This is a super cute romance between Dane Silver and Amanda Anderson. They both grew up in the small, unique town of Tinsel, Michigan, and are back in town at the same time. She uses him as an excuse to her grandmother to not take over the gingerbread bakery. Why? Because their families have disliked each other for as far as anyone can remember and she knew using Dane would mean instant disinheritance.

Together, the two decide that they have had enough of their families feud and decide to stay fake engaged in hopes of bringing their families together. There is a time limit, though.

This is very low on the spice level and very cute on the dog level-lazy Chili.

I listened to this as well as read along. The audio is definitely a plus. Connor Crais and CJ Bloom are wonderful.

Thank you to Montlake for the advanced readers copy. Thank you to Brilliance Publishing for the advanced listener copy. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

📖 Book Review 📖 Could a fake engagement between Dane and Amanda end the long standing family feud in Tinsel, Michigan where every day brings the Christmas spirit? I have been waiting for my chance to dive into my first Pippa Grant book and I was not disappointed one bit! The Fake Wedding Project delves into the pull between the pressure of family expectations and personal goals in life of happiness and fulfillment that so many of us probably have experienced at one point in time. Grant rolls up all the best features- from Christmas to bakeries and dogs all up in a tidy bow for one adorable and festive holiday read!

The Fake Wedding Project by Pippa Grant is a delightful blend of humor, romance, and holiday cheer that will warm your heart and keep you entertained from start to finish. This story brings together the classic trope of a fake engagement with a festive twist, making it a perfect read for the holiday season.

The author's writing is both humorous and heartfelt. She masterfully balances the comedic elements with moments of genuine emotion, creating a story that is both laugh-out-loud funny and deeply moving. The fake engagement plotline is handled with creativity and charm, leading to plenty of amusing situations and heartfelt revelations.

Overall, The Fake Wedding Project is a must-read for fans of romantic comedies and holiday romances. It's a feel-good story that will leave you smiling and believing in the magic of love and the holiday season. Whether you're a longtime fan of Pippa Grant or new to her work, this book is sure to become a favorite.

It's soooo good!!!

Y'all, I cannot tell you how much I loved Pippa Grant's The Fake Wedding Project narrated by Connor Crais - Romance Author & Narrator and CJ Bloom.

Ok, yes I can. I can totally tell you. It's fabulous. And I loved the frack out of it!

And yeah, it might have something to do with the main players being a dog walker and an engineer (IYKYK). But it's also the perfect amount of Pippa humor, a quirky small town, Romeo & Juliet vibes, stellar narrators, and a fun, swoony, plot!

What I love about it:

The audiobook narrators

The canoe scene

A quirky small town with even quirkier families

So much swoon

Chili (the dog, not the food)

A fun mystery to solve

Absolute hilarity that will turn giggles into snortlaughs and outright guffaws

Ch 21- the turning point

Grand gestures

An amazing romcom with wonderful depth and a strong message of what's truly important

The bonus epilogue!

I absolutely adored this book! Pippa writes such well detailed characters and this book is no different. Amanda and Dane trying to save the town from their feuding families by being fake engaged was such an interesting story. Seeing them over the course of the book realize that they weren’t faking it and had real feelings for each other was so good! I loved all the side characters! The bonus epilogue from Chili’s pov was such a funny ending.

A fake relationship between two members of feuding families? I’m hooked, but I did not know this till I went into the book because I’ll pick up any new Pippa Grant book without knowing a single thing haha

Dane and Amanda create a scheme to make their families get along after a decades long fued and decide to do that by getting engaged, which then leads to a town -sized wedding as the whole town wants to celebrate the feud being over. Dane has had a crush on Amanda since high school and is struggling to keep his emotions in check, but also pushing them down, making Amanda question what is real and what is fake, as she develops feelings.

I loved the family members, I loved the relationships between the characters, the way Dane and Amanda understood each other without having to speak and honestly handled the fake engagement in honestly the best way I’ve read in a while. I couldn’t stop reading and was obsessed to see how it’ll all work out!

📚 #BOOKREVIEW 📚
The Fake Wedding Project by Pippa Grant
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ / Pages: 287 / Genre: Christmas Romance
Release Date: October 8, 2024

Although this story doesn’t happen during Christmas, it happens in Tinsel, Michigan, where the whole town has holiday cheer all year long. It’s an idyllic setting where the only problem is the long-running feud between the Silvers and the Andersons. No one can even remember what the feud is about, but the hate continues generation after generation… until now. Amanda Anderson couldn’t care less about the feud. Her best friend is a Silver and she’s had a crush on her brother Dane since forever. So she and Dane tell everyone they’re engaged to try to put an end to the feud for good.

