Considering Fake It ‘Til You Feel It is just over 50 pages, I think it’s about as well done as a romance that length can be. The two main characters, Dana and Nathan, had good chemistry, but it felt more lustful than romantic. My main issue with this novella is that the ending seemed very abrupt and unclear, as there is no indication or background of Nathan’s dislike of his job, let alone that he would quit altogether. Although it would evidently be difficult to fit this in to its short page count, I do think it could benefit from providing more background information.

Love a good grumpy/sunshine, especially when the FMC is the grumpy! This was a cute, quick read with some nice spice to it! The CEO being the sunshine in this relationship made this one stand out from the typical grumpy CEO and I am here for it! I loved the chemistry between these two!

4 star read

Review is posted on StoryGraph and will post a video on tiktok

Thank you to Netgalley and the author for the book in exchange for a review!


Fake dating is one of my favorite tropes (along with fake relationship like marriage of convenience or fake engagement. So when I saw Fake It 'Til You Feel It on Netgalley, I knew I had to read it. I liked this one; it was short enough that it didn't feel too long. It is also been mislabeled as erotica, and while it is spicy, the spice doesn't start until about 65% in (don't quote me on that, I don't have my e-copy with me while I'm writing this review).
I also wanted to request this book because it releases on my birthday, March 4th, but that's more of a personal reason (the only reason I like having my birthday on a Tuesday when it comes around is that books come out on Tuesdays most of the time).

If you want a quick romance read/palette cleanser, then this is a great novella to pick up, as it contains all the right ingredients.

From the start, the short story gets straight into a mix of fake-dating, office romance and undeniable chemistry between the MCs.

The weekend is supposed to be about business and faking attraction for one another to seal the deal. However, it soon becomes apparent that the attraction is not fake.

I enjoyed both Nathan and Dana's characters, and the development of their relationship, however I would have liked to have known more about their characters, back stories and what got them to the position they were in. So I think it would have been good as full novel.

Overall, I really enjoyed the book, as I think it was a fun, quick read.

If you love fake dating, office romance, or short stories, then Fake It Till You Feel It is a book for you ❤️

Thank you to the NetGalley and BDA Publishing LLC for providing me with the ARC to review in exchange for an honest review.

This book had the potential to be so much better! But it was left with needing more. The characters had chemistry but we know nothing about them other than they work together and all of a sudden at the end he just gives her his business so they can date? Doesn't make sense to me.

when i read the blurb i was taken to a certain other book that was up there on my top top top books list. so i was both all in and fearful of it not matching up. or actually, heaven forbid it was better and then id have to choose who gazumps who! i take my books very seriously, ha.
this was top tier. it was short and sweet and i could have easily read more from them. but maybe then it wouldnt be so sweet. wouldnt be so urgent and fiery. so as it was it was just perfect.
our two character clearly wouldnt mind there act to be something more. and to everyone reading this book it clearly already is. and i was inwardly shouting at them to just get it together.
it was tender enough that they were well fleshed out characters. it didnt feel steamy just for the sake of it. it never felt icky or cliched. you got some depth to the characters and they werent on dimensional# with each other. this then went to me wanting them together even more.
nathan is Dana's boss. and if she agrees to be his girlfriend for a trip on a rich mans yacht for work then he will double her salary. she agrees. and well, we all know what deliciously comes next. so enjoy...

Fa ke It Till You Feel It is the kind of romance that hooks you from the first page and doesn’t let go. Fortuna Lux delivers a delicious mix of fake dating, slow-burn tension, and undeniable chemistry between two characters who are both fighting their own battles—while pretending they’re perfectly fine.

The story follows [insert character names], who find themselves in a mutually beneficial arrangement: a fake relationship that should be simple and straightforward. But, of course, feelings don’t play by the rules. Their banter is sharp, their attraction is undeniable, and the emotional depth that unfolds makes this more than just a steamy romance—it’s a heartfelt journey of self-discovery and healing.

Lux’s writing is witty and engaging, striking the perfect balance between playful and poignant. The steamy moments? Absolutely worth the wait. And the emotional payoff? Chef’s kiss. If you love the fake dating trope, layered characters, and a romance that feels both fun and deeply emotional, Fake It Till You Feel It is a must-read.

Thank you to the NetGalley team for providing me with the ARC to review!

Fast paced story with fake dating and boss/employee tropes.

Dana is Nathan's right hand woman at his company, basically running the show behind the scenes. To seal an upcoming business deal, Nathan needs to pretend to be in a committed relation for a weekend long retreat on a yacht. Dana doesn't put up much of a fight when Nathan commands her to pretend to be his girlfriend to help with the deal.

Secretly, neither of them would mind this being a lot more real than they let on.

MMC and FMC were entertaining, and straightforward and the rest of the cast is only along for the ride, popping in when needed for dialogue or quick story progression.

There is some tension, but thankfully no third act break up, and there is quick, but happy ending.

Received a free ARC from NetGalley, was not paid or coerced for a review

1.5 🌶️
3.5 ⭐

This novella is a nice palate cleanser for when you’re in the mood for a quick romance. Its you’re typical CEO vs assistant fake dating relationship but I love that it was not instant lust between them. If you’re in the mood for any novella just like this, this is perfect for you.

