I rolled my eyes at a lot of this to be honest and felt frustrated at how babied Nora was. However, West really grew on me and, eye rolls aside, I still couldn't put it down.

thank you to Olivia Hayle and Net Galley for this arc!

I really enjoyed Nora and West story, we truly got to see them grow healthy boundaries and communication skills that we don’t often see the development of in books as often and as some who is also a recovering people pleaser i loved the representations that we saw of that within Nora, and I can’t wait to see where the boys books take us.

Everything about this book had me so so so in love! I won’t lie, I was a little nervous when I saw how long it was, but Olivia made every word matter!! Each word served its purpose and I ate it up!!

Forced proximity, dislike to lovers, fake dating, best friend’s younger sister?? Yeah nothing went wrong and I’m already quaking for Book 2!! Until then, I will be going back through Olivia’s backlist and reading every word she has written.

Ok this book was such a fun read overall!! Nora and West were absolutely adorable, and I loved their relationship dynamic. I also absolutely loved the friendships we got to see between Nora and Amber and between everyone on the Lost Weekend trip. I love a good forced proximity romance, and this gave me everything and more. It was a bit spicier than a book I would normally read, but not anything too crazy either. I would give this book a 4 🌟! Super excited for Rafes' story to come out!

The Faking Game is Dual POV, Brothers Best Friend, Fake Dating, Roommates, Slow Burn, Jealous/Protective MMC & a Contemporary Romance following some of the world's most elite families.

This story follows West Calloway & Eleanore Montclair in book one of A Billionaire Games Novel.
West owns the best security team in the country, if not the world (his words not mine. LOL) so when Nora (Eleanore) moves to New York from London to escape a terrifying stalker situation her brother Rafe contacts his best friend to watch over & protect his sister until they can uncover the stalker.

I LOVED EVERYTHING about this book. The characters, the friendships, the emotion & the brutal honesty of being a "people pleaser". Seeing Nora's growth into being her own person & not just someone obsessed with a man (I mean she is obsessed with West, but you would be too.) is absolutely what made me love her character.

THE ENDING HAD ME SHOOK & READY FOR BOOK 2.

Thank you so much to Olivia Hayle & NetGalley for the eARC & the opportunity to enjoy this story.

This is my first book by Olivia Hayle but whew can she write a good billionaire novel. I absolutely loved both the FMC and MMC. Normally an inexperience trope is not one of my favorites to read but with the brother’s best friend and fake dating trope to make up for it made for an easy read. I did love how Olivia developed Nora’s character throughout the book while utilizing West as someone who helps her find her strength and not do the work for her.

The ending was a jaw dropper and I absolutely can’t wait to read book 2 but I low key can’t wait for Jame’s book…bring on the duke.


Thank you NetGalley and Olivia Hayle for the eARC I thoroughly enjoyed this one.

4.5 stars ⭐️ this had so many of my favorite tropes! Nora and West had undeniable chemistry. I loved everything about it!!

What to expect:
- fake dating
- brother’s best friend
- virgin FMC
- slow burn
- billionaire romance

Thank you to NetGalley and Olivia Hayle for the ARC. All opinions are my own 🫶🏼

Thank you NetGalley and Olivia Hayle for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Billionaire MMC and inexperienced MFC are not my favorite tropes BUT fake dating, secret dating, mutual long term pining (and misunderstanding turns to dislike), forced proximity, lessons, brothers best friend are all *chefs kiss*.

I loved the growth that West helps Nora achieve through their lessons. This went beyond romantic relationships and was important for her relationships with her mom, brother, and even agent.

West’s growth was important to their future but a little more internal so it was less of the storyline.

Overall I enjoyed and that cliffhanger leading to book #2…consider me hooked!

5 stars – no rounding, no qualifiers. It was perfect. The FMC was well developed and interesting. A pleaser, who learns through the MMC, that maybe she doesn’t have to put everyone else first. I loved that. Also appreciated that there were ‘reasons’ for her perspectives and decisions.

This book was built on a trope I don’t typically enjoy – a virgin FMC. I’m just not into it and when I’ve tried it in the past, it’s not typically executed well. Well, this time, the author did a great job. Nora didn’t go from virgin to sex kitten. There is progression; it’s natural.

Oh, and West – he’s delightful. Patient, kind, understanding…and delivers praise that will curl your toes (if that’s your thing).

This had one of the best slow burns I’ve read in a while. Low angst. I really just loved the characters.

Off I go to read more of Ms. Hayle’s back list.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for the ARC.

Ohhhh she was a spicy one! Dating and sex lessons were a big part of the plot and they made me sweat and fan myself. I loved how West always checked in with her and made her feel comfortable, it was clear he wanted her to feel empowered. Their physical intimacy really enhanced their emotional intimacy! Nora needed help standing up for herself and focusing on her needs and West was her biggest supporter in that. She was honest with him in a way she’d never been with anyone and he provided her the safe space to explore not only her sexual desires but also her emotional needs. I really enjoyed these two!

