I love every single page of this book. Superb story line and awesome book characters. Ms. Winter outdone herself again with this story.

I read this as an ARC provided by Netgalley and Montlake publishing. This novel by Winter Renshaw is a fast past, right person wrong time story. It was a great quick read and was very entertaining! I definitely loved the fake dating element to it as well.

Briar and Dorian met at a bachelor/bachelorette party, and sparks went flying. But they had to go their separate ways and made a pact to reconnect two years later. Now one year later, Briar shows up to a holiday as the fake fiancée to Burke, her boss, who needs her help. But when they show up there, so does Burke's brother, Dorian...
This is a second chance, fake fiancée romance with very little spice, told in dual POVs and timelines. I mostly liked the read, but a bunch of little things annoyed me. The fact thay they promised they would wait for each other for TWO YEARS after spending meere days together was a bit intense. And even though I do understand that the situation with his brother and Briar probably hurt him really bad, the way Dorian treated her when she could not explain what was happening because of an NDA he did not know she signed was a bit harsh and unfair. I also feel like this was a misunderstanding trope disguised, and it bugged me. My favorite parts were the Then timeline, where the connection between the two MCs was more present (I didn't really feel of believe it in the Now timeline). Sadly, while this timeline is there a lot in the beginning, it completely disappeared after the halfway mark, and I was craving more of it. Some of the characters were very unlikable - I'm looking at you, Nicola and Burke (even if Burke had some moments, I'm questioning their authenticity now), and in the Now timeline, Dorian was mostly a jerk. The Rothwell family is a very disfunctional one. I did like Redmond as much as he broke my heart. I know I've been complaining a lot, but the fact that I still gave this 4 stars speaks volumes on how much I liked it despite all of it's flaws.
I received an advance review copy of this book for free and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

Everyone's 'happily ever after' doesn't look the same, but love is love and it is worth the wait.
Briar and Dorian made a promise to each other, but a misunderstood opportunity almost ended everything. It seemed that they had more in common than shared feelings, how about sharing a couple months together with his family. Together-ish. The two were forced to deny their true feelings for one another, but not even an engagement to a family member could end the connection that was meant to be.
This tale kept me intrigued to see that a promise was kept. I actually looked forward to seeing what took place in the past to make waiting so worth the present obstacles. I also found that I loved "getting to know" about Dorian's father. He just wanted to be sure his children were happy and had someone to share their lives with. Having Briar connect with this in common was a joy, regardless of its ending.
Fake-ish was an enjoyable read from the beginning to the end. A definite re-read for me. Thank you, Winter and NetGalley for allowing me this ARC, so worth the wait!

This was short but I liked it. I would have preferred if it was a bit longer so we could actually see them together though. I liked that the connection they had was so strong that it was still there a year later.

I received an arc through netgalley.

This was surprisingly a quick read for me and also yet another satisfying romance under the pen of Winter Renshaw.

Fake-ish is a story of Briar and Dorian. They meet in the Dominican Republic on a joint bachelor/bachelorette and spend three days together. They promise to wait for each other for two years before they can be together.

Two years later, Briar finds herself in a fake-relationship with her boss, who happens to be Dorian's brother.

I'm a sucker for fake engagement romances so I already knew this would be right up my alley. Right along with a signed NDA, broken family with secrets, and a guy she promised to wait for 2 years earlier.

Looking forward to what’s coming next!

“They say one woman’s trash is another woman’s treasure, but calling Burke a treasure would be giving him too much credit.” – Briar, commenting on her fake fiancé.

Well, that’s one clue that something is amiss in the brand-new engagement between Briar and Burke. In fact, it’s a bit puzzling to learn about this engagement, complete with a sparkling 5 carat diamond engagement ring, since the story begins with Briar verbally sparring (and physically sparking) with grumpy Dorian at an OTT joint bachelor/bachelorette party down in the Dominican Republic.

Complex family histories, crossed wires and worst of all – binding nondisclosure agreements – make this a thoroughly engaging, angsty and ultimately so satisfying book that will knock your socks off. Brilliant!

Three stars!

