I think the best way to convey my thoughts on Hoax and Kisses is through the notes I jotted down while reading; but in short, it is incredibly readable, the writing is *chef's kiss*, but the story itself (and the characters) just wasn't for me.

- omg this is so incredibly readable
- instalove?? 🙄
- Okay this was a bit predictable
- So cheesy
- The problems!!!! could be fixed!!!! with communication!!!!!
- Ending's a bit rushed?
- man this would be good as a movie, I'd watch the heck out of that
- Am I too grumpy for this?
- Am I the problem? I think I'm the problem.

This is my first book by Elodie Colliard and I really enjoyed it. It was witty and charming. I loved Matt and Zoey. Instant attraction to dislike! I did not know I would enjoy that. Zoey is in town to build a fancy hotel and Matt is a florist in town. I loved everything about this story and I can't wait to see what is next in this series!!! So cute!!!

Thank you NetGalley for this ARC.

If there is an author that always gets me in my cozy lovey feels it’s Elodie and Hoax and Kisses was no exception!! This story was so tender and loving and it’s fighting for my top favorite book from Elodie!
Zoey is a hotel empire heiress who is trying to prove to her father that she can take over the family business when he retires. To do this, she returns to the town to build a hotel where her father couldn’t. When she is met with yelling and dismay from the townsfolk, she has to go along with a scheme of fake dating to get the town back on her side.

Matt is a florist who is burning the candle at both ends. Between keeping his flower shop open and paying for his sister school, there’s no room to breathe. In walks Zoey who is both the answer to his problems and a big problem. He proposes to fake date Zoey in order to get the town back on her side. In return Zoey will use her mentorship program for small business to help him grow his business.

What starts off as a one night stand turned fake dating turns into so much more as they start to open up and truly learn more about each other! The small town setting of Pine Falls is one of my favorite fictional places and I loved seeing past characters (my babies Charlee and Oliver 🥹🥹)
I could not recommend this book more!!

This is the first book I’ve read by Elodie Colliard and it definitely won’t be my last. I enjoyed her writing style immensely.

Can we just take a moment to appreciate how pretty this cover is, first of all I mean LOOK AT IT! The story itself was written very well and the romance was lovely. I enjoyed getting to know the characters and the small town feel throughout the book. I also appreciated the fact that we have Autism rep in this book as well. It played a really good role in the story even though it wasn’t related directly to one of our MC’s.

If you’re looking for a super cutesy and spicy romance then I highly recommend picking this one up.

Thank you so much to the publisher and Netgalley for the e-arc. This beauty is officially out today so make sure to grab yourself a copy!

I didn’t know much about this book or author before I started reading and I ended up having a really great time! Fake dating is one of my all time favourite tropes, and then when you add in the hot florist MMC, the corporate city girl FMC and the adorable small town setting it was like a Hallmark movie in the best way. I really enjoyed the writing style and the chemistry between the two leads was off the charts - will definitely be looking for more of Elodie’s books!

"Even the silence is a reminder you're not here"

The blurb sold me on this story and boy did i enjoy every crumb this fed me! The story was like a hallmark movie and the writing style was beautiful. The only downside was this book felt a little insta-love, which is not my vibe personally.

I'm excited to read more of Elodie Colliard's writing in the future as this book did not disappoint

So this 100% felt like a hallmark movie with a big city girl and a small town guy. It had all the things with conflicts in a small town and the romance just minus a typical hallmark Christmas theme.

I did enjoy reading it, it felt light and funny, even if it was rather predictable. I wasn't a huge fan of the insta love/lust or the quick way the characters opinions and actions changed time to time. This made the characters feel a bit flat and the character growth not so trustable. I Liked Daphne as a character a lot and I liked reading more about a character with autism and how people around her coped with helping her navigate the world. Honestly I wasn't a huge fan of matt but Zoe was likable enough.

The writing was easy to follow and overall not too cringey, except maybe some spicy parts and the dialog in them. But besides those the writing was nice.

All in all I enjoyed reading this and had a good time. Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for an arc. All thoughts are my own.

Thank you so much to Elodie Colliard, Net Galley, and Victory Editing for the advanced copy!

I absolutely LOVED Matt and Zoey’s story. It was such a fun take on enemies to friends to lovers, and I loved watching their relationship deepen throughout the story. Add all of those things into a small town story with disability representation and I am SOLD!

As someone who works with autistic children, Daphne’s story truly tugged on my heart strings. I fell in love with her character and her passion for flowers. Her relationship with Matt definitely had me tearing up at points, and the disability representation (along with caregiver representation) was an amazing surprise.

