This was book was unexpected,
But not in a good way.

Characters were all over the place.
And not really relatable.

In my personal opinion, it was heavier on the "com" than I'd have liked.
If the comedy had been what I found funny, that wouldve been great.

Overall this book was not for me.

i’m submitting the reviews for books by you that I already have, but I will never request another one. In October one of your employees made a horribly racist statement and you have chosen to do nothing about it. People have continuously asked you to say that you don’t stand with what the employee said, and you refuse to. This is not someone who I want to promote ever because you are sending the wrong message. These reviews will not be posted on social media because you don’t deserve the promotion. By not speaking out you are also not preventing your followers from stalking and harassing people who are participating in the boycott. Your silence speaks volumes. I hope that all of your authors move to other publishers because you are standing with a genocide. You are also currently saying that you support black women in black history month but you have ignored their concerns for months and shown them no support.

Watch this video for more information https://www.tiktok.com/@vivafalastinleen/video/7288407369313307947?is_from_webapp=1&sender_device=pc&web_id=7211704101519296042

I tried, but I found the main characters actions and behavior extremely frustrating, especially Libby. The romance was sweet, but too instalove for my taste. Simple a case of not my cup of tea.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for gifting me this book for free in exchange for my review! All opinions are my own.

I loved this book. It was a super enjoyable twist on the fake identity trope. However, one of the best parts of this book was the adorable goats. I loved the chemistry between Libby and Jefferson. Amanda Ellet knows how to write a enjoyable romance. I would recommend this book to fans of Carly Fortune and Emily Henry.

This is an adorable summer read that is sure to make you swoon!


Many Thanks again to NetGalley and the publisher for providing me with this book in exchange for my honest review.

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Yes so many online daters will relate to this! Fake it to you is so relatable with all the filters on the internet. This is a cute must read. I adored the main character

Libby has been writing the online persona of Lillibet for a while, but her real life is far from the fake lifestyle online. Facing a decrease in work and an increase in rent, now is not the time to put on a fake performance to a media heiress that wants to meet Lillibet. With the help of her friends, the fake persona comes to life…sorta.

I really thought this was going to be more of a fake dating romance, but really it turned out to be less of that and more of a totally fake person. The antics were kinda funny, and I liked Libby and Jefferson together. But overall I didn’t really connect with a lot of the characters, and I found myself zoning out a bit, unable to hold my attention.

Libby has a fake lifestyle influencer persona, Lilibet. When an actual influencer Hildy reaches out to Libby, she has to fake the lifestyle she created online. I thought the concept was interesting. There were some funny but awkward moments. I think I would have enjoyed it more if Libby was doing it for herself. I didn't like how her "friends" used her & got upset with her when she didn't do their bidding.

This was a 2 star for me. I tried to liked it the story just didn't do it for me. Some of the characters were really annoying. I rushed through this book. And i dont even remember what it was about.

dnf at 15%
i've never dnf-ed a book but i just couldn't read this one. i don't even know what was going on but i was disinterested from the first page.

*thanks Netgalley and St. Martins Press for the ARC

Surface level, really just okay romcom. Couldn’t really tell you what happened in it to be honest, but I did read it and it was mindless enough to be entertaining I guess.

Rating: 4/5
I received an eARC for my honest opinion.

This book really is a great contemporary and romantic comedy. It had me laughing, I felt for the characters in the sad parts, and had me rooting for the happy ending.

Libby has a blog, and in it she shows the world a glamorous, healthy lifestyle that is full of love and positivity, but it’s all a lie. She really isn’t an all put together young lady. Her and her friends are struggling to pay bills and make sure that they’re all taken care of and all they have wanted was to be able to make enough money to take care of their families and of course themselves. Her and her roommate/best friend live in a dump and they’re both waitresses that want to live a normal life without having to worry. When they get a once in a lifetime opportunity to meet a real media savvy person who is trying to show her uncle that she can run the family business and make it something more for people now days, they run into a few problems with trying to make sure that Libby appearances as her “Lovelillbet” blogger name.

