The Facts: Shifter romcom, fake dating, alpha/omega, overprotective MMC, he falls first, grumpy vs sunshine.

Giirl.. GIRRRRLLLL.

Okay, so I'm not going to lie. Werewolves aren't my jam. (well, weren't), Yes, I was the 6th grader who wore the "I run with vampires" shirt, and I wholeheartedly think that my werewolf aversion was created because of Twilight and being Team Edward. But I knew, I KNEW, especially after read Lana's debut, The Nanny, that if ANYONE could change my mind about werewolves, it would be THE LANA FERGUSON.

And guess what!

I was right.

The proof? The first spicy scene, I was on the phone with my bestie, and I said, "Ya know, maybe werewolves are sexy." And time after time in the book, it was proven because Noah f*cking Taylor has some (or a lot) raw sex appeal. Also, Mack is one of the best FMCs I have ever read. She's fierce, witty, and just overall amazing. The story flowed incredibly well. I loved the dual POV aspect; I loved being in both Noah and Mack's heads. The wittiness of the writing in general pulled me in immensely. This was simply captivating with the sizzling romance of Mack and Noah. I couldn't recommend this one more (but I will continue to yell my love for this book from the rooftops of everywhere.)

If y'all want some fake dating doctors with a spice rating so nice that you gotta fan yourself, some laugh out loud scenes, and swoon-worthy moments, check this one out.

My new goal is to make sure I read the descriptions before starting a book lol if this is your cup of tea, I’m sure you’ll absolutely enjoy this one

I’ve been going back and forth about my rating on this one. I’m sitting at a 3.5 but rounding to 4. I still enjoy Ferguson’s writing and how easy it is to get drawn into her books.

I adored the dynamic of Noah and Mackenzie’s relationship. I’m a sucker for grumpy sunshine and this delivered and satisfied my cravings. I’m so glad this was dual POV because reading Noah’s train of thoughts made this much more enjoyable and I enjoyed reading about him realizing he was falling in love with Mackenzie. Chemistry? These two had that in waves. The sex scenes here were quite spicy. The cover of this book may be cute, but goodness was it hot!

So what didn’t work for me? I read a lot of omegaverse so I felt the overexplanation was a bit much. It made it come off as too descriptive. Along with that, it only seemed like it was used as a trope instead of actually being the way this world worked. While speaking of the characters; I love a good sex scene, this was a bit much. We honestly had more sex scenes than character development at times.

I don’t want to be too critical, but I saw the third act break up coming from a few pages into the book. It was predictable and I had the same feelings about her debut as well.

Now don’t get me wrong, even with the issues I had, I still enjoyed it for the most part. All in all, Ferguson’s writing was good as always and this story was easy to follow. The characters were good and I’m excited for her upcoming release next year.

Mackenzie, an ER doctor and wolf-shifter, needs a man to get her grandmother to stop with the matchmaking. Her dates have been awful and she’s tired of it. Dr. Noah Taylor needs a mate since someone has outed his Alpha status to the board of directors, and most fear that designation when the Alpha is not mated. Alpha shifters are supposed to be safer when they’re mated, so when Mackenzie asks him to fake-date he jumps at the chance if she’ll pretend to be his mate. Of course, their fake situation will lead to more. This is a romance, after all!

The Fake Mate was entertaining and hot! It grabbed my attention when I saw it was a shifter romance, since I love shifter stories, but I would call this shifter-lite, more focused on romance. Their romance was very spicy. I do enjoy spice in a romance, but sometimes, less is more. I ended up skimming after the first few because they went on and on.

The humor and banter were fun, and I enjoyed the grumpy/sunshine aspect, although, I think Noah was oblivious to his surroundings, focused on his job, more than a true grump. Noah and Mackenzie were both likable and relatable and it was easy to see they were made for each other and I enjoyed their journey to a real HEA!

