1.5/5

Thank you NetGalley and Boldwood Books for the arc.

I didn't like it. The writing was weird at times - especially with all those abbreviations. Seriously you have a character say stuff like "OMG" instead of "Oh My God" in a dialogue and that isn't somehow caught by an editor? Come on now. Or at the very beginning "We didn't have any IRL contact these past six weeks" JUST SAY IN REAL LIFE, IT'S NOT HARD.

I hoped I'd like this book, but alas, I didn't enjoy that at all. Ted let Abbey believe that he's his own brother without ever correcting her and coming clean. And Abbey lied about being an actress and that led to all sorts of misunderstandings and errors and confusion. I hate lying about your own identity and that's what they both did to each other. They both have been cheated on by their long-term partners and decided the best thing to do was... lie to each other about who they are? And it's all swept under the rug like it's not a big deal.

And what about the ending? I HATE open endings where loose threads aren't dealt with and they make holes in the story. What happens with Dee's baby daddy? Where does Abbey live? Is Ted successful or is Roman still an issue? I need answers! Seriously, an epilogue would be enough to tie all those loose threads together into a cohesive and satisfying ending. And yet we've got nothing.

I did not like this book and if her other books are similar, I will not read anything else by this author. The writing was cringe at times, pacing was off, and while I love fake dating, this one was a disappointment.

I just want to start this by saying I love the fake dating trope, it's one of my favourite romcom tropes and this one delivered on so many different levels.

Fake It 'til You Make It is a dual romcom that focuses on Abbey and Ted, both newly single and reeling from finding out that their partners have been cheating on them.
Abbey thought she had it all, her perfect job, and her highschool sweetheart she was sure was going to propose to her, until he didn't, instead of popping the question, he blinsides her by telling her that he's been cheating on her, and less than 24 hours later, a mistake at work costs her her job.
Ted also believed he had it all. His own business with his childhood best friend, the fiancee of his dreams... until he walks in on them together. Now he's hiding from the world in his brothers apartment.
They agree to fake date each other, Abbey to save face in front of her parents, Ted to avoid dealing with his ex.

Usually I'm not a big fan of characters lying to each other, but it was done in a way that was equally amusing and frustrating as they kept having to remember who they were pretending to be,
One of my favourite things about this book is the slow burn really feels like a slow burn, and when they start to fall for each other, it sthe real person they were falling for, which for me, I loved because it felt as though they would be okay in the end.
Also the mutual, 'What am I doing?' towards the end was *chefs kiss*, I was genuinley rooting for these two with my whole heart, and I was really sad to finish the book, as I could have happily stayed in the characters heads for so much longer.

Solid 4.5 stars for me.

Thank you to NetGalley, Boldwood Books, and Laura Carter for the opportunity to read this early copy. All thoughts are my own.

Firstly I would like to thank both NetGalley and the author for providing me with a free ecopy of this book in exchange for my honest review.

im not too sure how or where to start about my feelings for this book; in summary, the story is well, cute? I suppose if you can look past the fact that both our characters, Abbey and Ted are basically the same person, in the sameish situation as each other relationship wise, however one is just wealthy and the other is what the title suggests - faking it oh and the obvious of one being female and the other male. Watching their relationship grow from weird annoying neighbour not quite enemies to fake dating to eventually I suppose lovers is quite nice; seeing them both having growth within themselves with I have to admit some funny moments I guess was quite wholesome? I think that’s probably the perfect word to describe this book, wholesome. I did catch myself smiling whilst reading this and also thinking ‘aww this is cute’ however sometimes I did catch myself thinking ‘okay enough with the pity party’

however some of the writing styling choices did baffle me. I’m not entirely sure why when we were reading in each of the characters pov and when they were quite obviously swearing the words ‘feck’ and ‘shet’ were used when at other times correctly spelt swear words were used? Maybe this is just a personal thing but im not sure why there was flip flopping between using swear words and not so obviously replacing them? it just seemed a bit childish and unneeded? like both of the characters were either in their late twenties/early thirties so i don’t personally understand the censorship? I mean while I was reading I just read over them with the actual words but I’d be lying if i said it didn’t bug me? I feel like all the words should be censored or used correctly or even not used at all if the actual words didn’t want to be used? I don’t know, as I said it baffled me.

I don’t want to draw too much comparison to The Spanish Love Deception however when it’s states “perfect for fans of Elena Armas” - I can’t help but compare the two. I would personally say the only thing that these two books have in common is the fake dating trope and wanting to save face in front of family: however for me that’s as far as it goes. This is book is far less spicy than TSLD and just doesn’t have that tension that TSLD had for me. It’s a wholesome watered down version for me and I feel awful for saying that but im not sure how else to say it?

