I absolutely enjoyed this holiday romance with likeable characters and a fun plot. I recommend!!

Thank you Atria Books and NetGalley for this eARC in exchange for an honest review.

Adorable! This was the sweetest, steamiest christmas love story. Ah I love a man who YEARNS. I read it in hot as sin August and still got all of those those cozy Christmas feelings. Love!

Can fake dating really work? With the holidays just around the corner, everyone is trying to set Wilder Blaine up with a date and Fable Calloway wants a buffer from her two-timing ex-boyfriend. Fake dating is the perfect answer to both their situations. Throw in some Christmas competitions, a holiday wedding and a crowd of well-meaning relations and of course nothing can go wrong! (Yea, right!). See where all of this takes Wilder and Fable in Lauren Blakely’s “My Favorite Holidate”.

This is a book I didn’t want to put down. The Christmas competition was a bit contrived, but it does move the plot along. This is a stand alone book though there are references to other books thru minor characters that add to the storyline. I’m intrigued enough that I’ll probably go and find these books to read. I recommend this book to Christmas aficionados who like spicy romance.

I wish to thank Atria Books for providing the complementary electronic copy of this book and selecting me to review it on NetGalley. All opinions are my own.

#MyFavoriteHolidate
#AtriaBooks
#ChristmasRomance
#FakeDating

I loved this story. Single dad, fake dating, Christmas time, yes please. Wilder and Fable are so yummy together. Fable has a horrible ex and Wilder doesn’t want to be set up on date any his lovely Aunt. Who do you think concocts the “dating” story? Not gonna say because it’s fantastic when you read it. Fable works for Wilder and has never treated him as anything other than her boss who she can out in his place with one sentence 😊. Fable has her own dreams and aspirations. She doesn’t take Wilder for granted. Wilder on the other hand Definately has a way with gift giving and showing Fable how she should always be treated. Well with her sister wedding on Christmas Eve, a honeymoon cabin with one bed and chemistry off the charts, what can possible go wrong? Wilder’s daughter Mac is such an intelligent child of 11 years. She just add that something funny, snarky and extra to her dad and Fable. There were so many tender moments. I’ll repeat again, I loved this story

I would like to thank Net Galley and Atria Marketing for the opportunity to read this as an ARC. This is he story of Fable and Wilder( fun fact, this is the second book in a row with a MMC named Wilder.This one owns a football team, the other owned a rugby team).Fable works for Wilder's football team as as the merchandise designer.She also designs jewelry and wants to open her own store someday. Wilder has a daughter by a previous relationship( a famous singer so Wilder has custody.) They are all together at a Thanksgiving event when Fable's boyfriend cheats on her with the caterer. Then Wilder's best friend proposes to Fable's sister and both Fable, Wilder, and the now ex boyfriend will be in the wedding party. The wedding will beat Christmas and will coincide with a Christmas Competition that Wilder's family takes part in. Wilder and Fable decide to "fake date" so they can be each other's plus one for the wedding and show the ex boyfriend that Fable has moved on. I have some questions as I write this review, both about the book and the story. I received an email in May of this year that invited me to read this as an ARC, with the book( according to Net Galley) coming out in October of this year. It did not say anything about being a part of a series or collection. The blurb referred to it as a "Fake dating"storyline, which I have been seeing a lot of lately. So , as I was starting to read this and looking at reviews, I realized that this book came out last year. There is a paperback edition coming out in October, with a additional short story, which is I am guessing what I read. I read it as an e- book however, so I am still confused. I also see that it is now billed as a standalone, with characters who were part of several other books. I really wish marketing was more transparent about this. I need to know if the characters have a history that I should know about, and if it is meant to be a standalone, then that history should be more obvious in the story itself. Now, to my major concern , what is the line between "fake dating" and casual hookup? The two main characters are having sex all over the place ( literally) while saying things like "this will all end after Christmas".
After the second scene of mind blowing orgasms, something should have clicked that is wasn't fake anymore and they needed to stop the denial. The story was interesting , but silly. They told some people the dating was fake, and clearly were attracted to each other, but yet the charade continued.There were a lot of characters, ( as I now realize, from previous books),and most were engaging and well written. The ex boyfriend was quite cartoonish( although that might be by design.
It was a cute story, but a bit silly for my taste. There were a lot of spicy scenes, which I was fine with, but might not be for everyone.

This was my first billionaire romance novel and I had a lot of fun reading it! There’s a fake dating trope with a friendly Christmas competition thrown in. While I got a little bogged down in the middle with the holiday games at Wilder’s chalet complex, Wilder and Fable’s characters were the real highlight of the book. He’s a single dad who clearly knows how to care for a woman. Despite his wealth, his character felt down-to-earth and was a good match for Fable. Their fake feelings slowly turned very real, and their chemistry was off the charts! I also appreciated how the author dealt with Wilder’s ex. She seemed like a great co-parent-- there were great family relationships in general represented throughout. If you’re looking for a spicy holiday fantasy wrapped up in a Hallmark bow, give this book a shot.

