Member Reviews

I loved this book a lot! The characters were great and it had me laughing every now and then. I liked how the characters interacted with each other and that I was able to connect to them! The tropes were very true to it's advertisement so check the blurb to see if you like those!
Overall a quick and fun read I can recommend.

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⚽️ Book Review ⚽️
|| Fake Dating the Footballer ||
|| author: @marionderewrites ||
Format: ARC ebook
Read from: April 4, 2024 to April 6, 2024
2024 RG: 41/100

MCs: Roxy and Wade

This one was a first by this author for me. I signed up on NetGalley thinking it looked like a good read and I was not disappointed. It was a very sweet, fast-paced read and I loved the characters and how thoughtful Wade was.
Roxy Grant is super excited to see her assumed boyfriend, Karl, at the airport after 10 months. As it turns out, he doesn’t feel the same way as her and in a desperate effort she claims a random guy as her “boyfriend.”
Wade Hunter is a famous football (soccer) player just sitting in the airport waiting to pick up his brother when a random girl claims him as her “boyfriend.”
It all goes on from there in a very sweet, clean way that I loved. I will admit that my brain kind of stuttered when I read 20° as warm before I remembered that it is set in London and was in fact not 20°F, but 20°C. 😭😀
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ 5/5
“Loving yourself is a lot easier when you’re loved by somebody else.”

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If you love sports romance and are in the mood for something that isn’t hockey, this is the perfect read for you.

Fake dating the footballer is a cozy little “fake dating” romance. Roxy is a fashion magazine writer who is in love with her best friend,. She was sure that after his time away for business they were ready to start their happy ever after upon his return. That is of course until she met his beautiful fiancé at the airport. Panicking she grabs the first available man she could find to pretend to her boyfriend, A man who just so happens to be a very famous football player Wade. Wade very chivalrously plays along, even going so far as to give her a kiss goodbye. One that he couldn’t stop thinking about.

Conveniently Wade has had a bout of bad press and is in need of a bit of rebranding. The tabloids are going crazy for Wade and his “non-supermodel” girlfriend. Seems like they could both get what they want out of a fake relationship..

But what happens when its not so fake?

This was a cozy quick read and was 5/5 star for me.

Thank you Netgalley for the arc.

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This was my first book by Marion De Re, and I absolutely loved it.

Fake dating is one of my favorite tropes, and this book did not disappoint. I connected instantly to Roxy and Wade. I loved how genuinely nice and kind Wade was. How he thought things through and made an effort to do better. I found myself in Roxy in many ways. The body positivity and awareness were real, and I felt seen. Their connection was fire!

I can't wait to read more from this author

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4 / 5 stars

I absolutely enjoyed reading this sweet, fake dating, dual POV, he-falls-first, sports (football aka soccer) rom-com. When Roxy meets Wade at the airport, she is at her lowest point since the guy she’s been waiting on for a year turns up with a fiancé who’s not her, she makes an announcement that Wade, the perfect stranger she just met, is her boyfriend. Wade doesn’t object but plays along as he needs to rehab his image as well, so they agree to continue this charade. It's fun to watch how they progress from strangers to friends to lovers. I loved Wade and how he defended, supported, and cherished his girlfriend since he saw Roxy for who she was, and not how she looked, and how he would do anything for Roxy, even taking her on her over-the-top imaginary dates for real.

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This was a fun HEA sports romance with a few twists. I enjoyed both of the main characters and I loved that they were very different people that embraced those differences to be together. MFC's "boyfriend" comes home from an overseas work assignment with a fiancee. MMC is hooked in the airport when MFC grabs him as a substitute to cover her dismay. Watching them come together for real was a very nice love story with enough backstory and additional characters to make it an interesting and fun read. Looking forward to the next book and will also look at the back catalogue as I suspect some of the characters' stories are in there!

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Ahhh! I loved this! Looking for a sweet rom-com with sass and banter? Look no further! Fake Dating the Footballer ticks all those boxes. Tropes include fake-dating, sports romance and body positivity.
Main characters Roxy and Wade have a bit of a meet cute at the airport and before you know it they’re fake dating for mutually beneficial reasons. Roxy is ambitious, sassy and self-conscious while Wade is also ambitious with witty banter and confidence bordering on cockiness. They mesh well together with their back and forth. Both characters experience growth and have realisations about themselves and their lives which are conducive to the story. This is a closed door romance with sweetness and the only spiciness is in some kisses. Super cute and fun, a little bit of angst and an adorable HEA.