Overall, it was a fun and easy to follow story that had a great subplot featuring the importance of disability awareness! It may be one of my top favorite romance novels for the year so far!

••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••

*This review will be posted to GoodReads, Fable, Amazon, and Instagram.

This book was so cute! Small town romance and fake dating are two of my favorite tropes in romance books and this one did not disappoint. The MMC looks like a sexy lumberjack and is a sweet and thoughtful florist. Our determined and passionate FMC comes to town to pitch a new hotel project that had previously been voted down. The author’s portrayal of this town was so descriptive and picturesque it made me feel like I was there while also making me want to immediately book a trip to Canada. I expected the romance between our two MCs to be like a sweet, adorable romcom. But don’t let the cute cover fool you! It was those things but it was also so steamy! The spicy scenes were so good. I also really loved the found family aspect of this story. There were so many great side characters we meet in the process of our FMC trying to woo the town to her side.

In addition, as someone who has worked with kids on the autism spectrum and their families I really appreciated the autism rep in this book. The author did a great job of capturing some of the difficulties but also the joys that come from caring for an autistic child.

Tropes:

🌸Small town romance
🌸Fake dating
🌸Autism rep
🌸Found family
🌸Lumberjack-esque MMC
🌸Big city girl FMC

Thank you to @netgalley and @elosreadingcorner for the chance to read this book in advance of release.

4.5 stars

”My mind will forever recall The Day I Kissed Zoey Delacroix. Kind of like those pivotal events where, decades later, you still remember exactly what happened. A before and an after. A turning point where once you’ve tipped over to the other side, nothing can ever be the same again. Kissing Zoey felt like that. A defining moment in my life. A permanent mark on my timeline. I didn’t want it to end.”


It was nostalgic revisiting Pine Falls with its ambient small-town charm. I’ve read a few books by Elodie before, and, unsurprisingly, I was bewitched by the familiarity of her pen, and how I once again fell for a character who had started as an intriguing, mysterious secondary figure.

Zoey is a successful businesswoman determined to prove herself to her father. her latest mission? convince a small town to sell land for a hotel project. when her polished corporate talk falls flat, she strikes a deal with Matt, the local flower shop owner: a fake-dating arrangement meant to win the town’s trust. what neither expects is how quickly the lines between pretending and reality blur.

the narrative orchestrated the classic 00’s romcom card — “corporate city girl in heels, stuck in a small town, clashing instantly with the grumpy local” — and at first, that’s exactly what it felt like. but somewhere between the sharp first impressions and the quiet, unguarded moments that followed, I started to see them soften toward each other.

Matt’s patience, his deep roots in the community, his devotion to his sister; all of it slowly chipped at Zoey’s walls. and Zoey wasn’t who he thought she was: she listened, she cared, she didn’t flinch at the parts of his life others judged. especially his thirteen-year-old autistic sister, who, without trying, became the thread pulling them closer.

watching Zoey with her made me love her too; it was never forced, only genuine warmth. and watching Matt realise that his small-town world could hold more than he’d allowed himself to dream was quietly beautiful.

I loved their romance : visible, tender, and utterly unapologetic. If you’re into heartwarming love stories, this one is for you.

Hoax and Kisses is a cozy, heartwarming read where grumpy meets sunshine and easy breezy instant chemistry ensues.

I flew through this and think a lot of romance lovers will enjoy it too. Sign me UP for any big city businesswoman corporate queen packing up to move to a small town setting. This, combined with some fake dating for good measure and I’m pretty much sold.

Zoey and Matt are the blueprint for a hallmark romance! I love really loved the autism rep in Matt’s little sister Daphne 💖

For me, this is THE contemporary romance of the year (thus far)! This rivals-to-lovers fake-dating romcom takes the unconventional city girl meets small-town boy trope and plays it out in the most adorable and heartwarming way. 💐🩷 For fans of Tessa Bailey and Emily Henry.

I was already sold the moment I read the blurb, right: a small-town guy who runs a flower shop fake dates a city girl? I mean hellooo, that is super cute! I adore the idea of a macho man more feminine profession – especially when we have a lot of the opposite happening right now in books with women in male-dominated industries, like STEM. This makes a really interesting and refreshing change (and who doesn’t love a secure man?).

But what really sold me was the dedication page itself. It really struck a chord for me and I somehow knew before I’d even read the book itself that this was going to be a 5-star.

