Thanks to Net Galley for this eARC. Here is my honest review. Hate to Fake It To You is a modern retelling of Christmas in Connecticut, one of my favorite Chrismtas movies with Barbara Stanwick. This book does not live up to the original, though it's not without it charms. The book borrows many plot points (crepe/pancake tossing, christmas/me-mas) and even the MC names from the movie. Their story was cute and the character of Hildy was refreshing. The best friend Jean (sub for John in the film) was awful. No idea how they could be friends! The book was uneven, don't get me started about the part with the cockroach, but was best when it highlighted Hawaii, it's beauty and culture. Cute read with enjoyable MCs and a fun take on influencers. Wish I had more of Keoko's story.

I stopped after chapter 1 (5%). It was solidly okay, and I imagine it will be three stars for the target audience, four for the right readers.

Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for the ARC.

This was such a cute romcom. It had more com than rom which is fine by me. I felt the beginning was a little confusing, but I quickly fell in love with the characters. I loved how zany Jean was and Libby was a very relatable main character. If you’re looking for a romcom that has very tame romantic scenes then this one is for you. I would recommend to romcom fans.

Huge thank you to author Amanda Sellet for sharing this e-arc with me! The following review reflects my honest reading experience.

Hate to Fake It to You is a contemporary comedy set in Hawaii from author Amanda Sellet. I was immediately intrigued by the cover for this book and synopsis. Unfortunately, this book fell flat for me. The plot did not hold my interest and I was never really able to connect with the lead characters. I felt as though I was reading through an episode of the tv show Catfish.

Overall, I’m interested in reading future works from this author and thank you again to for this e-ARC!

A delightfully frothy contemporary ode to vintage screwball comedy, with a gorgeous Hawaiian setting and a lively ensemble cast ready to walk right into the sequels to come. Waitresses Jean and Libby are hard up for cash and inspiration when Jean hatches a plot to net Libby a writing job by taking her fake online lifestyle influencer persona into some real-life shenanigans. Hildy is a fast-talking journalist who needs a fake finance to maintain her viral internet status, and handsome wilderness photographer Jefferson fits the bill. As Hildy and Jean plot away, and as their plots intersect, Libby and Jefferson get swept up in the chaos of it all, all four of them trying to fake it when none of them are very good liars. Herein lies the comedy, along with some outrageously silly bathroom fixtures, a cute cameo by a pair of misbehaving goats, and a bonus fake husband who might prefer things less fake than initially planned. Though told with a wry eye for satire of social media, Sellet keeps the tone light throughout, and all that falls apart falls together again with the ease of a warm ocean breeze, making this an effervescent comfort read, one that’ll have readers making Hawaiian vacation plans, or at least exploring the cuisine that’s so lovingly integrated into the story. It’ll also have readers checking for news of Jean’s and Hildy’s books, which fellow classic film fans will likely see the seeds of in this story. Written with palpable fondness for its setting and characters, and plenty of laughs, this one’s sure to bring a smile.

FMC's personality gave me a little bit of an ick, but overall it was a funny little cute romance! It was successful as a light summer read rom-com.

Thank you NetGalley for the ARC. Here is my honest review:

Transported to the setting on the island of Oahu. Descriptions of Hawaiian culture, food, and scenery help to set the scene. All of these make for the beautiful makings of a story …..

The story was slow starting and initially hard to follow creating moments where I was truly confused where the story was going. Once it began to flow, it was difficult to really dive deep into these characters for me and the comedic aspect fell a little flat

The story left me wanting. Wanting more from Libby. More from Jefferson. Just more, making the ending feel a bit quick and abrupt for my liking.

This was a cute, light hearted romance about a girl who creates a fake online persona only to have to carry out the act IRL. I really enjoyed the writing style, but I found some parts of the plot to be a bit choppy and the ending was a bit abrupt IMO!

Libby (the main character) had a cringey but cute personality, Jean was funny but I could’ve done without the Irish accent, and I would’ve loved to learn more about Keoki.

Overall I enjoyed it — this would be a great beach read, can be easily read in one sitting!

This was such a cute romance. I absolutely loved the setting and the banter was perfect. I would highly recommend this book!

"Hate to Fake It to You" isn't your typical "rom-com", yes I had tears in my eyes from laughing so hard and the swooning was there, but it was so much more than that. The scheming and found family was incredible, but most importantly the way that this book so perfectly shows how much we don't want to be "perceived" as young members of a social media obsessed society was everything.

My girl Hildy deserves her own book. I could just feel her character on every page. She is a feminist icon and a hilarious girl-boss.

"It's never enough. We make everything beautiful and stroke your egos and bear your children and then you try and nickel-and-dime us when it comes to pursuing our own ambitions."

"I'm trying to mature into a more forgiving human being. Except with a very small subset of people who will be my sworn enemies until death."

I have always dreamed of going to Hawaii, and this book truly gave me so much more of a deeper appreciation for the island and the people who live there.

Libby Lane is putting on a facade. She and her best friend Jean have concocted Lillibet: Libby’s high-class internet counterpart, who exists only on Instagram. But now Lillibet must exist in the real world to fool Hildy, the magazine creator, and Jefferson Jones, her photographer. Can Libby keep up with Lillibet’s image in her staged home and fake husband? Or will she crack and let Jefferson in?

