This book felt somewhat unhinged, but I really liked it. I wouldn't usually go for a shifter romance, but I loved The Nanny by the author enough that I was willing to take this leap with her. This is funny and extremely steamy (I blushed), and I think readers who also followed the author to this one will be just as pleased as those who picked it up BECAUSE they wanted a shifter romance.

I read The Nanny and liked it so I decided to pick up this one. It was fun and flirty. Very character-driven, but at least had more of a plot since it was fake dating.

This book was fun as it's a bit of an AU situation. It takes place in the modern world, but everyone knows about werewolves/shifters. It's all well known and there are shifter laws and retreats for them and stuff that made being a shifter possible while still being in the familiar, contemporary world. I forgot how much I love AU novels.

I liked the characters. Noah was so soft and quiet and a little grumpy which contrasted a lot with the commanding Alpha side of him. I loved seeing both sides and how he would always come back to being a soft, quiet boy. Mack was a nice character because she didn't want to date and tried to be so detached from everything which really brought the angst.

The cabin scene...Yes. Loved.

They never really had them be fated mates for each other. The FMC kept saying she didn't believe in that stuff, but I thought still it might happen, that they were always meant to be together. It was really never addressed and I feel like I wanted more mate things. More endgame mate things, specifically.

Overall, as my first Omegaverse novel, I enjoyed it. Maybe those who are more familiar with Omegaverse things will have a better perspective on the book than me, but as a newbie, here we are. Lana Ferguson's books are far have not been my favorite ever, but they are very emotional at the right moments so I appreciate her angst. I'm open to reading her next release.

Holy moly this one was spicy! I thought the author’s first book, The Nanny, was spicy but that one was mild compared to this one. It was a supernatural-ish romance where the main characters were wolf-shifters and doctors at the same hospital. I totally wasn’t excepting the wolf-shifter part but it just added a unique element to the romance.

It was a fun romance with the grump/sunshine, workplace romance, and fake dating tropes. I loved the passion, the banter and the humor. It was fast paced and couldn’t stop reading. If you enjoy spicy romance then give this one a try!

First, I'd like to ask who gave Lana the right to write such an excellent sophomore book? I LOVED her debut, The Nanny earlier this year, so my hopes were really high for this one. The Fake Mate hurdled past those expectations, and easily became one of my favorite reads of the year. 
 
I could not put this book down - I tore through it and stayed up way too late reading. It's fast paced, super entertaining, and ridiculously fun (and spicy). This story also has some of my favorite tropes - fake dating, workplace romance and he falls first. Though I haven't any omegaverse books before, I really like how this story used the trope - the lore was approachable and easy to understand, and added a really interesting dynamic to Noah and Mackenzie's romance.  
 
The leads in this book were so fun - Mackenzie was bold, witty and a take charge kind of character where Noah was a bit more on the grumpy, deep-down-a-cinnamon-roll side of things. Their banter was top notch - I genuinely laughed out loud a few times. 
 
The chemistry between them was insane. Right off the bat, sparks flew - and their chemistry was intensified by the paranormal element (all that scenting? oh my god?). Getting both of their POVs was delightful and really helped to heighten my favorite part of fake dating - the mutual pining when both characters realize that maybe they don't want this to be fake. I'm also obsessed with how sweet Noah was - even in the heat (pun intended) of the moment, he doted on Mackenzie and put her above all else. They were so cute, and I loved the balance of swoony and spice that Lana struck with these two. 
 
The Fake Mate didn't just replace The Nanny as my favorite Lana Ferguson book, it's one of my favorite books of the year. I cannot recommend it highly enough - it's got the chemistry, steam and swoony moments that make a great romance book. If you need a swoony and spicy read to finish the year with, this is a great one to pick up!

Holy smokes y’all…I never thought I’d read a megaverse story but here we are. After reading The Nanny by Lana Ferguson I had to check this one out and I’m glad I did.

Two wolf shifters agree to be fake mates but unexpectedly find something real in this steamy paranormal romantic comedy.

