I thoroughly enjoyed this book. Some bits on descriptions were a little cringe, but only happened a few times. Overall the story was very enjoyable. I truly enjoyed Ted, he was so lovable. Abbey was so relatable and just dealing with so much while trying to find herself. It was interesting to see how both MCs decided to he deceitful in pursuit of changing their current situations and how all of that unfolded. When it all came to light, I was shocked. I truly loved how it played out and how the ended was wrapped up nicely! I got all teary eyed because it was so cute and sweet!

I received this ARC from NetGalley and Boldwood Books to read/review. All of the statements above are my true opinions after fully reading this book.

I am thankful to each author who chooses to share their art with the world, and I am always honored to be one of the first people to get a chance to experience their art through receiving an arc. I hate when I can't provide a glowing review of an arc, but this one didn't work for me.
However, you may enjoy this more than I did if you like:

- low-spice romance
- spending a weekend flying through a lighthearted read
- an ULTRA slow burn
- a quirky, people-pleasing FMC who says things like "sugar and pies and berries!" in frustration

Now, onto my personal thoughts. (Pls remember that the things that bothered me won't bother everyone and are in no way a personal attack on the author).

I would have loved to see Ted and Abbey come into their own more. We didn't get to see Ted finally take control and end it with Fleur. He didn't confront Roman for being a horrible friend and person. Abbey didn't gain the confidence she deserved. She didn't even make Andrew suffer basically at all. I felt like they weren't super fleshed-out characters to begin with, and seeing so little development by the end of almost 350 pages was a bit disappointing.

Another issue that continued to take me out of the immersion was the author trying hard to make the book feel distinctly "modern" when it doesn't seem like it is where she is most comfortable writing. In one moment Abbey is a strong modern feminist telling Ted not to call her "babe" or any other "massively misogynistic term" ever again (which I found odd on its own but to each their own ig), only for her to turn around and think another girl "smells expensive but looks cheap" in her "hooker sandals." Don't worry, she feels bad about thinking it, until the girl (MAYBE!?) teases her about being dressed in her pajamas at a party. Tim is a great feminist man who consciously doesn't offer to help Abbey into a kayak in case he comes across as anti-feminist instead of just "manly," (also odd) but watch out if you have on "unnatural" lipstick or wear fake eyelashes. Further odd moments include the reference of eHarmony as a superior online dating platform, capri pants, "shorts and a blazer combo," and the misuse of the word "gaslighty."

I also found the pacing challenging to work through, where too much time was dedicated to the build-up, and the true conflict and ultimate resolution felt quite rushed. I feel like I deserved a treat after hearing their repetitive inner monologues for so long, and I love the pining after the fake dating breakup. I feel like they brushed past a lot of things and Ted could have groveled a bit more.

This read had me interested from the first chapter. I loved the pacing and characters. The mistaken identities made sense and I liked how it all played out. My only qualm is that I really wanted an epilogue!!

overall had lots of really enjoyable and fun parts! i enjoyed the banter, the chemistry, and tension, although i was definitely nervous about where the author would take the mistaken identity/miscommunication trope. it was executed okay for me, and my biggest miss with this was the missing character development. i would've loved to see more from the fmc, her letting people walk all over her annoyed me to no end. however this was still witty and had moments that i was giggling/kicking my feet at. would recommend!

Laura Carter does an amazing job keeping the readers engaged and wondering what will happen next. If you love a story about fake dating or a romance book that doesn’t have too much spice in it, then this book is for you! I could not stop reading wondering when Abby and Ted were going to admit that they were falling for each other. The plot is so relatable about trying to be someone you aren’t just to try to make it through life sometimes. I am definitely giving this a 5/5 star rating and will definitely be recommending this book to the members of my local book club.

First of all - such a cute cover. I have not read any books by this author and the plot sounded interesting so I was looking forward to reading it.

It's a fun, clean romcom about mistaken identity.....and many lies between the two main characters. The book was good - a solid 3 stars - however the ending was too abrupt and was definitely missing an epilogue.

Thank you to NetGalley for the ARC.

Thank you to Boldwood Books and NetGalley for providing me with a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Abbey anticipated the most memorable night of her life when her longtime boyfriend and childhood friend invited her to dinner. Expecting a proposal, she was blindsided by his revelation of infidelity and the desire to end their relationship. To compound her misfortune, she promptly loses her job. Determined to turn her luck around, Abbey impulsively spends all her savings on a six-month rental in her dream luxury apartment building. Coincidentally, she finds her ex now dating someone within the same building. Her embarrassment is spared by her charming neighbor, Mike, a star baseball player who has been pursuing her since she moved in.