This book had me hoping and LONGING for Libby to just tell Jefferson who she really is. At the same time, I wanted this Lillibet story to succeed. The reader feels just as conflicted as Libby herself. “Hate to Fake It to You” did have a lovable main character, which is hard to come by sometimes, but Jean and Keoki didn’t feel like their own independent people, even though they were charming in their own ways. That’s the reason I docked one star from my review. Besides that minor point, this book was fun, well-paced, and didn’t rely on basic tropes to get through the story. In what other story did a goat runaway lead to sleeping on the beach together?


I highly recommend this fun summertime book for anyone who likes romance even a little bit.

I had to DNF, so sorry. It may just be a me thing, but I couldn’t get into it. I felt like the book was reaching. I couldn’t get myself to like any of the characters enough to read more than half :/
This is not to say it isn’t a good book for others, it just wasn’t for me!

This book started off with a letter to the reader with a great quote "this book is a comedy, and a romance but it's also a love letter to a place". I love this quote and I definitely think the book delivered.

The set up: a poor FMC, Libby, has a fake instagram influencer account where she writes the most out there, ridiculous posts (ex: "Thats why when some people refer to me as a content creator, I tell them I'm a context creator"). The MMC, Jefferey/JJ is a wildlife photographer who saved Hildy, a rich heiress from dying in the snow in Wyoming. Hildy loves Libby's fake account and takes JJ to visit Libby after her near death experience.

This sounds complicated and convoluted when writing it out but it flows pretty well in the book. The comedy and word banter is top notch. The sexual tension is high between the love interests. There's a sneaky reference to Ice Planet Barbarians ("A little ice planet action, if you know what I mean").

The main negative is the length. I think the book could have been shorter and told the story just as well. I'm also not huge fan of 3rd act break ups. We don't get to see JJ and Libby together much as a couple.

The fake instagram posts at the top of each chapter are inspired. Kudos to the author, they are perfect for the image Libby has created.

Thank you to netgalley and the publisher for this eARC.
All thoughts and opinions are my own.

I really enjoyed the characters and loved that Lillibet was a play on Libbys nickname. Each chaper starting with a cringe fake "I'm better than you" influencer post was great! It was funny to watch them all faking it through the visit, everyone had their own secrets to hide. Mr. L absolutely gave me creep vibes, who loves plumbing that much?! It was perfect though, his weirdness added such a funny accent to the story. I love that in the end it all worked out great for them, I have a feeling Keoki would have had a rough time being in business with Mr. L,

I would dedicate recommend this book!

ARC Review -

I will be completely honest… at first, I didn’t think I would like this book at all. It seemed a little too quirky, and I absolutely loathed the idea of Libby masquerading as someone living the perfect life that was everything she wasn’t. We need that kind of thing on social media about as much as a cactus needs a snuggle, so I wasn’t digging it. But then within a few chapters, you got the know the characters and understand the reasoning behind her social media persona and it turns into a laugh out loud, unique story - complete with a sweet romance, over the top side characters and a very unique look at what happens when we are not our unique selves online. This was a clean romance, with just a shake or two of spice but you could feel the heat between Libby and Jefferson through every page! I loved them both separately but together they made you cheer on from the sidelines hoping it would work! This was a solid 5⭐️ for me, with the only hiccup being the adjustment to the characters and writing style right at the very beginning. If you open it up and feel the same - just push through because it’s absolutely worth it!

Hate to Fake It to You is a hilarious look through social media mayhem and unexpected love. Libby Lane, a waitress with a not-so-glamorous life, juggles reality with her influencer alter ego, Lillibet. When a real influencer discovers Lillibet's online world, chaos ensues, especially when media maven Hildy Johnson and wildlife photographer Jefferson Jones get thrown into the mix.

The story delves into the authenticity struggle of social media, adding a sweet and funny touch to Libby's budding romance with Jefferson. With borrowed goats, a made-up holiday, and a web of lies, the book keeps you guessing which crazy twist will blow their cover first.

Filled with quirky characters and unexpected turns, "Hate to Fake It to You" is a witty and charming modern comedy that explores the absurdities of love and life in the digital age. It's a quick, entertaining read that'll leave you laughing and reflecting on the craziness of authenticity in the online world.

Thank you to the publisher and net galley for the ARC of this book. all opinions are my own.
Due to the current SMP boycott, I will not post my thoughts on this story until the concerns are addressed. At that time, I will be happy to post my full review.

Thank you NetGalley for the ARC in exhcange for an honest review. This book didn't take too long to finish yet it was a little hard to get through. I wasn't a massive fan of the characters, or the sense of humor but the book overall was cute and a little quirky if that's your prefered reading style.

This was a chaotically sweet and funny romcom. I enjoyed the writing style and how easy it was to devour this story in one sitting.

First and foremost, I really liked this! I thought the preface was a nice touch, I like that Sellet had help from people who live/are native to the area when writing this. The descriptions of the island were so vivid, I felt like I could truly see what the characters were seeing.

This book was a breath of fresh air! Packed with light-hearted humor and delightful characters, I found myself rooting for almost everyone by the end. Libby's friend group is an absolute riot, and I loved the backstory of her online persona evolving from a joke to a full-fledged phenomenon. Both Libby and Jefferson are charming characters, but their romance felt more like a bonus subplot than the main driving force of the narrative. This perfectly suited the breezy, week-long timeframe of the story, making it a quick and enjoyable read. I wouldn't mind getting a whole book about Hildy either!