Holden James was ready to jet off to Los Angeles with his boyfriend to audition for his favorite game show, Madcap Market. But when he is unceremoniously dumped, Holden takes the nonrefundable trip himself—and has a bit of a meltdown in his hotel room that leads to the smart-ass (and sexy) concierge arriving at his door with a pizza, Monopoly, and a distraction.

Holden doesn’t know much about Leo Min, but he does know their chemistry is off the charts—maybe even enough to fool the show’s casting directors that they’re a real couple. The pair just have to work hard to crush the competition, make sure they’ve got their stories straight, and then they’ll win—solving all of Holden’s problems.

I never thought I’d be invested in a game show that is some kind of mix between The Price is Right and Jeopardy, but Holden James really knows how to sell it! It was a bit hard to understand Holden’s obsession with the game show and why it seemed like it would make everything better at first, but Janovsky creates a rich history and emotional connection between Holden and Madcap Market that makes you wish it was a real game show that you could watch (or be a part of). It’s easy to relate to Holden’s ex-boyfriend and only scratch the surface of Holden’s connection to the game, but as the story progresses, the layers continue to be peeled away, leaving you wanting to wrap him up in a hug.

The back and forth between Holden and Leo is electric from the start, even when Holden kind of hates Leo. The story is told strictly from Holden’s POV and even though he seems to dislike Leo at first, it’s clear that there is something there right from the get-go. While it can be argued that Leo is only lovable because the reader is seeing him through Holden’s eyes, I think Janovsky finds a way to sneak in pieces of Leo that even Holden doesn’t understand at first and that allows the reader to truly fall for him as a character independent of Holden’s influence. Also, we absolutely stan a man who understands that drunken consent is not true consent!

What I thought would be a lighthearted and fun read was…well, it was that, but it was also so much deeper. The death of Holden's mother weighs heavy on him throughout and his relationship with his grief is a prominent part of the story. Following along in Holden's grieving process allows the reader to understand how truly non-linear the grieving and healing process is. It really struck a chord with me and allowed me to feel a little better about the way in which my emotions change when confronting my own grief and loss. Janovsky managed to pack a lot into a little package and found a way to really balance the comedy with the tougher topics.

Disclaimer: I received an advanced copy of this book from the publisher for free and have voluntarily written this review.

Reality TV RomCom set on shows about food IS my jam, but this book didn’t wow me like I hoped. The MC Holden is a sad boy on a Hollywood adventure to be on his moms favorite grocery store game show, but he needs a partner ASAP! Enter Leo, the recently-fired hotel concierge who is hot, sweet, and wants the prize money to start his life or whatever. Cuties, both of them, and I appreciated the food jokes that just kept coming, but what I did not appreciate is what happened to that cucumber! Which is to say, the main reason I didn’t adore this book is that it was a lil more spicy than I prefer. There was a good balance of spice and plot though, and the third act breakup was, dare I say, totally reasonable! For those looking for a steamy rom com LA fake dating for the cameras journey, this one is for you!!!

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher, Harlequin, for providing me with a copy of the book in exchange for this honest review!!

This was a perfect intersection between my two favorite tropes: fake relationship and reality TV settings. Very steamy and witty!

A rom-com involving a game show and a fake dating scheme. I liked the setting as it was unique! The chemistry and romance was fine but not the best or most exciting.

I fear that Timothy Janovsky has lost me. Cucumbers? Really?

Before I start this review feel the need to preface by saying I do not mind books with a lot of smut and I am a fan of kink in books but it has to be well done and this is not well done.

I think I went into this book not realizing just how spicy was going to be because Janovsky's previous books have not been and in fact had characters on the asexual spectrum and so I just wasn't ready for the almost constant horniness. Now I'm not necessarily holding that against this book because that's my own perception and authors can 100% change the type of books and the type of representation that they write.