This spicy holiday romance has all the vibes—fake dating, friends to lovers, small town romance. This cute romcom was the perfect start to my holiday reads.

Thank you, @Pippa.Grant, @Hambright_PR, and @NetGalley for my free copies.

This had absolutely everything you could want from a fake engagement romance! It moves very quickly so I couldn't believe that I was already at 20% when I checked. Perfect pace!

Based on the number of scenes I would say it's mild spicy. But based on the ATMOSPHERE (fanning myself now) it was delivering on that adult romance. We're talking dips in the lake, accidental shower run ins and sheltering in a small cabin during a thunderstorm.

Amanda and Dave are from opposite side of a small-town family feud. The animosity is intense but you can't help giggling because the family empires are built on gingerbread and fruitcake in a christmas-year-long town called Tinsel. When Amanda's family tells her to come home and take over the family legacy, she lies and says that she can't because she's engaged to Dave. When that isn't enough to get her disowned, she and Dave agree to keep up the lie and use it as leverage to force their families to get along. If they end the fighting, maybe they can convince their families to let them leave Tinsel for good.

The scheme is silly but it dives into generational expectations in a way that is cathartic and sincere. I really like the way it all worked out. There were actual consequences and fights to work through. Dave's personality reminds me of Kai Rhodes from "Caught Up" and Bo from "Out on a Limb". Very dependable and also down-bad for his girl.

I love Pippa’s ability to build quirky plots with characters that might live next door to you.
This wasn’t my favorite but it was cute.

The first line of the description of this book is SPOT ON: "Romeo and Juliet meets Hallmark Christmas movie."

This was so cute. I loved the characters and the town. It was fabulous that the tow adapted into a Christmas town all year long. The family feud between them, over two delicious Christmas treats was a great idea! The Andersons and Silvers sure know how to hold a grudge!

Thank you for the copy, this is my honest opinion.

The Fake Wedding Project is the perfect amuse-bouche to get you ready for the holiday season.

The story centers around the impromptu fake engagement between the adult progeny of Christmas-themed town Tinsel, Michigan’s two feuding families: the fruitcake-baking Silvers and the gingerbread-making Andersons.

And it is delicious.

At a glance:
- Dual POV + a bonus epilogue from a third character
- Fake engagement + fake wedding planning
- Dueling families
- Best friend’s brother
- Teenage crush
- Opposites attract
- Small town (EVERYONE is invested in the outcome of this engagement)
- Holidays, holidays, holidays (It’s Christmas year-round in Tinsel.)
- A cute—but lazy—canine sidekick
- Chemistry 🔥

The dual audiobook narration by Connor Crais and C.J. Bloom is perfect for these characters. Crais’s voice for Dane is deep and yummy, and Bloom captures Amanda’s energy so well.

Eye-read or ear-read this one; you’re in for a treat either way.

I received advance copies of the ebook and audiobook from the author and Hambright PR. All review opinions are my own.

This was a cute, fun, fast-paced read. It’s holidayesque in that it takes place in a Hallmark Christmas movie town that’s all about Christmas all year round. It doesn’t actually take place at Christmas though.

Watching Dane and Amanda navigate trying to end the family feud between their two families (not the fun Steve Harvey kind, but the Hatfield & McCoy kind) was funny and emotional.

Pippa does a great job of dealing with family trauma and the effect it can have. The characters are lovable, layered, and well-developed. She makes me want to go visit Tinsel and take part in all the holiday shenanigans.

The Fake Wedding Project by Pippa Grant


I am a huge Christmas lover, so when you add small town romance and best friend's older brother, it is a match made in hallmark-style romance heaven.

You get all of the quirkiness that you expect from a Pippa Grant book and wonderful development of the characters.

Pick this one up if you enjoy:
🌲 Small town
💍 Fake engagement
🌲 Feuding families - Romeo & Juliet vibes
💍 Christmas in July
🌲 Hallmark movie moments
💍 High school crush
🌲 Best friend's older brother
💍 Lazy dog named Chili

Thank you to Hambright PR, NetGalley, and Pippa Grant for the advance copy of the Audiobook and eBook.

