This book is like a hallmark movie with the big shot city business person falling for the small town hero just minus christmas and i loved reading it.

The story was enjoyable, I wasn’t a huge fan of the insta-love/lust but I really enjoyed the couple. I also enjoyed the small town aspect of the whole thing and how even when things ended differently she still found a way to make it right.

Zoe being the businesswoman was a really fun part of the story, especially because she really seemed to really cared how she impacted the people. I was so glad when she finally decided to take the reins of her own life and stop pleasing her father. Her dads ending was also satisfying and he totally got what he deserved. Her love for the town grew in a very organic way which I loved and honestly she really did care even when she had just gotten there.

Matt, he was honestly so sweet once we got past the rudeness. I really didn’t like his mom but I am glad she had her character development. I feel like while Matt was a great brother, he still was too responsible for a child that wasn’t his even if it was his sister and only for a month. His role as a brother very quickly turned into the role of caretaker in the eyes of his parent and I did not like that. While I semi-understood his parents wanting a vacation I feel like they should have prioritized their literal child.

I really loved seeing autistic representation in books, I feel like it’s one of the many topics that should be more talked about. Daphne was honestly such a great character and addition to the story, I loved her. the amount of this she knew about flowers was probably my favorite thing about her and she really seemed to love it, it gave her confidence and comfort. The care that her brother had for her was heartwarming and their sibling relationship was incredible.

The book was amazing especially for a cozy, reliable and light read. i honestly look forward to the rest of the series in this universe.

Hoax and Kisses was an enjoyable read. This small town, fake relationship book is sweet and spicy in all the right places. Matt and Zoey are hot and heavy at first, then when things go awry a fake relationship is what is needed to help. Seeing the characters learn and trust on the pages is really nice. This deals with a lot of topics, including emotion and mental abuse, betrayal and more but I really appreciated the Autism rep with Daphne, she was an absolutely amazing character to read and so see how much Matt loves her sister and how Zoey grows to love her.

3.5 rounded up to 4⭐️

City girl meets small-town boy, and a one-night stand turns into fake dating, all big buzzwords for me so it’s no surprise I enjoyed this one. The writing captivated me from the first chapter, and the characters’ backstories were well flashed out. The rest of the characters made up the perfect cozy small-town vibes I love so much. The only reason why the rating wasn’t higher is that the relationships setups could have been stronger. I liked how Zoey and Matt met and the initial tension between them but the switch from heated rivals to supportive friends (and more) could have been more fluid. The same goes for the townspeople, I wanted more scenes of Zoey creating friendships and a life there she didn’t want to leave.
Zoey's relationship with her mom was also quite confusing, most of her internal dialogue was based on the idea that she never had someone in her corner but every time she talked about her mom she was described as someone reliable and loving so it was a bit weird in my opinion.

That said, I really enjoyed how supportive Matt was of Zoey, how he challenged her to open up and discover a side of her that she had kept locked away for a long time. The autistic representation was also very appreciated and it felt like Colliard handled it with the care it deserves. I would recommend this to people who enjoy a softer kind of romance. I’m intrigued about the previous series and curious to know more about Charlee and Oliver’s story. I'm still deciding whether to go back and read it, but I will definitely continue with this series. I can’t wait to learn more about Lola and James!!

First of all, thank you Netgalley for the arc and author Elodie Colliard for writing this book.

Uhm wow? This was such a cute book! I've searched up the author on google because I feel the need to read all her other books and to whoever is designing the covers- you are so so cool. All of her books covers are the prettiest things ever- of course you shouldn't judge a book based off it's cover but in this book? Yes you can, the outside and inside are equally as good!

Hoax and kisses has everything you need for a good romance book:

a double POV
great spicy scenes
countless love confessions
a basically perfect MMC
and a HEA

I adored the characters in this book, Zoey is so so sweet and Matt? This man runs a flower shop and thats all I need to say. Him and his sister have the best bond ever, I love Daphne so much (especially the part when she was defending Zoey, I was cheering her on) and the way Zoey was around her and making sure she was comfortable was perfectt.

The resolution of this book was so real, even though it was a HEA, some things just didn't go as planned which I really loved, but in the end it did make way to something even better. I feel Zoey's character arc and her realising what a terrible person her dad is, was such a big part of this book which I really liked.

Honestly, I wish this book was longer, I feel it could've done better with even more bonding scenes between Matt and Zoey because this book contained immediate attraction- which I am unfortunately not the biggest fan of. There are definitely other things which I would've like to be different (full review will be in my goodreads, linked below) but this was such a great book and I know this author will be popular.

4 stars!

https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/7753533957

Thank you Netgalley and the author for the ARC!

This book was so cute! I loved this book so much. It was another stayed up late to read book for me, because I couldn’t put it down.

