"Fake It Til You Feel It" by Fortuna Lux is an enticing story that intertwines the complexity of professional life with the raw, undeniable forces of attraction. The story kicks off with an incident proposal from Nathan to Dana—one that most would instantly reject. However, the underlying tension between them makes it impossible for Dana to say no, leading to an irresistible narrative full of twists and turns. As Dana and Nathan navigate their fake relationship for work, readers are taken on a journey filled with both humor and heart. What begins as a calculated facade quickly spirals into a web of unexpected emotions and undeniable chemistry. The author's ability to intertwine the “fakes” with real feelings is done masterfully, as we witness a brewing sexual energy that complicates their arrangement. The pinnacle of the story occurs on a yacht, where their suppressed feelings come to a head. Lux's writing shines in this moment, heightening every sense and tension until it bursts in a meticulously crafted scene that remains one of the top five intimate moments I’ve ever encountered in a book. The emotional build-up and release are worth the read alone. I highly recommend Fake It Til You Feel It to anyone who enjoys a well-crafted romance with layers of tension, humor, and deep connection. Fortuna Lux has created a captivating book that kept me gripped to my chair; I simply couldn’t put it down until the very last page.

A cute and short boss/employee fake dating romance in a fun setting of a yacht trip. I really liked the MMC and the chapters from his POV were some of my favorites.

Fake it Til you Make it is a quick boss romance. By quick meaning it's very fast paced, being under 100 pages it's just about Novella sized. You have the boss,Nathan, who springs a work trip on his assistant Dana. But it being a weekend trip isn't all, the potential clients they are meeting do better with a "family" setting so they have to pretend they have been dating. You then have the part where it escalates from the fake dating to something more, but what Dana doesn't know is that Nathan has had feelings for her for a while.

I received this ARC from publishers via Netgalley

#FakeItTilYouFeelIt #NetGalley.

Easy read, had me hooked from the first page finished this in once sitting as couldn’t put it down and was only a small amount of pages.

Short, sharp and cute. I loved this office romance, just wished it was more than a novella. Had plenty of promise. Loved that it was set on a yacht.

The description of this book alone had me hooked - I love a good office/boss fake dating romance!! This is my first book by Fortuna Lux, and I thoroughly enjoyed it. What was crazy was being trapped on a cruise ship, which added an extra twist to the story - one bed trope, sign me up!

My only complaint is I wish this was longer - either way, it's a fun and easy read.


Thank you BDA Publishing LLC for providing this book for review consideration via NetGalley. All opinions are my own.

A quick little novella following a woman and her boss fake dating to impress clients. A lovely little romantic refresher, thoroughly enjoyable!

4.5 ⭐️ I read this in one sitting!!!! That’s rare for me bc I never do. I enjoyed this book so much it was a such a good short romance novel that wasn’t insta lovey at ALL. That I would often see in not just short novels but long one too. Thank you NetGalley for getting me to read this advance copy.

“For the ones who say “I hate him” right before they fall head over heels.”

Fake It ‘Til You Feel It is a short story about a charming, arrogant boss named Nathan Clarke, making his assistant, Dana, be his fake girlfriend on a weekend retreat to impress his investor.

What to expect:
💕 boss x employee
💕 fake dating
💕 forced proximity
💕 spice
💕 “good girl”
💕 exhibitionism
💕 62 pages

Spoilers mentioned ahead. Please avoid if you’re interested in reading.

My thoughts:
I eat up a boss x employee with fake dating romance each time, but this story fell flat for me. It was hard to picture their chemistry, even with the spice, because the story felt rushed and was poorly executed. I love spice as much as the next girlie, but this spice took away from the plot. With 62 pages overall, and 18 of it filled with spice, that would make it 29% of plotless information when it could’ve been used to describe their relationship pre and post retreat.

My notes:
Dana kept saying “I hate you” to Nathan, but I didn’t get an enemies to lovers vibe. I interpreted Nathan to be an incredible but albeit, hard boss, since she said “he was the only one that saw her.” It made Dana be perceived as annoying and unlikable.

Dana was reluctant and scared to start a relationship with Nathan, but the author didn’t explain why. She dated a couple of guys before since her best friend Chelsea despises them. Did the relationships end terribly?

I did like that this was a dual POV. The only time I want a man’s opinion is when they’re yearning in romance novels, and especially if you give me a “fuck it” moment? Yes, please! But again, this moment fell flat for me because chapter 8: Nathan - Fuck It! was misleading. He did not say “fuck it” before kissing her, he communicated with her. We love a communicator, but this is not the time!

This is me being picky, but I did not like Nathan calling Dana “boss girl.” Seemed a bit corny.

Thank you NetGalley and BDA Publishing for allowing me to read this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

This was a very cute low-spice office romance. I loved it. it was very fast-paced, finished it in one sitting.

Dana is a perfect personal assistant to her boss. Practically doing his job at times. So when he needs her to be his fake date to win a contract she agrees. But when she discover that they have to share a bed things get dicey. Cute steamy romance.

Thank you, NetGalley and BDA Publishing LLC, for the advanced reader copy of Fake It 'Til You Feel It by Fortuna Lux.

Fake It 'Til You Feel It is an erotica/romance novella about a bossy CEO, Nathan, who orders his personal assistant and company manager to pose as his girlfriend for a weekend retreat. This story features the beloved fake dating, forced proximity, and one-bed tropes—so you can only imagine the banter, tension, and all the swoon-worthy moments that come with it!

