I always enjoy Livy Hart's books and this one was enjoyable too. I liked how Nora & Sebastian met at the bookstore and their chemistry was good. They couldn't stay away from each other and I could feel the attraction but I think the insta-love was what let me down. Also, since the beginning itself, so many side characters were introduced left and right and it was really difficult to keep track of them especially because they were from two different families. So the beginning was very chaotic. Perhaps if the character introduction was slow and brief, I would've liked the book more. Because figuring out the dynamics between all of them was hard and I feel like it overshadowed the romance tbh.

I received an ARC from Netgalley in exchange of an honest review

The Great Dating Fake-Off had its moments, but overall, it was a mixed experience for me. It took a bit longer than expected to really get into the story, and with so many characters, I found myself struggling to keep track of everyone. This made it hard to fully connect with the main plot and the romance.

The central relationship had some cute moments, but it didn’t completely draw me in. While I appreciated the banter and some of the more lighthearted scenes, the chemistry between the leads felt a bit underdeveloped. I was hoping for more depth and emotional connection.

That said, Livy Hart’s writing style is engaging, with witty dialogue and some charming scenes that kept me invested. While this book didn’t fully resonate with me, I’m still interested in exploring more of her work in the future.

The Great Dating Fake Off was fun, flirty, and full of familial fireworks. When Nora agrees to be her best friend's fake girlfriend for a wedding week, she doesn't expect to bump into Sebastian, a man she previously met and had sparks with. Sebastian is also faking a relationship to survive the week. The wedding they are both attending are with two rival Italian families and it's just as over the top as you'd expect. I enjoyed that the fake dating concept was not about the two in the same fake relationship. The family relationships were exhausting at times, but felt realistic for a big family. The two MCs had a lot of chemistry and it was easy to fall in love with them as a couple.

Livy Hart takes a popular rom-com trope and turns it upside down in the most delightful way in this story about two fake wedding dates who fall in love with each other instead of the friends they arrived with.

When Nora overhears her best friend's family giving him a hard time about attending his sister's wedding alone, she eagerly rushes in to help him. She introduces herself as his girlfriend and convinces him to let her attend the wedding as his fake date so that he can spend quality time with his grandfather without his mom and sister meddling in his private life. He begrudingly agrees and off they go to spend a week at a luxury resort in the Adirondacks. The only problem? Nora's mysterious bookstore crush is attending the wedding, too, as someone else's date.

Sebastian did not volunteer to be his best friend's fake date, but when she and her girlfriend told him that they were not ready to come out to her entire extended family and steal the spotlight from her brother's wedding, he agreed to pose as her boyfriend. He did not expect to run into the beautiful bespectacled bookseller that he couldn't stop thinking about in the middle of the Adirondacks. Pursuing his interest in Nora would require both of them to abandon their friends, so they agree that, at least for this week, they'll stay away from each other.

Except they can't. Livy Hart does an amazing job of developing Nora and Sebastian's chemistry through every interaction, and the tension between them slowly builds until it becomes unsustainable... and has disastrous results for their friends. This book has everything you want in a rom-com: absurd predicaments, delicious romantic tension, tight-knit friendships, and spicy scenes that make enduring the slow burn worth it.

I also love that you can feel how important the stakes and challenges are to the characters, which helps you buy into their dilemma. You're able to understand both why Sebastian's job is so important to him and why Nora won't allow herself to follow him when he leaves town.

This book is perfect for fans of big, fat, dramatic family weddings, forbidden love, forced proximity, and seeing the familiar tropes played out in a refreshing way. Thank you to Entangled Publishing and NetGalley for providing a digital ARC copy for me to review.

Great book! I loved following the fake relationships and the real ones! The storyline kept me wanting to read more. It was like a soap opera in a book! Definitely recommend!

I just finished it and OMG. I have to go back and read everything Livy Hart has ever written, including, but not limited to, her shopping list!
I LOVED THIS BOOK! The writing is phenomenal, not only the story and plot - which yes are awesome - but the structure, the grammar, the vocabulary, the flow, I adored it, cover to cover or whatever the Kindle equivalent is. All the side characters gave ‘My Big Fat Greek Wedding’ vibes and were highly entertaining. This was clever, sweet, spicy, sassy all in one.
Please write a Ro and Enzo origin story!

Thank you to NetGalley, Entangled Publishing and Livy Hart for this ARC.

There is nothing like a big feuding Italian family . While we’re at it, how about mixing in a wedding with the bride/groom on opposing teams. If that isn’t enough, let’s sprinkle in some fake dating and a dash of secrets. The perfect mix for a top notch Rom Com. Nora & Sebastian had me hooked the entire time. The plot/storyline was lots of fun & the spice was superb. I mean Italian men…….What more convincing do you need. If you’re into fake dating, feuding Italian families, slow burn, and a perfect mix of spice….this books for you. I promise Livy Hart never disappoints

Nora D’Amato and Sebastian Rossi find themselves caught up in the whirlwind of an extravagant Italian wedding, pretending to be involved with others to help out their friends. What starts as a simple favor quickly becomes complicated as their undeniable chemistry threatens to unravel their ruse. The humor, banter, and fiery attraction between Nora and Sebastian make this a fun and fast-paced read. The chaotic wedding setting, complete with feuding families and unexpected twists, adds layers of drama and tension. Livy Hart skillfully balances the laughs, romance, and spice, delivering a thoroughly entertaining story that kept me hooked from start to finish. A must-read for rom-com lovers!

