Daphne is back to her hometown to get a restart to she is hired to balances the books after a department scandal in with the police department. Along with the Scandal come a new sheriff her high school nemesis Calvin. She is trying to do her job and get out and figure out who she is. Along the way she does some things out of character for her and shes trying to prove something to herself. On the other hand every reckless thing she does gets Calvin involved so much the town thinks they are dating. But they decide to let the town think it cause they could both us the cover from a mission they both have. Him to fool his mom whos trying to set him up for her vowel renewal and her trying to get something back for her grandmother.

This has a mystery with the town. Detective work and the funniest heist.
I really enjoyed this read and it had great funny and serious moments they worked so well together and the romance was very enjoyable.

Thank you NetGalley for this audio-arc in exchange for my honest thoughts.

"He was officially fake dating the woman he was already half in love with. And she was right about one thing. It was a terrible idea."

This was such a fun romance between two old enemies turned colleagues. Daphne and Calvin agree to fake date after a series of mishaps, which continue to get more and more outrageous. While this book won me over when Daphne walloped someone over the head with a jelly jar, her family and especially her grandmother, made this a richly rounded rom-com. The banter, and Daphne's internal monologue, was delightfully hilarious, and it was just overall a really fun read. Was it perfect? By no means. Most will still enjoy this, especially if you need more of an "escape" read.

Cute story loved the character growth! Second chance romance plus enemies to lovers and work place romance excellent combination.

think this book was very fine. I really enjoyed it in the first half but I feel like the last third was a little frustrating. I didn’t love the way that the third act break up was handled. The way the main characters repeatedly spiraled, but never actually talked to each other drove me crazy. And honestly, I didn’t care about the fraud/embezzlement case at all.
I did like the narrator but the way she says bag has such a thick accent that it drove me nuts each time.

I liked it enough to want to see how things turned out. I thought it was cute and the grandma and her friends were the best part! Not to spicy, which I liked, it had a couple of scenes...Thanks to NetGalley for the ARC.

Four Steps to the Perfect Fake Date is a romance that’s the perfect mix of sweet and spicy. This story is told from dual POVs, giving the in-depth look at what each of the character’s motivations are.

I really enjoyed this story. Both characters had great growth as individuals that came from seeking what they were looking for as individuals and as a couple. This is NOT a closed door romance, but it is still sweet because of the motivations that drive them into fake dating.

If you’re looking for an easy read with some heat, pick this one up.

I listened to the audiobook version of this story, which was performed well by Bryant Walker and Leanne Woodward. I listened at 1.75x speed (1.75x is my normal audiobook listening speed).

Thank you NetGalley and Brilliance for this advanced listening copy.

Thank you to Netgalley, Brilliance Audio and Lilian Monroe for this ALC.

As a reader with ADHD, an immersive reading experience where I can read the book while listening to the audio has become the highlight of my experience as a reader. So I am grateful for the opportunity to listen to the audiobook.
Below are my thoughts on the story itself, but here are my thoughts on the audiobook: I thoroughly enjoyed. The narrators are phenomenal and I am officially a Bryant Walker stan, he portrayed Calvin accurately and the his accent and cadence; 10/10.

Novel review:
I have been a long time fan of Lilian and binged her entire Heart Cove series. I do enjoy MCs in their 30s and 40s.

In 2023 I read Four Steps to the Perfect Revenge, which was meant to be a standalone novel, and really enjoyed it. But I am glad Lilian decided to bring us back to Frenley Island

I will not repeat what is already mentioned in the blurb, so here are the things I really enjoyed:
1- I don’t consider this a second chance romance because Calvin & Daphne were not in love during high school; they were nemeses. Each of them lashed out on the other because of their own struggles and insecurities. It was lovely to see them get a chance to know each other better 18 years later.
Watching Calvin slowly explore his feelings towards Daphne was just delicious. One of my favorite quotes “He was taking whatever scraps or attention he could get, even though he knew it would end badly.“ Calvin is mostly a green flag, and green flag guys are my favorite MMCs.

2- Daphne is struggling with how being put in the Good Girl box is ruining her life and mental health and she tries to break out of her shell and catch up with her vivacious family. This leads to a chain of bad decisions. Questionable decisions seem to be in the Davis DNA… I’m looking at you chapter 20 lol.

3- The crime subplot carries on from book 1 and I liked how Daphne, who functions as a forensic accountant, is the star of the investigation, not the sheriff.

4- The third act conflict is short lived and thankfully Daphne and I liked how both characters dealt with it.

5- Stellar cast of side characters and family dynamics that were as interesting to examine as the main romance plot.

I really loved this story; it was charming and comforting.
Some people may not like the internal monologues but I like them, I’m an anxious woman with a tendency for overthinking and i like characters that I can relate to.

If Lilian ever decides to return to Fernley Island I will there for the ride.

Rating: 4:5 ⭐️ (rounded up to 5)
Spice rating: 🌶️🌶️ (few explicit scenes).

“You’re testing my patience cupcake!”

Four Steps to the Perfect Fake Date by LilianMonroe is a great 3.9 ⭐️ read.

This Rivals to Enemies to Lovers story is perfect with those Hallmark movie moments!

He falls first, and she doesn’t know it because she is so hung up on her self being the black sheep of her family.

Add in the force proximity, when two people who disliked each other, left their small town behind, only to find themselves right back where they started! Chefs Kiss!

I have to say, Daphne’s grandmother and her two best friends are my FAVOURITE characters in this book! We all need that group of girlfriends in our life!

This book is a Must Read for all romcom lovers!

I loved loved loved Four Steps to the Perfect Fake Date!