When Abbey and her ex are both invited to her parents' vow renewal in Canada, she concocts a plan to bring a fake boyfriend, and Mike willingly volunteers. Unbeknownst to Abbey, "Mike Thomas" is actually Ted Thomas, Mike's brother, hiding in his sibling's penthouse after a devastating breakup. Mistaken for his brother, Ted decides to maintain the charade, fooling Abbey and everyone else.

Pros:
1. Fake dating is an engaging trope, offering romantic potential and unique character dynamics.
2. Dual POV enhances the story by providing insights into both characters' thoughts.
3. The story explores interesting settings, with a diversion to Canada adding depth.

Cons:
1. The prolonged mistaken identity plotline causes frustration, detracting from the overall enjoyment.
2. The incorporation of too many Britishisms in an American character's speech feels out of place and distracting.
3. Ted's superficiality and judgmental behavior diminish his likability and create a sense of hypocrisy.
4. Some storylines feel incomplete, leaving loose ends and lacking closure.
5. The book's style and character dynamics may evoke a nostalgic feel of mid-90s to early 2000s chick lit/romance, which could be a hit or miss depending on personal preferences.

In summary, while the book has its engaging aspects, the extended mistaken identity plot and certain character traits may not appeal to all readers. The inclusion of nostalgic elements reminiscent of earlier romance novels could be a decisive factor in one's enjoyment of the story.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for an early copy in exchange for an honest review.

OVERALL RATING: 3.5

Fake It til’ You Make It follows Ted and Abbey, both heartbroken and recently single, causing them to both be living in the same New York apartment. Ted needing an excuse to get away from his cheating ex and business partner while Abbey needs a date to her parents vow renewal. The two hatch a mutually beneficial plan to Fake Date each other, and hopefully get back at their exes in the process.

I think the biggest strength of this book is how compatible and believable the chemistry between Abbey and Ted was. The author did such a good job of making me believe that they were falling in love and root for them as a couple. Ted and Abbey and two adorable dorks who are perfect for each other. I adored reading each of their POVs hearing them crushing on each other and reading the tension build.

I have a couple of problems with the book. Firstly, the first half felt slow and took me a little bit to get into. The second half flew by and had a great climax and ending, but I did almost DNF in the first 40%. Secondly, I think I just have a problem with reading romances that have a deception or lying plot line. I find it frustrating watching characters pass up these opportunities to come clean to each other. I also feel like it’s difficult to make the reader believe a couple could move past a reestablish trust. Also, loads of unanswered questions at the end like Ted’s company and business partner, Abbey’s job and her living arrangement. I would really enjoy an epilogue added on that tied up some of those loose ends.

Overall, I agree with the blurbs statement of “For fans of The Spanish Love Deception and the Hating Game”. If you love Fake Dating and looking for a sweet, low spice romcom, definitely pick this up.

First off, I would like to thank NetGalley for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

I would say this is a pretty typical fake dating rom-com, the biggest problem I have with it is how much unnecessary lying there was…and how abrupt the ending was. Otherwise, I don’t have much to complain about and the book was pretty easy and quick to get through! I’ve read better fake dating tropes, but I’ve also read worse so this was pretty okay to me.

Note: I will be posting my review on Goodreads without a rating until the book is published, as I am aware that some publishers/authors do not want any ratings below 4 stars to be posted before the book is released.

Who doesn’t love a good fake dating rom-com?! While I went into this book with an open mind and high hopes, the story fell a bit flat for me. The character’s lies about their identities carried on for too long, which distracted from their connection, making it less believable.

Slow paced story - not a ton happens in the first half, which makes it a struggle to keep reading/stay invested.

The dual POV format of the book was definitely the right move and helped significantly with character development.

It was a quick & easy read with some laugh-out-loud moments. However, the ending seemed rushed and left much to be desired.

Thank you to NetGalley & Boldwood Books for the opportunity to read this digital ARC in exchange for my honest thoughts.

This a great book. I hope that there will be a sequel because there definitely could have been more done with the end of the book. For instance did Abby get the job at Ted’s company? Did Ted confront his company partner? How did Ted come out to his ex fiancé that him and Abbey were in love? These are all important questions that need to be answered in the book or needs a sequel!

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for allowing me to read this pre-publication.

Unfortunately, I dnf’ed this book at 20%. I did not like how Ted (main guy) was thinking about Abbey (main girl) and kind of fat shaming.

Thank you to Netgalley and Boldwood Books for providing me with this ARC.

Abbey and Ted find themselves living in the same building in New York. Abbey's long-term boyfriend has just broken up with her, and Ted has just discovered something treacherous going on with his fiancé, Fleur.

Ted and Abbey meet, and sparks fly - whether out of annoyance or attraction - and despite confused identities, they strike up a friendship. Or more?

I absolutely loved this book. Great news for fans of fake dating trope, we've found a winner! Full to the brim with wit, chemistry, and some seriously sweet moments, this romance is definitely one to add to the TBR.