Woah buddy did I learn some things about wolf shifters 🪢😆 This book is HOT HOT HOT. 🥵 I just adored the banter between Mackenzie and Noah. A broody interventional cardiologist that sounds right up my alley 😂 Add some fake dating some, strong girl boss vibes and we’ve got a winner folks! This one is out 12/5/23 so be sure to check it out!

This is my first read by the author and the reason I picked up the book was because I LOVE shifter books. I am not usually a fake boyfriend/girlfriend trope type of person but the book blurb sounded really interesting. Unfortunately, I had to tap out at 32%. The pacing of the story was so slow and I ended up losing interest and have no desire to finish the book. There is absolutely an audience for this book, it just wasn't for me.

The Fake Mate by Lana Ferguson is a standalone steamy romantic novel. We meet Mackenzie (Mack) Carter, our heroine, who is an ER doctor at Denver General; she is a wolf shifter (Omega). Mackenzie has not had any successful dates recently, and is pressured by her grandmother, who wants her to find a mate to settle down. To get her grandmother off her back, she tells her she that she has met someone, though still in early stages. While in the lunch room, Mackensie is desperate and looks for the first man who walked in the room.

Noah Taylor, our hero, is a top cardiologist, who is the one in charge at the hospital; he is also a wolf shifter (Alpha). To his surprise, he is approached by Mackensie, if he would take a picture of her and him, to send to her grandmother, as a fake boyfriend. At first Noah tries to ignore Mack, but he comes back to her with another deal. Seems that Noah is being summoned to the board, regarding a tip that he is an Alpha (who might have violent tendencies), an identity that he has kept secret. Noah needs to convince the board that he has a mate, who keeps him in control. Mack agrees to be Noah’s fake mate, if she will be able to tell her grandmother that he is her boyfriend.

People at the hospital are shocked to learn about Noah and Mack being mated; especially with Noah being very private, intimidating, and keeps to himself. Mack is the opposite, as she is sweet, friendly, and very outgoing, with friends throughout. Together, they both make appearances to show that they are mated, with Noah meeting Mack’s friends Priya, Parker and she meeting a friend of his (Peter), as well as Noah’s nasty coworker, Dennis.

In a short period, slowly Mack and Noah become attracted to each other, with Mack being the one to get Noah to open up; as they were so perfect together. The chemistry between them was sizzling and very steamy, as the fake mate does turn into friends with benefits; and soon they will find themselves inseparable falling in love. But Noah will be threatened by the nasty Dennis, promising to tell the board that he is not mated, and Noah will do anything to protect Mack, including breaking things off with her, as she could lose her job. After being broken hearted, Mack with help from Parker, will discover about what truly happened, and finds proof to win Noah back, and stop the evil Dennis.

The Fake Mate by Lana Ferguson was a fun, entertaining and very steamy romantic story line. I really liked both Mack and Noah, and rooted for them to stay together. I will say, I thought the steamy sex scenes were a bit too many. The Fake Mate was very well written by Lana Ferguson. If you like romance, shifters, steamy sex, then you should read this book.

To be honest, I wasn't sure what to expect when I started reading this book because it's a contemporary omegaverse with a cartoon cover, which I think maybe a little misleading to some. This is a great book for someone who is wanting to dip their toes and do a omegaverse and see if it's something that they will like, without fully diving in, it also does have shifters in it although it's a very brief section of the book where they actually shift Noah is probably the most cinnamon roll alpha I've ever read, and I thought that was kind of nice and refreshing. I really like Noah as a hero I also really liked the resolution of the third act break up, I think if you're someone who really enjoys omegaverse, this may not be the book for you, but this is a great entry point for those wanting to sample.

This was my first Lana Ferguson and second omegaverse. And I have to say I’m not sure it’s for me. The dynamics of the two leads being wolf shifters was slightly uncomfortable for me to read, especially when one of the chapters was from their POV as a wolf. I could not. I’m sorry.

The leads had decent chemistry but there were aspects of the plot I could not overlook. Lana Ferguson I will read your next one!

