Elle has a podcast where she interviews people on the L train. Her grandmother also has dementia and needs around the clock care. Adam is her grandmother's nurse who takes care of her around the clock.
This book has a lot more of an emotional moving aspect than a typical romance and that is beautiful to see. I enjoyed the grandma's rules and there were several sweet moments involving her. On the othed.hand I had some issues with the main character especially how she interacted the MMC. She seemed overly hostile with him for no reason. The enemies portion of this book felt really forced. While she did eventually grow to like him I felt her grumpiness was not warrented.

I was lucky enough to listen to the audio of this book, which was narrated fantastically, while I read along with my ebook. Elle returns back to her hometown when her grandmother's Alzheimers progresses. When she mistakes Elle and her live-in nurse, Adam, as being in love, the two decide to fake it to keep the peace. We all know what happens with fake dating right? I loved the relationship between these two! And the Alzhemiers story added an extra emotional element to the story considering how deeply both characters cared for the patient. This was a sweet book and it's a debut! I can't wait to see what the author pens next.

I'm not really sure where to rate this. Overall, it's an okay read but pieces of it didn't sit right with me. As someone who has delt with being a caregiver for an Alzheimer's patient, the representation here felt true but also made for a confusing and heavy backdrop for a rom-com. I also didn't love the power dynamic of the MMC being the nurse and FMC being a family member (let alone the ethics of it). I think had the author removed the very forced tropes and pushed this into women's fiction with romance, it would have been a much more cohesive plot. They could have had an organic relationship and resolved the patient/nurse conflict much earlier and developed the FMC's emotional journey of being a caregiver...it would have been a powerful read instead of "I'm in therapy, love me" that ended up happening.

I'm sure lots of people will like this book but it was just a few too many "off" elements for me, personally. I did receive this title as an ARC and attest that I am leaving my review honestly and voluntarily.

Thank you NetGalley and Alcove Press for the eARC and Dreamscape Media for the ALC

This was my first Megan Murphy novel and I really enjoyed it. The subject is a tough one but she was able to add some lightheardness and humor to the story.

Elle's grandmother Lovie raised her and she is navigating losing her due to advancing Alzheimers. Elle is also in the process of finding herself while navigating losing her grandmother as she knows her. She of course, finds love along the way.

I would give this 3.5-4 stars

Cute and quick read with lots of banter between the main characters. Wasn’t really sure why the main character had a beef with the male lead and so it made her appear a bit petty. As we went along in the story, we get to know Lovey the g grandmother, who is dealing with Alzheimer’s and she has all of this wisdom that L is sharing with the reader and that’s probably the most endearing part of the story. The debut novel for this author and so I want to say kudos to her for for achievement however, if this is probably going to be an enemies to lovers story that doesn’t stand out necessarily that well from the rest of this genre,

Elle's grandmother has Alzheimers disease and Adam is the live-in nurse/caretaker. Elle comes back to stay with her grandmother and isn't expecting hunky Adam to be there. She resists his help/work, but I think mostly out of guilt of not having spent much time, recently, with her ailing grandmother. I had higher hopes for this storyline, but found Elle to be very self-centered and difficult.
Thank you, NetGalley and the publisher for access to this eARC.

Thanks, Dreamscape Media, for this ALC!

This audio made me feel all the things. I laughed out loud, I teared up, I felt giddy from the banter between Adam and Elle.

Elle was raised by her grandmother who has now been diagnosed with Alzheimer's that is quickly progressing and needs around the clock care. When Elle drops everything to go live with her, she quickly finds out she is not alone. Adam is a live-in nurse, also there to take care of Lovie.

Lovie starts to think Elle is a younger version of herself, and Adam is her late husband Bobby. Playing along to keep tensions low, Adam and Elle start to build a real emotional connection.

The forced proximity and hate-to-love tropes were so good and I loved Elle's and Adam's personalities. The emotional and heart-breaking interactions Elle experienced with Lovie with Adam there to support her provided the depth, feeling and vulnerability I crave from a romance plot.

Loved this narration and would listen again!

What a delightful listen. Elle is a successful podcaster and goes home to take care of her grandmother Lovey who is suffering from Alzhiemhers and finds nurse Adam asleep in her bed. When Lovey sees the two of them together, she mistakes them for a younger version of herself and her husband Bobby so they have to pretend to be a happy couple. This is more than classic case of fake relationship and forced proximity. Adam helps Elle deal with all the emotions of Elle being a caregiver of someone with Alzhiemers and the trials and tribulations involved.