Thank you for the ARC! This was such a fun book! I didn’t expect to like it as much as I did, but I had such a good time reading it. The chemistry between the two main characters was really cute and I love the take on the omega-verse. At times it did get a little annoying, but overall I highly recommend this to anyone looking for a fun, quick, fake dating/workplace romance!

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
🔥🔥🔥

Quick Breakdown

Medical Workplace
Grumpy x Sunshine
Opposites Attract
Fake Dating
Shifter / Omegaverse
He Cares for Her
Stern Brunch Daddy
Dual POV
Open Door - Moderate Detail

Sick of her grandmother’s matchmaking schemes, Dr. McKenzie Carter impulsively gives the name of her work acquaintance, interventional cardiologist, Dr. Noah Taylor when she shares she’s dating someone new. What she’s not expecting is Noah to agree as quickly as he does. Turns out, his alpha status has been uncovered, and he’s in need of a mate ASAP. He might be broody, but he’s not aggressive or dangerous like some people fear an unmatched alpha can be. As the two spend time together to promote this relationship, true feelings start to grow.

This was so fun! I fell for Lana’s writing with The Nanny & it’s back again with The Fake Mate. I don’t read many (any 🤭) shifter / omega-verse romances, which only made me more curious about this one. Luckily, Lana had shared a quick vocab guide to her page which came in handy, but I still found myself down a Google rabbit hole. This felt like a great intro to this paranormal world & I can see myself searching for more.

This had all the tropes I want in a romance: the forced proximity encouraged through fake dating between a sunshine pulling a grump out of his shell. I’m also always here for a medical workplace setting. My only qualm was the third act breakup felt out a bit abrupt & out of place but I did like how our FMC handled it.

Overall, I definitely recommend this one, especially to anyone curious about shifters & alpha / omega pairings & appreciates delicious spice 😉

I had never read a shifter romance prior to The Fake Mate, but after reading and loving Lana Ferguson’s spicy debut, The Nanny, I knew I wanted my first experience reading about shifters to be written by her. I made the right decision too. Not only is it a shifter romance, but it also features two of my favorite tropes, fake dating and grumpy-sunshine so I was definitely in my happy place reading this one.

The story follows Mackenzie (Mack) Carter and Noah Taylor, two wolf shifters who also happen to be doctors working at the same hospital. After a long string of disastrous dates, Mack has decided she is done with men for a while but is constantly having to dodge her grandmother, who is determined to find Mack a husband. As much as Mack loves her grandmother, she can’t take it anymore and during one particularly awkward conversation with her, blurts out that she is seeing Noah Taylor, the first man who happens to walk by while she is talking and absolutely the last man she would actually want to date. Desperate times call for desperate measures though, right?

Noah is dealing with a similarly sticky situation. He has hidden the fact that he is an Alpha male for years because of the stigma that surrounds that designation. When someone sends an anonymous tip to the hospital board, Noah has to either come clean to the board and risk his future or else convince them that he is nothing to worry about because he has a mate. When Mack approaches him to see if he would be willing to help her out, Noah, although shocked, reluctantly agrees since it sounds like this arrangement could solve both of their problems.

This was such a fun romance to read! Ferguson does a fabulous job with both the grumpy-sunshine and the fake dating tropes. I loved the initial snarky banter between the two of them and thoroughly enjoyed watching them get under each other’s skin. My favorite part of a fake dating relationship is when those fake feelings give way to something real and Ferguson handled this aspect so well. I adored watching Mack and Noah really start to open up to one another. That bond of trust that starts to build up between them is everything and I just ate it up!

The Fake Mate is full of humor and heart, as well as a heavy dose of spicy shifter love. It was everything I hoped my first time reading a shifter romance would be and more!

This gem of a book is now released to the public! I can’t convince you all to read this enough. If you don’t pick up a single other new release, snatch this one up!!

