A beautiful, fun, spicy, and emotionally devastating romance! Elle and Adam are immediately lovable protagonists who are easy to root for. It's easy to tell that the author wrote this book from her heart. I once worked at a memory care facility with Alzheimer's patients, and Megan Murphy has captured the experience with so much empathy and rawness that I teared up many, many times while reading. :')

Enemies to lovers, fake dating & forced proximity are some of my favorite tropes. This had me believing that I would love this book, unfortunately it fell a little flat. I enjoyed it but I didn’t fall in love with it.

For me it was lacking some character development and I just didn’t really connect with the FMC. I actually think she was kind of childish and that threw me off.
Other than that I just don’t feel like I got to know the MMC at all and I didn’t really feel the chemistry between them.

I loved the Alzheimer aspect of the book and I could tell that the author had done a lot of research.

While I didn’t love this book I still enjoyed it and I’m so happy I got the opportunity to arc read this.

It’s a really well written book, very sweet and touching, however there were some aspects regarding the Alzheimer’s that seemed a little far fetched and convenient for plot purposes that constantly dragged me out of the story.

This book is an enemies to lovers book.the fmc is a podcaster from the city who returns to her hometown to sort out her grandmother illness that is progressing. The mmc is the home care nurse that was sent to care for her grandmother. I couldn’t get engaged to the story much but that could be because I’m not a fan of enemies to lovers tropes. The constant bickering between the characters is tiring. Since the grandmother Alzheimer’s is progressing and she thinks the Fmc and mmc are her and her late husband the two characters have to play along to keep the peace..

⭐⭐⭐⭐️/5 | 🌶️🌶️🌶️/5
If you love fake-dating romances with just the right mix of tension, heat, and heart, Fake It Like You Mean It by Megan Murphy delivers! Elle and Adam’s chemistry is undeniable—sparks fly as their pretend relationship slowly turns into something real. Once their feelings surfaced, the way they cared for each other was soft and heartwarming, with plenty of spicy moments to keep you hooked.

Elle wasn’t my favorite at first. Her reactions to Lovie’s illness sometimes felt self-focused, which made it hard to connect with her early on. But as she grew and became more self-aware, I found myself warming up to her. Adam, on the other hand, was a standout—quiet, grounded, and absolutely lovable.

This book is an engaging, emotional read with a solid balance of banter, vulnerability, and romance. Definitely worth picking up if fake dating is your jam!

Author: Megan Murphy @megmurphywrites
Book Name: Fake It Like You Mean It
Pub Date : Mar 18 2025
My Rating : 🌟🌟🌟🌟

Description
Fake dating, enemies to lovers, and a wonderfully unique forced proximity debut romance, perfect for fans of Elena Armas’s The American Roommate Experiment and Drew Barrymore’s classic rom-com Fifty First Dates.

Elle’s grandmother Lovie has always taken care of her, as long as she can remember. But remembering is just the problem. With Lovie’s Alzheimer’s progressing fast, it’s Elle’s turn to step up.

Leaving Chicago behind, the last thing she expects when she walks through the door of her childhood home is Adam Wheeler—in her bed. Live-in nurse and pain in the ass, Adam is here to do his job. Eat, sleep, nurse, repeat.

Thrown together to care for Lovie, tensions rise and lines are drawn, but there’s a bigger problem: in her Alzheimer’s riddled mind, Lovie’s convinced that Elle and Adam are madly in love.

Certain she’ll forget by morning, Elle and Adam play along. The only snag? She doesn’t forget.

Lovie is the only person who thinks this fake dating scheme is real…so why is Elle fantasizing about Adam when he’s not around? And why is it getting harder to pretend?

My Thoughts
Fake It Like You Mean It by Megan Murphy is a perfect blend of humor, love, and heartfelt moments. Elle’s journey home to care for her grandmother Lovie brings challenges, nostalgia, and unexpected romance with Adam, the grumpy yet caring nurse.

The fake dating dynamic is both funny and tender, with a slow-burn romance that feels genuine and touching. Lovie’s presence adds emotional depth, reminding us of the beauty of love in all its forms. This story is a heartfelt delight, filled with laughter, warmth, and unforgettable moments!