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This book was a pleasant surprise! I just couldn't stop reading, and when I wasn't reading, I found myself thinking about it. It was warm and fuzzy and cute. Plus the characters where both very likeable. I liked the character growth. They Both had some ups and downs but really came together at the end in the sweetest way. All in all, I'd recommend for a quick, fun, fake dating trope read!

Thank you Netgalley for the ARC for a honest review.

Review will be posted to my goodreads and bookstagram (@mommareaders) tomorrow, April 5th.

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Ok, so I am gonna start my review by saying this is the very first book to read from this author and I loved it. Her writing style and how she described things were great and gave me an amazing picture to see in my head. I am now a fan of this author and can't wait to read what else she has written.

So now my review of the book. This book was sooo good, I couldn't put it down. I didn't want to go to sleep til I was done with it. And the ending was perfect.
The characters were lovely. I was a huge fan of the main guy character (Wade Hunter) he was soooo special and so perfect. Hello amazing book boyfriend here. Roxy was such a fun character also, I loved how she "hated" football and we are talking about soccer if you live in the states. There were a few fun moments in te book about that also. I liked the backstory with her family. Her dad and brother loved football and were kinda obsessed with it, or at least in my opinion. And then we have Karl, her best friend and maybe more guy-friend. There is sooo much going on with this and that was some fun adventure to watch it all happen. There were so many other background characters that were perfect in this book and made it so good.
This book had me laughing out loud, grinning and also shaking my head.

This book is part of a series, Its called For the Love of Rom-Coms and this is Book#3 so I am super excited to go back and read those first 2 books. :)
Good and read this book if you are a fan of Rom-Coms (and fake dating tropes) you will not be disappointed.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher (and also the author) for the opportunity to read this book. It was amazing!!!! The above is my own honest review and it is voluntary.

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Great read that had my smiling plenty, plus the description of the offside rule was explained in such a way, I think will always remember it 🤣
Flew through it as it was easy to read, with quite quick chapters too so easy to fit in an extra chapter here and there.
Told by the perspectives of the 2 main characters - each chapter was clearly labelled as to whose perspective it was from - something I really like in books, as sometimes I have to spend way to long trying to work out the perspective when they aren't labelled.
Very likeable characters, with a nice easy flowing storyline.
Would definitely recommend.

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I admit, I LOVE a good fake dating story! Fake Dating the Footballer by Marion De Ré did not disappoint!

This was a super sweet, closed-door romance that had me giggling. After being completely humiliated by her boyfriend, she gets into a fake dating relationship with Wade, who happens to be on of England's most famous football players - that's soccer to our American friends! One bad thing: Roxy HATES football. Roxy is as sassy as Wade is sweet... and their relationship starts to feel less than fake after awhile, and Wade emerges as an amazing real beau.

Roxy struggles with body image, and while it was touched upon, I thought it was done so in a really lovely way. Super cute, would absolutely recommend.
Thanks to netgalley for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

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Fake Dating the Footballer by Marion De Ré was a super cute sports rom-com!
A fun and sweet fake dating soccer romance.
The author did a brilliant job of creating realistic characters.
I was immediately hooked from the very first chapter & i found every opportunity i could to pick this up on my kindle and read it.
This was an easy and very entertaining read by a new to me author. Looking forward to more from Marion De Ré.

Thank You NetGalley and Victory Editing for your generosity and gifting me a copy of this amazing eARC!

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This book hooked me in from the first chapter. I loved the character development and how the story progressed.

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The cutest fake dating sports romance, the third in a series yet a complete stand alone. I'm yet to read the first two but will definitely go back and read them. This book stars Roxy who absolutely hates football yet somehow ends up fake dating one of England's best players Wade Hunter. Wade is the perfect fake boyfriend and slowly the two start to blur the lines between fake and real.
Thank you NetGalley for the early copy.

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This book was amazing. I was looking for a closed door sports romance book and this book was just what I wanted. The romance and banter were perfect! I would highly recommend this book!

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I received an advance review copy from Victory Editing via NetGalley. My review is honest and voluntary.

Oh boy, let me tell you about "Fake Dating The Footballer"! This book is the latest and greatest addition to the For The Love of Rom-coms series and let me tell you, it is an absolute delight. The star of the show is none other than Wade Hunter - the perfect book boyfriend. The story is a delightful mix of fake dating, body positivity, and a heartwarming love story that will have you feeling all the feels.