I love steamy, brother's best friend, fake dating romances and this one definitely did not disappoint! The flashbacks added very sweet moments to a great story.

if you've liked olivia hayles other books, you'll like this one :)

this was super cute and probably one of my favorite olivia hayle books. West was a dream and I appreciate how they didn't drag out the dating reveal with her brother for too long. There was a small bit of a romantic suspense plot going on, but it wasn't my favorite! I think this book could have been even better if they leaned into the stalker thing a little more. It ended up being so much nothing that it felt a bit pointless, I was waiting for a more interesting reveal or for the events themselves to come to a head in a more dramatic fashion! it was a bit underwhelming in that respect, but then again, this wasn't billed as a romantic suspense so i can't really complain. the romance itself was adorable and fake dating between two yearners always hits :)

📚 Bookstagram Review: The Faking Game by Olivia Hayle 💋🎭⁣
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Fake dating? Check. Brother’s best friend? Check. Secret pining, steamy lessons, and a dash of danger? YES PLEASE. 😍⁣
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Eleanore (Nora) is forced out of her apartment by a stalker and lands in the one place she never expected—living with West Calloway, her brother’s infuriatingly hot best friend. What starts as a protective move turns into a fake dating arrangement... plus private dating lessons. 👀⁣
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From shared beds to stolen glances, West and Nora’s chemistry is off-the-charts. He’s rich and emotionally unavailable. She’s sweet, awkward, and totally unaware of her own worth. Together? FIRE. 🔥 And let’s be honest—this “just for practice” setup? Totally not fooling anyone.⁣
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This is the kind of swoony, emotional slow burn that makes you grin like an idiot and blush at the same time. 💘⁣
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✨ Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC! I couldn’t put it down.⁣
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#TheFakingGame #OliviaHayle #Bookstagram #ARCReview #NetGalleyReads #FakeDatingTrope #BrothersBestFriend #RomComReads #BookishLove #SpicyRomance #BookLovers #SlowBurnPerfection

I love a good fake dating romance, and this one definitely did not disappoint.

I love reading romances about men who would do anything for their woman, and West definitely fit that description—even though she has no idea how he feels for her.

I could relate to Nora and her people-pleasing ways. She constantly puts others' needs before her own, always striving to keep everyone happy. West is the exception to the rule, being the only person she doesn’t feel the pressure to please. With his help, she finds the courage to speak her mind and express her feelings honestly. West love and support for her were wunderful to read.

One thing that stood out to me was how they both were billionaires—not just the male lead, which it often is. It made their relationship feel much more balanced, and it was refreshing to read a billionaire romance where money and different lifestyles wasn’t the central conflict.

Another highlight was the group dynamic between West and his three close friends (one of whom is Noras' older brother, Rafe). Their bond gave me all the found family vibes and added warmth and humour to the story. I'm really looking forward to reading their books in the future!

I couldn’t put this book down and highly recommend it to anyone who loves brother’s best friend, billionaire, fake dating/dating lessons, forced proximity.

Thank you so much for the opportunity to read this book early in exchange for an honest review.

Release Date: May 25th, 2025

This book was between 3 and 4 stars for me. There were parts I really enjoyed but then at other times it felt like the book was a bit too long. This was a very solid brother's best friend romance though. The small flashbacks to when they were younger fit the story well, and you could see how it affected their current day situation.

I think a lot of people will relate to Nora and her people pleasing issues. I do feel like everyone around her treated her like a child though but at the same time, she didn't really help matters when it came to that.

I loved West though. I liked that he helped her learn boundaries, how to speak up for herself, and self defense. He was supportive and pushed her to communicate more not only with him, but with her family and those around her.

I did find the stalker aspect interesting, but was disappointed in that ending. I was just expecting a little more from that story line.

Thank you to NetGalley for this ARC.

Wow -just wow. This is the first book I have read by Olivia Hayle and it blew all my expectations out the water.

It had me hooked from the first line 'The best part about going to a nightclub is when you finally get to leave.'

This follows Nora - aka Eleanore Montclair , the Montclair Heiress and West - aka Weston Maude Calloway , The Heir to the Calloway fortune.

Nora is a model and face of the Montclair company, and West is her older brother Rafes , best friend. After receiving multiple threats from an obsessed stalker , Rafe ask West to step in to protect Nora as they are both in New York, while Rafe lives in Europe.

This arrangement then escalates to them living together in his family manor , and then fake dating to protect her from this stalker.

Getting to know Nora, we realise that she is the youngest child and a people-pleaser, she has never been able to set boundaries with her family and in relationships, which is why at 24 she is still a virgin.

