A warm and fuzzy rom com romance full of chemistry, sweet moments, overbearing family, and meddling siblings! This read was enjoyable, well-paced and full of characters that are easy to fall for!

4 stars

This is a really a fun read. A fake dating (with a twist), forbidden-ish romance with a bit of My Big Fat Greek Wedding thrown in, it’s so entertaining, and I really enjoyed this one.

Nora and Sebastian meet in the bookstore where she works. They flirt and banter, and it’s clear they’re both interested in exploring more. The next time they run in to each other, it’s at a wedding where they are both pretending to be the significant others of their respective best friends. And not just any wedding, but a big, festive Italian wedding where the bride and groom’s family hate each other with grudges going back generations. Nora and Sebastian are there to support their best friends (respectively the brother and sister to the bride and groom) during the week-long festivities, to keep their over-involved families off their backs and make the whole event just a little bit more bearable.

It's a fun twist on the fake dating trope, and even though their respective ‘partners’ and even the groom can see Nora and Sebastian’s growing attraction, they desperately try to keep it a secret from the family. All while trying to help prevent World War 3, and dealing with their friends’ meddling families.

“Uh - I wanted my own room, out of respect for the family. With us being unmarried.”
“Oh. Well, that’s unnecessary. You’re welcome to share and enjoy your trip.” Mamma V drops to a near whisper. “The good lord and everyone else know Benjamino is over thirty years old and has needs.”
I look up at Benji, seeing my own horror reflected in his eyes. I could live a thousand lives and it’d still be too soon to hear Benji’s mother discuss his needs and how welcome I am to meet them.

The book takes us from the wedding and beyond, and the story shifts as we see Nora and Sebastian’s lives continuously colliding. For very real, very good reasons, they are trying to ignore their feelings for each other, but the chemistry is intense and the sexual tension is sizzling, and every little near miss moment had me bubbling with excitement.

“We need to talk.”
She lets out a panicked sound that’s almost feline. “Do we?”
… “I keep finding my mouth on yours, so yeah, that warrants a conversation. Preferably before I trip and fall and find my hands on you, too.”

I love Sebastian and Nora so much. They’re funny and flirty, and they don’t hide what they’re feeling from each other. They talk about the depth of their growing feelings, and the barriers keeping them apart, but they also embrace their moments when they can, and they are so hot together! But more than just sexy time, there’s a true emotional connection between them, and I just loved seeing them fall so hard and so completely for each other.

"I’ve waited a lifetime to see my own longing reflected in someone else’s eyes. To be needed as strongly as I need. To feel like I’m on the same page with a person so it’d be safe to fall.
And I finally have it."

There’s a big cast of characters that are consistently involved, and though it’s sometimes a little hard to keep up with who everybody is, I loved the dynamics, and the way such a close friend group came together.

This is a really fun read with a gorgeous love story, and I finished it with a big smile on my face.

I loved it – 4 stars.

4.25 ⭐️

This was so cute! Double fake dating trope, just the right amount of spice for a romcom (the photo booth scene!), and the sweetest/sassiest grandma. Nora and Sebastian were adorable together, I loved the side characters (when does Benji get his book, because I’d read it in a heartbeat?!), and a barely-discernible third-act breakup (thank god because I usually get so mad at them).

This was my first Livy Hart book and I’m officially a fan and will definitely be reading her others.

Thanks to NetGalley and Entangled for the free copy of this book in exchange for my honest review!

Livy Hart does not disappoint. This was my favorite book of her so far. I’m always impressed by the level of swoon and comedy she’s able to deliver. The true definition of romcoms. This one is sure to be a fan favorite and will entice new readers as well.

What an adorable and delightful Rom com!

I’m naughty and couldn’t stay on task with my read along with Entangled Publishing Insiders. I smashed through it!

Picture it: a Romeo and Juliet like feud but without the death and they are meddling loud Italians.

Nora, manages a bookstore, been uprooted most of her early life dragged around by her mother chasing men. Meets a man by chance, feels a spark and he disappears out the door. Nora then inserts herself in her bestie Benji’s family drama In order to save him and ends up his “fake” girlfriend for his sisters wedding.

Sebastian, sets up Boys and Girls clubs all around the U.S., has ties in Great River never sets down roots, meets a hottie in a bookstore but alas he’ll be leaving soon. Decides to help his bestie, Alessia, by being her fake boyfriend to her brother’s wedding.

What could go wrong?

If you love:
🎭 Italian family drama
💞 Friends to Lovers
🌶️ Hot creative Spicy scenes
👵🏻 Nonna’s
👰🏻‍♀️🤵🏻‍♂️Weddings
🦎Bearded Dragons named Tarin

Run out and grab this book NOW! It’s on shelf’s! It’s AMAZING!

Thank you For this fun read along opportunity!

Nora grew up like a gypsy, moving from town to town with her mother chasing one man after another. As an adult, she is now settled with roots and works as a manager in a bookstore owned by her best friend, Benji.