I absolutely love Megan Murphy’s writing style and can’t wait to read more of her work. Thank you to NetGalley and Alcove Press for providing me with an ARC of this book.

#FakeItLikeYouMeanIt #NetGalley #bookreview #arcreview

This book was so sweet!

Elle has always relied on her grandmother Lovie, who practically raised her. Her grandmas Alzheimer’s is getting worse so she goes to her childhood home to help. There, she finds Adam Wheeler—a live-in nurse— caring for her.

Funny enough, her grandma is convinced Elle and Adam are already a couple!

This bad had so many layers—romance, family drama, and a heartfelt look at Alzheimer’s.

Watching Elle and Adam’s fake relationship slowly turn into something real was so sweet.

Lovie’s role in the story was both sweet and emotional, and the way her condition tied everything together felt really meaningful.

I can’t believe this was the author’s first book—it was such a great read!

Thank you NetGalley and alcove for this ARC!

I have never read anything like this, I loved it. It was so unique, interesting, provoked so many emotions, plenty of laughs and was overall a lovely, multi-layered story while also shining a light on Alzheimers. I thoroughly enjoyed it from start to finish.

Megan Murphy’s *Fake It Like You Mean It* is a warm, witty, and deeply emotional debut that takes two of romance’s favorite tropes—fake dating and enemies-to-lovers—and gives them a fresh, heartfelt twist. Packed with laugh-out-loud moments, crackling tension, and scenes that will have you reaching for tissues, this is a love story that proves sometimes the hardest people to fall for are the ones who sneak under your defenses when you least expect it.

The story follows Elle, a Chicagoan with big-city dreams, who returns to her childhood home to care for her beloved grandmother, Lovie, as Alzheimer’s threatens to steal the memories they’ve cherished. But stepping through the door doesn’t just bring nostalgia—it also brings Adam Wheeler, the maddeningly handsome live-in nurse who seems to think he knows everything about how to care for Lovie. Tensions run high as Elle and Adam clash over routines, care decisions, and just about everything else, until Lovie throws them a curveball: in her confused but loving mind, Elle and Adam are madly in love.

The fake dating scheme that follows is both hilarious and touching. What starts as a way to keep Lovie happy becomes something much more complicated as Elle and Adam’s staged affection starts to feel all too real. Murphy strikes a perfect balance between humor and heart, letting the awkwardness of their situation give way to moments of genuine connection and vulnerability. Elle’s inner monologue—equal parts snarky and self-reflective—makes her a relatable and endearing protagonist, while Adam’s quiet strength and surprising softness make him an irresistible counterpart.

What makes *Fake It Like You Mean It* stand out is its emotional depth. Lovie’s Alzheimer’s is handled with grace and sensitivity, and the moments of joy and heartbreak surrounding her condition add layers of meaning to Elle and Adam’s story. Lovie isn’t just a catalyst for the romance; she’s the heart of the novel, showing how love, even when imperfect or fleeting, has the power to shape our lives. Her belief in Elle and Adam’s relationship isn’t just funny—it’s a reminder of the beauty in holding onto love, even when everything else feels uncertain.

Murphy’s prose is breezy and engaging, with sharp dialogue and vivid descriptions that pull you into the small-town setting. The chemistry between Elle and Adam is electric, and their journey from reluctant partners to something much deeper is as satisfying as it is swoon-worthy. The pacing is spot-on, blending laugh-out-loud moments with introspective scenes that give the characters room to grow.

*Fake It Like You Mean It* is more than a rom-com; it’s a story about family, caregiving, and the unexpected ways life pushes us toward the people we’re meant to be with. Megan Murphy has delivered a stunning debut full of humor, heart, and unforgettable characters. Whether you’re here for the fake dating antics, the slow-burn romance, or the tearjerking family moments, this novel has it all. Five stars—it’s the perfect mix of romantic comedy and emotional depth, leaving you laughing, crying, and cheering for love all the way to the final page.

This debut was so touching and well thought out. I loved the themes of loss, family, and life lessons woven into the story. Adam and Elle were perfect for each other and I loved the growth we saw on Elle’s behalf. I really appreciated the Alzheimer’s rep and how it focused on how difficult it is for care givers. All the little details Murphy puts into her writing really make the story shine. Occasionally, I found myself lost and would have to reread some parts to figure out why a character was reacting a certain way and I found the main character to be frustrating some times. Overall though, this book was heartfelt, hot, and well worth the read. I’ll be looking at my dryer differently from now on 🫢

#FakeItLikeYouMeanIt #NetGalley

Tackling a progressive medical disease that ends in the person’s loss of self and for those surrounding him or her takes great sensitivity.