West, agrees to fake date her as he needs to be married by 30 in order to inherit his family home and Calloway holdings, and this will get his mother of his back. In exchange for helping him out, Nora ask West to help her practice intimacy and skills need in relationships.

I loved these characters, West is so emotionally mature and sees the way Nora struggles pleasing everyone around her, at the detriment of her own happiness and is more than happy to be the one she practices she skills on. I love how protective her was of her.

I loved the world building, the boys friend group, the hints at more story to come in this series.

The growth of Nora and the way West is so deeply obsessed with her bite and her wellness. It was such a beautiful story, with great banter and hot bedroom moments.

I had so many highlights from this book - most from West POV, cause he just saw Nora in all her complex glory and loved every inch of her.

Some of my favourite quotes:

Nora POV:

The best part about going to a nightclub is when you finally get to leave.

Because if I tell people, they’ll worry more than they already do, and I don’t like that. It’s the currency of my life: being well-liked. Making others happy. Maybe that’s why West bothers me so much. I haven’t been able to figure out how to make him happy.

The problem with being a chronic people-pleaser who hates conflict is that life is nothing but constant conflict.

“You’re angry.” “Yes,” I say. “Funny, isn’t it? You’re the one who taught me how to be angry. Maybe you regret that now.” “No. I will always welcome your fire, Nora. Burn me with it when I deserve it.”

“Don’t leave me,” he mutters in my ear between polite conversations. “I might die if you do.” I laugh. “Are you addicted to me?” “Yes. Dangerously so.” His hand finds mine and locks our fingers together.

My lips widen into a smile. “I’d do anything for you, West.” He shakes his head slowly. “But I’d never ask you to do a damn thing for me.” “I know. That’s why I would.” “Be selfish, Nora. Please.”

“The fashion show,” I ask. “Can I be there beside you?” Her gaze slides to mine. “Do you want to be?” “Of course I do. It’s been in my calendar for weeks.” A smile spreads across her face. “Thank you.”


“What I want, Nora,” he says, his voice raw, “is for you to stay here forever. For you to be mine. For there to be no more faking between us—not ever. I want you on my arm. I want you wearing my ring. More than anything, I want you happy. I want to see you designing. I want to hear you say no a thousand more times. I want to make you come, and I want to watch you smile and laugh. I want to watch you charm everyone we meet. I want you in my bed. I want you in my office. I want you by my side.” The words hang in the air, making it hard to breathe. “It’s terrifying, I know. It terrified me. Marriage has always been something to be avoided. I’ve seen the way my parents did it, the punishments, the secrets, the games… if you give someone the key, they will wreck you. But you already have the key, sweetheart. And you’re welcome to wreck me as long as it means you’ll stay.” He shakes his head, his voice dropping. “I’m scared of what you’ll say now because… you love making people happy.” He pauses, closing his eyes for a moment before opening them again. They’re glazed. “But I still want your honesty, now more than ever. Even if it destroys me.”

West POV:

“It’s about trust. And sex should always be about trust.” “I don’t think everyone feels like that.” “Then they’re doing it wrong.” My voice comes out harsher than I intend. The idea of Nora people-pleasing in bed makes something inside me turn hard with fury. Not at her. Never at her. At the men who might not have listened. It makes me hate my own gender. The idea of men on a date, seeing her beauty, seeing her kindness and her smiles, and thinking only of their own gratification.

Flattered, then. More than flattered. It fucking wrecks me that I’m one of the few people she feels safe enough to be mostly herself around. That she doesn’t preen or pretend for me, doesn’t offer me fake smiles or hide her opinion.

She smiles beneath my thumb, and I’m lost. Maybe I always was. But this is the moment I know it, wholly and completely. There’s no recovering from her.

Her lips part on a soft sigh. She likes it when I praise her.

She doesn’t want to be here. Didn’t even want to model, has been trying to phase out of it, and yet here she is, doing a beautiful job of it anyway. Because she was asked to. Because she’s kind, and supportive, and doesn’t want to inconvenience anyone.

It hurts to look at her. That’s the way her beauty is: a dagger, sharp and piercing. And yet the pain doesn’t stop me from looking.

The rage that works its way through me steals my breath. That someone so good, and kind, who works so damn hard at pleasing everyone all the time, should be made to feel like this. I hadn’t realized the stalker scared her this much. She kept it all bottled up, and she did such a beautiful job of hiding it that even I hadn’t seen the full extent of it until now.

“Of course I don’t. You’re brave.” I open the door to her room, and she walks in front of me to her bed. And you take care of everyone else all the time. Let me take care of you now.

She consumes me. Her taste, her touch, her smiles. It’s all I think about in the days leading up to the Calloway Spring Ball and Rafe’s arrival.

“Hi,” I say. It’s not you kill me, but it’s close.

