Libby has been writing the online persona of Lillibet for a while, but her real life is far from the fake lifestyle online. Facing a decrease in work and an increase in rent, now is not the time to put on a fake performance to a media heiress that wants to meet Lillibet. With the help of her friends, the fake persona comes to life…sorta.

I really thought this was going to be more of a fake dating romance, but really it turned out to be less of that and more of a totally fake person. The antics were kinda funny, and I liked Libby and Jefferson together. But overall I didn’t really connect with a lot of the characters, and I found myself zoning out a bit, unable to hold my attention.

Libby has a fake lifestyle influencer persona, Lilibet. When an actual influencer Hildy reaches out to Libby, she has to fake the lifestyle she created online. I thought the concept was interesting. There were some funny but awkward moments. I think I would have enjoyed it more if Libby was doing it for herself. I didn't like how her "friends" used her & got upset with her when she didn't do their bidding.

This was a 2 star for me. I tried to liked it the story just didn't do it for me. Some of the characters were really annoying. I rushed through this book. And i dont even remember what it was about.

dnf at 15%
i've never dnf-ed a book but i just couldn't read this one. i don't even know what was going on but i was disinterested from the first page.

*thanks Netgalley and St. Martins Press for the ARC

Surface level, really just okay romcom. Couldn’t really tell you what happened in it to be honest, but I did read it and it was mindless enough to be entertaining I guess.

Rating: 4/5
I received an eARC for my honest opinion.

This book really is a great contemporary and romantic comedy. It had me laughing, I felt for the characters in the sad parts, and had me rooting for the happy ending.

Libby has a blog, and in it she shows the world a glamorous, healthy lifestyle that is full of love and positivity, but it’s all a lie. She really isn’t an all put together young lady. Her and her friends are struggling to pay bills and make sure that they’re all taken care of and all they have wanted was to be able to make enough money to take care of their families and of course themselves. Her and her roommate/best friend live in a dump and they’re both waitresses that want to live a normal life without having to worry. When they get a once in a lifetime opportunity to meet a real media savvy person who is trying to show her uncle that she can run the family business and make it something more for people now days, they run into a few problems with trying to make sure that Libby appearances as her “Lovelillbet” blogger name.

This book is chaotic but in a good way, you will find great banter and comedy, romance, great characters and strong friendships. I liked the way that this book went, how the author made it about social media and how much we don’t really know is true or not when reading people’s blogs or watching their shows. I loved getting to see how the characters would handle each new day with Hildy and Jefferson coming to stay with them in a fake house. This author knows how to write a book that will draw you in, keep you there and then will let you go with a smile on your face. I liked her writing style, it was easy to follow, and the pace of the book was great. I found myself laughing out loud while reading this book and I found myself able to connect with the characters.

I found Libby to be funny, I loved that she would mix up things and not on purpose but just because it’s hard to remember so many things that were lies and now, she must act like they aren't. I laughed so many times throughout this book because of Libby but not just with her and with Jefferson as well. All the characters in this book really helped to make this a wonderful summer beach book. I can’t really say too much because I am worried, I might let a spoil out here and there, so instead just know that Libby does have some great growth in this book and starts to show the world who she really is, and she gets positive feedback and sees that people like it when bloggers and other people are more natural than fake. Oh, and I can’t forget about the goats!!! I want to hug those cute guys so much and love them all because of the mischief that they cause Libby.

I want to thank NetGalley and St. Martin Press for the opportunity to review this book.

This entire book was AF because the characters were irritating, ditzy and it was hard to enjoy any of this. I feel like I wasted 5 days reading this hoping it would get better... it did not.

Cannot recommend.

Thanks to Netgalley, Amanda Sellet and St Martins PRess Grffin for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

ALready available

The setting was great... What's not to love about a beach setting? There were also parts that made me laugh out, and I was intrigued at the premise of the book being a woman that fakes being an influencer. I really wanted to like this book, but I really struggled to get into it. It was a little too quirky for me, and I honestly struggled to follow the storyline a majority of the time due to the dialogue and zany characters. I found myself speeding through a lot of it so that I could finish.

*I received a copy of this book on NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. Thank you to the author, publisher, and NetGalley for this opportunity*

Living in a disgusting apartment and struggling to make ends meet, friends Libby and Jean decide to come up with an online persona-- Love, Lillibet-- to make fun of the influencers that swarm their island of Oahu, and also practice their photography and writing skills. However, when given the opportunity to create a magazine by up and coming mogul Hildy Johnson, Lillibet suddenly has to become a real person with a real husband and real mansion and real goats.

Libby suddenly has to pretend to be someone she's not to help out not only her best friends, but herself. Lillibet (and Hildy) could be everyone's ticket to getting out of poverty and fulfilling their dreams-- but as Libby she sinks deeper into the lies, it becomes harder and harder to keep everything straight and her growing feelings for Hilda's photographer certainly muddy the waters...

