Thank you to Dreamscape Media and NetGalley for a free advanced listener’s copy. I received this copy in exchange for my honest review.

This was just plain fun. I can always rely on Talia Hibbert to give me a quick, indulgent romance with a bit of genre-expected drama at the end that resolves quickly. (This is a compliment always, I hate when fights drag on after they’ve been happy together for what feels like most of the book. Sorry, I’m just allergic to angst.)

It’s nothing crazy nor genre bending but reliably sexy, with characters that have believable chemistry, and a plus sized main lead minus any fatphobia, internalized or otherwise. What more can you ask for?

Oh my gosh, "The Fake Boyfriend Fiasco" by Talia Hibbert is a total blast! Hibbert nails the spicy romance with a fake dating plot that’s seriously sizzling. Nik and Aria have incredible chemistry in this laugh-out-loud scenario that makes you root for them hard.

However, the male narrator's attempt at accents was a bit cringe-worthy. Despite that, the story itself is a page-turner, perfect for diving into a fun, flirty adventure. Talia Hibbert really knows how to set the mood for a delightful rom-com experience!

Thank you to Dreamscape Media and NetGalley for my advanced listener copy in exchange for my honest review. All opinions are my own.

Hibbert is a genius and has probably ruined me for all other spicy romance. Every book I read or listen to from her gets better.
The characters are rich and multifaceted. The spice is exquisite and creative. Important substantial topics are included without being overwhelming or burdensome to the lighthearted nature of the book.

Plot - 4
Writing and Editing - 5
Character Development - 5
Narration - 5
Personal Bias - 5
Final Score - 4.8

Thank you Talia Hibbert, Dreamscape Media, and NetGalley for my advanced review copy. My opinions are my own.

Talia Hibbert never misses - I haven't read a single book by her that I didn't love the plot of.

The Fake Boyfriend Fiasco was a fun, spicy romance read, with so many of my favourite tropes. We have fake dating, a former professional footballer, PINING. Argh just so many great elements! And if there's one thing Talia is good, it's writing a hero who is OBSESSED with the heroine - and Nik was so exception to this. This man is out here doing anything he can to spend time with Aria. I love it.

What fell flat for me was the narration - I think perhaps there could have been a better choice for the narrators. The female narrator was fine, but the male narrator put on a strange accent every time he did the dialogue for Nik, and it was just quite off putting. I didn't account this element into my rating - my rating based predominately off plot, however if I were to take this into account, it would probably be more like a 2.75 or 3 star listen for me.

Dnf the audio @ 11% - the male narrator has a lovely British accent that goes smarmy sounding Greek a-hole when he delivers dialogue. Is the MMC Greek? It was hard to tell, but I'm pretty sure he was meant to be a retired British footballer... so that was confusing. I'd heard and read good things about this one, so I'll probably just pick up the physical copy to read at a later date, so this is in no way a reflection of the actual book, but purely a complaint with the narration. Talia's men are hunky, and I was just not feeling this male narrator's performance.

Thank you so much to Dreamscape Media for early access to this one!

Talia Hibbert Never misses!! The Fake Boyfriend Fiasco takes off running and doesn’t slow down one bit! It’s full of witty banter, steamy spice and hilarious moments! Legit such a fun read!

💖 Fake Dating
🌶️ Spicy
⚽️ Soccer Star
❤️‍🩹 Healing
🗣️ Banter

This was such a fun & steamy read and I can’t wait to see what Talia Hibbert has in store for us next!

Thank you so much Dreamscape Media for the ALC!

I usually love Talia Hibbert's books and The Fake Boyfriend Fiasco did not disappoint.
Nik and Aria had great chemistry and I loved the dynamic between them.
The audiobook narration was good.

Dreamscape Media and NetGalley provided an eARC of this book in exchange for an honest review. Opinions expressed here are solely my own.

This sweet and majorly STEAMY story was delightful. Some of my favorite things:
✅ Fake dating trope
✅ Sarcastic FMC with a heart of gold
✅ Hot cinnamon roll MMC
✅ Body diversity
✅ Sex positivity
✅ Queer representation
✅ Spicy scenes

My not so favorite thing? The narration for the FMC. She just didn’t really sound like Aria as she was described in the story.

Still a very enjoyable story. I recommend!

#TheFakeBoyfriendFiasco #netgalley

great audiobook! the romance itself wasn't my cup of tea, but i love talia hibbert and this was a fun listen.

Pros- The multicultural characters and the body positive plus size character
The LGBTQ representation
The Epilogue was AMAZING

Cons-I did not particularly care for the female narration, I would have preferred someone that sounded more like the character is described.

I also didn’t care for the fact that Nik had sex with almost everybody he knew…smh I’m not sex shaming but dang Nik go outside of the friend group 😂.