What I am going to hold against this book is that it's just bad. There is no substance whatsoever. We essentially have Holden who is obsessed with his game show and starts the book by asking his long-term boyfriend to go on it with him and his boyfriend dumps him. So Holden decides to take The trip anyway and hope he can find someone to audition for this game show with him because he really wants to win the prize money. And then we have Leo who is a concierge for the hotel that Holden is staying up and the two end up having some chemistry.

After some things happen, Leo and Holden decide to fake date in order to pass as partners for this audition because the game show only chooses people who have an interesting dynamic. What neither one of them was expecting to happen were real feelings in their fake dating.

The premise is there but the execution was not. This book attempts to start some sort of soft BDSM kink but it's not discussed well enough for my liking and made me more uncomfortable than anything. Then we have to talk about the cucumbers. There's legitimately a scene where Leo tells Holden to fuck himself with a cucumber over FaceTime. I don't even know what to do with this.

Neither Holden or Leo are well developed characters and the game show itself is honestly a back burner plot. This book only gets good in the last maybe 10 or 15% when we get a little bit more depth into Holden and his depression but it's too little too late at that point for me. Had I not had an arc of this, I would have DNF'd. I also feel like I gave it a shot because I liked the author's previous books. If this said had been my first book by him I would not read anything else so do with that information what you will.

This was really cute! Though I *love* dual POV stories, having just one here (Holden's) worked really well for the narrative. I liked that Holden and Leo talked about the real feelings they were catching while in their fake relationship--the but we're doing it for the show! We have an end date! So of course we're not going to talk about it, I'd rather suffer alone in silence (overblown) drama we often see in fake relationship plots wasn't really here. (There's other drama from other sources--including one that made me gasp out loud while reading and call secondary characters very bad names. Apologies to my oldest, who was sitting next to me trying to play video games in peace)

Holden's grief did bog the story down a bit in parts, but that's OK because that's what it was doing to him too, which made it feel authentic. I loved the way finally talking about his mom helped to strengthen his relationship with his dad.

And that HEA! Very sweet. But before that? Sooooo much steam. If this is the direction this new Harlequin line is going, I am very much in favor!

Rating: 4 stars / A-

I voluntarily reviewed an Advance Reader Copy of this book.

Janovsky does it again! No one is mixing pop culture camp with deep real emotions like he is. I loved that he let the two main characters really take their time to be ready for each other.

It’s supermarket sweep! It’s fake dating! It’s written by Timothy Janovsky! It’s everything I could’ve wanted in a romance!

It's not surprise that I love Timothy's romances, and The [Fake] Dating Game was absolutely no exception. I was rooting for Holden and Leo from the very beginning, and throughout the entire book. They were both really fleshed out characters, especially for a single POV. Holden's passion for Madcap Market was so fun and thrilling - especially for a lifeline Supermarket Sweep fan. I loved all the little game show references and it made me want to turn on GSN and binge whatever was playing.

One of the most special things about this story was, to me, Holden's grief journey. I lost my dad two and a half years ago, and Holden had lost his mom five-ish years before the events of the book (if I'm remembering right). He and his mom bonded over Madcap Market, which is why he was so passionate to compete on the show. I connected to that so deeply - my dad and I bonded over TV shows of all kinds - reality, competition, game shows, sitcoms, dramas, you name it, and my dad and I watched it together. All of those little moments that Holden felt close to his mom, connected to her even though she was gone reminded me of how I feel when I'm watching shows I know my dad would've loved. There's that closeness that is hard to describe to someone who hasn't experienced the loss of a parent when you're young. Timothy Janovsky handled all the grief bits so well, and there were never really moments that I felt like it was approached without care. (The content warning at the beginning of the book was also something I genuinely appreciated, since I received my eARC of the book in August, which was the month my dad passed, so I had to put the book to the side for a little while.)

Overall, this story just hit every nail right on the head for me. I appreciated the care and love that was put in the grief parts of the story as much as I appreciated the romance and the steamy scenes. Timothy Janovsky balanced this book so beautifully and I can't wait to gt my hands on his next romance!

