Iris book I'm always down for fake romance that turns real. The Author was able to create a hilarious romcom that was full of awkward moments found family and a sense of belonging. I really loved how the main characters fell for each other and I found that it was very heartwarming, but also just kind of well paced. I enjoyed the ups and downs between them, but also how they found a family within themselves.

Thanks to Netgalley and Wattpad Books for this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

This is the first book I’ve read by Beth Reekles, and after hearing all the buzz on another of her backlist titles, The Kissing Booth, I had high hopes.

The Good:

The cover is cute and eye-catching, and the back cover copy was a draw. This sounded like a cute rom-com. Fake dating? Yes, please. Friends-to-lovers? Sign me up.

The Bad:

If you’re hoping for a cute rom-com, you’re out of luck. The very definition of a romance is the couple being together at the end of the story.

Spoiler alert: Harry and Sophie are in fact, not together at the end of the story. As I was reading the end, I kept hearing Janet from The Good Place’s voice saying, “Not a romance” in my head.

Don’t get me wrong, I’m happy about Sophie coming to the realization that she doesn’t need anyone to complete her. I love that. You go, girl. I’m proud of her for realizing what she wants matters. That she, matters.

But don’t market this as a romance. No one likes a bait and switch.

The Ugly:

First of all, this was physically difficult to read as the formatting in the ARC was messed up. I had to play with my Kindle settings just to be able to read the story, which was obnoxious and not an easy to read feature.

The story could have used some heavy development editing as there was so much repetition of the theme of Sophie, the perennial singleton waxing poetic about how much it sucks to be single. I get it, girl. But hearing about it over and over again is a bit much.

Read it if you like journeys of self discovery. Don’t read it if you’re expecting a romance.

I tried to get into this book on multiple occasions and I just couldn't unfortunately - I loved The Kissing Booth by Beth Reckless so I was so excited to get my hands on this one but unfortunately it is a DNF for me.

The characters felt very immature for me and it did not intrigue me enough to keep going back.

Thank you for the opportunity to read and review this book!

This was quite an enjoyable quick read for me. Sophie and Harry have great chemistry and who doesn't love the fake dating trope?

REVIEW: Faking It by Beth Reekles

I was looking forward to reading Faking It because I love the fake dating trope in romance stories; however, this one missed the mark for me.

The general storyline was good, and there was fun chemistry between the two main characters. There were moments I really enjoyed in the book that were fun.

Unfortunately, the story seemed very repetitive, and the characters were hard to like. Also, if a book is advertised as a romance, there are certain expectations of some predictability in the story. Faking It just doesn’t feel like a romance to me.

Overall I did enjoy some of the book, but for the most part it was not for me.

Thank you, Netgalley and Wattpad WEBTOON Book Group, for the free advanced copy for my honest review!

I loved reading this well written book that focuses on self-love. I could connect to the MC as I too was single throughout my 20s. I love that Sophie grows to accept her singlehood and embraces it. This is not a romance story as a reader would expect - I found it to be better than that. Highly recommend.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for granting me free access to the advanced digital copy of this book.
This was a great book and I'll be purchasing it for the library.

This book was engaging while reading but also felt a little joyless throughout and I found I wasn't really invested in whether there was an HEA or not.

"Faking It" by Beth Reekles is a charming and heartfelt contemporary romance that navigates the complexities of modern dating and the pressures of societal expectations. It is so well written, I found it hard to put it down!

Sophie, a perpetual singleton surrounded by friends settling down, finds herself in a bind when she fabricates a boyfriend to save face at her sister's wedding. Enter Harry, the handsome and charismatic accomplice in her ruse, whose own motivations add an intriguing layer to their fake relationship.

Reekles crafts a relatable and engaging story filled with humor, genuine emotion, and palpable chemistry between Sophie and Harry. Their journey from reluctant partners to genuine friends is portrayed with sensitivity, exploring themes of self-discovery and the blurred lines between fiction and reality. The characters are well-developed, each grappling with personal insecurities and past disappointments that add depth to their interactions.

While the premise is familiar, Reekles injects freshness through a twisty ending, witty dialogue, and authentic portrayals of familial and romantic dynamics. "Faking It" is a delightful read that reminds us that sometimes the best relationships are the ones we least expect.

Read if you like:
🎉 Fake Dating
🎉 Wedding Season
🎉 Divorced MMC
🎉 Soul Searching
🎉 Solo Diva

The portrayal of women in general in this book had me flabbergasted. This book severely needed help to portray the story in any positive light. I can't even say I would consider it a romance. The characters had no chemistry at all and nothing at all stood out as being original. I could not even bring myself to finish this book and I really gave it a solid try on multiple occasions. I am not sure based on this book if I would attempt another by this author sadly.

Due to the negative review in nature and that I did DNF ultimately I have chosen to not send reviews to multiple sites. Best wishes to author on future writings.

Thanks to publisher, author, and netgalley for the opportunity to read and review early.

This book is lighthearted and fun, but also a great representation of the life stage. I would recommend this to anyone looking for their next rom-com.

This book was good but it’s more women’s fiction than romance. I saw someone said it reminded them of Bridget Jones Diary and I completely agree. I was mildly disappointed by the ending but that’s just me needing an HEA.

This was my first experience reading something by this author. I have to admit, it wasn't quite what I was expecting, given this seemed to be selling more as a light, feel-good romance. It gave me more of a feeling of being a woman's fiction story as it focuses on the heroine finding herself and realizing her own self-worth, regardless of her relationship status. Very much a Bridget Jones type of story. In that sense, it was a well-written and well-portrayed story. There were a lot of humorous and fun parts that kept me entertained and even had me laughing out loud at times. I do think Sophie could have been a bit more caring. Towards the end she seemed a bit self-absorbed rather than caring about not hurting others. But all in all, entertaining and enjoyable story.
I received a complimentary copy from NetGalley and am voluntarily leaving my review.

Really fun and refreshing romance.

I'd have absolutely loved this book in my twenties!! The FMCs voice felt brutally honest and at times quite frustrated.

I enjoyed it for the fact, it focused on a single person feeling in a very different scenario to every one of her friends and family but seemingly uncaring and analysing why it was okay.

The ending wasn't for me purely because I was hoping for love. I adore the message of self love but also really wanted the FMC to find her person and I got quite attached to the love interest!

thank you to netgalley for the advanced reading copy. I really enjoyed this and will be getting copies for my shop.

Faking It is a fun and unique romance that is perfect for those bookworms who are looking for something different to read in Romanceland. I loved the story Beth created here. The characters were real and complex, and I loved getting to spend time with them. The world around me disappeared when I read this book and I cannot wait to read another book by this author.

I loved this book and I loved the tropes that are in it. However the ending hurt it. So I give it 4 stars. Up until then I greatly enjoyed it.
I just reviewed Faking It by Beth Reekles. #FakingIt #NetGalley
[NetGalley URL]

So this book was not it for me I wasn’t able to finish it , I had to DNF.

The writing style was painful, the characters were under developed,

Overall just couldn’t do it,

This book was.... definitely something. I had high hopes for this one but sadly it just fell short for me. I am a huge HEA girl so the end of this book was just not it for me.

I am not sure how I feel about this book. I went into it with expectations that it would be a lighthearted fake dating romance. That isn't the story that I got. While I don't necessarily find the main character likeable, the story itself did take a turn that I enjoyed. It's more of a self discovery, fall in love with yourself story.
I enjoyed it overall.
Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for an ARC of this book in exchange for my honest opinion.