The Fake Mate is a decently entertaining romance book with many familiar but enjoyable tropes. The flirting and banter in the beginning immediately caught my attention and I thought Mackenzie and Noah had a lot of chemistry.

However, there is very little to the story outside of the romance. The plot concerning Noah's leaked Alpha status was very obvious and, therefore, wasn't particularly interesting. Once Noah and Mackenzie got together (for real) my interest waned. The smut scenes quickly became repetitive and the third-act conflict was predictably silly. I also felt like the story lacked good side characters. The most distinct side characters were comedic caricatures meant to put Mackenzie and Noah in awkward situations and ask invasive questions.

This book is so much fun! This is my first time dipping my toes into the omegaverse and when I tell you I went in blind, I was BLIND. I will admit I did my fair share of googling haha but I really enjoyed this book. It’s your classic fake dating, grumpy sunshine but with wolf shifters! What’s not to love

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

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

REVIEW FOR THE FAKE MATE

4 stars

Thank you to Berkley Romance and Netgalley for the free book copy!

I will be completely honest- I did NOT like The Nanny. I thought the whole premise was creepy, and I thought the characters lacked substance. However, I ADORED this book and read it in one sitting. This was my first full shifter romance, and I learned some THINGS friends lol. I really also hope this will be the start of a series, because there are a few side characters I wouldn't mind learning more about.

The connection and chemistry Mack and Noah was just, chef's kiss. I also liked that the paranormal part of the story was woven into the natural world, very similar to the Supernatural Singles stories by April Asher. It gave it an element of reality that fantasy and paranormal stories often lack.

One of the things I felt could have been improved upon was there was a lot of internal dialogue. I tend to like stories that strike a balance between external and internal dialogue, but if I feel like I'm in the characters head too much then it can get monotonous.

Overall, this book has made me a fan of Lana Ferguson, and I vow to give any future book of hers a chance before writing it off (as long as it doesn't have a weird storyline using OnlyFans)

I absolutely loved this book. Lana Ferguson has quickly become an auto-buy author for me, and I would absolutely read anything she writes!
It's an amazing introduction to the omegaverse/shifter romance if you haven't read any before, plus tie it all up with a pretty fake dating bow and you have one incredible romance! I absolutely loved Mack and Noah, and the heat scenes were DELICIOUS.

Steamy, shape-shifting, wolfy romance. It was just okay--didn't really grab me. Predictable. Cute. 45 variations of the verb, "chuff," was overkill. I liked The Nanny better.

Okay, this book just jumped to the top of my favorite steamy paranormal romance novel list! Three of my favorite tropes all rolled up into one steamy hot book. Yes, please! Grumpy, hot, alpha doctor Noah meets sunshiny omega doctor Mackenize in this fake-dating (mating) office romance reminiscent of the best Grey's Anatomy episode. Full of tons of hospital politics, drama, and lots of neck-nuzzling foreplay, I was not prepared for the sizzling romantic scenes and burning-hot chemistry between these two shifters. This one was off-the-charts good! It's a super fast, highly entertaining read. I'd especially recommend it if you like omegaverse shifter romances.

The Fake Mate by Lana Ferguson is a highly entertaining fake dating paranormal romance between two doctors that also happen to be wolves. If you think Grey’s Anatomy but add in omegaverse wolves, mates & workplace drama, you get this deliciously spicy & fun romance!

The Fake Mate is great for fans of…
🌙 Paranormal Romance
🌙 Workplace Romance
🌙 Fake Dating
🌙 Forced Proximity

This is my first omegaverse book & I have to say this one started me out with a bang. It had the perfect combination of entertainment, drama, spice, humor & love.

I also listened to the audiobook for this & I thought both of the narrators did a fantastic job. Dual POV audiobooks are my favorite kind so I thought this was amazing. I highly recommend the audiobook version of this! They brought this fun story to life.

If you’re looking for a delightfully intriguing & enjoyable spicy romance that is like Grey’s Anatomy meets Teen Wolf but not in their teens, then I highly recommend The Fake Mate!

