4.5⭐️ 2.5🌶️

Thank you Netgalley and Olivia Hayle for the Advanced Copy.

This was amazing! An excruciating slow burn but nonetheless I was hooked from the very start and didn’t put it down until I was done.

The tension and angst in this book kept me on the edge of my seat. The characters were amazingly well written, as was the entire book actually. Their chemistry was to die for and I absolutely am here for couples that have conversations like adults!

I also really enjoyed the damsel in distress element happening throughout. It kept me guessing and I really liked how it all came together.

West and Nora will stay rent free in my mind and heart for a very long time.

This book snuck up on me! How are more people not talking about it? I read this in about a day, because once I hit the scene of them at the party and it gave me huge ACOMAF vibes, I couldn't put it down.

Nora is an heiress with a stalker problem. And what she perceives to be, a virginity problem. When her dream chance comes to design a fashion line for an anonymous competition in New York, she thinks to hit two birds with one stone. Get away from the stalker, and get a chance to date. However, her brother interferes by getting his best friend, West, to set up a security detail for her. Nora refuses to let this ruin her chances though, and when West barges in to steal her from a date, she finally admits that she wants practice. It just so happens he also needs a fake girlfriend. Boom. Time for lessons.

Romance/Sex lessons is a fun and well loved trope in romance books, we get some very steamy moments and a great dynamic as the two fall in love, but of course its just "practice". I loved how West encouraged Nora to show her teeth, encouraging her to get angry and learn to speak up for herself. I will 100% be reading book 2!

✅ Fake dating
✅ Brother’s best friend
✅ Dual POV
✅ Slow burn

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️.5

Oh yes, I will be picking up every book Olivia writes in this series - The Billionaire Games - because how could I resist?! This book reminded me exactly why I love to read. My screen time plummeted because all I wanted to do was pick this up. It was addictive, and I will try to put into words why.

As the series title suggests, this is about billionaires, but wealth is not what this revolves around. The focus is very, very intensely on the blossoming relationship and has a huge amount of emotional depth. God I love when characters in romance books actually SPEAK to each other, and when they don’t it’s for a valid reason. The communication in this is *chef’s kiss*. Nothing West or Nora did gave me second hand embarrassment or irritated me, their partnership was so mature and emotionally developed.

The characters are magical. West is the perfect book boyfriend - intensely patient, insightful, observant. And, of course, head over heels obsessed. Every action and word was full of such sincere kindness that this book restored my faith in humanity until I remembered that it is, in fact, fictional…. anyway.

Nora is equally delightful - a lot of the book focuses on her people pleasing habits and West’s attempts to break them down through encouraging her to get angry, feel her emotions, react. She is witty, intelligent, curious. However, if you don’t like a romance with some spice, don’t pick this one up… she’s steamy.

The plot was well-paced, the writing was so delightfully easy to read. I also enjoyed the side characters of their siblings and I look forward to reading their stories.

My only criticisms would be that the stalker storyline was rather anticlimactic, I would’ve appreciated something more intriguing than that, and the book could’ve been shorter - it’s a lengthy romance, and occasionally I did start to notice that.

But, this is fantastic, truly. If this sounds like your cup of tea, I deeply urge you to pick this one up - you’re in for a treat!

- Lara (@bookishlara on Instagram)

💖𝐎𝐋𝐈𝐕𝐈𝐀 𝐇𝐀𝐘𝐋𝐄 - 𝐓𝐇𝐄 𝐅𝐀𝐊𝐈𝐍𝐆 𝐆𝐀𝐌𝐄
🎉𝐁𝐎𝐎𝐊 𝐑𝐄𝐕𝐈𝐄𝐖

Billionaires, high stakes, teenage crushes and dating lessons? Apparently sign me up!

So, I've dived into this book almost completely blind. I've read the blurb, requested without checking the author or her work out (turns out I've previously added her to my TBR on Goodreads).
These types of adventurous and compulsive decisions on NetGalley rarely lead me into books that capture my attention fully.

But this one is definitely an exception to the rule.

