This the everything that makes Pippa grant a must-read author for me. Scorching hot chemistry, a funny but bit over the top premise, and some rather ridiculous family members. Pippa reminds us that when love wins, the world is a better place..

I received this book through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. ARC provided by Montlake.

Faking an engagement to my secret high school crush was not on my to-do list when I landed for a short visit home. But when Amanda Anderson announces that she is my fiancée, I take a leap and play along with the farce.

Why? Because the Capulets and Montagues have nothing on the Andersons and Silvers of Tinsel, Michigan. In the name of bringing peace to our Christmas-themed hometown and ourselves, we will play the part of Romeo and Juliet.

If our relatives think we are in love, they will have to end this ridiculous feud. Right? Amanda’s a professional dog walker, and I am an engineer who loves dogs―how hard could it be to show our families what else we all have in common?

The heat and this town’s infernal holiday cheer are messing with my head, though. And once we start making our fake wedding plans, I can not seem to keep my heart out of it.

This was the perfect cheesy Hallmark book and was literally a hallmark movie in book form. It was a Christmas themed book but took place in the summer? But Tinsel is a town where it is always Christmas, which made this feel like a Christmas in July type of book. The romance was cute but wrapped up way too quickly for my liking. I wanted to get to know more about Dane and Amanda. The book did seem to just center more around the feud than the couple. And this book and everything in it does take place during one week which does makes things feel rushed. I wished we got to know more of why Dane and Amanda's families have been in a feud for decades. It was one of those feel good books, which was the perfect palette cleanser in between heavy books. I would recommend reading this one if you are a Hallmark movie fan and anyone who likes small towns, feuding families, and fake engagements.

La scrittura é scorrevole e divertente. La storia é molto interessante e procede scoprendo man mano i pezzi mancanti sulla verità delle due famiglie nemiche. Ho amato i protagonisti, le loro storie, i loro comportamenti, e i loro conflitti con le famiglie.

⭐ 4.5

I have to say I loved this book, it was like watching the movies on Hallmark's Christmas in July special and I live for it. Think Romeo and Juliet, but where the two agree to pretend to date just so their families stop being "enemies" and we have a great story which for me this one was, Dane and Amanda were completely adorable, I loved them from the first moment they both have such charming personalities you just fall in love with them, they both just wanted their family to leave them alone and stop fighting with each other. I laughed a lot, I sighed for these two, the whole mystery of why they fight so much between the families and how little by little they all came together, the small town who live in a perpetual Christmas, is that, I just liked a lot, plus the romance was the most memorable because little by little they see that nothing between them is false and that ending was the best, definitely a good story for this season.

📌I received an e-arc through netgalley, and this is my honest opinion/review of it.

“The Fake Wedding Project” is an absolute delight! This charming story has a fun Romeo and Juliet vibe, complete with a quirky town named Tinsel. The best part? One feuding family runs a gingerbread bakery year-round, while the other makes fruitcake. The feud has lasted for generations, and no one even remembers why!

When Amanda and Dane both return to town for their grandparents' anniversary parties, they come up with a bold plan: fake an engagement to try and end the silly feud once and for all. Amanda has been best friends with Dane's sister, Lorelei, since childhood, but they've always had to keep it secret because of their families' rivalry. Now, they’ve had enough and are determined to stop it.

Amanda is fierce, standing up to Dane’s family, but struggles with the idea of telling her grandmother she doesn't want to inherit the family bakery. She's pursuing her real dream: revamping a New York theatre and producing her own play. Dane has been avoiding his hometown and his family’s negative talk about Amanda's side, but being back brings up old feelings for the girl he crushed on in high school. Maybe their fake engagement could turn into something real—if he can convince Amanda to take a chance.

If you love the best friend’s older brother trope, fake engagements, weddings planned in a week, and a cozy cabin with only one bed, then this book is perfect for you. And the bonus epilogue from Chili the lazy dog’s point of view? It’s hilarious and such a fun way to wrap up the story!

In the mood for some hallmark after dark? Because this gave off all the vibes and definitely put me in the holiday spirit. It is absolutely adorable, and had me laughing out loud the whole way through. A family feud spanning generations wreaks havoc in a small town - Tinsel, Michigan. The youngest generation has had enough and two of them decide the only way to end it is with a fake engagement.
Dane and Amanda are so fun, and I loved their chemistry, ambitions, and all the silliness that came with their situationship. I was living for the family shenanigans and Amanda’s dramatic grandmother. And OMG the bonus epilogue from Chili the dog’s perspective 🤣🤣 I was dying, it’s hilarious. Chili is a whole personality throughout the story, you don’t want to miss out on him.

Read/listen if you like ⇣
🎄Romantic comedy
🤍Hallmark vibes
💍Small (Christmas) town
🩵Family feud
🎄Best friend’s brother
🤍Family secrets
💍Fake engagement
💗High school crush
🎄Mutual pining
🤍Dual POV
💍Spice

Thank you so much NetGalley, Hambright PR, and Pippa Grant for the ARC and ALC!!

A town in Michigan filled with a quirky cast of characters and a bunch of Christmas cheer. 2 feuding families united by a fake engagement. This was a great read!