Sebastian's job is to help open Boys and Girls Clubs across the country, but he has returned to his hometown for a year off to help his grandmother with home repairs. The son of two highly successful people, Sebastian seeks to make as much of an impact as his do-gooder parents. Being back in his hometown hasn't been bad, as he gets to meet the cute bookstore manager, and spend time with his best friend, Alessia.

Presented with an opportunity to help their best friends, both Nora and Sebastian decide to spent a week at the wedding of Benji's sister and Alessia's brother as their pretend dates. With families that despise one another, the week is surely going to be dramatic.

This book was a spectacle, but in a good way. There was so much drama between the two Italian families that it was almost hard to know where to look. Fake dating is always a win for me, but having two couples fake dating to keep their parents off their case, was amazing. This was such a good book!!

4 out of 5 stars.

Livy has done it again! This is such a fun romcom with great twists on the fake dating trope. Imagine it: two rival Italian families meet for a wedding. The bride is known for nagging her brother to get hitched, so he and his best friend, Nora D'Amato, decide to fake date. The sister of the groom isn't ready to come out to her family, so she and her best friend, Sebastian Rossi, decide to fake date. Except, uhoh, sparks fly between Sebastian and Nora. Now they have to maintain the pretense that they are dating people they couldn't be less interested in to save their friends.

I laughed. I gasped. I got emotional. It was steamy and sweet and funny in turn. This is a must-read!

Thank you for the publisher for the advanced copy.

I adored this book so much I immediately went out and bought myself a shelf copy so I can reread it.

Livy Hart takes fake dating and flips it on it's head while adding forbidden romance in the most unique set up of fake dating I've ever read.

Nora & Sebastian are friends to the siblings of the couple that are getting married. Their friends desperately need to keep their personal lives private from their extended families at the Big Fat Italian Wedding that's taking place.

So what do Nora & Sebastian do? Nora pretends to be Benji's date and Sebastian pretends to be Alessia's date even though Nora & Sebastian only just met and were immediately crushing.

How to solve this dilemma? By fighting feelings and avoiding each other as much as possible, an impossible task when they are constantly thrust together and their chemistry is just off the charts. It's sad and funny and a little heartbreaking that these obviously perfect for each other people have to hold back.

The tension in this book is insane. These two are falling hard and fast and trying so hard to not let the facade fall and ruin the guise for their friends. All their stolen moments left me blushing and giggling and I was cheering them on every time they stole away some privacy.

If you're looking for an incredible forbidden romance where she falls first but he falls harder, it's this one. READ IT.

Thank you so much to Entangled Publishing and NetGalley for the ARC.

Fake dating has become one of my new favorite romance tropes and The Great Dating Fake Off gives you multiple fake dating relationships to love. Messy family drama, a lot of talk about books and food, and character you can't help to root for; I really enjoyed my first Livy Hart novel, The Great Dating Fake Off.

Thank you Entangled Publishing for the gifted ARC.

This book was so good. I loved the premise of the story. This is one of my favorite authors so I was super excited to get to read this early.

I like how they both tried their best to help their best friends with their families. This had me giggling like a school girl and gave me ideas. I wasn’t expecting the spice that was in this book but it made it all the better. The ending was good when they realized how much they felt for each other.

This light-hearted rom-com was just that! I really enjoyed the ease of reading this - it wasn't too heavy, but it wasn't flimsy or fluffy either.

The story follows Nora and Sebastian as they meet - and then immediately jump into fake dating their respective best friends. I love that the author didn't string the reader along with miscommunication for the sake of it, I love that although there was a bit of "insta-love" - you really see it and understand WHY these two fall in love with each other.

As an Italian, I love that my culture was not made into a farce (as usually happens when it is used as part of a plot). I'm taking off half a star for the one "Sopranos" joke - but otherwise, the author was mostly culturally accurate and respectful.

Giving this a 4-star rating for the rom-com category - this book was funny, sweet and would be a great light hearted read for anyone who wants something easy and stress free.

Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC in exchange for my honest review.

Thank you to Entangled for the advanced reader copy. These opinions are my own.

Livy Hart writes such fun rom-coms. In this one, Nora agrees to fake date her best friend, so that he doesn't have to go to his sister's wedding alone. And Sebastian agrees to fake date his best friend, so that she doesn't have to talk about her girlfriend with her extended family at her brother's wedding. As you could guess, it's the same wedding. And if all the fake relationships weren't enough drama, the bride and groom's family have a feud that dates back generations.

The families are intense. The wedding parties and activities are hilarious. The venue sounds fabulous with lovely scenery. And the chemistry is steaming.

This was lovely and funny and head me rooting not only for Nora and Sebastian, but equally for their fake dates and for the bride and groom.

4.5 stars rounded up

The Great Dating Fake Off

"I don't need an impressive display, Sebastian. I don't need an audience. What I need is you, exactly as you are, right now."

