This was a cute holiday read that made you enjoy the journey and get the butterfly feeling. I loved the main characters and their development. I feel I read a lot of holiday ones near Christmas and this one is a must.

***I received this book through Netgalley***

Tropes:
⭐️ Billionaire romance
⭐️ Christmas romance
⭐️ Fake dating
⭐️ Boss / employee romance
⭐️ Single dad

5/5 ⭐️
3/5 🌶️🌶️🌶️

Ok can we just say Lauren Blakely is the queen of Christmas romances now? I love Lauren Blakely books already, but the Christmas season just added an extra fun element to this book?

Synopsis:
Fable’s boyfriend of 4 months is caught cheating on her during a thanksgiving get together. The same thanksgiving get together that her sister gets engaged at. The not so great part? Her cheating (now ex) boyfriend is one of the groomsmen who will be bringing his new girlfriend (that he cheated with) to the wedding! In walks Wilder f***** Blaine to save the day. They mutually agree to fake date during the holidays to get his aunt off his back from setting him up on dates and helping her get through the wedding with her ex there. 2 hot single people fake dating ? What could be more perfect?! The spice was spicing. And the chemistry was amazing!

Him being an amazing dad and protector is an added bonus! 10 out of 10 recommend!

This was a light and quick, cozy romcom perfect for anyone who loves binging on Hallmark movies during the holidays. This is billionaire fake dating done right, with Wilder & Fable showing how much they care for each other even while they try to deny their feelings are more than “just practice.”

What is better than a Lauren Blakely Christmas novel? Not much!

Wilder & Fable’s story is a fake dating relationship that begins when fable’s boyfriend is caught cheating at her company Christmas party. They come up with a plan to fake date each other.

The spice was spicing! Highly recommend this book!

I am a sucker for a holiday romance and although it is May- I thoroughly enjoyed this one.

Fable & Wilder are both such Christmas freaks, it was so cute. And you really can’t resist a billionaire, philanthropic single dad who also owns a football team. I know I can’t.

One of my favourite aspects of holiday romances is always the sense of family and community. The romance is always enrapturing but you just get so much more from the family dynamics or the small town politics. It gives all the warm fuzzy feelings.

Wilder’s daughter was also a little mischievous angel. I loved her antics and thought she was the cutest thing.

If you like billionaire romance, fake dating, ONE BED and single dad romance, please read it. Save it for a fireplace around the holidays- best read with a cup of cocoa.

4.25 Stars 🌟

This is one of those stories that are perfect if you want a fun, easy to read/listen to story that is going to leave you with a happy feeling of contentment. By now, most people are familiar with Ms. Blakely and her novels. Somehow, even though I have read numerous books by her, I can still just enjoy the story for the story.

This book itself is part of a larger world that she has already established in the San Fransico area. I think I've read a couple of books from the series, but I'm not sure because this book didn't have the series name in the title. But regardless, it is a cute holiday story that didn't have too much angst.

We are introduced to Fable, an easy to like FMC who works as a successful designer for a major league sports team. Her sister is dating her boss' best friend so they end up spending a holiday together. Things start from there. Wilder, the billionaire CEO who Fable works with, is also a very likeable guy. It is the fake dating trope, but somehow it goes over better than most of those in this trope.

This audio story is made all the better with an All Star cast. This isn't one of the Dramatized Adaptations with all the side effects, it's just narrated with a full cast. When I say it is an All Star cast - it is seriously an All Star cast. The FMC Fable is narrated by Samantha Brentmoor, and Jason Clarke is Wilder. The rest of the characters are played by Andi Arndt, Connor Crais, Vanessa Edwin, Andi Eloise, Teddy Hamilton, Erin Mallon, Noah B. Perez, Shakira Shute, and Ryan West - so it is a fun and definitely full cast.

I very much enjoyed this one! It was a fun christmas and very spicy time!! Highly recommend! I am a sucker for one bed trope and LOVE a billionaire so this was my cup of tea!!

Wilder is my new book boyfriend! His book was so cute! It has banter for days !!! The holiday season was done up so nicely and the side characters were phenomenal! Fable is such a relatable FMC. This book was perfect 😍

Lauren Blakely brings the holiday magic with a fun, flirty romance full of charm and spice. The fake dating setup works perfectly thanks to great chemistry and well-written characters. Fable and Wilder feel real, and the writing is sharp and engaging. A cozy, entertaining read for the festive season.

Thank you NetGalley for an arc of My Favorite Holidate by Lauren Blakely

I love Lauren Blakely books. I like the interconnected characters. She delivers the spice! I’m never disappointed! I had gotten hints of the FMC in another series, so it was nice to get her story!