Zoey and Matt had such great chemistry from the start, and it kept building throughout the book. They were so cute together, and she fit in so well in his life. Matt was so sweet and gave off serious golden retriever vibes. He was the perfect balance for Zoey and her bit of black cat personality. I loved these two together!

I loved the side characters as well, the interactions were saw were adorable and genuine. I loved how everything gave Matt crap for stuff. I laughed a few times while reading. They all had such great dynamics with each other!

This was such a great fake dating/slow burnish book! I’m seriously so in love with this book!

Small town
Fake dating
Found family
Enemies to lovers

My first book by this author and I was not disappointed. Her writing style is easy to follow, funny, sexy, and cute. Full of emotional depth and charming too.

This is an instant favorite book. I now need a paperback as a trophy!

Hoax and Kisses by Elodie Colliard
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
🌶️🌶️🌶️

Autumnal, sweet and spicy - what more could you want? I just finished this book after 2 days and I would have devoured it in 1 if I had the time.

This book was like a perfectly made cuppa after a miserable day outside. I didn’t realise quite how deeply I wanted the sun gone and the leaves to start turning until reading this.

The MMC is sweet and self sacrificing but also haunted by his past experiences and living slightly on autopilot. Funnily enough all he needs is a city girl who truly sees and challenges him to wake him up.

The FMC has lost her sense of self in the pursuit of making a parental figure happy and wouldn’t you know that a small town full of genuinely nice people and a particularly swoony florist are just what she needs to find herself again?

Key elements
-small town (strong Stars Hollow vibes)
-found family
-city girl/ small town boy
-autism rep
-fake dating
-no third act break up
-saucy and sweet
-THE RAIN SCENE

I love that they didn’t fall into the miscommunication trope and genuinely just handled things like decent emotionally intelligent people (if only that always happened in real life). It was so refreshing to read and really made you invested in the relationship between the two of them.

I love the community created in this book, the town is full of oddballs and kindhearted people and the MMC’s friends are no exception to this. They rally around him and provide a much needed support system- I mean who doesn’t need friends who buy you Cockerel memorabilia and tell you to “Go get your f-ing girl” when you need hear it. 🖤

I absolutely loved this book and can’t wait to read more by the author!

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
🌶️🌶️🌶️

Thank you to Elodie Colliard and NetGalley for this ARC copy, my opinions are my own. 💕

I thoroughly enjoyed the return to Pine Falls (you don't need to read Unbearably Yours before this one, but it does add some extra context) and its warm small-town feel. This is a lovely romantic read about two people battling the conflict between their dreams and their obligations - all family-related, but Zoey's ingrained need to please her father is very different from Matt's love for his younger sister. Zoey could come across as unlikeable to begin with (and does, to many in the town), but the reader is aware of her deep-seated doubts over the direction of her life and I really liked how she opened up. And Matt, so supportive and grumpily romantic and importantly, able to recognise his frustrations and mistakes - he's the ideal foil for Zoey and watching him fall is delicious. Their relationship develops over a relatively short period but the move from initial attraction to reluctant fake dating to unexpected love progresses naturally and feels a lot slower than it actually is. The romance is well balanced with the deeper themes of family expectations: I honestly thought I knew where the plot was going for Zoey, but the extra little twist towards the end was both surprising and, I think, necessary for her character as well as adding an extra layer of tension to the denouement. Definitely looking forward to more from Pine Falls.

I absolutely loved this book from beginning to end! From the cozy small-town vibes to the fake dating trope (one of my favorites!), Hoax and Kisses pulled me in right away and never let go.

Matt and Zoey had such great chemistry — I was hooked not just on their slow-burning connection, but also on their personal growth throughout the story. I loved how their “business deal” fake relationship turned into something so genuine and heartfelt. The emotional depth behind both characters, especially Matt’s family struggles and Zoey’s internal doubts, made this feel so much more than your average rom-com.

The plot twist caught me completely off guard (in the best way), and the writing style was smooth, heartfelt, and full of charm. The story gave me The Holiday meets Gilmore Girls in all the right ways — cozy, clever, a little chaotic, and full of love.

This is the kind of small-town romance I’ll be recommending to everyone. I can’t wait to read more from this author!

Would I recommend? 1000% yes — if you love fake dating, heartfelt backstories, small-town drama, and swoony love interests, Hoax and Kisses will charm you completely. 💐💕

Hoaxes and Kisses by Eloise Colliard was a delightful read filled with so many laugh out loud moments, lovable characters, and a mix of sweet and spicy scenes to keep you entertained and ready to binge!

This was the perfect pallet cleanser and a great choice for my first ever arc (eek)! I loved that while it focused primarily on the romance it was led by a plot leaving the story to feel more “deep” than just a regular old romance novel.

