Fake Off With Fate is a perfectly cozy fall read. As someone who loves hockey romances and cozy reads, I was super excited to receive this ARC, and it did not disappoint.

Maple Falls feels like Stars Hollow, if you're a Gilmore Girls fan, and was beautifully set. This story was funny, cute, romantic, and warm all at once. The side characters really added to the story, and I liked how layered Ashlyn's life was in how it was written. There are a few storylines I would love more clarity or closure on, but I'm going to read the other books in the series in hopes of getting that!

If you're looking for a cozy fall read with minimal spice, I'd highly recommend Fake Off With Fate!

Cute story.
Loved the side story of the parents as well.

Kind of predictable, but would recommend

I really enjoyed this book and love that maple hills is back! This is the perfect story to get you in the fall spirit! Thank you for allowing me to read and review this ARC

Fun, flirty, and full of heart! This book had me laughing, swooning, and smiling the whole way through. Whitney nails the fake dating trope with witty banter, lovable characters, and sparkling chemistry. It was definitely an absolute delight!

Thank you, Whitney Dineen and Net Gallery, for providing an advance copy of this book in exchange for my honest review

Fake off with Fate is about the adventure that Ashlyn and Jamie have experienced while living in the small town of Maple Falls. Ashlyn grew up in Maple Hills and then moved to Los Angeles to pursue her dream of being a closest designer. When she receives a phone call from her mom about her parents’ rocky relationship at its breaking point, Ashlyn decides to come home and help her dad by running for mayor of Maple Falls for a week. Ashlyn sets her parents on a tropical vacation with the hope that it will save their marriage. Ashlyn steps up to be the mayor of Maple Falls and makes people believe that her father didn’t leave his beloved town behind. Jamie is a hockey player who comes to Maple Falls for the first time because of the offer to be the captain of the Ice Breakers hockey team. This is considered a fresh start for Jamie after his ex-girlfriend publicly broke up with him. When Ashlyn and Jamie met at the local diner in town, they had no idea what was waiting in store for them.

I loved Whitney Dineen’s writing style in this novel. I loved how she created the atmosphere of Maple Falls and all the people who lived there. Every character that you meet throughout the story adds to the atmosphere of a small-town feel. The dynamic between Ashlyn and Jamie was really fun to read. The friends-to-lovers storyline was very prominent, which helps in making the story compelling. Through each chaotic moment that happened throughout the story, it was nice to see how Ashlyn and Jame handled every problem together, and they were each other’s first call or text when something occurred.

I rate Fake off with Fate a 3.5 stars. I loved the writing style of Whitney Dineen. The atmosphere was well written, and the characters contribute to the book having a small-town feel. The fake dating and friends-to-lovers trope was executed well when describing Ashlyn and Jamie’s relationship. I didn’t get the feeling that the romance was a slow burn. I felt like it didn’t work well for me because it has the fake dating trope. Overall, this book is a great romance book to read during the autumn season. If you love a friend-to-lovers rom-com with a small-town feel, this is a book I recommend.

This was a sweet kickoff to the multi author series situated at Maple Falls, Between that cute cover with total fall vibes, very kind and sweet protagonists and a clean friends to lover romance you have a hit!

#netgalley #FakeOffWithFate

New job, new team, new town, new neighbors that are bears. Jaime needed a change of scenery after his heart being stomped on by a relationship of 3 years. He thought he had his happily ever after, only to be cheated on, heart broken. Since he's the captain of the team, the Mayor wanted to have a good intro meeting with him. While the Mayor had an obligation, he sent his daughter (Ashlyn) in his steed. She doesn't care he's the hot hockey player, he's just another guy, right?

Jaime was amazed by this girl that's unphazed by him, and as they get thrown together, slowly, Ashlyn became his best friend. When his ex came into town to try to talk him back into getting back together, he doesn't have eyes for anyone but Ashlyn. They work together, and he's the first person she calls. He always picks up on the first ring and he wanted to be there for her, and she needed him to feel grounded.

There was a 3rd act, but since it was a good big gesture by her, I'll forgive it! There's also a bonus chapter by the author, don't forget to read that too.

Thank you NetGalley & Xpresso Book Tours for the ARC.

This was such a cute and cozy read with total Hallmark movie vibes!