Mackenzie has a dilemma, her grandmother is being real pushy about her finding a mate. However, Mackenzie is tired of going on crappy dates. She turns to her grumpy coworker for help in being her fake mate. Noah has a dilemma of his own and this is perfect timing. Someone has disclosed to the hospital board his biggest secret, that he is an alpha. If he has a mate, that will keep everyone off his trail since alphas with mates are more tame. They agree to have a fake relationship to benefit them both, but of course, they realize that they both have feelings…

𝐀𝐋𝐋 𝐈 𝐖𝐀𝐍𝐓 𝐅𝐎𝐑 𝐂𝐇𝐑𝐈𝐒𝐓𝐌𝐀𝐒 𝐈𝐒 𝐍𝐎𝐀𝐇 𝐓𝐀𝐘𝐋𝐎𝐑

I loved everything about this book. It had great pace, great character development, an entertaining plot, laugh-out-loud banter, and spice that will make you sweat. What more could you ask for?? This book deserved every star it received and more!

Y’all, I’m feeling sick. I need Noah Taylor to come give me a checkup. I wanted to jump into this book and be Noah’s fake (but not so fake) mate. He is definitely one of my top book boyfriends for sure.

If you are looking for your next favorite spicy rom-com, pick this one up!

I loved Lana Ferguson's debut, The Nanny, and was so excited to read this one. The Nanny was hot with great characters. The Fake Mate is all that and also has fake dating and wolf shifters. Who are doctors. And work in the same hospital. And it’s grumpy-sunshine. Totally checking all of my boxes.

Mackenzie and Noah are both doctors and both wolf shifters. Aside from that they don’t seem to have anything in common except they both have a need for a fake mate. Mackenzie wants to slow down her matchmaking grandma and Noah’s gunning for a promotion and he’ believes he's a better candidate with a mate.

The banter and their interactions made me laugh out loud. The extended friend group and family members were perfect (I hope we get more books in this world). And the spice was perfect. The fact that they are wolf shifters and live in a world that has humans and shifters was a cherry on top of a very good romance sundae for me. I have read paranormal romance for years and love seeing it become more mainstream.

4.5 stars rounded to 5.

thanks to the publisher for a copy. All opinions are my own.

I am a contemporary reader, through and through, but after enjoying The Nanny so much, I wanted to give The Fake Mate a try. I have never read a shifter romance before, and I must admit, those aspects of the story were a bit out there for me, but the characters, the romance, and the humor were so strong that it didn't hinder my enjoyment in any way.

Mackenzie was tired of her grandmother's endless matchmaking and fibbed that she was dating someone in an attempt to stop her grandmother's attempts. Her lie involved none other than broody Noah. Noah was dealing with own troubles. An anonymous tipster notified the board that Noah failed to disclose his status as an alpha. Due to the widespread beliefs that an unmated alpha is dangerous, Noah hatched a plan that could be mutually beneficial for both him and Mack. They would be fake mates solving Noah's issues with the board while also keeping Mack's grandmother at bay. As with most fake dating situations, real feelings got involved.

I found this to be a delightful grumpy-sunshine romance. I loved the banter and the way attraction gave way to sharing pieces of themselves with each other. Mack had a tendency to hold those at arm's length due to feelings of abandonment from her childhood. Noah was a workaholic who kept his distance from others as he hid his alpha status. Both slowly began to trust the other and found comfort together.

All that stuff made me mushy and I loved it, but I also spent a great deal of time laughing. As with her previous book, Ferguson packed this one with humor and hijinks which provided me with a great deal of amusement. Though I may have found the shifter aspects odd, those aspects were, at the same time, somewhat interesting.

Overall, I adored getting to know Mack and Noah. They were a couple I could root for. It pleased me to see them open their hearts to something real, and I was ecstatic that they found that in each other.

I was so excited to get this one, and it was cute, I just feel like I needed MORE. It kinda missed the mark for me.

