ibby Lane, a waitress with a secret online life, has mastered the art of social media fakery. Her carefully curated Instagram persona, Lillibet, lives a glamorous and healthy existence, miles away from Libby's reality. But the line between real and reel blurs when a real influencer shows up on Lillibet's doorstep, seeking to turn her online fame into reality.

To keep the charade going, Libby and her friends embark on a mission of borrowed goats, made-up holidays, and a pretend husband. But things get complicated when Jefferson Jones, a handsome wildlife photographer with eyes as sharp as his camera, enters the picture. He sees through the facade, sparking a real connection with Libby that threatens to expose her entire web of lies.

As secrets unravel and misunderstandings pile up, Libby must navigate a chaotic world of fake influencers, hidden identities, and unexpected romance. Can she find love and acceptance by letting go of the pretend, or will her online persona swallow her whole?

First and foremost, I really liked this! I thought the preface was a nice touch, I like that Sellet had help from people who live/are native to the area when writing this. The descriptions of the island were so vivid, I felt like I could truly see what the characters were seeing.

This book was a breath of fresh air! Packed with light-hearted humor and delightful characters, I found myself rooting for almost everyone by the end. Libby's friend group is an absolute riot, and I loved the backstory of her online persona evolving from a joke to a full-fledged phenomenon. Both Libby and Jefferson are charming characters, but their romance felt more like a bonus subplot than the main driving force of the narrative. This perfectly suited the breezy, week-long timeframe of the story, making it a quick and enjoyable read. I wouldn't mind getting a whole book about Hildy either!

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Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martins Press for this ARC.

The author's note at the beginning of "Hate to Fake It to You" mentions that this is a love letter to the North Shore of Oahu and her ode to screwball comedy films.

One of my favorite aspects of this novel was the environment. I could picture myself on the dreamy, warm beach with sand between my toes, eating the shaved ice. The scenery is so well done, and I could tell this was certainly the author's love letter to a place that helped shape her worldview.

I am not a huge fan of a plotline centered around social media influencers, so it took me a bit to get into the actual story. I also did not like Libby's friends. I thought they gave horrible advice 🫣 However, this is a very sweet, clean romance book with hilarious one-liners. If that is your cup of tea, definitely try out this book!

I truly wanted to love this book. Great setting and premise but I just couldn't get into it. It just felt forced sadly

This book's plot was an absolute gem, bursting with unparalleled originality that kept me gleefully hooked from start to finish! The characters? Oh, they were a kaleidoscope of personalities, each as unique as a snowflake. Sure, they were a tad unpredictable, making them a bit like trying to catch fireflies, but hey, that mystery only added to the fun!

Now, let's talk about Miss Jean - a whirlwind of chaos wrapped in a bundle of unpredictability. While I couldn't quite pinpoint her essence, it only added to the excitement, leaving me eagerly flipping pages, waiting for that "aha!" moment.

And can we talk about the Hawaiian flair? At first, it was like being whisked away on a tropical adventure, with every page dripping in island charm. Sure, it tapered off a bit, but the magic lingered, keeping me enchanted throughout.

Okay, okay, I'll admit it - the beginning was a bit like waiting for a pot to boil. But once it picked up steam, I was on a rollercoaster ride of emotions, flipping pages faster than a kid in a candy store!

By the time I reached the end, I was practically doing cartwheels of joy! While I initially leaned towards a 3 or 3.5-star rating, the second half knocked it out of the park, earning this book a solid four stars in my book!

Now, imagine if the characters delved a bit deeper into their thoughts and the descriptions of Hawaii were as vivid as a Technicolor dream - that would've been the cherry on top! But hey, even without those extras, this book was an absolute blast! And trust me, I'm not one to dish out compliments lightly.

I looveeee a good fake dating romance!!! All the tension and frustrated screaming im doing to tell the charades to just LET IT HAPPEN ALREADY lol

Thank you to the publisher for an eARC of this on Netgalley, for my unbiased opinion. All thoughts are my own and are not compensated for.

This book had so many hilarious moments between the characters! Our main character, Libby, has a fake social media persona "Lillibet," that is pretentious and a bit of a humble bragger....which is absolutely nothing like the real Libby. Libby's life could not be more opposite from how she embellishes Lillibet's life (with the art/photography help from her best friend Jean, and culinary skills of Keoki). This charade is all fun and games until an actual (rich) influencer wants to meet Lillibet and stay at her "beach house" in Hawaii (with her own private beach). Jean has created the whole plan to have Lillibet be as real as possible when meeting Hildy and Jefferson....so what could go wrong? I did eventually hate how Jean treats Libby, and almost put the book down because of how crappy of a friend she was being, but persevered and finished.

Some tropes for your interest:
- Found family
- Screwball humor
- Closed-door romance
- Romcom

Favorite out of context quote:
"You're going to wet yourself when you see it. Although I guess not, since Lillibet is the queen of Kegels."

This book had a lot going on. For me, it felt like there was a lot of background noise, and it wasn't all necessarily relevant to what was going on. It felt like some characters just showed up, and maybe I just felt like I wanted to know them more? I think if this was a second book and I had gotten to know the main 3 characters more, that would have helped immensely, whereas with the way it is it feels like I met about 9 relevant characters and only a couple felt fleshed out versus "oh this person is here to serve this purpose". I thought the premise was fun and interesting, and I loved the scenery - it definitely helped the book! I think this book is definitely worth a re-read, and I think that might bump up the rating as I spend more time with the characters. I think another thing that would have brought me value personally was an introductory chapter or so to know the characters and their backgrounds, or even a character list might have been enough. I got sucked into the whirlwind and chaos of their story right away and that resulted in a lower rating than if there had been a bit more foundation before diving in.