Ultimately was this story readable? Yeah sure, did I find myself forcing to finish it at times? Honestly and sadly yes, would I recommend this book to someone who wanted the fake dating trope with little to no spice and a cute story? Actually yes this is probably the perfect book for someone who wants that; it’s a nice, wholesome, heart warming story, I just wish we got to see more of Abbey and Ted and what their life held in the future in a time skip epilogue or something after the ending.

Fake it til you make it review
This was a really fun romcom. It starts out with our two MCs Abbey and Ted finding out they’ve been cheated on by their partners. They both end up moving into the same apartment block after the breakups and that’s how they meet.

Abbey needs a date for her parents vow renewal and so begins the fake dating with Ted.

I would have enjoyed this a lot more if Ted had not taken the identity of his brother and lying to abbey for the whole book. That part irritated me so much and was pointless!

The ending was very cliche and kinda cringe but it was funny and sweet and a quick read overall.
If you like fluffy quick romances this is for you.

Tropes:
Fake dating
Forced proximity
One bed
Slow burn

*ARC review thanks to Netgalley and the publisher*

Laura Carter was a new-to-me author, and I really liked the blurb of this book. Abbey gets dumped by her boyfriend while she thought he might propose, and he basically tell us it's because she isn't fun enough, and looses her job the very next day. As a result, she uses all of her savings to rent a place in her dream building, and starts to pretend to be someone she isn't - but who she thinks people will find more interesting. In the building, she meets her new neighbour, who is running from his ex after finding her cheating on him with his best friend / business partner. He also starts to pretend to be someone he isn't, out of resentment and believing his normal self isn't enough. And then they start fake-dating each other, not knowing they are both faking new persona, making both ex's furious and so that Abbey can show up with a date at her parents' vow renewal. And through the cracks, they also start falling for what little they see of the other's real personality.

Honestly, this was a fun read. It was light, pretty quick, and the twist of each other hiding themselves and their truth and trying so hard to be who they each believe they should be instead of who they really are was really interesting. There was a lot to be discussed on self confidence and acceptance. Unfortunately, I felt this was a little bit too light on those subjects, barely brushed as if insignificant when there could have been more development, so to me there was lost potential. But mostly although the idea was fun, it went on for too long for me. I wish the reveal had happened earlier in the book and there had been more time on the both of them as themselves, instead of everything happening in the last 5-10% of the book and an ending that I found quite abrupt, leaving too many questions unanswered.

I really liked this book. It is about Abbey and Ted. After Abbey’s boyfriend confessed to cheating on her and breaks up with her, she doesn’t want to face her family, ex-boyfriend and his new girlfriend at her parents’ vow renewal on her own. So she decides to find a fake boyfriend to bring along, but who? In the meantime, she’s moved into her dream apartment but very expensive apartment, longing for another kind of life after being dumped. She bumps into her nextdoor neighbor but they get off on the wrong foot, both making assumptions about the other one that isn’t true, and both are actually running away from a nasty cheating ex and feelings of not being good enough. Both of them draw conclusions about the other one that isn’t according to the facts and both feel their true self must be horribly boring to such a glam, successful and popular person. So both of them are faking it, not only to the outside world but also to each other and to themselves. But how do you get out of this circle?
What I liked is that the author took her time introducing the main characters; what they liked, how they felt, and their inner struggles, accompanied with funny scenes where they get into situations which is totally out of their comfort zone, which enhances the wrong idea the other character has of them. You know from the book description that Abbey will ask Ted/Mike along to her parents’ house, but will they come clean beforehand or not?
<i>This is getting confusing. What started out as passive acquiescence to a misunderstanding is rapidly becoming an outright farcical lie. I don’t think I want to be lying to Abbey, or anyone for that matter. But, Christ, the real me is an absolute car crash right now and I don’t really want to be him either.</i>
The story is well developed and has a good pace. Their romance isn’t rushed but grows realistically.
I liked that Abbey was so clever with numbers that she could fix Ted’s legal issue. (Strange that his lawyer or financial adviser couldn’t?!)
The dual point of view showed how both of the characters truly felt despite showing a more beautifully presented reality. I liked that their real personalities were seeping through and favored over the fake ones. I was just a bit annoyed that Ted kept lying to Abbey after getting ample opportunities to tell Abbey who he was. But I guess the book title ‘Fake it ‘till you make it’ wasn’t just toward the outside world but towards each other, too. Luckily, the ending made up for that, I found it very satisfying. I also really liked Teddy’s astuteness and I also enjoyed the way Anna took responsibility for her part in the way her daughter acted. Extra points for keeping this a clean story; Ted was a true gentleman and I loved him for it.
I can honestly recommend this sweet and easy read to anyone, you will enjoy it!
Thank you to NetGalley, Laura Carter and Boldwood Books for providing an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

Sweet story about being yourself being good enough. Abbey and Ted are a perfectly swoony couple. I loved every minute. Initially I was a little thrown off because while the characters live in New York and Abbey is Canadian, the slang is pretty clearly British. But once I got past that, the story is sweet and my anxiety about Ted coming clean was offset by how much I enjoyed their time together. I'd love to read follow up stories about the real Mike and Abbey's sister Dee.

