There was a good flow to this book. The descriptions assisted the story and really created vivid imagery which supported the rom com vibes. Meaning it felt very much like beloved early 2000’s romantic comedies. I really enjoyed the scenes between the two leads. It felt like the vibe of stories I’ve read before, but in a newer and fresher way. I would say this was partly due to the pace of the overall book. Another aspect I really loved, was Abbey’s friendships. The discussions and talks between a multitude of characters were quite charming. There was a good mix of tropes such as mistaken identity, fake dating, and a variety of situations we know and love. Again, classic rom com moments done in a fresh way. I would definitely read more from this author.

I finished this book, but it was a difficult journey to the end. I didn't love either main character, as both seemed very immature. I held on to see where the story went, but I wasn't blown away.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for an advance copy.

Fake It 'Til You Make It was a great read. I have read some from coms lately that dragged but this was a nice breath of fresh air. I enjoy fake dating stories and this did not disappoint even with a ton of miscommunication.

I liked Ted and Abbey. They had tragedies that brought them together. This book is a closed door with no spicy scenes but it didn't need it. I loved Abbey's friend and sister. Ted and Abbey grew as characters and they had each other to thank for it.

Thank you to NetGalley and Boldwood Books for the e-ARC of this book. This review is my own opinion.

My Thoughts: This is one of my favourite rom-coms I’ve read recently, it had a lot going for it, fake dating, he falls first.. the problem is he’s pretending to be his brother & he’s a famous baseball player, where as poor Ted is a self confessed computer geek.

I’ll be honest, it’s not often a clean closed door romance captivates me and holds my attention throughout but this one really did & it had me feeling allll the feels, because Abbey and Ted were just so bloody cute. Their interactions had me smiling to myself and swooning but their inner monologues had me laughing at my kindle.

They weren’t perfect characters, they were both just the right amount of flawed & the right amount of jealous throughout, the 3rd act breakup killed me ad it always does, it’s my least favourite part of a romance book 😩 but we get our happy ever after in the end.

I will say that the ending did feel a little rushed, but it didn’t take away from the enjoyment of the book for me and I will definitely be looking out for more from Laura in the future

This one made me feel all the feels. Laugh, cry...and get so angry that it took so long for truths to come to light...It was fun, and cute in turns.

Fake It 'til You Make It took me a bit longer to get into, but I ended up liking Abbey and Ted's story by the end. I do wish the characters were a little more fleshed out, but nonetheless, this is a great book to spend an afternoon with if you want an easy, breezy read! ⭐️⭐️⭐️

Even though I don't like miscommunication, I thought this story was incredibly loving. Ted and Abbey are endearing characters who have experienced injustice and are feeling exposed. Their poor self-esteem  from their shared belief that in order to succeed in life, they must change. I wanted them to understand that, in the end, it was their spouses' fault and not their own, and someday they will. I relished their multiple encounters and meet cute. They had hilarious banter, which made me laugh a lot. As the author had planned, the supporting cast of friends and family as well as the unfaithful partners I detested were all important parts played by the secondary characters in this novel.

Thank you Netgalley for this ARC

I think that the romance progressed a little too quickly for my liking, but overall it was fine.

When Abbey’s long term boyfriend breaks up with her as she’s expecting a proposal, her life goes awry. And when her ex gets invited to her parent’s vow renewal, she knows that she can’t show up alone. This is where her new neighbor comes in. After several fake dates, could it turn into more between them?

I think this is definitely worth checking out and giving a read!

Unfortunately, this book did nothing for me. The plot was too drawn out and I honestly didn't feel the chemistry between the two of them. It all felt underdeveloped and the pacing was very off. I didn't feel like there was any real romance happening and the buildup to them admitting their lies and identities to each other was way too drawn out. It also was extremely unbelievable that, in today's world of the internet, that she wouldn't have been able to tell the difference of him and his brother based on picture. Surely, the captions would have revealed who he really was.

I really wanted to like this one as the description sounded right up my street, but it just wasn't for me. It was just too hard to believe/get into the story line.

3.75 stars….