Wade Hunter is the ultimate cinnamon roll hero with his kind heart and unwavering support for Roxy. Despite their fake relationship, Wade's genuine care and understanding of Roxy's situation make him an incredibly endearing character. His willingness to go along with Roxy's scheme to make her crush jealous is sweet and heartwarming.

The love story between Roxy and Wade is absolutely adorable and will have you rooting for them from start to finish. Their undeniable chemistry and playful banter make this book a joy to read.

Overall, "Fake Dating The Footballer" is a charming, feel-good romance that will leave you with a huge smile on your face. If you're a fan of fake dating tropes, cinnamon roll heroes, and heartwarming love stories, then you absolutely have to read this book. Trust me, it's worth it!

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Reading “Fake Dating The Footballer” by Marion Debbie Ré was like falling into a warm bubble bath with a glass of bubbly—pure indulgence! I raced through it in just a few hours. At just over 200 pages, it's the perfect pick-me-up read—light and fluffy with a satisfying crunch.
We meet Roxy, a whip-smart, plus-size woman who's just gotten her heartbroken at the airport. Enter Wade, the golden boy of football (soccer, for you Americans), who's embroiled in some bad press. A fake-dating scheme throws them together after he saves her at the airport. And guess what? Sparks fly!
This book truly shines in how it tackles her body issues along with body positivity. Wade isn't just some cardboard cutout hero; he's a dreamboat who champions Roxy against the judgmental world. Their connection feels genuine, and I loved how they both realised they were falling for each other at the same time (although neither would admit it!). Of course, true love never runs smoothly, and a potential move to Spain and some ‘lies’ make for a third-act breakup. But fear not; the resolution is heartwarming and leaves you with a smile.
As someone who devours American sports romances, this London-based story with actual football (not soccer this time!) was a refreshing change. The only thing that left me wanting a bit more was the Karl subplot. It started strong but fizzled out. Maybe a touch of friendly rivalry or a more fleshed-out storyline for Karl could have kicked things up a notch.
Overall, “Fake Dating the Footballer” was a delightful read with its endearing characters and feel-good plot that stole my heart. Four stars, with a tiny nudge for the Karl storyline. I would have loved to see how this story could have evolved with that obstacle.

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<b> Thanks to NetGalley for providing me with a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review ☺️ </b>

HAHAHA THIS WAS SO GREAT ♥️♥️♥️

So Roxy (aka Roxanne, beautiful name <3) has been waiting for Karl to come back from his business trip so they can get together (even though Karl never expressed being interested in her BUT they did drunkenly kiss), but then … Karl comes back with a fiancee?!?! what!!

Panicking, she turns to the mysterious guy she noticed waiting near them as well, who is none other than Wade Hunter hehe. Things happen and let’s just say that they found a way to kill the 2 birds with one stone <spoiler> HAHA TAKE THAT KARL MWAHAHA </spoiler>

I personally thought that she would be hung up on Karl a lot longer, but NOPE. Wade is just so great. He makes her feel so comfortable and accepts her for who. she. is. Oh, he’s so great <3

The plot felt familiar but not at the same time. Fake dating athletes honestly should be a genre of its own but this one wasn’t super cringey. I loved how typical tropes that come with this “genre” were thrown out the window.

Cute, fluffy, and full of self-love!!

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I enjoyed this book right from the start! I’m so grateful to have been able to read this book before its publication date so thank you! The FMC was really likeable and I could picture all of the characters so easily in my head. I am a sucker for fake-dating and sport romance so when these two tropes are together in this book it was amazing! The only reason I didn’t rate it 5 stars was because I purely just wanted more from the story and more plot- as great as the book was I feel like it was a bit short and could have had more content in it but what was in the book was incredible 😍

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oh. my. god?! this book was phenomenal, especially for my first time reading a sports romance! marion de ré did a fantastic job with writing an easy-to-read, can’t-put-it-down, binge-worthy book that i simply could not get enough of. i was fully invested in this book from the jump, reading it every spare chance i had! i even went as far as sobbing because the book ended and running to read the extended epilogue when i found out there was one! roxanne (roxy) grant and wade hunter are just some of the sweetest characters i have ever read about! i really related to roxy throughout the book, especially when she discussed her body image issues. god bless for books where the fmc is NOT skinny!!! another note i made is that even though i’m typically a spicy romance type of girl, this book was a great change of pace and i found myself enjoying the closed door scenes. one last thing: all hail the cinnamon roll hero trope.

thank you to netgalley, marion de ré, and victory editing netgalley co-op for granting me access to this ARC in exchange for my honest review!

#marionderewrites #fakedatingthefootballerbook

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