I was drawn to this story because of the alzheimers background story. The story started off strong, I loved the introduction with Elle interviewing the lady on the train. Then it went downhill fast. The language was unnecessary (so many f bombs), and the whole vibrator scene was as kids these day say cringe. I dnf at 27%.

2.5 ⭐️

I have decidedly mixed feelings about this one… the story was cute, the tension between Adam and Elle was good, and the approach to representing some of the struggles to caring for an Alzheimer’s family member were well represented. However, as someone who works in healthcare, I could not get over some of the highly inappropriate and unethical aspects of this story. For one, Adam is the full time home health nurse for Lovie, so why is he buying expensive alarm systems on his own dime and installing them in his patients home? Why is he instigating a romantic relationship with the granddaughter of his patient whom he resides with while his agency is employed by her and they are essentially living together? Why does Adam not report a conflict of interest for MONTHS to his employer, and why is his employer relatively unfazed upon discovering he has been romantic with a clients granddaughter while in home taking care of the client?

I fully understand that, as a work of fiction, liberties are taken to a piece of work that may not accurately represent the real world, but this lended toward unethical behavior in healthcare. I don’t doubt that falling for a patient or a patients family member happens, but when I picked this book up, I expected a fair bit of tension and desire to be together despite it being forbidden in a sense. I understand what began as fake dating in front of Lovie who has mistaken Elle and Adam for her younger self and her husband began innocently to appease Lovie in her fragile mental state grew into real feelings. However, I would have expected that prior to moving forward, or after deciding to begin a real romantic relationship, the professional relationship would have ended due to a conflict of interest. I know there are books out there with grumpy boss or billionaire boss themes and so on, but it hits different for me when those relationships are related to health care and medical ethics.

If you can move past the medical ethics issue, this book may be for you. The struggle Elle goes through with learning to care for a grandmother who doesn’t remember her, and a woman whose personality is so different from the woman who raised her, is very true to form. As a loved one, it’s hard to not remind them of who they were or try to correct their delusions or misinformation when you know the truth, but the truth may hurt them. I liked how Elle took the opportunity to honor the memory of her grandmother and find a way to raise awareness and support for Alzheimer’s in her work through her podcast.

The writing went back and forth for me. The little “words of wisdom” from Lovie that were sprinkled throughout the story were very sweet, however moments like asking someone if they want to “Netflix and chill” made me cringe.

As you can see, my feelings truly are mixed. If the synopsis sounds interesting to you, give it a try, you may find your opinion differs from mine. That’s was great about reading, even though we all read the same book, we each get something different out of it.
—
💜 Debut novel
💜 Fake dating
💜 Forced proximity & forbidden romance
💜 “Workplace” relationship
💜 Alzheimer’s awareness
💜 Caring for a family member
💜 Home healthcare
💜 Podcast
—
Story by Megan Murphy: 2.5 ⭐️
Narrated by Alex Picard: 3.5 ⭐️
—
Thank you Dreamscape Media & NetGalley for this complimentary ALC - all thoughts are my own! 📚
Publishers release date 3/18/2025

This was my first Megan Murphy novel and I really enjoyed it. She did a good job diving into a tough subject while also keeping the story fairly light and funny.

Elle’s grandmother Lovie has always taken care of her, as long as she can remember. But remembering is just the problem. With Lovie’s Alzheimer’s progressing fast, it’s Elle’s turn to step up.

Leaving Chicago behind, the last thing she expects when she walks through the door of her childhood home is Adam Wheeler—in her bed. Live-in nurse and pain in the ass, Adam is here to do his job. Eat, sleep, nurse, repeat.

Thrown together to care for Lovie, tensions rise and lines are drawn, but there’s a bigger problem: in her Alzheimer’s riddled mind, Lovie’s convinced that Elle and Adam are madly in love.

Certain she’ll forget by morning, Elle and Adam play along. The only snag? She doesn’t.

Lovie is the only person who thinks this fake dating scheme is real…so why is Elle fantasizing about Adam when he’s not around? And why is it getting harder to pretend?

