Livy Hart is one of my favorite authors. I typically love everything that she writes. I think I had super high expectations for this one, and maybe those high expectations made me a little disappointed. So this was definitely an interesting concept. There is of course the wedding trope and fake dating tropes in here. However, the fake dating was completely different because the two main character's were not fake dating each other. I feel like for me this threw off the vibe of the book a little bit. I understand why the author went this route, but I'm not sure if it was for me. Also, it almost felt like there were two different plots. The first half focused on the fake dating and the second half focused on something else that I'm not going to mention because it might spoil the book. Anyways, I just felt like it was almost divided in a way that wasn't as natural as I wanted it to be. That being said, I did laugh and smile throughout reading it. I love Livy's writing style and am excited to see what she writes next.

Phenomenal.

It took me a little bit to warm up to this book but that may have just been my headspace. I put it down for a few days and when I picked it back up, I couldn’t put it down again. The entire cast of characters are a delight and the shenanigans are in full swing. Despite the antics of two dysFUNctional Italian families, there are serious issues addressed within this pages of this book. I appreciate how Livi Hart was able to do so without being preachy or hitting you over the head, instead allowing us to share in the vulnerability of her characters.

Hats off to NetGalley, Livi Hart, and Entangled Publishing for bringing us this absolute delight of a book and many thanks for the opportunity to enjoy it so that I may share my honest opinion and thoughts on it with others.

Nora and Sebastian will live in my mind rent-free forever! It's funny to me because this was quick attraction, but then slow-burn due to circumstances, and then flaming hot it surpassed expectations! Did you feel winded reading that? GOOD cos same. We're talking exhibitionism & risky hook-ups.

I had no problems keeping up with the different families and characters. I found each to be very unique so they worked as a large ensemble cast. Nora is all on her own but her best friend/boss Benji needs a fake-date to his sister's Big Fat Italian wedding. Sebastian was raised by his Nonna because his parents are humanitarian doctors but his best friend Alessia and her large family kept his life full of laughter. She needs a fake-date to her brother's wedding because she's not ready to out her female partner.

When the two feuding families show up at the wedding resort, Nora and Sebastian instantly recognize each others con and agree to help with the charade. But being fake-dates becomes difficult as they become more and more attracted to each other.

There are SO MANY fumbles and hilarious mix-ups during the week. It seriously has you wondering what else could possibly go wrong. My favorite scenes include a family pickleball tournament and accidental joint bachelorette/bachelor party at the local cowboy bar. I was entertained the entire time.

Benji seems like demi rep to me, and Alessia's queer identity is celebrated by the core group even if she isn't out to her family. Nora & Sebastian also have to face the real issue of whether or not to pursue a long distance relationship. There's a lot of drinking, dark corners, and sneaky grandmas.

This was a cute rom-com, insta-love, fast read. Nora and Sebastian fell fast and hard for each other from the start. Both have agreed to be their best friend's fake dates to the same wedding, which makes it harder for them to explore this budding attraction between them. It seems like there is more than just the wedding that is stacked against them, though. Nora has finally found a place she wants to settle in after years of moving around, and Seb's job moves him around and has been off-putting to his relationships in the past. This feel-good story had me rooting for them to make it the whole time! The ending didn't disappoint and put a smile on my face.

I am a big Livy Hart fan but this might be my favorite of all her books. This is the perfect romcom. Not only do we have an over the top Italian wedding with feuding families but also both main characters are fake dating someone else. The potential for comedy is great and Livy Hart really makes the most of it.

Nora and Sebastian are also great characters! Any man who offers to fix your bookstore's rolling ladder the first time he meets you is obviously a keeper. Sebastian is sweet and cares deeply about the people in his life. Nora and Sebastian had different pictures of the life they wanted and I was a little nervous with how it was going to be resolved. I ended up being really happy with the resolution though!

If you like a romcom run don't walk to the bookstore and grab this one! It is one of my favorite romcoms of the year and the perfect antidote to a bad day.

What a fun romp this was!

If you’re a fan of spicy, fake dating, sneaking around shenanigans, and family drama Italian weddings, this has everything you’re looking for. Nora & Sebastian meet very early on in this book and immediately are drawn to one another, only so show up at a wildly drama-filled wedding just after meeting. The catch is… they’re both fake dating their best friends for the event.

I really liked the tension and chemistry between Nora & Sebastian, and I found them to be likeable characters both on their own and separately. The way they communicate just makes sense, even when they’re conflicted or concerned about what’s going on between them. The first half of this story is really focused on the big wedding, where two children of historically-feuding Italian families are getting married. This is just as full of drama and humor as you might imagine, and ends in a place that is hard to imagine. Nora & Sebastian then also have the chance to get acquainted with eachother as friends of other friends, and it made for a fun dynamic change that kept all the tension that was originally there.

