
Member Reviews

Dorian and Briar both being anti marriage Briar has found herself in a situation She agreed to be her boss's fake fiancé for eight weeks while visiting his family's private island. If they pull it off, she walks away a million dollars richer and her boss's dad gets to spend his last days thinking his son is happily in love.
There's just one problem...Dorian, the man Briar met at a wedding a year ago, the man who stole her heart and asked her to wait for him is on the island. She can't tell him her relationship is fake. dual POV is that you get to see exactly what both parties are going through.

They had the kind of soul connection we all dream about. Then it looks like boy loses girl, but is it possible to lose a connection that deep? How will they fix this mess? Smexiness, family dysfunction and greed, disillusion and letting go. It's just so GOOD! And the HEA is perfect!

Such a good read! Briar and Dorian meet at her cousins bachelor / bachelorette party. They have a strong connection. But Dorian is managing a popular band and isn’t able to focus on a relationship. So he ask Briar if she’ll wait two years for him. But he doesn’t want to have any communication during that period because he doesn’t want it to turn into a long distance relationship. Where he’s on the road missing out of things with Briar. She feels the same way and agrees. A year has gone by and Briar agreed to be her bosses fiancée and spend two months with him and has family. Because his father is ill and he wants to show him that he will be ok and is happy. It’s the perfect set up for Briar. Until they get there and she meets her bosses brother, Dorian. Who she can’t tell the truth because she signed a NDA. I was hooked from the beginning and didn’t want to put it down.

★ღ❤💍Romance in a nutshell💍❤ღ★
ROMANCE: /rə(ʊ)ˈmans,ˈrəʊmans/, 1. a feeling of excitement and mystery associated with love. 2. a quality or feeling of mystery, excitement, and remoteness from everyday life.
Deep and introspective, FAKE-ISH from Author Winter Renshaw is everything that defines the meaning and feeling of romance. Told in my most favourite-ist first person dual POV, we got to know Briar and Dorian’s story in both past and present. I absolutely adored this plot layout. I kinda liken it to an onion only sweeter 😅 As I got deeper into the book and the instant soul deep connection between them was revealed, the more my heart beat harder and faster for their situation to be resolved.
And resolved it was in what was to me the most ironic and satisfying of ways. *sigh* 😍
Yeah, I did mention sweet and it is sweet-ish but FAKE-ISH relies on heavier deeper feelings of love. The stuff of legends and the kind you only read about in romances (ha!) and I was so absolutely invested in Briar and Dorian’s story that I actually didn’t get to 60% and realise in horror that I was reading a sweet book! I’m struggling to convey how much I loved everything about it. I wouldn’t call it angsty, but to use the term ‘weight of regret’ is how I’m trying to get across those soul-deep feelings. There is nothing surface level, light-hearted or easy about the chemistry and connection between them. And the feeling of loss, betrayal and grief is palpable on so many levels.
What struck me most the character of Dorian’s father Redmond. More than successful by all accounts, he was a man weighed down by regret. After the loss of Dorian’s mother, he never moved on and unintentionally alienated his children by burying himself in work, even with all the wealth behind him. So when 2 of 3 children are self-centred narcissists, is that a measure of success? Can you force your children under threat to experience love and marriage?? Or will it be FAKE-ISH?
Seriously this book contained ALLLLLLLLLL the feels and that is why it was the perfect romance. 5-genuine-not-fake-ish-Stars!!! 💍❤ღ★
#mumsalwaysreading #bookblogger #bookreviewer #marnsreads #marnsj

Dorian and Briar's story is beautifully written and engaging. This second chance romance is filled with secrets, and twists and turns. The story is told from past to present. This helps to understand Dorian and Briar's past. I enjoyed it. Winter Renshaw never disappoints. I received a copy of this book through NetGalley for an honest review.

I really liked Dorian & Briar and enjoyed their unconventional, emotional love story. I look forward to reading more books by Winter Renshaw.

My oh my, this just done me in! A connection a year ago, a fake engagement to your boss, and then the moment it turns out your boss is your connections brother 😳 Yowza! We’ve got some angsty times, and some fun lovin times, and an overall good time!

At a bachelor and bachelorette party, Briar meets Dorian, the manager for the band Phantom Symphony. As they follow the group, they end up abandoned by the party bus, twice, which gives them a chance to connect. The attraction between them grows and they don’t want the night to end. He asks her to wait for him, for two years, until the tour ends. Briar returns to work and is offered a large sum of money by her boss, Burke, to be his fake fiancé. His father is ill and he needs to be engaged or married in order to inherit. The money will pay her mom’s bills and give a feeling of relief to his dying father so she accepts his offer. She and Dorian had never talked about his family and she finds out the hard way that he is Burke’s brother. Trying to fit in with the family, she adds a touch of caring to a difficult situation. Since she signed an NDA, she is unable to explain the situation. Is their chance for a future lost forever? A delightful story as she is forced to keep up the deception against her desire to tell all. I received an advance review copy at no cost and without obligation for an honest review. (paytonpuppy)

Briar and Dorian meet at a destination bachelor/bachelorette party in a bar. They hit it off and talk for hours. They are together for three days and before they leave promise to wait two years before they can be together again. They returned to their lives and she finds herself in a fake relationship with her boss for money that she needed. Unfortunately her boss is Dorians brother! They run into each other and have to figure this mess out! What will happen next? I voluntarily reviewed an Advance Reader Copy of this book.