Fake-ish follows Briar and Dorian after they meet at an engagement party for mutual friends in the tropics. When the two next meet, neither of them expect to see each other while Briar is playing the role of fake-fiance to Dorian's brother Burke. The whole 'old money' private island gave me wedding crasher vibes (without any of the funny antics).

While the initial meet-cute was sweet, and the two main characters had bucket loads of chemistry, the insta-love and promise-to-wait-two-years-for-me-trope were a little much for only having known each other a grand total of 3 days (of which we see one night). The exploration of the family dynamics was interesting but unfortunately there was just no angst (or forced proximity) while Briar and Dorian and forced to navigate each other's presence in hopeless circumstances.

Nevertheless, a super fast and fun read that's perfect for an afternoon in the holidays. I just wanted more. More pining, more angst, more I'm-going-to-fight-my-brother-to-win-you-back energy! Oh and spice. I do prefer spice in my books. This was very tame - almost fade to black.

I wouldn’t say this was a light-hearted read, but I didn’t get those strong angsty feelings some stories give me. I certainly felt bad for the male and female leads in their situations though. Appreciated the dual POVs too. There was a good storyline that moved pretty smoothly. I never stopped rooting for them the end up together in the end.

Fake-ish was an interesting read that proves just because something looks one way, doesn't mean it is that way. Cryptic? :-) This book will flip flop between the present and past. I've never been a big fan of that unless it's key to a surprise twist; Not so in this case but I get why it was done that way. Briar is offered a unique opportunity. What harm could happen agreeing to be someone's fake fiancee?

I discovered Winter Renshaw when I read “The Dirty Truth” and she has not let me down yet!
She has a way with words and storytelling!
Everyone should read this book!

Oh my wow! Freaking loved Dorian and Briar. Two people with the same values and want the same things come around once in a lifetime. On a bachelor/bachelorette party weekend they get left behind at a bar and spend time together and find they have a lot in common and lead to a few amazing days together, but reality is it’s time to go home. Promises made and a year later Briar finds herself agreeing to something she truly has no idea what she’s getting into and when she steps through the door to meet her fiancés family she comes face to face with Dorian, the love of her life. Secrets and lies, feelings between them are still on the surface, but she can’t explain what’s really going on and she may lose the one person, the only person who really got her and she got him and now he thinks she’s a liar and a good digger. How can she make him see it’s ever only and ever will be him? Loved the book!

Not a terrible book but the amount of anxiety this premise gave me meant I couldn’t really enjoy it! Also wildly unbelievable

The premise of this felt like something that would be right up my street but the whole thing just felt a bit rushed. It was kind of a dual timeline but the stuff in the past was so insta-love that I found it hard to be believable and therefore at no point felt all that invested in their relationship.

There was also a lot of repetition in places that made some chapters feel like you were just moving in circles as opposed to moving forward. It was a quick and easy read but it wasn’t quite for me in the end

What an amazing and complex story that starts as a chance meeting by two people, Dorian and Briar, who are both at friends' destination, bachelor and bachelorette party. Neither one wants to be there but Dorian feels obligated to his college friend and Briar to her cousin. When they start talking and one thing leads to another they hit it off but the timing is not right for our couple and they pledge to wait for each other and get back together down the road. When they next meet Briar is introduced to Dorian as his brother's fiance. This is where it really gets interesting and there are several twists and turns along the way.

This author can take me on a journey and keep me guessing on how the story will end. I was wrapped up in this book and couldn't get enough. My heart broke for both Dorian and Briar and the what if that they lost. This is a good story and has a happy ending.

I thoroughly enjoyed it and highly recommend it.

<b>Winter Renshaw delivers complicated emotions so effortlessly in her books! Fake-ish is a perfect blend of angsty, heartaching and sweet feels. Dorian gives the tortured, brooding and intense vibes those make my heart and panties melt. Briar captured my heart too, with her beautiful sunny soul. They met under impossible circumstances but love makes everything possible.</b>

When Briar agreed to act as her boss's fake fiance for eight weeks and spend the time with his sick father and divided siblings..she didn't know she is gonna come face to face with the same man she fell in love with one hour ago. Dorian is the brother and he is enraged at her .Because one year ago, when they met at the wedding of their mutual acquaintances, they promised each other to wait without contact till he can be free from his obligation as band manager and give her the full attention she deserved. Now Briar is stuck at a rock and hard place. The family is going through so much crisis and drama and she is clueless how to navigate it all.