Livy Hart is quickly becoming a favorite autobuy author. Thank you Entangled Publishing for my gifted copy. All opinions are my own.

I love fake dating and this was so well done!

Nora and Sebastian meet at the bookstore where she works as he’s trying to set up meetings for the Boys and Girls club where he works. They are attracted to each other, but don’t get to act on it when her boss and best friend arrives with his family. Nora pretends to be his girlfriend to help get them off his back.

When she has to attend his sister’s wedding she’s shocked to run into Sebastian who is also there as part of a fake relationship.

There was so much fun and drama at the wedding with two feuding families plus two fake relationships. I really appreciated that both couples were open with each other from the beginning and there was no cheating.

Livy Hart is a master at the banter and steam. I loved the connection between Sebastian and Nora. Despite trying to ignite it, they couldn’t avoid their feelings. I also loved how this wrapped up. I can’t wait for more books from Livy Hart!

The Great Dating Fake Off by Livy Hart, is an enjoyable story with amazing chemistry, forced proximity, a meddling Italian family and lots of drama. A a heartfelt romance between two lonely people who are fake dating friends they are not interested in, but interested in someone else who’s also in a fake dating situation.

Nora and Sebastian are each helping out their friends by agreeing to be their fake date for an upcoming wedding. This is a weeklong event, made more difficult by feuding families. When Nora and Sebastian arrive, they recognize each other; discovering that the attraction they felt at their first meeting was not a fluke. Because they are each with different people, they agree to put it on hold, until they have their respective breakups; but being in such close quarters isn't doing them any favors.

The chemistry between Nora and Seb sizzled and sparked. They got along so well but knew that their lives were headed in very different directions. Nora loves the town they lived in and had no reason to move anywhere else; after a lifetime of moving. Sebastian was a traveler; never putting down roots anywhere, until now. Nora has him questioning his whole life's plan, since they have been learning more and more about one another. Since Nora is his breath of fresh air, maybe he needs to come up with a new plan; one that includes Nora in his life.

I voluntarily reviewed a complimentary copy of this book.
#NetGalley #Entangled

Thanks to NetGalley & Entangled Publishing for the eARC and Tantor Audio for the ALC.

The Great Dating Fake Off
by Livy Hart

Narrated by Zura Johnson & James Cavenaugh

Story Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ (0-5)
Narration: 🎧🎧🎧🎧🎧 (0-5)
Overall: 🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟 (0-5)
Steam: 🔥🔥🔥🔥 (0-5) I bump up for public places.

What I’m Starry-Eyed Over:
🤩 Zura Johnson brings all the different feels and moods with her beautiful voice—sweet, sassy, strong, sensitive, sensual, disgusted etc.
🤩 James Cavenaugh’s gorgeous voice is so great at showing attraction and secret pining. He’s also fabulous at conversations and bringing all the feels.
🤩 Book shop meet-cute involving critter feed.
🤩 DOUBLE fake dates to the same wedding, but Nora and Sebastian can’t keep their hands off each other!! “I take a deep, slow breath. Nora D’Amato is an occupational hazard to fake dating.” Read the blurb—it’s unique and hard to explain.
🤩 Nora and Sebastian are MCs you easily fall in love with and long for their HEA.
🤩 So cleverly written—it’s captivating, immersive, and laugh-out-loud funny!
🤩 Destination wedding excitement & lots of sneaking around.
🤩 Livy gives us all the beautiful descriptions in all the different locations.
🤩 The steamy intimacy is fun, hot, and perfectly timed. Yes, I listened to some parts twice. And hello photo booth! 🥵❤️‍🔥
🤩 If you like fake dating trope at all, you’ll want to give this unique double fake beauty a try.

What I’m Wishing/Dizzy About:
💫 I have absolutely nothing in my notes.

Thank you to Entangled: Amara for my advance electronic copy via NetGalley. My thoughts are my own.

Nora grew up rootless and family-less, except for her mom. So when her only friend needs her to be his pretend-girlfriend for a big family wedding, she steps up. The only problem? The hottie who Nora's crushing hard on is also at the wedding, and also has a pretend-date. So they agree that they will NOT let their respective friends down and will keep their hands--and feelings--off each other. But as they keep being thrown together during the week-long festivities, it gets harder and harder to keep things platonic. Will they be able to help keep their friends' secrets? Or will they let their growing attraction ruin everything?

This one was cute and flirty and was one long story of--well, longing. I liked that this was about family AND found family, and how loyal they each were to their respective friends. It was hard not to be frustrated at the lack of clear communication that got their respective friends into their respective predicaments, but I appreciated the communication being open within the circle of trust at least. This makes a great beachy read with sexy vibes.

I did not want this love affair to end! Not only are we focused on our two leading characters and their love but we have friendship and marriage all tied into it! I am so sad this book is over I wanted the story to keep going!

