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.

Hello Fellow Readers,

I've said it before and I will say it again, I love the fake dating trope and The Faking Game seemed like it would be such a unique spin on it. Do you know what other trope can sweep in and basically ruin a book? If you guessed the Miscommunication trope you would be absolutely right. Maybe I should have read the first book, maybe then I would have been more invested in Cara and Millsy, as I just didn't care about them that much in this book. Maybe if it was a small miscommunication and there weren't just assumptions being sprouted immediately, I would have cared but no.. You guys are ADULTS! Grow up and just talk to each other. You can get away with this trope in a YA book but not one where the main characters are adults.

I will admit there were some good and cute parts but not enough to keep my interest.

Overall, not for me but maybe for you.

This was a cute take on a romantic comedy full of mishaps and misdirections, a nice holiday read! Cara and Millsy's journey was a nice blast of escapism!

Millsy and Cara have broken up. Why? We don’t really know, but they have. And they have decided not to tell their families because it’s the holiday season and their first holiday that they decided to bring each of their families together for a large family holiday.

Millsy is an actor and has a role of a lifetime to play a southern American country music star, even though he is a British man, so he has a dialect coach with him, the beautiful Tally, over the holidays to help him. This means she now comes with him everywhere. To pre planned events, family gatherings etc. She is brought as a wedding where Cara has to move tables to accommodate her, because apparently he can’t have a minute off from learning the correct accent.

Cara is an entrepreneur creating an escape room like mobile game where you solve clues around the city.

Together, and on her own, Millsy and Cara are a walking disaster. Everything they can go wrong, does. She gets a terrible back up costume for a wedding, they take out Santa at a holida6 party and have to replace him and get puked on, they bring the wrong game to a baby shower. She try’s to move on from Millsy by using a dating app and has the absolute worst dates ever created. Drunks, liars, etc. nothing even remotely safe or boring.

We still don’t know or get a feel for a connection between Cara and Millsy so it’s hard to understand them because there is zero, almost negative, sexual chemistry or any chemistry but we are supposed to believe she is pining for him and having a hard time moving on. We don’t even know why they broke up besides he went to LA for 6 weeks for his job.

I wanted more, or really anything. There was no love, no heat, no emotions no anything. So bland, so bad.
0 stars

This is a very cute twist on fake dating. Sometimes our HEA is there we just need to get out of your own way.

I just found out while writing my review that this is a sequel to an earlier book (plus one pact) and I had no idea, it wasn't marketed as a sequel. My rating would have been higher had I known and read the previous book.

Fake dating is one of my absolute favourite tropes, and this was such a fun read.

I loved the closeness of Cara's family and the quirkiness of Millsy's - even his stepbrother had endearing moments.

I loved the Christmas trope, and the second chance romance, but the miscommunication was a bit too frequent, especially with his accent coach.

But overall it was an enjoyable read.

I received an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review - thank you to Boldwood books and Netgalley!

This book was a cute and entertaining rom-com, but for me was just a bit slow to read, hence 3 stars. Going off the title and description of book, fake dating is the main trope. Cara & Millsy navigate a tricky relationship with each other - where there may still be feelings yet there’s tons of miscommunication throughout the holiday season spent with family. On top of that - there’s Millsy’s voice coach Tally who doesn’t help the mix of emotions for Cara.

Cute story, light read, holiday themed.🎄

I wasn't aware that this was a sequel, and kind of wish I had known so I could have read the other book first. I love the fake dating trope but wasn't a huge fan of the fact that miscommunication was the main cause for contention. I did really enjoy that it was a bit Christmas themed- perfect for anyone like me, looking for Christmassy reads around the holiday season!
Thank you to NetGalley, the publisher and the author for the ARC in return for my review.

I didn't realize this was a sequel, but not sure it would have mattered. I had no idea that we were supposed to be rooting for Cara and Millsy to get back together. I was sure she was going to end up with Charley ( the one character that she had chemistry with).

A lovely little heartwarming romance, that is the perfect pallete cleanser. It was nothing spectacular, however it was a highly enjoyable read.

It was so good and refreshing. I loved the fake dating couple that have broken up and keep faking for their friends. This was absolutely perfect and I read it quickly because I loved it. 5/5 stars.
I just reviewed The Faking Game by Portia MacIntosh. #TheFakingGame #NetGalley
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The synopsis of this book had everything I love. There were so many good tropes but the characters ended up feeling a bit more childish than I would have liked. All in all it was a good read but not something I would go back to or go out of my way to recommend.

Lovely, lovely book, I love it super cute and cozy!
Highly recommended 💕
Thanks Netgalley and the publisher for the copy

The Faking Game by Portia MacIntosh

3 STARS

This is my first book by Portia MacIntosh and it was enjoyable enough as far as rom-coms go. It had all the typical tropes listed so it's a kind of Ronseal book - you get what it says on the tin. An enjoyable, romantic plot with likable characters. Worth a read.

Second chance trope
Fake dating with your own ex-boyfriend to get through the holiday season until Christmas' family events?

I was hooked from the start, without knowing that this book apparently is a sequel to the same couple. As you can guessed it, miscommunication and make each other jealous drives the story. But what I'd like highlight the most is how I anticipating every mishaps and crises Cara and Millsy went through every time they together or attending any events together. The way they handle the crises, shows how great of a team they are and it took awhile until they become honest with each other, but it's worth it. There's a realization regarding spending time with family, especially relative that very dislikeable, which I thought was heartwarming.

The Faking Game by Portia MacIntosh is a feel good romantic comedy book.

It is one of many of its genre and it doesn't stand out from the rest.

I have to say I prefered the first book with these characters. I felt that the spark and angst have somehow gotten lost. i espected more of it as it was a sort of fake-dating trope which I really enjoy.

I liked the characters but by the end they both started getting on my nerves acting like silly kids and there was so much miscommunication and things left unsaid that I found frustrating.

Nevertheless, I rooted for them.
it is steady paced, it could have been a bit faster in my opinion, but I enjoyed it regardless.

I received an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Cara is a nice girl. But spending time in her head was not my favorite. Add to that the shocking lack of quality time that we see Cara and Millsy on the page together and you end up with not my favorite way to do romance. I ended up flipping through more than half of this one. That said- the author does bring the feelings when Millsy and Cara are together and she wraps it up beautifully.

i hate to say it but the miscommunication trope in this was a dud for me. i typically really enjoy second chance romances, but this relies too heavily on fooling the characters that i couldn’t buy any true romance. i wouldn’t go out of my way to recommend and wouldn’t reread

"The Faking Game" is a delightful romantic comedy that offers readers a chance to escape into a world of humor, romance, and self-discovery. Portia MacIntosh's storytelling is a perfect blend of wit and heart, and her characters are authentic and lovable. If you're in the mood for a fun and lighthearted read that will leave you grinning, "The Faking Game" is the book for you. It's a hilarious romp through deception and love that will keep you thoroughly entertained until the very last page.

I received a complimentary copy of this book from Boldwood Books through NetGalley. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own. Thank you so much!