Pippa, you are my favorite romantic comedy author, every book you write makes me cry with laughter and this one was no exception.

I loved this small town story where it's Christmas all year round, that's my dream come true and the whole time I was imagining a Hallmark movie.

I loved Dane, and the patience with which he was always supporting Amanda, he is the perfect man. And I also loved that Amanda stood up for him when she had to in front of his family.

I love the fake marriage books and that the families have been eternal enemies within the town made it all even better.

This is the perfect holiday romance that starts as feuding families, enemies to lovers, along with a fake love story and turns into truths, forgiveness, and a happily ever after. I enjoyed the fun characters, the smalltown setting, the town name of Tinsel, and the Romeo and Juliet vibe in this novel. I listened to the audiobook and Connor Crais and CJ Bloom are fantastic as the narrators and really brought the story to life.

Tired of their family fued causing havoc in their hometown, Amanda and Dane concoct a plan to stop the fighting: a fake engagement.

And there starts the fun! Fake kisses, fake rings, very real feelings. I adored this book!

What a fun, updated and refreshing take on the fated love story of Romeo and Juliet. Dane and Amanda find themselves back in their hometown and in a fake engagement wrought with hilarious and heartwarming mishaps—all try to end the feud that has been going on between their family for generations. I was pleasantly surprised at the holiday references in this book-from town to the shop names and events. A sweet, adorable romcom with some spice (told in a first person dual POV, with the exception of the bonus epilogue told in Chili’s POV-the best dog ever), this is a lighthearted read perfect for the holidays. I was able to tandem read and listen for the best experience: Connor Clais and CJ Bloom did an excellent job with Dane and Amanda’s characters, their emotional prosody was spot on.

“But break the family feud? And by pretending to be madly in love? That. Is. So. Hot.”

For as long as anyone can remember the Silvers and the Andersons have been enemies. Almost everyone in town have stories about breaking up some kind of fight between the two families. What no one knows is how the feud started. Amanda and Dane are both tired of the their families and their feuding so they agreed to fake an engagement. What better way to end to feud than by merging their families?

Dane has always had a crush on Amanda growing up. But not only was she technically the enemy, she’s also her sister’s secret BFF so completely off limits! And now that they’re spending more time together with their fake relationship he’s realizing that the little crush he had is still alive and might be getting more serious.
Amanda is done with the feud and she’s also happy with her life in New York and does not want to move back to Tinsel. She’s never really looked at Dane in any way but her BFFs brother but now that they’re living together, she’s seeing a whole other side to him. And she might just be falling for her fake fiancé.

Small town shenanigans in a Christmas town with two feuding families in a decades long feud of unknown origin. Romeo and Juliet retelling with that Pippa Grant brand of humor equals a fun romcom with swoon and spice!
Such a fun fake dating romance with laugh out loud moments and fun side characters and an adorable lazy dog!

I also got a chance to listen to the audiobook and CJ Bloom and Connor Crais were amazing! They really brought the characters to life! These two are becoming my favorite duo!

A surprise fake engagement leads to a heartwarming, toe-curling, enchanting romance.

The romance between Dane and Amanda wasn’t like getting struck by lightning. Instead, it was more like a warm, cozy blanket that wrapped you up and you just wanted to stay there forever. Their friendship developed first and that quietly spilled over into falling in love. You could see it happening on the pages.

I loved how Dane put himself out there when he agreed to go along with Amanda’s deception. He supported her, no questions asked, and Amanda did the same for Dane. They may have had a fake engagement, but every interaction between them was honest and real.

The feud was something else. The way these families nursed their mutual hostility for a slight that no one remembered. I enjoyed Dane and Amanda’s attempts to get to the bottom of this hatred and how fed up the latest generation was with all this nonsense.

This was an amusing and lovely story, told from both Dane and Amanda’s viewpoints, and I can highly recommend it to anyone who loves a steamy romance that starts off with a pretend relationship.

Thank you to Netgalley for providing me with a copy. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

🎧📚Audio and eBook Review📚🎧

PIPPA GRANT STRIKES AGAIN! I don’t know what I was thinking back in the day when I said I didn’t like her brand of humor becauseshe is glorious!

I loved this story when I read it waaaaaaaay back in the summer (like July) and could not wait for it to release so I could get my hands on the audiobook because … Connor Crais & CJ Bloom!! *heart eyes* and they did not disappoint! But I didn’t have to wait because Hambright PR came to the rescue with an ALC! YAY :)

You can’t not fall in love with a story based in a Christmas town taking place in the middle of the summer! High-jinks and shenanigans abound! Throw in a family feud dating back decades and a fake romance/marriage that is the key to uniting the families and I mean what could possibly go wrong?

Bwaaahahahahahahaha

This story is just as outrageous as you would think, and it is perfection! The romance journey was just so easy that you just can’t help but fall into the story. Any conflict in the storyline was never between our main characters and I appreciated that so much! I mean there wasn’t even a third-act conflict … technically! LOL And the epilogue in Chili’s POV was sooooo much fun!

