Let me start with what I loved...First, I really liked how the storyline with Lovie and her progressing Alzheimer's was written. It showed the hard parts, the sad parts, and the moments of relief. Adam's character was so good. He was so perceptive and just an all-around good person. His purpose in seeking consent every time he wanted to take a big step forward in the relationship (especially physically)? Perfection. This is small, but I really appreciated the jab at insurance and how much insurance companies suck. Now for what I had a hard time with...Elle. She was selfish so many times, which I realize was a huge area she needed to grow in. But she didn't grow at all until the very end. I wish she'd experienced at least a little growth during her stay with Lovie and Adam. I wanted to throw the book at one point because it was so clear she didn't deserve him and I couldn't figure out why he liked her. Because of this, the relationship wasn't my favorite. I think it's definitely a pretty good debut novel, so I'm looking forward to seeing what Megan Murphy writes in the future. It's worth reading Fake it Like You Mean It for Lovie's storyline and the depiction of caregiving. Oh, and Adam's great character. Of course.

Thanks to NetGalley and Alcove Press for an eARC in exchange for my honest review.

It is one of the best romances I read last year and it surprised me.
The relationship was natural, and I didn't feel forced at all. And the relationships between the three main characters were lively, relatable and fun to read. The characters were very much alive, and I could picture them as everyday people that I could meet - but interesting at the same time.
It was also very relatable; having been through a grandma with Alzheimer's, I can tell this was beautifully written.
I also like that the themes here aren't overly done; the podcast was refreshing.

Megan Murphy’s Fake It Like You Mean It is a perfect blend of humor, heart, and swoon-worthy romance. From the very first page, I was drawn into Elle’s world as she juggles the emotional toll of caring for her grandmother, Lovie, and the unexpected tension with Adam, her grandmother’s live-in nurse.

The story’s premise—a fake dating trope born out of Lovie’s mistaken belief that Elle and Adam are a couple—is both hilarious and touching. What sets this book apart is how beautifully it balances lighthearted moments with deeper themes like family, caregiving, and the impact of Alzheimer’s. Lovie’s character stole my heart with her charm and vulnerability, making the stakes in the story feel even more real.

Elle and Adam’s chemistry is undeniable. Their witty banter and growing affection kept me hooked, and I loved how their relationship developed naturally, even amidst the chaos. The forced proximity trope was executed perfectly, with just the right amount of tension and tenderness.

What I appreciated most, though, was the emotional depth. Murphy doesn’t shy away from showing the struggles of being a caregiver or the bittersweet moments of loving someone with a memory disorder. These scenes hit hard but were written with so much care that they never felt overwhelming.

Overall, Fake It Like You Mean It is more than just a rom-com—it’s a story about love in all its forms: romantic, familial, and even self-love.
#FakeItLikeYouMeanIt #MeganMurphy #RomComReads #NetGalley #BookReview #EnemiesToLovers #MustReadRomance

Thank you NetGalley and Alcove Press for the ARC! This book was a 10/10 for me. Romantic comedies with spice are my jam right now and this hit all the marks. I love reading a book and it makes me giggle like a little girl and kick my feet in the air while reading. Elle was honestly my spirit animal with how much she crushed on Adam in the beginning. And Adam, sigh Adam. He was such a fluffy puppy with Elle and if you aren’t like that then I don’t want you.

This book also really hit in the feels with the topic of Alzheimer’s and how it fells to have a loved one go through this.

I honestly can’t wait for this book to come out and have more people love it the way I did!

Unfortunately it was hard to understand and there were a few plot holes that make it hard to follow but in all it was heartwarming and sweet story

📚Fake It Like You Mean It by Megan Murphy (Pub Date: Mar 18, 2025)

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
🌶️🌶️

💕 I have read nothing so emotionally devastating like Fake It Like You Mean It. Megan wrote about Elly’s journey of caring for her grandmother, Lovie, who has Alzheimer’s, so realistically, I felt what Elly felt. Her frustration. Her fear. Her guilt. This bittersweet rom-com has tenderness, banter, humor, heat, and swoony Adam. Nurse Adam is so charming I wouldn’t mind him giving me a sponge bath. 🧼 🥰 While this is a fake-dating, slow-burn, funny romance, have a tissue box nearby when you read it because you will need it.💕

❤️ I can’t wait to read Megan’s next book.

Thank you, Netgalley and Alcove Press, for this ARC.

Tropes:
💏 Strangers to lovers
🛏️ Forced proximity
💋 Fake-dating
📋 Workplace romance (sort of)
⏳ Slow-burn


⚠️ TW: Alzheimer's disease

This was such a lovely read! I loved the relationship between Elle and Adam and how that progressed. I also loved Lovie, Ruth and the girls!

I can’t speak to the accuracy of the depiction of Alzheimer’s but I felt that the caring of an ailing family member was done quite nicely. It’s heartbreaking and frustrating and I felt that here!