<b>This set up of an obnoxiously healthy and dysfunctional family in a luxurious island was intriguing. It was like a reality show. Her fake fiance boss, Burke is a money hungry businessman robot who just needs this fake engagement to get all the inheritance money. The sister is also stuck in a marriage and wow she can be really nasty and bitter. Then there is Dorian who doesn't care about the money. He made his own from the band. Their father is trying to make up for the lost time but there is too much bad blood among the siblings, so much history of betrayal and secrets and the cracks are big. Briar is stuck in middle of this.</b>

At first I was a bit sceptical about the flashbacks in every alternate chapter because I didn't understand the necessity to go in details of that one wedding party trip. But then I realised it's so important. Two complete strangers fell in love there. Both afraid of love, both anti marriage, both sceptical about happily ever after..but they connected like magic. You can feel that through the chapters. They parted ways with a promise and they never stopped loving each other. But now Dorian sees her as his brother's fiance and that dredges up all kind of anger and pain. Oh my the angst is beautiful here. The author is shredding your hearts slowly and you are at her mercy. Then secrets come out. Tragedies unfold. Choices are to be made. I think Briar stood so strong through it and even at the worst situations, she thought about everyone. She really has a big heart. Open. Unconditional..Vulnerable. Dorian definitely took some time to go beyond his anger and grief. The spice wasn't a lot here but the touches here and there, the almost breakdown moments..keep the sizzle alive. There was something so dreamy about the way they met and fell in love and went through the heartbreak to find happily ever after. Winter Renshaw is a master at dual POV where she writes in a flawless way like we are in head and heart of the characters and it's just so easy to connect with them.

I reviewed an early copy voluntarily

Fake-ish by Winter Renshaw is a right place wrong time book.

Briar and Dorian meet at her cousin's bachelorette party weekend. They spend the whole weekend enamored with each other, but neither are in a position for a long-term relationship. Dorian is a famous band manager and asks Briar to wait two years for him. After two years, he'll be ready to quit the band and commit to each other. They bonded over their shared disdain of marriage. A year later, Briar has a job opportunity. Her boss, Burke, offers her one million dollars in exchange for pretending to be his fiancé for eight weeks at his family's beach estate. The only problem is that when Briar arrives, she realizes Burke and Dorian are estranged brothers.

This book had lots of potential, but it didn't always keep my interest.

4 ⭐️

I read Winter Renshaw’s ‘The Best Man’ book some time ago and I loved it so much, I feel honoured to have the chance to read her new upcoming novel before its release.

So, big thank you to the author, Montlake and NetGalley for providing me with an eARC of this book in exchange for an honest review. <b>Fake-ish by Winter Renshaw will be coming out on December 5th, 2023.</b>

This book tells the story of Briar and Dorian. They both met during a bachelorette getaway. They had a deep connection but it was bad timing and they agreed to meet again in two years. When she gets a new job that pays well—pretending to be her boss's fiancée for eight weeks on a private island with his family. The catch? Her boss's brother is Dorian, and things got very complicated.

As soon as I read the blurb, I knew I was going to love Dorian and Briar’s story and that’s exactly how it was! Even though I hate the insta-love, this book was very enjoyable thanks to the plot. But still, the end was too fast paced for my liking. Anyway, Winter Renshaw, you never disappoint!

This second chance romance holds a special place in my heart. It’s hard to do second-chance correctly but Winter Renshaw’s Fake-ish managed to get it right. It has all the fun tropes; fake relationship, forbidden romance, second chances, and spice. It was a fun read!

I got UNO reveresed with this one.

its fake dating but not like your used too. the guy shes pretending to date, yea shes head over heels for his brother.

the angst, the pining, the secret looks. Chefs kiss. This was a fast paced romance featuring the "right guy, wrong time" trope. ive not read many books with this trope and I've got to say, I really enjoyed it.

this book was light on the spice, having about 2 scenes. the scenes where very bland on my scale, which isn't necessarily a bad thing but i like my spice to be spicy. the Dual POV really elevated the book for me, getting to see both characters turmoil made me itching to read the next chapter.