A fake fiancé, second chance romance between a woman who fell hard for one brother over a magical summer only to find herself in a fake dating situation with his brother two years later in order to fulfill inheritance conditions. Lots of forced proximity, forbidden love and pining in this latest from Winter Renshaw. It was good on audio but not a favorite for me. Recommended for fans of authors like Elizabeth O'Roarke. Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for an early digital copy in exchange for my honest review!

Oh what a twisted web Ms. Renshaw weaves with this new story.

This is the story of Dorian and Briar.

This is a story of family lies and secrets. This is the story of how fate can sometimes be cruel.

Briar and Dorian's relationship is unique and I admired that uniqueness didn't change or they didn't bend to the traditional ways.

Dorian's family is quite the definition of dysfunctional and Briar's past has left some scars that have really changed who she is as an adult.

The locations are described beautifully, I could picture myself in the same locations. (And some I truly wished I was)

If you are looking for a dishy, perfect romance, with family drama and secrets aplenty, get your hands on this!

I was drawn into this story and how as it progresses, it's revealed that not everything is as it seems (and I don't just mean between Briar and Dorian's brother).

I received an ARC and am voluntarily leaving an honest review.

If making something fake I wanna do it in Dorian's style lol

I really enjoyed this book and I've spent so good time during reading it ! The action flows by thru the pages seamlessly and it was really addictive from the beginning. Author slayed fake dating trope and left me speachless. Dorian and Briar RULE, totally from the start..

I loved to see how their relationship evolved into something more... I loved everything but I might add a little more spice into romance between them. I love when my books are playing with fire a little.

Must Read title!

On va suivre Briar qui va rencontrer Dorian lors d’un enterrement de vie de jeune fille de son amie. Ils se promettent de s’attendre mutuellement. Pourtant, deux ans plus tard, Briar se retrouve à jouer la fausse petite copine de son patron, pour convaincre la famille de ce dernier qu'il mérite son héritage… Et elle va se retrouver face à Dorian, qui n’est autre que le frère de son patron… Alors, arriveront-ils à s’expliquer? Feront-ils le bon choix?

J’avais un peu peur au début de me retrouver face à un triangle amoureux mais pas du tout! J’ai vraiment apprécié ma lecture qui au début navigue entre le présent et le passé lors de la première rencontre entre Dorian et Briar! On sent l’attraction entre eux presque immédiatement et qu’ils sont faits l’un pour l’autre! Les personnages sont complémentaires! Le livre se lit très rapidement, sans prise de tête et c’est vraiment très mignon!

En bref, une romance toute mignonne!

I loved this book! I devoured it in only a few sittings and wish there was more to read. The story line was paced very well and the characters were easy to love!

Fake-ish was an enjoyable read. The story got me from the get-go. Dorian and Briar's characters drew me in and I was so hooked that I couldn't put it down.

When they first met who would have thought that they would hit it off and realized how much they have in common. The attraction was undeniable. But the timing wasn't right, Dorian could not get out of his hectic schedule from managing a band, so he asked Briar to wait for him for two years. Will she wait for him?

Winter Renshaw never disappoints when it comes to a good romance, an amazing storyline, and intriguing characters. A must-read if you're a fan of this trope.

I enjoyed this right person wrong time story. The chapters alternate between the past and the present in a way that is seemless and appropriate. I did enjoy the present chapters more than the past ones.

So much fun to read and so good. Loved Dorian and Briar's story great characters and banter. Kept my attention the entire time.

This hit ALL the right spots! Angst, heartbreak, deception. I loved it! I don't want to say too much, just read it. You won't regret it.

Fake-ish🙌

Wow, what an adventure I feel like I’ve just experienced at the hands of Dorian and Briar😁 I truly feel as though Briar was between a rock and a hard place there for while and this author has a way of making poignant statements with what she writes…thought provoking and I love it❣️

Burke has asked Briar to accompany him to his family’s island, as his fiancée, over the summer to spend time with his family. However, unbeknownst to Briar, the man she met a year ago in the Dominican Republic, is none other than Burke’s brother, Dorian…and also the man she’s waiting on🥹

It soon becomes clear intentions and omissions are aplenty and Briar has to wad through it all to discover the truth and get the HEA she wants🥰 A fantastic story that I really enjoyed and did not want to put down. Definitely recommend. I received an advanced copy via Netgalley and thank the publisher and author for the opportunity. I voluntarily leave my honest review❤️

Fake-ish is a second chance story of two people whose steamy fling should have turned into something more, except life was in the way. Their passionate connection is undeniable & they make a pact. When Briar and Dorian next meet, circumstances have changed, and there is a blend of desperation, attraction, anger, and angst. I love the way the author made me connect with both the characters through the dual points of view, it heightened the emotional intensity. Loved the story, with its the complexity of families, and the reality of life.

Thank you to NetGalley and Montlake for the review copy.

This is a romance, with a twist. A great take of the right person at the wrong time trope. This love story captured my attention and I was all in from beginning to end. Filled full of angst, instant chemistry, steamy scenes, as well as an interesting family dynamic.

Briar agrees to be her new boss Burke’s fake fiancé for eight weeks while visiting his family’s private island. If they can pull this off, she will walk away $1 million richer and her boss’s father gets to spend his last days thinking his son is happily in love again.