<b>The Fake Wedding Project by Pippa Grant combines some of my favorite tropes with the author's witty and entertaining writing! It was full of hilarious accidents and laugh out loud moments. The dreamy small town with the quirky people made me fall in love. It was swoony. It was heartwarming. It was slow burn but deliciously spicy.Amanda and Dane got themselves into a mess by impulsively getting fake engaged to end their long family feud in their home town where its forever Christmas.This whole adventure brings them impossibly closer and they realised even when this charade ends, their love will just begin!</b>

The Andersons and the Silvers both have some really colorful family members who goes to extremes to keep up the family drama. Dane had a crush on Amanda in high school and it's hard for him to keep his attraction away, while Amanda never thought she will fall for Dane.

<b>Tinsel can only exist in a book. Where Christmas stays whole year. The author described it so beautifully that I cannot help but wish this cute and adorable place was real. Amanda and Dane both live away . Amanda doesn't want to inherit their family gingerbread store and Dane doesn't want the family feud to keep on souring his every interaction to his family. That's where the fake engagement came in. But it snowballs to the wedding of the century for the town. Amanda is beautiful and creative and compassionate and she hates lying to family. But this is for greater good. And she couldn't want a better partner than Dane. The shy nerd boy from school is quiet a charming guy now. I loved how calm and steadfast he was in every situation. While Amanda was panicking, he was picking up the pieces and assuring her and supporting her through the plan. She also showed her fire and sass by standing up for him in front of his family who couldn't appreciate his accomplishment without bringing up the rivalry. Their friendship was easy and fast and beautiful. They managed to end something that was weighing down on their lovely hometown for a long time. And in the way...They found love. It was a bit confusing because they had to figure out that their feelings are real and not part of the fake marriage. I loved the whole vibe of the story. The feel good romance did something awesome for my soul. If reading is an escape, Tinsel is a perfect place to do so!</b>

I reviewed an early copy voluntarily

3.7 Stars
One Liner: A bit of family toxicity, loads of drama, and some love

The Silvers and Andersons of Tinsel, a small town in Michigan, have an intense family feud going on for decades. No one really knows the reason for the continuing feud. However, the younger generation is tired of it.
When Amanda panic-blurts about being engaged to Dane Silver, the duo decides to continue the charade. Why not use a fake engagement to end the feud forever?
It sounds great until things start to feel a bit too real for comfort and they have to make some major decisions.
The story comes in the first-person POV of Dane Silver and Amanda Anderson in alternate chapters.

My Thoughts:
The premise makes it clear that there will be some toxic family drama for the main characters to deal with. Some of them are quite decent and actually make an effort while others are idiots. Of course, the intention is to show the toxicity of the situation, so we have to have annoying but necessary scenes.
While the dual POV helps know what the main characters think, having both in the first person makes it confusing at times. The voices are not always distinct. Also, I’m not sure of this new trend of addressing the readers at random or breaking the fourth wall. I’m tired of it already.
Though the whole story takes place in a week, it is not really insta love, for one character. We know in the first chapter itself that the MMC had a crush on the FMC. Until around 60%, it is a question of what he’ll do about it and the growing awareness between the two.
The small-town setting plays an integral part of the plot. Turns out this town sees high temperatures in summer and is a Christmas tourist destination with the festival being celebrated around the year.
The side characters don’t get much depth. A couple of them are sweet. Everyone does what is expected of them, so the plot keeps moving.
There’s a mystery too, about the feud and its origins. The varied reasons stated for it are hilarious and crazy, though the actual one might be a little serious. Is there anyone who even knows what it is? Why aren’t they revealing it?
There’s a sort of third-act breakup which is not a breakup but you get what I mean. They need that space to sort things out in the head.
The ending is HEA with a bonus epilogue from Chili’s POV. Chili is Dane’s dog, a super lazy one! So, the doggy’s POV adds a quirky touch and brings more smiles.

To summarize, The Fake Wedding Project is a lighthearted read about family, relationships, small towns, and love. While it does have a few unsavory moments, these are essential for character growth.
This is my first book by the author but I can see why she is popular in this genre. The writing style is easy to read, and the main characters are well-developed.
Thank you, NetGalley and Montlake, for eARC. This review is voluntary and contains my honest opinion about the book.

𝗙𝗶𝗿𝘀𝘁 𝘁𝗵𝗼𝘂𝗴𝗵𝘁: A cute Romeo and Juliet vibe holiday story except no deaths just gingerbread & fruitcake. This is a fun read or listen, definitely the perfect light hearted romance we all need in our lives. Best part is the epilogue in the pup’s perspective - like OMG best thing ever! You have to listed to the AB just for that.

Amanda lives her life in NYC as a dog walker and play writer but she’s been called home to take over the family gingerbread business. The only problem is she doesn’t want it! But instead of telling her grandmother that she may have told her she’s engaged and not just to anyone but her best friend’s older brother. To make it worse he’s the grandson of the fruitcake family which is their nemesis.

