4 stars

Thank you to NetGalley and Berkley for providing me with an ARC in exchange for an honest review!

In Lana Ferguson's steamy paranormal romantic comedy, Mackenzie Carter, tired of disastrous dates, agrees to a fake mate arrangement with Noah Taylor, a secretive wolf shifter and interventional cardiologist. Mackenzie's goal is to appease her grandmother's pressure to find a mate, while Noah seeks to maintain his professional standing. As their fake relationship turns into a genuine friends-with-benefits situation, the lines between fiction and reality blur, leading them to discover that love is a complex and unexpected force.

After reading and enjoying Lana Ferguson’s debut, The Nanny, I decided to go out on a limb and check out what’s happening over in paranormal romance land. Despite some initial uncertainty (due almost entirely to the word “knotting”) I actually found this book really charming. I loved Mack’s spirited, forthcoming personality and Noah’s sheepishness. All of the shifter elements that Lana Ferguson hones in on in this book beautifully amplify the spice. For all of the independent girlies that find touch-her-and-die sort of tropes to be off putting like myself, all bets are off when it comes to biology. Were there a couple of cringe moments? Sure, but that’s half the fun of contemporary romance. Overall big fun.

Thank you to NetGalley and Berkley Publishing Group for an Advanced Readers Copy of this book.

I really enjoyed this book; it was a nice twist on the werewolf universe with the pretend relationship growing into a real one.

The steamy scenes were pretty intense (which I didn't expect), but I thought they were well written. I will look forward to other books by this author.

Mackenzie Carter thinks she's found a way out of her more blind dates set up by her grandmother when she agrees to be Noah Taylor's fake mate. Noah's alpha status is seen as threatening and in order to keep his career as a cardiologist, he fakes a relationship with Mackenzie. Mackenzie neglects to tell Noah her omega status, but as the two get to know each other they can't deny the chemistry. Overall, a fun quick romance read with two characters who start out agreeing to help their circumstances but find they have a lot in common. While there tends to be drama in these kinds of stories, it was a bit annoying when both characters would make incorrect assumptions about the other that would just led to more miscommunication.

We just reviewed this book for our latest episode and it's one of our favorites of the year. Noah and Mack are a fantastic couple - both characters are phenomenally well written. Here's so of the things we loved:

- The realism of the world. Both the werewolves and humans mesh together seamlessly. We think it was a great choice to have both MMC and FMC as shifters which creates an interesting paradox in their relationship. We don't have that "getting over your differences" bit of their relationship, which often works, but here, we can dwell on other aspects of their lives.
- The Twilight references!
- The humor.
- The way he takes care of her.
- #fallsfirstfallshard
- Mack's grandmother. She's the GOAT.

The Things we didn't like as much:
- No mating sex!
- Farther along in their relationship epilogue
- Wanted to see a scene of Noah's parents and Mack's grandparents. Just Sayin'

There's not much we didn't like about this book - if you notice it's a lot of "we wanted more!" rather than "changes should have been made!". Get more of our insights on Episode 78, which can be found here: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/chicklitbookclub/episodes/Episode-78-The-Fake-Mate-by-Lana-Ferguson-e2d7l0d

I thought this book was good however I am not sure it was for me. This was my very first time reading something like this and I am still trying to figure out how I feel bout it. Definitely not for everyone but it does not mean it is not a good book. I thought the story was interesting and fun. If you enjoy this type of books then you’re really going to love it! I honestly had a good time getting to know Noah & Mackenzie. I thought their dynamic was fun and definitely enjoyed the tension. I think my smut lovers will really enjoy this book 🤭

✨ Review ✨ The Fake Mate by Lana Ferguson; Narrated by: Samantha Summers, Joe Arden

Mackenzie and Noah both work at a Denver hospital and end up entangled in a fake dating situation -- Mackenzie to get her grandma to leave her alone and stop setting her up on awful dates (e.g. with model train enthusiasts) and Noah to get the hospital's board to back off. Both are shifters and there's a whole story line about alpha-omega pairings, etc. etc.

The story was pleasant and I enjoyed it overall, but didn't quite find that there enough at stake to keep me excited. The alpha-omega bondedness / possession isn't my favorite, and also slick should not be used as a noun, yuck.

I did love Mackenzie's obsessoin with soup and the delightful mom and grandma of the two. Mackenzie also had great friends that livened up the story. The humor and Mackenzie teasing Noah were standouts as well!

