I really feel for Cara and her mum, you cant pick your family can you. Aunty Mary is an interesting character...to say the least.

The situation between Cara and Millsy is so difficult for them both but I loved some of the comedy aspects of the situations they find themselves in. There were some laugh out loud moments, but it's quite sad too because they'vr been together so long.

Loved this story, it's the first book that I have read by this author and I will definitely be reading more. It's really well written and backstory to current story details are brilliant.

This was an easy read.

However the reason for the initial breakup was silly and the reasons why they were pretending to still be a couple were never made clear. and some of the other characters seemed underwritten and one dimensional.

2.5 rounded up to 3

Thank you to the publisher and Netgalley for the ARC of this story.

‘Cara and Millsy have broken up... sort of.

After years of being everyone's favourite couple, always up for a party and having fun wherever they go, things have fizzled out.

But when they realise they have a whole calendar of events and celebrations with friends and family coming up, Cara and Millsy can't face letting them down.

So they decide to make a pact: just convince everyone they're as madly in love as ever and get through the festivities without causing suspicion, and then deal with the break up in the new year. How hard can it be...?

Swept up in the festive spirit, will Cara and Millsy fake it til they make it? Or will they realise they are meant to be after all...?’
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2.5 stars, rounded up to 3 stars.

<i>The Faking Game</i> by Portia MacIntosh is a fake dating rom-com set during Christmas.

The synopsis sounded really promising and I thought this would be a fun, quick read. Overall it was amusing, but I didn’t enjoy it like I thought I would. I didn’t feel overly connected to the characters and I found it really frustrating that neither of them would take the time to have a meaningful conversation at any point about their relationship and breakup.

It turns out that this is actually a sequel to one of the author’s earlier books, <i>The Plus One Pact</i>, which I hadn’t realized. Perhaps I would have enjoyed this book more had I read the preceding book, although it was not necessary to have read these in order. Maybe give that a try if you plan to read this book though. So this was an alright read, but I wouldn’t reread it. I would probably give another book by this author a read.
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I would like to thank NetGalley and Boldwood Books for sharing an eARC of <i>The Faking Game</i> by Portia MacIntosh with me. This is my honest review.

This was SUCH a cute book! I really like Portia MacIntosh and I was stoked to hear that this was a fake dating romance. I liked the humour in this, and I really liked that you got thrown straight into the story as soon as you started reading.

Parts of the book felt a little bit rushed, particularly the ending, but I was happy with the overall pacing of the story.

I wasn't aware that this was actually a follow up to a previous book though - I would've appreciated the forewarning.

I enjoyed this read as it was lighthearted and easy to follow. However, for some reason the name Millsy just really irritated me the whole way through!

I was also not sure at all why they’d broke up in the first place!

Now this was another book that took place during Christmas. I received this book as an E-ARC, and the summary never stated that this was a sequel. It follows the same couple from another book, and in this book they're broken up. I kind of wish I had the background relationship stuff. I feel like I jumped into a story mid-way, and even though I understood everything over time, I feel like I would have liked the story more if I read the first book.

I will say this book was complete miscommunication trope, which is my least favorite trope. If the main characters had a single honest conversation with one another, this whole book could have been avoided. As a couple that had been dating for years, I found it odd, that they made so many assumptions, instead of just having a conversation.

During a breakup, Joe and Cara, despite their romantic split due to Joe's relocation for a new job, decide to maintain the facade of a happy couple during the holiday season to avoid spoiling the joint family Christmas they had planned.

The story unfolds as a comedy of misunderstandings when Cara attempts to use the Matcher app to meet someone new, only to find herself repeatedly thrown into situations that highlight the undeniable chemistry and compatibility between her and Joe. With a lighthearted tone, this festive read is tailor-made for romance enthusiasts looking for a delightful holiday story.

This is a first for me by the author and one I enjoyed and I would read more of their work. The book cover is eye-catching and appealing and would spark my interest if in a bookshop. Thank you to the author, publisher and Netgalley for this ARC.

Recommend for readers who liked The Hating Game! This rom com will have you chuckling out loud!
The main characters are already a couple and have decided that their social calender means they are too busy to break up. So, they decide they will break up after their busy schedule. Can they fall back in love before the end?
It was a predictable story line. However, I wanted a light and fun read and this didn't disappoint.

Joe and Cara break up when Joe moves away for a new role but they have already planned a joint family Christmas so pretend to still be together to not spoil it for anyone. It's a comedy of misunderstandings when Cara tries to use Matcher to meet someone new whilst she and Joe and repeatedly thrown into situations that underline how perfectly they go together.

This is a lighthearted read perfect for the festive season that romance lovers will enjoy. Portia write her characters so well that I wanted to punch Tally. I was not a fan of miscommunication tropes so I did struggle with this story a bit but I also believe that this is the second book about this couple so their love story may have been better established in the earlier story.

Fake dating is my jam. I love this book. I loved reading about the characters and the intriguing plot.

The Faking Game is a fake dating, second chance romance that follows Cara and Millsy as they try to convince their families that they are still madly in love just until the end of the holiday season. Cara and Millsy reach a stage where the romance seems to have fizzled out and as they try to maintain the facade for their families, things seem to change slowly again.

The story is fast paced and is a wonderful holiday read! At times, I found it quite hard to relate to the main characters. There is a classic case of miscommunication between them many a time and this is something that I did not enjoy. However, as we get to know more about them, it is hard not to root for them and hope for a happy ending with a love stronger than before. Throw in Millsy's dialogue coach into the mix and we have a potentially messy situation which the main characters just have to make the best of.

Despite some of the short comings of the story, I truly enjoyed this light-hearted read and in the end just felt good after reading it. This is definitely a must read for fans of the tropes mentioned at the start and just anyone looking for a good holiday romance!

