Faking It was a light follow-up to the first book in the Ringside Romance series, Working It. While I confess that the fake relationship trope (or fake engagement, as in this case) is not a favorite of mine, there were still plenty of things I enjoyed about Max and Grady’s whirlwind romance.

First off, I liked their easy attraction. From the very first spark and all throughout, they had great chemistry and barring some early pushback from Max, pretty much went along with it. At the same time, I like that their attraction felt natural and steady, and not a rash case of insta-love/lust that threatened to overwhelm or blind them to the reality of their fake relationship. In other words, they kept their heads while still getting head.

Not only were they hot together, they were also a great team. Obviously pulling off a fake engagement isn’t easy but they were very open and honest with each other at all times – not just in terms of corroborating stories or communicating their strategy, but also in picking up unspoken cues or knowing when the other was in over their heads. Max in particular was really adept at reading Grady and knew when to swoop in to rescue him when needed (ie. a lot). But I think most importantly, especially for this particular trope, I really appreciated them being on the same page because it ultimately kept the drama to a minimum and helped sell me on their long-term compatibility.

Both our heroes had a lot of paternal issues that they needed to work through. Grady’s relationship with his dad was especially toxic and I felt that the way it was glossed over was a bit of a copout. I’m not sure why the author decided to stay away from the heavy stuff – for instance, the first book had no problems tackling PTSD and anxiety and did a commendable job – but I definitely would’ve preferred to have seen more of these issues tackled on page, rather than alluded to. It just makes for a more convincing and realistic story when your heroes have very real issues to address as they work towards their happiness.

Speaking of keeping things realistic, I thought it was funny that no one asked the happy couple how they met or how long they’ve known each other. In my experience, these are the first questions people tend to ask, especially when a new couple (nevermind a newly engaged couple) first meet family or close friends. In addition, there should have been plenty of awkward (or hilarious) non-stop inquiries into who proposed and how, the engagement ring if any, and when’s the big day – all of which was missing in the family interactions, which struck me as odd.

I felt that our heroes still had a ways to go especially with all the major changes Grady was making in his life, so I would call the ending a hopeful or optimistic HFN. I would recommend this book to anyone who enjoys their fake relationship romance light, non-farcical and relatively drama-free.

Max is the sexy nightclub owner and silent partner in Ringside Gym, which his friends are in the process of opening. We met him in the previous book, and I was more than ready to see his story play out. He is in a bit of a rut when this story begins, feeling like he needs some kind of change in his life but not sure exactly what. That change comes in the way of Grady, a man Max finds puking behind his bar one night and whom Max ends up taking care of and seeing him safely back to his hotel.

All is not what it seems with Grady, as we learn he is trying to hide a bit from his overbearing and manipulative rich family. When the latest plan of his father’s is to marry Grady off to seal a business deal, announcing said engagement at Grady’s brother’s upcoming wedding, Grady hatches a plan to bring home a fiance of his own. After some convincing, Max agrees to help him out.

Grady’s family, with the exception of his brother and future sister-in-law, are pretty awful. His father is cold and seemingly uncaring and has been that way ever since Grady’s mother died of an overdose when he was young. They have pretty much butted heads from then on, and it only gets worse in this story.

While the charade is going on, Max and Grady realize their explosive chemistry and decide to act on it during the few weeks Max is playing the part. As expected, their feelings grow, but they are worlds apart and find it hard to believe they could ever be together, or at least Max does. When threats are made to Max’ business and his friends and family unless he breaks things off with Grady in a humiliating and crushing public showdown, things take a turn. But not in the way you’d expect.

I have really enjoyed this series. What first appears as a typical trope turns out to be anything but and much more enjoyable than expected. Ms. D’Abo has an easy going style and creates characters who are easy to care about and root for. This story is no exception, and I was rooting for them from the get go. As with the first book, I finished this one excited to read the next, which looks like it will be even more explosive than the first two. I can’t wait to see where this story goes next and how everything turns out with the grand opening of Ringside Gym!

3.5 Stars

While I loved Working It (the first book in the series) and I loved catching up with Zack and Nolan in this book, unfortunately, I can’t say the same about Faking It.

I loved Max, I thought he was an amazing character, strong and reliable. He wanted to find that special someone, thinking Grady might be it for him. I didn’t quite like Grady, though. I found him to be an adorable drunk at first, but when he came up with the whole fake relationship idea and started to show who he really was, that changed. I couldn’t relate with him at all and even when he showed some signs of growing up near the end of the book, I was way past caring about him by then. He was a poor little rich boy who liked rebelling against his father, but still lived off his money. He didn’t work, didn’t do anything worthwhile, yet, Max defended him against both Justin and Grady’s father? I’m sorry, but that didn’t quite work out for me. Despite the fact that Max and Grady were obviously attracted physically to each other and that they were great and very hot in bed, I couldn’t see the appeal for Grady. *shrugs*

The book was well-written, it had some very hot sex scenes and it was entertaining, and hey, you might like Grady much more than I did, so check the book out and form your own opinion.