Indeed, this book is a love letter to anyone from Colliard herself to anyone who has ever felt unseen. Parts of Zoey and Matt resonated with me: desiring to make parents proud, having dreams put on hold for family, having responsibilities looking after a sibling. The betrayal in discovering your ex cheated on you with your best friend? Oldest story there is – unfortunately been there, done that (and these jerks always have a name beginning with J, don’t they?). I love the parallels they have with their family/parent dynamic.

Elodie Colliard, stop writing beautiful sentences and moments, I cannot possibly read this book without highlighting everything (Seriously, don’t actually stop, please continue!). What makes her writing so captivating is her ability to blend wit with profound emotional depth. Zoey and Matt are far more than one-dimensional characters; their arcs are so well-developed that they feel truly three-dimensional. One of my absolute favourite moments is when Zoey asks Matt to choose flowers for her for a bouquet. It is so nicely done and this was what SEALED my approval of this book and man. He sees her for who she is.

Not only are Zoey and Matt seen and loved in ways nobody else has bothered to, but there is the beautiful inclusion of Matt’s little sister, Daphne, who has autism. Neurodiversity representation is arguably one of the most difficult things to do because it is such a wide spectrum, as Colliard herself mentions in her author’s notes. As someone who has an autistic sister, I could see aspects of her, particularly the stims and meltdowns. This has been very well researched. I commend Elodie Colliard for her efforts as it really is no easy feat, and this made the found family all the more moving. I kid you not, I burst into tears when Daphne defends Zoey in the town hall and has a meltdown over the situation!

Overall, I absolutely loved this! While some of the ending felt rushed and it might have been nice to expand on some of the characters to get that true sense of community, I can personally overlook this. I look forward to the next instalment in the Pine Fall series.

Hoax and kisses by Elodie Colliard
ARC from Victory Editing \ Elodie
Release: Aug 26th 2025
-Elodie has me already tearing up with the authors note 🥹😭🫶🏾💋
-her ex can kiss my ass
-Zoey is a boss ass b*tch I love her she is determined PERIOD
-Matt sounds so adorable especially with his sister, I’m happy to see the autism rep and awareness
-their first interaction 🤣🥹🫶🏾
-I love the fall vibes with the cabin and small town
-Matt seems cold but I can tell he’s a teddy bear and cares a lot 🥰
-their sexual tension is crazyyy ouffff the spice ouuu Matt takes cares and validates her while getting naughty it’s so hot geez
-Matt’s passion for flowers is beautiful. I want a personalized bouquet from him 🥹😭💐
“Lavender and freesias for calm when your days get too intense, lilies for confidence, when you need that extra boost and alstroemeria for support when you feel alone” I NEED THIS MAN
-so many movie moments the auction, the different small businesses in the town, running in the rain, movie night, their small interactions is EVERYTHING
-the way their walls come down when they are together I’m obsessed with them ❤️‍🔥, they have healed but also have become the best version of themselves together
-this book was EVERYTHING MATT IS MY DREAM MAN ELODIE HAS ME DELULU FOR A FICTIONAL MAN 😩❤️‍🔥😭🥹📚
Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Hoax and Kisses was an adorable romance between a workaholic city girl who’s only in town to build a fancy hotel, and the charming florist who loves his town and world tear the world down for his autistic little sister. It was set in Pine Falls, which was the coziest, cutest small town ever. It’s inhabitants are tight-knit, protective, a little nosy, and look out for each other like family. I want to move there.

Matt and Zoey find each other attractive right from the start, but that’s only because he doesn’t know who she is. As soon as he finds out that she’s in his town to build a hotel, he keeps her at arm’s length and does his best to turn the town against her. But he’s such a cinnamon roll that he feels bad about it, so he offers to fake date her to fix the town’s opinion, and in the process falls head over heels for her. It was such a good slow burn, because they both develop real feelings slowly over the entire book, and their relationship was so heartfelt and true. I loved watching Zoey give up on her dad’s expectations for her in order to follow her own dreams, and I adored how supportive Matt was. This was a really cute, fun read, and I can’t wait to read more books set in Pine Falls.

Thank you to Victory Editing NetGalley Co-op, Elodie Colliard, and NetGalley for the ARC.

📔Hoax and Kisses
✏️ Elodie Colliard
📆 August 26, 2025
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

READ IF YOU LIKE:
🌼 cozy romance
🌼 small town
🌼 only one night
🌼 fake dating
🌼 workaholic city girl
🌼 florist hero
🌼 autism rep
🌼 found family
🌼 dual POV

ARC Review
Thank you Netgalley, Elodie, and Victoria Editing for the eArc!
Easily one of my top reads this month. Possibly my favorite Elodie book yet!!!! I sent so many unhinged DMs to her while reading this book!! There are moments that will make you giggle, there are moments that will make you swoon, there are moments that will have you have you SCREAMING!

