Maebelle is the librarian in a small sleepy town in Texas. She spends all of her time trying to make life easier for other people. Working herself to the bone. One day she meets NFL star Chris Stern who strikes up an unusual friendship that leads to a fake engagement.

This book was okay but I felt pretty mislead by the description when I realized that the story is so closed door the door has multiple bolts on it. Sadly I think it was a detriment to the narrative as there was a complete lack of sexual tension between the two main characters. Mae spends the majority of the book insisting they are just friends and I felt it. I’m a sucker for grumpy sunshine especially when the FMC is the grump but without the tension Mae often came across excessively judgmental and cold.

Okay...
This book was such an easy and enjoyable read. The Fakeout tells the tale of Mae, a librarian, and her fictitious engagement to Chris Stern, an NFL player. Despite Mae being so cruel to him, Chris, the nice guy philanthropist, falls madly in love with her.

This romantic comedy book was really adorable! Dad jokes, corny pickup lines, and small town romances all have a special appeal for me. This book did not let me down. I read it all in one sitting because it was so entertaining and enjoyable.

I was given this book in exchange for a honest review. I appreciate the chance, and I thank Netgalley and Sharon Peterson

Mein Leseerlebnis

Besonders lang wird die heutige Buchrezension nicht ausfallen, denn allzu viel habe ich zum Roman nicht zu sagen.

Die locker geschriebene Geschichte ließ sich ohne Probleme lesen, tief berührt oder fasziniert hat mich im Buch aber leider nichts. Alles war ganz nett und ich fand das Happy End auch schön, nach dem Lesen war das Geschehene aber nur eine Randnotiz und keine tiefe, mir wichtige Erinnerung.

Der Geschichte und teils den Charakteren fehlte es etwas an Tiefe, zudem machte in meinen Augen nicht immer alles Sinn.

Ich hatte mit dem romance Buch eine nettes, kurzweiliges Leseerlebnis, nicht mehr und nicht weniger.

🖤🖤3/4

Für wen?

Wer Liebesgeschichten zwischen zwei recht unterschiedlichen Charakteren rund um eine vorgetäuschte Beziehung mag, für den könnte das Buch etwas sein.

First of all, thank you Sharon M. Peterson and Netgalley for an advanced reader copy of The Fake Out in exchange for an honest review. This book was such a fun and easy romantic comedy. Both the FMC and MMC are easy to love and root for. I absolutely loved being in the mind of Maebell as a person who also tries to solve every challenge in life on her own.

The only thing I would change? I would have LOVED to have seen Chris’ point of view. He was so thoughtful and intentional, I would’ve loved to have seen the thinking behind his actions.

Overall, such a great, sweet, romantic read! I loved it!

The Fake Out book is definitely one of the book I did not expect to love, but I DID?!

- Slow burn romance (check)
- No spice (yes, I said it, and I almost couldn't believe it. this is what I want).
- A plus size heroine (Love love)
- Grumpy (Girl) x Sunshine (guy)/ Golden Retriever x Black cat - ok but I actually love this troupe so much. Its quite rare to see a good chemistry like these two does.
- Fake engagement (not really fancy this but technically its not really a fake engagement)
- He fell first, and fell harder
- Small town romance and also involve a librarian? (sign me up babe!!).
- Focus on heavy topics (family, child abandonment, trauma)

Mae is the librarian of Two Harts Public Library, the only available library in the four towns of the area, while Chris is the famous football player. Both accidentally met when Mae found Chris sleeping at the library during closing hours. Everything goes upside down from there, from starting a book club to a fake dating/engagement.

This book was such a page turner!! I almost couldn't put down the book. Not only that it also have incredible depth in side characters and the MCs. but also love how I can relate myself a lot with Mae, she's literally been forced to be an adult while she still a young kid, All family responsibilities goes to her, and that's where she learn to be independent, to be harsh on herself, couldn't ask help from anyone. I love the fact that from the start until the end my thoughts goes 'yeah, you definitely need this guy in your life'. How could she not? Chris is opposite of her, He is the caregiver, the patient one, the listener, the one who could make her open up. I love their chemistry so much, the banter and that cheesy lines (I cringe a lot in a good way).