Massive thanks to NetGalley, Berkley Publishing & PRH Audio for the gifted copies, which I voluntarily read & reviewed.

I love the paranormal addition to this romance. Ferguson writes so many different types of books and I can't wait to see what she writes next.

Thank you Netgalley and Berkley Romance for providing me with an e-ARC to review. All opinions are honest and my own.

TW: explicit sex on the page, workplace sexual harassment, workplace blackmail, hospital setting, societal discrimination, parental death (past), parental neglect

This was my first experience with the omegaverse and I think…I think I am into it. Honestly, this is not revolutionary to announce, considering that I already enjoy paranormal romance (PNR) and monster romance. I know that omegaverse fans can be intense regarding what books are and are not “technically classified as omegaverse”, therefore to ease any concerns I will include the omegie (sorry I can’t keep typing out that long word) elements here: alphas, betas, scenting, wolf shifters, mating, knotting, societal discrimination. That’s all I got, so please let me know if I am missing anything. Remember I am a novice.

So knotting, no I will not explain it here, Google is your friend, however I enjoyed it wayyy more than I thought I would. This book has A LOT of sex, maybe not as much as a sex forward, plot second dark romance indie book, but considering this is from Berkley Romance I was like actually shocked there was so much sex. I know many of you will perk up your ears at this and will be ecstatic, and as a smut lover I must admit, I wanted a little more plot progression and less sexy time. This review is a little less structured and a bit more stream of consciousness, my apologies, however, the story had a really solid conflict and while it did result in a typical third act “breakup/general chaotic-ness” everything was resolved very quickly without the full level of angst and tension Lana Ferguson could have delivered. Why, because once the sex scenes started they did not end. I’m not sure what the balance in omegie books are and I know that sex is usually a big part of the plot, but we need synergy, I needed synergy. You can’t give me this stressful conflict, which the characters are contending with the whole book to wrap things up so quickly. I feel cheated Ms. Ferguson, I know you could have made it hurt more than it did. Honestly, I made a long blah-blah TikTok going into all the specifics, because I can better articulate my thoughts on this story verbally as opposed to in written form.

If you did not know this was originally a Reylo fic, it was not hard to guess considering, Noah,our male lead, is exuding Adam Driver energy on the cover. I enjoyed Mackenzie, our female lead and Adam. They had good chemistry and this is a workplace romance, as they are both doctors at the same hospital. While Noah is older than her, late thirties, she’s no baby, considering she’s in her late twenties, the ages are specified in the book, but I can’t be too fussed to look it up for the exact number. It does have one of my favorite tropes, don’t worry I’m not a trope fanatic and the presence of the trope doesn’t mean I will automatically enjoy the book. Execution is key. However, I did like the fake dating here, basically Noah is the intelligent, high-achieving, head honcho doctor of the hospital and Mackenzie is the funny, bubbly, blonde, who is trying to show that while she is young she is capable. Noah has a secret and Mackenzie can help him out, while also getting her scheming grandmother off of her case. They’re both wolf-shifters by the way so doggies go woof. Anyway, this was a fun read, but considering the pacing issues and lack of plot development it's not going into my life-changing romance book pile. Still a solid intro into the omegaverse, for me.

I enjoyed the side character's Mack's energetic and robust Grandma, her friend, Priya, who provided comedic relief, and her BFF, Parker. Because I know people are going to ask if this book has LGBTQIA+ rep, so yes, Parker is gay. He was a good friend, even though I found him a bit too rigid, but I think his character was underdeveloped anyway.

I’m so glad this was my introduction to Lana Ferguson. This book is just the right amount of spicy and angsty, and puts a whole new twist on the “fake relationship” trope. This book was so good, I started searching out other omegaverses, and honestly this and “Bride” by Ali Hazelwood are the best I’ve found!

I really wanted to like this book more than I did, since the premise sounded so fun. And it still is a good book, it just didn't pull me in like I hoped it would.