I wanted to enjoy this book so much. I loved Seller's BY THE BOOK and BELITTLED WOMEN, so I figured this book would be a slam dunk. It was not. The plot failed to grip me, I hated Libby's friends, and I didn't buy her relationship with Jefferson-- even Libby herself annoyed me with her inability to do much of anything except complain about the decisions she let other people make for her. This book was supposed to be a love letter to Hawaii, but this book could have easily taken place anywhere with a beach (and honestly, even that would be negotiable). The only part that felt Hawaiian was Keiko's recipes and ingredients, nothing else felt authentic. I struggled to get through this one, but I'll given Seller's next book a shot.

Libby is a broke waitress who, with her friends Jean (the artist) and Keoki (the cook), posts as Lillibet, a style guru trying to become an influencer. Jefferson is the mountain man who saves Hildy, the niece of a publishing tycoon from an avalanche. Hildy and Jefferson wind up scheduling a visit with Lillibet in her super swank home in Hawaii. Which she does not have. So the friends work with a contact of Keoki's and borrow the space of a rich dude. The thing is, they're not the only ones lying, because Hildy and Jefferson are faking a relationship for the benefit of the tabloid coverage for Hildy. Hooray, everyone is liars!

Honestly, I wasn't all that impressed with this. I felt like there was some disjointedness to the story. And everybody starting their relationships with each other lying is a GREAT way to meet each other. I absolutely did not like the angle of EVERYONE lying to EVERYONE. And Libby says she wants to be a journalist, and write about people's stories, but then can't even be bothered to tell her own story.

Jefferson is a decent character, but still hooked up with a woman he knew was married.

I think I was hoping for a more romance-y romance.

I received an Advanced Reader Copy via NetGalley in return for sharing my thoughts on this book. Thanks to the author and publisher for this opportunity!

Hate to Fake It to You is lighthearted with a fairly silly storyline. Some of the things that occurred were not very realistic. At times, while reading it reminded me of a reality TV show. It was a nice palate cleanser and something fun to read. That being said, I really didn't care for Libby's friends. They didn't behave like a true friend would, they manipulated and pushed Libby into pretending to be Lillibet in the flesh. Even when things were getting more complicated, they would still urge her to keep up the ruse and even encourage her to do things that, while may make all of their lives better short term, wouldn't be in Libby's best interest. They were the book's worst characters, and I wish Libby would have dropped them. Regarding Lillibet, I don't see how anyone couldn't see her as satire. Her posts were so over the top and cringe-worthy. I was getting secondhand embarrassment. In addition, the fake husband guy is very creepy and cringy.

I'm honestly not sure what I expected before reading this one, but ultimately I was let down. For me, I could not connect with the characters at all. Yes, there are some elements in romance books that you know and accept are going to be unrealistic. But this whole thing felt so far-fetched the entire time.

Libby often comes across as more frustrating than funny, especially as her increasingly convoluted lies pile up. The interactions between Libby and Jefferson lacked depth to me which made their fast-falling romance hard to buy into. But just because it didn't work for me doesn't mean it won't work for you!

I really like the cover of this book. It's cute and fun which is what attracted me in the first place.
The book's setting is Hawaii, which I love. The mentions of the native food, culture, and beautiful scenery were the best parts of the book.
... And that's about where the good things ended.
Libby wants to be a writer so badly that her and her "friends" create a fake social media profile essentially making fun of social media influencers. If that isn't bad enough, her supposed bestie Jean decides to get in contact with a big media producer family, practically pimping Libby out. So Libby's two friends try to parade her around and have her fake her lifestyle to make THEIR lives better. And when she wants to do the right thing by telling the truth, they guilt her into keeping up the charade. And when she finally tells everyone the truth, they get MAD AT HER. Because SHE ruined THEIR chances at making money and living their dreams. Like. Wow. Libby could not find two worse friends. I really just wanted to whack Jean. The Me-Mas tree??? What part of her thought painting a naked picture of her friend FOR GUESTS was a fantastic idea? I cringed so hard.
Jean was THE WORST character in this book. Mr. L and Uncle Richard - the misogynist - were better than her.
Keoki was just there to cook, guilt trip Libby with his girlfriend and baby on the way, and bring goats.
Hildy was okay. She was eccentric and often made out of pocket comments, especially regarding Jefferson's age.
Jefferson was just there to be a love interest. I felt nothing for him, and I don't know how Libby did either. He was a generically "handsome, rugged, strong man" with zero substance.
The relationship, if you can call it that, was pretty bland. It was insta-love, but it wasn't done in a convincing way. Jefferson was getting hot and bothered in her presence, and Libby practically drooled every time he appeared. But there were no emotions. At least, we weren't shown any. The so-called chemistry was more awkward than swoony.