There were a few twists to their story , and I love that we almost have miscommunication but Chris solved it as fast as he can. Overall, this book is huge comfort, and make giggling so much. I rarely like a book that have so much cheesy, cringe lines, but I love the storyline and the characters so much, so its tolerable. I highly recommend this to those who love fun, fluffy, lighthearted but still have few heavy themes focused read, then this one is definitely for you!

"The Fake Out" by Sharon M. Peterson is a heart fluttering romance comedy novel that captures the love story between two book lovers. The story revolves around two captivating characters, Mae and Chris, whose paths intertwine in the the library (match made in heaven indeed). Mae, a realistic and hardworking librarian, encounters Chris, a flirty and famous football player with a golden heart. Together, they embark on a journey filled with love, laughter, and self-discovery.

While "The Fake Out" is undoubtedly a light and enjoyable read, it also delves into heavier themes such as responsibilities, trust issues, personal growth and family conflicts. The novel emphasizes the importance of family and friends, highlighting the impact they have on the protagonists' lives.

One of the novel's main strengths lies in the charming and witty conversations between the characters. Author's ability to create engaging dialogue adds depth and authenticity to the story, allowing readers to connect with the characters on a personal level. Additionally, the cute and heartwarming scenes between the leads evoke a sense of joy and anticipation, keeping readers captivated throughout the narrative.

"The Fake Out" explores the exhilarating confusion and emotional rollercoaster that accompanies falling in love while grappling with trust issues. The author skillfully captures the characters' internal struggles and provides genuine insights into their thoughts and emotions. Readers will find themselves rooting for Mae and Chris as they navigate their relationship.

The ending of "The Fake Out" deserves special mention—it is simply perfect. Peterson manages to tie up all loose ends while leaving readers with a sense of fulfillment and satisfaction. It is a testament to the author's ability to craft a compelling and well-rounded narrative.

However, "The Fake Out" does have a few shortcomings. The storyline of the work was somewhat predictable, which reduced the element of surprise and anticipation.Some of the analogies used in the writing were not up to the mark and felt forced, leading to a temporary disruption in the flow of the story. And although the epilogue provided closure to the story, I felt it was not necessary after such a great ending. However, I acknowledge that these may be a matter of personal preference.

Readers who appreciate cute and fluffy reads will undoubtedly find this book delightful. The novel is successful in evoking a range of emotions, and the undeniable chemistry between Mae and Chris will make even the most contented reader feel a pang of longing.

I extend my gratitude to NetGalley and bookouture for providing me with an advance reading copy (ARC) in exchange for an honest review.

Rating: 4.5 stars out of 5.

This review will be shared on Goodreads, my Bookstagram @daisypea.reads and StoryGraph

A cute reverse grumpy sunshine book! Definitely a perfect light easy going Summer read.

Overall a sweet lighthearted story which was easy to read and enjoyable. The banter between the main characters was fun, I just wish that there had been a little more passion in the relationship but that is just my preference.

Overall 3.25 stars for a really solid fun romance! Thank you to Netgalley and Bookouture for the ARC.

This book was everything I hoped it would be, a cute, funny, clean romance! This is the best contemporary romance I have read in quite awhile. An absolute delight!

Mae is the librarian of Two Harts Public Library, the only available library in the four towns of the area. She's proud of what she has been able to do for the public, despite the cut backs from city hall. So after she closes the library she has to take time to shelve all the returns (the town let her assistant go with the last budget cut to the library) and runs into a sleeping man in the back of her library! And here starts an amusing series of events.