I’m definitely looking forward to more books in the series, because even if this one didn’t work for me, it doesn’t mean I don’t love Christine D’Abo’s writing and can’t wait to find out what else she has in store for us in the future.

*** Copy provided to me by Riptide Publishing via NetGalley for my reading pleasure, a review wasn’t a requirement. ***

I absolutely ADORED this story so much!!! I picked this book not knowing it was part of a series. I cannot wait to go and read the first book while I wait for the 3rd to be released. I think I've found a new favorite go-to author!!!

3 1/2 Stars

This is one of those books where there was nothing wrong with it, nothing that bothered me or stood out as a problem, and while I truly did like this book, I was also able to put it down and walk away during the course of the 2 days. So I'm left somewhere between "meh" and "good", with very little to point to in order to add an explanation to my rating.


I had a similar response with book 1, too, so perhaps it's d'Abo's writing not being a good fit for my reading tastes? I'm not sure. Still, I'm curious for the next book. Second chance romance, ahoy.

Faking It is pure, unadulterated romance. Two boys meet, decide to become (fake) fiancés, and live HEA.

*screeeech* stop, wait, what?

FAKE fiancés?

The Max we met in Working It is much too level headed to do something so bizarre. Isn't he?

Apparently not when it comes to rich boy, semi-celeb Grady.

I loved it. I loved getting to know both of these men. Loved watching them fall for each other. It's a low angst, engaging story. It never slowed down or faltered. Although the characters from the previous book appear, this one can be read as a stand alone since it focuses solely on the new relationship between Max and Grady. I'm impressed with Christine d'Abo's writing.

Riptide Publishing rarely steers me wrong when I want a little romance in my reading, and Christine d'abo's Ringside Romance series is one of my favorite Riptide discoveries. Working It, book one in the series, hooked me immediately as solid entertainment, with great characters, smooth pacing, and an engaging storyline. Those qualities continue here in book two, and Faking It is an excellent continuation of this delightful and delicious series.

Max, though only a minor character in Working It, was one of my favorites, and I was thrilled to see him get his own story. His nurturing nature, warm personality, and snarky sense of humor are all in excellent form here, and d'Abo pairs him with the perfect romantic foil -- Grady Barnes, failed reality TV star and the spoiled and troubled scion of wealth and privilege who needs an emergency fake fiancé to help escape his father's control of his life. Max needs money to help fund Ringside, and Grady's crazy offer might be the opportunity he needs to make a difference, and to escape the rut his life has become.

It definitely isn't smooth sailing to happily ever after, but the trip is a good one, with a strong storyline, fabulous protagonists, and great supporting characters (Justin, Grady's long-suffering handler, deserves his own book!) and a great blend of emotion and sexiness to keep the reader engaged and interested. Max and Grady's chemistry, both physical and emotional, is delicately crafted, and their shared legacy of troubled family relationships serves as a nuanced backdrop as both men seek to figure out themselves so they can figure out each other. Christine d'Abo is great not only at character development but at the highs and lows of relationships, and she takes her characters, and the reader, on a journey that is hilarious, sexy, and emotionally real as flawed people try to find those moments of connection that change I to we.

Zach and Nolan, the dynamic duo of Working It, both make minor appearances, reinforcing their own happily ever after, and the stage is set for the appearance of the mysterious Eli, the third member of Zach and Max's childhood boxing group, who is mentioned but as yet unseen in the series. I admit, I'm ridiculously excited for the next chapter in this series.

Advanced reader copy received from NetGalley.

This is my first Christine d'Abo and I didn't read the previous book, but this works very well as a standalone. We have a Mr. Nice Guy, Max who is a bar owner and also a silent partner of a gym. Next come Mr. Trust Fund Baby/Reality Star, Grady. These two men are so different yet they just click seamlessly.

Grady is in need of a fake fiance to avoid an arrange marriage by his tyrannical father. I find the way he came up with such a scheme is totally unfathomable especially with Max. They hardly know each other and now he is proposing such impossible task and what is even more unbelievable is Max agreeing to it.

Max is too kind in this story. I can see he long for a connection with someone special and he thinks Grady is it.