I requested to read and this book for free From St. Martin Publishing Company. The description for this book had me intrigued. I started reading it and then wasn't sure. But as I kept reading I was back to being intrigued and wanted to see how this was going to end. Guy gets the girl or everybody goes their own separate ways working on their own issues. I think a lot of who we choose to be can be interpreted in different ways. Online no one wants others to feel bad for them or to know how messy their life can be. But we know in real life it's messy and uncomplicated. But sometimes being you is the best part of you. Everyone loves a good story though and with Jean and Keoki help Libby can have that any maybe more. The saying goes team work makes the dream work and in this case it's true. Add in a Hilda and a Jefferson and you have hilarious, fun and possibly romantic comedy. This is for a mature audience but can be read anywhere!

<b>2.5 stars, rounded down</b>

Honestly, I’m not sure why I requested this book as I’m not a big fan of stories where the characters keep things from each other and that is the main conflict of this book.

I just didn’t like that Libby wasn’t honest with Hildy and Jefferson. There were plenty of opportunities and she didn’t take them.

There were a few funny moments and comments, but this one was a little <i>too</i> zany for my tastes. A lot of the comments were cheesy and over the top.

The “romance” (if you could call it that) was complete instalove and I didn’t see any connection between the two of them.

I also thought the friendship was somewhat toxic and guy who was pretending to be her husband was really weird and I didn’t like him at all.

I really enjoyed the setting which made me want to book my own Hawaiian vacation. I also loved the goats and that super cute cover as well.

This is a laugh-out-loud funny rom-com! Super cute story and adorable characters! The influencer angle was clever and the writer did a fabulous job with her writing style!

I received an arc of this title from NetGalley for an honest review. Having just returned from Hawaii, I was very interested in starting this book. I love the setting of the North Shore in Hawaii, a place I also love, but the characters didn't have much chemistry, and it felt forced. Alas, I did not finish this one.

Hate to Fake It To You has a great set up- a typical comedy of dramatic irony where both people are using the other to achieve something. I also really loved the focus on influencer life, which is a niche plotpoint that I always go for in a story. This was a fun and easy read that was perfect for when you just want a light and fluffy book.

I was drawn to this book by the premise which seemed really cute and funny, and who doesn't what to peer behind the curtain of instagram influencer life? Unfortunately I just couldn't get into it. I tried four times to get into the story but I just didn't connect with the characters, it seemed really disjointed especially with the jump back to the mainland with characters that hadn't been introduced. I went back to check if I had missed a chapter by accident because I was so confused. I know this is a debut so I'm hoping her next book is better.

Kept thinking, if I put it down and go back, I will find a connection and was disappointed. I was lost in the hard push at rom com. I just could not find my balance and did not really like the characters. Am giving this five stars, because I feel like it was my problem and another reader will love this, just not me.

this was such a fun concept for a book! I can say I’ve truly never read a romance book like it. Libby (or should I Say Lillibet) and Jefferson were two interesting characters who found themselves in each others lives by fate, but also under false pretences. The book takes you on a journey through Hawaii as Libby tries to “fake it til she makes it” and convince everyone around her she’s the real deal, even when her walls start to crumble when Jefferson’s around and he’s starting to like the real her instead.

I really enjoyed the banter between the two characters. Jean (the comedic relief and emotional-support bff) was so funny with her comedic timing, and same for Keoki. The com in “rom-com” was definitely there! I also liked the ‘influencer’ portion at the beginning of each chapter where we get a taste of Lillibet and how she is as an influencer.

I really wanted to love this book but it just fell flat for me. I found the story a bit outland-ish and choppy at times and I didn’t feel connected to the story or any of the characters. The romance felt rushed and didn’t feel authentic in a way. You’re also thrown into the story without a lot of introductions to the story or characters themselves which was a bit confusing!

Overall a good read but I wouldn’t say it’s one of my favourites. I would recommend it for those looking for more comedy than romance, and a fun & hilarious concept for a book!

Thank you NetGalley, St. Martin’s Press & Amanda Sellet for the ARC in exchange for my honest review 💗

good romance and liked that the libby was able to find a way to be honest. Liked jefferson and the how he clicked with libby . Liked her friends but the they should have been upfront right away but then there wouldn't be a story. loved hildy. Glad that the communication all got right.

I tried so hard to like this one but it just fell flat for me. The cover- adorable! The premise- looks great! The story itself, just falls flat. There's not enough backstory on the characters; you're thrust into a complicated plot from the beginning. The characters have so much promise; they seem so kind and like a whole story could be written about the family themselves! I felt unable to mesh with the characters; overall it just fell a little flat for me.

I would like to thank NetGalley for providing me with an eARC of this book for review purposes.
Although it had all the necessary components for a great rom-com, I was unable to connect with it as much as I would have liked. The character development wasn't entirely apparent, and the brief introduction to the characters and their relationships left me feeling confused as the plot progressed. I found myself re-reading sections frequently, hoping to gain clarity, but it was not enough to keep me engaged. Despite my attempts to persevere, I was unable to maintain interest and ultimately DNFed it at the 30% mark.
I believe that the story had potential, but the execution could have been better. As a reader, I found it difficult to remain engaged throughout the narrative. Therefore, I rated it two stars.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for this arc ebook.
I thought I’d really love Hate to Fake It to You but it just wasn’t for me. I think it’s the social media aspect, I just can’t get behind it as a person.

Thanks Netgalley for allowing me to read this book. Libby and her friends live and breathe social media. When they create a character which is a combination of all of them, their lives are changed. This book lagged in a few places.