The meet cute reminded me of a funny 2000s movie and had so many laugh out loud moments! If your wanting a small town feel almost *identical* to the Gilmore girls feel than you need to give this a try!

The pacing was also great and I loved the relationship between Matt and Zoé! It was so fun to see their relationship so naturally bloom from just fake dating to lust to genuine love and attraction! While it was set in a short time frame it didn’t feel too rushed or too insta-lovey whatsoever.

My only complaints would be i would have preferred it too be a bit longer when it came down to the beginning moments of their relationship just too fully flesh it out further (since this was less than 300 pages). But overall, great pallet cleanser read and very bingeable for the spring!

Much thanks to Netgalley and Victory Editing Netgalley Co-op for this arc.

Publication date: 08/26/25! This review can be found on Goodreads.

this was cuuute! it's been a little bit since i dove into a small town romance and this book really reminded me why i miss it.

i loved the two MCs and the autism representation in this with daph. i also loved all the characters in the small town and how they felt like real people a little bit. the romance was adorable and, in my opinion, really well paced! not too fast and not too slow.

sometimes i struggle with books where the MCs hook up in the beginning, but i didn't feel like that with this one. elodie colliard did a really good job of making their first hook up vastly different from the one that came after feelings were involved. you could really tell it meant something different to them.

my only complaint about this is i felt really bad for the heroine and i needed people to grovel lol. she honestly did like, nothing wrong, the whole book, in my opinion. sure she went out there to secure a promotion, but why is that bad? she doesn't know these people and she wasn't harming them to do it. she was genuinely trying to improve their town and their businesses! time after time people jumped to conclusions based on her dads mistakes and nobody ever apologized for it, except for matt on a few occasions. it also really bothered me when matt learned who zoey/zoe was how he kept using the word "disgust" in reference to his hook up with her. that it disgusted him or he was disgusted with himself. like, that really bothered me! not to mention how her only friends in the town immediately turned on her. the town became an angry mob on her TWICE and she did not deserve it EITHER time and NOBODY APOLOGIZED!! in fact, SHE apologized. nobody should have to apologize for the sins of a father. i can both understand why the town reacted that way, and still believe that every single one of them owe her an apology.

with that said, still a good book and 4 stars from me :)

A lovely enemies to lovers, one night stand turned fake dating, small town romance!

She’s a city girl coming to propose changes to the town, he’s a loyal small town family man with responsibilities that weigh on him. They connect, there’s spice and all sorts of townie opinions to add some drama to the mix.

🌸 Enemies to lovers
🌷 Small town
💐 Fake dating
🌻 Autistic rep
🌺 Found family

I so loved the fierce love he showed for his autistic sister, the pride he took in his role and how balanced this piece was in the book. The characters were relatable and authentic 🫶🏻

Definitely hit the right mood for me, loved it!

Elo my love I am once again asking for you to make me a Canadian husband 🤲🏻

🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟

I was lucky to beta read this one (I did NOT get investigated by Google this time, but that is because my behavior has been determined to be normal [for me] not because it was any less enthusiastic) and 🥹🌺🙃🪻🥰😳🔥

I adore when a side character gets his own book and Matt is no exception!!! We love a soft lumberjack who owns his own flower shop and is delighted to be bossed around by a city girl who knows what she wants 😌

The very clear contrast between their family dynamics and how apparent it is even to them makes their own relationship a precarious dance. Zoe is desperate for approval that has been held just out of reach all her life. Matt has that approval - and the pressure that comes with trying to maintain it. She has found herself entirely alone, while Matt has never had a shortage of loved ones to support him. But both of them find a tenderness and a counterbalance that brings out the best in each other.

Pine Falls is a sort of character on its own; warm and welcoming with a side of well-meaning meddling. I want to go to there. I can already see the tendrils of future stories unfolding and I am following them with my magnifying glass like an old timey detective.

If you’re after a cosy feel good read this is definitely the one for you! A wonderful read with some really hard hitting parts! The approach towards the neurodivergent aspects was really thought out and approached sensitively. It was beautiful to read and Matt & Zoé really are a brilliant couple!! Such a great read!!!

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

A feel good romance about a grumpy florist and the big city girl who comes to town in order to secure land for a new hotel.

I really enjoyed this novel. Both characters are likable and what really struck me was the open communication and trust between the two. Things start off rocky when Matt accidentally almost hits a distracted Zoey. Sparks fly and the pair cannot deny their attraction. The two agree to fake date in order to garner favor with the townspeople, but it quickly turns into something real. I liked that the two are open about their feelings fairly early in the novel. The fake dating trope doesn’t get dragged for too long. I also really appreciated the positive neurodivergent representation. Ms. Colliard handled it with such care.

This was a fun, cozy romance. My only critique is that it did feel like they got together a little too quickly, but it wasn’t a dealbreaker for me.