I generally love a Portia MacIntosh novel, but this one didn’t deliver for me at all, to the point that I was glad to finish it. It was only when I reached the end of the book did I find out that this is a follow-on story to an earlier novel, which would explain why I just did not believe in the supposed deep romance between Cara and Millsy.

Readers are introduced to Cara and Millsy at a very strained point in time. They have agreed to separate but, for the sake of their families and the Christmas celebrations already planned, have decided to pretend they are together. This appealed to me because it sounds like the cheeky story that I like from MacIntosh and these moments were certainly the most entertaining for me. There are many cringy but funny scenes and comments in the book that had me equally laughing and blushing with embarrassment. I enjoyed this the most about the story but, on reflection, these were more disjointed sections that did not bring the plot together.

For the most part, I struggled to see what Cara and Millsy had as a couple. He is selfish and absorbed; Cara is pining after someone who is deliberately showing little interest… although Millsy sends mixed signals to keep her dangling. The characters of Tally and Charlie made me think there were new couples on the horizon and I was disappointed not to see Cara move on; she deserves someone like Charlie and I thought it a shame that MacIntosh did not explore this in the story more.

Family get togethers at Christmas are always full of “moments” and I think the writer captures this brilliantly. At the same time, I don’t think the family members were particularly memorable and I did start to get confused about who was who. Furthermore, it felt like, especially in the latter half of the novel, that chapters jumped around and I struggled to keep up with what the characters were supposed to be doing next. This then impacted how I felt about the ending: it seemed rushed and a convenient way to draw characters back together.

I always look forward to reading books from this author but this became a challenge to get through. I was bored by the plot development and frustrated by the main characters. I simply could not believe in their romance and I think, had I known there was a prequel to this, I would have either avoided this book, or gone to read the other one first.

With thanks to Boldwood books and NetGalley for providing me with a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Love this author but this book wasn’t my fav. I feel like there was some missed opportunities for sure with this concept but I did enjoy it nonetheless it just wasn’t my favorite of hers is all. Will of course continue to read and support!!

I adore Portia’s work. She’s one of my favourite auto buy authors and this did not disappoint. Her books are comforting, laugh out loud hilarious and so easy to binge!

a love triangle, Christmas time, and fake dating!
i wanted to love this book so much, but unfortunately it fell short for me.

the book felt like it was dragging and honestly a lot of it was redundant. the love triangle was hard because we only got one point of view throughout the story, so it was difficult to connect with the other characters involved.

i did love the Christmas theme of this book and thought that aspect was pulled off great!

The push and pull of romance that keeps you reading. A lovely romance. Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for letting me review this book.

After two years of dating, Cara and Millsie finally arranged for their families to celebrate the holidays together. However, an untimely breakup threatens to put a damper on the season of celebration. In order to avoid awkwardness and spare hurt feelings, Cara and Millsie decide to forgo telling their families. Will the two be able to hide their breakup, or will their plan backfire?

The Faking Game is a follow up to MacIntosh’s previous book, The Plus One Pact. While it is a sequel, it is written as a standalone. Therefore, readers do not need to have read the first book to enjoy this one. In fact, I myself have not read it. I only found out about it while reading her acknowledgments.

My only complaint with this book is how it is being marketed. I was surprised to learn that the story centers around Christmas. Neither the title nor cover art gave me that impression. In failing to market it appropriately, it could very well miss its target audience.

Overall, this was a fun, quick-paced, clean/ closed door, fake dating romance. I am a huge Portia MacIntosh fan. I have been reading her books for years and have yet to come across one of her works I did not enjoy.

Special thanks to Netgalley, Portia MacIntosh, and Boldwood books for allowing me to read this book in exchange for my honest feedback.

This was a fun and lighthearted romantic comedy with a second chance, fake dating trope. After breaking up almost a year ago, Cara and Millsy realize the holiday season is upon them and they still have a calendar full of events to fulfill. Unfortunately, they are expected to fulfill these events as couple since people aren't really aware of their break-up, and they don't want to disappoint any of their family and friends. So they decide to follow through with their commitments as a fake couple, just to get them through the holidays, then deal with the breakup in the new year. The closeness and extra time they are now spending together leads them to reevaluate their relationship and their feelings for each other.
This was a cute and fun romance that is sure to get you in the holiday spirit. Although I had a great time reading this book, I think I would have enjoyed it even more had I read the previous book, The Plus One Pact. This seems to be the sequel to that one, which I was not aware of. Nevertheless, it was a very well-written and entertaining story, and I am glad to have had the opportunity to read it.
I received a complimentary copy from Netgalley and Boldwood Books and am voluntarily leaving my review.

I don't know why, but I've found myself struggling with Portia MacIntosh's books lately, and I used to love them. It may very well be a case of it's not you, it's me, but... I just don't know. This book is a follow up to The Plus One Pact, but unfortunately it wasn't marketed as such, which would have been nice. Whereas I rather enjoyed TPOP, this one kind of fell flat for me. The fake dating, miscommunication and second chance romance tropes have been done A LOT, but this story just wasn't strong enough in comparison to a lot of the others I've read recently. Thanks to NetGalley, Boldwood Books and author for the ARC in exchange for my honest opinion.

Who doesn't look a second chance fake dating romance?

Me it turns out.

This book follows Cara & Millsy as they navigate their break-up that happened just before the holidays. Since plans were made for their family to spend Christmas together, they decide to fake being together so that things are not uncomfortable for their families. Chaos ensues.

I was very excited going into this, but it just missed the mark for me. There was ZERO communication between characters & they stood in their own way more than anyone else stood in their way. It's a personal thing for me, but the miscommunication trope just is not it & it never will be.

Thank you to Netgalley & Boldwood Books for providing me with this ARC. All thoughts and opinions are my own.