Nora is the heiress to a big conglomerate dealing with luxury goods. All her life was paved and set into stone - from how to behave, to bending to her family's will and pleasing everyone but herself along the way. But the perfect facade broke when anonymous threats appeared. To escape she flew to NYC, but no luck was given there. The mails and photos followed and in desperate measures she was assigned a new protector. Her brother's best friend, West.
West, the heir to American royalty. West, the devastatingly handsome and aloof one, who she had a silly crush on. West, who insists on categorizing her as the 'little sister'. WEst, who needs a fake girlfriend - in exchange offering something that her current predicament almost forbids Nora to do. Dating. Purely for the sake of learning the trade.
But the forbidden fruit tasted too good. Compliments became touches, touches became kisses and eventually more. Feelings got mixed and as the stalker came out of the shadows one thing became clear: all that pretending and studying may have not been only for show.

I loved how Nora became animated and fearless around West, how he became possessive but was really supportive and tender with her. The dating lessons and faking it added just enough tension to keep me hooked and the slow burn trope helped with the context of the story.

The prose was very linear in my eyes - reminded me of C.W. Farnsworth. This is in anticipation her next release was a really nice connection for me.
All in all: billionaires and their love lives are still one of my favourite concepts. In The Faking Game they become real, relatable people falling in love!

If I cannot find a man who feels this way about me the way West feels about Nora? I don't want him! The Faking Game was a much needed read for me because not only do I ARC read, but I also mood read and I was in the mood for a good billionaire romance so the timing was just perfect.

Nora Montclair is moving to New York to attend a fashion institute—but she is also getting away from a stalker hoping for a brand new start. We find out that Nora is being watched over by West, who is her older brother's bestfriend. West has hired the best security team in New York, but for some reason, this stalker keeps getting away. When Nora is at her wits end, she ends up moving in with West with his and her brother's recommendation—but then ends up fake dating West to help him get away from all the match making his mother does. At first, I wasn't impressed with the identity of the stalker, but now that I've finished this book and read the epilogue—I SEE THE VISION.

The Faking Game was cute, spicy, and the perfect palette cleanser read! 5/5 stars for me! For a full length review WITH spoilers, please check my Goodreads!

I thought this had an enjoyable plotline and I liked Nora as a character. She is strong and steadfast, and comes out of her shell with West which is wholesome.

I did find it frustrating that they were still hiding their feelings over 70% of the way through, and were dishonest with both each other and their nearest friends and family. I don’t particularly love the secret relationship trope, and struggled to finish this book due to this. However if you were a fan of this trope, I would recommend as this was the only thing that frustrated me.

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

The Faking Game was my first experience with Olivia Hayle. I have to admit I had a fun time reading it. Now was this book perfect, no but give me a fake dating/bodyguard storyline and I’ll eat that sucker up.

The romance in The Faking Game was definitely my favorite aspect to this entire book. Nora & West slow burn chemistry, tension and tender moments were electric.

Even with that said the book still had two other major issues for me. The first being the length of the book. For a romance novel this was entirely too long. I think I would’ve enjoyed the story more if it was under 350 pages. My other big issue was the “drama” element. We have the fake dating/bodyguard due to Nora having a serious stalker. Then at the last minute we have a rich billionaire must marry to save his fortune legacy. It honestly felt like too many romance tropes being forced into one book. And then for both to be resolved very quickly and in lack luster manor was extremely disappointing.

Overall, even with this minor hiccups I still enjoyed the book and definitely plan on reading more of the series. I also would recommend this to all of my romance girlies. Lastly big Thank you to NetGalley and Victory Editing NetGalley Co-Op for the advanced reader copy in exchange for my honest review.

This book was so good! It's spicier than I normally read but the slowwwww fall is SO good. Heiress and Billionaire heir falling into a fake relationship that hits all the tropes...fake dating, forced proximity, forbidden love (falling in love with best friends little sister)...it was so good and so sweet watching Nora come into her own, overcome fear, and allow herself to express the things that she wants...the things that are important to HER. West taught her how to stand up for herself and gave her the room to actually do it. His slow and consistent nudge for her to be honest with herself and everyone around her was such a refreshing perspective and I love that at the end, their story feels like it redeems the whole place they were fake dating to save.