The reader knows there is a guarantee of an HEA but getting there will be bittersweet.

Meet Elle, lucrative podcaster extraordinaire. Physically distant from her grandmother, Lovie ( as story progresses you discover the why) imminent circumstances has her returning to her childhood home in Indiana.

Next, meet Adam, caring nurse and financial/ emotional support system for his single mom sister with three kids.

Their initial encounter is hilarious. Sure, there are fits and starts to their relationship. And, seeing Lovie’s emotional and physical treatment of Elle is hard. It’s also realistic. Not so much though with who occupies her home at the end. Felt like the author wanted to tie up what may have seemed a loose end but don’t think the story needed that.

This ARC was provided by the publisher, Alcove Press, via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

✔ Hate at First Sight
✔ Pretend Relationship
✔ Forced Proximity
✔ Nurse/ Podcaster
✔ 35 H/ 30 h
✔ Single POV - First Person
✔ HFN with Epilogue

This rom-com was exactly the best way to relax and laugh out loud several times. I read it in one sitting, because I just couldn't put it down.
I may be biased beacause it had several of my favorite troupes, but they we perfectly executed and it brings us this gem of a story.

Elle is a successfull podcast maker, with a good life. She receives a call, warning her that her grandmother's health condition is getting worse she decides on the spot to return to her childhood home to help. There, she meet Adam, the nurse hwo is taking care of her grandmother in the most peculiar way.
Adam is a nurse, that works two jobs to help his family. He meets Elle when she arrives at her grandmother's house, and their first and several second interactions are not exactly the best ones. They have a hate but must tolerate each other, and as time goes by we start seeing suble hints that that hate may not be so true and is changing after all.

Besides all the interaction and banter between both main characters we have a major subject aproached in this book. How to deal with an Alzheimer's patient and mainly how to react and what to do when that patient is someone you love. How you feel, how you struggle and how you grieve for the person you once knew and how to accept to watch them lose themselves bit by bit. It has this heavy topic, but even so it's still a rom-com, a romance and a very good story.
I really loved it!

Fake It Like You Mean It caught me off guard. I thought it was going to be a light romcommy type romance. It was not. It was incredibly poignant with the story of Elle and how she deals with Lovie's, (her grandmother) journey with Alzheimer's and how through a fake-dating scenario with Lovie's home health nurse, Elle discovers that she doesn't have the shoulder the world's burdens alone.

Setting aside the conflict of Adam falling for his ward's granddaughter who is paying for the service that employs him (this is fiction people!), I thought this was a really cute love story that was wrapped around an even deeper emotional journey of handling your loved-one's health demise. I could identify with Elle and some of Murphy's quotes really hit home for me. I loved Adam's and Elle's banter. I really enjoyed this story and was reading at a time when my family was dealing with my own grandfather's health issues so this story really connected on a deeper level. Luckily, I have my own real life nurse Adam to help me navigate life. :)



3.5/4 stars!

Thank you to Alcove Press and Netgalley for the ARC ebook. All of my opinions are my own.

Synopsis
Elle Monroe has a good thing going on: She has a wildly popular podcast, Elle on the L; supportive friends who are witty, loyal, and provide just enough sass to keep life interesting, and a comfortable apartment and life in Chicago. This life is a dream come true, but Elle is abruptly awakened from that dream when she finds out that her grandma, her adored Lovie whose Alzheimer's disease is progressing quickly, needs her back in her small hometown.

And if this disruption wasn't jarring enough, imagine Elle's surprise when she finds out the round-the-clock caretaker assigned to assist with Lovie is a large (okay, and handsome, too, but that's not the point!) pain in her side.

Elle is tasked with learning how to care for Lovie, a Lovie whose incurable disease has changed her into someone Elle hardly recognizes; manage the situation she has gotten herself into with Adam Wheeler (the aforementioned pain in the side); and relearn what it means to love (and to be loved).