I love a fake dating trope so was excited to pick this one up. It felt like a Shakespeare comedy with the mistaken identities which can be a fun premise for a romance novel, however it felt like it went on a little too long and the personas they played (particularly Ted as "Mike"). I found the characters were quite two-dimensional and the idea of Abbey being seen as shallow because she likes to wear make-up or Ted constantly comparing her to his ex was quite repetitive and I didn't feel like I warmed to either of them unfortunately.

Thanks to Netgalley and the publishers for an e-ARC in exchange for an honest review.

I received an ARC of this book from NetGalley in exchange for my honest reading opinion. Great for fans of the fake dating and mistaken identity tropes! Light, low steam story with two earnest and relatable main characters, and an HEA for those of us who like that sort of thing. I think the characters worked well together, but towards the middle of the book I had to struggle a bit to maintain interest in whether or not Abbey and Mike/Ted eventually revealed their secrets to one another. The last part of the book picks up the pace a little, although I felt the ending was a bit abrupt with some loose ends I'd have liked to see tied up. Still a fun read!

Roses: Abbey was great. She was funny, witty, and just so normal which made me love her so much. An by normal I mean to me she acted as what a typical woman normally acts when faced with the situations she was dealt. Her character was easy to relate to and didn’t come across trying to be someone they weren’t. Ted was fabulous as well. I really enjoyed the fact his internal monologue was more on the insecure side than the douche ceo you normally get in these types of situations. While he does put on an act to save face of the truth you get bits of this nerdy and pretty normal guy he actually is. I love that the characters both are facing the same situation but in a slightly different presentation. I think this made their motivations more reasonable. The fact that Abbeys dad plays investigator and still supports everything is great. I also think it’s sweet that he’s the one that has the conversation with Ted and gets to show his papa bear side which you find yourself respecting. Abbeys mom is also pretty great by the end once you understand her intentions aren’t as ill willed as they come across. The sibling love this story shows is also a huge plus. Both characters have amazing relationships with their families. The romance of this story was pretty good. This slow burn is slow and I was getting really eager for something to happen but the wait was worth the declarations of love towards the end. Another plus is it is dual pov. I’m so happy we got both sides.

Thorns: The exes. They are both trash and I didn’t like Andrew at least was given so much page space. I wanted to know what happened when Ted talked to Roman. This plot line was always brought up and at the end I thought we were going to see this showdown happen but then it didn’t. That being said I feel like there was a lot that went unanswered. If there’s a sequel to this story awesome if not as a reader I’m left wondering what happened to certain subplots which I don’t like. So fingers crossed we get some answers in other books like one for Mike, and Dee and get to revisit Abbey and Ted again too. Final thing the slow burn. I know I said it was worth it but still, this one was on the verge of being to slow.

Laura Carter is a new-to-me- author, and she is definitely an author whose books I would like to discover more of.

Abbie and Ted's story is realistic, and it's so emotional. I loved Abbie's clothing style. Her furry boot slippers were just my style.

I liked her relationship with her sister and her best friend and they were realistically portrayed characters. I loved the NYC shopping scene! The apartment building was very nice.

The whole initial feeling of discomfort surrounding Abbie and Ted living in the same building was well done.

I was very angry with Abbie's ex, Andrew.

There were laugh-out-loud moments and I finished the book in a day. The plot was true-to-life, feelgood, and emotionally immersive.

Fake It 'til You Make It was very well plotted and was one of the best fake date romances I have come across so far. The fake date trope can be a success or a failure, in my opinion: it depends on how well the characters are developed and on the overall plot and the writer's still in these as well as writing style.

In this case it was a real success.

Thanks to Laura Carter and Boldwood Books for my eARC in exchange for an honest and voluntary review.

5 stars

Thank you to Net Galley and the Publisher for the eARC.

2.5 Stars Rounded to 3
Cover 3 Stars

This was a pretty standard Rom-Com, but it didn't quite hit for me. Lying on your dating profile is one thing. Letting your neighbor believe you're someone else for weeks on end is an entirely different one. The characters' lies lasted much too long, and as such their growing attraction felt creepy to me.

Like other reviewers some of the word choices were distracting. Calling a cami a "string vest" is a new ick.

I love a fake dating romance!!
First time I’ve read a mistaken identity book, and whilst it did stress me out slightly, I really enjoyed the development between the MCs.
It really felt like I was reading a cheesy rom com and I for one LOVED it.
I’d love to have seen more of the characters after initial ending of the book, but I’m not too upset over it.

Will definitely be reading some more of the authors work now!

Downloaded it on Sunday and had finished it by Monday, what a story, I absolutely loved it and just couldn’t put it down.
Cosy up and enjoy, great story, the main characters were fab.