This is a cozy, tender, honest depiction of caring for a loved one with Alzheimer’s while falling hard and fast. This book carefully proves that love can grow and show up amidst the heartache of life when you least expect it. Tasked with the responsibility of ensuring her grandmother Lovie has home health care, Elle returns to her childhood home when Lovie needs additional assistance. Not thinking a hot, gruff, male nurse would be sleeping in her childhood bed upon arrival, Elle and Adam stubbornly butt heads as they navigate co-caring for Lovie. So when Lovie mistakenly identifies Elle and Adam as her and her husband, Elle and Adam keep up the newlywed charade to keep Lovie from slipping further into her disease.

This is actually one of the most plausible fake-dating plots I’ve read in awhile. As someone whose Grandmother had dementia, I have witnessed how accurate Lovie’s mood changes and reactions are in reality. This is forced proximity and there’s-only-one-bed at its best; how do you deal with sharing a bed and a small space with someone you barely know and may not even like, even if you are attracted to them? Even as grown adults, you’re bound to get on each other’s nerves, and yet the kindness Adam shows towards Elle begins to creep into her heart as true feelings replace acting. Adam is a pretty perfect guy—even in his frustration with Elle he still stays level-headed, his love language is clearly acts of service and not only does he care for Lovie but for Elle’s needs as well. I loved the tight spaces scenes in the laundry room, bedroom, and of course the snowed in apartment, and the metaphorical missing a step on a staircase feeling as you realize you’re falling for someone.

This book was the perfect blend of bantering rivalry within an insular world, combined with the cozy feeling of caring for someone, even if it breaks your heart a little. It’s spicy and heated but never at the detriment of Lovie’s care. I’m really excited to see what Megan Murphy will give us next. Alex Picard narrates the entire audiobook and does an excellent job of distinguishing between Lovie, Elle, and Adam. She has the kind of voice I could listen to all day. I received an early copy from the publisher, all opinions are my own.

CW: caring for a grandparent with Alzheimer’s

Rating: 🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟
Steam: 🪭🪭.5

Fake It Like You Mean It (Audiobook ARC)
by Megan Murphy
Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️.5/5
Spice Level: 🔥🔥/5

Summary:
Fake It Like You Mean It pulls you in with its engaging premise—Elle Monroe, a successful podcaster, returns home to care for her grandmother, Lovie, only to find Adam Wheeler, a live-in nurse, unexpectedly sharing her space. When Lovie mistakes them for a couple, Elle and Adam decide to play along, setting the stage for a slow-burn romance filled with tension, banter, and unexpected vulnerability.

What I love:
🎙️ Audiobook Narration – The narration was a standout! It truly felt like Elle herself was telling the story, making it even more immersive and engaging.
📖 Short Chapters – The quick pacing and short chapters made this such an easy, binge-worthy listen.
🔥 Cliffhanger Endings – Each chapter ended in a way that hooked me in, making it impossible to stop listening.
💕 Emotional Depth – Beyond the romance, the novel touches on themes of caregiving, personal sacrifice, and rediscovering one’s roots. Lovie’s Alzheimer’s storyline was handled with care and added emotional weight to the story.
😂 Witty Banter & Humor – The lighthearted moments balanced out the heavier themes perfectly, making this a well-rounded listen.
💖 Fake Dating + Forced Proximity – A tried-and-true trope that works so well here, with natural tension and swoon-worthy moments.
🌶️ Spice Level: 2/5 – Just the right amount of heat for those who enjoy a medium-spice romance.

📖 Final Thoughts:
If you love fake dating with emotional depth, heartfelt family dynamics, and a romance that feels both organic and deeply satisfying, this one is for you! Fans of Yours Truly by Abby Jimenez will likely adore this.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for providing an ARC in exchange for an honest review! ❤️

Fake It Like You Mean It is a heartwarming romance that perfectly balances playful charm and emotional depth. When Elle returns home to care for her grandmother, Lovie — who mistakes Elle and live-in nurse Adam for a couple — a fake dating scheme unfolds. Adam, the sweet, caring, and playful male lead, had me swooning. It’s a delightful read that left me wishing I could experience it again for the first time.I will be recommending this book when it releases March 18th!

This book started a touch slow but it ended up being such a delight to listen to! I loved the dual POV. The story was so sweet. A few parts seemed a bit far fetched (it confused me how Lovey gained part of her memory back but I was able to suspend reality to enjoy the story!)

What an absolutely beautiful debut novel.