I absolutely love Talia Hibbert, and this book doesn’t disappoint! It’s fun and sexy, a delightful read. I especially appreciated both MCs’ openness around sex, appetite, and orientation.
As compared to other books of Hibbert’s that I’ve enjoyed, this one is a little less deep and serious. I think it makes for the perfect beach read!

Talia has the best combo of sweet and spicy!! This one is excellently narrated with accents, is SO hot, and I loved the dynamic of the two MCs. I love fake dating and this is a perfect one. We also got TWO bonus epilogues (one spicy and one sweet) and they were perfect. Three cheers for this book!!

"The Fake Boyfriend Fiasco" by Talia Hibbert is an entertaining and spicy rom-com. Although I like some of Hibbert's other writing more (such as "Take a Hint, Dani Brown," this was a fun romp with a genuinely kind and caring male protagonist, and a loveable female main character, Aria. I loved the setting of the vacation house in Spain, and mixing in a crowd of footballers made for a fun twist. Aria is a strong woman who is dealing with some mistrust. I like how she faces her fears head on and is also courageous about her sexuality. I appreciated the narration by Rooke Kingston and Harvey Fuller. Recommended. Thanks to Dreamscape Media and NetGalley for the advanced review copy of the audiobook.

Thanks to Netgalley for this ARC. Sadly this wasn't my thing...I didn't get much into I stopped at 36% because of the narrators. They killed me and when I read what this was about I was hoping for a little fun and funny fake dating thing but really right away I absolutely hated Nick... He just was so annoying and even the female was a little bit too but it's mostly the voices for me it was hard to follow along for me. I'm sure other people will love this though, just wasn't me.

This was such a fun and quick read for me. I love the reverse grumpy sunshine trope and damn the FMC was having tattoos 🤌 that was epic and so cool.
This is my second read from the author's work and I absolutely love this one too. The writing was amazing and wonderful as the characters were of this plotline. The language used was easy and simple and the plot was well paced one.

If you're in need of a good laugh, look no further! The Fake Boyfriend Fiasco by Talia Hibbert, narrated by the dynamic duo Rooke Kingston and Harvey Fuller, is a comedic gem that will have you chuckling, grinning, and thoroughly entertained from start to finish.

Talia Hibbert weaves a charming tale brimming with wit, charm, and undeniable romance. The plot revolves around a hilarious fake dating ploy that blossoms into a heartwarming and unexpected love story. Hibbert's sharp dialogue and well-crafted characters shine, making every moment feel captivating and engaging.

But let's talk about the narration! Rooke Kingston and Harvey Fuller bring this story to life with such vibrancy and authenticity that you won't want to press pause. Kingston's portrayal of the sassy, quick-witted heroine is spot-on, capturing every nuance of her personality. Fuller's smooth, charismatic voice perfectly complements, bringing depth and warmth to the hero that is simply irresistible.

Their combined narration creates a magical listening experience that pulls you into the story. The seamless transitions between their voices keep the pacing lively, and the interactions between characters feel incredibly real. It's like having a front-row seat to the most delightful romantic comedy ever!

In short, **The Fake Boyfriend Fiasco** is an audiobook that ticks all the boxes: hilarious, heartwarming, and enchanting. Rooke Kingston and Harvey Fuller's narrations are the cherry on top of Talia Hibbert's fantastic storytelling. 🎧💖

I highly recommend this audiobook to anyone looking for a fun, feel-good escape! 🌟📚

#AudiobookReview #TheFakeBoyfriendFiasco #TaliaHibbert #RookeKingston #HarveyFuller #RomanticComedy #MustListen #Bookstagram #AudiobookAddict

This was such a fun read! I’ve had the Talia Hibbert Brown sisters series on my shelf for ages but this is the first book I’ve read of hers.
She is laugh out loud funny, and I haven’t read many authors who are! I really enjoyed the characters and didn’t even mind the instant love. The miscommunication was a bit tiresome, but I still really enjoyed the book.
The audiobook performances were PERFECT.

ALC Review: The Fake Boyfriend Fiasco by Talia Hibbert
Pub Date: May 28th, 2024

I am not usually a huge fan of insta love/lust books but for some reason this one just worked for me! Probably because Nik was just SUCH a simp for Aria and she was doing her best to resist him in the beginning. He's a golden retriever and she's a bit of a black cat but once they get together, we get to see the softer side of her

I love the diversity across so many spaces here - sexuality, body type, class, etc. It makes for a book that feels incredibly real even if it's a world that I myself don't necessarily experience in the day to day.

The kink is really well done and I also really appreciated the bonus chapters at the end of the book.

