Emily Sullivan is a rising star in the historical romance world, and her latest is an enjoyable fake-dating story with a black cat/golden retriever dynamic.

Alex is the type of FMC I love; she’s smart, awkward, brutally honest, and efficient. It’s great to see her walls come down.

Lucien, the MMC, is more of an enigma. It doesn’t help that he’s carried feelings for Alex’s sister, Freddie, for ages. He’s younger and also the son of Alex’s family’s coachman, so there are class differences, though the story doesn’t spend much time on this.

Ultimately, I did wish for a little more chemistry between the couple. I love a good grumpy/sunshine pairing in which the heroine is the grump, but there was a little missing je nais se quois to make this book as good as Duchess Material.

Histrom lovers and newcomers to the genre should both check out this book, and I’m so eager for a future book with Freddie and a certain inspector!

Emily Sullivan is one of my go-to historical romances, so I was thrilled to receive an advanced copy of Is This Real or Just Pretend? The story reminds me of a gender reversed Sabrina, which is one of my favorite romances from the 90s, and follows Alex, a businesswoman trying to prove her worth, and Lucien, the son of the chauffeur who has returned after several years in Paris. The pair enters into a mutually beneficial arrangement where they pretend to date, but their fake relationship quickly turns into something more real.

Alex works so hard at her father’s business, trying to prove her worth, and Lucien is trying to reinvigorate a business idea that had some success in Paris before he was swindled. They both face a lot of conflicts, as Alex needs a husband to ensure her position at the top of the company, and Lucien needs to find investors. I felt for both of them and their struggles, and thought there were some strong messages about gender issues, social constraints, and more.

Alex and Lucien have a fantastic love story with so many tropes I enjoy. Though Lucien is initially interested in Alex’s sister ( his childhood crush and friend), his affections quickly shift. Generally, I don’t like a love triangle when it involves siblings, but in this case, it totally worked. Even though Alex and Lucien enter into a fake dating situation, it’s pretty clear early on that Lucien’s feelings for Alex are deep and true, and not based on childhood feelings. I also love how they truly see each other. They’ve known each other since childhood, and though they weren’t close, they circled each other’s orbits. With that background, their relationship feels even more intimate and special. And the way he talks about her, as if he’s in awe of her in so many different ways, is almost as swoon-worthy as some of his romantic declarations. My word, this man might not be super experienced, but he sure knows how to make Alex feel wanted and loved and respected.

There’s also a bit of suspense in the plot, as someone is targeting Alex. Though this relates to the antagonists in the first book in the series, you don’t need to read that one to follow this one. There’s ample context, and it’s a tense and intriguing part of the story.

As you can tell, I really enjoyed this read, which is no surprise. I always love reading books by this author, and I’m looking forward to the next book. I’m hoping it focuses on Alex’s younger sister and a certain side character that seems to affect her. Special thanks to NetGalley and Forever Publishing for providing me with a copy of the book. All thoughts are my own.

Many thanks to Read Forever and NetGalley for the preview. All opinions are my own.

I have always loved the movie Sabrina, but I never completely loved the older brother character. It turns out the way to fix this is to make it a gender-flipped retelling in an historical setting! This was absolutely delightful, and it enhanced my favorite parts of the movies.

Alex is so cold and focused, but she also broke my heart with her conviction that she wasn’t what any man would want. And I loved that Lucien so quickly realized that a childhood infatuation with the youngest sister could never hold a candle to the feelings he develops for Alex. I also really appreciated that the fake relationship was negotiated up front; it always bothered me that Linus tricked Sabrina in the movies.

Now, the path of true love never did run smooth, and these are 2 intelligent idiots (my favorite pairing), so of course they cause all sorts of issues for themselves. And there’s a villain and a separate shadowy danger that must be dealt with. But the ending was so satisfying! And now I want to go back and read Will and Phoebe’s book, plus I’m excited for Freddie’s book!