Thanks to Dreamscape for this advanced copy!! I wrote this book so I am INCREDIBLY biased (arguably the most biased), but Alex Picard knocked the narration out of the park. She treated my characters with so much love and respect. I got butterflies listening to Elle and Adam's banter, and her Lovie was spot on.

Infinity stars forever.

I wanted to love this book because enemies to lovers is my favorite trope, and I have a soft spot for books that reference Alzheimer's. I knew this was going to be a heavier read, but I didn't feel this author handled this topic with care.

The mfc Elle was horrible! She was completely self-centered, clumsy, rude, and for being a people person, she lacked people skills. She kept telling the mmc he wasn't needed in the care of her Grandma, but when left alone, she would lose her. He ordered her a security system, and she scolded him for not using her influencer code even though she could have ordered it herself. She was so rude to the nurse(mmc) she hired(sparking what was suppose to be an enemies to lovers plot but instead felt extremely forced and unnecessary) when she came in late at night to find him in her grandma's home. Your grandma has Alzheimers you thought she was home alone??

I think because I didn't like the mfc, it made it hard for me to see the emotion for her grandmother and to feel a connection between the two main characters. Honestly, I dnf at 52% because the humor felt misplaced, the romance felt forced, the mfc was rude, and this whole situation felt off.

Fake it Like You Mean It Honest ARC Audiobook Review:

Elie’s grandmother Lovie has always taken care of her. She is a large part of Elie’s life. Unfortunately, Lovie is in advanced stages of Alzheimer’s and does not remember how she knows Elie. Lovie thinks that maybe Elie is a younger version of Lovie, not realizing that is who SHE is. With that, Lovie believes that the home care nurse, Adam, who Elie was bickering with is her own late husband, Bobby.

In an attempt to help ease Lovie’s discomfort with her progression of Alzheimer’s, Elie and Adam pretend to be the couple Lovie believes they are.

Having had a grandparent with Alzheimer’s, this story reminds me of how I felt as a granddaughter, witnessing the progression.

The banter between Elie and Adam is perfection. Emotions begin to escalate as Lovie’s Alzheimer’s advances.

Beautifully written and poignant, this novel is definitely one to add to your TBR! It pulled on my heartstrings and had me rooting for Eliie and Adam.

⭐️Fake Dating
⭐️Enemies to Lovers
⭐️Great Banter
⭐️Slow Burn

Thank you for sharing this ARC with me!

“Fake It Like You Mean It” by Meghan Murphy is a rom-com with an emotional side.

I received a complimentary ARC from Alcove Press and an ALC from Dreamscape Media. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

We have Elle and Adam, that have to fake date while taking care of her grandmother that has Alzheimers and thinks they are married.
Elle has a podcast and Adam is a nurse. Even with the forced proximity, the romance is a slow burn and initially they can’t stand each other.

The audiobook is narrated by Alex Picard. She manages to transmit well Elle’s feelings and does a good job with the other characters too.

The story shows the struggles that appear when you are faced with carrying for a loved one, especially when their health is deteriorating. I would have liked to have Adam’s POV and more about him and his family.

Overall I liked the book and the love story.

I LOVED this audiobook. I read the eArc back in December, and knew I wanted to hear the audiobook too. The narrator did such a great job brining Murphy's characters to life. I think I had a better time the second time around.

Fake It Like You Mean It caught me off guard. I thought it was going to be a light romcommy type romance. It was not. It was incredibly poignant with the story of Elle and how she deals with Lovie's, (her grandmother) journey with Alzheimer's and how through a fake-dating scenario with Lovie's home health nurse, Elle discovers that she doesn't have the shoulder the world's burdens alone.

Setting aside the conflict of Adam falling for his ward's granddaughter who is paying for the service that employs him (this is fiction people!), I thought this was a really cute love story that was wrapped around an even deeper emotional journey of handling your loved-one's health demise. I could identify with Elle and some of Murphy's quotes really hit home for me. I loved Adam's and Elle's banter. I really enjoyed this story and was reading at a time when my family was dealing with my own grandfather's health issues so this story really connected on a deeper level. Luckily, I have my own real life nurse Adam to help me navigate life. :)

****Update to add that I received an Advance Listener Copy of the Audiobook, and I loved it even more. I thought the narrator did such a great job bring Murphy's characters to life.


Thank you to Alcove Press and Netgalley for the ARC ebook. Thank you to Dreamscape Audio for the ALC. All of my opinions are my own.

