This included fake dating, only one bed, love triangle, and enemies to lovers. Cara and Millsy are everyone's favorite couple, but they broke up! They realize they have many obligations. so they decide to make a pact to convince everyone they are in love. If you like fake dating with enemies to lovers, then this is the book for you!

Rom-com queen Portia MacIntosh delivers the goods yet again with her latest page-turner, The Faking Game.

Everyone is jealous of Cara and Millsy’s relationship. They seem to be the perfect couple and everyone absolutely loves spending time with them. However, the golden couple has a secret that they are keeping from their nearest and dearest: they’ve broken up! The spark is no longer there and both parties have decided that the best way forward would be for them to go their separate ways. However, there is just one tiny little problem: their immensely busy social diary! With so many events and celebrations taking place in the coming weeks, Cara and Millsy are booked solid. In order not to ruin anyone’s fun, both of them decide to keep mum about their split and pretend that they are still a couple. What could possibly go wrong? Quite a lot as it happens…

Will Cara and Millsy manage to fake it and convince their loved ones that they are still crazy in love with one another? Or might they realise that rather than going their separate ways, they should give their relationship another try?

Portia MacIntosh never disappoints her readers and The Faking Game is another brilliant romantic comedy that will touch the heart, make you laugh out loud and keep you reading all through the night. Fun, feel-good and fabulous, The Faking Game is the latest enjoyable romantic charmer by Portia MacIntosh that has got winner written all over it.

*Thank you to NetGalley and Boldwood Books for the eARC of this book; the review is my own*

3.5 stars

If you liked Happy Place by Emily Henry, you will probably like this book, too. I enjoyed reading it but there was a little too much miscommunication (and lack of communication) for me to outright love it. So many problems would have been solved or avoided if the main characters had just been honest with each other. But then I guess there wouldn't have been a book. I would have loved to have alternating POV chapters between Cara and Millsy.

I realized too late that this book was a follow-up to another book about Cara and Millsy (The Plus One Pact), but I didn't feel like skipping that book hindered my understanding of this one. To be honest, I feel like I may have been even more frustrated with Cara and Millsy while reading this if I had managed to read that one first. I hate it when people get together and then something messes with it (here's looking at you, most second books). One thing that was never clear to me as why Cara and Millsy broke up in the first place. I kept waiting for some type of explanation, but it never happened. It seemed like they broke up just to break up, like they couldn't manage the six weeks apart after being together for three years.

So yes, I was frustrated with both Cara and Millsy for their poor communication skills throughout the whole book. Despite it being clear to me that they still had feelings for each other, neither of them seemed willing risk rejection by fighting for the other. And don't get me started on on Tally. Ugh. Some things that happened felt like they were a little over the top to create drama, and I can't see them happening in real life. For example, when the wedding seating arrangements are reworked to make room for Tally, she's given Cara's seat and Cara is moved to the singles table. Who would actually do that?

I'm trying to decide if I want to go back and read the first book or not. Possibly.

Note: Some language, but several bursts of f words. One mild open-door sex scene.

Fake It Or Leave It is a delightful rom-com that hits all the right notes! Portia MacIntosh delivers a hilarious and heart-warming tale filled with witty banter, festive vibes, and the perfect amount of romantic tension. Cara and Millsy, who decide to fake their relationship through a jam-packed holiday season, are lovable and relatable characters whose chemistry keeps the story buzzing with energy.

The fake dating trope, combined with the "only one bed" and a sprinkling of love triangle drama, makes for a page-turner packed with laugh-out-loud moments and swoon-worthy scenes. MacIntosh masterfully balances humour and emotion, making Cara and Millsy’s journey from lovers to enemies (and perhaps back again) incredibly satisfying. The festive backdrop adds to the charm, with each event they attend pushing their unresolved feelings to the surface.

What sets this book apart is how real and fun the characters feel. Their playful dynamic and the awkward situations they find themselves in keep you rooting for them, all while wondering if they’ll realise they’re meant for each other. The storyline is fast-paced but never feels rushed, and the laugh-out-loud moments are balanced perfectly with tender, heartfelt ones.

If you’re a fan of fake dating, festive romance, and romantic comedies that leave you grinning from ear to ear, Fake It Or Leave It is a must-read. It’s a perfect holiday escape filled with charm, humour, and plenty of romance!