This book is chaotic but in a good way, you will find great banter and comedy, romance, great characters and strong friendships. I liked the way that this book went, how the author made it about social media and how much we don’t really know is true or not when reading people’s blogs or watching their shows. I loved getting to see how the characters would handle each new day with Hildy and Jefferson coming to stay with them in a fake house. This author knows how to write a book that will draw you in, keep you there and then will let you go with a smile on your face. I liked her writing style, it was easy to follow, and the pace of the book was great. I found myself laughing out loud while reading this book and I found myself able to connect with the characters.

I found Libby to be funny, I loved that she would mix up things and not on purpose but just because it’s hard to remember so many things that were lies and now, she must act like they aren't. I laughed so many times throughout this book because of Libby but not just with her and with Jefferson as well. All the characters in this book really helped to make this a wonderful summer beach book. I can’t really say too much because I am worried, I might let a spoil out here and there, so instead just know that Libby does have some great growth in this book and starts to show the world who she really is, and she gets positive feedback and sees that people like it when bloggers and other people are more natural than fake. Oh, and I can’t forget about the goats!!! I want to hug those cute guys so much and love them all because of the mischief that they cause Libby.

I want to thank NetGalley and St. Martin Press for the opportunity to review this book.

This entire book was AF because the characters were irritating, ditzy and it was hard to enjoy any of this. I feel like I wasted 5 days reading this hoping it would get better... it did not.

Cannot recommend.

Thanks to Netgalley, Amanda Sellet and St Martins PRess Grffin for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

ALready available

The setting was great... What's not to love about a beach setting? There were also parts that made me laugh out, and I was intrigued at the premise of the book being a woman that fakes being an influencer. I really wanted to like this book, but I really struggled to get into it. It was a little too quirky for me, and I honestly struggled to follow the storyline a majority of the time due to the dialogue and zany characters. I found myself speeding through a lot of it so that I could finish.

*I received a copy of this book on NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. Thank you to the author, publisher, and NetGalley for this opportunity*

Living in a disgusting apartment and struggling to make ends meet, friends Libby and Jean decide to come up with an online persona-- Love, Lillibet-- to make fun of the influencers that swarm their island of Oahu, and also practice their photography and writing skills. However, when given the opportunity to create a magazine by up and coming mogul Hildy Johnson, Lillibet suddenly has to become a real person with a real husband and real mansion and real goats.

Libby suddenly has to pretend to be someone she's not to help out not only her best friends, but herself. Lillibet (and Hildy) could be everyone's ticket to getting out of poverty and fulfilling their dreams-- but as Libby she sinks deeper into the lies, it becomes harder and harder to keep everything straight and her growing feelings for Hilda's photographer certainly muddy the waters...

I wanted to enjoy this book so much. I loved Seller's BY THE BOOK and BELITTLED WOMEN, so I figured this book would be a slam dunk. It was not. The plot failed to grip me, I hated Libby's friends, and I didn't buy her relationship with Jefferson-- even Libby herself annoyed me with her inability to do much of anything except complain about the decisions she let other people make for her. This book was supposed to be a love letter to Hawaii, but this book could have easily taken place anywhere with a beach (and honestly, even that would be negotiable). The only part that felt Hawaiian was Keiko's recipes and ingredients, nothing else felt authentic. I struggled to get through this one, but I'll given Seller's next book a shot.

Libby is a broke waitress who, with her friends Jean (the artist) and Keoki (the cook), posts as Lillibet, a style guru trying to become an influencer. Jefferson is the mountain man who saves Hildy, the niece of a publishing tycoon from an avalanche. Hildy and Jefferson wind up scheduling a visit with Lillibet in her super swank home in Hawaii. Which she does not have. So the friends work with a contact of Keoki's and borrow the space of a rich dude. The thing is, they're not the only ones lying, because Hildy and Jefferson are faking a relationship for the benefit of the tabloid coverage for Hildy. Hooray, everyone is liars!

Honestly, I wasn't all that impressed with this. I felt like there was some disjointedness to the story. And everybody starting their relationships with each other lying is a GREAT way to meet each other. I absolutely did not like the angle of EVERYONE lying to EVERYONE. And Libby says she wants to be a journalist, and write about people's stories, but then can't even be bothered to tell her own story.

