What I liked - the narrators and general idea of the plot.
What I didn’t like - it was a slower story for me and I didn’t find it believable. DNF at 28%.
Thank you NetGalley for the ARC.

I enjoyed the best of both worlds by reading and listening to Almost Pretend, written by Nicole Snow. My favorite thing to do is start reading a book at home and then be able to continue on with it when I need to leave the house. I'm so thankful to have had that ability this time and was able to enjoy this with minimal interruptions! This book made me smile and laugh often, but there were heartbreaking moments as well.. August and Elle are perfect for each other. A great HEA that made my heart warm with contentment.

Rock Engle is a new to me narrator. He did an excellent job! Carly Robins is an excellent narrator who I've enjoyed listening to in the past. They brought this audiobook to life with emotional performances that had it rolling like a movie in my head.

Thank you NetGalley, Montlake, Brilliance Publishing, and author for the ALC and ARC I'd this book/audiobook. This is my voluntary and honest opinion.

This was was first Nicole Snow book! I teally enjoyed her writing style. It was a witty, captivating, and had great flow!!

I absolutely LOVED the witty banter between August and Elle. It was honestly the best part of the book!

I think the only think stopping me from giving this book a higher rating would be the last 70%. It kind of lots me. It wasnt that it was boring. But maybe it was because it seemed just a tad too predictable.

I listened to this book and both narrators did a fantastic job! I think it helped so much with rating the book! It was a pretty solid audiobook! I love Carly Robins. I think she does such an incredible job narrating even the male characters! 7/10 for the audiobook!

First and foremost I must say, I really enjoyed the disability rep in this book! The FMC has anemia and chronic migraines, and I found it really relateable and well written from someone who has similar symptoms from my own illness. I would expect the author likely has personal experience from how well written it is, so if they don’t, it’s a ten for research! Our MMC was especially endearing with how well he handled and supported her illness and needs as a result. For me this disability/chronic illness representation was the highlight of the book. I will say however, I struggled very much with one of the narrators (which I will fully explain below) and unfortunately that really impacted my read. The plot, characters, and banter were really fun and heartwarming, it was solely a narration issue for me.

Overall this was a great read and exactly what I had hoped for going into a billionaire/fake dating/grumpy sunshine romance book. It was quick, fun, had great pacing for the fake dating arc especially, and had great wit and banter. I loved the dynamic between our two main characters because they are such a well written ultra grumpy jet daddy meets overly spunky artist who he didn’t know he really needed to heal his broken heart. I loved their dynamic and how their families also played a role from start to finish. I never felt like I was reading something I’ve read before even though I read this genre often. The side characters were also really well thought out and brought so much to the plot. I would definitely pick this book up in another format for a reread. It’s perfect for spicy billionaire romance lovers, folks looking for realistic and well written disability rep in a main character, and anyone who loves grumpy sunshine.

Narration:

Unfortunately here is where my issues are. I was honestly not a big fan of the male narration by Rock Engle at all. I feel like his feminine and elderly voices felt overly theatrical, and at times grading with the high pitch tones. I found it VERY distracting when he voiced the MMC, he made her sound younger, high pitched, almost comical and so different from what I found her to be on the page. It detracted me from the plot often so I had to reread to really grasp her parts often. To be honest his narration alone almost made me DNF as he has a lot of voice time narrating in the MMCs voice. But I kept going because I enjoyed the plot and the female narrator absolutely carried the performance for me, but wouldn’t have kept reading if it was just him. His delivery of tone and timing was great, and male voices were fine, but I would have liked a little more variance on the male voices to discern characters and other voices easier. Sometimes I wouldn’t realize another male character was speaking because they were too similar to the MMC.

The female narration from Carly Robins was fantastic, and she was a big draw to this audiobook for me as I am familiar with their work. She did not disappoint whatsoever, and for me carried the book entirely for me when it comes to narration with the difficulties I had with Rock Engle’s performance. Her narration kept me from DNFing based on his narration, and I’m glad I hung on thanks to her because I really enjoyed the book. If I had it my way she would have been the sole narrator because she nailed all of the voices.

Thank you Brilliance Audio and NetGalley for the opportunity to ARC read this audiobook in exchange for my honest thoughts.