Final notes: spice on point, virgin hero, hurt/care scene, and big gesture

I loved the author’s novel, Duchess Material, last year, so I was so excited to read the next Atkinson sister novel. This time we follow eldest daughter Alexandra; the serious one most involved in the family business, with no spare time for love. Yet to be taken seriously as the heir to the business, she must enter into a courtship, and fast.

Lucien, the son of the Atkinsons’ coachman and cook, has always been the outsider looking in, enamored by Alex’s sister Freddie. Returning from a few years away in France trying to build a business, he comes back to assist his ailing father and repair his damaged ego over his failed career. And maybe he can finally have a chance to sway Freddie’s attention to him. But a unique situation finds Alex begging him to go into a fake courtship with her instead, and Lucien is unable to refuse…….

***Fake dating
***She’s older (by 5 years)
***Strong FMC
***She teaches him….

I enjoyed this latest in the series. Alex was a strong female lead/businesswoman that isnt typical for the novel’s timeframe, and I loved that. Only reason I’m not ranking it higher is because it was a little off-putting to me that the lead MMC was so into the lead’s sister at the beginning of the story. Although his feelings evolved and changed, I realized it’s still not the dynamic I enjoy.

Thank you to Forever (Grand Central Publishing) and Netgalley for the ARC of this novel; all opinions are my own.

I have so many feelings about this book. First, I really really liked how it was written. It was so engaging that I started it and felt like I had to finish it! I was engrossed and I needed to know what happened between Alex and Lucien.

I loved Alex, our FMC, she was modeled after usually forgotten Victorian women who worked and were brilliant but unfortunately described as cold or looked down upon for their drive. Lucien took me a while to warm up to. He had a lot of sweet characteristics and moments but sometimes he would say some really harsh things to Alex in the midst of arguments that I felt like were never fully resolved.

I did think the miscommunication trope went on for a bit too long and it did frustrate me, but honestly given how emotionally constipated Alex was it made sense and it was fun to see this be from the FMC as it’s usually the MMC who is broody. I also wish to have gotten a spicy scene post conciliation. But it’s just because I liked the couple so much I wanted to see more of them getting to know each other and loving each other and having it be them against the outside problems. Definitely had some swoon worthy moments and it was so well written that I could really feel what Alex was feeling in her internal dialogue. The picnic in her office. 🤪😍 I’ll think about that scene again.

One thing I did dislike is Freddie the sister. I hated her so much and it made me a little sad to not have seen her relationship with Alex resolved. But the writing was so awesome because it truly made me feel viscerally about Freddie and Alex’s description of Freddie and their little spats felt so real. Also this suffers a bit of the Mary Balogh family-treatment where the family is painted as loving but is actually kind of terrible to Alex and Alex just takes it and doesn’t resolve that with them.

However, I loved that Alex grows emotionally and even though it’s a bit of up and down I think it’s so realistic for someone who has closed themselves off and is learning to love. I also think there were some really lovely moments of Lucien understanding and seeing Alex in ways that made the romance feel real.

Thanks NetGalley for the ARC!

Another fabulous novel from Emily Sullivan! This Victorian version of Sabrina (one of my favourite films growing up!) is exactly what I needed to read, there are plenty of winks and nods to the film but with fun additions and twists.. Sullivan’s decision to reverse the gender roles works wonderfully —not just as a gimmick, but a way to highlight women of the era who were not ones to sit and adhere to traditional roles. There’s plenty of heart, parallels, sass, and romance and pleasurable steam. This book truly took me back to the joy of watching the film but also got me thinking about social constructs of the era and how some things have yet to truly change - not just a brain candy romance!

I throughly enjoyed this book!
Hands down my favorite in this series.
Black cat heroine with a golden retriever hero.
It is like reverse roles too!

Duchess Material was one of my top five favourite reads this year, so of course I had to read its successor.