⭐️⭐️⭐️
Genre: 05 Dec 2023
Length: 11 hrs
Setting: Denver
Reminds me of: Grey's Anatomy meets True Blood (without the vampires)
Pub Date:

Read this if you like:
⭕️ shifter romances
⭕️ soups of all kinds
⭕️ fake dating

Thanks to Berkley, PRHAudio and #netgalley for the gifted advanced copy/ies of this book!

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for providing me with an advanced copy of The Fake Mate by Lana Ferguson.

Honestly this was pure fun - I am AMAZED to see that the omega verse has landed in traditional publishing and I think this will be a real turning point for the industry. However, this will not be for everyone. It's fantasy-lite in that you have to accept the existence of werewolves & their dating habits (which will be great for new fantasy readers to dip their toe in) but on a more extreme side of romance in terms of spice and what it means to have werewolf anatomy...google at your own peril.

Now for the brave, curious, or experienced this is delightful. I took to the characters & their motivations instantly and I enjoyed how the romance played out. This was both emotional and spicy, so what more can we ask for! The writing and pacing were pretty spot on as wells so I would love to read more from the author.

A shape-shifting, werewolf romance in a hospital setting? Yes, please! I was so into this shapeshifter romance filled with some of my fave romcom tropes, sizzling chemistry, wonderful banter and of course steamy spice! Think Grey's Anatomy but where the gorgeous doctors are also werewolves. Loved the Alpha/Omega angle, the workplace setting (steamy moments in the hospital - I was here for it!) and the chemistry between Mack and Noah.

If you're looking for a fun and spicy shifter romcom - this is it! I breezed through the audiobook, unable to tear myself away.

🐺THE FAKE MATE by Lana Ferguson🐺

📆PUB DATE: Out Now!
➡️Swipe for synopsis
Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Format: Audio/Ebook
Read if you like:
🐺Paranormal romance
😤Grumpy/sunshine
🥸Fake dating

If you’re a fan of paranormal romance or just any of tropes listed above, I can’t recommend this book enough! I am very new to the paranormal romance world, and this was the perfect book to start with because it’s not too heavy on the shapeshifter aspect and way more focused on the romance. This book has the perfect amount of both spice and plot, as Noah is trying to save his career as an interventional cardiologist. It was very fun and fast paced, the only thing is that I wished there was just a bit more background on the paranormal stuff.

Thank you so much @berkleyromance and @prhaudio for the advanced copy of The Fake Mate! I switched between the ebook and audio and both were amazing.

Thank you, Berkley and NetGalley for this ARC of The Fake Mate by Lana Ferguson! This book was a surprisingly fun time, and for some reason, it completely slipped my mind that this was Omegaverse, so I was in for a good time from the get-go! I enjoyed this book, and it sets the stage for so many people's most anticipated read next year, Bride by Ali Hazelwood. I'm definitely incredibly excited after reading this!

this was most definitely an interesting way to tell the same story we've all seen a million times. this was well written but i guessed every single thing that was going to happen. if you're looking for well written predictable romance that throws some omegaverse into the mix, definitely pick this up. but if you want something new and exciting, i wouldnt necessarily recommend it.

The Fake Mate plays with supernatural beings - werewolves - and introduces fake dating, office romance, and grumpy meets sunshine. And I fell for it. This dual POV story was steamy and charming. While to be honest I'm not sure what Mackenzie was getting out of it because she seems like a sunny angel, I can see the broody appeal of Noah. If you love those tropes of grumpy characters who are secretly all soft if the right person sees through and makes the effort, this is for you. Plus it has some interesting *ahem* anatomy.

Thank you Burkley Publisher Group and NetGalley for the Advanced Readers Copy.

This was every bit the fluffy paranormal romance I wanted it to be! It was funny and spicey and exactly what I needed. I loved the werewolf aspect, I have not read a lot of this kind of werewolf book so for me the alpha and omega aspects were a fresh dynamic as were some of the physical aspects of the characters. I enjoyed every second of this and recommend it to anyone who wants a fun paranormal romcom. Would be ecstatic if Lana wrote another book in the same universe, I am very interested in a society where there are so many werewolves just doing everyday human things and everyone knows their werewolves, so normalized they have medical leave for werewolf related activities. Great read!

I am Knot kidding you when I say this was one of my favorite books of the year!!

Lana Ferguson is an automatic buy author for me, because I truly feel like she can do no wrong. And The Fake Mate was another piece of evidence for this claim, because it felt like the book of my dreams was finally written and available for me.