I really liked Mae. Snark is her love language and boy is she snarky! But she's also a very good, kind and caring person working two jobs in two towns in an attempt to cover all the costly bills piling up from her mother's medical treatments. How could she not after all her mother did for her? Not to mention trying to help with her younger, emo sister Iris. She's a caregiver. She tries to keep care of everyone by being a fully capable, independent, planner. She doesn't like relying on others because she firmly believes with enough planning, she should be able handle it herself.

Enter Chris Sterns, famous football player, tall, built, extremely hot. He is also a caregiver. He tries to take care of his sisters and his parents. He volunteers at a Children's Hospital. So when someone else's blunder gets him in hot water, he'll do what he can to fix it without leaving the other persons involved out to dry. It just so happens the fix requires a fake engagement to bring some positive light on his image. And he knows a spicy librarian who yelled at him the first time they met(who might also need his help but is too proud to say it)who might be willing to help him out. Why, because he made sure to offer her exactly what she needs in order to keep care of anyone else.

Enter the rabbit hole.

It's pretty cute. First Chris and Mae obviously start off on the wrong foot, but Chris is pretty easy going and takes a shine to Mae. He ends up trying to become friends with her. Mae, begrudgingly continues to let him invade her life until she realizes that she kinda of likes Chris's sunny disposition. The optimist to her "realist" as she would probably say. But she doesn't believe in love at first sight. She doesn't believe in the romantic happy endings all the romance books talk about. Why did she agree to a romance novel book club of two again? Right, blackmail. lol!

Aw man, this book manages to balance everything so well. Peterson gives her two characters wonderful chemistry. The struggles are believable, even if the fake engagement is mostly believable. I don't find it hard to believe a person responsible for a celebrity's public image wouldn't try this idea out for size. The relationship development is pretty believable too. Especially if you are thrown together all the time to get attention and make your relationship believable.

There is nothing I would change about this book. Honestly, it was just about perfect. I don't know how the author could have improved it. (Personal opinion, of course)

But you know what I loved the most? The fan submitted pick up lines at the start of EVERY chapter. Some of those were absolutely hysterical. Especially the one for chapter 63 (I think.). Ask my coworkers who were taking the same lunchbreak as me. I burst out laughing and then upon being questioned about what I was reading that was so funny, spread the laughter around by telling them. I hate to say it, but that is something I could totally picture my significant other using. His kind of humor.

Conclusion

HIGHLY recommend! I am going to be telling my romance loving friends! I am going to buy this for my work library and I might even buy myself a copy when it comes out. Super cute!

Thank you NetGalley and Sharon M. Peterson for the early copy of this book!

The Fake Out was an adorable, easy read that filled my rom-com cup. It had all the tropes that make up a great rom-com book: grumpy/ sunshine, fake dating, a golden retriever/ professional athlete MMC who enjoys reading romance novels, a strong and fiercely independent FMC, a solid female friendship, etc.

I really enjoyed this one and look forward to reading more from Peterson! Also.... Ali is getting her own book, right?

Solid 3.5 stars.

The story is sweet and fun. It was super engaging from the get go, giving me real motivation to actually turn the page and before I knew it I had binged it.

The ending was kind of corny in a bit of a cringe way but there's only so much a book can do about that when it comes to wrapping things up.

Also I hated that it's single POV, its just a personal preference and I also feel like it weakens the story.

Thank you to Net Galley and Bookouture for the opportunity to read Fake Out by Sharon Peterson. I enjoyed this once for a fun and sweet read. I was able to knock it out in one sitting! Another 3 out of 5 stars for me. I wanted more from the story probably because I enjoyed the banter and chemistry between Chris and Mae. I loved the reverse grumpy sunshine, and the family Mae was able to find with Chris.

ARC Review

Story: 4/5 ⭐

---

The Fakeout follows the story of librarian, Mae and her engagement/marriage of convenience with NFL star Chris Stern. Throughout the story we learn about Mae and her need to take care of those around her and all of the childhood trauma that her need stems from. Chris is the nice guy philanthropist who falls head over heels for Mae despite her being so mean to him.