Freaking love this! Whimsical, hot as hell, fun, and so good!
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I have to say I needed a change of pace when I decided to check out the new release by this author. I loved her previous book and knew this would be a wonderful choice, wolf shifters and all!

Guess what? I freaking love this book!

It is whimsical, hot as hell, fun, and so good! Ferguson has captured my attention once again and has delivered a fabulous book that doesn’t stop giving.

Both of her main characters are uniquely created and opposites in many ways. The balance and connection between the two is perfect! The romance is fresh and uber-steamy. And Noah? So hot! This is one book you can read over and over as you will enjoy it every time.

If you love a unique romcom that is delightful, memorable, and not a run-of-the-mill fake date trope, The Fake Mate is definitely the one to grab!

Thank you, Berkley and Netgalley for a copy of this e-arc in exchange for an honest review.

I read The Nanny last year by Lana Ferguson and fell in love with her banter and writing style. I was thrilled to get approval to read The Fake Mate's early copy. I was a little more apprehensive about reading this book since it is out of my comfort zone for fiction, however, I was pleasantly surprised with how much I enjoyed it. Think Grey's Anatomy mixed with Twilight. One of my favorite tropes is fake dating, so I loved the idea of fake mating. Both Noah and Mack are great characters in this book. I felt more emotionally connected with them than the characters in The Nanny.

Overall, I was impressed again with the quality of writing and how much I enjoyed the plot of The Fake Mate. I would highly recommend this book to fellow romance readers, even if it is outside your normal genre.

Could McDreamy be a werewolf? Fans of Ali Hazelwood and Grey’s Anatomy, get excited for your new favorite book!

Grey’s Anatomy meets werewolves and fated mates in this witty, lighthearted, steamy romance from Lana Ferguson. You'll love this if you’re looking for a cozy book to lighten up your day with fake dating, a werewolf alpha, and a fabulous mom & grandma duo.

Thank you to the publisher for providing an e-arc to review.

Honestly, any time I pick up a Lana Ferguson romance novel these days, I know I'm going to get something that is both steamy AND sweet, and that's exactly what this is. Not to mention this is a story I unabashedly devoured in the wee hours of the morning when I couldn't get back to sleep and found myself incapable of putting it down. And while, yes, the blackmail element toward the end of the story did feel a little tired, the resolution of it was super satisfying! It might not be the best primer book if you've never read anything omegaverse before; there's a lot of shorthand that assumes the reader is familiar with the mechanics and concepts that exist. But this was a really fun blend of paranormal and contemporary, and I hope Ferguson writes more romances like this in the future!

I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this edition from the publisher via NetGalley. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

This was a fun, spicy (VERY) romance. I love a dual POV romance, especially when fake dating is involved. The mutual pining was palpable, and the chemistry was off the charts.

I do wish I knew a little more about shifter romances, or that some of the more unique aspects had been explained a little better. As a newbie, I would have appreciated a tiny bit more background.

Otherwise this was an enjoyable read! It was a little spicier than I prefer, but that's just a matter of personal preference and nothing against the book itself.

3.5 stars

The Fake Mate was all vibes, not much plot. What made this book so good was how awfully adorable the FMC and MMC were. I love a good grumpy/sunshine trope! Also the werewolf was an added bonus. It wasn't too "wolf-y" but it made that aspect really fun to read about!

Drs. Mackenzie and Noah are wolf shifters. Yes, you read that correctly. Even further, Noah is an unmated Alpha (rare) and Mackenzie is an omega (also apparently rare). Mackenzie needs her Grandmother to stop setting her up on bad dates, Noah needs to appear to be mated to stave off possible discrimination based on stigmas about unmated Alphas. Thus, a fake dating... sorry fake MATING plot emerges.

Ok, so this book slayed. Here's the short of it: was it perfect? No. Sometimes the characters felt underbaked and the romance a little rushed. Though that is possible I am just a glutton for a slow burn. We do get some really cute moments of seeing Noah loosen up around Mackenzie, starting to smile at her jokes, make some of his own, and I loved it.