“Fake it till you make it” is a nicely written romantic story, very easy and pleasant to read.
Ted and Abbie meet when they are going through a really difficult time in their life, and they briefly engage in a fake relationship. They both, for various reasons, give each other the impression that they are very different from who they really are. We get to explore in-depth how the main characters feel, think, and ultimately change their hearts in this slow-burning novel that is centred on miscommunication. Although their romance was not the main focus of the book—that came towards the end—I still really liked it and could have given it a four stars. The romance between them was not the main emphasis of the book; that came at the very end. The main focus was on how they overcame hurt and dishonesty as they got to know and support one another.
The end felt a bit rushed. Saying "I love you" made no sense because they were both very clear about their feelings for one another, and it was completely at odds with all that had been spoken and developed up to that moment.We never got to witness their actual relationship. For this novel, a lengthy epilogue is essential.

Thank you to NetGalley and Boldwood Books for a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review…

Mistaken identity, dual POV, fake dating, life crisis that gets solved by themselves-YES PLEASE!

I loved this! Couldn't put it down, read it in record time. Why is there no epilogue to say what happened in the future because I need to know! The way that both characters found their voice and became true to themselves was so great. Abbey's father had the best role and I love him. Abbey and Ted are so good together and they brought out the best in each other.

And yes, I am going down the rabbit hole and reading anything else by this author!

I've read a couple of Laura Carter's previous books before and I enjoyed them. I enjoyed this one too but a little less than the others. The pacing felt all over the place, and Abbey being Canadian/Albertan was not believable at all. I'm from Alberta, and I thought the whole thing was ridiculous. There was a scene where Abbey was double-checking if she had bear spray under her bed before going to sleep because "you can take the girl out of Canada, but you can't take the Canadian out of the girl" or whatever. First of all, no one keeps a bear spray under their bed. Unless you're living or camping out in the woods, the chances of being attacked by a bear are little to none. And second of all, YOU LIVE IN NEW YORK CITY! In an apartment! The chances of you getting attacked by a bear are zero. It's so ridiculous. Is it satire? I can't really tell, to be honest. As for Banff and Calgary, the distance between Bandd and Calgary is an hour and a half drive. In the book, they made it seem like it was just a quick 30-minute drive. Especially the part where Ted was going to take a cab to the airport, the airport is literally in another city. That's a very expensive cab ride. And most importantly, there is no cab transportation available from Banff to Calgary Airport. There aren't even any cabs in Banff. So it's a good thing that Abbey's mom offered to drive him there. As for Abbey's "grand gesture," it's your classic romcom grand gesture where the other one chases them to the airport before they leave forever. Except this one is also ridiculous because of the distance between Banff and Calgary Airport. You're telling me it took Ted an hour and a half to get through security??? I work at an airport, and the longest you'd have to queue at security at the airport where I work is less than an hour. And this airport is bigger than Calgary's. Another petty thing I have to complain about is how Abbey calls the bathroom/washroom the "loo." Are you Canadian or British??? Call it a washroom! It doesn't matter if you're British or American or Canadian or whatever else, but if you're writing a character with a different culture or ethnicity than you, write them as that culture/ethnicity. Anyway, Abbey and Ted were basically catfishing each other in real life, and I didn't really enjoy it. It was mostly frustrating. They may be "faking it," but even I can see the feelings they had with each other were real. So, I'm glad it worked out in the end, and they were cute when they were finally together. I wished we saw more of that. But yeah, the Canadian-ness was missing and basically non-existent. As I mentioned before, I read a couple of Laura Carter's books before and I know that she's English. and I just notice that the language used in this book is British. That's not really a problem, except when it came to Abbey's dialogues where she's supposed to be super Canadian, which made me wonder if she really is Canadian.

Thank you NetGalley for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

<b><i><u>please note that the trigger warnings and topes/themes may contain spoilers</b></i></u>
<i><u>I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own. </i></u>
<b>HEA:</b> yes
<b>POV:</b> dual 1st person POV
<b>spice:</b> a few kisses, clean romance
<b>TWs:</b> cheating, friendship betrayal, public humiliation, slight OW/OM drama
<b>standalone:</b> yes
<b>final thoughts</b>: this was a fun read of mistaken identities, fake dating, hidden secrets, and miscommunication. I was rooting for the MCs to just <b>talk to each other</b> and divulge all their secrets. The parental vow renewal was cute and made for a great setting for high drama. The ex’s in this story had my blood boiling and I don’t know if I was more disappointed in the ex’s or the families who didn’t respect boundaries.

