Once in a while, I will tackle a contemporary romance just to see if maybe I'll be in the mood for it this time, but the low stakes are never for me. That being said, Honestly is a solid piece of rom-com literature that had me hollering through the first half. The second-hand embarassment I got from it was serious - and somehow cathartic? Better for it to happen to the heroine than to me.

Because, imagine being such a corny people-pleaser that you end up as a PA to PAs in your PA agency, who are happy to throw you to the wolves. The wolves being the most difficult client the business has ever seen, namely a borderline-autistic perfectionist politician who has already fired a string of assistants. Then imagine walking out of the shower and straight into his live TV interview on zoom, full frontal. Your employer's publicity advisor will have you two fake-dating in order to get a few brownie points on the local polls. Naturally!

This sounds like a far-fetched plot, but I assure you, it makes sense as you read it. Rach is so painfully kind and easy to take advantage of, it hurts to see it happening. Likewise, Pres seems almost like a caricature of a starchy hero. Honestly had all my grumpy/sunshine neurons firing with full force for the duration of the read. Chronically self-sacrificing sweetheart vs. notoriously hard-to-please asshole is a subcategory of this trope that has me particularly starry-eyed.

A personal drawback for me was just how explicitly spicy this got? Oh mamma - lots of oral, to be sure! Not badly done at all, but very out of tune with the rest of the writing and somehow not at all congruent with Pres' character in particular. Take my opinion with a grain of salt though, since I tend to be very picky about this kind of tonal shift. If you can separate your character development and the porn that goes with it, you'll have a blast reading this.

All in all, I was pleasantly surprised with the third-act breakup reasoning, even though the build-up towards it was a bit lacking. Miss Ma'am Gambill, you have my attention.

First I want to thank Dreamscape Media for providing me an ARC in exchange for my honest review.

Rach is a down-on-her-luck, happy-go-lucky kind of lady. Sure, she may work as an assistant to personal assistants, crash on her ex-boyfriend’s couch, and hide a whole secret past. But, mostly, things are great.
Until she: meets Pres, an aspiring politician, certified Capricorn, and a definitely “unlikable” dude (he knows, he had a poll done on it); Accidentally goes viral at the same time. The internet is calling it “Boobgate.”
His PR person says they should capitalize on the fame. Pres only wants to win an election. And Rach, well, she really just wants to keep her job. Now, she must decide if she can be herself and get the guy, too, or if faking it until you make it is all it’s cracked up to be…

What I Loved:
- Meet Cute
- Boobgate
- Pres around Rach
- Rach overcoming her past
- Fake Dating
- Banter
- Audiobook quality

This was a cute enemies(ish) to lovers romance where opposites work together then begrudgingly attract. This book has great political campaign insights and I love how Rach brings the "regular person" perspective to the planning and campaign events. If you are looking for a slow burn, opposites attract, political romance with a side of great characters, steamy romance scenes and a look into the ridiculous game of campaigning for office then please go pick this book up. If you are a fan of audiobooks then this is one I would absolutely check out cause the narrator is amazing and I was completely hooked!

There’s something so endearing about female main character even though she could easily veer into being too naive. The pacing of the romance is perfect, and the relationship sucks you in right away. This feels like a true rom-com in that there’s actual physical comedy and humor in the story.

4.5 stars!

More people should be discussing "Honestly, I'm Totally Faking It" by Amanda Gambill. I feel like no one talks about this book, and it is fabulous! It's one of the better grumpy/sunshine novels I have read this year. It made me laugh and laugh and laugh. Seriously, this book is hilarious. The chemistry between the main characters, Rach and Pres. Rach's sunshine personality eventually rubs off on Pres's brusque, frank demeanor the longer they are in each other's orbit. They both start the book one way, and over the course of their character arcs, become the people they always wanted to be because of each other. The premise is a little out there and a bit zany, but D0nald Trump is president again, so can we really use this as an excuse anymore?? I loved the writing. It felt somehow fresh and nostalgic all at once? It reminded me of a 2000's-era rom-com. Speaking of which, I could totally see this book getting turned into a film. UGH, IT IS SO GOOD. Dahlia Summers did a wonderful job narrating this story. Often I'm not too fond of dual narration by one narrator, but Summers does a spectacular job bringing these characters and this story to life. I devoured this story and couldn't put it down! Please give this book a chance!!

Thank you to NetGalley, Dahlia Summers, and Dreamscape Media for the complimentary ALC of this book. All opinions are my own. I was not compensated for this review.

Usually love a fake dating romance trope but this didn't work for me. And I actually did like the two leads.

I'm very pleasantly surprised with this book. I went into it thinking it would be a cute rom-com but it went above and beyond my expectations. It's joyful and sweet and steamy and hilarious. I love the fake dating trope and the Grumpy/Sunshine trope. Throw in the political angle and personal assistant to the personal assistants and I'm all in. I also really appreciated the migraine rep! It's not in enough books and as a chronic migraine sufferer I especially loved how understanding Rach was with Pres's condition. This was a fun read and I will highly recommend to anyone who enjoys a little steam with their sweet rom-coms. The narrator was great too!