It's a story of fates, mates, and shifters. Mackenzie Carter and Noah Taylor are both medical doctors, both wolf shifters, and both need each other to be in a fake relationship. And it works up to a point, until feelings get involved.

The banter is light and there are moments when my hearth squees a little bit, but overall the book didn't enrapture me. It was still fun, weird with the rules of the unmated alphas. I look forward to her next book, as the first one grabbed me from the start.

This was a fun and flirty fast paced novel. It's my first shifter romance and I think even without the wolf stuff this would be a great contemporary romance novel. I would recommend it for fans of My Roommate is a Vampire, but I enjoyed this book more! I'm looking forward to owning a physical copy for my personal collection

Lordt this was my first foray into the Omegaverse…. I have no idea what made me want to even read this? I’m gonna say it’s all the fault of these other 3 ladies, Geena, Cassie, and Sarah. We all decided to Buddy Read this and I think it’s safe to say it broke us lmao All of us were new to Omegaverse, so I knew it was going to be fun….. Or fun adjacent at least lol

Ok so the number one best thing about this book was the humor and banter. I was going through a tough spot when we finished this, so I was very happy when I ended up laughing constantly. Mack was hilarious. And the way she interacted with Noah was hilarious as well. He was the Boogeyman of the hospital and she was all sunshine and rainbows. I love the sunshine and the grump trope, and this one was spot on. And the way she cracked his code, gah, I loved it.

I also like the plot. Even though I knew who it was the whole time, I don’t think the author was trying to keep it a secret. Because this person was a fucking jerk from the beginning lol But then there was all the side plots like the person who had a crush on Mack (👀) and of course fucking nosey Jessica lmao All of them made this so much fun. I daresay hearing every time Jessica was spreading other people’s business was hilarious. I remember asking how she had a job because girlfriend was NEVER doing any damn work lol

The other thing I liked about it was the romance. Again this was my first foray into the Omegaverse and I had a lot of questions. I would have Googled A LOT for this book, but I had Tiktok and the others to consult if I needed something. And honestly I was really happy that this was my first one. It was written really easy to follow and I found it just entertaining and not like it was trying to teach me anything. I don’t know if any of them out there are like that since this is my first, but I appreciated that.

However, that was really where my like with the romance ended lol I had some real issues with him making her say Alpha and her saying it in akin to like Daddy or something. BUT I didn’t take off my rating for it because I know that’s a me thing. That’s a wolf thing and I know that if I ever read anything else like this, I’ll have to get over that. There is a power difference between the two and I know I can’t make that a bad thing in my mind. I also had a problem with the in Heat thing. I don’t want to give it away, but Idk how to explain that the lines blurred with consent there to me. Again this is a me thing, but I really need to let it go. Maybe I’m over-thinking it, but it just felt weird. She was in pain so she took care of it. But it was with him because he was there? Idk it felt weird to me.

I do wish there was more world building. Are there other species out there? Are there ONLY wolf shifters? Idk even if it was more places in the neighborhood or something would be cool. I get that it was mostly in the hospital, and they only had other wolves, but it was really lackluster. There weren’t even any cool cases that they talked about in the story. And like, there’s 2 times they’re wolves the whole book and it’s just weird to me. I guess I’m just weird because I wanted more.

This book was so much fun, but it’s not without its faults. I will say I’m ready for another Omegaverse lite novel like this one lol (I say Omegaverse Lite because Lordt Idk if I can think about a regular knot for a very long time now lmao)

Ugh, I wanted to love this one or at least like it but ultimately it just didn't work for me. I liked the author's writing style but the tropes and characters were a miss for me. The pacing was a bit slow and the story seemed all over the place. While this one wasn't for me, I do believe others will enjoy it.

This would have been a perfect five stars if only the villain would have been done a great violence. For a book about werewolves, it wasn’t as bloodthirsty as I would have liked, but maybe that’s just me and my need for vengeance. Otherwise, really cute book!

