Thank you to Olivia Hayle and NetGalley for the ARC of The Faking Game in exchange for an honest review.

I loved this book so freaking much for so many reasons. First of all, if you can’t find a trope you connect with is this book, there’s no hope for you. We have so many classics here: brothers insanely rich best friend, enemies to lovers, fake dating, dating lessons, forced proximity.. UGH the list goes on and on and Olivia nailed every one of them! Nora and West have one of the most adorable relationships that translates over to the written word effortlessly. I love that they have this deep history together through Nora’s brother before they even decide to step into their fake relationship. The premise of West teaching/showing Nora how to be in a relationship was GENIUS and a huge contributing factor as to why the book was so fun.

I’m fairly confident this will be book one of a series that is yet to grace us with their presence at this very moment, but you better believe when the next book is released, I will be running to get my hands on it so quickly! If you are a lover of slow burns and fake dating turned not so fake, then this one is for you my friend. Please ensure you get your hands on this one, as it comes out May 25th for your reading pleasure!

🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟

I devoured this book. Olivia Hayle absolutely nailed the fake dating + brother’s best friend combo, and I was hooked! West is the perfect mix of protective and emotionally mature (with just the right amount of ego), and Nora is so relatable—funny, vulnerable, and stronger than she thinks.

Their chemistry? Off the charts. The slow burn was torture in the best way, and the dating lessons trope added such a fun twist. I loved watching their relationship shift from fake to very real, and the emotional payoff was so satisfying.

Also, can we talk about the banter? So sharp and sweet. This book had me smiling, swooning, and staying up way too late. If you love slow burns, forced proximity, and an MMC who falls hard, you need this on your TBR.

Thank you Netgalley & Olivia Hayle for the gifted copy!

Nora and West were sweet, the underlying conflict, the way he helps her through her mental blocks... The angst between them, the push pull and then whether Rafe would find out. I loved this book for a fun summer escapism. Definitely an airport read!

Nora's arc where she stands up for herself and stops people pleasing is my favourite part!

I'm also happy there's a character called Amber that isn't just the 'other woman'!

Can't wait for the next in the series

Thank you to Netgalley and Olivia Hayle for the ARC!

I really enjoyed this fake dating billionaire romance despite my personal tastes leaning towards sports romance. The romance was steamy, the characters unique enough. It's always interesting to imagine how the 1%$ lives. My biggest reason this wasn't a 4 star read is because the female main character is so infantalized (is that a word?) throughout the book. By her brother, who thinks she must be 14 years old, and by West, especially when he finds out about the virginity thing. Good Lord, you'd think she would've said she's under 18 the way he reacted. Even her estranged mother treats her like a child. I do like that she gained some of that spark/boundary setting in a healthy way, but Rafe really needed a freaking slap for all the babying he does.

I also feel like it would've been better if they did more with the stalker line, because I love a good touch her and die situation. Also we never found out if she won the fashion show!

I really hope that this gets a series with Alex, James, and Rafe getting their own books! Even Hadrian's side of things might be interesting. There's definitely more to explore in this world and I will definitely be on the lookout.

| arc review |

this was my first Olivia book, but wow I’m obsessed and I can’t wait to pick up some more of her books 🤩

this book was SO well written & easy to read. there were so many elements to the story that I really enjoyed (sorry spoiler free over here). fake dating has quickly become one of my fav tropes & this book has topped any that I’ve read so far! it has the perfect amount of slow burn & spice which put me rightttt in my feels.

gotta admit that West may just be one of my top book boyfriends now 😭 he’s literally perfect?!? 😍 he treats Nora like a literal princess 😭 & im obsessed with her! she’s such a fun character with so much depth to explore throughout the book!

I highly recommend this book if you’re into billionaire + fake dating!! such a good read & now I’m sad I finished it 😭 but I can’t wait to read the next books!!

thank you to Olivia and NetGalley for this arc 🩷

I had SO much fun reading The Faking Game by Olivia Hayle. Such a light, fast-paced, easy to read, sexy delight. The Faking Game has everything I enjoy about romance novels. Brother’s best friend, fake dating, dating lessons, forced proximity, and billionaires! (not to mention the praise k!nk that i will always eat up 🫣) I truly loved West and Nora as characters and loved them even more together! West wanted everything for Nora and helped bring her into her own and it was a beautiful dynamic to read about. I cannot wait to read the rest of this series, I can already tell I’m going to be obsessed with this.

A huge thank you to Olivia Hayle and Netgalley for the opportunity to read this ARC in exchange for an honest review!

