Fake It 'til You Make It is the first book I have read by Laura Carter and I really enjoyed it. Abbey Mitchell is ready for Andrew, her boyfriend of four years, to propose at their quiet, romantic dinner. Instead of a proposal, he tells her that he has been cheating on her and that he wants to break up. She is devastated, and when she quits her job as an auditor before being fired for massive mistakes the next day, she is floundering. Her sister and best friend, convince her to fake it 'til she makes it, so she empties her wedding fund account, rents an apartment for 6 months in an extremely expensive building she has always wanted to live in, and buys a new, classy wardrobe to present the new Abbey to the world. She meets a neighbour in a meet cute in the lobby, and she has no desire to spend more time with him. When she can't sleep due to the banging from upstairs, she storms up to complain and finds out it is the same man she met the day she moved in. Ted aka Mike, is hiding out from the disasters in his life. His self-esteem is at rock bottom and he feels the only way anyone would be interested in him would be if he pretended to be someone else, thus he becomes his brother, Mike, the baseball star. As Abbey and Ted spend more time together, they begin to really like each other, but will it work when they both realize they are faking it and trying to be someone else?

I really enjoyed this story, despite not being a big fan of lying and miscommunication. That is a testament to how well this story is presented. Both Abbey and Ted are sweet characters, who have been wronged and are feeling vulnerable. Their self-esteem is low and they both believe they have to change if they want to have a successful life. I wanted them to realize that what happened to them was on their partners, not them, and eventually they will. I enjoyed their meet cute and several encounters. Their banter was great and I laughed often. The secondary characters played vital roles in this book from being the supportive family and friends, to the cheating partners who I disliked, just as the author intended. The descriptions in Alberta of the mountains, streams and hiking areas were wonderful and left me yearning to visit there again. Abbey's family are dealing with several issues, specifically the sisters feeling they have let their parents down, and the scene at their parent's vow renewal was a hoot, although devastating for Abbey. The relationship development was bumpy, and although it was fake, it seemed real to me, especially as they finally accepted that their feelings weren't fake. This is a fun rom-com, with some serious issues: pleasing your parents, betrayal, trusting your instincts, self-esteem, following your dreams and personal growth. I do recommend this one.

I enjoyed reading the new book Fake It 'til You Make It by Laura Carter. I received a free copy of this book via NetGalley and the publisher. This is my honest and personal review. Happy Reading!

Newly single and unemployed, Abbey decides to live her best life and fake the life she'd rather have by moving into the fanciest building in New York and buying herself a fancy new wardrobe. Her upstairs neighbor, Ted, likes to bounce baseballs off the wall all day and night as he works through a cheating fiancé and business partner. A little mistaken identity turns into and fake dating since Abbey needs a date for her parents' vow renewal to show her ex-boyfriend that she's doing just fine. I did truly enjoy Ted, he was so lovable. Abbey was pretty relatable and was just dealing with so much while trying to find herself.

I enjoyed the story for the most part. Solid 3 out of 5 stars. Parts were hard to follow with quite a few characters being introduced. I didn't like the miscommunication that the main characters had, or that they were basically lying to each other for the whole book. The story also dragged a bit in the middle of the book, and the ending felt way too rushed.

Some of the dialogue was hard to read. The book is set in America/Canada, but clearly written by someone English that doesn’t know the conversational slang used in America.

I received this ARC from NetGalley and Boldwood Books to read/review. All opinions are my own.

I thought this book had a lot of potential but it fell a bit flat to me. You had to really suspend your belief in reality and adult communication sometimes. The male and female main characters were well rounded and realistic but both fell into this trend of tech and numbers people being protagonists but it was clear the author didn't know much when she referred to his work as "codes". It was also really clear the author had not spent a lot of time in New York. Overall okay book with cute plot and pace.

Firstly thankyou to the author, and the publishing how for allowing me to read an ARC of this book.