I was very excited to read Alex's story, especially considering how ... very uptight she is. And for her to get a fake dating romance with a man with a tattoo and earring? Yes please. And honestly, I really enjoyed being along for her and Lucian's relationship. They're both such funny characters that of course they meshed together so well. I also very much appreciated that he was younger and a virgin compared to Alex. It was a dynamic rarely seen and done really well with these characters. These two did flip flop just a little too much for me though. I love angst, but this was more than my heart could handle.

Can't wait for Freddie's story!

I loved the first book in this series, Duchess Material. It was my favorite historical romance of 2024 so I was ecstatic when I got a chance to read Is This Real or Just Pretend early. I have been waiting to get into Alex’s story. I am so happy that she got not only her romantic happily ever after but also got her business happily ever after. I’d love to see a modern woman in Victorian times l overcoming the obstacles in her way! Thank you so much for a chance to read this book early. I’m so invested in this series. And hopefully there’s a book by 3!

Thank you to #netgalley for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Thank you NetGalley for this ARC. It was a quick read with a cool fmc that offered a refreshing perspective of that era.

I am very into Emily Sullivan right now, and I think I might have liked this even more than the previous book in the series, Duchess Material. This is an opposites attract, fake courting historical romance with a thread of mystery through it. I really liked smart, business-minded Alex and was happy to see her character fleshed out more since she intrigued me in the first book. Lucien was a great pairing for her - he's also smart and business-minded (though in a different way), and I enjoyed his banter with Alex and his realization that maybe his feelings aren't quite so pretend. The only thing that didn't fully land for me was the mystery element - it felt like it showed up somewhat out of nowhere and wasn't completely fully formed. That may just be because the mystery was more of a core plot line in Duchess Material, and it didn't actually reduce my enjoyment of this book, I just felt like it fell a bit flat.

Been waiting for this book for a while now. Enjoyed it a lot, thanks for the ARC. To be honest, it wasn’t until the authors till I realized this was based on Sabrina. The pace of the story was good and abit of suspense. My only complaint is now that I am finished with this book is going to be some wait for the next book. Can’t wait….

I was honestly surprised with this book. I find 3 person POVs for romance hard to love yet this one is the exception. From the start, I immediately clocked that Alexandra in this story is exactly like Alex from Modern Family. Whether that was intentional or not, I enjoyed the parallels.

The “spice” in this book is fairly tame. There are a couple scenes explicit scenes but otherwise most is closed-door. I’d rate it approx. 2/5 on the intensity of spice.

I did struggle to picture Lucien as an adult during a lot of points in this books. I believe that this is because he was initially described as a child (as flashbacks) when he first met Freddie after returning from Paris and then they kept referencing child him. I think for most readers this won’t be an issue. When I did realize/believe that he was a grown adult, his character was very charming and likable. It was just hard jumping back and forth on his age in my head.

Lucien and Alex are very cute as well as the genuine friendship between Freddie and Lucien. I wouldn’t have liked if he discarded Freddie after falling for Alex.

I am so so happy that <spoiler> Emily wrote Lucien moving on from Freddie entirely as it is what made Alex and Lucien feel real. If there was no conclusion to his crush on Freddie, I think it would have ruined the book.

I loved the ending how Alex formed the women’s investment company instead of hoping the board of her father’s. It felt perfect given the advice her mom had given her the morning of the board vote. I would have liked a better conclusion on Lucien’s supper club, but at the same time,
it was pleasant that he let Alex take control of the career dynamic in the relationship. </spoiler>

Overall, this was an enjoyable read that I would recommend to anyone who loves the non-traditional lives of the Victorian era with a side of spice. A novel about Phoebe and Will (maybe starting right at the epilogue of this book) would be a nice sequel.

Thank you to NetGalley, Emily Sullivan, and Forever (Grand Central Publishing) for the ARC in exchange for an honest review. All opinions and statements in this review are genuine mine.