Oh my heart, I adore Sebastian and Nora! Sebastian and Nora show up to a week-long Italian wedding fake dating other people, but their attraction to each other is hard to deny amid the ruse. This was an absolutely delightful romcom full of misadventures, family antics and overall fun, while balancing the truth of finding your home - and that it isn't always a place.

I highly recommend this one, especially if you're looking for:
- Fake Dating (but not each other)
- big Italian family antics, including feuds
- Hilarious, nosy grandma antics
- Forced proximity

The Great Dating Fake Off is on shelves now and you do not want to miss it! Thank you to Entangled for this ARC! My opinions are my own.

For some time I'm planning to read Livy Hart's book, and this was a perfect chance to get to know her work. I thoroughly enjoyed reading it.
This story offers a unique take on the fake dating trope, one of my favorites. Sebastian and Nora fake date other people as plus ones for a week-long wedding event, but their undeniable chemistry makes it hard to keep up the charade. Their emotional and physical connection is intense, leading to some heartfelt moments. The secondary characters, Benji and Alessia, added depth to the story and made it even more enjoyable.
Thank you to NetGalley and Entangled Publishing for the eARC

Thanks to @netgalley and @entangled_publishing for a #gifted copy of this book.

"I'm not going to tell you to go for it with him, but I will say some people wait their whole lives to meet someone worth agonizing over and never get the chance. You're going to miss him either way when he goes why not at least give it a shot? It's not a perfect plan, but it's a start. Otherwise, what was all this misery for?"

Summary: Nora will do almost anything for her best friend Benji, including being his fake date for his sister's wedding so that his family will get off his back for not settling down. She is so excited to be a part of this crazy Italian week-long wedding until she discovers the guy she likes is also at the wedding with a fake date of his own. Can they survive the week and keep their feelings at bay among the feuding families and watchful eyes?

Dani's Thoughts: This was my first Livy Hart book but it certainly will not be my last. I LOVED this book! The fact that Nora and Sebastian were fake dates for their friends was such a funny premise. They were a ticking time bomb of chemistry and the best banter. Nora might have fallen first, but Sebastian fell hard for her and was so protective. Sebastian had a lot to overcome within where he thought he had to be in life to finally be in a place to let himself love and be loved by Nora. I loved the friend group within this story and would have loved to have more of them all together. Do not miss this one!!

Read if you love:
💕Fake Dating (Sort of)
💕Found Family
🔥Forced Proximity
💕Family Drama
💕Bookish FMC x Protective MMC
2️⃣Dual POV

Thank you to NetGalley, Entangled and Amara for my complimentary eARC of The Great Dating Fake Off. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

The Great Dating Fake Off contains not one, but two fake dating scenarios. They are both enjoyable and when the inevitable “real feelings” hit, the book takes off. We follow Nora and Sebastian right through the open door. Get ready for some steam

My only complaint is the amount of characters in the story. Granted it is about combining 2 big Italian families and all the trials and tribulations that come with it, but I found myself getting confused as to who everyone was. Things straightened out for me towards the end.

This is an enjoyable romcom perfect for your end of summer reading.

A really fun (and SPICY) fake dating insta-love type romance that has two people who are both in fake relationships for a week-long big Italian wedding between two feuding families falling for one another. There's soooo much family drama in this book but it was hilarious!

The chemistry between Nora and Sebastian was top notch and Livy Hart definitely delivered on both the humor, heart and HEAT! Good on audio and perfect for fans of authors like Jessica Joyce. Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for an early digital copy in exchange for my honest review!

3 ⭐ 2 🌶 4 🎧

I'm so sad... I love Livy, but I just never connected with these characters... I really loved the premise, two sets of fake daters end up at a wedding is really unique and for the most part I enjoyed the story. It's worth a read if you love Livy or instalove rom coms.

The audio was great and well done. James Cavenaugh and Zura Johnson did fantastic jobs and Tantor, as always, nailed the production. Definitely recommend listening.

Romantic comedy with steam and passion
This was a fun light-hearted but angsty book. It also had three couples in love: Nora and Sebastian, our main couple; Alessia and Eloise; and Ro and Enzo. The comedy surrounds the marriage of Ro and Enzo whose Italian families have fought one another for generations. They met by chance; continued meeting secretly and fell in love. Their week-long wedding celebration brings out the best in Nora and Sebastian but the worst in the Ferraros and Mazzellis. Actually, the part about Nora and Sebastian being at the wedding in itself is funny. They are not a couple until the mishap of the wedding. Their back stories explain so much about them. Somewhat typical boy meets girl, boy falls immediately for girl, boy must give girl up, boy realizes that he cannot live without her but it is charming, witty, fun as in a comedy of errors! Chapter 33 is heartbreaking. As good and busy as this plot was, there were times when it dragged. Maybe it was just me. It had a wonderful ending. I do plan to read more by this author. I volunteered to review an ARC of this book through Entangled and NetGalley.