The Fake Wedding Project is a Christmas themed story set in Tinsel, Michigan and featuring two feuding families think Montagues and Capulets but instead of Verona.They're in small town America. Where Christmas is 24/7 365 days a year.

Only Amanda and Dane are no Romeo and Juliet and have no clue as to why their families are feuding, and to be honest neither do the families. As its been going on that long.

So in a bid to unite them and end the feud. Amanda hatches a plan to fake an engagement to Dane, and Dane; who has had a crush on Amanda since high school agrees in the hope that the happy news will finally bring their families together.

Only Dane and Amanda aren't even dating each other and now the families are not only expecting a wedding but planning one too.

A wedding that the whole of Tinsel is invited too. And as the pair try to work out how to contain their lie and bring their families together. The sparks fly and soon they realise they're meant to be together.

And with just the right amount of Christmas spirit and spice. This is an enjoyable, cosy and light hearted romance. That I'd happily recommend to others.

Not Faking It
Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ (4/5)  
Spice: 🌶️🌶️ (2/5) 
Audio Rating: 🎙️🎙️🎙️🎙️🎙️(5/5)
~
“I’m not supposed to fall for my fake fiancée. This isn’t part of the plan. But she makes it impossible to not like her. To not want her.”
~
Tropes:
Enemies to Lovers
Fake Engagement
Small Town Romance
Slow Burn
~
Vibes:
Adorably sweet with a dash of spice. This fake engagement enemies to lovers romance gives all the cute holiday vibes (it’s Christmas year round in Tinsel, Michigan). And you get a super fun mystery element all while falling hard for our MCs. You’re going to laugh at their antics, tear up at the pain of family drama, and shout for joy at this HEA.

Amanda Anderson was the popular theater chick in high school - but acting as a career lost its luster fast. Instead - she happily lives her life as a free spirit dog walker until family ties drag her back home to begrudgingly inherit the family’s Gingerbread bakery. But spontaneity and a willing accomplish have her dreams back on the right course - as long as they can pull it off. If she happens to fall in love in the process - who could blame her?

Dane Silver quietly lined after Amanda - despite her being a part of the enemy “Ginger-dead” family. Her joy for life and flare for the dramatic always intrigued and amused him. When her reckless words tie them together in a fake engagement - he makes the most of the opportunity. Together they can finally solve the mysterious origin story behind the generations long grudge. Will ending the feud also mean ending his chances with the girl of his dreams?
~
Recommended to...  
All the romcom readers who thrive on demolishing a ridiculous family feud.

Amanda and Dane grew up in the small town of Tinsel, which is a town where Christmas lights are up all year round. Their families have been feuding for decades, but no one knows the true origin of the fighting. Amanda makes up a lie that she is engaged to Dane as a way to out of her family obligation to her grandmother. Dane agrees to help her out because he is tired of the feud with their families too.

As Dane and Amanda plan their fake wedding, they both realize that they get along and have fun together. Some of their family members start to come around too. I liked the mystery of the origin of the feud, and I think that it was handled well.

There were so many fun parts of the story. It really brought the laughs and the romance to create an entertaining romcom.

The small town feel allowed for so many interesting characters that created a real feel for the town of Tinsel. Amanda's family has a Gingerbread bakery and Dane's family makes fruit cakes. I could picture the town so clearly as I was reading.

The Fake Wedding Project is a fun story with all the cozy Hallmark Christmas in July vibes. Set in a Christmas town called Tinsel, you get a star-crossed friends-to-lovers fake dating situation, feuding families, the perfect book boyfriend, and a heartwarming romance.

Amanda and Dane’s families have been feuding for generations, but no one can really explain why. After Amanda tells her family she and Dane are getting married, Dane decides to play along. Their fake engagement turns into a plan to unite their families.

This is such a fun story! Amanda and Dane have amazing chemistry. I loved the development of their relationship and the shenanigans that ensued. What starts as fake becomes a very real, feel-good romance. The Fake Wedding Project is classic Pippa Grant. It is an easy, fast-paced, steamy read with a great mix of romance, swoony moments, memorable characters, and scenes that make you laugh out loud.

Pippa Grant knocked it out of the park again!
This was such a fun book, as usual.
Grant writes characters you are excited to spend time with, even the animals are well fleshed out!
Chili's bonus chapter was the absolute cutest!
Read this if you like fake dating, slow burns, secret crushes, Hatfield–McCoy vibes, giggling, baked goods and Christmas bits.
I was switching between the ebook and the audio and book so delightful I would not recommend one over the other.
Much love to NetGalley & Montlake for my ARC.

The Fake Wedding Project is classic Pippa Grant in the best way! I have always loved picking up her books as much for the humor and interesting characters as for the romance. She weaves them together in a unique way that makes her stories so much fun to read.

This fake engagement/feuding families story is set in the Christmasy town of Tinsel. Amanda is desperate to find a way out of taking over the family business and blurts out she's engaged to Dane. He's the son of the family her family hates, but despite that they start to get along quite well. It was fun and funny watching the two of them navigating their fake relationship becoming real while dealing with their families and careers at the same time.

This was a great read and I hope we get more from the town of Tinsel!