I absolutely loved this book—it was the perfect, easy read I needed. I’ll definitely be reading more of Fortuna Lux’s books!

Spicy, male female, 1st person dual point of view, contemporary romance. This was a fun, steamy novelette. I wish it were a tad bit longer so everything didn't have to happen so quickly. I look forward to reading more from this author.

This short story was short but sweet. I enjoyed the fake dating scenario and the chemistry between the two characters. The steamy scenes are steamy!! I would have liked this to have been a longer story. The ending was unrealistic as was the whole book but still a good read especially if you like steamy books.
Thank you to Netgalley for an advanced copy of this book, all opinions expressed are my own.

The tension was chefs kiss! I didn't realize it was a short story until I got it but I liked it so much.

Thank you to NetGalley, the publisher and author for this e-ARC.

I LOVE the fake dating trope. Something about it that makes me so excited. Nathan asks (demands? states?) Dana to be his fake girlfriend on a three day work retreat to impress an higher up executive.

I love how the amount of work Dana does for the company was acknowledged. Nathan was not taking credit for the work she was doing.

This novella is 55 pages, so stuff is moving very fast. First day of pretending to be a couple, Dana is saying she does not know what’s real.

I SWOONED at the “you bought me books?” scene.

The tension and buildup to the spicy scene is definitely there. I will say, while this novella is marketed as erotica, but I don’t believe it is as there is only one scene. With that being said - that scene is hot 🥵 all I will say is mirror!

The ending was unrealistic.

Tropes:
Fake dating
Workplace romance (but on a retreat)
Only one bed

If you like a smutty filled office romance that is a quick read, then this is perfect for you. It didn’t have a huge plot to it, but the spice was worth it.

Cracked me up how the book started off with Dana ticked off at her boss, Nathan. The two of them have some strong chemistry that is undeniable. Also, a fake dating trope can never steer me wrong.

Dana is the assistant to Nathan, the CEO. She is pretty much the backbone of the company. He proposes that they fake date for a weekend work meeting so that they can impress a potential investor. But as the weekend goes, they realize what they have is more than just a work relationship.

4⭐️
2.5🌶️

A fun spicy short novella about an assistant and her boss who go on a yacht resort for a few days….but they’re fake dating 🥴

I normally like MMC’s wayyy more than FMC’s but I loved how capable Dana was and how she was seen and recognized for all the work she puts into the company she works for, anddd how Nathan was just as proud (if not more…) about all of her achievements, he likes showing them off to people.

This was my first ARC and i’m super excited about that, but that being said, I’m not going to give dishonest reviews. I don’t think this one was for me. I did have fun with it, and I do believe it would be a great palette cleanser book for someone looking for an extremely fast paced novella.

But in my personal opinion, it was too rushed. Again, in the sense of an easy quick read, this was perfect. But I personally lean towards books with more character development. I didn’t realize it was a novella going into it so that definitely could’ve swayed my opinion in the beginning when everything was speeding up.

There was also a lot of repetition with their back and forth and some of the phrases throughout the book. Overall I’d recommend trying it out if you’re looking for a quickk low brain power read where the spice is spicing (towards the end). I personally gave it a 2.5 star. But I feel like it has 3 star potential.

Fake It Til You Feel It is a short but steamy workplace romance that packs a punch in just 55 pages. Set over one intense weekend, this novella delivers forced proximity, sizzling tension, and a billionaire boss who absolutely worships his brilliant Executive Assistant.Dana is the kind of heroine I love—sharp, capable, and effortlessly cool. Nathan? A billionaire who's totally done for when the fake dating (and practice kissing ) starts feeling way too real.

And can we talk about the book-buying? This man buys her books, and honestly, that’s the kind of energy I need in my romance heroes.

Read this if you love:
- Short, spicy romance novellas (under 100 pages)
- Forced proximity & only one bed (on a yacht, no less)
- Fake dating that gets way too real
- Grumpy & sunshine dynamics
- Slow burn with high heat

The story wraps up with a very satisfying Happy For Now, but I’d devour a full-length sequel with Dana and Nathan in a heartbeat.

If you’re in the mood for something quick, steamy, and totally swoon-worthy, this one’s a must-read!Huge thanks to NetGalley, Fortuna Lux, and BDA Publishing LLC for the advance copy.

This was a very fast paced, fun read. It starts off pretty funny to me with Dana already being pissed at her boss, Nathan 😂 Also, have to mention how much I love the playlist for the book. It's literally just great smut. I was not expecting all that from Nathan Clarke but I was not disappointed one bit! If you love spice, short reads, office romances, with fake dating and BW/WM MCs then this is a great read. While the plot of the story is minimal, the spice and tension between the characters has you sweating, swooning, and wanting more! The bonus scenes also make it 10x hotter, so it's definitely worth the read!!

Fav Quotes:
I shift to face her. "You're awake."
"Unfortunately," she sighs, "What's your excuse?"
"Too much on my mind."
She snickers softly, turning toward me. In the faint moonlight, her outline is sharp and soft at once. "Like what?"
"You." The word escapes before I can stop myself.

"You're impossible."
"And you're irresistible."

The whole "You bought me books?" scene *swoon*

"Eyes on us," he orders, voice low and unyielding. "No looking away."