This is a really beautiful book, with an unconditional love that lasts through the problems that the main characters face and despite the misunderstandings between them, the feelings they have for each other do not diminish.
I loved Dorian, he was an absolute gentleman at all times and at times I ached for Briar.
Definitely a fresh second chance romance, and very easy to read. Thank you for giving us stories like this.

A romance that kept me entertained during the holiday. I liked the connection between the main characters, the right person in the wrong time trope, and of course, the HEA on the end. Overall, very enjoyable read. Thank you Netgalley and the publisher, Montlake, for providing an advanced copy of this book.

Thanks to #NetGalley and #montlake for the advanced copy of #Fakeish
Briar and Dorian meet at a joint bachelor/bachelorette party and have instant chemistry/insta love. Dorian asks Briar to wait a year for him as he’s travelling with work and she agrees. Dorian is surprised to see her a year later engaged to his brother Burke. Under a NDA Briar is unable to explain her situation to Dorian even though her feelings haven’t changed.
A fake engagement, brothers ex girlfriend, family fallout story which is entertaining and an enjoyable read.

I really enjoyed this read! I read it in one night and could not put it down. Dorian and Briar had such a strong connection. I am so glad they got their happily ever after!

This is a twist on the fake relationship trope. The fake relationship is not between the two main characters.
Dorian and Briar developed strong feelings for each other after spending in a few days together. Right person wrong time. They promised to wait two years and pick up right where they left off.
When Briar’s boss makes her an offer she found impossible to refuse, she finds herself on a beautiful island for 8 weeks with a fake fiancé. She stands to reap $1M. However, the brother of her fake fiancée in none other than Dorian.
The story has past and present scenes. We get the meeting and the beginning of the relationship between Dorian and Briar told along side the present and the drama unfolding on the island. We also get a great epilogue that gives and update on the characters.
Fun story with emotion, drama , angst and heartbreak.

I voluntarily read and reviewed an ARC of this book. This is a right person wrong time romance with a HEA ending.
Dorian and Briar meet at a bachelor/bachelorette weekend party. They hit it off from the beginning and spend the whole weekend together. When the party is over they decide to have no contact for two years but wait for each other. It will be a long wait but so worth it in the end.
When Briar agreed to act as her bosses fiancée for the summer, she never thought to ask the name of his siblings. If she would have known she definitely wouldn't have agreed to do it. Now she's bound by an NDA that will cost her her future happiness.
I really enjoyed this book. Was different from anything I have read in a while. Was fast paced and read in one setting. Couldn't put it down.

Wow - Dorian & Briar’s Angsty Slow Burn Comes Thru In The End! Their Story Is Complex. It Is Initially Hard To See What Direction Things Will Go, Thanks To An NDA Silencing Briar. She Is Painted As A Liar, & There Is Nothing Dorian Hates More Than Liars.
Briar, about twenty-nine, loves life in Manhattan. After finishing college in the Midwest, she left her hometown in Prairie Grove, Nebraska behind and never looked back. She loves adventure and dreams of traveling one day. She never wants to get married; it just doesn't appeal to her. She hasn't had much luck in the love department, as evidenced by her most recent breakup. Bad things tend to come in threes - and she lost her job, her boyfriend, and her best friend all in one miserable week.
Her cousin Vivi's joint bachelor/bachelorette party in the Dominican might be a little overkill, but as a member of the wedding party, Briar has no choice but to attend. Bar hopping and drinking to oblivion isn't her cup of tea. Fortunately, Briar's favorite thing ever is a day at the beach, so she plans on making the most of those three days.
Dorian, thirty, loves his job. He is the manager of Phantom Symphony, a band that skyrocketed to fame about a year ago. Life on the road with the band is demanding, but he wouldn't give it up for anything. That makes it impossible to hold down a relationship, as evidenced by the breakup with his girlfriend a few years ago. They had been together a few years before she gave up on him; it didn't take her long to move on, though. Dorian hates living in the past, so he is fine with how it turned out. He can easily throw himself into his career since he has no intention of ever getting married.
Dorian detests wasting time, liars, and weddings. Not surprisingly, he isn't thrilled about leaving the band behind to fend for themselves when he needs to make an appearance at his college roommate's bachelor/bachelorette event in the DR. It is the least he can do since he has no intention of attending the wedding. Benson's fiancée Vivi isn't Dorian's biggest fan since all her attempts to match him with her friends never worked out - and some of those women are even in attendance.
As the party bus makes its first stop of the night, a sexy stranger takes a seat at the bar next to Briar. Dorian immediately attracts her interest, but she has no expectations. She is nursing a broken heart, and he doesn't seem available. While everyone else is dancing the night away, she and Dorian sit on the sidelines talking about everything under the sun. Their connection is unlike anything she has felt before, but they both know it isn't going anywhere. At the end of three days in paradise together, they stick to their convictions and agree to walk away, returning to their separate lives.
One year passes ...
Burke Rothwell runs his international investment firm with an iron fist. He is intimidating and moody, and he just asks Briar to be his fake fiancée. She was hired to work in his marketing department a couple of months ago, never imagining what it would lead to. The idea of spending eight weeks with Burke has zero appeal, but the payday is something she cannot refuse. In exchange for helping him to convince his father that he is happy, she will walk away with a cool million dollars. The eight weeks on the family's sixty-five-acre private island off the coast of North Dune, Massachusetts doesn't sound too bad, either. She looks forward to spending lots of time at the beach.
Briar never suspects that her past and present are about to collide, but that seemingly innocent non-disclosure agreement she signed for Burke soon makes her out to be a liar. There are secrets and misunderstandings along the way, but the couple eventually finds their happy ending.
Wow! Dorian and Briar's story is complex. Both are independent-minded and enjoy their alone time. They've each suffered some heartache, although Briar's is more recent. Neither wants to get married, yet they are both open to love. The story revolves around the Rothwell family, which is full of drama and things left unsaid. The quarrels and positioning make it impossible for an outsider to interpret what is really happening, and none come out looking good in the end. It lends an angsty vibe to this romance. While there is a happy ending, note that it is slightly unconventional. I would love to see a bonus epilogue even further in the future to see how things turn out for this couple.
Dorian and Briar's slow burn comes through in the end. It is initially hard to see what direction things will go, thanks to the NDA effectively silencing Briar. She is painted as a liar, and there is nothing Dorian hates more than liars. The dynamics in the Rothwell family feel realistic. I had thought Nicola's flair for drama meant she might be happier than she let on, though. It was sad to see how it all devolved. The story is well-written. It is complex and layered. The characters are three-dimensional. The story is written in first person. The POV alternates between Dorian and Briar. I rate this book 4.5 stars.
I received an advance copy of this book and am voluntarily leaving a review.

