Audiobook and Book Review

🩵 Lazy dog
🩷 Rival families
🩵 Christmas town
🩷 Fake engagement
🩵 Best friend’s brother
🩷 Family secrets
🩵 THE BONUS EPILOGUE 🤣🤣

Story: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️.5
Spice: 🌶️
Narration: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

What a fun story! If you’re a fan of Hallmark Christmas movies, a mystery baked in fruitcake and gingerbread, a fake engagement to bring families together, and a love between two unlikely people who make the perfect couple!? Then this is the book for you! Plus the narrators were cast PERFECTLY! CJ Bloom and Connor Crais are THE BEST! More perfect people could not have been picked to do this book more justice!

The town of Tinsel, Michigan is a year round Christmas town. The rival families, the Andersons and the Silvers have been at odds for generations, but no one alive now knows the real reason why. Things start to come to light when Amanda Anderson may or may not have blurted out that she was engaged to Dane Silver because she doesn’t want to take over The Gingerbread House from her grandmother. But Dane sees this as an opportunity to bring the families together and to end the feud once and for all. So how can faking an engagement between two rival families go wrong? Perhaps if real feelings start to get involved…

I had an absolute BALL listening to this story! I’ve known of Pippa Grant for a long time, but why I haven’t read or listened to her books until now is almost as great a mystery as the feud in Tinsel. I was giggling and laughing from beginning to end. The camaraderie, fun, playfulness, and tension between Dane and Amanda was fantastic. Their chemistry leapt off the page and I wanted so much more of it!

When I saw the trope list and then Connor Crais and CJ Bloom as the narrators, I FLEW to fill out the form for this ALC. My gosh, they are two of the best in the business, and a lighthearted, fun story like this is their absolute JAM. They crushed every part of this performance. I laughed, giggled, swooned, cackled, and felt every other feeling this book evoked. Crais is my all time favorite narrator (yes sir, you have now bumped SebYo from the pedestal I had him on, it’s rightfully yours now 🤣). Bloom is SO FREAKING SKILLED, I love every narration she’s done, especially this one!

A huge thank you to Pippa Grant, Hambright PR, and NetGalley for sending me the ARC/ALC to listen and review this book. I am now in love with a new to me author. When a book has me smiling the entire time? I will be recommending this book to everyone who will listen to me!

🎅🏽”I panic engaged us.”
🎄”Amanda has her own magic.”
🎅🏽”I want to lick every in her of her body, taste her skin, memorize the shape of her body, play with her p***y. Show her I can make her feel good. That I’m more than a nice guy playing her fake fiancé.”
🎄”The engagement is fake. My attraction to the man is not.”
🎅🏽”The woman of my dreams is standing at my doorstep and I just poked her in the shoulder.”
🎄”No more faking anything, ever again.”

This was an absolute cute delight of a book! The Andersons and Silvers are arch enemies and reside in Tinsel, Michigan--which is always celebrating Christmas! The feud between the families has gone on so long, no one knows why they continue to fight.

Amanda tells her family that she is engaged to Dane--the arch enemy. She is so over all this stupid fighting! What begins as a fake engagement to get the families to stop feuding, turns in to something real. The characters and the banter is funny. Dane's lazy dog, Chili, is the best side character.

Is it a bit cheesy and silly? You betcha! But, it's a good time!

Thank you to Netgally, Hambright PR and Montlake publishing for the advanced copy!

This was such a fun listen! Amanda is visiting her hometown of Tinsel, Michigan when she blurts out that she is engaged to Dane. The problem? The engagement isn't real, and Dane's family an Amanda's family have been in a feud for generations. Dane goes along anyway, entangling his heart as well.

This was fun, a bit over-the-top, and silly, but all in the best way. The comparison to Romeo & Juliet meets Hallmark Christmas movie is spot on. Amanda was a great character. her determination to live her life while also loving her family was a push and pull that is so relatable. Dane was such the cinnamon roll, falling first, and falling hard! I absolutely love a sassy elder character, and the grandparents in this provided the perfect amount of wit and stubbornness.

Told in dual POV, the audio for this was great. The narrators really brought the characters to life. I could have done without the second epilogue but I also appreciated how the story all wrapped up, in a nice holiday bow.