I enjoyed the narration by Rooke Kingston and Harvey Fuller. I think the narrators really brought the characters to life, which is something I look for. I don't think I had listened to either narrator previously but I certainly would listen to them again! I am primarily reading via audiobook nowadays and I found this one engaging and a super quick listen, which is always really nice!

Thank you to Dreamscape Media for the ALC. All thoughts and opinions are my own and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

It's finally happened, I've finally found a Talia Hibbert books that I really enjoyed! I've previously read two others from her and they were fine, or good, but I just wasn't seeing what it was that other folks were seeing with her writing. I'm glad that I gave her another chance, because it was totally worth it.

I am a complete sucker for a fake dating story, and this was no different. Nik and Aria meet at a hotel where he is running away from an overly clingy fan (he is a former footballer), and Aria helps him out by kissing him. The kiss is the hottest thing they've each ever experienced, but neither of them really believe that it could be for real. Aria has a lot of past trauma around dating, and Nik is trying to reform his promiscuous ways, which leads to the fake dating arrangement.

What I really appreciated about this story is that both MCs had very different body types, but they were both super into each other's bodies, but not in a fetishizing way. It made it clear that Aria is bigger and she loves her body as is, as does Nik.

Another thing I loved was all of the consent throughout the book and how they just talked about it. After one particular instance near the beginning of the book, Nik flat out tells Aria that if he does anything she doesn't like, to just tell him. And that even if they have agreed to a certain amount of touching/intimacy, that she can change her mind at any time. They also come up with a safeword, just in case, and I love it that when Aria uses it, Nik immediately backs off and gives her space and then waits until she is ready for him to talk to her about it and what happened.

Also, also, I loved how sex positive the book is. Right from the start we learn that Nik has been a bit of a slut for his adult life (he refers to himself as such), but there is no shame there, on his side or from anyone else, especially not Aria. Nik is super open about the people he's slept with, he discloses that he's slept with most of the people in his friend group (for various reasons), and Aria is like "thanks for telling me" and they just move on. There is also a lot of playing with toys and having all kinds of sex, and it was great. I also liked that, while Nik is bisexual, that is never used as the reason for him sleeping with a lot of people. It never comes into it AT ALL and Aria just totally accepts that he's slept with all sorts of people of varying genders. It was so well done, because it could have easily gotten into slutty bisexual, and it didn't.

Despite how much I enjoyed the story, I really disliked the narrators. I listen to A LOT of audiobooks, with all sorts of different narrators, but these ones just did not work for me.

I am quite looking forward to reading the first two books in this series now that I've read the third!

💬: Nik released a ragged breath and squeezed his eyes shut, his brows drawing together. “Aria…” “Open your eyes, love. I thought you wanted to watch?” When he looked at her again, the need in his gaze was almost enough to make her cave. Especially when he combined it with words, those filthy f*cking words she loved so much, tumbling desperately from his mouth. “Let me in. Let me touch you, eali mou. You don’t want that. You want me.”

Hibbert, Talia. The Fake Boyfriend Fiasco (p. 148). Nixon House. Kindle Edition.

📖Genres: romance, contemporary, contemporary romance,

📚Page Count: 210

🎧Audiobook Length: 07h 50min

👩🏾‍🏫My Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ - 4.5/5
----

The Fake Boyfriend Fiasco by Talia Hibbert is a contemporary romance and the third book in The Midnight Heat Collection, by the same author. This story is about Aria, a tattoo artist, and Nik, a professional football player. Nik and Aria meet at a party that's taking place at a hotel, when Aria kisses Nik to help him chase off an over zealous past hook up. Nik comes up with the idea that Aria can pretend to be his new girlfriend so his past ex's don't try to give him unwanted attention. Aria is hesitant until Nik offers her a very large amount of money to do the job, she accepts because she wants to use the money to open her own tattoo shop. Will this arrangement end in disaster?

Hibbert seems to use the <spoiler>third act break up</spoiler> trope in The Midnight Heat Collection more than I anticipated. That's the only thing I tend to not like about these books, but it makes sense in this instance.

The audio book narrators were great, I like how much life they gave to the characters. Audiobook narration is the main way I consume books because I have dyslexia. It's always wonderful when a book I've been waiting to listen to finally gets an audiobook version and this was no exception. This was a great listening experience.

I really loved the spicy scenes in this, especially the one at the very end of the book, wow. <spoiler>the pegging scene was great!</spoiler> I'm giving the spicy scenes four chilies 🌶️🌶️🌶️🌶️out of five chilies

I really enjoyed this story and the spicy scenes were really good. Not only was this spicy but it was also romantic and funny. I'm giving this 4.5 out of 5 stars.
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ - 4.5/5 Stars

Thank you [NetGalley.com], the author, and publisher for the arc (advanced reader's copy) of the audiobook.