---

This was such a cute Rom-com book! I am a huge sucker for cheesy pick up lines (not used on me of course!) and dad jokes and this book did not disappoint! If you're not you should still give this book a chance! Everything from the main character's chemistry and relationship development was well progressed. I did get a tad bit annoyed with Mae but just remember everyone copes with their childhood traumas differently. I would recommend this book to people looking for an easy and humorous read!

***I received this book in exchange for my honest opinion. Thank you to the author and netgalley for this opportunity

Mae is alone in the library, enjoying a spicy audiobook, when she finds a mountain of a man sleeping in the stacks. He's long. He's broad. And he's enjoying her audiobook a little too much.

Thus begins the beautiful friendship between Mae and Chris. He invites her to join his book club (party of 2) and she quips about hiding his body. He brings her lunch and she brings a delightfully sarcastic sense of humor to knock him down a few pegs.

They are perfection.

And then the inevitable happens - a story is leaked to the press that paints Chris, a genuinely nice football player who spends his spare time visiting children in hospitals, in a negative light. Now he needs Mae to help repair his image in the best way possible: as his fake fiance.

My heart swooned reading The Fake Out. There's something about a reverse grumpy/sunshine where he falls first that thaws the cockles of my heart.

Chris was a gentleman through-and-through. He was constantly trying to help workaholic Mae and was infinitely patient when she pushed back. Mae's had a lot to deal with in her short life - deadbeat dad, sick mom, bad taste in men - and she's used to being the one everyone relies on. Having someone there to ease her burden wasn't easy for her.

The scene where she's trying to change her tire is probably my favorite. She knows she needs help. She even calls for help. But does she readily accept that help?? NOPE! Chris' reaction to this made me love him even more. It was so sweet and heart-felt and I want to go back and read it over and over!

There are so many quote-worthy moments in this book, and I'm pretty sure "It suits you" will forever be etched in my heart, but you'll have to read this to find out why.

The Fake Out is a sweet romance (no spice), and it still gave me palpitations. Be prepared to laugh your butt off and fall in love with Chris!

Favorite quote:

“How does he look at me?”

“Like you’re his favorite thing in the whole world,” Aggie said.

I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

this is such a cute, sweet, fun story! Chris is such a cinnamon roll hero & Mae is a strong-willed loyal grump who deserves a break in life & some love :)

I loved these two from the start! they were so fun & compatible from the first time they met to the very happily ever after. I really felt for Mae trying to keep her family financially afloat while also putting aside her issues with her father to give her sister her best chance at a relationship with him— that’s some strong family love! I also loved all the side family & friend characters! both Mae & Chris’s families were adorable abt the two of them, making me long (like Mae) for a big loving happy family in my SO.

just a fun sweet happy uplifting story with the loveliest of characters (except for the rude ones) & the happiest of endings!

thank you for the ARC!!!

I devoured this read in one sitting!! I seriously could NOT put this book down. This is my first book from this author, and I honestly could not stop laughing out loud 😊 This book will grab your attention from the very beginning and I promise you will be entertained throughout the entire thing. The

Mae is a librarian in a small town. She is taking care of her family, her mother is in recovery and medical bills are piling up. She has a younger sister who is just finishing high school. She works weekend nights in the next town as a waitress to make ends meet.

She is driven, dedicated and an around badass. :)

One night she wants to lock up the library, only there is a guy sleeping three. She can't wake him up, so she ends up listening to a spicy audiobook. Only the story is not only in her earbuds. :)

He is a famous football player, spending some time in the town. He proposes that they start a book club, just for romance books. He seems to be everywhere and keeps want spend time with her, but Mae, even though she thinks he is very hot, doesn't have time for that.