I liked The Fake Dating Game. Holden was much more enjoyable that this authors recent protagonists. He was a much better balance of the messy unlikeable person and the redeemable qualities. The plot was fun and I liked the game show. Timothy, I’ll never forgive you for the cucumber though 🤣

I’m a fan and will keep reading his books, they’re always fun and delightfully queer!

I greatly enjoyed this game. The little girl that watched game shows on days home from school with her grandparents felt the nostalgia the entire book. The spice level was good, but I would not recommend to students because of the sexual content.

Timothy Janovsky is one of my favourite authors. I adored Never Been Kissed when I read an ARC copy, and also ended up loving Matthew Prince, which became one of my favourite books of all time! I recently read New Adult, and enjoyed that one too, so needless to say, I had really high expectations for this book. The (Fake) Dating Game marks a new venture for Timothy Janovsky. This was his most adult book so far, and I enjoyed Janovsky entering his spice era. The representation in this book was wonderful and I loved how the relationship progressed. Holden was a little bit of a disaster main character, but Leo definitely complimented him in the right ways. I loved learning about Leo's relationship with his mother, and how much they cared about each other. I wish the reality aspect of the show was a longer segment of the book, but other than that really enjoyed this lighthearted and fun contemporary romance. I'm looking forward to reading more of Janovsky's work soon!

I’m sad to say this one missed the mark for me. I’ve loved Timothy Janovsky’s previous novels and comparatively this one felt choppy and disjointed.

The main character, Holden, felt half flushed out and didn’t stay true to his character. The most flushed out part of this book was his grief over his late mother and that I felt was done well.

Leo, a bi-racial (he’s half Korean) hotel concierge Holden meets upon checking into his hotel was a delightful, well-rounded character and the main love interest. I really enjoyed Leo, his charms and his relationship with his mom.

The spice in this book was fine but am I the only one who kept thinking about that old 1,000 ways to die show when the cucumber was brought up. 😭

I was so annoyed when Holden’s ex would show up when so not necessary as well but I did enjoy the television show as someone who loves Food Network game shows.

I’m going to generously give this one 3 stars.

⭐️ ⭐️⭐️

Thank you to NetGalley and Afterglow books for the E-ARC in exchange for an honest review.

I wanted this to be dual point of view SO bad. I love the premise though; it was hands down one of the most fun set ups I've read in a while. I love Leo's Mom so much. Strangely, even as a fan of Category Romance, I wanted more from this book. I could have selfishly read another 150 pages.

Thank-you to NetGalley, Harlequin, and Timothy Janovsky for the eARC!

This was my first Janovsky and needless to say I WILL be diving into his backlog. What a treat! It had such an incredible balance of silly, sexy, and serious. I'm also a strong believer that every break book needs at least one karaoke scene, and I was gifted with TWO! I will be recommending the crap out of this book at work.

I enjoy Timothy Janovsky's books. They're always light and fun. This one was perhaps a little too tropey for my taste, but I'll definitely read him again. For fans of The Charm Offensive, Rosaline Palmer Takes the Cake, Never Ever Getting Back Together, and other reality tv competition shows.

This was a fun story! I haven't read too many gameshow romances, so this one really stood out. I also think the story dealt with Holden's grief in a very real and honest way, which was refreshing. I loved how both Holden and Leo were a little messy, and their messiness went together well. I just wasn't totally captivated by any aspect of the book. I kind of wanted more of the gameshow filming, and to be totally honest I'm not sure if I needed the ex appearance. I understand why that needed to happen, but it just seemed a little cruel and absurd and pulled me out of the story. I would recommend this book to those who like romance and are looking for a good queer romance. Thank you to Afterglow Books by Harlequin and NetGalley for this ARC!