While I LOVED the spice in this, I will say that there was something that made it hard for me to fully buy the romance. They both are facing really big barriers to being together long term in that Nora wants to stay out after a life of being shuffled around, and Sebastian is passionate about opening boys & girls clubs all over the country, which means he has to relocate every few years. It felt like the speed with which they are both considering making massive life changes for one another was a bit unbelievable, and even the ending compromise felt rushed and somewhat hard to imagine. This aspect kept me from really sinking into this story the way I’d like.

Regardless, if you like your romance spicy, full of banter & drama (not between the main couple, but rather the cast at large). and with a big friend group that blends seamlessly, you will probably enjoy this! I know I did. Thank you to Entangled publishing and NetGalley for this eArc!

4 stars

Wow, this book had a lot going on, I don’t think there was a dull moment. This is a contemporary romance, with multiple perspectives. The relationship dynamics in this book were messy and dramatic so they were entertaining. I was sucked into the storyline and romance, because there was so much going on with weddings, too involved family’s and crazy relationship scenarios that this book read so fast. I think that this book was full of great descriptions and details, especially about food and wedding activities going on especially with a big family there, I mean what could go wrong. It was a lot of fun not to mention some of the hilarious and embarrassing things that happened. Nora was bubbly, positive, and did not shy away from things and just being there for her friend I loved her working at the bookstore and the setting there. This book is just really fun, lighthearted, and I had a really great time reading it. There were a couple things with Nora and Sebatian that bugged me along with some miscommunications which is why it was not five stars but still an amazing read.
I received an advanced ebook, via Netgalley. This review is my own honest opinion

Nora D’Amato and Sebastian Rossi met for the first time at her bookstore, and they feel a strong pull towards each other. It seemed to be their one and only meeting but then they meet again. They are attending the same wedding but with different partners. They are both pretending to be in relation with different people. Nora is from the brides side and Seb from the grooms and both the families are not very fond of each other to put it mildly.
Pretty much instantly they know that the other person is in a make believe relationships and it was fun watching them try to be together while managing their fake relationships.
It was a fun read with some hilarious banter and some really funny situations.

New author for me and I'm glad I checked out this book. I do enjoy a fake dating trope and on top of it - there are feuding families and spice. What's not to like. I enjoyed meeting these main characters and enjoyed the side characters. Nora and Sebastian were so much fun. The spice/steam in this one is WOWZERS. This was definitely lots of fun!! I think you will definitely enjoy this read. Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for this eARC in exchange for my honest opinion.

The Great Dating Fake-Off by Livy Hart - 3.5 Stars

This was my first read by Livy Hart, and I had a blast with "The Great Dating Fake-Off." The fake dating setup is fresh and fun, with Nora and Sebastian’s chemistry sparking right off the bat. Their witty banter and sizzling moments were definitely highlights.

The story unfolds at a wild family wedding, which adds a lot of humor but also makes things a bit chaotic. The numerous family dramas and obstacles sometimes overshadowed the romance, and the plot felt a bit crowded. But overall, it’s an entertaining and quick read that shows Hart’s skill in blending humor and romance.

It was a good book, it wasn’t perfect. I received an ARC copy from Entangled Publishing so there were grammatical errors I noticed that hopefully were fixed before the book was actually released. I don’t know if it was just me but the whole wedding week felt like a different book from the rest of the storyline. Introducing us to so many characters in both of the families was very confusing. I think the readers needed a family tree like Benji provided Nora. I found the back and forth between Nora and Sebastian to be so tiresome at times I had to put the book down and take a break from it. This was my first Lily Hart book and my first fake dating trope book. The whole “I love you but I shouldn’t.” follows every other romance novel storyline. Overall, it was a decent read.

This was an entertaining book that was filled with large nosy Italian families that came with a wide cast of characters that was entangled in a big web of secrets and drama. I was intrigued by the double fake dating trope, and one that for both couples that were fake dating, they truly weren’t in to each other.

The relationship between the MC’s was a bit of an insta love which turned this book off for me in a way. Since they each were in the separate fake dating couples, I was hoping there was going to be more cross pining for the other couple, with not knowing their relationship was fake. This could have brought so much good tension, instead it was insta love that I didn’t really feel. Overall it was good but was waiting for it to be over.

Thank you NetGalley and Entangled for an eARC of this book.

Such a cute and funny romcom. I loved the characters from the beginning. I liked the attraction between Nora and Sebastian. You could sense how hard it was for them to stay apart….which of course leads to funny scenes during a wedding week that is already tense due to the couple being from two families that have been feuding forever.