It took me a little bit to get into this story-- probably about the 25% mark. I think it's partially because of Matt's mom. She frustrated me so much in the beginning I could have actually hit her tbh.

I love how much Matt loves his family and friends, and how he would do anything for them, especially his sister Daphne. I love her so much and I think she deserves the world. I think the autism representation with Daphne was written really well.

Zoey came in SWINGING at the beginning of the book, but honestly with the kind of father she has and what she has to deal with from him, I kinda get it. I loved that Matt helps soften her up and I love her relationship with Daphne.

The cover really got me because.. I mean.. LOOK AT IT. It's so gorgeous. I also did tell Elodie that I am forwarding her my therapy bill because I was SOBBING by the end of the story.

————————
thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for sending me an eARC in exchange for my honest review. all thoughts are my own.

Hoax & Kisses felt like a warm blanket on a rainy day. So soft, comforting, and just the kind of slow, small-town story that sneaks up on you emotionally.

At its heart, this book follows Zoey, a city girl arriving in a quiet town to reconnect with her estranged father and, in many ways, with herself. She’s trying to make things right, trying to be seen, trying to find a version of belonging that doesn’t hurt. And then there’s Matt. A sweet, grounded florist whose emotional maturity honestly took me by surprise (and is such a rarity in romance heroes these days). What starts as a one-night stand quickly becomes a fake dating arrangement, and eventually, something much deeper.

Their relationship is tender and genuine. I loved how the book avoided unnecessary drama. No over-the-top third-act breakup, no explosive secrets. Just two people slowly learning how to trust themselves and each other. Zoey’s arc especially hit me. She carries so much quiet loneliness, and it was beautiful (and sometimes a little heartbreaking) to watch her slowly let someone in.

That said, I did feel the absence of deeper friendships around her. There were moments where it felt like Zoey was still floating. Still on the outside of the community she was trying so hard to enter. I kept hoping she’d find a confidant outside of Matt or her dad, just one person to remind her she didn’t have to carry everything alone.

One of the standout aspects for me was the autism representation through Matt’s younger sister. Her storyline was handled with care and compassion, and the way it explored overstimulation and social exhaustion felt so real, especially for anyone who’s ever felt misunderstood or overwhelmed by the world.

This book won’t hit you over the head with drama or huge declarations, but that’s part of what made it so special. It’s quiet, emotionally rich, and full of small, meaningful moments. It’s about seeing and being seen. About showing up. About how even the softest love can be transformative.

Would recommend if you’re craving something gentle and genuine, especially if you love found family, low-stakes romance, and emotionally vulnerable characters just trying to figure it out.

A charming fake dating small town romance!

Matt and Zoey are too adorable. I fell hard for these two. Firstly, Matt is a perfect book boyfriend. He's emotionally mature, communicates and just an overall cinnamon roll. Plus the way he took care of his autistic younger sister made my heart melt! Zoey was a wonderful heroine. She's goes through a lot trying to connect with her estranged father while also trying to win over a skeptical townsfolk. Hence the need to fake date a local. The fake dating trope was well executed here and was so cute. I really enjoyed Zoey and Matt's chemistry and slow burn romance (after their one night stand). I found their love story full of emotional depth and sweetness (the spicy scenes certainly didn't hurt though).

I really loved the small town here. Very reminiscent of Sleepy Hollow. It's cozy and makes you wish you were there.

Would highly recommend!

Elodie Colliard doesn't miss. Hoax & Kisses, just like the series it's spun off from was such a sweet and emotional story that felt as real as catching up on a friend's whirlwind romance. Matt and Zoey felt very real and relatable throughout the story and watching them never fully give up on each other was just the thing I needed after the past few books I've been reading (lol). When this book comes out I cant recommend it enough if you want a story that's equal parts emotional, sweet, and spicy!

Thank you to NetGalley, Elodie Colliard, and Victory Editing for the advanced copy!
Rating: 4/5

What I liked: I am a sucker for small town romances. This had so much heart in it you can't help but cheer for them. Also a huge fan of the autism representation you see in Matt's sister, Daphne. You can see it has shaped Matt to be the person he is, and it just makes you love the characters more. I love that both Matt and Zoey grow together throughout the book, and they aren't trying to change each other. They see the other for the person they want to be, and don't shame the other.

What I struggled with: The relationship Zoey has with her parents. Sometimes it felt disingenuous what is revealed, but again, sometimes we have blind spots that aren't seen until it's too late. Daphne and Matt's mom struggling with Daphne and who she is.. that shit hurted. It felt like Matt had to be another parent to Daphne because his mom was willfully ignorant of what her daughter needed.

Overall, I really enjoyed the book! The cover definitely drew me in.. you can't tell me Matt doesn't look like Chris Hemsworth! I am excited to see where this series goes!