This book just cements the fact for me that Winter Renshaw writes refreshing contemporary romances. Her premises always start with a basic trope but morph and evolve into something more complex as you continue to read about the characters. And just when I think I've got it all figured out, I'm thrown a curveball.
I really enjoyed the alternating chapters between the past and the present. Without it, I don't think you'd truly understand the connection Dorian and Briar shared. Plus, you almost get 2 stories in one, each suspenseful in their own way despite somewhat knowing the past is going to catchup with the present.
I enjoyed the drama of a family layered with secrets all spending the summer on a private island. It adds to the tension of the plot as well as the romance.
Everything is just executed well from start to finish. You could easily devour this in one sitting because it digs its hooks into you as finish chapter after chapter.

I voluntarily reviewed a copy of "FAKE-ISH" What an interesting, intriguing, intense drama, family sibling issues, deceit, secrets, miscommunication, angst, steam, twists that keeps you turning the pages.
Briar & Dorian meet at bachelorette/bachelor party for her cousin neither seem to be enjoying themselves everyone is drunk, their attraction to one another was immediate after spending a hot night together they promise they wait for each other he has obligations he has to fill being a manager of a band.
Briar gets a great job with great money if she'll agree to be her new Boss Burke Rothwell's fake finance for him to get his part if the I heritance he feels he deserves she has to sign an NDA to keep quiet.
Dorian finds out she's suppose to be Burke's finance & he's enraged be wise they proimised to wait, he calls her liar but she can't tell him anything because of NDA.
I definitely recomnend to get this intense story with so much happening with the Rothwell family can Briar survive it all what is truth about everything that's going on, will Briar & Dorian get their HEA, it's a must read you don't want miss getting.

What a messy situation Briar finds herself in, 2 years ago she met and fell hard for Dorian but timing was off so they agreed to wait 2years to be together. When her boss, Burke, asks her to pretend to be his fiancé for 8 weeks at his family’s island for a million dollars to make his ill father happy she jumps at the chance. Things aren’t what they seem with Burke’s motives and when his brother shows up and it’s Dorian things get very complicated. Briar signed an NDA so there’s no way to let Dorian know she always waited. There are several twists and surprises throughout this. You will change your initial opinions of the siblings maybe even more than once.

You will instantly fall in love with Dorian and Briar!
You have to laugh at the situation that Dorian and Briar find themselves in while on vacation for their friends’ combined bachelor/bachelorette party. Neither seeming to enjoy themselves so they find their own enjoyment in each other and ending with a promise to wait two years to reconnect. Fast forward and Briar finds herself as her boss, Burke’s fake fiancée so as to give Burke’s father the idea that he will settle down while vacationing for a month on their family’s private island. Except who should be the recluse brother but Dorian who is livid to see the woman of his dreams with his brother. As Briar navigates her time with Dorian, the NDA she signed may ruin any chance with finding her happily ever after. How will it all end, you have to read to find out and will love the ending!