This was my first Olivia Hayle book, and I had a good time. I loved the banter between the 2 main characters and loved the little group chat snippets we got from the guy's group chat. The chemistry was amazing, and I love when the guy is grumpy to everyone but her. The whole stalker plot wasn't my favorite, and I feel like it was wrapped up rather quickly. Overall, I did have a good time reading this and will definitely be looking forward to the next book in the series.
Thank you NetGalley and the publisher for the Arc!

Fake dating
Forced proximity
Tension
Banter
Spice
He teaches her/ practice
Brother’s best friend
Possessive
Virgin
Lesson on how to stand up for yourself and vocalize what you want and deserve.

These tropes sound like the normal combo for a book like this and let me tell you. It did not disappoint one bit. I liked the characters and you bet that there is another book coming out about another side character and I will be reading it. The only thing I feel like that disappointed me a little was who the stalker was and how simple that was to be done with. I thought there might be a scene where he gets to her or something for the drama. Aspect but they made it simple. Not horrible but I wish they had done a little more with it. Other than that the plot and the events between the characters were great.

I really enjoyed this book! It was my first book by Olivia Hayle and certainly won't be my last. The plot intrigued me, I love fake dating stories. This book did not disappoint! Perfect for fake dating, enemies to lovers, best friends little sister troupe loving romance readers! It starts off slow plot wise but gives you time to connect with the characters. I truly felt like I knew them by the end of the book. My only complaint was that sometimes I couldn't tell the difference between the narration of West and Nora. They sounded too similar in some chapters. Overall, would definitely recommend this book!

4,5, but only because there was some drama which I didn't particularly care for near the end. I very much had fun reading this.

This thing is spicy. A wet dream for someone who's a fan of the 'dating lessons' trope, because it goes over everything (physically and mentally). If you're a people-pleaser and have a praise kink too, it hits all the right spots while calling you out and making you rethink your life choices (or maybe that's just me).

It's not perfect, but it doesn't lie about what it is. And it is great fun.

Thanks to NetGalley and the author for making it possible for me to read it!

*ARC REVIEW*

At the beginning of the book I was thinking it would just be another billionaire romance but Olivia had a way of showing the character growth and family dynamics that was beautiful. Olivia having a stalker was hard at first not to sympathize but the way West protects her and falls down bad. Olivia and West are a perfect match in all ways, and the banter is just amazing!!! I think West may just be a new book boyfriend. Cannot wait for the next book!!!! 📕

The Faking Game had me hooked right at the beginning all the way to the end. Fake dating is one of my favorite tropes, so I’ve read a lot of it and sometimes they can blend together, but this book felt like a fresh take on it for me. The reason for that is the journey that Nora goes on in this book. The biggest reason for the fake dating situation in this book is that Nora needs the practice. She’s really bad at advocating for herself and is a big people pleaser, so she hasn’t really gotten anywhere dating in the past. West is super invested in helping her with this issue not only in dating, but in all areas of her life. Nora’s growth in the book was very satisfying to read and I feel like a big change was seen in her. Through this journey together, we see the relationship blossom between Nora and West, and I just loved their dynamic. West was so sweet with her and protective.

This was my first Olivia Hayle book and this definitely made me want to go check out the rest of her books!

I really enjoyed this enemies to lovers romance. The various storylines - suspense/danger, deeply bonded friendships with the 4 guys, budding romance, and a people pleaser finding her voice, confidence and independence - made this a book I couldn't put down. I loved it from start to finish!

I devoured this delightful book on a flight - the chemistry between the two was spicy and off the charts! I love a fake dating trope and this one delivers. The perfect romance book for the summer!

I really liked The Faking Game. There are many layers to the story, Nora’s stalker, the fake dating, both of them having personal deadlines they’re working against, that made the book full of events. It could have felt like too much was happening but it was well balanced, the storylines were suspenseful and interesting and the characters likeable. The banter between Nora and West was really funny, and his insistence on helping her break her people pleasing tendencies so she could do what makes her happy was really sweet. From the beginning he had her interests’ at heart and took advantage of the situation to help her become more assured. They made for a really cute couple, even when they were still pretending it was all fake.

Also - the ending ??? Oh I cannot wait for that next book.

This review will be posted on Goodreads on the 18th of May.

