This was an interesting rom-com! It was an easy read and some of the characters were a lot of fun. I really enjoyed the second half once Libby and Jefferson's romance was coming together. The first half of the story was a bit slow for my taste, but the chaos of the whole plan coming together definitely made for a lot of laughs.

Thanks to SMP for this ARC!

To be completely honest, this book was a real disappointment—I couldn’t even get through it. None of the characters resonated with me, and the plot failed to engage me. I just couldn’t muster the motivation to pick it up again when it wasn’t holding my interest at all.

I will be so honest this book was so bad I didn't finish it. I couldn't relate to any of the characters and the story was just not bringing me in. I couldn't bring myself to open the book and continue reading it when I was thoroughly not enjoying it.

Sad to say that Hate to Fake It to You just wasn’t for me. I feel like I’m partially in a reading slump which contributed to this, but I wasn’t invested the story and was a little confused by the premise and what was happening at times (so much pretending!). The characters were very quirky (almost a bit over the top in my opinion) and I didn’t really care for any of them. I did however really enjoy the setting — I love Hawaii so so much! I also thought it was a great idea to have the blog / social media posts included at the beginning of each chapter. I found the ending wrapped up things so quickly for Jefferson and Libby and I would have liked a little more focus on their romance. Overall, I didn’t love this one as much as I was hoping to but if you are looking for a dual POV, fake dating romance set in Hawaii with a MC as a social media influencer, consider reading Hate to Fake It to You (out now).

Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for the e-arc in exchange for an honest review.

Rating: 2.5

Hate to Fake it to You is a rom-com that was very fast-paced. I am not sure why I requested this ARC as it had a lot of the tropes that I personally do not enjoy such as miscommunication. The book was great as far as the setting, I could picture everything as I was reading it. I think this could be a fun read for anyone who enjoys a good rom-com.

DNF I haven't been enjoying books where the main conflict is the two main characters not being honest with each other.

Hate to Fake It to You is so wacky but I also had a good time with it. The premise - two broke college dropouts deal with the stress of their circumstances by creating an influencer account where they pretend to be a zen, positivity, yoga mom type figure. When someone reaches out to meet "Lillibet" they find themselves in a ridiculous situation in an attempt to keep up the ruse. I went in assuming it was going to be fake dating. But no it’s like fake life-ing, plus some fake marriage, plus some side fake dating. It was utterly ridiculous and I never quite figured out how seriously Sellet was taking the story. Nevertheless, I had fun with it, and there was some great commentary about real life vs online life and the importance of friends. Go in expecting wacky, and enjoy!

Thanks to St. Martin's Press and Netgalley for an eARC in exchange for an honest review.

Unfortunately this one wasn't for me. I had to dnf this book. The writing style wasn't for me. Thank you for the opportunity.

I’m sorry, but I don’t think I will be able to finish this book. I’m at 15% of the book and really having a hard time following along with the story. I’m finding there are a lot of tangents, very little description of the characters and how they all relate to one another and the story jumps around quickly, making it hard to follow.

I appreciate the publisher providing me with an Arc copy, and hope to be able to read other books in the future. I hope this feedback is helpful for future publications.

I liked this rom-com with a fake relationship troupe. It didn’t feel like the cookie cutter version, had a unique storyline and an interesting twist towards the end. I felt like there was lots of growth and development from several of the characters, including Libby and Hildy. I love the sweet, sparkling chemistry reflecting from both Jefferson and Libby whenever they were together. Overall, definitely worth the read!

Such a good read that I enjoyed! I'm so glad that I got the chance to read it early and will definitely be recommending it to multiple people who enjoy these types of novels. I enjoyed the characters and especially enjoyed the writing by this author. I'm excited to see what the author comes out with next as I'll definitely be reading it! Thank you to the publisher for my early copy of this book!

Hate to Fake It to You is a lighthearted, madcap romcom, easy to binge in one sitting. The situations in the book are intentionally over the top, screwball comedy style, and it was a little like reading an episode of I Love Lucy (what's going to happen next?!). But I really liked the main characters and was rooting for them to make it past the chaos. I LOVED the setting and overall enjoyed this book.