Small towns & fake engagements are my jam, cause I absolutely enjoyed listening to this one from 𝙿𝚒𝚙𝚙𝚊 𝙶𝚛𝚊𝚗𝚝. I loved the town of Tinsel since Christmas is one of my favorite times of the year. Throw in a little fueding between two families and this story hit all the feels! Hallmark movie material for sure!

Dane & Amanda quickly between of my favorite characters. They wanted to end the fueding. Amanda decides the way to end is none other than a fake engagement and the fun was on from there! Watching Dane fall hard and fast for Amanda (no feat there since she was his long time crush!) was swoon worthiness at its finest!

𝐶𝑜𝑛𝑛𝑜𝑟 𝐶𝑟𝑎𝑖𝑠 really brought his trademark epicness to the story as he breathed life into Dane. Listening as he became Dane, bantering with Amanda, was so fun! 𝐶𝐽 𝐵𝑙𝑜𝑜𝑚'𝑠 melodic voice lent the perfect contrast to 𝐶𝑜𝑛𝑛𝑜𝑟 𝐶𝑟𝑎𝑖𝑠'𝑠, and truly made Amanda come to life in the best way! A perfect narrator combo!

So, now that I told you a bit about why I enjoyed it, let me tell you my absolute 𝙛𝙖𝙫𝙤𝙧𝙞𝙩𝙚 part of the story. Chili. He was Dane's sweet pupster and he lent the perfect comedic bits in this story, especially when you get to the very end. I won't tell you what I'm talking about right now. I will tell you to grab this one up and see for yourself just why I fell hard for these characters, the town of Tinsel and this entire story!

I have been reading a lot of holiday romances and I'm not complaining. I'm thoroughly enjoying them and this is one of them too. I absolutely loved it.
Both Dane and Amanda are likeable and it was so sweet to watch them fall in love with each other. Their chemistry grows throughout the book and the moments, built-up tension, are well written.
This was a cutesy light read and will make your heart flutter. I was giggling from the start and it was really amazing. The plot is quite predictable but amazing.
And there is cutie lazy dog chili who'll steal your heart as well(his pov is the highlight of this book).
Loved the narration as well.

This was a great book to slowly start my holiday reading. It’s Christmassy without being overly Christmas, if that makes any sense. More of a Christmas in July idea. The town of Tinsel is where it’s Christmas all year around. I loved Dane and Amanda, and all the people in town. You can expect the laughs that Pippa always brings, while they try to end their family feud!

Thank you author @pippa.grant @netgalley and @hambright_pr for giving me the opportunity to read such a fun book. I really enjoyed it 💕

Synopsis:

There’s always a good reason to fake an engagement, right? At least that’s what Amanda and Dane think. When her grandma and her mom tell Amanda that she is to inherit the Gingerbread Bake Shop and continue with the family tradition, she freaks out and announces her engagement with non other than Dane, the son of the rival family.
Yes, the town of Tinsel has two families that have a decades long feud in the best style of the Capulets and Montagues. Obviously, both families freak out but Dane and Amanda have one week to not only plan and get married but to convince their families that it’s time to end the silly war that has the whole town at wit’s end.

Overall: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️/5
Spice: 🌶️🌶️/5
Narration: 🎧🎧🎧🎧🎧/5

This book is a Christmas movie set up in summer time. It’s like Christmas in July but make it spicy. There are so many good tropes in this book, forced proximity, slow burn, best friend’s brother, high school crush, small town, fake dating. It really doesn’t get better than that.
Dane and Amanda are such a fun couple, they compliment each other in the best way, it was really fun to follow along their journey. The families are also interesting characters with many quirks and peculiarities, especially the grandparents. Nothing beats an overbearing grandmother set in her own ways. The best character is Chili the dog, for me he completely steals the show.
What made this book more fun for me was Connor Crais and CJ Bloom’ narration. They did an incredible job rendering every single situation and feeling in the book. I always appreciate a good narrator, they can make a difference when listening to an audiobook.

One of the cutest Christmas books I have read in a while. The blurb was spot on with Romeo and Juliet meets Hallmark. It was warm and cozy and it also made me roll my eyes a few times which the family’s BS. There is a fun mystery and so much feel good.

Dane is heading back to his small home town, Tinsel, Michigan, for a quick trip. Keep your head down, smile when appropriate, and get through it quick. That was the original plan. Then Amanda comes along. His secret crush from high school. When Amanda announces Dane as her fiance, what's a guy to do, but go along with it?

