of my most favorite book boyfriends. MacKenzie is lovable, hilarious, and endearing. Not to mention that fake dating is my favorite trope, and this also mixed grumpy/sunshine into the storyline as well. Ultimately, I loved it and really just could not put this down despite the fact that it was different than my typical rom com read.

Thank you to Lana Ferguson, Berkley Romance, and Netgalley for the arc in exchange for my honest review.

The Fake Mate by Lana Ferguson is a contemporary romance with a grey's anatomy vibe with the twist of being a shifter romance.

The characters are so endearing you'll be rooting for them to be together from the second interaction on. I did find this to be a little bit longer than a lot of shifter romances I've read lately but in an enjoyable way that helps with world building.

The FML Mackenzie HAD ME ROLLING with her witty and not witty jokes. And the ML Noah is all grumpy smart and secretly a cinnamon roll. Steamy with a robust and definitely a book to pick up this season.