Review
Any time a book can make me feel all my feels, I know it's a win! There were moments I laughed out loud, especially between the deliciously witty banter between Elle and Adam, and there were moments where I had to stop reading in order to wipe the tears from my eyes. This book truly had it all.

I truly appreciated the introspection that several of the characters provided in this story. Whether it was Elle learning about her own limiting beliefs; Adam sharing his calm, collected insight; or Lovie's enduring Hard Love Rules, there were many moments where I related to the characters' flaws and internalized their growth.

While there were some open-door romantic scenes (which I don't typically prefer), they didn't dominate the plot. It stayed focused on the increasing tension between the lead characters and the decreasing health of Lovie.

All of my millennial, Midwest people will connect with the humor, setting, and character development of this book.

thank you so much to NetGally for giving me the opportunity to read this book . *THIS BOOK HAS SPICE * {p.147 , p.182 p.204-206 p.219 p.223 p.p258-264} i like this book it was ok i enjoyed it i liked the characters individually and i liked them together too ( they are not actually together until the end ) i liked adam of course and i liked elle too i thought she was sarcastic and childish in a funny way but sometimes she was just childish ... i liked her though. the Alzheimer was good plot to be honest i liked it and it made me sympathies with elle a lot and the way that adam just consoles elle when she;s going through tough time is so wholesome . I was severely traumatized by the spice because even trying to skip it was traumatizing to me . i was confused and i dint know what to feel about the book because i did like it but know that I finished it i don't feel the same . i wouldn't say there wasn't chemistry between the 2 main characters but i baerly felt it most of the time i did't :( . I love the little things that adam did for elle and hoe he knows her too well it was just so so cute !!!! nonetheless it was a good book !!

Enemies-to-lovers, fake dating and forced proximity are some of my favorite tropes, so I was sure I would love this book. Unfortunately it fell a bit flat for me, and while I enjoyed it, I didn't fall in love with it.

The writing style was solid, but the character development was lacking. It took a really long time for me to feel like I understood the FMC, and I never felt like I knew the MMC at all. I also didn't think the two of them had great chemistry. They immediately hated each other, but I honestly couldn't figure out why there was so much animosity between them. It seemed like it was just added in to move the storyline to where the author wanted it to be.

One of the things I did love about the book was the alzheimers representation. The author clearly researched the topic, and that came through in the book. It was touchingly poignant to see the FMC struggle to come to terms with her Grandmother's new reality. I sometimes found myself frustrated with her denial over the situation, but I think that's actually a very realistic way of dealing with such a life-altering disease.

The beginning and middle of the book dragged a bit, but it picked up around the 70% mark, and I found myself more invested in how it would end. I found the ending to be quite satisfying, and I was happy the character's stories wrapped up the way they did.

While I wouldn't consider this book one that I loved, I'm happy to have read it and feel like it was worth my time, despite the criticisms I have. I greatly appreciate Netgalley and Alcove Press for the opportunity to read an e-arc of this book in exchange for my honest opinions.

I don’t know I thought I’d be more into this cause it’s usually my kind of romance, but it just didn’t hit like I wanted to. Also kinda made me sad a little about her grandma and reminiscent about my own who passed away 10 years ago. The romance is cute just not like flaming hot. It was kinda like they had some sorta disconnect. Overall it’s and okay read and I’d still recommend it to others maybe it just wasn’t for me.

This one sounded so cute, so many things worked well for this book, but the romance just did not do it for me. I just didn't feel it at all. I don't understand why she was so mean to him, it felt forced and I don't like that. There were some cringey dialogues were I just couldn't get past. I just felt the hate was highly unecessary and it turned me off from their relationship entirely.

Fake It Like You Mean It by Megan Murphy is a sweet romance that had me soft and melting inside. while also taking me on an emotional rollercoaster. There's fake dating. emotional moments, tension and romance and it balances perfectly.

I loved Elle and Adam's relationship. Their chemistry was undeniable from the first interaction. It's hate to love but for the sake of Elle's Lovie you see them slowly start to fall. There's hard topics like Alzheimer's and what that looks like when your loved ones are going through that. It's bittersweet, emotional and all set in the romantic city of Chicago that just feels like a warm cozy hug. Lovers of fake dating and Elena Armas type of romance will eat this up!