Cara & Millsy dated for three years before parting ways when Millsy left for a job opportunity in America. The only problem? Their families don’t know about the split and their first joint family Christmas celebration is rapidly approaching. In order to preserve the joy of the holidays, Cara & Millsy decide to pretend they are still a couple and worry about sharing their breakup in the new year. After all, how difficult can it be to pretend a little longer?

The Faking Game is a fake dating, second chance romance set around the holidays. Everything about that sentence is my catnip. The only way it could have possibly gotten any better was if the grumpy/sunshine trope was thrown in. I should have adored this book, but the execution was just not for me. First, The Faking Game relies heavily on the miscommunication trope which is a big no. Can this please be banished from the pages already? Second, there is Tally. Read the book, find out who Tally is and then you will understand. Why, oh why was Tally there all the time? And Cara must have the patience of a saint, seeing as she never confronted Tally or Millsy about some of actions they were taking. I am getting frustrated just typing it. With these two items featuring heavily throughout the novel, I never felt Cara & Millsy’s relationship was authentic and found it very hard to cheer for them as a couple. Also, the pacing in the novel felt off. This was supposed to revolve around fake dating, but it felt like there were more pages dedicated to Cara’s…outings than there were to showcasing the relationship between the pair.

*Thank you to Boldwood Books & Netgalley for providing this eARC in exchange for my honest review.
*Review is also posted on Amazon and Barnes and Noble

This book was just fantastic, a perfect mix of humour, romance and wonderful chemistry. I loved the fake dating trope and this does it wonderfully, and I was so desperate for them to notice they are perfect for each other. If you love a romance mixed with Christmas spirit and family drama then this is the book you need

This is one of those books where you just keep thinking about it because you couldn't actually imagine being in their shoes and having to pretend to be with someone when you've split up! I absolutely loved Cara and Millsy and loved seeing the story play out.

my one gripe is that I absolutely hate the miscommunication trope and would have liked to shake them to just grow up and talk to one another! Other than that I really enjoyed the story!

Dull.

Perhaps Portia MacIntosh has been too productive. Her last few books have lost the zing that earlier work has.

Millsy and Cara have broken up. Not entirely clear (or clear at all) why. Neither of them seems to want to be each other’s ex. Both rather than man up and tell the other they think they have made a mistake, they both seem to move on to their newly single life style. Or at least Cara, who has a go at online dating again.

Millsy and Cara still cause trouble everywhere they go and always try to solve it with best intention, sometimes causing more trouble. Most of the trouble they cause this time round is lacklustre. Quickly told, rather than shown.

I stopped reading when five drunks could not open a door, only to find out it was a sliding door. I cracked more of a smile when I reread that line than during the actual scene.

According to friends and family
They're the couple they admire and hope to be.
But work pressures and life has got in the way
So together they decide to call it a day.

That happened six weeks ago and now
They've agreed to pretend somehow
So Christmas festivities will go ahead as planned
Without their break up getting things out of hand.

How hard will it be to keep up their act
Faking being in love is part of their pact.
However there are pressures from other folks, too,
Including someone who is new!

Get ready for things oft to go awry
Despite how well they both will try.
There's laughter and temptation to be faced
Before the past can behind them both be placed.

What happens when faking it feels so real?
Will they be able to stick to their breakup deal?
Or will love find a way to heal their rift
As a fabulous festive Christmas gift?

For my complementary copy of this book, I say thank you -
As I share with you my honest review.

This is not my favorite trope, as this mixes the worse of miscommunication and Fake dating. But its also not the best execution, which leads to a cute but somewhat forgettable romance. Because the fake dating part is a crazy yet kind of sweet premise, but their lack of communication is what killed this. It did not seem like they had been in a long term relationship. I did want a bit more of their past relationship to be rooting for them in this time period of limbo.

The family dynamics in this book made me laugh and felt all too relate-able! Cara is a great narrator and I loved the way the story flowed. The way that Cara's personality that came through in the book made me feel like I was living what she was going through - I could feel her frustrations, confusion and her wanting everything to work out.

This was not Portia's best book in my opinion. It wasn't her worst either. I think the main issue I had is that the main couple who we are supposed to want end up together I just couldn't care about. Our main characters had more chemistry and connection with the side characters who were there as plot devices. I think the premise of the book was good that they are continuing to fake date during christmas even though they have broken up but the execution could have been better. I wish Portia had kept to her normal style and had them be in silly ridiculous situations where they learn they still love one another.

This was such an enjoyable, super quick read for me. I loved picking up with Cara and Millsy and the tension between them was really engaging as a reader.

The Faking Game will take you on emotional rollercoaster. One moment it will make you laugh out loud, the next it will have you crying in frustration and wanting to jump through the pages and give Millsy and Cara a good shake.

Portia not only gets the plot spot on in The Faking Game but the characters are all wonderful too and you finish reading feeling as though you’ve just caught up with friends you haven’t seen in a long while.