Cue the family rivalry around Christmas. The fake engagement is hoped to stop the rivalry but not one person is making it easy. Dane and Amanda are thrust in to an enemies to lovers situation that does not disappoint! I was laughing at so many points in the book. Between the grandma and the dog, they added to my laughing quite a bit.

Think Christmas In July for this book. If you love Christmas movies with a little flair and spice, you will absolutely adore The Fake Wedding Project!

Thank you @hambright_pr and @netgalley for my audio copy in exchange for my honest review!

This is a completely hilarious fake engagement romance in a cute but way too Christmas themed small town. Amanda accidentally blurts that she’s engaged to Dane in a bid to get her grandma off her back and Dane rolls with it in hope of ending a long standing feud between their families. Honestly, I loved Dane and Amanda… they supported each other in ways their own family didn’t. I normally have a love hate relationship with fictional small downs, they tend to be nosy and opinionated but Tinsel was doing everything it could to help the couple have a wonderful wedding (and end the rivalry splitting the town). Now the best part, that epilogue was perfection… I loved hearing it from Chili’s POV! Connor Crais and CJ Bloom did an amazing job bringing all the characters to life!

A new fav from Pippa Grant, this small town, feuding families, fake engagement, dual POV, spicy friends to lovers slow burn was great on audio and had tons of charm, holiday vibes and heart. I really enjoyed the narration by Connor Crais and CJ Bloom (two favorites) and highly recommend it for fans of authors like Lucy Score! Many thanks to NetGalley and Brilliance audio for an early audio copy in exchange for my honest review!!

This book was so fun! Even before I started listening to the book though - I knew I was going to love it with this blurb "Romeo and Juliet meets Hallmark Christmas movie in this steamy romp about star-crossed nonlovers caught up in a fake romance that could change everything they know in a real big way." Right from the beginning I loved the two main characters - Dane and Amanda. The fact that the book included some of my favorite tropes (fake engagement, best friend's brother, small town) just cemented my love of the book. Tinsel is such a delightful, Christmas year round town. Oh, and the lazy dog! Loved him. And loved that the epilogue was narrated by him. I listened to the audiobook and both narrators were fantastic (I enjoy the book so much more with two different narrators!)

I would like to thank Hambright PR, Netgalley, Brilliance Audio, and Pippa Grant for providing this ARC in exchange for my honest review. All opinions expressed are my own.

The Fake Wedding Project is a new audiobook by Pippa Grant. This book is described as Romeo and Juliet meets a Hallmark Christmas movie and is pretty spot on. Add in a fake engagement, only one bed, a high school crush, a plot to end a generations long feud, and a town where it is perpetually Christmas and you get a perfect storm for the romcom of the season. The Montagues and the Capulets had nothing on the Fruitcake Silvers and the Gingerbread Andersons, but no one seemed to know why the families were feuding. So Dane Silver and Amanda Anderson team up to solve the mystery and end the feud in this enemies to lovers story, which had me chortling. I loved Amanda’s vibrancy as well as her ability to recognize Dane’s need to retreat and recharge. I loved the way that even complete disasters were fun when she was involved. The chemistry was definitely at the boiling point and the slow burn was delicious. This author excels at delivering a moderately spicy novel, but the story is what takes center stage. Narrators Conner Crais and CJ Bloom were perfect in the dual POV audiobook, and I enjoyed every second of their storytelling. I definitely recommend this contemporary rom com. It is a quick, easy listen and a delight from start to finish.

5 stars

I blew through this audiobook in a single day! I couldn't stop listening! Who knew this was going to be such an adorable read! Dane and Amanda were quite simply the best. It was so cozy and sweet it almost gave me a toothache! And can we take a second to show some love to that amazing bonus epilogue from Chili's POV? I was ROLLING with laughter!

Connor Crais and CJ Bloom did such an amazing job! They brought Dane and Amanda to life with all their quirks and personality front and center. Connor's voice was so smooth and calm which is exactly how I pictured Dane. Amanda was able to be slightly neurotic but still bubbly and adorable, which was perfect Amanda.

🎄 Fake engagement
💖 Holiday read
🎄 Feuding families (fruitcake v. gingerbread)
💖 Best friend’s brother
🎄 Close proximity
💖 Small town (Tinsel)

I love how the town banded together and the mystery was solved. It really is the a great way to start off your holiday reading if you read with the seasons.

Thank you, NetGalley and Brilliance Publishing for this ALC.