Thank you to NetGalley and Atria books for this ARC. I cannot WAIT to read this come closer to Christmas. Stay tuned for full review! :)

I've read a few books by Lauren Blakely so far and I've liked all of them if memory serves. This one was just alright. But it could just be me not being in the mood for a Christmas book (seeing as it's August right now and I'm very much in summer mode), or it could be that I'm not a huge fan of a lot of fake dating tropes. Sometimes they manage to work for me, but this one didn't hit the mark. Okay, so we've got Wilder Blaine, billionaire owner of a San Francisco football team. Handsome, rich, into sports and business ventures, and lives in my beloved hometown of SF. He also has a cute 10 year old daughter who he co-parents easily with his old girlfriend. Then we've got our leading lady, Fable Holloway. She is a designer who works for Wilder's football team creating merch and her sister is dating Wilder's BFF. Fable and Wilder have to head to the Tahoe area for a wedding with all their families over Christmas but Fable's douche canoe of an ex is going to be there. Also, Wilder's aunt is pressuring Wilder into dating. The solution: fake date to show Fable's ex that she's over him and to get Wilder's aunt off his back. This is where fake dating goes wrong. Obviously these two have the hots for each other because, like duh, but the annoying "is it real or is it pretend?" thing gets to be too much for me. Also, the Christmas puns were over the top. I'm okay with a little holiday cheese, but I felt like it was overdone in this and had me rolling my eyes several times. But maybe it's me and I'm just not in the holiday spirit yet. I mean, we're still smack dab in the middle of summer. When the drama came to a climax , the fallout was way too exaggerated for me to find it even remotely plausible. Spoilers ahead... Spoiler alert: fibbing about going on a handful of dates and becoming boyfriend and girlfriend (when the truth is that y'all are just really each other's plus-ones and you're actually into each other, actually sleeping together, and actually planning on keeping the relationship going after the whole Christmas wedding trip is over) is NOT that big of a deal. That kind of fib isn't a betrayal to all the people you care about. After the Brady/megaphone incident, they're like, we hurt our family and friends with our ruse. It was LYING. Come on, people, you just fibbed about the relationship being a tiny wee bit more serious than it was. You didn't betray your loved ones. That being said, the story was still cute and I was still "rooting" for Wilder and Fable. Maybe if I had read this amidst Christmas decorations and holiday lights I would have enjoyed it more. Lauren Blakely, if you're reading this, I just checked my goodreads history and I've read your Scoring With Him trilogy, your Hopelessly Bromantic Duology, and One Time Only and I looooved them. So maybe I'm just the humbug here! :-)

My Favorite Holidate by Lauren Blakely is a holiday spicy romantic comedy. Thank you Netgalley and Atria Books for the opportunity to ARC read & review for the re-release of this book on 10/07/25.

This book can be described as:

- [ ] Holiday Rom-Com
- [ ] Billionaire Boss/Employee
- [ ] Fake Dating
- [ ] Revenge Dating
- [ ] He Falls First
- [ ] Single Dad
- [ ] One Bed in a Chalet

This book is a hilarious, fun and festive rom-com about Fable, a fiery woman who has caught her BF cheating on her while at a Christmas dinner hosted by her sexy, charming billionaire boss Wilder. In true holiday spirit, they decide to get through her sister’s upcoming Christmas-time wedding and start a mutually beneficial fake dating scheme. Through multiple mistletoe and holiday game shenanigans, these two can’t help falling for each other!

This book is so full of naughty and nice that it will have you giggling from all the banter and charm, then sweating your holiday socks off from all the steamy spice!! I really enjoyed the side characters as well and his daughter, Mac, was adorable and fun! Overall I really enjoyed this book, perfect for the holiday season, and I would give it 4 stars!

Fake dating is one of my favorite tropes so I was really interested to read this title! The Christmas vibes were a great distraction from the summer heat. Unfortunately this one fell a teeny bit flat for me as I'm just not a fan of it when literally everybody around the main couple knows they love each other, but the main couple deny deny deny it themselves. Decent spice scenes though!

A fun, flirty holiday romance that checks all the rom-com boxes. I loved the witty dialogue and festive setting. While the plot was a little predictable, it was still an absolute joy to read — sometimes you want exactly this kind of comfort read during the holidays.

This was pure holiday rom-com bliss from start to finish. Great friends-to-lovers romance with fun banter, genuine warmth, and plenty of swoony moments that will leave you grinning like you’ve just had the perfect cup of hot cocoa.