Lana Ferguson’s novel, The Fake Mate, is a captivating stand-alone romantic tale. The story follows Mackenzie (Mack) Carter, an Omega wolf shifter who works as an ER doctor at Denver General. Mackenzie’s grandmother constantly pressures her to settle down and find a mate, causing Mackenzie to fabricate a fake relationship. In the hospital lunchroom, Mackenzie approaches Noah Taylor, an Alpha wolf shifter who is a top cardiologist and the one in charge at the hospital. She asks him to take a picture with her as proof of their fake relationship. Noah initially resists but later agrees when Mackenzie offers to be his fake mate to help him convince the board that he is stable and in control.
As the fake relationship progresses, Mackenzie and Noah grow closer, and their chemistry becomes undeniable. Their friends-with-benefits arrangement soon turns into a full-blown romance. However, their happiness is threatened by Noah’s unpleasant coworker Dennis, who threatens to expose Noah’s true identity as an Alpha with violent tendencies. In a heartbreaking decision, Noah breaks things off with Mackenzie to protect her, but with help from her friend Parker, Mackenzie uncovers the truth and fights to win Noah back.
Ferguson’s The Fake Mate is a well-written and entertaining romantic story with diverse characters and an engaging plot. While the steamy sex scenes may be excessive for some, the book is a must-read for fans of romance, shifters, and steamy scenes. The characters of Mackenzie and Noah are loveable and relatable, and readers will undoubtedly root for their happy ending.

The Fake Mate is a spice filled sexy shifter romance that will have you kicking your feet and smiling the whole time.

Mackenzie and Noah are shifters working in a hospital who happen to both need a “fake mate”. After dozens of awkward and weird first dates, Mackenzie is tired of her grandmother setting her up or asking when she’ll settle down. Out of desperation she chooses the first person she sees to ask the favor of fake mating her. Expecting the answer to be no she is surprised when Noah, her lucky new stand in, says yes.
Noah is an alpha shifter and because of his status, he fears that the hospital will fire him because he lied when he accepted his position as head of Cardiology. Fake mating Mackenzie will secure his position since being mated would mean his employers will see him as less of a liability.
They both agree to keep things strictly professional… or as professional as their situation can get. What they don’t expect is for their arrangement to feel more real with each moment they spend together…

My review:

I had fun reading this. It was spicy and easy to read. I do wish that there was more detail about Alpha and Omega dynamics as well as time spent explaining the logistics of being a shifter in general. I did however really enjoy Mackenzie and Noah’s relationship. I loved how protective Noah is of Mackenzie. That man is totally obsessed and I ate it up. I also found it hilarious how some rando named Jessica knew all their business. That had me cracking up.

All in all I thought this was an enjoyable read that I would recommend to anyone who likes paranormal romance and spice.

My rating: 3.5/5 ⭐️⭐️⭐️.✨

I just love a fake dating situation. Especially when they both need a fake date or mate in this situation. Mackenzie told her grandmother that Noah was her fake mate and when she went to say something to him, he happened to be on board for his own reasons.

This is so steamy and very open door with some very unique to shifters things happening. Love how his status and hers are a 💣 combination. It was a surprise to both of them.

This shifter world taking place in a hospital with doctors was so unique. They are usually out in the wild or working on bars in other books I read. This had a huge grumpy / sunshine, genius vibe going on with banter and sarcasm.

While all this is going on there is someone undermining his job. Her friends are pretty amazing side characters. And Fing Jessica!

Thank you berkleyromance for e-ARC for my honest and voluntary review.

This was such a fun read!

A huge thank you to NetGalley and Berkley Pub for my advanced copy of The Fake Mate.

I did not read this one by the pub day but I purchased the audio through audible and started listening as soon as it became available yesterday.
The audio was so good!
The Fake Mate is dual POV and there are two narrators.
Samantha Summers & Joe Arden did an amazing job.

Other Things I Enjoyed

✨ The book is set in Denver. One of my favorite cities.
✨ The hospital setting. This was a great fake dating workplace romance.
✨ The banter and chemistry between the main characters.
✨ The romance. Lana Ferguson writes couples I am invested in and can root for.