Fake it till you make it - oh my goodness.. a toe curling, laugh out loud, comedic love story, that was just absolutely spot on!
Abbey, is a numbers woman with her life already planned out for her, and she finds herself in muddy territory when her boyfriend dumps her for another woman.
Ted, a self made millionaire, posing as someone else.. offers to help Abbey.. but how long can it last before they realise what’s right under their nose?

The tension in this book was wonderful, and the story was well thought out and made for a nice easy read.

I’m excited to read more from this author.

It’s really a 2.5 but I can’t give it the extra half star here. This book had such potential - I LOVE fake dating and this still felt a little flat for me. I didn’t really connect with Ted or Abbey - I didn’t fully understand any of the choices they made or really feel the connection between them. But if you’re looking for a quick, light, cute read, this is definitely the one.

Maybe a minor issue for many but it was very distracting to me that the characters are all meant to be American or Canadian but the slang, the grammar, and so much of what they say and do is decidedly British/Irish. I found it a bit distracting.

Firstly thank you for the opportunity to read this e-arc,
I am whizzing through this book! As it stands (I will update once finished if it changes) I give this book a 4.5!
I’m really enjoying the authors writing style, and the way in which this story line is being played out, coincidentally 2 characters in very similar situations.
This book gives me many feelings anger at certain characters, happiness when your seeing developments between characters, sadness at what the poor characters are going through.
I highly recommend this book!
Happy reading!

This book started really slow for me. It took me weeks to get into the first 25%

I love the enemies to lovers trope and think that was my favorite part do the whole book. There were definitely the comedic points and the banter was there, but I feel like I needed something more from the characters and storyline. I'd love to check out another book from this author, and see what she can do.

Can a fake date fix everything? This question lingers throughout the story, as Abbey navigates her new fake relationship with her neighbor and realizes that sometimes, the unexpected can lead to the most fulfilling journey. With witty banter, relatable characters, and a swoon-worthy romance, this book will leave readers feeling uplifted and hopeful. The author skillfully weaves in themes of family, friendship, and finding oneself, making this a heartwarming and enjoyable read. So, if you're in the mood for a charming and feel-good romantic comedy, look no further than Can a Fake Date Fix Everything?

I really enjoyed this book. I love fake dating so this is right up my street and both characters were so cute together.
I did wish there was a little bit less deception but it did not over power the whole book which I liked. I am getting married this year so anything about a wedding day seems to make me a little nervous at the moment but thats a me problem and not actually a problem with the book which is why I rated it lower than I maybe would have liked because of stress.

There was nothing about this book I didn’t enjoy. Both characters felt sincere, the slow burn tension was there, the conflict was handled maturely and the banter was so fun. Fake dating is one of my favorite tropes, especially as it starts to blur into something real. SWOON. Ted was sweet and I loved watching him find his confidence. Abbey was trying to figure out who she is and it was such a pleasure to watch her own her personality. I even enjoyed watching each of them deal with their ex, as it showed their growth and their new feelings. No spice, but wouldn’t have changed a thing. Read it in a day. Loved it.

I received an advance review copy for free via Netgalley (THANK YOU) and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

This was a charming read, sweet and simple.

I found myself wishing for a little more spice, but that was just personal preference, and in no way took away from the storyline and character development.

What happens when you fake it until you make it, but the lies become indecipherable from the truth? Abbey finds a fake boyfriend in pro-baseball player Mike…only his name isn’t Mike, and he’s no sportsman. He’s just a tech nerd hiding away in his brother’s penthouse flat.

Well worth a read!

Fake Dating Geschichten gefallen mir eigentlich immer, daher bin ich auch sehr motiviert in diese Geschichte gestartet. Und ich wurde nicht enttäuscht. Der Schreibstil (im Englischen) ist sehr flüssig und ich konnte mich richtig schön in die Geschichte fallen lassen. Abbey fand ich von Beginn an wirklich sympathisch und auch Ted mochte ich direkt wirklich gerne. Die Gefühlswelt der einzelnen Charaktere konnte mich dann besonders zu Beginn der Geschichte auch überzeugen. Die Handlungen und die Wirrungen, die sich aus einigen Situationen und Entscheidungen beider Seiten, dann entwickelt haben, haben mich mit der Zeit dann etwas weniger überzeugen können. Für mich wurde es dann etwas zu konfus und etwas zu konstruiert. Dadurch wirkte die Handlung für mich am Ende dann doch etwas gezwungen und zu sehr gewollt.