But there’s one big problem…Dorian, the man Briar met at a bachelorette and bachelor tropical getaway a year ago, the man she spent three gloriously, delicious nights with, and who asked her to wait for him for two years, is the brother of her boss! Oh yeah, she is in deep heartbreak mode over it and since she signed an NDA, she can’t tell him that their relationship is fake.

The way this story is told was what had me captivated. It switches back and forth from a year ago to present day from both Briar, and Dorians perspectives. With every trip to the past their chemistry grows, as you are forced to watch them in the present, pretending to not know each other, while really both of their hearts were breaking. The pining was epic! I have always loved dual POV since you can see what is going on in their mind. But this was all so emotional. Will they be able to weather this situation and come out on the other side? You will need to read to find out!

I received an early copy and this is my honest review.

Dorian and Briar met a year ago and had an instant connection, except for at the time their lives were in different places. A year later their paths cross again in a rather unexpected way.
There is so much angst in this story from the start. You can feel the chemistry and all the tension between Briar and Dorian. I loved in the beginning that the story was switching between past and present so we could get the full history between these two but also see how things are going between them now.
I felt for Briar because of the situation she was in and the fact she couldn’t tell Dorian the truth, you could feel him breaking and trying not to let Briar get to him more than she already has. These two are so perfect for each other and you really can’t help but root for them to find their happily ever after.
If you’re looking for an enemies to lovers, angsty, slow burn, second chance, grumpy/sunshine, close proximity romance check this one out.

Angsty, slow burn perfection, Fake-ish is a wonderfully complex story of finding the love of your life, at exactly the wrong time. The chemistry between Dorian and Briar is impeccable and their emotion fuels this story beautifully. It has a few twists and turns that keep you completely engaged and the ending is so, so satisfying. Highly recommend!

5 Stars ... Extradorinary-ish

I thought this book was going to be a comedy ... but I was so wrong. Don't get me wrong it was funny at the beginning, but mostly this book cut my heart out of chest, threw it on the ground and then stomped on it a few times. I was just not expecting that and I couldn't put this book down! Dorian was so real ... he said exactly what he thought and was not fake in the least. Briar put herself in an impossible situation ... but she was only trying to set herself up for a better future. This is definitely one of my favorite reads of 2023!

Dorian and Briar meet at a bachelor/bachelorette weekend and they hit it off right away. Because the timing is wrong, before they part, they agree to meet again in two years and continue was they started. The following summer Briar agrees to be her boss's fake fiancé and he'll pay her a million dollars ... all she has to do is spend the summer on his family's island with his family. But never in a million years did she think that she would come face to face with Dorian ... her boss's younger brother.

I received an early copy courtesy of Montlake through NetGalley.

Fate certainly stepped in here when it brought Dorian and Briar together for a destination bachelor/bachelorette extravaganza. Their connection undeniable. The plan? To wait two years to be together once the band he manages ends their tour. What could possibly go wrong with that plan? Turns out a whole lot. Plenty of drama, betrayals, heartbreak and outright lies leave a tangled web for more than just these two. Entertaining from beginning to end with me hoping these two would get their HEA.

Thank you to Author Winter Renshaw, Montlake Romance and Netgalley for providing me with an ARC in exchange for an honest review of this book. It was my first book by the Author and I was HOOKED!

This story had all of my favourite tropes: fake dating the millionaire, and a second chance with her one true love... although these men are not one in the same!

We get to witness Briar share an explosive few days with Dorian and see the heartbreak as they agree to wait for each other over the next 2 year's as the timing isn't right. Skip forward a year, and Briar agrees to act as the fake fiancee of her boss Burke... and never imagines she'll be stuck in close quarters with Dorian too! Throw in an NDA and its a wild ride!

I thoroughly enjoyed not just the story but the writing style and will definitely be looking further into the Author's works. I couldn't put this book down and cycled through so many different emotions as the story progressed. I would highly recommend this book and may even gift it myself this Christmas!

I knew from the blurb that if this book was written well it was going to be spectacular and i wasn’t wrong. The chemistry, the angst, the yearning and everything between Dorian and Briar was fantastic and addicting, I could not stop reading once I stopped. I loved the dual timelines between the 3 days Briar and Dorian fell in love along with the current timelines.

There were so many twists and turns throughout the story as Briar navigated her fake relationship with her boss Burke who turns out is Dorian’s brother. Briar’s desperation to tell Dorian all about it but can’t due to an NDA and the feelings between them that only grew.

Highly recommend this book!

Fake-ish was a fun and enjoyable read. When Briar goes on a joint bachelor/bachelorette party little does she know the grump she met and had a fling with and promised to wait 2 years to see again will come into her life a year later. When Briars boss asks her to play his fiancee in exchange for a million dollars she agrees. Little does she know the real reason she is there and who his brother is. When she finds out everything her boss told her was a lie she backs out of the contract. Not only for that but shes in love with Dorian the brother and she know he is the only one for her. Now that he hates her thinking shes just out of the money she gives it all up and leaves. Only when Dorian finds out he goes after her. The love these two have is amazing. I loved Dorian.