Thanks to Entangled Publishing for a copy of The Great Dating Fake Off in exchange of an honest review.

The Great Dating Fake Off by Livy Hart is a fun rom-com featuring double fake dates to a big Italian wedding.

Nora would do anything for her best friend Benji, including pretending to be his girlfriend at his sister's wedding. But then she sees her crush at said wedding.... and he's also pretending to be his best friend's date. And did I mention that the wedding is between two families who have had a feud for several generations?

Zura Johnson and James Cavanaugh narrate this one, and they do a great job. They put just the right amount of emotion into their reading.

I don't typically go for insta-love, but this author somehow makes me root for that trope. I especially liked the relationships between both sets of best friends. This is set at a huge Italian family wedding, and there are tons of characters. It gets a little confusing trying to keep everyone sorted.

If you're looking for a fun, easy to read book with a good amount of steam, check this one out! This is another one I'd totally watch as a movie. I'm definitely hopeful there will be a future book between Benji and perhaps the maid of honor from the wedding in this book.

The usual formula for me to love a Livy Hart was all there (the writing, the wit) but there were WAY too many characters to keep things straight. I really had a hard time with knowing who was who and who belonged to what family.

The Great Dating Fake Off is such a fun romantic comedy with a little spice! I enjoyed this book and loved the characters. I felt a part of the friend group and loved the chemistry between all of them, not just the main characters. I felt the love between them, from platonic love of the friends, to the new love of the main characters. Recommend this for a fun quick read!!

I am absolutely LOVING Livy Hart’s rom com style romances (💕 Some Kind of Blunderful) and The Great Dating Fake Off was another winner! I loved the romance, loved the characters, binged this in a day and had so much fun!

The family drama subplot was a bit overdramatic IMO, but it was still super fun!

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️.5

Highly recommend for readers looking for a fun, bingeable romance to end your summer!

I can’t lie because initially I thought the book was gonna be about rival wedding cake bakers and I was like - hmm do I want that? 🤔😂 thankfully Entangled hosted a readalong that I was happy to join and I’m glad to report The Great Wedding Fake Off wasn’t about a bake off but IS one of my favorite hot romances this year. 🔥

5 ⭐️/5
3 🌶️/5

Two fake wedding dates, one week long wedding affair, secrets and secrets, what could go wrong? Highly recommend ♥️

My first little Rom Com, and it lived up!

It's a classic story of boy meets girl. Boy and girl have the hots for each other. Boy and girl are each the fake date for their friend to a wedding. But their friends are siblings to the bride and groom, so they will be at the same wedding. Nothing will go wrong right?

Nora is the cute bookish manager of a bookshop, Sebastian is the selfless Superman opening up Boys and Girls clubs for underprivileged children. They have immediate sparks when they first meet. But then we have the fake dating, times 2. It should all be fine at the wedding! They only have to keep up appearances for a week, and then they each can have a dramatic break up with their fake dates. However, things go sideways when they get caught after a passionate night together. Chaos ensues, and the wedding is called off.

After returning home, everyone is miserable. Both bride and groom, along with Nora and Sebastian. They are able to meddle and bring the engaged couple back together by the end of our story, but not before a few more spicy moments between Nora and Sebastian. They finally realize that the things they think they want in their lives are not important enough if they can't have each other as well. And we get our HEA.

This was an interesting take on on the fake dating trope, given that all parties involved (both Nora and Sebastian’s dates) are aware of the other’s fake date. Usually miscommunication is a trope that goes hand in hand with fake dating, so it was interesting to see how it played out! While Nora and Sebastian were trying to keep their distance, they used a lot of humor to break up the tension between them, and it was lovely to see their relationship blossom beyond just physical attraction. The forced proximity also likely played a huge part in them not being able to keep their hands off each other for the week of the wedding.

While we had a lot of players in this story, it was not difficult to keep people straight after a couple of chapters. The development of this relationship was so beautiful to read, despite the quick pace of everything. If you like a good rom com, give this book a read!

My rating: 4.25 stars
Available now!

This book is an absolute delight—a charming blend of humor, romance, and heat. The double fake dating plot, paired with multi-POV (Nora and Sebastian), creates a captivating read. The meet-cute in the bookstore was perfect. They have plenty of witty banter and spicy scenes throughout the story which made the book unputdownable. Nora and Sebastian's dynamic is wonderfully engaging, and the supporting characters add an extra layer of enjoyment. I couldn’t have asked for a more entertaining read.

Thank you Entangled Publishing, Livy Hart, and NetGalley for this e-ARC!