Livy Hart has done it again. I loved this book! I loved that the ending took turns that I wasn't expecting. And that the big "reveal" happened earlier than I was expecting, allowing a more developed story at the end!!

5 stars

The story was cute, but it had a lot going on. Way too much family drama for what I assumed was only a fake dating rom-com. The secondary characters often took the spotlight away from the MCs. I really wanted to like it more than I did.

First, I have to thank Entangled Publishing and Livy Hart for gifting me an ARC of this book!

The Great Dating Fake Off is full of hilarious moments, sweet ones, and plenty of drama as well. I was hooked right from the beginning and could not put this book down! The chemistry between Sebastian and Nora is immediate and so adorable, you can’t help but cheer them on. When both of their best friends find themselves in a pickle, Sebastian and Nora come through to save the day for them… by fake dating them?

Fate brings Sebastian and Nora back together in one of the most entertaining of ways and from then on, this book was nonstop. Their banter is so sweet and you can tell the universe just wanted these two together. The family dynamics in this book were super interesting and I loved seeing the evolution of it all.

This forced proximity, new take on fake dating, forbidden romantic comedy (in my opinion since I laughed so much) was such a fun read and I totally recommend it when you need a pick-me-up. Sebastian and Nora will have your whole heart!🩷

Livy Hart….can you please write 15 books a year? This book is another fantastically funny, sweet and sexy ride. If you haven’t read anything by Livy Hart yet please stop everything and go because her books are the perfect beach read or perfect book to help you out of a bad mood.
What happens when you best friends family is attempting to set him up for his sisters wedding? You pretend to be is girlfriend to support him at the craziest wedding of the year of course. Little problem - the one guy you’ve actually had a connection with ends up being there too. Luckily he’s fake dating his friend to help her out as well. But crazy meddling families that are feuding definitely don’t make fake dating your best friend easy. Either does the amazing attraction between you two. Nora and Sebastian have a tough job ahead of them and keep being thrown together! This book was so much fun to read - especially the crazy family members. I loved how Nora was finally finding some new friends in this crazy set up but I swear the tension was real! I was so worried the families would find out. The perfect summer read to laugh out loud and swoon.

“I’m so far past gone for her and I don’t want to be found.   It’s good to be home.”

This book, these two and their friends and families will leave a lasting impression on me.

I am so upset at the pace I read it because now it’s over and I want so much more. First book by this author and I went in completely blind expecting a play on the Great British Bake off which I love. I didn’t get that but got so much more. This book is funny and witty and oh so horny. But it’s also sweet beyond belief. I highlighted half of it. This is going to be a top read for me this year.

I was given an ARC of this book and my opinions are my own.

The Great Dating Fake Off by Livy Hart
Rating: 4 stars
Steam: 3 chilis
Pub date: 8/6

Thank you so much to Netgalley and Entangled for my advanced copy.

I love Livy Hart and I couldn’t wait to get my hands on a copy of her latest book, The Great Dating Fake Off. And it did not disappoint! It’s a delightful romp through a week-long wedding extravaganza filled with fake dating, family drama, and simmering romantic tension.
Nora D’Amato agrees to pretend to be smitten with her best friend to fend off his meddlesome Italian family at his sister’s upcoming wedding. But things get complicated when her crush, the charming Sebastian Rossi, shows up with his own fake date.

Hart’s engaging writing and well-developed characters draw you in from the start. Nora's bright personality and her touching backstory make her a relatable and lovable FMC. Sebastian is full of contradictions, and perfectly complements Nora’s sunshine with his brooding charm.

The chemistry between Nora and Sebastian crackles with a tension that is palpable yet not overwhelming. Their romance unfolds amid a backdrop of hilarious family feuds, from pickleball tournaments to bull-riding bachelorette parties. The secondary characters are just as endearing, particularly Nora's bond with Benji and Sebastian’s relationship with his best friend, Alessia.

Hart balances humor with heartfelt moments, ensuring that the story’s pacing keeps readers hooked. Without giving too much away, I can assure you that Hart delivers a satisfying ending that ties up the story’s various threads beautifully.

Overall, this was a lot of fun. I enjoyed the witty banter, the heartwarming moments, and, of course, the spice.

Read if you like:
*fake dating
*found family
*feuding families
*dual POV
*open door spice

I’ve only read one of Hart’s other novels, which I completely adored (Blunderful), and I know that everyone seems to love all her books, including this one, but I have to say that while I found this one OK, I definitely can’t say that I loved it or liked it anywhere near as much as the other one…

It was fine - but the whole double fake dating idea while the two main characters then fall for each other and date each other in secret during the course of a week long wedding (which is why each character needs to have a fake relationship, to avoid family issues) - sort of love triangle, or square in this case, and something I avoid. Even though both fake relationships are truly fake in this case, it still made me feel uncomfortable the whole way through.