The dynamic between the leads feels effortlessly natural; their history makes the slow-burn shift into romance both believable and satisfying. I especially loved the holiday-themed adventures sprinkled throughout ice skating, decorating, and moments that feel like they’ve stepped straight out of your favorite Christmas movie, but without the cheesy clichés.

What really made this shine for me was how much heart Blakely brought to the friendship at the core of the romance. The humor is playful without undercutting the emotion, and the intimate moments feel earned. It’s the kind of book you finish with a happy sigh, already wishing for a sequel.

Thank you Atria books for this ARC!

This was a cute holiday rom-com.
Ticked off all the boxes on my list, I don't usually love what I call 'seasonal' books ie books that take place during one particular season, ie Christmas, Halloween or summer break.

But this may have pass the test.

Fake dating, festive vibes, and a billionaire single dad? Yes, please!
Equal parts swoony and spicy—this holiday rom-com is the perfect cozy escape.

The premise was very entertaining, and as always I love Lauren Blakely's writing style. But the majority of the story I felt left in the dark, as if there was a book before this I didn't read. If this is, I wouldn't recommend it as a standalone, read the whole series first. I read this as a standalone, making it suffer from too many character syndrome and inconsistent pacing. At the same time though, I LOVED the single dad element, it worked so well and his daughter was great. I really felt the connection between the MCs even though it was hard to get to. It was a bit of a drag.

A light-hearted and fun Christmas gift of a book that has you laughing and reaching for the mistletoe on every other page. Fable is in a good relationship, and enjoying herself at a Thanksgiving dinner at her bosses house… or so she thinks. When her boyfriend disappears from the table she goes off to find him only to spot him and the caterer in a compromising position she breaks things off only to run into her boss and see her sister getting engaged in front of the whole dinner table. And as if the nightmare couldn’t get any worse, she’s the maid of honor, her boss is the best man, and her cheating now ex-boyfriend is a groomsman. And the bride and groom are insisting on a Christmas wedding and for everyone to go travel to the mountains to make it a week long celebration. Just when everything looks bleak, her boss offers to be her fake boyfriend. Because there’s nothing wrong with a little faux-mance to get through the holidays. So what can you do when you maybe start to fall for your fake boyfriend?

2/5 Stars

I absolutely love a holiday romance, but unfortunately, My Favorite Holidate by Lauren Blakely was a miss for me. It had such great potential, but it felt drawn out and downright boring at times. It was extremely unrealistic which detracted from the overall authenticity of the plot and characters. The chemistry between Fable and Wilder was solid, but a lot of the spicy moments were cringey. I hadn’t previously read any books from this series and felt this really doesn’t work as a standalone. There was so much talk of Fable’s friends and their significant others who were couples from other books. I found myself skimming over these parts frequently. I also felt like the Christmas game aspect of the storyline to be boring and too reminiscent of a Hallmark movie. It didn’t feel fresh or original.

I’ve enjoyed Lauren Blakely books in the past, but this one wasn’t my favorite.

Biggest thanks to Atria Books for providing this ARC via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review! ❤️

My Favorite Holidate is a sweet and playful romance that perfectly captures the excitement and awkwardness of holiday hookups turning into something more. Lauren Blakely’s writing is charming and witty, with characters who feel real and relatable. The festive setting adds a cozy, cheerful vibe that makes the story easy to get lost in. Overall, it’s a fun, lighthearted read that left me smiling and in the holiday spirit.

This honestly might be my favorite Christmas book yet! This was so funny and fun! The spice was insane and the banter was top tier! Such a fun holiday romcom

3 stars. Thank you NetGalley and Atria Books for this eARC in exchange for an honest review!

I decided to have a Christmas in August moment! This book was like a sexy hallmark movie !!!! Of course with it being a holiday book, it definitely had its cheesy and borderline cringe moments, but it still was such a cute and easy read! Honestly, if it wasn’t a holiday book, I probably would’ve DNFed this book because of some of the dialogue and scenes. (That was really its big saving grace)

We follow Wilder and Fable in their fake dating scheme for the holidays. Wilder, an extremely busy businessman, doesn’t want love to be pushed on him during the season, while Fable, his employee, had a recent breakup, but doesn’t want to spoil her sister’s wedding. I enjoyed Fable so much! She’s sweet, funny, and a great person overall. The same goes for Wilder, he is such a caring person and truly wants to put others before him. I definitely felt their romance throughout the book and loved watching them both come to terms with their emotions.

I do think this book could’ve been way shorter than what it was. It was incredibly long for a holiday romance, and a good portion of the book could’ve been left out completely. Some parts were not important to the storyline at all. If this book wasn’t a holiday romance, I would’ve had to skim through a lot of it to get back to the storyline, especially the cringy parts.