Besonders schade fand ich, dass ich die aufkommenden Gefühle und später auch das Prickeln zwischen den Charakteren nicht so wirklich gespürt habe.

Insgesamt eine unterhaltsame Geschichte, die mich gut unterhalten hat. Für mich fehlte aber dann doch etwas das Prickeln beim Lesen, um ein wirklich gelungenes Romance Buch zu sein.

This is a cute romantic comedy set in New York. The FMC Maggie finds out her long-term boyfriend has been cheating on her, and loses her job and her flat all in the same week causing her to reevaluate her life and what she wants.

After making some big changes to her life- she meets her new neighbor, who she believes to be Mike Thomas a famous baseball player. Unbeknownst to her, he is actually his younger brother Ted who has also just had a big shock in his life after finding out his finance has been sleeping with his best friend and business partner and hiding out at his brother's apartment licking his wounds.

Both characters are trying to reinvent themselves during this heartbreak and betrayal, but unfortunately, this causes more mistaken identities and lies. To help each other out they start fake dating as her horrible ex starts dating a new girl living in the same building - all the little lies start snowballing.

This book was an easy read and a great palette cleanser with a HAE.

I absolutely adored the book. There is nothing I would like to change about it. I have alway been a fan of fake it till you make it idea and this book just matches my flow. Funny, sweet and romantic.

Oh gosh, I adored this book. I think Abbie and Ted were amazing characters and to be honest I'm a sucker for a fake dating plot line!

this book does have miscommunication in it but i felt it was done well and didn't really take from the story.

Very enjoyable story and totally recommend!

A banger of a book with fake dating and miscommunication trope which was done surprisingly well. The characters were well rounded and really easy to root for! The book wasn't laugh out loud funny but it did make me smile like a fool so there's that!!

*I was given an arc of this book in exchange for an honest review. All the thoughts and opinions are solely my own.*

Fake It 'Til You Make It by Laura Carter

I received an advance review copy for free thanks to Rachel's Random Resources and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

Blurb

Can a fake date fix everything? On a day Abbey thought would be the best of her life – her boyfriend is surely going to propose tonight, right? – it all falls he tells her he’s met someone else. And then to make things worse, she loses her job.

In an act of reimagination, she splurges her wedding savings on renting an apartment in a building she’s always dreamed of living in and kits out her wardrobe to match.

But when her family invites her ex – a close family friend – plus a date(!!) to her parents’ vow renewal, Abbey realizes her façade won’t be enough. There’s nothing for it but to fake one more thing – a romance. And she knows exactly who to ask... her hot new neighbor...

My Opinion

This was a book I struggled with, not because I didn't like it but because I really wanted to take my time with it. From the beginning I knew that it was a book that I wouldn't want to end. This was a light-hearted, slow burn romance. There is a lot of miscommunication but for once it was done in an enjoyable way.

Laura Carter uses the perspective of both Abbey and Ted to keep the reader in the loop. Ted and Abbey were such lovely characters that I would love to catch up with them again in the future.

Rating 4/5

Thank you Net Galley and publisher for this ARC!

What a great story! I really enjoyed this. I love how well the characters worked together. Love the MCs and the secondary characters. Loved the humor, spice, romance, dramas all of it!! I loved Abby and Ted story!

I loved the cover of this book when I first saw it and that is originally what interested me. Fake Dating is one of my favorite tropes and I really enjoyed it in this book. This book also contains the misconception trope and while I am usually not a fan of this trope some of the assumptions the main characters made about each other were pretty funny. Throughout the book I just kept wishing Abbey would just speak her mind rather than holding her tongue and I was so glad when she finally did. The author did a wonderful job of portraying all the characters the way she wrote Abbey ex as such that I really disliked him. The only thing I did not enjoy about the book was how rushed the ending was I wish the author had at least written an epilogue.