Quick romance read with a diverse lead, which is honestly wonderful to see. I'm always a huge fan of the fake dating trope, and it was really fun to see that trope applied to the world of social media and influencing, which can often have a superficial expectation from the audience. Loved the chemistry between the leads. Really quick read for a good weekend or beach trip!

I’m not sure how I feel about this one still. I liked it while I was reading it but I found it very forgettable. I did really like the characters and the story line.

This was the first book I have read by this author! I enjoyed it so much! I definitely will recommend this book and also look for other books by this author! It really is a must read!

This has been on my NetGalley shelf for over a year, and I still haven’t picked it up. I've tried, but it just isn't for me (right now). I hope other people enjoy it more than I did.

This book was just sadly not for me! I was hoping for something different but it turned out to be something I was not expecting, which is okay and I'm sure someone else would love it!

2.5
A bit too predictable for me. I couldn´t really conect with the characters. It might have been the influencer aspect that didn´t work for me, I had hoped for a bit more.

1.5 stars is being generous.

Was hard to get into. Couldn’t tell which relationship she was going for - the married best friend, the douche fitness bro, or the assistant that we know very little about. Fake dating is fine, but weird throughout with all the other relationships.

I must not be into influencer books. Struggled to connect at all.

The dialogue and internal monologue in this is also absolutely dreadful. Not realistic and enjoyable to read.

3.5☆

I'm in two minds about the protagonist. There are some things about her that I didn't like but I admired her drive, her efforts to make a difference and how passionate she was. At times I wished that there was less focus on the romance and more on her passion because it had a lot of potential.

I was not a fan of the friendships in the book–they were either toxic or not developed well enough but the love story was cute. I liked Travis's character although I do admit that something he did in the end made me uncomfortable.

While I did feel that the plot was a little underdeveloped and the ending was too rushed, I really appreciate that the author brought up the topic of lack of inclusivity in the makeup industry. It's a conversation we need to have in both real life and fiction.

Influenced Love by Shellee Marie is a debut novel that follows the life of Alivia Fae, a popular beauty influencer who finds herself embroiled in a scandal involving her childhood friend and pro baseball player, Dan. To divert attention from the scandal, Alivia agrees to fake date another influencer, Moe Gava, but soon realizes that he's not the guy she thought he was. However, when the suggestion is made to start a fake dating relationship with Moe to keep up engagement with their fans, she reluctantly agrees, leading her to re-evaluate her life and what she truly wants to influence.

The book features a single 1st person POV, a fake relationship trope, slow burn romance, and no steamy scenes. While the fake relationship trope is a common one, the author manages to add a unique twist to it, where the couple never seems to click, because Alivia falls for Travis. The chemistry between Alivia and Travis is sweet and endearing, making them a cute couple to root for.

The author's writing style is simple and straightforward, making the book an easy and enjoyable read. The use of first-person narrative effectively portrays Alivia's thoughts and feelings, allowing the reader to connect with her as the drama unfolds. The book is also laced with humor, making some parts of it funny and entertaining.

Influenced Love is not geared toward YA, despite the cover looking YA-ish. It's a slow-burn romance that's PG-rated, making it a fun and lighthearted read. While some parts of the book are not so likable the story's overall message is one of hope and perseverance.

I received an eARC copy of Influenced Love by Shellee Marie in exchange for an honest review. I gave this book three out of five stars ⭐️⭐️⭐️

I thought the plot to this book was quite interesting although predictable at times. The story itself and how it was presented seemed to be a bit all over the place and rushed.

I really liked Alivia, our main character, however I thought some of the decisions she made on trying to resolve issues with her best friend left me rolling my eyes and thinking, why on Earth would you do that?! I really liked the chemistry between Travis and Alivia, although at times there were super cheesy scenes which had me cringing, which if you’re into then this book might be for you.

The drama between Alicia’s best friend, Dan, and his newly-wed wife, Donna, was very toxic and I didn’t like the whole ordeal between Alivia and Donna. I am not a fan of slut shaming women and this book unfortunately had that word written over half of this book.

I really enjoy the fake-dating romance type trope although this one was a little more complicated than that.

4 Stars!

I really enjoyed this one! This was such a feel-good story that had me grinning away with plenty of moments where it made me laugh! I really liked Alivia and I don't know she felt so personable and you just wanted to be her friend.

Fake Dating but with a twist, really enjoyed it!

What length will a beauty influencer go to save her friendship and her career in stake?

Alivia Fae, a beauty influencer who's career, reputation and popularity been threatened by media post scandalous wedding of her male bestfriend Dan.

She decided to distract her followers by polling them to pick her a date. And the followers paired her with another fellow influencer Moe Gava.

Unfortunately, she soon realizes that he's not as desirable as he seems online.
Despite her disinterest, when fans and followers suggested that she and Moe start a fake dating relationship, to keep up engagement with their fans, she begrudgingly agrees.

But she begins to grow closer to Moe's low-key assistant, Travis. Leading her to re-evaluate what she truly wants to influence her life-love.

And from that moment onwards, things went crazy and not nothing's going in favour of Alivia...

I love the characters... Specially the Alivia and Dan moment. It's a story about love, friendship, self love. There're so many laugh out louds moments present. But mind you there're up's and down's too.

Nothing comes easy you've face your fears in order to win and move forward.

Highly recommended.

Read and reviewed voluntarily, opinions expressed here are unbiased and entirely my own.

Thank you @netgalley @ibpalovesindies for the #arc in exchange for a honest review.

This book pleasantly surprised me. While it’s not the best thing I’ve ever read, I did enjoy my time reading it. The main character was so lovable, and I really enjoyed following along with her throughout the story.

It took me a while to finish this book, but now that I did I can say it was a cute read. I really love romcoms so I enjoyed this, but I am not the biggest fan of love triangles and it felt a little random at times. Overall it was still a nice read and if you’re looking for something light you might like this!

A heartwarming and super-easy-breezy read about the age of social media and what happens when your life feels like a romantic comedy! I finished this book in 2 sittings - perfect to read on the long weekend or on holiday!

Overall, I enjoyed this book and the characters. And from the start, I was drawn into the story and the lives of these characters. But at about halfway through, I found myself fighting to keep interested. But, there was humor, and the characters were all absolutely wonderful. Maybe not Dan. He treated Alivia poorly throughout most of the book, and not at all like a ‘best’ friend. But overall, the story was good, and it was definitely worth the read.

I think I am the wrong audience for this story as I am over the influencer culture of social media. Those that enjoy social media and the characters made popular from it will enjoy this novel.

I received an advance copy. All thoughts are my own.

This one really wasn't for me. I couldn't get myself to relate to the FMC and the writing style felt clumsy to the point where it was distracting. I really wanted to read it all the way to the end, but unfortunately I had to give up at 70%.

Sadly I had to give up on this book about 1/3 of the way through, I just didn't connect with the main character or with the plot, but thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for giving me a chance to read this book.

This was a quick and easy read. I found the writing amateurish, and the plot was lost at some points. I was unable to connect with the characters and felt that they were missing any depth in them and their actions. I did like that the events in the book are relatable and up-to-date, so it was nice to read about things that I am familiar with. Not bad for a first novel, but the writing style needs some work. Kudos to the author for getting the book published! Not an easy task and should be recognized.