We have two big Italian families coming together for a wonderful wedding week. But these two families have been in a feud for a hundred years. We’ve got Romeo and Juliette vibes going on here. The bride’s brother, Benji, is single. His family is always hounding him to meet a girl or trying to set him up. Nora the bff steps in to help Benji survive this crazy wedding week coming up. They decide to fake it. Alesia is the groom’s sister and hasn’t told her family about her girlfriend. Fearing drama at the wedding she decided to brings her friend Sebastian as her “boyfriend”. As the week progresses sparks arise and it’s not easy to keep a fire this hot under wraps.

In this you’ll find fake dating, breakups, family drama and finding out what home really means. This was such an emersive read that I wanted the story to never end. Grab your copy today (8/6) and dive right in!

Thank you Livy Hart and NetGalley for allowing me this read in exchange for an honest review.

Hart never disappoints! The Great Dating Fake Off by Livy Hart
I could read her writing everyday! I absolutely loved this. The most fun I've had reading a book in a long time.

in The Great Dating Fake Off, we have two couples who are fake dating at a family wedding and both couples have confided in each other. So we have the cuteness of the fake dating without the annoyance of a miscommunication. Jackpot! This was really cute. It was a wedding extravaganza of a bride and groom from long term rival Italian families and both the brother of the bride and the sister of the groom needed fake dates for various reasons. And the story is told from the perspective of the fake dates and the blossoming romance between them. It was really funny, frothy, and sweet. Nothing too deep and a perfect way to unwind after a long day at work - I laughed and swooned. And even had a teary moment.

From the moment I saw the synopsis I was intrigued. Fake dating is quickly becoming a favorite trope and this book was full of it. What makes it even better is the little unique spin to it!

I just loved everything about this book. The family drama, the spice, the chemistry, it was all just perfect. Oh and the banter! Banter is the aspect I find myself most looking forward to in romance and this book delivered. Grade A banter, 10/10.

This was my first by Hart and I can confidently say I’m a fan and will be reading her entire backlist in the near future.

Family is the best… Except for when they can’t accept you as you are. Especially when that you is happily single.

Nora gets pulled into an elaborate plot when Benji decides that the best way to save face with his complicated family is with a girlfriend at his side. Nora will do anything to help a friend so she happily agrees to accompany him to his sister’s wedding, she is single after all. What Benji doesn’t realize is that the sister of the groom is doing the same exact thing. Enter Sebastian.

Sebastian’s also just helping out a friend. So imagine his surprise when he runs into the cute girl he recently met at the bookstore at his friend’s wedding. Just like at the store, sparks immediately fly. Unfortunately, they are both already on the arm of someone else. It may be fake, but they each have a role to play. Are you following so far?

Despite their mission to help their friends, Nora and Sebastian can’t deny their insane chemistry. Benji and Nora are barely keeping up the ruse. And Sebastian’s date… well she’s busy trying to help her actual girlfriend successfully cater the wedding. Everyone is lying and someone is bound to get hurt in the Great Dating Fake Off.

This book was so much fun once I was finally able to wrap my head around all the names. I loved the Romeo and Juliet-esque feud between the two families. There are so many wild characters involved, and it made this book such a fun ride. It was funny watching Nora and Sebastian try to keep up with the ploy while also trying to keep their friend’s sane. I loved the chaos and had such a good time trying to figure out who would be the first to let the big secret out before the wedding was over.

If you love big family dynamics, over the top weddings, lizards, and strong friend groups you’ll enjoy this book. A HUGE thank you to entangled publishing and Brittany Zimmerman for the copy of this eARC. It was such a pleasure to read

This was so very cute and I loved these two chaotic characters so much! Honestly I really Loved the concept of the two both fake dating different people. It was chaos waiting for a disaster to strike and I was living for it. I wish There was a tad more romancing happening but the parts we did get were top tier! I loved how deeply these two understood each other on a cellular level almost like they were fated to be it for the other. The side characters were to die for especially nella!
Read if you love
-fake dating
-found family
-loud family chaos
-medaling friends
- friends to lovers
- banter
-Feuding families

This was a great funny read! The characters were hilarious and the situations they got themselves in was even funnier. If you love banter, passion and a romantic comedy this book has it all!

Highly enjoyable read!

Chaotic family dynamics that are reminiscent of an Italian version of My Big Fat Greek Wedding! Picture this: you meet a really great guy while you're at work and you're really hoping he'll call you, fast forward a few days and you literally run into him while waiting in line to check into a hotel. The catch, you're currently pretending to be your boss's girlfriend and your dream guy is pretending to be his friend's boyfriend, at the same wedding! So that means all the chemistry building between the two of you is completely off limits. And let's not forget, you're each fake dating the siblings of the bride and groom and the two families hate each other! What could go wrong? Well of course, everything!

I really enjoyed this book and was completely caught up in the chaos of the two families and the budding relationship between the two main characters. If you enjoy the tropes of fake dating and forbidden romance with a splash of family drama, this book is for you!

A huge thank you to NetGalley and Entangled publishing for providing me with the eARC of this book in exchange for my honest review.