Fake It Like You Mean It tells the story of Elle, a podcaster who goes to stay with her grandmother, Lovie, while waiting for insurance to help pay for her grandmother’s Alzheimer’s care. While there, she meets the male nurse caring for her grandmother, Adam. Elle’s grandmother in confusion believes that Elle and Adam are actually herself and her husband. In order to appease Lovie they play along.
The book is funny, emotional, and sweet. Perfect for fans of Emily Henry or Abby Jimenez!

Overall: 5 out of 5

Thank you Dreamscape Media and NetGalley for the arc of "Fake It Like You Mean It" by Megan Murphy.

Elle was raised by her grandmother, Lovie. Now, as Lovie battles Alzheimer's and requires full-time care, Elle moves back in to support her. She enlists the help of Angel Care, a nursing service, which sends Adam to assist. From the start, Elle and Adam clash, but when Lovie mistakes them for her younger self and husband, they decide to play along to avoid upsetting her.

This was a charming "enemies to friends" story, with Elle and Adam coming together for Lovie’s well-being. I also appreciated how the book thoughtfully highlighted the realities of Alzheimer's.

I adored this story! Elle and Adam were a perfect pairing and their relationship with each other made me smile, laugh and feel joy. Their back and forth was fantastic and when they acknowledged the feelings between them it was so perfect. Elle and Adam’s relationships with Lovie made my heart soft and also made me tear up. At first I felt like Elle acted a bit childish when it came to her grandmother. But she grew throughout the book and their relationship. Even though it was hard on her it settled into a comforting routine.

I haven’t been around anyone with Alzheimer’s, but I can only imagine how hard it would be for the family and the person themselves.

Fake It Like You Mean It by Megan Murphy
Romance
Pub day: 3/18/25
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Thank you @alcovepress & @dreamscape_media for my gifted copies!

📖 Oh my goodness…this book was heartfelt, funny, sweet, and emotional. I absolutely loved it! Sometimes stories with dementia/Alzheimer’s hit too close to home for me to enjoy, but this was not the case. I love how the author took this heavy topic and made it real, but also gave us romance and humor mixed in. I loved both the female and male characters, as well as all of the side characters. This was a delight & and I highly recommend!

I live in northern Indiana, where this book took place. It was fun reading about places I’m so familiar with or have visited before!

🎧 The audiobook was narrated by Alex Picard. She did a fantastic job! I often gravitate toward dual narration but honestly I just didn’t care that this one only had one narrator. She was engaging, and brought the story to life so well that I got lost in the audio. Well done!

Goodness. Not even halfway and the language in this book is crude.

I was so interested in the story based on the synopsis, but unfortunately the language and what I learned will be open door scenes aren’t for me. This is a DNF.

Thank you to Dreamscape Media for the ALC. All views are my own.

This was such a sweet book. And as someone who works with people with memory issues I think the description was very accurate and showed how hard it can be to deal with that, being the main caregiver, etc

This is the first time I have done this with an ALC, but I did not finish this book at 33%. Unfortunately, I found there to be too many issues with the plot and characters for me to continue. I did not feel the representation of home health care was accurate, as most services would have different providers on shifts to provide round the clock care. Any healthcare professional would not have been so unprofessional with their patient's family members and would have provided education and clear communication on the needs of the patient. I do not work in the healthcare field, but I think anyone who did would be offended by this portrayal. It also didn't make sense why Elle and Adam hate one another and then they keep jumping back and forth from hate to longing, there's no natural build of the chemistry or coming to understand one another. Also, I really did not like Elle's character. Yay for her podcase success, but why had she not been to see Lovie in so long if she was so important to her and since Elle was Lovie's only living relative. Elle's awareness of Lovie's needs also kept jumping back and forth - she's familiar with all her Alzheimer's medications, but doesn't know to best interact with Lovie when she gets the facts wrong?

I was excited about this one, because a romance with humor and heart is usually my fave, but this one completely missed the mark.

I love it and want to engage more in a enemy to lover books like this
5 stars from my side
Whereas it's keeps me hooked as well from thr starting and I want to just keep on progressing on it

Fake It Like You Mean It is Heartbreaking, healing, and painfully beautiful.
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ .5
🌶🌶

💙enemies to lovers
💛forced proximity
💙he takes care of her
💛oops, that's my vibrator.
💙laundry "folding" 🥵
💛he spams trolls in her podcast comments
💙death and grief (past, off-page)
💛HEA

This debut romance features Elle and Adam, two people who could not be more perfect for each other and have a meet-hey what are you doing in my bed-cute. He's a live-in nurse and an utter pain in her ass. She can't stand him but also--can't stop thinking about him. Adam and Elle want to hate each other so badly, but neither can seem to ignore their undying attraction. What makes their relationship/frenemy-ship so unique is Elle's grandmother, Lovie, who is suffering from Alzheimer's.