Faking It is quite a humorous light romance with some minor drama due to Grady's immaturity. He is the classic example of a rich kid with first world problem. I find it hard to sympathize with his ordeal, wishing he will grow up already. Their relationship development lacks romance, basically started off with insta-lust and getting off. But ultimately, I think he and Max is a good match and wanted to see how will they pull of their act.

Ahhh.....Max.....who knew this sexy nightclub owner had the heart of a softy? He was just about the sweetest and Grady was his perfect match.

All in all, I felt that this was a decent book with a good story, likable side character's and two MC's who steamed up the pages.

Max and Grady were a team...right from the beginning. And even though sex wasn't part of the initial agreement, there was no way that their chemistry could be denied.

The blurb had me a little worried. I enjoyed the d’Abo’s first Ringside Romance book so I really wanted to continue the series. The things that had me thinking I may not enjoy this were the whole arranged marriage and needing a fake fiancé. There are so many different reasons a father would want to arrange a marriage for his son. I had a guess at what this father’s might be and sadly I’ve read it too many times. Thankfully that is not what is going on here and Max and Grady managed this whole not wanting to work thing that really worked for them and this book.
Far too many people in Grady’s life seem to think that he needs managing. At twenty-eight years old he is doing this floundering party boy thing that isn’t really progressing in any positive manner. His character doesn’t come off as irresponsible immature. He is to a certain degree immature and in need of finally growing up. He’s just not sure what to do with his life. That’s how he finds himself in Toronto at a hot gay nightclub looking for his next hookup. What he finds is the back alley and a knight in shining armor.
Max doesn’t know it but he’s stuck in a rut. He has worked so hard for so long making sure that Frantic is successful and profitable that he has left little time for himself. As a silent partner in getting Ringside Gym back up and running he given more of what little time he has. Helping drunks in the alley behind his bar is just being a decent human. After making sure Grady was safe in his hotel room he never thought he’d see him again, much less under the circumstances of trip to Vancouver posing as his fiancé.
Under most circumstances Grady could easily be one of those characters that you just feel sorry for. I never felt sorry for him. A lot of Grady’s drama is brought on by himself. Some of it is from people having grown tired of his attitude. There is a huge factor (Father) that I didn’t really get but it also explains so much. Max’s treatment of Grady had all the feels though. Grady being on the receiving end of true generous kindness and loving for the first time was just heart melting.
Feel free to purchase Faking It knowing it will work as a stand-alone. Nolan and Zach have very little page time. The page time they do have they are simply secondary characters, friends of Max’s. The gym that ties this series together is simply that within these pages.

4* Another decent addition to this series, with glimpses of the previous leads and strong hints of at least a third.

This tale can absolutely be read as a standalone, but you'll enjoy it even more if you read the first book in the series, as the leads pop up in this, living their HEA, with rather surprising tenderness on the part of the hardass character - loved it!

Max, one of the leads in this tale, was briefly introduced in book 1, as the best friend of said hardass, and I liked how the author brought his co-lead, Grady, into his life, because on the face of it, they had nothing in common and only fate could bring them together.

So, the tale works because both guys are decent and there's honesty between them from the very start, and though it's a tale that's been done to death in het romances, I've rarely seen it in MM and this was well-done, sexy and with likeable characters. It had the right balance of 'having each other's back', decent supporting characters, a storyline that worked pretty well, some realistic drama and the right amount of angst, and with one character making a break from his life of luxury for all the right reasons, in a totally uncliché way.

Whilst it didn't end in a clear HEA, I'm pretty sure that these guys were it for each other, and that we'll see more of them in book 3.

ARC courtesy of Riptide Publishing and NetGalley, for my reading pleasure.

Faking it was a cute MM romance. The characters were flawed but adorable.
The pair also had chemistry from their first meeting which continued throughout the book.
It took a while before this couple found their HEA but they were able to overcome a meddling father and their own insecurities

***4.5 Stars***

"What are you doing to me?"

"What people should have been doing for years. Showing you that you're worth it."

"Worth what?"

"Everything."


I LOVED THIS!!

This book was everything I love about the fake relationship trope...and without any of the unnecessary drama. WIN!

Grady and Max were fantastic together!

Their relationship may have been a lie for Grady's father, but what Grady and Max didn't do was lie to each other. There were easily about a dozen scenarios where the author could have thrown in some formulaic drama that comes with writing about a fake relationship...but NOPE...none of that here!

Max and Grady were a team...right from the beginning. And even though sex wasn't part of the initial agreement, there was no way that their chemistry could be denied.

