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3.78 AVERAGE
3.78 AVERAGE
I quite enjoyed this book and the dynamics between the families. I will say the ending did feel like a drag for me which is why it’s not a five star read. But it was enjoyable!!
The Great Dating Fake Off
by Livy Hart
5⭐️
fake dating x2
italian wedding
fueding families
she’s his type to a T (and T stands for tempting)
dual POV
*publish date: 8/6/24*
I am on a roll for 5⭐️ romances and this is no exception! I am a HUGE fan of fake dating and it’s safe to say this is the first time I see this spin on it! I am in love with Nora and Sebastian and their relationship! Sebastian will be everyone's favorite book boyfriend! His love language is protective and gift giving in the best way! Nora is adorable and highly relatable. I found myself connecting a lot with her desire to connect and build deep friendships/relationships. There is so much pining and angst and trying to not get caught situations that kept me on the edge of my seat. I was planning to take it slow but I was hooked and finished this in less than 2 days! The levels and amounts of spice were absolutely perfect!!!
I will definitely be buying my paperback trophy when it’s out in August! I may even read again because I loved it just that much!
Thank you to NetGalley and Entangled Publishing for this arc in exchange for an honest review!
by Livy Hart
5⭐️
fake dating x2
italian wedding
fueding families
she’s his type to a T (and T stands for tempting)
dual POV
*publish date: 8/6/24*
I am on a roll for 5⭐️ romances and this is no exception! I am a HUGE fan of fake dating and it’s safe to say this is the first time I see this spin on it! I am in love with Nora and Sebastian and their relationship! Sebastian will be everyone's favorite book boyfriend! His love language is protective and gift giving in the best way! Nora is adorable and highly relatable. I found myself connecting a lot with her desire to connect and build deep friendships/relationships. There is so much pining and angst and trying to not get caught situations that kept me on the edge of my seat. I was planning to take it slow but I was hooked and finished this in less than 2 days! The levels and amounts of spice were absolutely perfect!!!
I will definitely be buying my paperback trophy when it’s out in August! I may even read again because I loved it just that much!
Thank you to NetGalley and Entangled Publishing for this arc in exchange for an honest review!
I have gone around and around trying to figure out where I land with this book. In many ways, I really enjoyed the plot, the setting, the banter, the drama. But this book FELT very long (350 pages isn't really that much, but I felt like it just kept going and going) and there were a few moments of "wtf why would they do this?"
But anyway, it had some sweet moments, some funny moments, and overall I think it was done really well.
- Fake dating is elite and this is double the fake date so double the fun
- The secret pining and eventual secret hookup was great, combining the plot and the genuine reason for secrecy with a tension that was built up so well
- Once they get together, they are getting together everywhere they possibly can: in private, in public, they don't care
- I appreciate that the main conflict within the relationship between Sebastian and Nora is very realistic, like I found myself also thinking through solutions to their problem and recognizing that this is something that people have to work through all the time
- The main setting of this book is wedding week for Rosalina and Enzo, so A LOT of the book takes place within the span of one week
- I found most of the characters to be fun and rather diverse in their personalities, allowing this to feel more natural than when every person is the same kind of comedy/snarky genius.
- The main conflict for the book's main plot here is a long-standing Italian family feud, think Romeo and Juliet, and the need to overcome conflicts to allow for a healthy family union for a new marriage. The angry Italian parents were so irritating, like I truly do not understand how a person could behave so horribly for their own children's wedding, but I was so over it before it was all said and done.
But anyway, it had some sweet moments, some funny moments, and overall I think it was done really well.
- Fake dating is elite and this is double the fake date so double the fun
- The secret pining and eventual secret hookup was great, combining the plot and the genuine reason for secrecy with a tension that was built up so well
- Once they get together, they are getting together everywhere they possibly can: in private, in public, they don't care
- I appreciate that the main conflict within the relationship between Sebastian and Nora is very realistic, like I found myself also thinking through solutions to their problem and recognizing that this is something that people have to work through all the time
- The main setting of this book is wedding week for Rosalina and Enzo, so A LOT of the book takes place within the span of one week
- I found most of the characters to be fun and rather diverse in their personalities, allowing this to feel more natural than when every person is the same kind of comedy/snarky genius.