Amused by popular, well curated "influencer" accounts, Libby and her best friends create the world of Lillibet. When the account catches the attention of a budding media executive Hildy, a very real opportunity presents itself, but can Libby and her friends fake it till they make it?

If you elect to pick up this book, be prepared to laugh, a lot. Not only was Lillibet one of those influencer types that make me roll my eyes, but the mess Libby and her friends got themselves into yielded a plethora of comedic moments. Packed with hilarious and slapstick events ensued as Libby tried to recreate Lillibet's online life. I laughed quite often, but I also found myself rooting for this trio as they tried to improve their circumstances.

I think everyone will emphasize with Libby. Her parents were not very involved in her life, and this left a wound. BUT Libby was so lucky to fill her circle of friends with so many incredible people. Jean, Keoki, and their families counted Libby as their own and provided her with lots of love and support.

The characters really stood out for me. I fell in love with Keoki, Jean and Hildy had me rolling on the floor, and Jefferson was a star. The humor and witty banter delighted me, and I loved how it all worked out for everyone.

Overall: A rollicking good time.

The writing was so hard to follow. It was choppy. Dialogue came out of no where. The plot was kinda funny. Just needed more shaping.

Hate to Fake it to You by Amanda Sellet is a fun rom com set in Hawaii. I found the storyline so fun and the setting was absolute perfection. I travel to Hawaii frequently and I found the setting vivid and authentically portrayed. I loved the scenario of the perfect social media profile and the reality behind it. Readers of rom coms will enjoy this book a great deal. I received a digital copy of this book from the publisher with no obligations. These opinions are entirely my own.

Title: Hate to Fake it to You
Author: Amanda Sellet
Length: 329 pages
Format: ebook arc
Pub Date: July 16, 2024
Genre: Contemporary Romance
Rating Out of 5: ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️
Spice Level: closed door
Summary:
Libby Lane's online persona, Lillibet, is a joke created with her friends to showcase a glamorous, healthy lifestyle that contrasts with her real, low-key life in Oahu. The fun turns serious when influencer Hildy Johnson wants to turn Lillibet’s brand into a job. Libby and her friends must up their game, but complications arise with Hildy’s attractive companion, wildlife photographer Jefferson Jones, who senses more than he lets on. Amidst fake husbands, borrowed goats, and a phony holiday, Libby’s growing attraction to Jefferson threatens to expose their deception.

Thoughts:
This one left much to be desired. I was expecting more Hawaiian vibes and much more romance. We don’t even get our meet-cute until like halfway through the book. I normally love me some quirky characters, but the scheming that they did took up too much time in the book, especially when I knew it would blow up in their faces. The story was okay, but I would recommend so many other books before this one.

Special thanks to the @netgalley and @stmartinspress for the arc in exchange for my honest review!

This sounded cute so even though I am not a fan of the fake online persona thing, I thought I would give it a try. I loved the setting (how can you go wrong with Hawaii as a backdrop) but while there was ample opportunity for funny situations because of the fake persona, I thought they all came off as cringey, slapstick moments and fell flat. I couldn’t connect with any of the characters and found the romance to be a little too instalove with no real depth; depth is hard when you’re pretending to be someone you’re not. I wanted to love this but it just wasn’t for me.

I couldn't get into this one. It felt like a combination of stories that would be better as seperate novels. I thought the setting was great and loved learning about the land but ultimately I DNF around 40% in.

I had really high hopes for this book but it missed the mark for me and felt flat. It might have been a combination of a few things (one being that I’m a huge mood reader) but it didn’t hold my attention like rom coms typically do and I just wasn’t invested in the overall outcome.

What I really liked was the setting and the dynamic between Libby and her friends. They got themselves into this debacle and single-handedly Libby imploded their plans so it made for entertaining adventures.


Thank you publishers and netgalley for this eARC in exchange for my honest feedback.

If you’re a fan of fake dating this might be the book for you! I love the cover- that’s what drew me in!