I wish we knew more about the boundaries Adam sets with his sister. Especially since that’s a point of conflict at times but seems to wrap up neatly with no explanation as to how Ruth is supporting herself and the girls. Maybe a second book about her? I’d read it!

Regardless, I enjoyed this!

Thank you to Alcove Press and NetGalley for the eARC!

What a wonderful debut!

I really enjoyed the blend between steamy tension between Adam and Elle and a heart wrenching show of family love between Elle and her grandmother, Lovoe. The Alzheimer’s aspect was equal parts sad and hopeful and i really appreciate how it was handled, especially how careful and gracious both MCs were with looking after Lovie. You could really tell how much care the author put into representing what it’s like to care for a relative with Alzheimer’s, how to navigate the grief and loss that comes alongside it, and what that does to the caregiver. I really loved that part of the book!

Adam is a classic gruff, giant man of an MMC and I really enjoyed seeing his personality come out as he grew closer to Elle. Their romance felt very natural and believable and, although I could’ve done without the ‘enemies’ spin on the beginning, overall I really enjoyed their dynamic. This is a truly wonderful debut and I’m excited to read what else the author might write!

My two favorite tropes (enemies to lovers) and (forced proximity) in a single book...sign me up.

I liked this book a lot. The author's writing style felt quite free-flowing for me. Although I didn't like certain parts and the romance felt a little bit flat to me but overall it's a good reading experience. The banter was a chef's kiss.

This is an ARC read which is exchanged with an honest review.

This story was so beautifully written. Elle was an established podcaster living in Chicago. Things were going well for her, until she got the call that her grandmother, Lovie, was declining with her Alzheimer’s diagnosis. Suddenly, Elle’s life is upended and she’s whisked away to the home she grew up in to help take care of her. She meets Lovie’s nurse, Adam, and things get trickier. Lovie believes Adam and Elle are Lovie and her husband, Bobby. Forced to play the part, the ruse brings them closer together and feelings become strong.

This book for me was a lot more than just romance. Elle’s heartbreaking journey dealing with her grandmothers Alzheimer’s is very touching and relatable for those who have also witnessed loved ones going through this horrible diagnosis. Elle fights with the past and her acceptance of who Lovie is now and it’s heartbreaking and tragic and beautiful, still. This is a story that will stick with you for a long time.

i loved this from start to finish i loved the tropes thats in it i love the complexity of the story with lovies alizermhers diagnosis i think the book handles what that be like for a family member who's loved one has been diagnosied with the diesea elle and adams banter is elite from start to finish it keeps you laughing it tugs at the heart strings and then some could not love this book more

I received this ARC in exchange for my honest review.

This was a fun debut read and I can't wait to see what the author writes next! A lighthearted read that I didn't want to put down is a good description.

Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Spice: 🌶️🌶️🌶️

I loved this book and it pulled on my heart strings. There is mild spice but it is more sweet compared to other reads.

Definitely for those who are in for a slow burn!

The title was very promising, so I was hopeful as I started reading Fake It Like You Mean It.
The main characters, both female and male, were just barely likeable. It seemed like the settings they were involved in were a little too far fetched for my tastes. I wanted the banter between them to be easy and more. Some of the incidents just didn't mesh well with the overall storyline, which made the novel feel flat and not dynamic. I was left feeling meh.

Thank you NetGalley, Alcove Press and Megan Murphy for the ARC in exchange for my honest review.

Elle, a podcaster who lives in Chicago, returns to her hometown because the grandmother who raised her needs round the clock care for her progressing Alzeheimer's. When she arrives home in the middle of the night, she has a not-so-meet-cute with her grandma's nurse, Adam, who happens to be sleeping in her bed.

Elle's grandma, Lovie, thinks Elle and Adam are a couple, so they decide to act like a couple when she's around, so as not to upset and disorient her. Eventually, they find themselves acting like a couple, even when Lovie isn't around, and they have to decide what that means for them, especially since this nursing arrangement isn't meant to be long term.

There were some heartbreaking moments as Elle tried to navigate the complex emotions associated with interacting with a loved one who doesn't remember you. There were days when she hated who her grandma was now, while still loving her for who she used to be. I thought the author did in incredible job showing the day to day challenges of Lovie, Elle and Adam as they handled Lovie's advancing Alzheimers and dementia.

The romance part of this novel was sweet in some parts, but off-putting in others. Adam is such a caring, giving guy, and Elle just keeps pushing him away and not seeing what's right in front of her. Once she finally sees it, the miscommunication trope takes over (which is my least favorite), but the resolution is sweet.

The premise and the core topic of this is what caught my eye. This talks about the trouble of having to care for a person who is not the same human as you know and this does it beautifully. The romance however is something I didn't feel, atleast the way it started felt forced. I couldn't really get into the two of them fully. Also it seems very unlikely that someone who got a devastating news of the only close family's deteriorating health would pack her vibrator in her duffle bag.