Lana Ferguson's 2024 release The Game Changer is officially at the top of my most anticipated releases of next year. I look forward to reading it ❤

The Fake Mate is an engaging and passionate romantic read that introduces captivating characters with a unique twist - they are shifters. This delightful story will particularly appeal to fans of fake relationships, as Ferguson skillfully incorporates a paranormal element into this popular trope.

ok so this book was my first omegaverse book and wow! if you are at all curious about omegaverse but you're intimidated or don't know where to start, this is a great place to start. very beginner friendly. but just because it is beginner friendly, doesn't mean that veterans in omegaverse won't enjoy themselves because this book was soooo great!
mackenzie needs a boyfriend only to get her grandmother off her back. noah needs a mate in order to appease the hospital staff with his alpha status. it's seems the the ultimate arrangement for them both, especially since they barely know each other. but as they spend more time together, they realize that things are going to get a lot more complicated. noah is very adam driver coded and i have no choice but to stan. he is a grumpy cardiologist with an ooey gooey cinnamon roll center and i was LIIIIIIIVING for it. i was so jealous of mack half of the time because i wanted noah to myself. AND MACK. mack is so hot too and i loved being in her pov. i was semi afraid that there was going to be too much "im not like other girl" energy because of her omega status but she was a delight. obviously, there were times where i was frustrated with both of these idiots but it really wasn't that hard to get through.
plz plz plz pick this up. if you like ali hazelwood and reeceally like smut, then you will love this. and also read Lana's other book The Nanny.

thank you Lana and NetGalley for the advanced copy!

Whoa! I was not prepared for the level of spice in this book but I am not complaining about it at all! 😂😉😍 This was one of my favorites of the month especially because I love the fake dating trope. I thought Mackenzie was hilarious and Noah was the perfect amount of brooding. I also loved that it was dual POV - my preference in romances. 4.5⭐️

All of my favorite tropes and twists wrapped up in a neat little perfect package

Lana Ferguson is auto read for me so I was ecstatic to get this arc. I loved Noah and Mack so much they were so so so perfect.

The mutual pining and lust was perfect mixed in with the shifter heats.... was absolutely incredible

PLUS THE KNOT OMG. LOVE.

Thank you so much to Berkley Romance for an advance copy of this book!

"Mate is...a pretty big upgrade from me asking you for a selfie."

I became such a fan of Lana Ferguson after reading The Nanny and I knew that I was going to vibe with the future books that Lana would write. What I didn't expect is for her next published book to be able two wolf shifters!

This book was amazing, chaotic, cringey, romantic, dramatic all in the best ways possible.

I love how both of these characters are doctors and successful in their respective departments. Noah is so reserved and shows very little emotion on a daily but when he is with Mackenzie it brings out this different side of him. He was so smitten by her from the start. And Mackenzie was such a smart, sassy female character and I love her banter with Noah. Having them both being wolfs meant they could relate and understood the importance of having a scent. When Mackenzie has a moment of her body going into "heat", Noah was right there to swoop in and to save her which was quite a chapter!! Noah definitely was swoony and it was no wonder why Mackenzie fell for him. He was just so delicate and caring towards her.

"I'm not letting you get away from me, Mackenzie."

If you aren't familiar with Lana's prior work then you know she knows how to write a sex scene. These scenes were so good and the chemistry between the two was very apparent. She is so descriptive in her writing and I love how she doesn't just show the female's point of view but also the male point of view. Some parts were a little cringey but I also wouldn't change a thing? This was my first knotting book so I had no idea what to expect and I am not sure that I disliked it??? Will I be running to read all the shifter romances? No. But will I if Lana writes them? YES!

I love that Lana isn't sticking to a specific type of book. Her first book was a single dad & nanny, this one shifters and her next is a hockey romance. I love the variety and I know I'm going to love the next book based off the snippet that was provided at the end of the ARC.

If you have never read a shifter romance before, I think this would be a great beginning book to terminology and the mechanics of them. Check this book out if you are looking for an paranormal/omegaverse romcom, fake dating, workplace romance & bonus dual POV!

Swoon Meter: 9/10
Karaoke: sadly no
4.5 rating