An absolute delight!!!! I cannot tell you how much I love this book. Rachel and Pres are top-tier. This was a great audio recording.

Rach, a down on her luck assistant, lands a job working for a demanding and enigmatic political consultant, Pres. When a viral mishap thrusts Rach into the spotlight, Pres proposes a fake relationship to boost their public image.
As they navigate the complexities of their arrangement, they find themselves developing genuine feelings for each other.

This was an interesting book, it was a good plot and I could feel the cringe the main character was feeling, you can tell it is a rom-com. I was surprised with how steamy it was, I really thought it was a vanilla story at the beginning.
Something that really was a turn off for me, and I feel it is my fault because you can see it on the cover, but it was that the love interest smokes. I hate people that smoke so when you add that to someone I'm supposed to like, really difficult.
I liked them together but there were times where I felt that they didn't have chemistry, like they finally giving in, it felt underwhelming and kind of out of nowhere.
It was a cute read and I loved that I was able to read it through audiobook.
Thanks to NetGalley, the publisher and the author for the audiobook

Loved it! It was so steamy, so sweet, and so funny. It was just what I needed to read for a pick me up

Honestly, I totally loved this! I'm sure I am unoriginal in saying that, so I will leave the jokes to Amanda Gambill. This book is laugh out loud funny! Rach is constantly down on her luck, but remains such an optimistic and endearing character, I was rooting hard for her to find her happiness! Pres was the perfect 'grumpy' to her 'sunshine' and listening to their feelings unfold was perfect. I thought Dahlia Summers did a great job narrating. I usually prefer a different voice for different characters in rom-coms, but Dahlia did such a great job I wasn't taken out of the story by any of the voices.
This book is perfection, I cant wait to read more Amanda Gambill!
Thank you Dreamscape Media for the copy through NetGalley in exchange for a review.

I adore this book so much. I have read it a few times but the audio felt like a completely new experience while also bringing the comfort from characters I know and love. It had me giddy and laughing and crying out in public, and I picked up on more of those subtle nods to characters from other books and even more jokes. I highly recommend if you’ve loved the book before. And if you haven’t, you are in for a treat with Pres and Rach and their fake dating full of heart, chemistry and so many laughs.

Honestly I’m Totally Faking It has MY WHOLE HEART!!! This book is truly the most perfect, shiny romcom in the world it is so much fun and is still full of so much heart!! Pres is the PERFECT down bad, secret warm and fluffy book bf and Rach is just the most perfect, layered fmc!!
I have loved this book for years and getting an audiobook of it has just made me love it even more! The narration was so well done and brought so much of the humor to life!! I laughed, I cried, I giggled!! I literally could not ask for anything more from a romcom.
All the stars for Amanda!!!!

I absolutely adore it! This book is one of my favorites, and the way it's narrated just elevates the experience. Rach is such a lively character, and Dahlia Summers did an excellent job bringing her to life. I felt a deep connection with her and experienced every cringe-worthy and swoon-worthy moment. I'm thrilled to own this book in audio format and strongly suggest it!

Oh my gosh, I loved this book so much! I have been a huge fan of Amanda Gambill’s writing since her first book, and it just keeps getting better and better. I can’t wait to see what else she writes! If you haven’t checked any of her books out yet, I highly recommend all of them!

Right from the start I knew I was going to love this book. I found I did not want to put it down. It is the perfect and lighthearted read. I found myself laughing multiple times while reading it. It was exactly what I needed right now. I loved both Rach and Pres. They were such great characters, Rach was so fun and Pres turned out to be such a softy. Amanda did a great job with the fake dating trope in this book. If you’re a fan of a fake dating romcom, I highly recommend checking this book out!

Absolutely kicking myself for waiting so long to read this!!!!

Newly released on audio, trust me, you need to read some version of this book ASAP!! It was a blast to read from start to finish! Fake dating at its finest, you don’t want to wait on this political romcom!!

What to expect::
•Workplace romance
•Fake dating
•Political/running for office themes
•Opposites attract
•Grumpy x Sunshine
•Great banter and funny pet names
#boobgate
🔥Open door

Very solid read! Overall made me want more! This was my first of this author but will not be my last. I flew through this one so quickly.

Thank you NetGalley and publisher for this arc!!

What a good book! I enjoyed this more than I thought I would. I loved the main characters! They had great chemistry and worked so well together. I loved how the book just flowed. My first by this author but will not be my last!!!

Thank you #NetGalley #AmandaGambill #DreamscapeMedia #DahliaSummers for this ARC audiobook.

4.5* Such a fun read with a fake dating grumpy sunshine trope. This gives vibes of a spicy Emily Henry or Christina Lauren book with its fun and quippy humor. This book is so fun and well written, I was sad for it to end.

Honestly I loved reading this book! This was my first time reading anything by Amanda Gambill and I found this book brought back 2000 romcom vibes. Plus the banter between the Rach and Pres chef kiss 10/10!
Thank you NetGalley for allowing me to listen to the audio version of this book.