I ate this up — fun, fresh, exciting and deliciously spicy!!!! Lana Ferguson can do no wrong, this was everything!! I instantly fell in love with the characters and the fake dating (double way!) was so fun, so good. The chemistry between these two was undeniable and I was just giggling at all their initial interactions. And I really liked the hospital/workplace romance aspect too. The way they slowly fall into more and more was so perfect, from strangers to almost friends to flirty to totally obsessed with each other!! It was SO GOOD! And Noah, omg this man, he’s so perfect and entranced by Mack, I was in love with reading him and his POV <3

Grumpy sunshine and age gap are two of my all time favourite tropes and this book does them so well!! I loved following their romantic arc and the way they cared, protected and supported each other was beautiful. The development from an alliance for mutual benefit to acting on their palpable tension to the deeper, serious feelings was fantastic. I was so happy with their happy ending.

Beyond the main romance, the plot was interesting, the side characters were delightful (Parker, Mack’s grandmother and Noah’s mother!!!) and the writing was great! I think the pacing was just right, the words flowed and I was flying through the chapters. I did not want to stop existing in Mack & Noah’s world! I’m relatively new to omegaverses and I LOVED THIS! I think Lana has done a great job at explaining everything without info dumping or having a character state it all. It was pretty seamless and this is a fantastic choice to dip your toes into the genre. Super excited to see what she writes next!!

Tropes: fake dating, age gap, workplace romance, doctor x doctor, grumpy x sunshine, fated mates, omegaverse

Thank you to the publisher for this arc <3

"when I'm with you, I don't feel like I'm just going through the motions in life. When I'm with you… I feel like I'm actually living."

⭐️⭐️⭐️.5

Book: The Fake Mate
Author: Lana Ferguson

I enjoyed The Nanny by this author so I requested this one without knowing much about it… I did not expect a werewolf romance and that’s completely on me for not noticing the footprints on the cover! 😂

However, this was a fun read that passed the time. Lana Ferguson writes such hilarious moments in her books that make me laugh so much, and she also has a great way of writing relatable and loveable characters. I just don’t think that werewolf romance is for me.

The writing style was great but the story just wasn’t written for me and that’s okay.

(also the word “slick” was used around 50 times and made me want to scratch my eyes out by the end of it.)

Read if you enjoy:
🩵 Werewolf romance
🩵 Omegaverse
🩵 Rivals to lovers
🩵 Paranormal romance
🩵 Grumpy x Sunshine
🩵 Fake dating
🩵 Workplace
🩵 Fun banter

(Thank you so much to Netgalley and @yourswithlovex for the EARC!)

Another book where I think I liked it? It made me laugh out loud, and the FMC was great. A quick, funny read which is often what I want.

But it was my first foray into omegaverse (which honestly I didn’t realise until after I had it downloaded) so that probably threw me off a bit. Some aspects just didn’t quite hit for me, but I think it’s a genre thing rather than the book itself. But it was an accessible first of its kind for me.

"The Fake Mate" by Lana Ferguson is a sizzling contemporary romance that weaves passion, humor, and unexpected love. When ambitious journalist Ellie devises a fake engagement with the infuriatingly charming playboy, Jake, sparks fly. Ferguson skillfully crafts a magnetic connection between the characters, and the witty banter adds a delightful layer to the narrative. The story navigates the complexities of relationships, trust, and the blurred lines between reality and pretense. With its engaging plot twists and steamy romance, "The Fake Mate" is a page-turner that delivers a satisfying blend of heart and heat, making it a must-read for romance enthusiasts.

First of all, this is perfect for fans of The Love Hypothesis and anybody who’s curious about the Omegaverse. I’d never read anything in the Omegaverse but the explanations in the book were very easy to follow and whilst it was a major part of the plot, It managed to feel organic.
This is set in a world similar to our where shifters (werewolves) are integrated into society, the main setting is a hospital where both our main characters (and side characters) work.
It’s very fast paced and we jump right into the plot straight away with Mackenzie (Mack) and Noah agreeing to fake date in order to fix both their problems. There is an instant attraction and a lot of denial but it manages to move through it with alacrity- not leaving us, as the readers in suspense for too long.
The characters felt very three-dimensional and the side character relationships were very funny and natural at the same time.
Some tropes included in this book (without any major spoilers) are:
Grumpy x Sunshine
Slight age gap
Workplace romance
Possessive MMC
Protective FMC
He falls first
This is quite a spicy book and is an Alpha x Omega relationship (which is explained in the book for those who haven’t read anything Omegaverse before) and I really enjoyed it- I actually finished it in about a day- and I’d highly recommend it to anyone looking for something slightly different. I will definitely be looking into more books by Lana Ferguson in the future.
Thank you NetGalley and Berkley for sending me an ARC!