Hoax and Kisses was filled with just beautiful soft sweet love. Two people who start off on the wrong foot (who else loves a meet disaster?!) but the more they get to know each other the more they realize all their preconceived notions are false.

I was living for the fake dating aspect of this, especially when it moved to "no one is watching, what about this feels fake anymore?!" perfection.

Matt was the biggest soft cinnamon roll. He is protective over his small town and over those he loves (which is why there was originally a meet disaster.) But he was a man obsessed. He loves Zoey with his whole heart. He loves her softly with small acts of service, and he loves her loudly with his words of affirmation.

Zoey has my entire heart. Watching her find herself in this small town, watching her find the safe space to be soft and vulnerable was so beautiful.



This book had perfect Hallmark rom com feels without being cheesy or cringey. I loved every single moment!

Zoey travels to a small town in Canada to persuade the residents of Pine Falls to build a hotel. The writing is easy to follow and captures you from the beginning. This book gives Hallmark movie in the best way! And can we talk about Matt? Very emotionally available and so good with his sister!

I am completely in love with this book. Hoax and Kisses is cozy, heartfelt, funny, emotional, and just the right amount of spicy. Elodie Colliard gave me everything I want in a romance and more.

Matt is my new favorite book boyfriend. A grumpy but tender florist raising his little sister completely stole my heart. Zoé was just as wonderful, polished and ambitious on the surface but vulnerable and searching underneath. Watching them fall for each other through their fake dating scheme was addictive. Their chemistry was explosive and their communication and tenderness made it feel so real.

The town of Pine Falls was a character all on its own. It was warm, quirky, and gave me the best Gilmore Girls vibes. I also really appreciated the autism rep and the way found family was woven so naturally into the story. And the rain scene? Utter perfection.

This book made me laugh, swoon, and cry. If you love small town romance, fake dating, emotional depth, and a green flag hero who will ruin you for all others, Hoax and Kisses is a must read.


Thank you to NetGalley and Elodie Colliard for this ARC.

I absolutely adored this book. It was such a cozy, heartwarming read that made me smile from start to finish. I flew through it in a single day and loved every bit!

If you enjoy fake dating, small-town charm, city girl meets small-town boy, swoony romance, and grumpy/sunshine dynamics, this one has it all. The chemistry between Zoey and Matt was easy, breezy, and utterly endearing, giving off the perfect Hallmark-style romance vibes while still weaving in meaningful depth.

What stood out most to me was the thoughtful autism representation through Matt’s sister, Daphne. As someone with personal experience in this area, I really appreciated how sensitively and authentically her character was written, avoiding stereotypes and instead showcasing her complexity and humanity. The story also touched beautifully on the challenges and responsibilities of caregiving, adding an extra layer of emotional resonance.

The setting of Pine Falls was beautifully immersive. I could picture myself in the small-town streets, and the cast of side characters made it feel even more alive. With its mix of sugar-sweet charm, toe-curling spice, and genuine emotional heart, this book is the perfect comfort read.

I highly recommend it to anyone looking for a quick, feel-good romance that will leave you smiling. I can’t wait to return to Pine Falls in the next book!

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC in exchange for my honest review

I LOVED THIS, I enjoyed every single bit of it, and I flew through it in a day!
Read if you love:
Fake dating
Small town vibes
City girl 🤝 small town boy
Swoony romance
And the author did an incredible job writing a character on the spectrum. I really appreciated how Daphne's character was portrayed with sensitivity and depth, rather than just a superficial description or simple stereotypes. I was glad that the author included the complexities of being a caregiver for someone with special needs, through both Matt and their mom. As well as helpful advice from Zoey. Thank you for the ARC (and can't wait to read what's next in Pine Falls, since this is a book 1!) @netgalley

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
🌶️

This book was SO CUTE. Sugar and spice and everything nice truly 🥰

A bit of a whirlwind romance between a hotel heiress who needs to secure land in order to secure her spot as CEO, and the florist in the small town said land presides. A story of two characters who find purpose as much as they find each other.

I love the mental health rep with Matt’s autistic sister, and just how sweet it is that she and Zoey develop such a close relationship. The formula for this book is three parts sugar, one part spice, a pleasant mix of emotional depth and some toe curling spice 🌶️. If you want a pretty quick, cute, cozy small town romance, this one is worth a go!