I didn’t expect to fall so hard for this story, but from the moment I met the overbearing yet lovable grandma and the flustered protagonist, I was hooked. It all starts with a simple misunderstanding—taking care of an elderly relative and accidentally ending up in the same bed as a kind but no-nonsense male nurse. One assumption leads to another, and suddenly, the grandma is convinced we’re a couple.

At first, it’s just easier to go along with it. After all, what’s the harm in keeping an old woman happy? But as the story unfolds, the forced proximity, shared responsibilities, and quiet moments of genuine care start to blur the lines between what’s pretend and what’s real. The slow build of tension, the stolen glances, and the small but meaningful gestures had me completely enthralled.

What I loved most was how natural the romance felt. There was no instant, over-the-top passion—just two people gradually realizing that maybe, just maybe, they fit together in a way neither expected. The humor was spot-on, the emotional moments hit just right, and the romance? Utterly swoon-worthy.

By the time the truth had to come out, I was already fully invested, practically yelling at the pages for them to admit their feelings. And when they finally did? Absolute perfection. If you love fake dating tropes with a healthy dose of heartfelt moments and slow-burn romance, this is the book for you.

This book was very sweet and thoughtfully written.

I think it's relatable for so many people who are caregivers to patients or family members with alzheimer's or dementia. It brought me back to memories of my own grandparents.

There were parts of this book that made me laugh and parts that made me cry. (I think I cried as soon as I heard the note to readers.)

Elle, Adam, and Lovie are all easily likable characters. I like the way Elle and Adam develop throughout the book and the way they learn to help each other.

I enjoyed this book so much, I listened to it in one day, and I highly recommend it. ❤️

“It’s wonderfully terrifying to realize someone else can help hold you up”🥹🫶🏻 I felt that line to my core!

4.5⭐️
I was not expecting to feel the level of emotion I did from this book! As someone who’s worked in US healthcare insurance billing for nearly 10 years and who’s had a grandma that suffered from cognitive issues and memory loss, this story truly touched my heart. I know how hard it is to be both the family that’s struggling with insurance companies, as well as a medical professional.
Normally the love story of a contemporary romance is the most memorable for me, but I found that the main plot of this book stood out equally. Although I LOVED Elle and Adam’s story and character growth to pieces, the plot revolving around Lovie’s condition and her relationship with Elle felt just as powerful. I thought the author did a wonderful job bringing awareness to Alzheimer’s, while still keeping us romance readers engaged!! The humor was sprinkled in just the right spots to help lighten the heavier plot, while the spice🌶️ felt natural.

- Nurse MMC (new type unlocked😏)
- Strangers who bicker(didn’t like the use of “enemies” here) to lovers
- Forced Proximity
- Only One Bed

And remember one of Lovie’s sayings, “never make any important life decisions when your hungry, horny, lonely, or tired” ✌🏻

4.5 stars rounded up. What a fantastic debut. This one definitely packed an emotional punch alongside a tender romance.

I did a tandem ALC/eARC read of this one and sat with tears in my eyes more than once during moments with Elle and her grandmother, Lovie. The loss of my grandma three years ago was life-altering event, but I can’t imagine what it would have been like to lose her knowing me before she was gone. I don’t have any firsthand experience with a family member suffering from Alzheimer’s, however, this read felt very authentic in its portrayal of the challenges and heartache. My heart broke for Elle in the moments she had to face Lovie’s harsh words while knowing Lovie was trapped by her own mind working against her.

Having Adam alongside her was a buoy for Elle, even if it seemed like it would be the exact opposite from the beginning. Adam was the epitome of decency and care. Being a nurse, that would seem obvious, but he showed it in so many ways outside his hired duties as Lovie’s caretaker. The banter between Adam and Elle was entertaining and sparky, and the way they came to lean on each other through the ups and downs was lovely. They faced their own struggles, especially combatting Elle’s fears of allowing anyone else to become too close, but they came out stronger for it in the end.

The audiobook was incredibly well done. I thought Alex Picard’s narration was fantastic. She had great tone and pitch for the various characters to differentiate between them. She also invoked an entire spectrum of emotions into her performance that added to the authenticity of the story for me.

Thank you NetGalley and Alcove Press for the eARC and Dreamscape Media for the ALC in exchange for an honest review.