I had so much fun reading this novel. Steamy, entertaining, and fast-paced, I was completely engrossed in this paranormal romance featuring grumpy vs sunshine, opposites attract, and fake dating. Add a friends-with-benefits arrangement, lots of witty banter, and two relatable and adorable protagonists (I loved Mack and Noah!) whose chemistry and relationship will keep you glued to the pages and you have this fantastic novel by Lara Ferguson.

This is my first novel by Lana Ferguson and she is definitely an author I will keep reading. I am already looking forward to her next books!

Like I LOVE the badly written things that come on Facebook about mates and wolfy shit that you have to subscribe to get a chapter thing, so I was super excited to get this from NetGalley.

This one, spicy yes, hubby deffo enjoyed me reading this one… a little repetitive in places which made it difficult for me to keep reading at times and I had quite a few breaks - I do wonder if the Wolfy stuff hindered my enjoyment of these scenes - I just couldn’t get into the knotting 😂😂😂

I really started getting into the story with the last few chapters - I feel like I needed more of the background stuff to keep my attention. However, I did enjoy it so I’ve given four stars.

This book is absolutely adorable.

Mackenzie is one of my favourite fmcs that I’ve read in a while. She’s hilarious, quick witted and super smart. She’s the sunshiney character but has a bit of an edge through sarcasm which I really appreciated.

Noah is the grumpy, hot alpha doctor who is determined to live life alone.

The chemistry between the two is great. I loved seeing Noah change as the book developed.

I love a fake dating trope and it turns out that throwing an Omegaverse plot and it’s just the cherry on the top.

Such an easy read, the pacing and writing are great. I read this book over two sittings and loved it.

Mackenzie is the girl people want in their lives, she’s happy go lucky and everyone seems to love her. She’s sarcastic, independent and really lovable. Noah the is grumpy boogeyman of their hospital and a raging workaholic.
From the moment they agree to fake mate the sparks fly and the sweet moments start to roll. This book had you rooting for the two of them from the get go.

It also had me searching the internet (on the private tab) to work out what some things are. Not having a clue what knotting was when Mackenzie and her friend were talking I had imagined that it was some warped tentacle like thing that wrapped around someone so they couldn’t leave (🤦‍♀️ don’t judge me too harshly). Anyway, that is certainly not the case and this book (and internet searching introduces you to the world of the omegaverse. As someone who isn’t familiar with it, I wouldn’t say the book delves too deep into the realm and would be enjoyable for people who have never heard of it before (like me) and people who already know what it is (sorry for my ignorance).

Mackenzie is definitely my favourite character so it was really interesting to see most of my highlights came from Noah. Both characters have faults and try to overcome them, although it’s still brushed over slightly. Overall, I really enjoyed this book with the hints of rom-com and the cute moments between the main love interests.

Thank you to Little Brown Book Group UK and NetGalley for an ARC in exchange for an honest review!

This is the first mainstream release I have seen that is situated within the popular fanfiction realm of the omegaverse.

Overall, I would say this is a good standard romance novel, with some great spice, all wrapped up in an omegaverse setting.

I appreciate fanfiction tropes becoming more allowable in a traditional setting and I think this is a solid step in that direction.

If you love a grumpy/sunshine trope like I do, then definitely give this a go.
The characters are loveable and enjoyable, the plot could be heavier, but that's probably not why you would pick up this title, and the cover art is very appealing.

In my opinion, a great release that I had a lot of fun reading.

This was my first Lana Ferguson book and it did not disappoint!
I loved the way she built this world in terms of the 'realities' of a shifter's life, like character's dealing with: stereotypes about alphas, 'heat' cycles, and suppressants that counter scents etc. I thought it was so fascinating and well woven into the story and conflict of the book.
I loved how active Mack was, how she would always try to help solve a situation, but often had an easy-going attitude that compared to Noah's stoicism so well.
The steam was fantastic, and again, really well built into the story, giving us a logical reason (not just a fun one!) as to why the characters might have to abscond off together for sex scenes to occur.
I also felt the development of their relationship felt well earned, we started out with the fake dating, but the development of that really worked for me.
I would definitely recommend this to readers who love steamy books, paranormal romances, and new world building. Thank you so much Netgalley for allowing me to read!

If you are looking for a good supernatural romance novel, you have come to the right place! This book has it all - love, spicy scenes, and a good dose of conflict. You will love it!!!

This was my first foray into the whole shifter, alpha/omega scene and I have to say - I really enjoyed it! Mackenzie and Noah are both really great characters and I think Mack does a good job of pulling Noah out of his shell. Though I would have expected a bit more self-confidence from an alpha shifter but it seems like he really doubted himself a lot and really couldn't understand why Mackenzie would want to be with him.

Both are doctors at the same hospital, Mack is in the ER and Noah is a cardiologist. Mack is sick of being set up by her grandmother on a number of dates to help her find a mate, while Noah is having to lie about being in a relationship to the hospital board in an effort to justify his alpha designation.