Such a cute story. Nora falls for her bodyguard who is supposed to be keeping her safe from her stalker who always finds out where she lives.. West falls for his best friend's little sister and basically breaks the bro code. I knew how the book was basically going to end, and yet I still loved it and couldn't put it down. Will definitely be reading more from Olivia Hayle!

this is my first read from olivia hayle and it won't be my last!!! this was SO SO SO fun!!!

nora has a stalker, and west, her brothers best friend/childhood crush, offers to help protect her/find out why the stalker is by fake dating her in public. (also helps him out so his mum will stop trying to set him for marriage). nora moves in with west and we get forced proximity with the perfect amount of slow burn!! we have so many tropes here and i think they were all done so well. i'm so fussy when it comes to fake-dating, and i loved the fake-dating aspect in this book, it made sense and it was so fun without feeling silly.

i adored both west and nora. nora is a complete people pleaser and i loved seeing her growth throughout the book. i loved everything about west, he's protective, he's rich, he's obsessed. he offers nora "dating lessons" and is so supportive of her, her dreams, and her growth. their chemistry and banter was so so good, and i just loved this couple together. and the SPICE!! so good!! there was so much tension, and i absolutely ate it up!! i loved the side characters, and can't wait for all their books, it set up so well for the next book in the series!

i liked how the stalker storyline pushed the story along, and my only complaint about this book is i would have liked a little more of the stalker storyline towards the end. i felt like it got wrapped up a little too quickly. i highly recommend this book for a fun, spicy romance!!!

The Faking Game is an addictive, steamy romance with all the forbidden best-friend’s-brother tension you could want. West is rich, arrogant, and the ultimate tough guy — the perfect partner for a fake relationship that quickly turns into so much more.

The slow-burn dynamic of West teaching the heroine how to date (and maybe more) is both sweet and sizzling, with moments that are genuinely heartwarming. The secret relationship adds just the right amount of tension, and watching them navigate their feelings while keeping things hidden from her brother is a total page-turner.

If you love a bit of forbidden romance, brooding heroes, and swoony slow-burns, this one’s a must-read.

Thank you to NetGalley and Victory Editing for this ARC in exchange for an honest review!

This was definitely a fun read, I enjoyed the plot and the whole old money vibes – very different than what I usually read. While I enjoyed the two main characters, I have to say that the side characters definitely stole the spotlight for me, especially Amber as well as James, that I hope to see in another book soon! I also liked the set-up for the next book in the series, I’m quite excited to see what it’s all about.

In terms of what I liked less, I believe that this book seriously needed another round of editing (though to be fair I read the uncorrected proof, so this could be different to the final product). I found the romance quite long for its genre (around 500 pages I believe) when it just didn’t need it to be. I noticed so many repetitions, especially in the first few chapters, to the point where it annoyed me. I don’t even want to read the word whiskey anymore, especially when describing the MMC’s eyes (it was repeated at least once per chapter, it’s okay to have brown eyes, we don’t need to talk about it). I am kidding but I do believe the book suffered a bit from it. In the same vein, everything was happening very fast, I would have loved for a few paragraphs/chapters to really dwell on emotions and descriptions as it felt a bit rushed to switch from an action to another.

Finally, let my girl Nora live in peace. I know the whole point on the book was to focus on her being able to set boundaries, and that was great! But the amount of overprotectiveness and mansplaining coming both from her brother AND from the MMC was just getting on my nerves. You go girl, you don’t need any of them!

Overall, a fun and light romance and a good set up for this new series. I am still looking forward to the next releases!

– My review is already available on my Goodreads. I will also publish it on my Instagram and TikTok platforms on Friday 30/05.

A fun twist on a common trope, Nora & West are the best friend's little sister couple you are excited to cheer for. Loved watching their story unfold from both perspectives. Hoping that this is the first in a series following the other characters. Olivia Hayle is an author I will be adding to my frequent favorites list.

This is a very wattpad-esque story. It’s a smutty fun billionaire, fake dating, and brother’s best friend romance. It’s an easy, hot read.

Sexy, sweet, soft.