No one knows how these two families started their feud many generations ago but everyone in the small town of Tinsel have been apart of the chaos these rivals families stir up. However for the first time in an along time this engagement between a Gingerbread and a Fruitcake could be just the perfect reason to end the feud.

Dane lives in San Fransisco and has a lazy dog named Chili but he’s back home for the next few weeks. He is the grandson of the Fruitcake empire but he’s fed up with this ridiculous fight the families have going. So when his HS crush proposes they pretend to be engaged it’s a no brainer for him. He gets to spend time with her and work towards bringing peace to the town. Win- Win! If only it was that easy…

Check this one out when it 𝗥𝗲𝗹𝗲𝗮𝘀𝗲𝘀 𝗼𝗻 10/8/24.

𝑳𝒊𝒕𝒆𝒓𝒂𝒍𝒍𝒚 𝑻𝒉𝒆𝒎𝒆𝒔 𝒚𝒐𝒖’𝒍𝒍 𝒇𝒊𝒏𝒅:

* Friends to Lovers
* Fruitcake vs Gingerbread Feud
* Fake Engagement
* High School Crush on Little Sister’s BF
* Romeo & Juliet Vibes
* Forced Proximity
* Lazy Bones Dog 🐾
* Christmas Loving Small Town
* Dual POV

🌲💍🩷🌲💍🩷🌲💍🩷🌲💍🩷🌲💍🩷

This Fake Wedding Project felt like a warm cuddle in front of a cozy fire. There was something so sweet and comforting about reading this book. This story takes place in Tinsel, Michigan where it’s Christmas year round but two of the prominent families have feuded for generations. It’s quite the duality.

Dane and Amanda agree to a fake engagement with the hope of uniting their fighting families. They, along with the town, are tired of the constant fighting and no one knows why they’re feuding.

Dane is an engineer who lives in San Fransisco. He rarely comes home due to the fighting. Amanda is a dog walker who lives in New York and loves her life there. She has no desire to run the family bakery, although it’s expected of her. Dane’s sister has been Amanda’s best friend for years but they’ve had to hide it due to the feud.

Dane and Amanda were so sweet and likable. Even from the start they supported and cared for one another. They truly saw each other. I felt so comforted watching them banter and care for the other while keeping up their ruse. And as they spent more time together their feelings grew too. I felt myself smiling frequently while reading this. It was just a true feel good read. It’s one you can pick up when you need a book hug.

And I can’t forget Chili, the ultimate lazy dog. The scene stealer. He even gets an epilogue from his point of view.

Thanks to NetGalley and Montlake for the opportunity to review.

First of all, Chili the dog's epilogue was perfect finishing touch! Calling them his pets had me cracking up!

This story takes place in a Christmas town but during summertime. It still gave me that fun, hallmark Christmas vibe and I really enjoyed that aspect. Dane and Amanda have known each other since high school but could never have anything to do with each other because their family has been feuding for decades. No one knows why, but now that they are both in town they team up in a fake engagement to bring the families together.

Pippa Grant always brings so much fun to her stories and this one was no different. I definitely got a Hallmark Christmas in July vibe. The instant chemistry between Dane and Amanda was so heartwarming. They start out just wanting to help each other and realize just how meant for each other they are. Both of the families had me giggling with their quips at each other. Chili the laziest dog was the perfect addition and I love how he accepted Amanda as his new pet. This story was full of heartfelt moments, family drama, and lots of laughs!

Thank you HambrightPR and Netgalley for the ALC and eARC copy of this book in exchange for my honest review!

Thank you NetGalley, Montlake and Pippa Grant for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

This story is centered around two people, Amanda and Dane, who grew up with their families feuding.

No one knows why their families dislike each other but it’s been going on for generations. Instead of telling her grandmother she doesn’t want to take over the family business, Amanda blurts out that she’s engaged to the “enemy”. When she tells Dane, he doesn’t freak out and instead agrees to fake it in hopes to get their families past this feud.

This was one of those books that was like “this would never happen in real life” and places like this don’t exist but I kind of wish they did.

This fake engagement, forced proximity, feuding families story is so dang sweet. It’s the kind of story you need when you need a break from heaviness or darker themed stories - it’s all just sweet and fun.

Amanda and Dane pretend to be madly in love in order to break the family feud and uncover the mystery as to why they are fueding in the first place. The small town collective support the two in their engagement as they want the fueding to be over too.

It was truly an engaging and entertaining story .