Now onto the elephant in the room! The omegaverse! I never... EVER thought I would see the day that I would be reading an Omegaverse story. And the complete honesty is that I think I find a fully fictional omegaverse easier to read than a fanfiction omegaverse. In my mind, i know that this is a weird fantastical paranormal universe with characters that are new to me and can thus engage with the silly ABO stuff with no problem. When it's like my favorite ship from my favorite media... harder to deal with the ABO.

But it was fun! and silly! I will say... this is just the Love Hypothesis but Omegaverse. They're fake dating to get Mackenzie's grandma off her back, and for the board to leave Noah alone for him to get a new job. Beyond that... Noah is so clearly Adam Driver-coded that it's insane. Like... look at that cover. That's so clearly Adam Driver.

I don't have much in the way of detailed review, it's pretty much exactly what you expect when you hear omegaverse wolf shifters fake dating in a hospital. The characters were both likable, not cringy, not too over the top. I LOVED that the 3rd act breakup was clearly resolved by Mackenzie being like "does he think I'm stupid? I literally know exactly why he's pushing me away.... dumb idiot." And this book was thin on the plot, heavy on the smut and constant horniness. Which was exactly what I needed to catapult me out of a string of mediocre reads! I am both shocked and extremely entertained by the fact I enjoyed this book so much!

I don't know if I can say it is a lifelong favorite or a long-lasting staple like its muse, the Love Hypothesis, is for me, but I can sure say this is one hell of a read. By god do I love a socially awkward reserved grump who has a filthy mouth <3

Lana Ferguson nailed it with her first book and this one was pretty great, too. I’m not a huge fan of paranormal, but this was well done and a great book. If you haven’t read her first book, definitely grab that as well, but this is a great author and an auto buy Author for me now as well.

Thank you NetGalley and Berkley Publishing for this arc in exchange for an honest review!

I am unapologetically such a sucker for werewolf romances, and I definitely enjoyed this one. It was more unique than the usual since it's a contemporary romance with some werewolf details sprinkled in.

I really liked Noah and believe he should be protected at all costs. Mack was OK; I think she was being a little obtuse/selfish toward the middle when he was clearly having feelings and she thinks it's a good time to propose friends with benefits.

Also not really a fan of the 3rd act breakup. The whole I'm gonna leave you for you to protect you is bullshit. I think he could have groveled more imo, but I'll allow it. We also miss a very important event at the end, so booooo.

But overall recommend for contemporary romance and werewolf romance 3

Mackenzie Carter navigates pressure from her nosy grandmother to find a perfect mate which leads her impulsively claim she’s dating Taylor, a cardiologist hiding his true nature. Could their fake dating arrangement possibly lead to more?

I liked Lana’s debut, The Nanny, so I was excited to see that her sophomore book, The Fake Mate, especially since it went into a different direction. This paranormal romance explores fake dating, grumpy-sunshine, wolf shifters, and set against a hospital backdrop. I was engaged in the two distinct perspectives in this novel. The banter and chemistry between Mackenzie and Noah was a great balance of sweet and spicy. There were a few of cheesy moments which weren’t for me and I wasn’t a fan of the glands concept. I found that Noah’s reason for fake dating was justifiable, but Mackenzie’s reasoning came off as silly. Overall, this was a 3.5 star read for me, but I rounded to 4 stars on GoodReads.

2.5 Stars

I believe this would fall into the romantsy category, although it’s heavy on the romance, and the only fantasy is that they are werewolves. Although Noah and Mackenzie do shift once in the book, the majority of the time it was just lots and lots of talking and thinking about being a wolf. The rest of the book is sex. Or that’s how it feels.

Mackenzie and Noah are doctors at the same hospital in a world where werewolves are known and accepted into society. They enter into a mutually beneficial fake relationship but soon real feelings develop. Opposites in personalities and a fun side cast, there was definitely comedy and a few laughs, but the inordinate amount of time spent on wolf thoughts was a little too much for me. As someone who has not read many if any shapeshifter books, I also didn’t understand what some of it meant, but my takeaway is that werewolves are a horny bunch.