"The Faking Game" by Portia MacIntosh is a delightful, whirlwind romance that showcases the power of pretending for the sake of others. Cara and Millsy, a former dynamic couple, find themselves at a crossroads, their love fading but their social commitments still intact. To navigate the holiday season without disappointing their loved ones, they decide to feign an undying love for one another. It's a roller-coaster of events filled with humor, mishaps, and unexpected revelations.
It’s a fast-paced, enjoyable read. The book embraces classic romantic comedy tropes like fake dating and second chances, making it a feel-good experience.
The writing is engaging, propelling the reader through the ups and downs of the charade.
"The Faking Game" is a charming tale of love, friendships, and the joys of the holiday season. A perfect pick for anyone seeking a light-hearted romantic comedy.

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

Cara and Millsey are keeping a secret. They broke up months ago but are trying to pretend to still be together in order to get through the holidays with their families. But do they really want to be broken up?

I adore Portia MacIntosh. She has such an amazing way of telling a deeply touching and deeply hilarious story. Here, she this just right again, the perfect balance.
I really liked Cara and Millsey. They are both well-drawn out and have so much heart to them. Cara cracked me up the entire time. I loved her first person POV! But I also adored Millsey and his ability to always fix things. He's such a good book boyfriend.
Beyond the two of them, their families are hilarious. MacIntosh as this ability to create hilarious stations from either friend groups or strangers. Here, she dips her toes into a family vacation and holiday celebrations.

All in all, a perfect relationship in trouble book that will make you laugh and cry!

Thank you to the author and publisher for the gifted copy. My reviews are always honest.

Thank you NetGalley for the Arc.

What a struggle.
The premises of this book were so good, second chance, fake dating, hot actor MMC and smart funny FMC? I was sold.
Problem was the story was so meh.
Millsy, our MMC, wasn't doing it for me. I kind of hope for all the book that she ends up with the co-worker Charlie. At least he is cute and funny
I didn't se angst, pining and love, all the emotions were very bland.
I'm not usually this harsh, but... The plot was meh, character development zero, banter okish…
Really I have no words. Definitely disappointed

Netflix do it so well, don't they? All the movies about 'faking a relationship' that you just know is going to end up with 'catching real feelings'. When the world feels like it's spiralling into utter in chaos, how many of us reach for THOSE kind of movies?

Well, if you do, and you love them, unreservedly, this book is one for you. Grab a copy, snuggle up with a blanket and a massive mug of tea and devour it in one sitting.

But first - a word of warning - this book is a sequel. I would highly recommend reading "The Plus One Pact" first  before diving in. To understand the dynamic of these characters, I really feel like you need the understanding of the first novel. How they met, why they fell in love, their story - to really connect with this story, you need to have really believed in their story from the beginning.

If you are a lover of truly typical tropes, this book will suit you down to the ground - 'miscommunication' and 'second chance love' are high on the list, it's not a taxing read and Portia is always able to raise a chuckle.

Many thanks to Rachel's Random Resources for inviting me onto this Blog Tour.

I am one of the biggest fans of Portia MacIntosh’s writing, and having read many of her previous stories and totally loved them, I knew I was going to love The Faking Game just as much – and I really did. The Faking Game follows main characters, Cara and Millsy – who are the perfect couple in everyone’s eyes. There is just one small problem – they have broken up, but have decided to not tell anyone until their big planned family Christmas get-together is over.

Trying to pretend they are still a couple to their family and friends – what could possibly go wrong? Well, as it turns out quite a lot! Is it possible for Cara and Millsy to manage to fake their way through the festive season? Or will they both realise that they should be giving their relationship another chance?

The Faking Game is another brilliantly funny book by the incredible Portia MacIntosh. Packed full of love, and laughs, with incredibly funny characters and all set at the best time of the year – Christmas. If you are looking for a fun and fabulous read this festive season, make sure you add The Faking Game to your TBR pile.

3.75 ⭐ | 1 🌶️

I’ve always loved fake dating, second chance romances but I would’ve enjoyed this one a lot more if I knew it was a follow-up to the previous book!

The romance in this one is really cute but also quite sizzling. Despite their split. The chemistry between Cara and Millsy is electrifying! You can feel the tension between both of them throughout the book, and I really enjoyed their banter.

Overall it’s a fun, quick and immersive book that’ll ease you into the Christmas spirit.

I love a romance book and the fake dating romance trope but this book relied to heavily on miscommunication that it made you frustrated with the characters and took away from the building romance. This was made even more frustrating as the glimpses of romance between Cara and Millsy was fun to read if only they would talk to each other.

This was a very cute holiday rom com, second chance fake dating! This was my first read from Macintosh, a well loved romance writer.

I enjoyed getting to know the FMC, Cara, and her quirkiness is easy to relate to. The book was written like you and your bestie are just having a chat, I read this is just over 24hrs hehe

I do feel like Cara and Millsy needed a bit more time together for me to feel their connection. I loved Cara, but her feeling for Millsy fell a bit short. We didn’t dive deep into their relationship, why they broke up, and their time spent together was very short.

This was a quick and fun read, but I do like a little more depth to my love stories. But, perfect for the Christmas season coming up!

2.5 stars and I rounded down. I love the tropes that are in this book. And normally fake dating is a favorite. But the miscommunication between the characters is just so painful to read. It really took some of the fun of a Christmas read away.