Then he proposes a deal. A fake engagement. He needs to clean up his rep, without outing his family and she is in desperate need of money. It all goes well, but spending all this time together, she gets to know him and his family and starts to fall for him, hard.

They have so much chemistry between them, but past habits are hard to break and she is afraid of the future.

I love reading the story, it's fun and romantic and I just couldn't put it down. The MCs are both such good people you can't help but root for them. :)

Highly recommend it!

The idea behind this book was well-intentioned, but it felt very contrived. It felt like I was reading the same fake relationship turned real love trope that I've read countless times before. The characters were sweet, the storyline was sweet, even the "drama" was sweet. Overall, it was too saccharine for my taste. Based on most of the reviews, I'm obviously in the minority on my opinions here. But for a MC who was "world's sexiest man" he sure seemed vanilla to me. I'm sure some will like the innocence, but for me, it felt borderline silly. Sadly, this book wasn't for me.
Thank you to NetGalley and Bookouture for the ARC of this book in exchange for my honest review.

Is there anything better than a grumpy/sunshine InstaLove with a golden retriever MMC? If there is, I surely haven’t found it!
I’m also a big sucker for a Librarian, and this book does a great job of really centering the role of a library within a community. I do wish this was a little spicier, I think the room was there to take things a bit further, but I know that’s not some readers cup of tea. Overall, a great story! Many thanks to NetGalley, the publisher, and the author for the chance to read this before it comes out next month!

Oh, I want to buy this book NOW, re-read it, mark every wonderful and funny line and talk to my friends about it, it is that good! What makes it a great book? It is a real love story, a true romance with genuine feelings, chemistry, a lot of fun but realistic people and realistic feelings. Chris is just adorable but very manly, stable and funny. Mae is strong, grumpy and has a big heart but doesn’t know she can trust anybody with it.
I loved that she wasn’t impressed with this world-famous football player.
I loved that the whole fake romance deal wasn’t brought up in the first ten pages or so, but the story had a great, nice built-up and one you can believe.
I loved his text nickname.
I loved all the inside jokes!
I love that their first date was a walk and a visit to a book store.
I love Ali and her revenge tactics!
I loved the three sauces/questions test.
I loved the engagement ring! (I even googled what it could look like and am now bookmarking several pages although I got married ages ago.)
I loved Chris distracting Mae during lift-off.
I love, love love Chris’ mother!
I love his sisters, I love Chris being totally dreamy!!
I like Mae’s t-shirts with library related quotes and the little funny things in the book (like the poster with the cat wearing glasses and reading Purr-ide and Prejudice); really funny things without being cheesy.
I like Mrs. Katz and Horace.
I loved Chris rescuing Mae despite her being stubborn and too scared to rely on someone to rescue her. I love him for understanding and not giving up on her and loving her just the way she is! I loved their talk in the car and the way they were until the rain stopped - so beautiful!!
I LOVED that the story didn’t took the expected turn but the one you want with all your heart because you are SO invested in these two amazing people!!
Please do yourself a huge favor and go buy this book and start reading! I immediately preordered the book for myself and can highly recommend it as a gift to yourself or a gift for a friend, because this is the kind of book you can recommend to anybody. It’s just perfect!
What I didn’t like? Just the lame pick-up lines at the start of each chapter. They are not funny but cheesy and I didn’t understand why they were added. But that said, do yourself a favor and buy and read this book! I assure you you will love it!!
I received and reviewed an advanced copy of this book in exchange for my honest opinion and I am very grateful for this opportunity (because what a lot of fun was that!)
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

If you like small town romances with fake dating and a marriage of convenience, this is the book for you.

I thought this was a very cute read! It was a little unrealistic (yes, I know this is a fiction novel) to the point where I found myself rolling my eyes multiple times. But I ultimately enjoyed the book and the characters, especially Ali and her antics. I would've loved to see more of Ellie, and I really hope that she gets her own story. Chris' love confession was adorable, and it made my heart warm.

3.75, rounded up to 4.