This upcoming historical fiction novel is something I really enjoyed reading. Ivlike the whole concept of fake dating because usually it turns into something so much more. I adored the main female character because she wasn't afraid to stand up for what she believed in. The leading man of the book had the best personality.

A charming fake dating/ opposites attract romance. Alex is a genius and is the main reason her father's investment firm is so successful. It is an open secret that she is behind all of the greatest deals. Her father urges her to stage a public courting in order to boost the board's confidence in Alex. Lucien has recently returned from Paris and is just the man for the job. He thinks he knows what he's getting into but is shocked to find himself falling for Alex.

This was cute. Alex is an appealing lead, though a bit too stubborn. Lucien is a great match for her. The story felt a bit rushed toward the end and I am not sure Freddie would have accepted Alex and Lucien without a fuss though I am glad she did. 3.5 stars.

I'm looking forward to Freddie's story!

Thank you to Forever and NetGalley for the opportunity to read a copy.

A super cute period piece with a strong fmc and a cute mmc. I really enjoyed the back and forth between these two and the outside the box thinking of the fmc. This is definately a book I will get for my libraries andlook forward to the feedback from my patrons. This type of story has been popular for a while but this is a nice new take of the period piece where the woman is not allowed to be the boss and needs to be sneaky to keep control. 4 stars.

A cute story about two opposites who bring out the best in each other. While the book takes place in Victorian England, it does not shy away from spice and sex.

Tropes:
opposites attract
fake dating
love triangle
reverse grumpy x sunshine
YEARNING on both sides (dual POV)

Alex is known as a heartless ice queen who cares more about work and her career at her father's company than she does her social duties. Lucien has come back to England after a failed business venture to visit his father, who works for Alex's family. He also has had a massive unrequited crush on Alex's sister for most of his life. They strike up a mutually beneficial deal to undergo a fake courtship. As they spend more time together, their feelings for each other begin to grow.

I loved Alex and was rooting for her the whole time - she's the responsible sister who's independent, sharp, and intelligent. She is caged in by the societal rules of her era, and unfortunately, her business acumen and personality are seen as an affront to her society. As a result, she is judged and looked upon unfavorably, which has impacted her insecurities about herself and what she expects and deserves from other people. She doesn't expect Lucien to fall in love with her (other than the fact that he has been in love with her sister, Freddie, for forever) because she thinks she is not what Lucien or what any man wants in a partner. Luckily, Lucien sees her for who she really is: an asset to her company and also beautiful, and I loved him for her. He's patient with her as she battles between what she wants and what holds her back. As they do the "will they/won't they" dance, we are treated with excellent yearning from both sides - prepare for a slow burn.

Thank you to Forever and NetGalley for the ARC!

I am swooning over these characters and about to do a re-read of the book because one read through is not enough! I love that the characters, especially the MMC, are far from perfect and in very relatable ways. Everyone can relate to not always being as brave as we want to be , or as suave or witty as we’d like to be, and it makes the character’s growth and successes that much more enjoyable as a reader.

Cannot wait for the next installment!

Thank you to NetGalley, Emily Sullivan, and Forever (Grand Central Publishing) for the e-arc in exchange for an honest review.

4.5 stars

I thoroughly enjoyed this book. I loved the fact that we were following Alex, an incredible businesswoman, in a time when women weren't allowed to hold a role like that. Thankfully, her father saw her potential and let her run the business. I understand that she is not like other girls; however, I loved her confidence and strategic mind. The fact that this is a fake marriage arrangement was good. Sometimes in these kinds of books, I don't always enjoy the love interest, but I liked Lucien. I thought he was a realistic character struggling with childhood fantasies and trying to make a name for himself. This was the first time I have read a book by Emily Sullivan, and it will not be my last. She knows how to write characters and an interesting story. I highly recommend this book!

How absolutely heartwarming and adorable. I love this little book. Lucien and Alexandra have my heart.