Thank you to Net Galley, Laura Carter, and Boldwood Books for this ARC of Fake It til You Make it. I really wanted to love this book. The way the two main characters found each other, their geeky love for numbers - it was super appealing. Unfortunately, it wasn't it for me. I felt like the majority of the book drug on and then suddenly at the end of the book the truth comes out and it's over. Fairly anticlimactic. Bummer.

3.5⭐️ read. Fun romance book with likable and nerdy characters. The end felt slightly rushed and would have loved an epilogue just to see if it lasted and where Abbey ends up decided to work but I think that’s probably more a personal preference to how I like books to end. Would recommend especially if needing a fast paced and quick read!

This book was not it for me. The book moved really slow for the first half of the book. While I could feel the chemistry with the characters i just lost interest in the first half.

This book focus on the fake dating / mistaken identifies trope. Enjoyed how the characters are introduced and the chemistry growth with Ted/Mike and Abbey. However, I felt as thought the end was abrupt with not follow through on how the characters ended once they true identities were revealed to each other. As though we are missing the last couple chapters.

Overall it was a light-hearted, quick read! (No spice or cursing)

I am so happy to have given this writer another chance. I read a previous book of hers about friends with benefits and I didn't like it, I couldn't connect with the story or the characters, but with this book it was the opposite. I loved it...
.
I liked the story, I liked the characters and I loved the double point of view, I was afraid that it would be too long when I saw the number of chapters, but it happened almost without realizing that I was reading. The story unfolded and I loved how Ted and Abbey had their share of white lies and prejudices that made them enter in a well done trope of mistaken identitie.
.
He thinks she is a rich and frivolous girl and she thinks he is a famous baseball player, and when an unexpected encounter makes them say the first thing that comes to their mind, is to say that they are dating. With her parents' vow renewal close, where she is going to have to face her cheating ex, Abbey needs to bring a plus one to save face and avoid ruining her parents' day. Nobody better than her sexy baseball player neighbor.
.
I really enjoyed this book and every moment that Abbey and Ted shared. Although it seems very complicated, the plot works perfectly to the point that one gets lost in the story and in the perfect scenes and is left wishing for the moment when everything will come together. And the perfect end, i would love to read an epilogue .
.
Thanks to Laura Carter and Bolwood Books for give me a copy of this book in exchange for my honest and voluntary opinion.

I loved this book! It was such a cute rom-com. I was rooting for Ted and Abbey right off the bat. They were loveable characters, and it was fun reading their story. The dual POV showed the internal struggles that each character had and how they were more similar than they believed. It also helped showcase how they each developed throughout the story. This book has essentially no spice, which is perfect for the sweet, heartfelt setting of the story.

Thank you so much to Laura Carter and Boldwood Books for providing this ARC book for review consideration via NetGalley. All opinions are my own. 💖

Abbey thought she had it all until her world came crashing down in an instant. Her boyfriend’s who she thought she was going to marry broke up with her and she’s reluctantly single again…and then loses her job. “New apartment, new wardrobe, new woman”? Why not? Life takes another unexpected turn when spending time with her new handsome neighbor is way more fun than the outside dating world. Abbey’s not the only only faking it till they make it but adding a fake relationship when a family function where the ex is invited is on the calendar makes the perfect plot twist ….😉 Fake It ‘Til You Make It is a fun and breezy read, the lengths the characters go through to impress others to lie turns comical. And it is a reminder that it’s always better to love yourself and be genuine because the right people will see the truth and beauty inside.

Review will be posted on Instagram 3/9!

a little cringey, but so good at the same time. Ted was such a loveable character and i'm obsessed with how relatable Abbey was. if you like fake dating, sweet moments, and little spice - this is definitely the rom com for you!!

thank you to netgalley and boldwood books for the arc in exchange for my review!

[Thank you to NetGalley and Boldwood Books for the eARC in exchange for my honest review]

I really enjoyed this book. This is a cute, easy read filled with a romance trope for everyone. There's enemies to lovers, friends to lovers, slow burn, fake dating, dual POV. The miscommunication and mistaken identities tropes are sort of tangled up with each other, but since it's occurring during the entire story, it wasn't as grating as it can be when it just appears in the third act of a book.

