A review by libertyreads789
Faking It with #41 by Piper Rayne

emotional funny hopeful fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.75

If we could figure out the things that I do and don't enjoy with Romance novels, that would be great. Because I was so surprised to find that I really enjoyed this one. Obviously, I enjoy reading Romance novels or I would just stop, but it seems like I can't get a handle on whether I'll like the one I'm about to read when I'm going into it. I just don't know my tastes. This one was a fake dating Romance so we shouldn't be shocked that this has been my favorite hockey Romance in a hot second. 

We have a hockey player who comes from a wealthy family and his wealthy family's head of PR getting together for a fake relationship in order to save his reputation and allow a deal to go through for his father's company. I've enjoyed rich people drama, I like hockey, I love fake dating, let's go. I had read the first book in this series (My Lucky #13) and liked but didn't really love it AND after buying this one on Kindle I found out that it was Ford's book. In book one, Ford is a player and I really didn't like how crass and over the top he was. In this book however? Ford has changed in a real way due to circumstances that are kind of beyond his control and this new Ford Jacobs? Hell. Yes. Is he still a bit crass? Is he still a bit over the top? Yes and Yes. But the hero has to win over the heroine in this one and I just love it. He has to prove that he's changed and she has to cope with some baggage from her past. It was so good.

My main problem with this one was that any time I wanted the book to explore something we would flip the page and move on. It's not surprising that a hockey Romance comes until 300 pages, but I'm a girl who literally complained a few years ago because 750 page Fantasy novel was not long enough. If the central relationship in a Romance is good, I could read an additional 50...100...200 pages of it. I will eat it up. So, when I didn't get to connect as much with the characters or experience the things that I wanted them to explore, it left me wanting more. Which I guess is a good thing. I do want to dive into this author writing duo's backlist (which is extensive) and also decide if I want to read any of the other guys' stories in this series.