- The main conflict for the book's main plot here is a long-standing Italian family feud, think Romeo and Juliet, and the need to overcome conflicts to allow for a healthy family union for a new marriage. The angry Italian parents were so irritating, like I truly do not understand how a person could behave so horribly for their own children's wedding, but I was so over it before it was all said and done.
Nora and Sebastian meet at the bookstore she works for while he’s trying to coordinate a meeting place for a Boys and Girls Club program. They both think there might be a spark, but are quickly interrupted by her friend (and the shop’s owner) Benji’s return.
Cut forward and they’re both invited to the same week long Wedding Event. The problem? They’re both wrapped up in a fake dating situation with *other* people.
I love a fake dating trope, and weddings are the perfect excuse for them. I was very interested in this twist on the trope - where the couple you’re hoping to get together are not the ones pretending to date each other!
Nora and Benji are as terrible at pretending they’re a couple as Nora and Sebastian are at pretending they aren’t.
When the false and secret relationships come to a head, it is high drama. These families are more than A Bit Much, but it’s entertaining to read from the outside (sure wouldn’t want to be one of them though!)
It felt like the ending wrapped up really quickly compared to slower beginning, but it ends in an epilogue with a nice HEA so I was happy
Thank you to NetGalley and Entangled for the arc
Nora and Sebastian are helping out their friends by agreeing to fake date them for an upcoming wedding. This is a weeklong event, made more difficult by feuding families. When Nora and Sebastian arrive, they realize they have met before and they also realize the attraction they felt at the first meeting wasn't by chance. They agree that they need to shelve it for the time being, until they have their respective breakups, but being in such close quarters isn't doing them any favors.
Nora and Seb were fire together and it was hard to deny their flames. They got along so well but knew that their lives were headed in very different directions. Nora loved the town they lived in and had no reason to move anywhere else, but Sebastian was a traveler. Never putting down roots anywhere, until now. Nora has him questioning his whole life's plan, and since the have been stealing away together and learning more and more about one another, it seems like Nora is his breath of fresh air and maybe he should come up with a new plan.
This book has all the things, amazing chemistry, forced proximity, a meddling Italian family and lots of drama. If you haven't met a Livy Hart hero, what are you doing with your life.
Nora and Seb were fire together and it was hard to deny their flames. They got along so well but knew that their lives were headed in very different directions. Nora loved the town they lived in and had no reason to move anywhere else, but Sebastian was a traveler. Never putting down roots anywhere, until now. Nora has him questioning his whole life's plan, and since the have been stealing away together and learning more and more about one another, it seems like Nora is his breath of fresh air and maybe he should come up with a new plan.
This book has all the things, amazing chemistry, forced proximity, a meddling Italian family and lots of drama. If you haven't met a Livy Hart hero, what are you doing with your life.
funny
lighthearted
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Absolutely adorable and also sexy at the same time!
After a quick chance meeting where sparks fly, Nora and Sebastian agree to be fake dates for their best friends at the same wedding! Nora agrees to be the fake date for the brother of the bride, Benji, and Sebastian agrees to be the fake date for the sister of the groom, Alessia, in order to save Benji and Alessia from their meddlesome (LARGE) Italian families. But a wedding between two families with a feud (#stolensheepproblems) dating back to their time in Italy, may be too much for anyone to handle. When Nora and Sebastian realize that they are fake dating at the same wedding, they struggle to hide their feelings as they get to know each other and fall deeper in love. This was a super sweet and spicy medium burn novel that I wholeheartedly enjoyed!
After a quick chance meeting where sparks fly, Nora and Sebastian agree to be fake dates for their best friends at the same wedding! Nora agrees to be the fake date for the brother of the bride, Benji, and Sebastian agrees to be the fake date for the sister of the groom, Alessia, in order to save Benji and Alessia from their meddlesome (LARGE) Italian families. But a wedding between two families with a feud (#stolensheepproblems) dating back to their time in Italy, may be too much for anyone to handle. When Nora and Sebastian realize that they are fake dating at the same wedding, they struggle to hide their feelings as they get to know each other and fall deeper in love. This was a super sweet and spicy medium burn novel that I wholeheartedly enjoyed!
funny
hopeful
lighthearted
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Really cute story. It's chaotic and fun. The characters are well developed and love the group of them together and the mesh of different personalities the author has created. It is a dual pov romance which I absolutely love seeing both sides happen. It's a tad bit insta-lovey but for romance book it isn't to bad. Really cute romance, quick paced and loved along with a good plot.