Wow this was my first book by Olivia and I have to read the other ones straight away. The Faking Game was an incredibly well written book and I was invested from the beginning. Nora was a great and deep character and most of the the time I could relate to her feelings and reactions. How she dealt with the problems and situations in the book was great and understandable. Her character development in particular was amazing
But West was my absolute favourite! He was incredibly well written and there wasn't one part where I didn't like him.
The two of them had incredible tension and I loved both povs. At the end, it took them a bit long to confess their feelings, but at the same time I could understand that thought process too.
I found the parts with the stalker super exciting, but I would still have liked a few more situations with it

I'm looking forward to more books from Olivia especially after the teaser on Noras brothers
Thank you so much for the ARC of this amazing book!

This book was so good I finished it in one day. Seriously, I couldn’t stop reading. Nora and West were perfection. Their chemistry was amazing and the banter had me smiling the whole time. I loved how Nora grew throughout the story, strong, funny, and not afraid to challenge West. And West, pls, total book boyfriend material. Protective, grumpy, and secretly sweet.
Honestly, it was the perfect mix of cozy and spicy. I already need book two, like yesterday. Thank you so much to the author and NetGalley for the opportunity to read this book early. I’m sharing my thoughts voluntarily and with genuine appreciation

Read this book within 24 hours. It is just that good! If you enjoy fake dating which turn into real feeling troupes this one is for you. West and Nora start fake dating due to Nora being stalked by an unknown. They start fake dating to try and draw him out and for west to protect Nora; one thing leads to another!

Hoping this will be part of a series. Definitely been left open for this possibility.

This was a fun one! It’s my first Olivia Hayle book and I really enjoy her writing style. Also loved the cover!

Nora and West were WONDERFUL together. Chemistry was off the charts and everything you want in a romance novel. Major tropes are best friend’s younger sister and fake dating/lessons in dating. And it was SPICY!

The only thing stopping me from giving this a 5 is that I didn’t like how Nora was so ashamed and embarrassed of still being a virgin at 24- that’s still so young! It was brought up multiple times and it took me out of the story a bit. It was also really long, but I was so invested that I absolutely sped through it. Can’t wait for the next one!!

🩶 𝐀𝐑𝐂 𝐑𝐄𝐀𝐃 🩶
💖 Title: The Faking Game
🖊️ Author: Olivia Hayle
📘 finished: May 16
📅 release date: May 25, 2025
Star Rating: 🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟

🎧 currently on loop: “Ceilings” by Lizzy McAlpine + “The Archer” by Taylor Swift
(vibe = soft ache, full heart, warm chaos)

☁️ 𝐭𝐫𝐨𝐩𝐞 𝐜𝐡𝐞𝐜𝐤𝐥𝐢𝐬𝐭 ☁️
💍 fake dating
⏳ slow burn with maximum tension
🖤 brother’s best friend
🔥 spice level: slow, sweet, and soul-deep

🌙﹒₊˚✧༚｡⋆

🩶 𝐓𝐇𝐄 𝐕𝐄𝐑𝐃𝐈𝐂𝐓
This book had me feeling everything. From chapter one I knew I was in deep. Olivia Hayle doesn’t just write romance, she writes emotionally improving characters and The Faking Game is that and more.

Nora and West are magnetic. She's being stalked by someone while he carries the weight of generations. Their connection is instant, intense, and impossible to ignore. But this isn’t a story about glam or influence. It’s about two people finding home in each other when the world demands perfection from them.

🌙﹒₊˚✧༚｡⋆

🖤 𝐍𝐎𝐑𝐀
She’s determined, sharp, and quietly unraveling under expectations. I loved watching her rediscover herself on her own terms with someone who truly sees her.

✨ 𝐖𝐄𝐒𝐓
He’s calm, composed, and deeply gone for her in a way that’ll ruin you a little. His love is steady, intentional, and the kind that makes you believe in being chosen fully and without hesitation AND MY GOD, I LOVE HIM.🧎‍♀️🧎‍♀️

🌙﹒₊˚✧༚｡⋆

📌 𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐦 𝐭𝐨𝐠𝐞𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐫
Their chemistry builds like a MEGA storm. It’s soft glances and sharp words. It’s quiet support and burning tension. Their moments together had me on edge, waiting, hoping, and feeling ALL THE EMOTIONS AT ONCE.

🌟 𝐛𝐨𝐭𝐭𝐨𝐦 𝐥𝐢𝐧𝐞
If you're craving a romance that's emotionally rich, achingly slow, and full of meaning, The Faking Game delivers it all. It’s not just about falling in love. It’s about healing, trusting, and choosing each other again and again.

💭
Huge thank you to Olivia Hayle, the publisher and Netgalley for this ARC.Completely OBSESSED.