The two decide to start fake dating, giving them both what they need without the complications of an actual relationship. That is until they can't keep their hands off each other and Mack decides it would be a good idea to add a sex addendum to their fake dating contract. But with Noah being an alpha and Mack being an omega, it sounds more like the two were actually fated to be together so it really is no surprise when they start having real feelings for each other.

Unfortunately there is a third act break-up when one of Noah's colleagues threatens to out them to the hospital board for lying, but if Noah breaks up with Mack and accepts a job offer in another state, he'll keep quiet. Noah can't stand the thought of Mack losing her job so he breaks up with her just at the point she's realised she does want to open herself up to a relationship. But fortunately it doesn't take long for Mack to put the pieces together and figure out what Noah has done.

I don't like the third act break up's as it really just involves people talking to each other and whatever misunderstanding comes about wouldn't have to happen in the first place. I'd have rated this book 5 stars if it weren't for the third act break up. I think it would have been much more fun to see Mack and Noah planning their takedown of the colleague.

Thanks to NetGalley and Brown Book Group UK for the opportunity to read and review this ARC.

I loved this book.
I enjoyed the grumpy/sunshine story of Noah a not so secret Alpha and Mack a secret omega and their fake relationship that suddenly became very real. The story was well written and the dialogue was punchy and witty.
The best bit for me? That Noah did the typical Alpha nonsense of trying to protect Mack for the villain of the story and Mack is not having it. She ready to take down anyone who comes between her and what she wants. (spoiler , it's Noah.)
Definitely recommend this author, in fact I'm of to buy her first book and find out when her new on comes out.
Thanks Netgalley, ive found another automatic buy author.

This was good fun and I had heard so much about it on social media, Honestly though it fell a bit flat for me and I found it hard to really get into, Some funny parts and good steamy scenes but there was also quite a few parts that just felt like they dragged on a little too much for my liking.

Mackenzie has had enough of bad dates. Unfortunately her grandmother wants to see her settled down. She keeps trying to set up her daughter. Mackenzie sees Noah in the staff room of the hospital , while on the phone to her grandmother. She blurts out his name to her grandmother. She asks him for a photo of the two of them to send to grandmother. Noah keeps himself to himself but is in a spot of bother. The hospital have found out his is a alpha. Now he is left with two options come clean with the hospital board and risk losing his career or find a fake mate to appease the board. When Mackenzie tells him of her plan. Noah says she can have a picture if she agrees to be his fake mate.
Lana Ferguson writes an engaging and steamy shifter romance. Recommended for fans of steamy romance.

⭐️ 3.5

Read this if you enjoy:
🌙 Fake relationship
🌙 Friend with benefits
🌙 No strings attached
🌙 Workplace/ Paranormal romance
🌙 Spice ( and lots of it) 🌶️

Two wolf shifters agree to be fake mates but unexpectedly find something real in this steamy paranormal romantic comedy by Lana Ferguson 💫

I loved the first half of this book, I’ve never really read a paranormal romance before (apart from the twilight books) but the second part of the book felt slow and the plot fizzled a bit. I loved that there was no secret world and there was loads of steamy moments balanced out by swoon worthy ones however I would have liked for there to have been less smut and some more plot progression ( also be the 3rd act breakup felt unnecessary, they just needed to communicate). Would definitely recommend for somebody who enjoys paranormal, medical romances with flirty banter and the grumpy x sunshine trope!

💭 Definitely giving Greys Anatomy vibes 🩺

Oh god I enjoyed this story so much!! A quick, light hearted romance that I struggled to put down.
I’ve read a few Omega-verse fanfics and it always leaves me wanting to read a completed story, so I was so happy to come across this one.
The characters were fantastic, I loved watching the fake dating turn into conflicted feelings, the sexual tension was 🔥 and it was brilliant to see the characters try to justify their feelings and actions in regards to their biology and what they actually feel.
The only down side for me was the third act break up- I dislike it when this is done, but I felt it was resolved quickly so o didn’t have the time for it to actually annoy me.

Read this if you enjoy:
🐺Omega-verse
💗 Fake-dating
🌶️ spicy scenes
😊 😤 grumpy-sunshine
👩‍🔬 women in STEM
👩‍❤️‍👨Great Friendships

***Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for an eArc of this book in exchange for an honest review***

Fun and sexy, this book is a great choice for anyone who wants an escape from the dreariness of real life! It doesn't deliver staggeringly gorgeous prose, but that isn't what I want or expect from a romance like The Fake Mate. I'd certainly recommend this one to friends and family wanting a quick, enjoyable, immersive read - perhaps for a holiday or a self-care weekend :)

I was literally obsessed with this!! I wanted something fun and to escape and make me literally lol and this is exactly that! I loooved it!