Daphne has always been the odd ball. Which from the connections and friendships I have made on bookstagram, feels very relatable to the audience of female readers. Someone looking for their space, in the tight spice of her hometown.

She is lucky to score a job at the local police station in her home town. Review the accounts from the prior sheriff. Only for her boss Calvin, to also be her pass high school bully!

This enemies to lovers, small town romance had everything I loved in a romance book. Beautiful subtle nods of lust from each side in the duel POV. Plus my favourite… forced proximity.

the self growth both the characters have come across in the years that pasted since high school, makes them both so alluring and interesting. When you’ve grown to escape where you came from… maybe where you came from is where you’ve grown to be.

The narrator was captivating and fantastic. I loved the characters but I didn’t feel the chemistry like I wanted. I loved the crazy shenanigans the characters got into. The story was slow moving but entertaining. I just struggled with the main characters connection.

3.75⭐️ This was a cute fluffy read that leans heavily on so many tropes I lost track.
I’m
Not one who likes the “insta love” type vibes but if you don’t take the book too seriously it got a pass. The main characters were rivals in high school so they did have some history albeit negative.

I will mention that Daphne was insufferable at times with her constant questioning of , well… everything. I did enjoy that beneath the romance there was a mystery aspect where Daphne was hired to do some forensic accounting of a police department which added a scooby-doo like sub plot.

One last thing about the book itself.. the spice scenes were incredibly cringy. While the authors writing for the rest of the book was decent (other than some strange language choices), her strength does NOT lie in writing spice scenes at all.

I am thankful to have gotten the audio ALC for free from Brilliance Audio through NetGalley to read which gave me the opportunity to voluntarily leave a review.

This is a duel narrated audiobook and I’ll be frank that the female narrator Leanne Woodward was really hard to listen to at the 1x speed. She spoke so slow and draw out that it sounded like AI. It was robotic. So much so that my husband thought I was using an accessibility function to read an ebook. The male narrator Bryant Walker was a little better in that he didn’t sound robotic but how slow he read is just un natural. Thankfully speeding it up solved the issues and made it listenable.

My rating system since GoodReads doesn’t have partial stars and I rarely round up.

⭐️ Hated it
⭐️⭐️ Had a lot of trouble, prose issues, really not my cup of tea (potentially DNF’d or thought about it)
⭐️⭐️⭐️ Meh, it was an ok read but nothing special
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ Really enjoyed it! Would recommend to others
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ Outstanding! Will circle back and read again

Four Steps to the Perfect Fake Date is my first book from Lilian Monroe. Daphne came back to her hometown on Fernley Island after she lost her job and broke up with her fiancé. She was able to get a job as an accountant for the local sheriff’s department after the previous sheriff was caught stealing funds. She met the new sheriff when he pulled her over, and to her astonishment, it was her high school bully, Calvin Flint. The new sheriff. There were things that happened, which forced Daphne and Calvin Flint together that helped the chemistry and the romance flourish from a fake dating situation into real dating. I liked the story, the plot was interesting, and romance was gorgeous! I loved the characters who were well rounded. The audiobook was fantastic! It is told in third person with 2 narrators. Bryant Walker and Leanne Woodward did a fantastic narrating in dual narration that is told in third person.

Thank you to Netgalley for ALC! All Thoughts and opinions are my own.

Small town vibes
Fake dating
He falls first
Workplace romance
Reformed Bully

Heartwarming and sweet.
He was her high school
Bully he’s now “one of the good guys” she has just come back to town as a consultant for their workplace. Forced proximity/workplace romance.
This story has drama, laughs, and sweet heart felt moments. Also a bit of mystery thrown in there.

Dual narration- I loved the voices. They did well giving life to the characters.

* my one issue was that it is told in third person POV. But it didn’t bother me so much that I couldn’t listen. Was still enjoyable

I was not expecting to devour this book in one sitting, but I absolutely did! From the very first chapter, I was hooked by Daphne and Calvin’s sizzling chemistry, the small-town charm of Fernley Island, and a lighthearted mystery that added an extra layer of fun. Daphne’s journey from rule-follower to risk-taker was both relatable and entertaining, and Calvin? Let’s just say the scrawny high school nemesis glow-up did not disappoint. Their banter was sharp, their romance was swoon-worthy, and I adored how their fake dating scheme turned into something much more real. The cozy, quirky town made the setting feel so immersive, and I loved how the mystery wove into the romance without overpowering it. The narration by Bryant Walker and Leanne Woodward was sexy and perfect for this book.

That’s it—I want to move to Friendly Island!

If Monroe wrote it, I’m reading it. I’ve come to love her books and therefore went into this with very high expectations—and I wasn’t disappointed.

I did read ‘Four Steps to the Perfect Revenge’, it’s set in the same town but isn’t related to this one, so you can easily read both or just one or the other. (Though I recommend both, as they’re super fun!)

It has so many juicy tropes, plus a bit of ‘tit for tat’, but … he doesn’t realize it and it may cause some issues.


Small town.
Fresh start.
Enemies/ old rivals to lovers.
He falls first.
Fake dating.
Workplace romance.
Revenge.
Second chance at love.
Forensic accounting.
Mysteries, corruption, betrayal.
Groveling.
Danger.
Forced proximity / ‘roommates’ to lovers.
Grand gestures.


Overall:
There’s just the right amount of action and drama, it’s sweet, funny, and gripping—wholeheartedly recommended. My only complaint? That it ended. I miss it already.

4 stars.


🎧 Audio:
Perfection! Both narrators sounded perfect, overall sound quality did as well. 5 stars.