The Great Dating Fake Off by Livy Hart was such a cute story! From the big Italian families that hate each other, to the pickleball matches, the mechanical bull rides, and the special meals, this story was just a fun one to read. Nora and Sebastian meet because of work and instantly like each other, and what a coincidence it is when they not only show up at the same big Italian wedding, but do so as fake plus ones for both of their best friends. The way they fight their chemistry and their own personal hurdles just makes them coming together so much sweeter. I will say, I don't think the name super fits. When I picked this out, I expected it to be a cooking competition or something like that because of that famous show. There is a little cooking in the story, but it just kind of threw me off when I read the synopsis and it didn't match expectations. Overall, it was a good little love story with some laughs, a few heartfelt moments, and a good slow burn. I'll definitely be picking up some of Livy's other books after reading this one!

✨ Publication date: May 7, 2024✨

The Great Dating Fake Off is a rom-com by Livy Hart featuring fake dating, forbidden love and family drama.

Nora spent her life moving from place to place chasing her mother’s dreams and boyfriends. She finally found a place to call him in Grand River where she manages a book shop/cafe for her friend Benji.

Sebastian moves around a lot. He works for a boys and girls club and travels across the country opening up new clubs for communities in need. He grew up in Grand River and is back for a few months to help his grandmother out.

When Sebastian walks into the bookshop there is instant chemistry between him and Nora and before they can even explore the attraction they are interrupted and find themselves on the same wedding trip as their best friends fake dates for the same wedding.

They agree that in order to pull it off, they need to stay away from each other for the week but it’s next to impossible as they are thrown together at random. They can’t seem to deny their attraction but if someone finds out it could ruin this wedding for more than one couple.

Nora thinks Sebastian may be the one but he’s leaving shortly to take on his next big project and she needs a place to call home. Can they get through this wedding week as other peoples dates? And even if they do, what possible relationship can they have?

This was a cute story and the spice was good when we got there, but there were a lot of characters to keep track of. There were some plot things I didn’t think were necessary to the main story either. I enjoyed this one but it’s not my favourite from this author. This is a 3 star read for me.

Disclaimer: I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

#NetGalley #livyhart #thegreatdatingfakeoff

Rating: 4.5/5
Steam: 3.5/5

Thank you to Amara/Entangled for this advanced copy in exchange for my honest opinion.

You had me at "over-the-top Italian wedding," and Livy Hart delivers a delightful romp filled with fake dating antics, laugh-out-loud moments, and sizzling chemistry. I have adored Livy's past books, as she always strikes such a balance of steam and humor.

The chemistry between Nora and Sebastian is off-the-charts; you could practically feel the steam rising off the pages. Their banter is a highlight of the novel, packed with witty one-liners that had me laughing out loud.

The double fake dating premise is executed hilariously, adding layers of complexity and fun. While Benji initially rubbed me the wrong way, he ultimately redeemed himself by the end of the book, showing that even the most unlikely characters can surprise you. I also found myself wishing for a spinoff about the bride and groom, exploring how they fell in love despite their feuding families—a story I’d love to dive into!

One of my favorite quotes perfectly encapsulates their dynamic: “Have I earned the right to call you by your last name like your best friends do?” “Wear the name out. Someday it could be yours.”

The Great Dating Fake Off is a charming and entertaining read that balances humor and romance beautifully.

This was an 18+ contemporary romance with fake dating, forced proximity and soooo much drama.

The characters:
I truly loved both the main characters in this book. Sebastian was beautifully clueless and such a gentleman, always willing to go above and beyond for his family and those around him. Nora was so sweet and protective, despite having a guilt complex larger than the Himalayas. The two of them together were incredibly funny, especially as they got to know each other more and began to cultivate a relationship. Benji (my favorite side character) was quite possibly the most socially anxious book character I have ever come across but somehow that worked so well in his favor. I do really need to see a Benji x Gia story-line.

The Plot:
Oh my gosh, where to start?? The basic plot is they meet, want to date, don't date, fake date each other's friends, fall in love, get accused of heinous things, break up before they start and then have their happily ever after. Now, to go more specifically. I loved the plot elements that surrounded platonic friendships, the things you will do for your friends and complicated family relationships. There was a long term feud between two families, resulting in a marriage almost ending before they even got to the wedding day. This plot took us on a journey of fun, laughter, heartbreak and second chances.

I honestly loved every second of this and, in fact, it got me out of a reading slump!

4.5 stars.

This book wasn't bad.
I just have a hard time keeping up when there are a lot of characters. I get so focused on not forgetting anyone or missing anything. So I think I was distracted while reading it. I just think it wasn't for me.

Thank you to the publisher and author for my eARC!