While I somewhat enjoyed this book as some points. It was hard to get past how ethically wrong these relationship was. I think if the was a slightly different setting I would enjoyed it a little more.

3 stars

I came for the grandma hijinks, and left sobbing. This is such a heart-wrenching book in the best way. I love Adam and Elle's story, especially the commentary on grief and finding your own identity. The romance is swoonworthy and Adam is the example men should be held to. Five stars.

Elle is a successful podcaster with a series called Elle on the L in which she interviews people on the Chicago commuter train. This book has one of the cutest and sweetest openings from the first chapter! The first thing we read tells us more about the tone of the book than it does about Elle herself, but that comes later. Elle was raised by her grandparents, and her widowed grandmother Lovie lives in her Indiana hometown. Elle goes home to visit and take care of Lovie only to find a home health nurse named Adam Wheeler. Adam is a good guy, your typical hero that the Hallmark holiday movie heroine falls for when she is back in her hometown. He is completely non-problematic and funny.

Lovie mistakes them for herself and her late husband, how sweet is that? The majority of the book is them falling for each other and dealing with Lovie's dementia and advancing Alzheimer's disease. Lovie is such a firecracker, even in her advanced state of memory loss, with such zingers as "calories only count if you count them." Adam helps Elle see her limitations in being a caregiver, together they learn that "you don't have to have lost your memories to not want to keep coming back to what brings you comfort."

Alzheimer's is a main character in this debut novel, and it is so well done that I am sure the novelist is writing from experience. While the romance has some good banter and chemistry, the relationship between Lovie and Elle really takes center stage. The major theme is "Love is supposed to make you more yourself, not less" and Adam and Elle are able to love each other in a way they haven't before.

Biggest criticism is my second lease favorite trope- the miscommunication/third act breakup. I would make a 3rd act breakup illegal if I could. I feel like it's unnecessary easy pacing element that this book could have done without.

Overall, I loved it. A must read for any contemporary romance readers that have been through the life altering experience of loving someone with Alzheimer's.

Thanks to NetGalley and Alcove Press for an ARC in exchange for an honest review. Book to be released March 18, 2025.

Rating: ⭐⭐⭐✨ (3.5/5)

Fake It Like You Mean It is like comfort food for your bookshelf: sweet, heartfelt, and with just the right pinch of sass to keep things interesting. Megan Murphy delivers a warm and bittersweet rom-com that blends fake dating antics with a deeply emotional exploration of family and loss. It’s not perfect, but it’s the kind of book that leaves a lingering smile (and maybe a few sniffles) when you turn the last page.

The setup is classic rom-com gold: Elle comes home to care for her grandmother Lovie and discovers Adam, a no-nonsense live-in nurse, has already taken up residence—and her bed! Sparks fly, tempers flare, and soon they’re reluctantly playing along with Lovie’s belief that they’re madly in love. And while fake dating tropes are always fun, what makes this book stand out is the emotional weight underpinning the humor. Lovie’s battle with Alzheimer’s is handled with tenderness, adding layers of poignancy to an otherwise lighthearted story.

The chemistry between Elle and Adam is slow-burn and deliciously antagonistic at first. Elle’s prickly, fiercely independent nature clashes with Adam’s calm, steady demeanor in ways that feel organic. Their banter is sharp and witty, but it’s those quieter moments—like Adam patiently navigating Lovie’s bad days or Elle seeing Adam’s vulnerability peeking through—that really sell their connection. By the time the fake dating starts to feel a little too real, you’re all in.

Favorite moments? Lovie steals every scene she’s in. Whether she’s mischievously matchmaking or delivering heart-wrenching wisdom in her lucid moments, she’s the heart of this story. The scene where Elle and Adam dance in the kitchen to calm a restless Lovie? Pure gold. It’s tender, funny, and brimming with that “we’re falling for each other but won’t admit it” energy.

That said, the book isn’t without its hiccups. The pacing in the middle sags a bit as Elle and Adam dance around their feelings, and some of the conflict feels contrived just to keep them apart a little longer. Also, while the romance is satisfying, I wish we got more exploration of Elle’s personal growth outside of her relationship with Adam—she has so much going on with her career, her grief, and her identity.

The themes of memory and love—both romantic and familial—are beautifully woven throughout. Lovie’s Alzheimer’s serves as a bittersweet reminder of the fragility of time, and her belief in Elle and Adam’s “love story” becomes a way for the characters (and readers) to reflect on what really matters in life.

Final verdict? Fake It Like You Mean It is a charming, emotional read that balances rom-com tropes with heartfelt moments. It’s not without flaws, but if you’re in the mood for something that makes you laugh, swoon, and maybe tear up a little, this one’s worth a try. Just don’t forget to hug your loved ones afterward.