Nicole is always a fave and give me a book of hers on audio and I love it even more. I just flew through this one in a day. It was absolute perfection. The narrators were absolutely perfection for the characters and the story. I can’t wait for this to be released I think it’s going to do so well for her.

Charming Contrasts

"Almost Pretend" by Nicole Snow, narrated by Rock Engle and Carly Robins, is a delightful romance that effortlessly blends grumpiness with sunshine. As a newcomer to Snow's work, I was pleasantly surprised by the depth of character and emotion she brings to her storytelling.

August, our grumpy billionaire alpha, is a character of profound depth, whose layers slowly unravel throughout the narrative. Opposite him is Elle, a ray of sunshine whose warmth and positivity are not just infectious, but deeply resonant. Their initial meeting on a flight sets the stage for a captivating romance filled with banter, humor, and an undeniable chemistry that will surely touch the hearts of readers.

What truly distinguishes this book is the interplay between August and Elle. Their contrasting personalities, despite their differences, create a unique harmony that leads to a believable and heartwarming romance. The inclusion of the 'fake fiancée' trope adds an intriguing layer to the plot, sparking moments of tension and tenderness as they navigate their evolving relationship.

Engle and Robins truly shine in their performances, breathing life into the characters with their nuanced delivery and emotional depth. Their narration not only enhances the banter and chemistry between August and Elle but also elevates the overall listening experience, making it truly engaging.

Overall, "Almost Pretend" is a charming romance that will leave listeners smiling and swooning. Fans of grumpy/sunshine dynamics will find much to love in this audiobook.

As a reader who received an advance copy, I offer this review voluntarily.

Grumpy Sunshine romance is my favourite and this one was well executed too. The characters and their interactions were well penned. I loved each time they came together and how nicely the plotline progressed in this book.
The characters were well drafted and i absolutely love reading this.

Nicole Snow is a new author to me so I didn’t know what to expect going into this. It wasn’t a bad read. It took me a little bit to get into but once I got into it, it was an enjoyable read.

August is one of the grumpiest billionaire alpha holes I have had the pleasure of reading… and I am a sucker for an asshole. So I was SOLD.

Elle is adorable. She’s so sweet, full of sunshine, warmth and positive energy. You can’t help but be happy when you are around her.


If you are into grumpy/sunshine, this book is right up your alley. You will absolutely love August and Elle. These two couldn’t be more different, yet they are so perfect for each other. They meet when they are both on the same flight and Elle is suffering from a major migraine. August wants nothing to do with her and is trying to ignore her but just as they are landing, Elle faints and August is there to rescue her. When the media gets photos of him carrying her at the airport, he needs damage control and to protect his reputation, so instead of things looking bad for him, he asks Elle if she’ll fake being his fiancée. She agrees but she never realised how out of her element she would be. She’s been thrown into a life she wasn’t intending to be thrown into and one she knows very little about.


The banter between the two of them was entraining and had me laughing throughout the book. The push and pull between these two was intense. They were polar opposites which made for the best relationship. Fake or not. Elle brought a softer side out in August and what started out as fake grew into so much more.

I really enjoyed the side characters in this book too. This book was a good read. It had emotion, steam and top-tier banter.

4 STARS!

First thing’s first: thank you Netgalley for the ALC of this book!
Almost Pretend was a book about Elle, a children’s book illustrator, and August, a billionaire with a business that cleans up messes of other businesses. They become fake engaged to improve his public image.
This book was…not good. Manic pixie dream girl is the only one who can crack mean, cold, awful billionaire man who is secretly a kind teddy bear under heaps of childhood trauma he never healed from (read: an asshole). I am typically pretty good at suspending reality and not giving into the cringe, but my god. I cringed many, many time listening to this one. Part of it was that the male narrator was not my favorite, but also she calls him gruffykins?? PLEASE BE SO FOR REAL. This was terribly predictable with overused trope after overused trope and nothing particularly new or interesting. The banter was not great IMO. I really really wanted to like this one- the description sounded like something right up my alley! However, it really missed the mark. It was also so much longer than it needed to be and for what? There was so much of this book that could have and should have been edited out. I did not DNF this one but I kinda wish I had.
2⭐️