This is my second Livy Hart book and while I didn't love it as much as PLanes, Trains, and All the Feels I still really enjoyed the drama of the story. I had a hard time at first keeping everyone straight as there were a lot of characters. But once that happened, I was invested in how the story would end up. It was a little too "insta love/insta lust" for me but that's my own bias against that trope. I did really enjoyed the dueling families, the drama, the friendships, and the ending.
Definitely a 3.5/5 read!

This one started out strong and kept my interest for a bit, but I eventually found myself thinking of what else I could be reading instead. Some parts just felt too ridiculous.

I really tried to like this one, but just couldn't. This is not the book for readers with a pregnancy ick - it is mentioned throughout every spicy scene and was just too much for me to handle. Also heavy in the miscommunication, just not for me.

I thought this was very good and I will have to add this to the shop shelves. Thank you for the chance for us to review.

Ugh, I loved another book by Livy Hart so much, but I just could not get into this one. The premise is that both main characters are fake dating other people at this wedding. Let the chaos ensue! But the banter and characters, for me, were just not it. Meh.

I did not expect the level of spice that was given, but I'm not mad about it🌶️🌶️🌶️

I honestly loved this one; it made me laugh and gave me all the cozy comfort vibes I want from a romcom with just a bit of anxiety, just the way I like it. The dual POV always elevates a romance in my opinion because it's not all one sided thoughts and interpretations. I love getting to see into both MCs' heads. Nora and Sebastian are so cute -- I just love them. They're willing to do basically anything for their friends and both give soft sweet golden retriever vibes.

Fake dating is one of my favorite tropes and I love that Livy puts a different spin on it where the MCs aren't fake dating each other but are both fake dating their friends and have to try to stay away from each other. The chemistry/sexual tension is so obvious and just builds over (a short) time and the spicy scenes👀 Well done. There's a lotttt of drama in this one with a big Italian wedding between two feuding families, very memorable characters on both sides, some shenanigans that lead to lots of laughs, and of course the tension and angst that comes from trying to pull it all off while also falling in love. There's also some found family feels which is another of my favorites. Benji and Alessia (the besties each of our MCs are fake dating) are adorable in very different ways and add to the fun, ridiculous drama -- considering their families are the ones feuding and they're the reason why Nora and Sebastian are in this mess to begin with. The Great Dating Fake Off is a riot of emotions and an overall good time!

I highly recommend if you're looking for a book that will leave you smiling!

Thank you Entangled Publishing & NetGalley for the digital ARC. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

I absolutely love Livy Hart's books, so I was excited to hear about this one.

I loved the fresh take on a fake dating romance. It's what you get when you have both MCs in fake relationships with other people when they really just want to be together instead. The communication was great and I'm glad their fake partners approved of them being together.

There was so much tension, banter, and pining! I just ate it up!

I absolutely loved it and I'm hoping we'll see Benji and or Gia get their HEAs down the line.

Thank you to Entangled Publishing and NetGalley. I voluntarily read an early copy of this book.

5 STARS!

Livy Hart is one of my favorite authors. She is incapable of missing and only knows how to write hit books. "The Great Dating Fake Off" is another winner. I absolutely LOVED Nora and Sebastian. They might be one of my all-time favorite book couples. Hart really knows how to write banter, how to write longing, how to write pining. What starts as insta-love very quickly turns into something much deeper and much more profound. Nora and Sebastian YEARN for each other so deeply that you feel it in your bones. Fake dating with a twist, wedding shenanigans, large, headstrong families, decades-old beef, intense spice, and self-discovery combine to make one heck of a riotous, sexy, meaningful, theatrical, swoon-worthy novel. I seriously love every single thing about this book. I love the setting, I loved the characters, I love their jobs, I loved the friendships, I loved the family dynamics (mostly because they bring the drama!!), and I loved the love!! This book is well-paced, well-thought-out, and has a well-earned ending. Another winner for Livy Hart.

Thank you to NetGalley, Livy Hart, Entangled Publishing, LLC, and Entangled: Amara for the complimentary ARC of this book. All opinions are my own. I was not compensated for this review.

Thank you Entangled Publishing for the ARC!

I’m new to Livvy Hart and I’m looking forward to more from her! This was a cute romcom! It had fake dating, big family wedding, rival families, some spice and forced proximity. It was a fun read!

3.5 Stars - Such a fun take on fake dating full of witty banter and steamy romance!

Synopsis: Nora and Sebastian hit it off at the bookstore, but they didn't expect to cross paths again. Until they run into each other a few days later at a big Italian wedding, where they’re both pretending to date other people to avoid family drama. Can they keep their distance and get through the wedding without giving in to their chemistry?

This was a good time! It was a very different take on Fake Dating which was really interesting to read. I will say it took me a while to get into this book due to all the side characters. Once it got going though it was really enjoyable and SPICY. Recommend for fans of My Big Fat Greek Wedding, Christina Lauren and How to Lose a Guy in 10 Days.