Fake It or Leave It by Portia MacIntosh is a light-hearted, entertaining romp through the classic fake dating trope, with a fun twist of enemies-to-lovers and a sprinkle of second-chance romance. Set against a charming Scottish backdrop, this story offers readers plenty of laughs, witty banter, and heartwarming moments that make it a perfect holiday escape.

The plot centers around two exes who, despite their past, find themselves pretending to be a couple once more. MacIntosh does a fantastic job bringing these characters to life, making them relatable and flawed, yet endearing. The chemistry between them is palpable, and their interactions are filled with sharp dialogue and playful tension that kept me engaged throughout the book.

One of the standout elements is the vibrant setting and the colorful cast of side characters that add depth and humor to the story. While the story hinges on the classic miscommunication trope, which can be frustrating at times, it’s balanced by the genuine growth the characters undergo and the eventual resolution that feels satisfying and well-earned.

Although this book is a sequel to The Plus One Pact, it holds up well as a standalone. However, readers familiar with the backstory will likely have a richer experience, as they can fully appreciate the journey the protagonists have been on.

This was my first title by this author and it was an enjoyable read. I would recommend this novel and I look forward to more books by this author.

I love reading a fun story of enemies finding their way to become lovers and Portia Macintosh did not disappoint. This is a quick read story filled with delicious banter and the best laughs. It was refreshing to read about characters in a book who lived on the page just like people in the real world.

Portia Macintosh does a great job writing characters that I love to read. The main characters in this book, Cara and Millsy, are great examples of this. Can you imagine feeling like your relationship has run its course but your holiday calendar looks so busy that you just would rather just fake it than face the questions? This was a great read!

I am a huge Portia MacIntosh fan. Her books literally make me laugh out loud! This book does not disappoint. The storyline is funny but keeps you hooked. A perfect summer read for lying in the garden or by the pool on holiday. Thank you to NetGalley and Portia MacIntosh for the opportunity to read and review this book.

I did not get this book by this author I got the first one. So based on what I thought of the first book, I don't think I will love this book. That's my honest opinion since I can't review the first book.

Portia MacIntosh is extremely talented. This was so hard to put down and definitely one of the best ones I've read so far! Definitely reading more of hers in the future.

This was a pleasant read! I really liked this story and the characters were lovely, I connected with them. I am excited for more works by Portia Macintosh!

A brilliant read and one I really enjoyed. The characters are loveable. The plot is one that is engaging and I found myself completely drawn into the story and enjoyed the writing style.

I love fake dating and second-chance romances, but this one was just meh. I found the extended family to be too pushy, and overbearing. It was pretty predictable. I loved Charlie and part of me was pulling for him and Cara to get together. The date scenes were entertaining and slightly funny, definitely, not the side-splitting-laughter-inducing funny but slightly funny and sometimes cringy, but most romcoms have their fair amount of cringe. The constant miscommunication between the two main characters was annoying and made the story drag on, seriously, if they had sat down and had a conversation like civilized adults I can guarantee you, this book wouldn't have made me want to pull my hair out at times.

Overall, it wasn't bad and it wasn't great, it was okay. It's not one of those books that I'm going to be thinking about days down the road.

After reading it and reading through other reviews I found out this was a sequel, so my rating might have been higher had I known that before reading this book.

Unfortunately, I did not finish this book.
I do love the fake date trope but i didn't felt chemistry between the characters.

I really enjoyed this, I’ve read a few books from this author and she always writes so well. This was a very festive read (kind of regretted reading it whilst it was warm!) where Cara and Millsy have decided to split up but pretend to still be together for their joint family Christmas. There is chaos and they always manage to get intro trouble which made for fun reading!

I received this arc in exchange for an honest review. 🤍

as much as i thought the writing style and pacing was good, plot-wise this book just wasn’t for me. the entire time i felt like it was going to end up being a story where she realises how much better she can do but that wasn’t the case. they were separated for the entire book and get back together and engaged on the same day?? it was just all over the place

i feel like the saving grace for this book wouldn’t been a dual pov. if we saw joe’s side of things from the beginning the experience would have been so much different

Thank you for my eARC of this book. Sadly I didn’t finish this as I just wasn’t invested enough to continue.

The "fake it through xyz" vibe reminded me a lot of Happy Place. I did highly enjoy this one. There was tension, chemistry, and romance. The miscommunication started to grind my gears a bit, but I understand why it was necessary for the story. Overall it was a very cute romance!

Fake dating tropes are my cryptonite. I just can’t get enough of them. I really enjoyed this story and look forward to reading more from this author.