Everything about the evolution of their relationship felt natural. It was clear early on that these two fit and complimented each other perfectly. Because most of this takes place over a couple of weeks, it could feel a little insta...but it didn't feel that way to me. Maybe it's because Max and Grady were just so effortless together from the very beginning that their relationship felt inevitable...I was rooting for them from the first pukey interaction!

I'm curious where Christine d'Abo is going next with this series. Given what information we're provided in the epilogue, I have a pretty good idea.....but no matter who it is, I know I'll be reading it!

There were several things I liked and didn't like about this novel. I feel like it had tremendous potential, but fell flat. The first half of the book was 3 stars but the middle to end were stronger so I left feeling closer to 5 stars.

The connection between Max and Grady was well written, but the overall story plot had huge holes. The parental relationships for both MC's were confusing and, though important to the story, also were written in a distracting way.
I am excited to have found this author and plan to go back and read zach and nolans story in book 1.
Overall it felt like a very far fetched "love story" with a weak HFN. Epilogue wasn't far enough into the future to feel confident how things would go for these two.

The second book in the Ringside Romance series is Faking It by Christine D'Abo. Though part of a series, you really do not have to read the first book to get this one.
Max he owns a night club. His childhood refuge was the Ringside Gym. He is getting kinda tired of cleaning up after drunk people. But he is a good person and will help where he can.
Grady has always wanted his father to love him. He wants for nothing money can give. His father is going to give him off in an arranged marriage. He goes to Max for help. He gets a lot more than he thought he would out of it.
I think at first these two seem rather unlikely as a love match but the more you peel back the layers you see they really do make sense. I loved the humor and just easy going nature of this book. Makes for a great read to unwind and fall in love.
I liked the duel POV's in this story. It allowed me to get into the heads of both characters and really feel what they were feeling. I liked this one and cannot wait for the next one to come out.

Five Shooting Stars

Faking It, Christine d'Abo

Review from Jeannie Zelos book reviews

Genre:  Romance, LGBTQIA

I really enjoyed book one in this series, which was also a first read of Christine's books. Book two is Max and Grady, Max being involved in Ringside as well as owning a busy nightclub.
I loved that we met Zack and Nolan from book one again too. 

Grady kind of stumbles into Max life, escaping from his bullying father, his unwanted fame and now he discovers he's not escaped.
Dad's taking advantage of the Gay side of him, hoping to cash in on the Liberalist views, marry Grady off to the son of a wealthy connection and bring even more profit to his investments.
Poor little rich boy....and yet Grady's likable, we can see that underneath his seeming to despise his father he really just wants his approval. But that's not been forthcoming for a long while, and Grady isn't prepared to marry a stranger just to get it.
Max seems like an honest guy, he didn't try to rip him off when he had the chance, didn't snap photos or tell stories to the press, and he wonders - would he pretend to be engaged if they agree a suitable recompense? It would only need to be for a few weeks. 

Max's first thought is no, he feels sorry for Grady, is of course strongly attracted and knows that's reciprocated but no, just no, he can't do it. Well, until something happens to change his mind on the spur of the moment. 

Its a fun story, I liked Grady and Max, loved seeing updates on Zack and Nolan but overall it was a bit ..slow. There was lots going on but it was all very subdued, understated and when it came to the wrap up, I just couldn't really see it happening that way. It was such a complete turnaround that it didn't feel real, and that's a kicker for me, situations need to feel that they could happen. This time I didn't see how it could roll out that way. 

Its still a good read, a well written story with the good sex v story balance that book one had for me. I hate when sex overtakes the story, for me that just doesn't work, but this read had it just right.
Of course the lack of drama and the ending that didn't work for me will be perfect for others. Such is life so make your own judgement, if you liked soft and understated romance this could be just right for you. I love drama and an element of realism, and that lack was what brought it down for me. 

Stars:Three, a good story but I felt for me it needed more drama and a bit more realism in the ending. 

ARC supplied for review purposes by Netgalley and Publishers

Faking It by Christine d"Abo is a fun, drama filled, romance story that keeps you engrossed until the very end. I really enjoyed reading Max and Grady's story. They are two strangers committed to thwarting Grady's father in his latest business venture. However, Max and Grady have a hard time keeping their feelings out of the arrangement they initially agreed upon. The question is, can they put aside their difference and make an effort at a real relationship?

2.5 stars. A quick and breezy read. This m/m romance involves a fake relationship plot to attend a family wedding, a narrative premise I love. The writing is solid and the characters have some good banter with one another. However, the emotional arc and the characterization fell flat, and the characters' feelings for one another seem abrupt and unbelievable. The emotional issues are also ultimately resolved in a hand-wavey kind of way.