The Faking Game was such a lovely and romantic book. I have a soft spot in my heart for people pleaser FMCs who are challenged by MMCs who want to see them stand up for each other, and this book had that dynamic in spades. West and Nora have a complicated relationship, given that Nora's brother is West's best friend, and their friendship has a strict "no sisters" clause. Throw in some forced proximity because West has promised to keep Nora safe in light of her stalker following her to the States, and you get a steamy, romantic love story with quick pacing.

This would have been five stars for me if the fashion showcase and/or the stalker had received a little more attention on page. Both felt like they resolved abruptly, and with little relevance to the narrative, and that was disappointing because of how integral both were to getting West and Nora together in the first place. The narrative focused almost too much on the relationship at cost of the other introduced plot points.

THAT said, I really enjoyed their relationship. I was so, so proud of Nora's growth. West even had some development too, and them coming to realize their true feelings was so soft and special. The boys group chat had me absolutely chomping at the bit for the future books in the series, and overall, I really look forward to reading more of Olivia Hayle's work. Like, really, really, look forward to reading her back catalogue.

I'd recommend this to fans of interconnected standalones (Parker S. Huntington/LJ Shen, Ana Huang, Julie Olivia vibes), light gray morality, and men who spoil the women in their lives.

I had such a good time with The Faking Game! The fake dating trope is always a win for me, and this one delivered with fun banter, great chemistry, and just the right amount of slow-burn tension. That kiss?! 11/10.

It was a light, entertaining read that kept me smiling, even if a couple parts felt a little rushed, I still had a delightful time and will definitely pick up another book by Olivia Hayle!

The Faking Game by Olivia Hayle

Quick Take:
A slow-burn, tension-filled, fake dating romance with dual POVs and plenty of drama..

What It’s About:
When a stalker forces Nora out of her apartment, she moves into her brother’s best friend West Calloway’s legendary estate. West is rich, arrogant, and frustrating—but when they fake a relationship to send a message that she’s taken, he also agrees to give her “dating lessons” in private. What starts as practice with clear rules quickly blurs into something more complicated—and real...

What I Liked:
- The overall storyline kept me hooked with lots of tension and slow-burning chemistry.
- I love dual POV
- The drama was well-paced and added layers to their evolving relationship & side-characters setting up for more books in the series

What Didn’t Work for Me (if anything):
- Sometimes Nora annoyed me, and West’s noble attitude felt more frustrating than charming
- Their back-and-forth could get repetitive, which slowed my emotional investment at points.

Recommended For:
Fans of fake dating with a mix of romance and drama who don’t mind imperfect characters. If you enjoy dual POVs and a story that balances tension with emotional growth, this could be a fit.

Thank you NetGalley & Olivia Hayle for an ARC!

Holy hotness, I loved this book. If you are into MMCs that are protective, full of praise, and just sexy on the page, West will check all of your boxes. Nora wasn't annoying, which i find rare in FMCs. I actually really liked her. I literally stayed up until 4am reading because I couldn't put this book down. I feel like the stalker aspect was quickly fixed. I was hoping for a little more action, but I still loved this romance.

Such a solid 4 star book for me! I read this in one sitting and couldn't put it down. It was exactly the type of book I was looking for in the moment and it certainly delivered. I mean...who doesn't love a fake dating billionaire brother's best friend romance?!?!?

Despite the tropes, this book actually had depth to it. The FMC had mental health issues that the MMC helped her work through. It was sweet and thoughful and not overly demeaning. The growth of not just the FMC, but also the MMC to the end of the book was well thought out and developed throughout and the lead up to the next book made me excited to see what is in store!

Thank you NetGalley and Victory Editing for the arc

The book was about fake dating stalking roommates

I struggled to read it took a while to read it was a nearly DNF book for me reason they wasn’t much of a plot they said they was stalking in it they only a wee bit mention in it I wish they took a bit more and understand it

The fake dating was ok with the brothers best friend they went into straight in smut I don’t really like romance books like that I like books that get to know each first

I did skip a lot of pages as I didn’t want to read all the basically S**

Only thing I like he was patient with her to lose her virginity not pressuring her the romance was ok with them the ending of the book was rushed which i didn’t like

Overall 2 stars