I LOVED this! Timothy Janovsky just knows how to reach into my heart every time! Holden and Leo are so good for each other; I was cheering for them right from the start. And as seemingly ridiculous and silly as game shows inherently appear, I loved the way that over-the-top entertainment also pulls so many deep emotions from Holden who grew up watching the shows with his mother. It's a very relatable mix of joy and heartache in those moments, and I just wanted to reach in and give Holden a comforting squeeze. Meanwhile, Leo's relationship with his mother and commitment to doing well by Holden were the perfect antidote for those moments of sadness. You just know Leo is a good person who could cherish and be present for Holden with a playful spirit if given the chance. Love, love, loved it. Highly recommend.

This was………….. Idk? lol I have read and loved almost all of Tim’s stuff, but when I saw this one I was like BET. And of course, he delivered. Did it have some qualms? Yes. And there were some big ones. But there were some good things too.

Ok so I guess I’ll start with the romance and the characters. I acutally liked it. The love interest was actually my favorite part of the story. He was hilarious and I feel like he brought out the best in the MC. Normally that aggravates me because I feel like the MC should be likeable on their own. But in this case, the MC was grief stricken and really sad. I wanted nothing more than to tell him he did NOT need to be doing this right now. He needed to take some time. But because he didn’t, I was content with we got.

Speaking of the romance, it was way more spicy than his last books. There is even an incident with a vegetable in this and that was something I was not expecting. And let me preface this by saying, I am not a prude, but I have qualms about food stuff in places that it shouldn’t go. So I have to say, someone mentioned this in their review on Goodreads, and I have never been more glad that I read it. I was able to skip this part in the book lol If you like it, I love it for you, but this part was just not for me.

The plot itself was so sweet. I loved the supermarket game show aspect. If you didn’t grow up watching Supermarket Sweep then you can’t fully grasp the coolness of this lol I watched this with my grandma a bunch when I was at home after school. But it was really sweet that it was with his mom and that he felt that he was doing that for her. I didn’t like that there was no real reason for Leo to do it besides wanting some money lol But still. I get it and I know what he was doing was important to him.

This was plot was pretty basic compared to his other books. Like the one with the crystals? That was so good and creative. But it just didn’t have the umph that I wanted. It was mostly spice and not really romance? Like they had good heat, but I wanted more chemistry. Holden kept talking about how hot Leo was and all that, but I wanted more. I know that this is Afterglow and it’s supposed to be more steamy, but I didn’t want that to overshadow or even replace the romance.

This book was just ok to me tho. I didn’t have anything to write home about or anything to scream and shout about either. I know there are more books by Tim coming out (WE GET ANOTHER CHRISTMAS BOOK?!) and I can’t wait to have them in my hands!

Such a fun, rom-commy read, but with lots of emotion and spice as well. I really enjoyed this one and will look for more books from this author going forward!

From “showing up to glowing up”, come along as characters embark on a path toward their best lives while delivering humour, heart, and a delightful twist on the classic fake-dating trope. If you're looking for a feel-good romance with a dash of game show excitement, this novel is your perfect match.

Meet Holden James. He’s chosen the worst possible moment for a meltdown. His chance to audition for the beloved game show Madcap Market should have been a triumphant tribute to his late mother. Instead, he finds himself in a grim Los Angeles hotel room: recently dumped, partnerless, and sliding into misery.

Meet Leo Min. He’s the unfairly fit and sexy concierge who arrives at Holden’s door with pizza, Monopoly, and distractingly attractive forearms. Holden knows little about Leo except that he's beautiful and unexpectedly sympathetic. The chemistry between them is undeniable, and perhaps it's enough to convince everyone, including the show's casting directors, that they're a real couple.

All they need to do is crush the competition, win the huge cash prize, and solve all of Holden's problems. Of course, reality doesn't always work out that way. Love, however, plays an entirely different game. Get ready for laughter, steamy moments, and a charming journey through love's unpredictable twists and turns.

Thank you to NetGalley and HARLEQUIN Romance (U.S. & Canada) for a temporary e-ARC in exchange for my honest review.