Libby Lane is putting on a facade. She and her best friend Jean have concocted Lillibet: Libby’s high-class internet counterpart, who exists only on Instagram. But now Lillibet must exist in the real world to fool Hildy, the magazine creator, and Jefferson Jones, her photographer. Can Libby keep up with Lillibet’s image in her staged home and fake husband? Or will she crack and let Jefferson in?

This book had me hoping and LONGING for Libby to just tell Jefferson who she really is. At the same time, I wanted this Lillibet story to succeed. The reader feels just as conflicted as Libby herself. “Hate to Fake It to You” did have a lovable main character, which is hard to come by sometimes, but Jean and Keoki didn’t feel like their own independent people, even though they were charming in their own ways. That’s the reason I docked one star from my review. Besides that minor point, this book was fun, well-paced, and didn’t rely on basic tropes to get through the story. In what other story did a goat runaway lead to sleeping on the beach together?


I highly recommend this fun summertime book for anyone who likes romance even a little bit.

I had to DNF, so sorry. It may just be a me thing, but I couldn’t get into it. I felt like the book was reaching. I couldn’t get myself to like any of the characters enough to read more than half :/
This is not to say it isn’t a good book for others, it just wasn’t for me!

This book started off with a letter to the reader with a great quote "this book is a comedy, and a romance but it's also a love letter to a place". I love this quote and I definitely think the book delivered.

The set up: a poor FMC, Libby, has a fake instagram influencer account where she writes the most out there, ridiculous posts (ex: "Thats why when some people refer to me as a content creator, I tell them I'm a context creator"). The MMC, Jefferey/JJ is a wildlife photographer who saved Hildy, a rich heiress from dying in the snow in Wyoming. Hildy loves Libby's fake account and takes JJ to visit Libby after her near death experience.

This sounds complicated and convoluted when writing it out but it flows pretty well in the book. The comedy and word banter is top notch. The sexual tension is high between the love interests. There's a sneaky reference to Ice Planet Barbarians ("A little ice planet action, if you know what I mean").

The main negative is the length. I think the book could have been shorter and told the story just as well. I'm also not huge fan of 3rd act break ups. We don't get to see JJ and Libby together much as a couple.

The fake instagram posts at the top of each chapter are inspired. Kudos to the author, they are perfect for the image Libby has created.

Thank you to netgalley and the publisher for this eARC.
All thoughts and opinions are my own.

I really enjoyed the characters and loved that Lillibet was a play on Libbys nickname. Each chaper starting with a cringe fake "I'm better than you" influencer post was great! It was funny to watch them all faking it through the visit, everyone had their own secrets to hide. Mr. L absolutely gave me creep vibes, who loves plumbing that much?! It was perfect though, his weirdness added such a funny accent to the story. I love that in the end it all worked out great for them, I have a feeling Keoki would have had a rough time being in business with Mr. L,

I would dedicate recommend this book!

ARC Review -

I will be completely honest… at first, I didn’t think I would like this book at all. It seemed a little too quirky, and I absolutely loathed the idea of Libby masquerading as someone living the perfect life that was everything she wasn’t. We need that kind of thing on social media about as much as a cactus needs a snuggle, so I wasn’t digging it. But then within a few chapters, you got the know the characters and understand the reasoning behind her social media persona and it turns into a laugh out loud, unique story - complete with a sweet romance, over the top side characters and a very unique look at what happens when we are not our unique selves online. This was a clean romance, with just a shake or two of spice but you could feel the heat between Libby and Jefferson through every page! I loved them both separately but together they made you cheer on from the sidelines hoping it would work! This was a solid 5⭐️ for me, with the only hiccup being the adjustment to the characters and writing style right at the very beginning. If you open it up and feel the same - just push through because it’s absolutely worth it!

Hate to Fake It to You is a hilarious look through social media mayhem and unexpected love. Libby Lane, a waitress with a not-so-glamorous life, juggles reality with her influencer alter ego, Lillibet. When a real influencer discovers Lillibet's online world, chaos ensues, especially when media maven Hildy Johnson and wildlife photographer Jefferson Jones get thrown into the mix.

The story delves into the authenticity struggle of social media, adding a sweet and funny touch to Libby's budding romance with Jefferson. With borrowed goats, a made-up holiday, and a web of lies, the book keeps you guessing which crazy twist will blow their cover first.

Filled with quirky characters and unexpected turns, "Hate to Fake It to You" is a witty and charming modern comedy that explores the absurdities of love and life in the digital age. It's a quick, entertaining read that'll leave you laughing and reflecting on the craziness of authenticity in the online world.

Thank you to the publisher and net galley for the ARC of this book. all opinions are my own.
Due to the current SMP boycott, I will not post my thoughts on this story until the concerns are addressed. At that time, I will be happy to post my full review.

Thank you NetGalley for the ARC in exhcange for an honest review. This book didn't take too long to finish yet it was a little hard to get through. I wasn't a massive fan of the characters, or the sense of humor but the book overall was cute and a little quirky if that's your prefered reading style.

This was a chaotically sweet and funny romcom. I enjoyed the writing style and how easy it was to devour this story in one sitting.

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!

This book was hilarious! The scene with the goats was too much!!

Libby has been pretending to be a high end influencer, only... she isn't. She's the absolute opposite. Her and her friends are pulling a crazy stunt when Jefferson Jones makes her rethink everything!

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for allowing me to read this arc in exchange for an honest review!

A delightfully chaotic and charming rom-com set on gorgeous Oahu.

Libby and her roommate Jean are broke and on the verge of being evicted. When Jean notices a famous media scion follows Libby's Instagram account (in which Libby portrays a glamorous and put together lifestyle guru named Lillibet), she has an idea that may or may not end up causing a lot of drama.

Libby, Jean, Keoki, Jefferson, and Hildy are great characters and it is easy to root for their respective success and happiness. Overall, a fun read about finding your true calling and the power of friendship with a sweet slow burn romance. 4.5 stars.

Thank you very much to St. Martin’s Press and NetGalley for the opportunity to read a copy.

what a cute book! a solid 4 stars from me. thanks so much for this arc.

ok i feel like the book description was misleading in many ways and sets the wrong tone for the book you're about to read (also - the goats only show up in the 2nd half of the book) and i wasn't really prepared for how Alexis Rose-esque Hilde was going to be. some things just didn't make sense to me - there were weird things that the FMC did that didn't seem to be in line with her character. i couldn't always follow the logic behind her actions.

but overall it was a cute read. a summer release makes sense.

Cute and fun romance. I enjoyed my time with this book. The premise was unique and fresh. The writing style was very easy to read and I really liked the plot. Highly recommend this book if you are looking for your next romance read.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for this ARC!

A super fun romp filled with hijinks and a creative yet still familiar plot. Enjoyed it.