Normally I would try to put aside my dislike for a trope (love triangle) and focus on other things I always like (fake dating)… but the way things were twisted around in this one, I couldn’t get past it and never managed to really get into the story, never connected to it or the characters, and never felt that pull into the world of the book like I usually would. Her writing is still good and I can still give this book a 4-star rating, even though I didn’t connect to it personally. I know it’s going to have a huge audience with a wide appeal!

I received an advance copy from NetGalley and Entangled: Amara, and this is my honest opinion.

4.6⭐️

Had a lot of fun with this one. I love fake dating, but two couples fake dating and one from each ends u together is a new spin. I also really enjoyed the wedding and Ro and Enzo’s addition to the story line. The friends were great, although I could always use more sassy grandma. Nella is really what I dream of for a side character so I wish I had more of her. The love was sweet. The story had some funny. The spice was quality.

What a story.
Nora meets Sebastian and sparks fly, he didn't have a chance to ask her out. Next time they see each other, they both pretend to be in a relationship with other people. Sparks still fly between them, they have to survive a week of pretending.
Enjoyed storyline a lot. Great beach read.

two fake dating couples travel to italy for a family wedding, but they develop feelings for each other. feuding families mean that nina and sebastian need to do some sneaking around to keep the sparks that are flying under wraps. this was so cute and funny, loved it.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ (5/5)
🌶️🌶️🌶️ (2.5/5)

Your favorite fake dating trope…but with a twist. 🍋‍🟩 fake dating…otHER PEOPLE?!

Sebastian and Nora don’t expect to see each other again after having an instant connection upon meeting. But when they run into each other at the same wedding fake dating their best friends, they have to ignore their chemistry…or do they? 😏

The wedding itself gave off Romeo and Juliet mixed with My Big Fat Greek Wedding vibes. The families hate each other going back decades. (No one dies; although, I’m sure they’d like to kill each other.) But there’s a big fat Italian wedding in hopes of finally ending the feud. The drAMAAAAAAAAAA though?!? My goSHHH. And the way Nora and Sebastian have to keep up appearances but also can’t keep their hands off each other?!? The banter?? I absolutely LOVVVVed this book. The chemistry and sexual tension was off the FREAKING CHARTS.

My first Livy Hart book and most definitely not my last. This is the true definition of rom-com. It’s funny, it’s sexy, it’s addicting. I loved every single character, every single moment, every single page. I could not put this one down.

Let me just start off by saying I was so obsessed with this book! Fake Dating is one of my absolute favorite tropes so I devoured this! The whole family was hilarious and party vibe was amazing and I felt like I connected with so many characters. Nella was seriously amazing and I really want her to make me a frozie. I felt like everyone got their perfect HEA in the end after the plot fully unfolded!

Sebastian was literally so sweet. He is literally the most caring ever to his Nella! He was so willing to give up everything for love and I was so happy he started having more self confidence after he met Nora. I think their relationship is the perfect mix of sweet and spicy.

Nora is literally the perfect friend and person. She is always dependable and loyal! She really shines after she develops the relationship with Sebastian!

The friend and family groups were perfect! A few characters that really stuck out to me were Alessia and Nella! I will definitely be reading more by this author after reading this book!

YES YES YES YES I am so excited for this book and I hope it enjoys much success. I cannot recommend it enough

I don’t have a better way to start this review, but I will say this, Nora and the whole clan in this book are FUNNY, in a romance novel I can’t love both main characters this way but I do, Nora is a woman after my own heart, Sebastian too. This gave big fat greek wedding vibes but the Italian version and I was here for it. The family drama was soo damn funny and when secrets were revealed, I couldn’t help but laugh. The fact that Nora and Sebastian both decided to fake date their friends and accompany them to the wedding and then to find each other in the same wedding? I couldn’t put the book down, because I was wondering how they will keep everything under wraps, and the way everything went crashing DOWN. The spice? As soon as they started it was nonstop and it was worth the wait.

"I want to be claimed. To be someone's person. I crave the safety that comes when two people fully belong to each other."

Predictive Text: The great dating _____.

It's like taking a slice out of My Big Fat Greek Wedding but make it Italian. Then add a sprinkle of feuding families from the classic Romeo & Juliet but without death and substitute pickleball. Then you'll have this fun little romp of a read.

Nora and Sebastian have a little crush on each other. Little did they expect to be at the same wedding and both fake dating the friends they came with. As the tension heats up and the steam gets wowza, it's only a matter of time before someone catches on.

Hart is one of my favorite author's introduced to me through Entangled. I love her adorable quirky characters, hilarious moments and downright sexy intimate moments. This one deserves to be a movie in my opinion. It's equal parts wedding chaotic and yet friendship and family wholesome.

There were many moments I wanted to shake everyone in the book and just say "be freaking open!!!" but then we wouldn't have had this novel and the Italian family drama. What I really loved was how an almost impossible relationship due to distance and jobs was made possible in the end through communication and mutual compromises.