She turns it over, and then her breath catches. “Be a good girl and get angry,” she reads. “You had it engraved?” “If you ever need a reminder. If I’m not around to tell you to stand up for yourself.”


Alex sends me a delivery a day later. It’s a giant box of magnum condoms, along with a note that makes it clear he’s spoken to Rafe. I’m too young to become an uncle again. Magnum was generous of me, which I want noted. Happy for you. You took a risk with this. I approve. Burn this note after reading, though, and don’t tell Rafe. I’m playing both sides here. You get it.


Hints for book 2

“No. I should go to bed,” he says. “But I’m not sure what kind of reception I’ll get.” Rafe is sprawled out, his head against the headrest. His dark hair is mussed, and like West, he’s long since undone his bow tie. He’s turning something over on his own ring finger. Because West and I aren’t the only ones who got married this summer.

Thank you to Olivia Hayle and Netgalley for this ARC!

I was pleased to find I actually really enjoyed this book! Billionaire romance isn't really my thing in general, so it was fun to find one I really like. I generally prefer ones that hit you over the head with the idea *he's not like other billionaires* and while this didn't do that, I did still really enjoy his character. I'm also not usually a fan of the virgin FMC trope, but it did make sense in the context of her character and actually added to the story.

Nora is a perpetual people pleaser and West is her brother's best friend (who is also a billionaire). When Nora begins to get creepy messages from a stalker, West agrees to let her live with him and provide security. While they start off as enemies (ish), West and Nora decide to fake date as it'll get his mom to stop setting him up and give Nora the dating experience she desperately wants. As a people pleaser, Nora has struggled with dating and the expectations within it. West is able to show Nora that it is okay to demand what you want and set boundaries and, in the end, Nora is able to help West with a big obstacle in his life. Both characters were written really well and I loved reading their romance blossom.

Very excited to continue this series!

I was kindly gifted those as an ARC by the author iv previously read a few of her books and am yet to read once that i haven't absolutely devoured (also this cover is stunning) i literally spead through the book i was reading to start this one I was that excited. Usally, I try not to go into bid with high expectations so I don't get let down, but this absolutely lived up to the hype I'd given it in my head. Especially with thid being brothers best friend & vergin fmc romance I'm usally not to keen on them but this was done so well i adored Nora from the get go she was sweet and even if she didn't knoe it she was strong and the way west wanted her actually made my heart hurt he wanted her but also wanted to respect his promises to his best friend. Change of topic West was a pro with that praise kink of his. Delishhhhh I was melting into a puddle for him. I can't wait for rafe's book next he's a savage😂

ALSO THIS IS A FU***NG SLOW BURN

ARC Review: The Faking Game by Olivia Hayle
Rating: 4/5 stars

The Faking Game is a swoony, feel-good romance that delivers a perfect mix of fake dating, brother’s best friend, and “enemies”-to-lovers tropes—all wrapped in an emotionally grounded, slow-burn love story. Nora, a guarded yet endearing main character, moves in with West Calloway—her brother’s best friend and longtime crush—after a stalker incident. What begins as reluctant roommates quickly turns into fake dating for safety and private “dating lessons” for confidence, with undeniable chemistry bubbling beneath the surface.

West is a possessive sweetheart from the start, full of quiet praise, thoughtful gestures, and obvious care for Nora—even when she’s convinced he’s just trying to irritate her. Their dynamic evolves with heartfelt growth, witty banter, and intimacy that feels both earned and electric. Despite its 500+ pages, the story never drags, thanks to strong character development and emotional depth.

The third-act conflict is resolved with refreshing maturity, and while some spicy scenes were more intense than I prefer, they were well-written and fit the tone. A charming, romantic, and satisfying read for fans of slow burns with heart and heat.

Witty, swoony, and deliciously addictive- The Faking Games is everything a fake dating romance should be, with a few clever twists that elevate it beyond the trope.

I’ll admit, I was hesitant about one element going in (IYKYK) as it’s not my jam usually- I like more experience lets say, but Olivia pulls it off with charm and intelligence. The world she builds feels immersive without being overdone, and the side characters aren’t just filler- they breathe life into the pages.

Nora’s arc is the one that stands out, her emotional growth, quiet strength and internal tug-of-war make her a heroine you root for. And West? Delectable. The perfect balance of protective alpha and emotionally attuned man who been low key pining from the start. Their chemistry sizzles, the banter pops and the brotherly dynamic adds even more depth to the dialogue.

The cherry on top is the seamless tease into book2 in the series- a marriage of convenience setup between Nora’s brother and a rival- I cannot wait to devour.

This was a smart, sexy, emotionally rich romance that delivers the feels and the fun! ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ 🌶️🌶️🌶️
Thank you for this great eARC read!

#thefakinggame #oliviahayle #fakedating #romancebooksofinstagram #spicyromance #billionareromance