~

Thanks to BDA Publishing via NetGalley for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

This novella was short but good. It’s considered erotica but I wouldn’t as it only had one spicy scene that only came at the 75% point of the book. The angst was great between the MCs just want I needed to cleanse my palette a good workplace romance with some good spice sprinkled in.

Thank you NetGalley for the Advance Reader Copy in exchange for my honest review.

"For the ones who say "I hate him" Right before you fall head over heels.

I truly find this book hilarious and entreating, it was a fun cute, and fast read.

I fell madly in love with Dana and Nathan, I truly thought they were very compelling characters and their chemistry was undeniable, however, they lacked so much depth as to who they were outside of the fake dating and each other, I wish we had seen more of who they were, what their lives looked like, and what their dynamic was before they both caught feelings- I felt like there was no time to get to know them before we embarked on the tropes

No matter how much I loved Fortuna's writing, I felt like she was serving but there was no food you know? Her characters were so good, their chemistry was great, and the tropes were awesome but then we lacked the story itself, I wish there had been more of Dana running the company and her dealing with Nathan and us getting to SEE why the deal with Harris was so important.

Still, it is a cute novella that will make you blush and giggle and have a good time, you just have to go in with an open mind.

rating: 4
spice: 1.5

this was a fun short read! i didn’t realize this was a novella, but i ate it up! and read it in under an hour hehe. i do wish this was a full length novel. 😭 can’t wait to read more of fortuna’s books!

- fake dating
- boss x assistant

Seemed like there is no plot is this book. There was beginning of the story, then sex scenes and then ending of the book.
I didn’t get to know the characters, not even talking about character development. This book was very rushed. I didn’t enjoy that.

The author is not bad at writing - I enjoyed the language most of the time. It was pleasant, but something was very much missing, and I think that’s depth.

I know this is a short story, but it was too short, not detailed enough. As readers, we don’t get much information about the main characters, and that leads me to confusion - were they hot for each other for a long time or not? What’s the power dynamic actually like, besides the fact that she works for him, and he’s annoying? How is this not sexual harassment?

It all happens very fast, which is irritating, because the characters keep using the words ‘still’ and ‘anymore’ and that implies a longer period (it’s three days total). There are clichés, which are worthy of an eye roll at best, and the whole premise is wobbly - why would you pretend to be a family man in front of your client if when you score the deal, you’re expected to work with them? Like - what then? You just pretend for the rest of your shared project? Unless the whole point right from the start is to fall in love, then I don’t get it logically, and these are supposed to be very smart business people.
Also, because we don’t have any background on them, it seems fairly ridiculous that the FMC is thinking about love after like one or two kisses.

And maybe I’m too realistic or being a prude, but I think the kind of sex the MMC went for was something people should talk about beforehand or even during. I know it’s a book, and it was written just fine as a scene, but I’ve personally felt a bit uncomfortable that there wasn’t even like a short exchange of opinions to make sure it’s fine for both of them.

Overall, I think it would have the potential to be a good read, if it was an actual book, because the details would straighten all of these things out. As it is, 2/5 is as high as I can go. But that’s just me, whatever strikes your fancy.

Thanks to NetGalley for the ARC!

This was a really enjoyable novella. Fake dating, boss / assistant and palpable tension!

Nathan and Dana agree to appear as if they are together to seal a lucrative business deal whilst on a trip away! We follow Dana and Nathan as they battle against their feelings and try to keep it professional, but they are irresistibly drawn together.

I liked both characters, Nathan was set up as being very professional and hard to please, but I found him to be a bit of a cinnamon roll in the end which I quite enjoyed!

The romance and spice was full of tension and longing which was well written!

I received a free copy via netgalley, this is my honest review,

This is a great novela, if you want a quick read this is for you
It was surprisingly a very great story and I wish it was longer
What you can look for
-romance
-dual POV
-Slow burn
-a very well written spice

Need a quick read? Then this is for you. Fast, lighthearted, and with decent characters. I think there might have been better character development if there was only one Point of View, but it’s a novella so it likely wasn’t going to be that deep anyway, right?

Fake It ‘Til You Feel It was a very fun, fast paced romance read.

Structured as a novella, the story revolves around Nathan, a high powered CEO and his quick witted assistant Dana who enter into a fake dating relationship. The banter was fun, the romance was slow burn and there was just the right amount of spice.

Overall it was a fun, quick read.

I really liked the story , I hated it was a novella & I truly felt it should have been a full novel ! I enjoyed it but felt because how short it was the chemistry was hard to find .

In Fake It 'til you feel it, a fake dating romance novella, we meet Dana, the assistant and right hand (woman) of Nathan, who is the CEO of the company. Nathan proposes to Dana to attend a work meeting over the weekend to impress one of their biggest potential client/investor; however, Nathan wants Dana to accompany him to the meeting not as the assistant, but as his girlfriend. Throughout the weekend, they realize that their relationship expands beyond the professional relationship they have built over the years.

It was a bit difficult for me to feel the chemistry between the main characters due to the length of the book. I wished the author would expand on the characters stories (before and after this weekend getaway) and make this a full-length novel.

Thank you BDA Publishing LLC for providing this book for review consideration via NetGalley. All opinions are my own.