I have been a fan of omegaverse stories, shifters, and knotting for a long time...hello my WattPad, A03, and fanfic days I have missed you. But what I never expected while reading all of them when I was younger, was seeing these come to traditional publishing in the form of a Grey's Anatomy esque Rom-Com. And honestly if younger me knew this would be a thing, she probably would have been insufferable with how much she talked about it. Not that I'm saying I am not now as an adult also driving people insane with how much I rave about this book...

What I love about Lana Ferguson's writing, is she is a perfect balance of spice and comedy in her rom-coms. Her books have made me laugh out loud while reading, while also getting hot and bothered with the spicy scenes in a perfect combination. In The Fake Mate not only did she combine these two things, but she also added her own take to shifters and omegaverses. And I found myself completely obsessive and was devouring this book within a little over a day while at a book convention.

I should also mention this book gives off Grey's Anatomy vibes. Not only is is set in a hospital setting but it has the drama you would expect from a Grey's episode, so if you want to see a paranormal romance take on that I would 100% suggest picking up this book.

I don't think she could have paired a better couple than Mackenzie and Noah. I mean a sunshine, soup-loving, omega meets an alpha growly grump? Truly name a better dynamic duo, I dare you.

Mackenzie and Noah get tangled up in each other due to both needing to find a significant other for their own reasons. And so ensues the fake relationship shenanigans that lead them both down to a sexual tension fueled rabbit hole, where lines between fake and real begin to blur. Especially once Noah learns Mackenzie is an omega, the perfect match to his alpha. Soon enough the temptation to learn just how good it can be between an alpha and omega leads them to give in to the tension.

Mackenzie and Noah just might be one of my favorite OTPs of all time, because I love them so much.

Please note this book contains Knotting, one of my personal favorite spicy tropes!!! And let's just say Lana Ferguson did it justice and I will forever be in her debt for creating this perfection in a paranormal rom-com. Oh and beware because this book contains the spice you expect from Ferguson and it is utterly decadent.

Overall this book was everything I could ever want in a book and I will be joining Lana Ferguson's fan club (Knotty Little Things) because she has yet to miss when it comes to becoming my new obsessions/hyperfixations. Thank you to Lana for giving me the book of my dreams, and introducing a new group of readers to the joys of knotting and omegaverses.

Oh this was really fun! Kind of a 'shifter-lite' version of a paranormal romance, heavy on the smexy scenes, with hospital politics at play. Definitely one of my favourite reads this year! I liked the idea of the fake relationship trope but with wolf shifters.

This was a SUPER cute read. Our two main characters start fake dating (fake mating?) for mutually beneficial reasons and oops - they end up falling for each other! Surprisingly alpha/omega relationship in a modern rom-com setting and it totally works. Could have used a tiny bit more editing but it had me giggling and kicking my feet. I'm very excited to read more from this author.

Thank you to NetGalley and Berkley Publishing Group for providing the ARC.

I'm normally not into shifter romances, but I love Lana Ferguson so I figured I'd give it a shot. It turns out that even the omegaverse can be improved with goos writing.

I enjoyed the story of Mack and Noah and the crazy predicament they ended up in. The normally taciturn Dr. Taylor needs a fake .mate to appease the board once they realize he's an alpha shifter. And Dr. Carter needs a favor when she accidentally blurts out his name to her interfering grandmother. It has everything you'd expect from a fake dating romance - just add in the omegaverse and you've got yourself a strong piece of shifter fiction.

I had WAY too much fun with this book but loved every single second so much and truly cannot get these two out of my head. its sweet and adorable and primal and possessive and sexy and nuanced and funny and HOT HOT HOT. I’m not the most well-rounded in the omegaverse but I had an absolute blast and thought this was a great book for anyone looking for a easy introduction to the omegaverse as it is simple yet sexy as hell. I truly had so so so much fun. Psa though: the audiobook is not safe for work. I learned that the hard way and had to suffer the consequences of my own actions

Never thought I'd be reading a mainstream omegaverse novel on main but here we are! "The Fake Mate" is a delightful rom-com about Mackenzie, a doctor and an omega, who enters into a fake dating relationship with Noah Taylor, the hospital's resident grump who happens to be the perfect alpha for her. The book reminded me a lot of recent successful romcoms like "The Love Hypothesis," so even if the omegaverse seems daunting to new readers of the subgenre the character dynamics will be familiar. This was a quick, steamy read I thoroughly enjoyed!