Lauren Blakely, popular romance author, has written another novel with one of my favorite tropes front and center: fake dating. "My Favorite Holidate" is the fifth book in Blakely's series "How to Date." This book is all about Fable, who is dreading her family's annual holiday competition because her ex-boyfriend will be there with his new girlfriend (that he cheated on her with). When her hot boss, Wilder, offers to be her partner in this competition, Fable gladly takes him up on it. Along the way, she gets to know him and his daughter as well and starts to fall in love with them both. What will she do when she discovers that he feels just as strongly (if not more) for her? Read this book to find out!

Thanks to NetGalley for the ARC. All opinions are my own.

This was my first ever Lauren Blakely book and I fear I’m now hooked. Like I am going to read all her books now. Auto buy author for me. This was such a fun book and story line. Truly truly adored it

I loved this book. Fable and Wilder were a great combination. There was humor and sadness and wonderful family and friends and of course it takes place at Christmas. I only stopped reading when I had to sleep. Love Lauren Blakely

Billionaire romance set during my favorite holiday season, say less! I loved this couple and was rooting for them consistently the whole story. I loved Wilder. I am a goner for a single dad but especially when the father is clearly cares so much and does anything to support and love his child.

This was a really cute holiday romance. Fable and Wilder are great characters. The supporting characters are all well developed. For anyone who loves a good Hallmark Christmas movie, this one is for you. Lauren always writes a great romance novel, and this one is no exception. I definitely recommend this book for a great Christmas read!

A fake dating Christmas love story seemed like the perfect book for me. Billionaire romance seemed like the perfect hook. Unfortunately this book had me bored to bits. The spicy scenes were the only redeemable part. Everything else felt like the a drawn out hallmark movie. Maybe there was a page quota that the author had to hit because this seemed unnecessary long.

I didn’t even find myself rooting for the main characters. The build up of their angst was so nonexistent that I wasn’t even excited when they did finally get together.

This book might be good for someone who is new to reading romance but for the rest of us this felt like a basic and cliche “fake dating” trope that just didn’t land.

So when I requested this book I didn't think it was going to be a smut read. But I was wrong. There is a lot of sexy times/smutty stuff in these pages and I really had to get past some of the cringe-worthy sex dialogue to finish the story.
Aside from that, this was a really great story with wonderful characters. I can't even pick a favorite character because I liked them all, except for the Fable's ex, Brady, who deserves what he gets in the story.
Contemporary romance has changed a bit since I started reading it. Workplace romances are more common, but always now include consent, which I find sexy and worthwhile.
Wilder and Fable are fab characters and foils and they simply belong together.
If the book hadn't made me wince so many times during the smut scenes, I would have rated it higher.
4 stars and a great storyline with memorable characters. Thanks Netgalley for a sneak peek.

I actually read this at the end of last year and loved it!

I love that it wasn’t completely “Hallmark-y” and so funny. Wilder and Fable’s banter was top tier comedic sexiness and I adored their relationship. He is all man but loving and she is so sweet and caring towards all of her loved ones.

I like that it still had such a solid plot and didn’t over deliver the holiday spirit.

Still can’t look at Rudolph the same way!

My Favorite Holidate was my first ever full cast audiobook and boy was it an amazing one to start with!

This was my first book from @laurenblakelybooks and it exceeded my expectations! The meddling aunt, the puns, and the banter, everything was top tier. I couldn’t get enough of Wilder and Fable.

It was breath of fresh air that a FMC did not fight the billionaire spoiling her. Girl, yes, go on your shopping spree 🛍️ On top of the comedy though there was still a sweet aspect in the way they leaned on to each other and heal their previous trauma. Definitely a must-add to your TBR! 💖

Thank you NetGalley and Atria Books for the eARC!

My Favorite Holidate is the fifth book in the How To Date series written by Lauren Blakely.

Originally published in 2024, released in 2025 with a new cover.

What to expect:
*Boss x Employee
*Fake dating
*Holiday / Wedding Shenanigans

A very cute holiday themed romcom full of holiday contests, family drama, and spicy holiday puns.

No OW drama, tiny bit of OM drama in the form of the FMC’s ex boyfriend. Slight third act breakup but very quickly resolved by the main characters!

Ends with a cute short story set two years after the end of the book.

Thank you to NetGalley and Atria Books for the opportunity to read and review this title!

Format: NetGalley ebook
Genre: Contemporary fiction, Romance
Overall score:⭐️⭐️⭐️
Spice level:🌶️🌶️🌶️
Characters: Fable (FMC) & Wilder (MMC)