Jefferson is a decent character, but still hooked up with a woman he knew was married.

I think I was hoping for a more romance-y romance.

I received an Advanced Reader Copy via NetGalley in return for sharing my thoughts on this book. Thanks to the author and publisher for this opportunity!

Hate to Fake It to You is lighthearted with a fairly silly storyline. Some of the things that occurred were not very realistic. At times, while reading it reminded me of a reality TV show. It was a nice palate cleanser and something fun to read. That being said, I really didn't care for Libby's friends. They didn't behave like a true friend would, they manipulated and pushed Libby into pretending to be Lillibet in the flesh. Even when things were getting more complicated, they would still urge her to keep up the ruse and even encourage her to do things that, while may make all of their lives better short term, wouldn't be in Libby's best interest. They were the book's worst characters, and I wish Libby would have dropped them. Regarding Lillibet, I don't see how anyone couldn't see her as satire. Her posts were so over the top and cringe-worthy. I was getting secondhand embarrassment. In addition, the fake husband guy is very creepy and cringy.

I'm honestly not sure what I expected before reading this one, but ultimately I was let down. For me, I could not connect with the characters at all. Yes, there are some elements in romance books that you know and accept are going to be unrealistic. But this whole thing felt so far-fetched the entire time.

Libby often comes across as more frustrating than funny, especially as her increasingly convoluted lies pile up. The interactions between Libby and Jefferson lacked depth to me which made their fast-falling romance hard to buy into. But just because it didn't work for me doesn't mean it won't work for you!

I really like the cover of this book. It's cute and fun which is what attracted me in the first place.
The book's setting is Hawaii, which I love. The mentions of the native food, culture, and beautiful scenery were the best parts of the book.
... And that's about where the good things ended.
Libby wants to be a writer so badly that her and her "friends" create a fake social media profile essentially making fun of social media influencers. If that isn't bad enough, her supposed bestie Jean decides to get in contact with a big media producer family, practically pimping Libby out. So Libby's two friends try to parade her around and have her fake her lifestyle to make THEIR lives better. And when she wants to do the right thing by telling the truth, they guilt her into keeping up the charade. And when she finally tells everyone the truth, they get MAD AT HER. Because SHE ruined THEIR chances at making money and living their dreams. Like. Wow. Libby could not find two worse friends. I really just wanted to whack Jean. The Me-Mas tree??? What part of her thought painting a naked picture of her friend FOR GUESTS was a fantastic idea? I cringed so hard.
Jean was THE WORST character in this book. Mr. L and Uncle Richard - the misogynist - were better than her.
Keoki was just there to cook, guilt trip Libby with his girlfriend and baby on the way, and bring goats.
Hildy was okay. She was eccentric and often made out of pocket comments, especially regarding Jefferson's age.
Jefferson was just there to be a love interest. I felt nothing for him, and I don't know how Libby did either. He was a generically "handsome, rugged, strong man" with zero substance.
The relationship, if you can call it that, was pretty bland. It was insta-love, but it wasn't done in a convincing way. Jefferson was getting hot and bothered in her presence, and Libby practically drooled every time he appeared. But there were no emotions. At least, we weren't shown any. The so-called chemistry was more awkward than swoony.

I cannot tell you the number of times I picked up this book just to set it back down after a chapter or two. It was a struggle to read. The characters made me mad. The plot was confusing and utter nonsense most of the time. The romance was boring. The writing was monotonous and basic.
I did read a few other reviews, thinking maybe it was just me, but I guess this is considered a screwball comedy and dumb humor just doesn't do it for me. The characters, dialogue, and plot were cringey, ridiculous, and annoying more than it was funny.

I couldn't finish this one could barely get through the first few chapters, just not for me but am sure it will find its audience.

DNF @ 31 %

THE GOATS ON THE COVER. Immediate five stars for the goats.

I won’t lie, it was hard for me to get attached to this book. When I was about a third in, I wasn’t motivated or interested enough to continue this book.

Thank you, Netgalley and SMP, for the ARC!