Tropes:
- Fake dating (other people!)
- Instant connection
- Feuding families
- Dual POV

Content Notes:
- Strong Language
- Descriptive Sexual Content

Thank you to Entangled Publishing & NetGalley for providing an ARC to review.

I've truly enjoyed every single Livy Hart book so far. But I had so much trouble liking this one.

The Great Dating Fake Off is essentially the Italian version of My Big Fat Greek Wedding, with double the fake dating. Nora fake dates her best friend to get his mom off his back. Sebastian fake dates his best friend because she's still in the closet.

Nora and Sebastian's relationship is purely based on insta-lust, which is my least favourite trope in contemporary romance. I don't mind this trope in dark romance or paranormal romance, but I generally hate it in your typical mainstream contemporary romance. The banter is witty, sure, but I didn't get the pining I was expecting. I wanted less lust, and more PINING. There's lust and sexual want and a singular focus on body parts. And then there's emotional pining with unresolved sexual tension that makes the characters clench their jaws and fists. I prefer the latter, and instead I got the former 🤷🏽‍♀️

Because everything about Nora and Sebastian was based on insta-lust, it was easy to predict that they wouldn't be able to keep it in their pants even though they were both aware it was just going to be a hook up. And predictably, their hook up was the trigger for the ultimate chaos that ruined the wedding. Also, the spice here just didn't fit the big wedding and family feud theme. It felt completely misplaced.

Anyway, there isn't anything wrong with this book. It just didn't give me what I wanted, and I didn't like most of the characters. To be honest, I barely remember the names of the supporting characters. But I did like Benji, and I hope he gets his own story because grumpy bookstore owner?? Yes, please and thanks!

I'm sure other people will enjoy this book. This is the first time I didn't like a Livy Hart book, and I really hope it's also the last time because I truly enjoy her writing and storytelling style.

POV: Dual
Spice: 🌶️ 🌶️ 🌶️

This book is a fun and light read full of fake dating, big family wedding shenanigans, and it even has a secondary romance plot that I enjoyed! I couldn’t help but fall in love with both Sebastian and Nora as they are just such good people and they both deserved their HEA together. They are so sweet that I was pleasantly surprised when things get very 🔥 between them.

I’ve enjoyed watching this author grow with each book she writes, and I’m crossing my fingers that there is more to come from her and these crazy families!

"Nora D'Amato is an occupational hazard to fake dating."

"'If it's not you for me, it's no one.'"

This was such a fun, sweet read that would be perfect for breaking a reading slump.

This book combines fake dating and forbidden romance in a unique way. Nora and Sebastian both agree to help their friends by pretending to date them for a huge family wedding. The problem is, Nora and Sebastian can't stay away from each other. They're trying to preserve their friends' secrets in front of the families while also trying to get to know each other in private. On top of that, they are surely doomed to fail as Nora loves her small town living while Sebastian's job has him constantly on the move. Their irresistible pull towards each other clashes with both of these other tensions in a way that really pulled me through the book.

The romance was so sweet. I loved watching Nora learn what it's like to be cherished and prioritized, and Sebastian realize that he's enough just as he is. The sweet scenes are balanced well by some spice that rounds out the romance well.

The overall plot of the wedding between two huge feuding Italian families is also a ton of fun, and I was more invested in the side characters' plots than I was expecting!

Overall, this sweet, fluffy romance will have you grinning and kicking your feet while rooting for every single character.

Another middle of the road for me. The book was fine overall for me. The characters failed me though.. there are so many and so many different dynamics, it’s hard to keep up with all of them.
I also wish this was either more of the title, like how fun would it have actually been to have a fake dating competition?! Or just less of the title.. it seemed like just following along the two MC’s love story and not a lot about the fake dating.

This is my second Livy Hart book and all I gotta say is I have the most FUN reading her books. There's so much heart and love and wholesome hijinks (and spice) that all adds up to the best time. Started and finished same day which was exactly the palate cleanser I needed during this AWFUL slump I've been in.

This was sort of insta-love but not in the unbelievably cheesy/cringy way most insta-lovey tropes are. It set a pretty nice pace even though it really is only in the span of a couple of months (I think). But it didn't feel too rushed and you forget about the time-lapse as you're reading because there's enough depth between the characters that unfolds.

I do think the ending was a little bit rushed in terms of how quickly the main characters came to a resolve, but I think what helped is that neither of what the characters wanted in the beginning of compromised in a drastic way. The characters didn't have to immediately give up a piece of who they were to fix the relationship and it made their connection even more believable.

All in all, I think this was very thoughtfully written and I absolutely love Livy Hart and her vibes.

Thank you NetGalley and Entangled Publishing for the eArc in exchange for an honest review!