The story allowed the characters to come together in a somewhat organic way. This allows the reader to watch as Abbey and Ted have witty banter but also grow together. The book is a clean romance, but there's still a lot of chemistry between the main characters. The secondary characters are great as well. You're able to get a good sense of who they are and they make sense in the story.

The end felt a little abrupt, between how the fake dating was exposed to the HEA (it should have been revealed earlier), so I wish we got an epilogue to hear how Ted and Abbey were doing or to give the reader some sense of closure. I have a lot of questions!

The only other issue I had with the book was that there were a lot of British terms and that sort of took me out of the story since it's supposed to be an American and Canadian living in New York (for example, I had to look up what a 'string vest' was).

I received this book from Netgalley and Boldwood Books for my honest opinion/review.

3.5/5
Fake It 'til You Make it is a story about Abbey and Ted who end up getting cheated on by their significant others. Abbey moves in to a new apartment that she spent her savings on and Ted is staying at his brother, Mike's, penthouse just above Abbey. Abbey finds out her boyfriend had cheated on her while she was on a trip for work, during a dinner where she thought he would be proposing to her. Ted found his fiancee with his business partner and best friend Roman. They run into each other where Abbey finds some of Mike's mail and believes that Ted is in fact his brother, Mike. As a friendship begins to form, lies between the two continue to grow. "Mike" accompanies Abbey to her parents vow renewal as her fake boyfriend, where everything comes out and Abbey has to decide where their relationship should go and how to move on.

Overall, I did enjoy this book. I liked the beginning and how the characters were introduced. I felt like there was actual growth and chemistry between Abbey and Ted/Mike over the span of the book. I really loved how Abbey's best friend and her sister, Dee were there to support her decisions and be her support system. However, I do think that the reveal of who Ted/Mike really was came way too late. I was reading and just thinking to myself, tell her! Then, at the very end it ends abruptly and we don't even get an epilogue. I would have loved to hear about how Abbey and Ted were doing, how things went down with Ted's company, former best friend and fiancee. I just felt like we were left hanging and it could've made the book even better.

I would recommend this book if you want a light-hearted, clean book (no spice or cursing).

Goodreads Link: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/6317128975

Abbey wants to get married by thirty and have children by 32 and she is planning to do so with her current boyfriend Andrew… but one night she finds out that Andrew is cheating on her with some weather woman and wants to break up. Abbey is devastated by this and ends up moving out and living at her sisters.

Ted is a very successful business man that’s engaged to a model, Fleur… but he also finds out that he’s been cheated on… and that it was his business partner that seduced his woman. To escape all this, he moves to New York and lives at his brother’s apartment.

All this and some more gets Abbey and Ted together and they become “friends”… with one little issue.. Ted introduced himself as his brother Mike… and now Abbey thinks, that she’s getting close to this professional baseball player.

During all this they start “fake dating” to protect Abbey from her ex boyfriend and also to stop Fleur from getting ideas… where will this all lead them? 👀🤔

This romance is slow burn and sweet. It will make you angry, sad and it will also make you laugh. I really enjoyed this book and I couldn’t stop reading it.

Thank you for letting me read this copy before it’s being published.

This has been one of my favorite reads of 2024. So much that I devoured this book in less than 24 hours. With these types of tropes: enemies to lovers, fake dating, I usually don’t like the main character too much. However, Laura Carter has drafted beautiful and incredibly relatable characters. I personally related to Abbey so much in terms of career and relationships. I loved that Abbey and Ted’s relationship was not rushed at all, as it often is with these types of books. My only problem with this book is that I wanted more and perhaps the chance to see Ted confront his Demons just like Abbey did.

This was a sweet, fun little rom-com. I wish I had liked it more but, in the end, there were a few too many issues for me to overlook.

Because the synopsis for this book is so vague, there are some details I’m about to share that aren’t necessarily spoilers but aren’t divulged in the brief plot summary. Essentially, the plot of this book boils down to lies and willful miscommunications - something that carries on for far too long. And while I understand the motivation behind Abbey’s lies, the motivation for Ted’s lies are a lot murkier - especially given the size of his lies, relative to hers. So if the miscommunication trope isn’t your thing, you probably won’t want to read this book.

The end was extremely abrupt. I don't always need an epilogue but this almost felt unfinished.

My other issue is a pet peeve. Probably silly, but it bothers me just the same. I don’t like when Brits write books where American (and in this case, Canadian) characters use Britishisms. To be fair, the reverse also bugs me. I hate it even more when Americans write books about Brits using clearly American vernacular. It detracts from the reading experience.

Both of those issues aside, there were bright spots in the book, and I’d be open to reading more from this author.

Thanks to NetGalley for the advanced reader copy of this book.