I thought this was the perfect little sweet and sexy read to fit in amongst my darker reads lately. The Great Dating Fake Off releases this coming Tuesday for all my romcom lovers! Thank you Entangled Publishing for the gifted digital copy. True rating 3.5/5.

Thank you Entangled Publishing & Netgalley for the review copy - all thoughts are my own.

Livy has truly outdone herself with this one, yall. If you’ve read anything by Livy before, you know there are some things that are just her brand – non-stop banter, hilarious hijinx and the most bonkers moments you could ever imagine, spice that will make even the most seasoned romance reader blush in public, and characters that are so relatable you forget they are fictional.

The Great Dating Fake-off is set at a big Italian wedding with feuding families at a lakeside resort in the Adirondacks. If that wasn’t enough to provide some serious drama, the two main characters are each fake dating someone else to keep their dates’ respective families off their backs. Sebastian and Nora’s chemistry is off the charts but their realities and futures are clashing – Nora doesn’t want to leave a town after spending her whole life on the road with her mom who chased men like the sunsets, and Sebastian’s job opening Boys and Girls Club chapters across the country means he’s constantly moving from town to town. Finding themselves running into each other (and alone, more than once), their attraction overrides their willpower and the feelings grow deeper than either imagined.

I absolutely inhaled this book and already know I’m going to listen to the audiobook when I’m in the mood for a romantic comedy that is overflowing with both the romance and the comedy.

This is so much fun! It’s fake dating, but with a twist - both Sebastian and Nora are fake dating other people at a boisterous and feudal Italian wedding when they feel a mutual attraction. It’s worthwhile to pay attention, as there’s lots of characters in two extended families - but it will still be rewarding if you forget who is in which family. There’s some wonderful side characters (hello Benji!) but really this is just the nicest rocky path to an HEA I’ve read in ages.

It’s steamy 🌶️🌶️, and not all vanilla and it works because Sebastian and Nora are both so very nice, and so into each other. Golden retriever, people pleasing vibes all around…

Apart from all the characters, there’s a lot going on, and plenty of hurdles. I was stressing by the end that they would be brave enough to take a chance, and bingo, we got there! Livy writes a superb romcom, there’s drama but no real angst, just perfect moments in between all the shenanigans among the feuding families. Recommended delightful reading!

Thank you so much Livy Hart, and Entangled Publishing for the ARC. Opinions are my own.

It took me a while to get into this book and up until the end I was struggling with trying to tell the two families apart, there were just way too many characters. The romance in this book was okay but I unfortunately didn’t care too much about the love interests and their relationship. Nevertheless, the book was well-written and I’d still be interested in checking out some of Livy Hart’s other books in the future.

This book left me with such a reading hangover - I was so invested in everyone in this story, and just felt so sad when it ended! I couldn't put it down, read it in less than a day 🙃

📖 The Great Dating Fake Off
📝 Livy Hart
🗓️ 08/06/2024
💜 contemporary romance
📱 read on kindle (arc)

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️♾️
🌶️🌶️🌶️

💭 overall thoughts:
I laughed, I cried - I loved this book so much.

Not only do we get a sweet & angsty romance between Nora & Sebastian, but we also get so much more from the side characters!

They genuinely felt like real people to me, and I was entirely enthralled by all their lives/relationships.

I LOVED their meet-cute, it had me laughing so hard.

After meeting at the bookshop where Nora where works, she and Sebastian have an instant connection but don’t expect to see one another again.

Days later they find themselves at the same big Italian wedding, fake dating other people to ward off their families.

They can’t seem to stay away from each other, as their chemistry and connection is undeniable.

Nora has finally found a place she calls home and feels like she belongs. Sebastian’s job has him travelling and spending months at a time in different places, setting up Boys & Girls Clubs.
They know it can’t work out, but they can’t help it…

The spice 😮‍💨 this book is incredibly HOT.
These two can’t keep their hands off each other, no matter where they are (and mostly that’s in public 😉).

tropes + topics:
🥸 fake dating with a twist
(they’re not dating each other!)
😍 instant connection
💍 big Italian wedding setting (with feuding families)
📚 bookstore manager fmc
💛 non-profit director of development mmc
🔗 forced proximity
🫶🏼 found family
💞 dual 1st person pov

Thank you to Entangled Publishing & NetGalley for an advanced copy. All opinions are my own.

Sorry to say but this book had too much going on.

I really needed the author to pick a storyline and character set and focus on them. Develop those characters, make me care about their relationship and well being, and live or die on if they can be together.

Instead we got fake dating in not one but two different relationships, a big Italian wedding, and a "I can't start a relationship because I'm leaving town" storyline and several other side plots. It was too much. Too many characters, too many stories, too little dialogue.

I skimmed where there wasn't dialogue because I was never gonna finish otherwise. I didn't crave to pick this back up when I put it down. Disappointing as I really enjoyed this authors last book and I think I could have loved Nora and Sebastian if they were given more character development and focus. Oh well, can't love them all!