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A review by readandwright
The Fake Mate by Lana Ferguson
Thank you Berkley Publishing Group for my copy! All thoughts are my own.
I can safely say I have definitely never read another book like this before. I added it to my TBR based off loving the author’s debut but this book surprised me. I have never read a shifter romance! And I’m not sure if it’s the right subgenre for me…
I really don’t know how to rate this book. I did the audio and I loved the performances and the characters, but then there were moments that made me a little uncomfy and I had a hard time processing the moments. I know so many people who love Omegaverse/Shifter Romances! So there’s definitely an audience, but again, not sure it’s for me. So, please take my review with this in mind: I didn’t realize this was a shifter romance until I did more research, I have never read a shifter romance and didn’t intend to, others love it and I still will read more from this author.
Synopsis:
“Mackenzie Carter has had some very bad dates lately. Model train experts, mansplainers, guys weirdly obsessed with her tail—she hasn’t had a successful date in months. Only a year out of residency, her grandmother’s obsession with Mackenzie finding the perfect mate to settle down with threatens to drive Mackenzie barking mad. Out of options, it feels like a small thing to tell her grandmother that she’s met someone. That is, until she blurts out the name of the first man she sees and the last man she would ever date: Noah Taylor, the big bad wolf of Denver General.
Noah Taylor, interventional cardiologist and all around grump, has spent his entire life hiding what he is. With outdated stigmas surrounding unmated alphas that have people wondering if they still howl at the moon, Noah has been careful to keep his designation under wraps. It’s worked for years, until an anonymous tip has everything coming to light. Noah is left with two options: come clean to the board and risk his career—or find himself a mate. The chatty, overly friendly ER doctor asking him to be her fake boyfriend on the same day he’s called to meet the board has to be kismet, right?
Mackenzie will keep her grandmother off her back, and Noah will get a chance to prove he can continue to work without a real mate—a mutually beneficial business transaction, they both rationalize. But when the fake-mate act turns into a very real friends-with-benefits arrangement, lines start to blur, and they quickly realize love is a whole different kind of animal.” —NetGalley
Noah Taylor, interventional cardiologist and all around grump, has spent his entire life hiding what he is. With outdated stigmas surrounding unmated alphas that have people wondering if they still howl at the moon, Noah has been careful to keep his designation under wraps. It’s worked for years, until an anonymous tip has everything coming to light. Noah is left with two options: come clean to the board and risk his career—or find himself a mate. The chatty, overly friendly ER doctor asking him to be her fake boyfriend on the same day he’s called to meet the board has to be kismet, right?
Mackenzie will keep her grandmother off her back, and Noah will get a chance to prove he can continue to work without a real mate—a mutually beneficial business transaction, they both rationalize. But when the fake-mate act turns into a very real friends-with-benefits arrangement, lines start to blur, and they quickly realize love is a whole different kind of animal.” —NetGalley
What I Liked:
- The Work Place Setting—I love a workplace romance! I loved that this took place in a hospital and thought it was interesting that everything was so out in the open. I wasn’t expecting it!
- The Side Characters—I really liked everyone in this book! The dialogue was fun and I liked their relationships.
- The Protective Hero—While I wasn’t ready for an Alpha…I understand the appeal.
What Didn’t Work for Me:
- The Subgenre—I don’t know if I’m this kind of romance girlie 😭
- The Spice—I’m sorry, I’m sorry but it just didn’t work for me. I am not a prude or screamish reader when it comes to spice but it just did not work for me.
- The Feeling Like I was Missing Something—I am a huge fan of Buffy the Vampire Slayer, which was kept from being scared off once I learned this was a shifter romance. But I felt like I was thrown in to world with little to no explanation (which is probably my fault!).
Character Authenticity: 3/5 Spice Rating: 3/5 Overall Rating: ???
Content Warnings:
abandonment, medical content, death of a parent