The Fake Mate is a romance novel about two wolf shifters named Mackenzie and Noah who work at the same hospital in Denver. Mackenzie is fed up with dating, but her grandmother is pushing Mackenzie to find the one and settle down. When Mackenzie tells her grandmother the lie that she is dating a fellow doctor in an effort to please her, she ends up creating an elaborate plan to have some freedom from dating for a little while. Mackenzie proposes the plan to Noah, the very grumpy cardiologist at Denver General. Noah agrees as he could also benefit from Mackenzie’s plan due to some troubles he is having at work. Mackenzie and Noah start their fake relationship and it ends up not being so fake after all.

I loved Lana Ferguson’s debut and was so excited to read The Fake Mate. I was looking forward to the paranormal aspect of The Fake Mate, but this ended up being the part that made me not love it. Mackenzie and Noah are wolf shifters, but this element of the book is almost nonexistent outside of their romantic relationship. In The Fake Mate, it is just a normal fact of life that some people are wolf shifters, so the fantastical/magical element of this paranormal romance is very minimal. The character’s wolf shifter status is mostly used for the romantic plot of the book and without saying too much, it just wasn’t for me! Besides this element, this is a fun romance with great characters, an interesting storyline, and great banter.

If you like the idea of a romance with a light paranormal element, or if you just love the fake dating trope, pick up The Fake Mate!

I really enjoyed this romance with a genre twist - I never expected it coming and all the genre bending trope was absolutely delightful, sizzling hot, and off the charts fun to read. I have not read much into shapeshifter romances at all, and I have to say, I likey likey very much!

Lana Ferguson may be a new author for me but once I finished this book, her backlist books are already on my bookshop cart.

I highly recommend this book for those that enjoy a steamy romance with a grumpy meets sunshine, fake dating office romance, with a paranormal twist.

I enjoyed this one! I’m not sure if the paranormal aspect was my favorite, but it added a unique and interesting element to the romance.

I never really connected with the nanny story. I lovedddd this one! I loved the idea of werewolves and humans living together, I don’t think we got to fully explore the Were part. Also I have never heard of Knots before in the werewolf world and now recently read two books so I guess it’s a thing and I learned something there. I love the slow realization that they were mates, but also that it wasn’t like they HAD to be together or they would die. It was also a choice. I think they matched up very well I loved watching it play out.

I was hoping for a fun rom-com but was not expecting this shifter romance. It was ok, but not my favorite. And it felt a little too long

I wanted to enjoy this. But I just couldn’t. It’s something about heteronormative omegaverse that I just really cannot jive with. It felt like every other overly done cliche romcom but add unnecessary omegaverse to. I do not understand the purpose of adding omegaverse to an already heteronormative story.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ -NetGalley ARC

<b>Description:</b>
<b>Mackenzie Carter</b> has had some very bad dates lately. Model train experts, mansplainers, guys weirdly obsessed with her tail—she hasn’t had a successful date in months. Only a year out of residency, her grandmother’s obsession with Mackenzie finding the perfect mate to settle down with threatens to drive Mackenzie barking mad. Out of options, it feels like a small thing to tell her grandmother that she’s met someone. That is, until she blurts out the name of the first man she sees and the last man she would ever date: Noah Taylor, the big bad wolf of Denver General.

<b>Noah Taylor</b>, interventional cardiologist and all around grump, has spent his entire life hiding what he is. With outdated stigmas surrounding unmated alphas that have people wondering if they still howl at the moon, Noah has been careful to keep his designation under wraps. It’s worked for years, until an anonymous tip has everything coming to light. Noah is left with two options: come clean to the board and risk his career—or find himself a mate. The chatty, overly friendly ER doctor asking him to be her fake boyfriend on the same day he’s called to meet the board has to be kismet, right?

This is my first time reading this author <i>and</i> an actual shifter book with all the bells and whistles (knotting, marking, etc.) and I wanted to hate it, but the chemistry between these two characters was so good, I couldn’t. The story itself was age old, you scratch my back, I’ll scratch yours (HA! No pun intended!) which turned into friends with benefits. The charming part for me was they were both shocked they fell in love and neither felt they deserved it. I highly recommend it, especially if you’re a fan of shifter books.

Spice Rating: 🌶️🔥🌶️🔥🌶️🔥🌶️🔥🌶️🔥

Thank you to NetGalley and Berkley Publshing for a chance to read this book for an honest review.

This is another omegaverse for the books! What I love about this subgenre is how absolutely cozy it can be. I’m really hoping this opens the door for OV in trade pub. Also, him taking her on a soup date was the swooniest thing ever!? My only issue (and I had this too with The Nanny) is that it needed to be condensed.

I've found that shifter paranormal romances aren't completely my thing (this genuinely makes me sad). I had an overall decent time with this, but it didn't hold my attention completely throughout--and this is solely on me.

This was was to cute! I had a blast.

Grumpy Sunshine, fake dating.. say less!!
This does assume you are familiar with omegaverse, so brush up on the terms before diving in!

🌶️🌶️🌶️

This was such a good book! Don’t let the cartoon cover fool you, this has some spice! This made me laugh out loud in addition to being spicy. I’m also craving soup. There is also a smarmy doctor that I feel like has a very punchable face, even though his face is not described. The writing was well done, the banter is witty and I didn’t want to out this one down!