Thank you @hambright_pr, @pippa.grant, and @brillancepublishing for the gifted audiobook.

This was a cute take on Romeo and Juliet, with a happy ending.

Amanda and Dane’s families have been feuding for as long as anyone can remember, but no one knows why. In a bid to unite their warring families, the two hatch a plan to stage a fake engagement. What follows is a delightful blend of humor and romance.

The narrators did an outstanding job of bringing the characters to life. I adored Dane's unwavering affection for Amanda and the instant chemistry between them. Their eccentric families added a hilarious touch to the story. And the fantastic epilogue!

I wholeheartedly recommend this book if you're in the mood for a laugh-out-loud romantic tale. This gem hits the shelves on October 8th.

The Fake Wedding Project takes place in a small town where it's Christmas all year round. The story doesn't take place during Christmas but since it's Christmas all year round, there are tons of Christmas stores, themes & ideas all throughout. The Andersons and The Silvers of Tinsel, Michigan have had a long standing feud for generations. At this point no one even knows why. When Amanda & Dane are both in town for their respective grandparents anniversary parties they decided to fake an engagement to see if they can end this silly feud once and for all.

This was a cute, lighthearted story that just follows the shenanigans of these two families and how much they don't like each other and are always trying to up one another. I don't feel like the romance was the focus of the book, it was more of the side plot. While the town is busy planning their wedding, Dane & Amanda slowly find themselves falling in love. Amanda was the queen of witty banter and Dane was the strong, quiet presence beside her. I did love how dedicated they were to standing up to each others families and protecting each other.

This audiobook was fantastic. CJ Bloom is fantastic at throwing out all the theatrics and emotions of this character. Connor Crais could read me the phone book and I would listen to him all day long. This was a great pairing for this story.

What to expect:
-Friends brother
-Christmas themed town
-Fake engagement
-Friends to lovers
-Cute, lazy dog named Chili
-Dual POV

Overall, I'd give this one a 3.5/5, but the audio a 5/5. This one comes out October 8. Thank you Pippa Grant, Hambright PR, Netgalley & Brilliance Audio for this ARC/ALC.

4 ⭐ 2 🌶️ 5 🎧

This was such a cute story! I loved this whole idea of rival families that have no clue how the rivalry started in a Christmas town that leads to a fake dating/engagement, it led to so many fun moments and was absolutely adorable.

I also loved that Dane had this unrequited crush on Amanda. He was all in just to help her and he was so sweet. Even when their plan went to crap (what felt like a few times) he was there by her side. I just loved him. Amanda was great too, I loved her friendship with Lorelei to pieces and how Chili took to her. Also, also, Chili gets a POV and it's amazing 😂

The audio book was so good. I loved listening to Connor Crais and CJ Bloom narrate this story. They are two of my favorites and together they made this such a fun listen.

The narrators did a fantastic job bringing Amanda and Dane to life, making it a fun and enjoyable read from start to finish! I’ve read and listened to this within a day.

This is a super cute romance between Dane Silver and Amanda Anderson. They both grew up in the small, unique town of Tinsel, Michigan, and are back in town at the same time. She uses him as an excuse to her grandmother to not take over the gingerbread bakery. Why? Because their families have disliked each other for as far as anyone can remember and she knew using Dane would mean instant disinheritance.

Together, the two decide that they have had enough of their families feud and decide to stay fake engaged in hopes of bringing their families together. There is a time limit, though.

This is very low on the spice level and very cute on the dog level-lazy Chili.

I listened to this as well as read along. The audio is definitely a plus. Connor Crais and CJ Bloom are wonderful.

Thank you to Montlake for the advanced readers copy. Thank you to Brilliance Publishing for the advanced listener copy. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

ALC Review ✨️

☆Dane & Amanda♡

This story was phenomenal! I loved the modern take on Romeo and Juilet. Dane and Amanda's families have a long history of a fued. Most of them don't even know why they don't like each other. They just follow in their families' footsteps. That's until one night when Amanda decides to say she's engaged to Dane. Now, she has to talk to Dane and get him on the fake engagement. Now it's up to their families to decide if Amanda and Danes happiness is worth them ending the fued. I couldn't get enough of these characters. Even the side characters were so loveable! I loved how the story unfolded and how the romance started. As far as the narration goes, the narrators did such a beautiful job bringing these characters to life! I loved how well their voices fit the part!

Thanks so much to the author, Netgalley, and Hambright Pr for the ALC!