read this book if you love

😬 angst
🤫 hidden secrets
💌 clean romance (not even fade to black)
💏 fake dating
🏝️ forced proximity (neighbors)
🧑‍🤝‍🧑 great side characters
🎭 mistaken identity
🤐 miscommunication
🥰 nicknames
💞 neighbors-to-lovers
💓 slowburn

Thank you to NetGalley for the ARC of Fake It 'til You Make It By: Laura Carter

Fake Dating is my favorite troupe this however is totally different spin on fake dating. I loved Ted and Abby, Love the back and fourth with he siblings, it is a slow burn sometimes it is a little too much of a slow burn, no spice / closed door romance.

Fake It 'til You Make It by Laura Carter is a fun and lighthearted romantic comedy perfect for fans of the fake-dating trope. The story follows Abbey, who gets dumped by her cheating boyfriend and loses her job all in one day. Determined to pick up the pieces, she makes some impulsive decisions, including moving to a fancy new apartment and revamping her wardrobe. When her ex shows up to a family event with a new girlfriend, Abbey hatches a plan to fake a relationship with her hot neighbor. The book is full of laugh-out-loud moments as Abbey and her fake boyfriend navigate awkward situations and unexpected feelings. With a dash of girl power and a happily-ever-after ending, Fake It 'til You Make It is a charming escape that will leave you with a smile.

3.75⭐️

Fake dating… what more can I ask for! I really enjoyed this book for its fun, fast paced energy and all the chaos that came along. Abbey has recently moved into a new building after an awful blindsided breakup and she runs into Ted, who she ends up fake dating as her ex is a family friend who will be at her parents vow renewal. There is a whole mistaken identity aspect to this story which did frustrate me with its miscommunication but also it was part of the fun.

I really loved coming along for the ride with these two as they slowly but surely realise that they would rather make real what is fake. The story had a lovely theme of self-discovery and acceptance that Abbbey went through and it was a really hopeful read for the most part. The ex was awful and I was so glad when he got what he deserved but more so I was so happy when both abbey and ted got their HEA.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publishers for this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Thank you, Netgalley & Boldwood Books, for the ARC.

Rating 3 out of 5 stars

"Fake It 'til You Make It" by Laura Carter offers a light and breezy rom-com experience, perfect for those seeking a dose of humor and romance. With a premise centered around fake relationships and unexpected connections, the novel delivers plenty of witty banter and charming moments between its protagonists, Hannah and Ben. Their journey from reluctant partners to potential lovers is filled with laughs and surprises, keeping readers engaged.

While the story may follow some familiar tropes and lacks deeper emotional exploration, its delightful characters and entertaining plot make it an enjoyable read. "Fake It 'til You Make It" is a feel-good romp that will leave readers smiling and satisfied, proving that sometimes, a little pretending can lead to real love.

Thank you Netgalley, author & Boldwood Books for the ARC.
What Laura thought was going to be the most romantic day of her life ends up being opposite nightmare. Suddenly she finds herself out of job and bad break up with her long time boyfriend Andrew. Her sister and BF though support & encourage to give her life a new start, a new makeover and new place to rent in NYC is exactly what she needs to reinvent herself. But with the impending wedding renewal vows ceremony invite from her parents , she knows she'll be exposed to the prying eyes of all friends & extended family including her Ex and she feels the need to save face , so all she's got to do is make arrangements for a fake boyfriend to get by. Her upstairs neighbor Mike , the hotshot sportsman is perfect for this arrangement, fake romance is what she needs !
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Well this was a easy breezy read, I managed to finish it in a couple of hours , the writing was simple to read through. Fake dating / Romance trope was well done, the individual characters were well developed and given enough back story for the reader's to believe why they took certain choices in their actions. But do not get into this expecting depth or load of meaningful , soul reflecting love story, it in fact feels very instant with the way the characters realized their, love, their personal issues and solutions for them which they never pondered much on before . It's more like fluff that you want to read and forget later.

While the story was very predictable, I found it to be a good choice to spend a late afternoon to be entertained with a quick read.
It's a 3.25 / 5 🌟 read.

Not sure if it was just from reading other reviews but I really just was not a fan of the guys mindsets in this book. I feel the overall plot was holey and felt just very rushed all over for me. Thank you for the Arc!