Thank you NetGalley and Entangled for the opportunity to read this e-arc. This is my honest opinion.
Thank you NetGalley and Entangled for the opportunity to read this e-arc. This is my honest opinion.
medium-paced
What's more fun than a fake-dating couple wading into an over-the-top Italian wedding featuring a Capulet and Montague style family feud? How about two fake-dating couples!
After a childhood of continuous moves, Nora D’Amato has finally found her place - she's got her own apartment, a solid job, and she's making real friends. When one of said friends needs to get his overbearing family off his back, Nora steps into the role of (fake) girlfriend for his sister's wedding. Playing the part of a happy couple for the next week should be no problem, or at least it wouldn't have been if Nora didn't run into her new crush, Sebastian, at the check-in desk. But it turns out Nora and Benji aren't the only ones with something to hide this week. Sebastian and his date Alessia, the groom's twin sister, have chosen to undertake a fake-dating scheme of their own. Now the only way both couples will survive this wedding with their 'relationships' in tact, and keep the family drama from escalating even further, is if Sebastian and Nora refrain from acting on the feelings that are blossoming between them.
The Great Dating Fake Off is a delightfully entertaining and dramatic good time! Double the fake relationships means double the potential for disaster, adding a fun level of risk to an already chaotic story. Nora and Sebastian as both great friends - it was so easy to see why they'd fall for one another, which really added to the romance I thought. I also really loved seeing their interactions with the other characters, particularly Nella who was a delight all her own, and the family drama was as crazy as you would expect, but I was very pleased the resolution. I'll say it, Alessia was a true MVP. Wonderfully paced with a sweet and spicy romance, this was a great read!
Thank you to Entangled Publishing and NetGalley for the digital ARC in exchange for an honest review. Opinions expressed in this review are my own.
After a childhood of continuous moves, Nora D’Amato has finally found her place - she's got her own apartment, a solid job, and she's making real friends. When one of said friends needs to get his overbearing family off his back, Nora steps into the role of (fake) girlfriend for his sister's wedding. Playing the part of a happy couple for the next week should be no problem, or at least it wouldn't have been if Nora didn't run into her new crush, Sebastian, at the check-in desk. But it turns out Nora and Benji aren't the only ones with something to hide this week. Sebastian and his date Alessia, the groom's twin sister, have chosen to undertake a fake-dating scheme of their own. Now the only way both couples will survive this wedding with their 'relationships' in tact, and keep the family drama from escalating even further, is if Sebastian and Nora refrain from acting on the feelings that are blossoming between them.
The Great Dating Fake Off is a delightfully entertaining and dramatic good time! Double the fake relationships means double the potential for disaster, adding a fun level of risk to an already chaotic story. Nora and Sebastian as both great friends - it was so easy to see why they'd fall for one another, which really added to the romance I thought. I also really loved seeing their interactions with the other characters, particularly Nella who was a delight all her own, and the family drama was as crazy as you would expect, but I was very pleased the resolution. I'll say it, Alessia was a true MVP. Wonderfully paced with a sweet and spicy romance, this was a great read!
Thank you to Entangled Publishing and NetGalley for the digital ARC in exchange for an honest review. Opinions expressed in this review are my own.
emotional
funny
lighthearted
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Loveable characters:
Yes
absolutely delightful!!!!!! a near-perfect rom com. loved the concept and the execution was fun, funny, romantic and HOT. loved the ensemble of two huge italian families and the wedding setting was SUPERB. flipping the page to see seb's name and realize it was dual pov had me cheering - it was so fun to get both of their narrations throughout the journey. there wasn't a ton of character development perse and the whole nebraska thing didn't get resolved super clearly for me, but otherwise i had a great time.
emotional
funny
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
This was a great twist on the fake dating troupe, as our two main characters are fake dating other people before they get together! Although they met briefly beforehand, they each show up at the same destination wedding, Nora with the brother of the bride and Sebastian with the sister of the groom. They are there to help ease some of the family tension, as the two sides have been feuding for generations. There are the usual pre-wedding celebrations, ramped up with the extra burden of attraction and not wanting to betray their fake partners who are their best friends. A great read, full of love, friendship, and heart.
eARC provided by publisher via Edelweiss
eARC provided by publisher via Edelweiss