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

Alex is smart and totally capable but the board is unwilling to have a female head. She requests Lucien's help and asks him to pretend to court her....

Love Lucien and Alex. Lucien is so sweet and Alex is so smart. A totally fun book to read.

Thanks to the publisher for the arc.

Another great Emily Sullivan story, this time about Alex, elder sister of the FMC from Duchess Material who we know to be slightly odd and very business minded. She takes center stage in this fake courtship-business meets pleasure HR when her unmarried status begins to get in the way of her being taken seriously at her father’s company (which she mostly runs on her own). MMC Lucien is a down on his luck restauranteur who used to crush on her younger sister but agrees to court her in exchange for investment help to start a new supper club. Both have pre conceived ideas about the other and both find themselves dealing with new and not entirely unwelcome feelings. I appreciated that FMC was older and more sexually experienced than our virgin MMC, but that when it came to relationships and communication he was the more mature of the two. I think some of the side characters and subplots could have been a little tighter or maybe even deferred in service of continuing to expand the main characters’ growth and relationship. It felt like the last part of the book was rushing and did not quite live up to the bar set by the rest of it. Could have been a 5 star with a little more fine tuning!

A pitch-perfect gender-swapped Sabrina retelling! Oh my god do I love Alex Atkinson and Miss Emily thank you SO much for giving us what I am sure will be one of my top 5 reads of the year.

Pick it up for:
- super competent FMC
- fake courting to real feelings
- virgin MMC
- black cat / golden retriever vibes
- what are you looking at? / I just like looking at you
- so many swoons

I freaking loved this one - please add it to your TBRs!!

Super enjoyable fake dating historical romance! I did not realize this is supposed to be a Sabrina retelling which was a nice treat.

The characters are the main attraction here. They are extremely likable and complex. Alex is a woman in a man's world and it was interesting to see her navigate that, especially in a Victorian historical setting. She comes off as an ice queen but is actually a very caring person. She's multifaceted which was refreshing to see. Lucien is thoughtful and kind but his main flaw is that he has a crush on Alex's sister lol. I enjoyed watching these two become closer and their intimacy grow. The romance was very sweet. Opposites certainly attract in this case.

The fake dating trope was executed well and helped progress the romance nicely. I thought the steamier scenes were well written and suited the characters.

The side characters were fun and I also liked the setting a lot.

A very charming historical romance!

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for the ARC in exchange for my honest opinion.

Alex Atkinson has a head for business. She successfully runs her father’s company behind the scenes. When she finds out that she will need to be engaged in order to get the board’s approval, she comes up with a plan for a fake courtship. She enlists the help of Lucien Taylor, a childhood friend who has pined for her sister Freddie. In exchange for the courtship, she offers to find Lucien investors for his business. The more time Lucien spends with Alex, the more he sees behind her icy facade. The question becomes: is this real or is it pretend?

Oh, I really enjoyed this book. The characters are so likable and earnest. Alex is a complex and caring woman. In order to succeed in a world run by men, she hides herself behind an icy demeanor in order to be taken seriously. What Ms. Sullivan does so well is show us the Alex that hides underneath it all. We get glimpses throughout the novel of her vulnerable side. She’s multifaceted and always strives to be honest with Lucien. I really enjoyed the intimacy of their communication. Even if there is a misunderstanding, it is always addressed. It was lovely to see him draw out Alex’s true nature and watch them slowly fall in love. I appreciated that he was fixated on Freddie only for a short bit at the start of the novel, and he never compared the two sisters. He very quickly acknowledges his feelings for Alex. He was a thoughtful man, and immediately saw through Alex’s walls.

I’ve really enjoyed this series so far, and I’m looking forward to Freddie’s book. She’s going to be a handful for sure.

Oh, I just loved his book! It did take me until the author’s notes to realize it’s a Sabrina-esque retelling, which then made me love it even more. Wit, humor, smart Victorian women, and nice spice - all the hallmarks of an Emily Sullivan book! Thanks to Forever for the ARC.

Thank you to NetGalley for an eARC of Is This Real or Just Pretend?

I really loved this book. I flew through it in just a few hours. I thought the characters of Alex and Lucien were both well thought out. I loved being able to see all sides of their personalities.

I highly recommend for anyone who enjoys historical fiction.

It’s 1897 and fake dating has never been so fantastic! Alexandra and Lucien pretend a courtship to help her business and so he can have the capital to start a restaurant. Lucien has had a crush on her little sister for years, but quickly realizes that his feelings for Alex are both different and real. Alex likes to be in control, but love isn’t like business.

The characters are charming and sweetly vulnerable. You can’t help but cheer for these two opposites to have their own happy ending. I absolutely loved this story and gobbled it up like a French pastry.

Gentle readers: there are multiple intimate scenes.

Gender reverse Sabrina retelling in historic romance!!!!! I loved this. I loved Alex in the first book and couldnt wait to get her story and point of view. She’s such a strong character, the heart of her family, quietly noticing and taking care of everyone around her. I love how quickly Lucien saw this, and how hard he fell! Similar to the first book there was a lot of foreshadowing of Freddie, the youngest sister’s story, which wasn’t my favorite parts of either book- I really just want to focus on the main couple, but still a 5 star read that I devoured in just 1 extended sitting.

According to Sullivan's author's note, she reimagined this premise from Sabrina (the '95 version). But if you've ever read Nightingale Wood by Stella Gibbons, you might also think (like I did) that Alex and Lucien are reminiscent of Tina and Saxon, in that a wealthy, unconventional older woman falls for an earnest yet poor younger man whose family works for hers.

I loved Alex in Duchess Material, so I didn't think it was possible to love her more; I was wrong! Alex is a forward-thinking bluestocking, with a brain for numbers and negotiation and the backbone to withstand any man stupid enough to order her around. She's also neurodivergent and I appreciate how much that aspect of her character informs the plot, rather than a rote plotline directing her neurodivergence. And I love that Lucien is a calmer, gentler type of leading man, without being a cinnamon roll. Plus, it's nice to meet the rare HistRom MMC who has a good father and a healthy relationship with that father.

For once, I fully bought the portrayal of the fake engagement trope. Not many romances (that I've read, anyway) venture to show how stressful and tiring it would be to maintain such a facade. But there were so many good, honest moments between Alex and Lucien. I like a breezy romance as much as the next reader. But, sometimes, I crave a little more authenticity and characters who work for their HEA.