Very fast paced and fun read. I love paranormal rom coms and this one was a really fast and fun read. A touch silly at times but super cute, I really do love the entire fake dating trope. Add in a grumpy love interest and I’m sold

Holy Omegaverse! This was my first time reading the subgenre and for me, it was perfect. I toe-dip a little into paranormal/fantasy, but not a ton, so it was all very new to me. I mean, we’ve all heard of Alphas, but I knew nothing of Omegas—and KNOTS! Whew, that was hot! I will admit I had to take a (small) detour over to Google to do a little research on Omegaverse, but it was worth it. I love contemporary romance and rom-coms and this felt like those with a tinge of Omegaverse. So for a first time reader of the subgenre, I couldn’t have asked for a better intro.

3 ⭐️ This was a fun omegaverse story


I mean, it's just a few lies and a fake relationship. Nothing bad ever came from that.


WHAT TO EXPECT:
✨ paranormal / shifter romance
✨ contemporary setting
✨ omegaverse
✨ doctor MCs
✨ she needs a boyfriend, he needs a mate
✨ fake dating
✨ co-workers
✨ grumpy x sunshine
✨ strangers to friends with benefits
✨ he falls first
✨ 7 year age gap
✨ teasing banter
✨ 3/5 spice
✨ "you can take it", "good girl"
✨ lack of communication because fear of rejection
✨ third act breakup
✨ groveling
✨ HEA


My Thoughts:

For anyone who isn't familiar with omegaverse, this is a great place to start. If you're not familiar with the concept at all, just do a quick google search for an explanation.


What I liked:

I really enjoyed the beginning of this story. Mackenzie and Noah are both doctors but rarely work together, so they're essentially strangers. She's very approachable and friendly while Noah is serious, standoffish, and known as the Boogeyman of Denver. These two are total opposites and it wasn't apparent how they'd be a match at the beginning, but as the story progresses and they get to know one another, Mackenzie thaws his cold heart while Noah makes hers burn. They're both a little awkward around each other at first, which was super realistic considering the situation. And they end up developing a genuine friendship, which I thought was sweet. They're romance was sweet, but of course, it was also very spicy.

There's a total of 6 explicit sex scenes that go on for quite a few pages, so this is for the smut lovers. And if you're wondering about the type of smut, just know it has a lot of the usual omegaverse stuff: scenting, praise, knotting, licking, biting, and chasing. All very primal. And even though these two are shifters (they can turn into wolves), don't worry, they only do it as humans.


What I didn't like:

There’s not a lot going on besides the romance, so once they’re together I started losing interest. Sure, there's some drama with Noah being outed as an alpha by a mysterious person, who is revealed towards the end. But, that side plot was predictable so the reveal wasn't a surprise. So around 60% of the story when the romance is established, I ended up skimming a lot of the non dialogue just to see how it all ends.

The third act breakup was also very predictable. It was also incredibly frustrating because none of it would have happened if Noah had just talked to Mackenzie, but he got scared(?) and decided to make choices for the two of them even if he knew it would make them both miserable. It was a dumb decision.

However, I will say the groveling and makeup sex afterwards was satisfying; so at least the story ended on a high note.

Priya was a random, annoying friend. All she ever did was ask Makenzie about her sex life with Noah and it just got really weird after a while.

I cannot say enough good things about this book 🥹 After reading The Nanny Lana Ferguson immediately became an auto buy author, and The Fake Mate just further confirmed for me the Lana is firmly in place at the top of my favorite authors!

Noah and Mack just truly are the absolute cutest, and this story is fake dating perfection! And with the added aspect of it being paranormal just made it even better! Fake mating instead of fake dating is such a fun fresh take on the trope, and really adds something new to the trad published romance genre! It’s so exciting to see paranormal romance from a traditional publisher, and I hope this is just the first of many!


Plus, Noah being an Alpha whose pretty beta in the streets Alpha in the sheets was PERFECT 🥵

I really hope we get a second book from Lana in this universe!