There is so much to say about the story and I feel I am not going to do it justice. Fake It Like You Mean It shines a light on the struggles of loving someone who doesn't remember your face, someone who hurts you, someone who you don't recognize. Megan Murphy has written a complex plot with meaningful events and dynamic, lovable characters. Everything that happened in this story was unique and I, honestly, found it hard to anticipate what was going to happen next--and it worked, y'all!
In, Fake It Like You Mean It Murphy expertly portrayed the very true realities of grief and loss. Elle is hurting and Adam is the only one who can see under her mask.

The audiobook was flawlessly executed as well! I found the narrator believable, likable, and easy to understand. She seamlessly articulated Adam's voice without giving me pause and the I swear I could feel the characters' emotions through my headphones. This was very very well done! 👏 👏

Megan Murphy is going to rock the charts with this release and I'm so thankful that I had the opportunity to read & listen to this early. 💙 Thank you to Megan Murphy, Dreamscape Media, and Alcove press for an early review copy of this book.


All opinions expressed are my own.

4.75 🌟
Spice: open door

I am absolutely blown away that this is a debut! This book was so good. I had the audiobook from netgalley, and I almost listened to it in one go. The audio is fantastic. The emotions of caring for a family member with alzheimers will easily break your heart. If this is a topic that triggers you, I would probably skip this one as it is a heavy theme throughout.
While this one is a bit of a slow burn, I enjoyed these two from the first meeting. The banter was great and had me smirking 😏 Adam commenting back to the troll on Elles post was such a good book boyfriend moment.
I can't wait to read more from this author!

Thank you to netgalley and the publisher for the alc in exchange for an honest review.

If you are a romcom fan, you will enjoy Megan Murphy's latest book. Fake It Like You Mean It was an enjoyable listen.

This book broke me!! This book hit a little to close to house got me. Both my grandmothers had dementia. This book was beautiful in so many ways, some parts were harder to listen too. I’m so happy I got the chance to listen to this book!

Elle's grandmother, Lovie, raised her. Now Lovie has Alzheimer's and needs fulltime care. Elle moves back in with Lovie to help. She hires Angel Care to send nurses to help as well. Adam is the person sent. They clash from the beginning. But Lovie thinks they're her and her husband when young. They don't want to cause Lovie distress, so they fake it.

This was a really cute "enemies to friends" novel. Rallying together for Lovie's care and well-being. I very much appreciated what it taught about Alzheimer's throughout the book.

Thanks to NetGalley for the ARC.

Fake It Like You Mean It is a heartfelt and captivating romance that explores the delicate balance between forbidden attraction and unexpected connection. At its core, it's a story about two kind-hearted individuals who, despite their initial differences, find themselves drawn together. The novel delicately addresses the challenges of dementia, highlighting the profound impact of the disease. Though it tackles these weighty topics, the story remains incredibly charming and beautifully written, blending emotional depth with moments of sweetness.

This is a gem of a book. It has all the feels.

Elle was raised by her grandmother, Lovie, when her parents die in a car crash. Lovie has alzheimers. Elle gets a call saying she is worse and needs too go to a long term care facility. She goes home to find a hot guy in her bed, who is actually her grandmother's nurse.

Many thanks to Net Galley and Dreamscape Media for an audio ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.

This was a fun and heartwarming fake-dating romance with just the right amount of emotional depth.

The story follows Elle, who finds herself stuck with a fake boyfriend as a part of a tricky situation involving Elle's grandmother, Lovie, who has Alzheimer's. Enter Adam, the attractive nurse helping to care for her grandmother. Sparks do not initially fly, but the attraction is there.. and grows. What starts as a simple arrangement quickly becomes complicated as their fake relationship starts to feel a little too real.

The dynamic between Elle and Adam feels natural and engaging. Elle is a relatable and charming protagonist, and their slow-burn romance is full of tension, humor, and those small, meaningful moments that make fake-dating tropes so irresistible.

Elle's love and devotion to Lovie adds a layer of emotional depth to the story, grounding it in real-life struggles with the loss of who Lovie once was. Watching Elle balance her feelings of helplessness and determination to cherish every moment with Lovie was really special.

This book had a good balance of humor, chemistry, and emotion that tugs at your heartstrings. If you love fake-dating stories with plenty of banter, tension, and a meaningful emotional core, this book is definitely worth picking up!