❤️ Tropes ❤️
💋 shifter romance
💋 enemies to lovers
💋 opposites attract
💋 fake dating
💋 grumpy vs sunshine

Mack loves her grandma, but she’s so so so tired of being set up on dates. So she fibs to her that she has started seeing someone. Her Grandma is pressing her for details while she is in the break room at the hospital, hard ones like “what’s his name?” So hard, that she says the first name that comes to mind. The grumpy cardiologist who is walking through the door. The only doctor she doesn’t get along with. How is she going to pull this off?

The Fake Mate by Lana Ferguson is cute and combines a collection of well-worn and often loved romance tropes - the grumpy meets sunshine dynamic, an office romance (in this case, hospital), and a fake dating scenario, all with some paranormal love alpha and omega thrown in, for fun. And it is quite fun.

"Because when I'm with you . . . I don't feel like I'm just going through the motions in life. When I'm with you . . . I feel like I'm actually living."

I have read a ton of shapeshifting romances; I love the otherworldliness of it. But recently, I have started to enjoy a different type of paranormal romance books that are one-offs and more associated with solid characters and less with romance. In this story, we get both. Lana Ferguson gives us the spicy romance we seek but with character development and fun.

The Alpha/Omega trope is challenging to do correctly. If written well, it can be balanced. The Alpha completely and utterly controls the omega. If that's what gets your jollies, no shame. However, in The Fake Mate's scenario, both characters are strong independent people. Doctors who have fought hard to get where they are. It would be odd and out of character for this narrative to be one-sided.

What we have is chemistry so hot it burns the page. As I am a sucker for the grumpy/sunshine trope, I had so much fun watching the facade of Noah Taylor crumble in the face of the sunshine that is Mackenzie Carter.

As they get to know each other and realize they need each other's help, things go pear-shaped, and it is difficult to be grumpy when faced with someone as great as Mack, even if it is a ruse.

They might figure out that they need each other after all.

The Fake Mate is an enjoyable, light afternoon read. It's a charming story with a mix of romance and risqué themes, perfect for those who love classic tropes and would like something to sink their proverbial claws into.

This book has been on my most anticipated release list since I saw Lana talk about it. When I read the blurb, I was going crazy with the wait! I ran to Barnes & Noble when it released and dived in right away!! Paranormal Romance + Enemies to lovers + Grey's Anatomy vibes? YES!!!! This book had me jumping up and down squeaking nonstop! I loved this book SO MUCH!!!!

review: the fake mate by lana ferguson

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✨ MY THOUGHTS ✨

⚠️ cw: medical content, abandonment, death of a parent, workplace harassment, bullying, sexism, & grief ⚠️

if you love werewolves, grey's anatomy, fake dating, grumpy x sunshine, & lots of spice this book might be for you!!

alexa play she wolf by shakira 🎶

🌟 RATING: ★★★★.5
🥵 spice scale: 🌶️🌶️🌶️🌶️ a lot of spice( descriptive & explicit)

omg this book took me back to my werewolf fanfiction era in highschool. it's was nostalgic in the best way possible!! i loved every moment of this book it was so fun & spicy!!🔥🥵 plus, i'm so glad the tiny sad man finally got fired because wtf?! literally the worst part of the book, but understandable for conflict purposes! just -.5 ⭐ for the 3rd act break-up but overall a great read!!

This book officially has a home on my shrine. I didn’t think I would love it as much as I did, but wow do I love it. It was equal parts fun, sexy, and just an amazing time. I can’t think of a single flaw this book had. One of my favorites of all time and I can’t wait to reread it soon.

I'm gonna go ahead and just say that fated mates/omegaverse stuff just is not for me and that is fine! This is a great book for fantasy readers and those who love a werewolf, I just was not vibing with it.

This book was fun and if you enjoy workplace fake dating, it could definitely be the book for you. I really liked all of the fake dating things but I felt like the whole point of fooling Mackenzie’s grandmother disappeared from the plot way too quickly and that the reason for needing a fake mate only showed up at the end after it was introduced as an urgent problem. I was a bit weirded out by many of the terms that were used in it and it took me out of the story because I was jarred by the icky feeling that the words gave me. Overall, I didn’t mind this book and Noah and Mackenzie’s characters were developed fine, but the plot and motivations for decisions needed to be fleshed out more.

I saw the mixed reviews going into this book so I was presently surprised how good it was. I would have liked more back story to wolf side of things. I like that this could be a start for Ferguson to move towards more fantasy. It was a nice change for a complicated love story. It is a fast read, with all the sexy vibes you are looking for.

Two wolf shifters agree to be fake mates, each having their reasons, but sometimes the line to what is fake becomes blurred. Sometimes love is more complicated then the creature within them.

Thank you to NetGalley and Berkley for a copy of this story for my honest review.

4/5 stars

this book was everything and then some

i’ve never read a book like this before so it was refreshing to see! this is the perfect blend of paranormal romance with contemporary and I would recommend it to anyone who’s interested in the two!

i BINGED this book so fast it was easy to read and their dynamic?!?? perfect example of opposites attract

there was even a floating lesson of prejudice and discrimination— which you wouldn’t expect from a romance book but it was handled nicely


✨my end notes✨
1) loved it
2) i want this to be a series pretty please
3) i think i speak for everyone when i say hunter needs to be the second book

Totally gave me a bit of Ali Hazelwood vibes with the fake dating and shifter romance. Enjoyed the dual POV (yes, I will always want to know what the main lead is thinking!) and the steamy scenes!