I cannot tell you the number of times I picked up this book just to set it back down after a chapter or two. It was a struggle to read. The characters made me mad. The plot was confusing and utter nonsense most of the time. The romance was boring. The writing was monotonous and basic.
I did read a few other reviews, thinking maybe it was just me, but I guess this is considered a screwball comedy and dumb humor just doesn't do it for me. The characters, dialogue, and plot were cringey, ridiculous, and annoying more than it was funny.

I couldn't finish this one could barely get through the first few chapters, just not for me but am sure it will find its audience.

DNF @ 31 %

THE GOATS ON THE COVER. Immediate five stars for the goats.

I won’t lie, it was hard for me to get attached to this book. When I was about a third in, I wasn’t motivated or interested enough to continue this book.

Thank you, Netgalley and SMP, for the ARC!

I really wanted to love it but I found myself getting more and more annoyed with the characters. It was getting more and more outlandish as it went on.

It wasn't even the writing, it was just how ridiculous all the characters were and I usually love characters that are different and ditzy but I just couldn't with these people!

The story was fine, I just couldn't connect

3 stars

Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin’s Griffin for the eARC in exchange for an honest review. Libby Lane and her friends develop an online social media account - Love, Lillibet - in which Lillibet offers up ridiculous advice and “wisdom” to her followers. Hildy Johnson is an affluent member of a media family and decides that Lillibet is the key to launching her own magazine. She brings Jefferson Jones, a wildlife photographer, along with her to Hawaii to convince Lillibet to team up with her to start the magazine.
I really struggled with the writing style of this story - I kept having to take long breaks from the book multiple times to finish it. I don’t find the story all that humorous, felt like Libby and Jefferson did not have great chemistry, and really disliked Lillibet’s fake persona. Overall, 3/5 stars.

I admire Sellet's vision in this book. I am not a connoisseur of old movies, and so it took a lot of digging for me to figure out which movie this book was based upon. Once I found that information, so many of the pieces fell together and honestly elevated my initial feelings of the book.

The elements in the novel felt very disjointed. There were two fake relationships, and one was far more believable than the other. There was also a secondary romance that just didn't get well-developed. Being a romance reader, I knew that this particular couple would fall for each other and end up together, but it wasn't developed great. I can't decide how detrimental that really was though, because again you know it's going to happen, so the author spending more time on other elements seemed almost okay. This was what I would call a slow burn, because the tension was palpable. But I also don’t think it felt like a true slow burn.

I almost DNF'ed this book at ~20%. Ultimately, I wanted to write a review, and have that review be good and thorough so I stuck it out. And I am so glad I did because it honestly got better. The characters started as insufferable, but the character development was great. I still ultimately don't think there was any character in the novel that was truly enjoyable, however.

The author notes that she wanted to pay homage to the island of Oahu, and I loved that premise. I have been to Oahu once and have another trip planned and I loved both the tourist aspect and getting to talk to locals about what they love about their island. That said, it almost felt like Sellet was still writing this as an outsider of the island. It was as if she was an admirer of the natives, rather than truly capturing the native spirit. Her concept was still brilliant, I just wished there had been a bit more.

Things that didn't work for me:
-Some of the terminology was outdated, which was irksome.
-The story is written with an omnipresent voice, but there are times I felt like one character was driving the story and thoughts. I think a dual POV may have been more effective for this one.

Thank you St. Martin's Griffin for the eARC of Hate to Fake it to You. All opinions in this review are my own.

Unfortunately, Hate to Fake it to You was a DNF at 33% for me. I usually love fake dating so I thought the double fake would be great, but it just made it awkward and cringey because everyone was lying to each other. The main character was barely trying to be her fake persona which made the whole thing way less believable.

Hate to Fake it to You….I think I am too old to really appreciate this book. I’m all about fake it til you make it but there are limits. Especially with so many influencers getting a bad name because they don’t post honest/ true photos. I was very close to not finishing about halfway through because it felt like I needed a board like Criminal Minds to keep up with lies/embellishments/misdirections.

Ok that’s a little extreme but there was a lot of fake content that it made it hard for me to want to finish Hate to Fake it to You.

Thankfully, this book did redeem itself a little. Usually I want more drama but I am glad that for once there was a little less drama when all the dirty laundry was aired. We do get a happy ending but I was close to not seeing that happen.

My other big complaint is Jefferson and Libby’s arc. I can see why they had an instant infatuation with each other but with BOTH of them in fake relationships not knowing they’re both in fake relationships but still willing to follow the spark is icky to me. It just seems a little crazy that after one short conversation they couldn’t stop staring at each other even when their fake SO was nearby.

Overall this was a miss for me. Even with the second half being MUCH better than the first half it isn’t enough to make up for it, especially with how close I got to not finishing the book.