Fake Off with Fate follows Ashlyn, a closet designer who unexpectedly returns to her hometown of Maple Falls only to find herself stepping in as the acting mayor to help her parents out of a jam. Meanwhile, Jamie, a professional hockey player looking for a fresh start, has just joined the town's brand-new hockey team. Neither Ashlyn nor Jamie is looking for love, but fate clearly has other plans and the sizzling attraction between them is impossible to ignore.

Ashlyn is smart, capable, and determined I liked how she handled all the small town chaos thrown her way. And Jamie had me cracking up, especially during the bear encounter. The small town charm of Maple Falls is warm and inviting, and the side characters add great texture to the story.

My only wish? I wanted a bit more romance between Ashlyn and Jamie. The chemistry was there, but I would’ve loved to see it developed just a little deeper. Still, this was a delightful read overall

Thank you Netgalley for the arc!

This was an absolutely darling "friends to more" read. The plot was well-paced and the characters were charming and witty. This is definitely one I'll read again! I can't wait for the rest of the series. Many thanks to the author, publisher, and NetGalley for the advanced copy of the book

This sweet and swoony hockey romance will pull at your heart strings. It's very entertaining, lighthearted, funny, well written and easy to read. Ashlyn and Jamie are adorable characters and it's always a treat to read about previous Maple Falls characters that make appearances. I have enjoyed every book in this fantastic series, this one did not disappoint with so many laugh out loud scenes and banter. I can't recommend this book and series enough. Enjoy!

I struggled a lot with this one. The cover is undeniably cute (seriously, one of those that makes you want to grab it instantly), but once I actually got into the story, it felt like the same predictable, overused sports romance setup I’ve read a hundred times before.

Yes, it has all the ingredients that should work—small-town charm, a hockey captain with a bruised heart, fake dating, even a bear subplot—but nothing really surprised me. I kept hoping for something fresh, something that would take the trope and twist it into something exciting, but instead it played out in the exact way I expected from page one.

It’s not badly written, and if you’re in the mood for a cozy, trope-heavy romcom where you know exactly how it’s going to go, you’ll probably enjoy it a lot more than I did. But personally, I need something new at this point, and this just wasn’t it for me.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for a chance to read this book. It was a cute fall small town romance. I enjoyed the characters and the story to a point. Then i just lost interest in the story and didnt really vibe with the story and how it ended.

In order to save her parents’ marriage, Ashlyn steps in as acting mayor of her small Washington hometown, where she meets recent pro hockey player transplant, Jamie. Neither are looking for love, but has that ever stopped anyone in a romcom?

This was a quick, Hallmark-y story. There was small-town charm, and there were black bears, and most importantly, there was a happily ever after :)

Personally, I didn’t love this one overall. There were a lot of grammatical errors, and the plot felt a little bit like it was being made up as we went along. I wanted to see more of Ashlyn and Jamie, rather than just being told that they spent time together.

Thanks to NetGalley for this ARC!

I had a lot of fun with this read. It's a light, sweet, clean read with a story that flows well and easily kept me involved with the characters. I've enjoyed other books from Maple Falls so was happy to jump into this new series. Ashlyn and Jamie have chemistry, and as they build up their friendship that chemistry just gets stronger. There's a great back and forth between them, with some laughs thrown in. I love this small town, all of the characters are fun, and have me interested in digging in to more!

This was such a cute little fall romance. I really enjoyed the small town and I enjoyed the characters however it did fall flat with the character development. I wish we got more background and a little more depth. It just felt a little surface level. If you just want a cute romcom for the fall time in a small town, this is your book.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

What an absolute delight! Fake-Off with Fate is everything I love in a small-town romcom—heart, humor, and a swoony romance that keeps you smiling long after the last page. Whitney Dineen does a fantastic job weaving together laugh-out-loud moments (the mayor mix-up! the bear situation!) with tender, slow-burn chemistry between Ashlyn and Jamie.

Ashlyn is smart, sassy, and juggling way more than she bargained for, while Jamie is the perfect mix of vulnerable and charming—definitely book-boyfriend material. Their fake-dating scheme is hilarious, but what really shines is how their friendship slowly builds into a genuine, heartfelt connection. The banter is sharp, the town dynamics are quirky and fun, and the romance hits all the right emotional beats.

I adored Maple Falls and can’t wait to spend more time with this community as the series continues. If you love hockey romances, small-town hijinks, or fake-dating tropes done right, this book is a must-read. Perfect for fans of laugh-out-loud romcoms with a lot of heart!

I couldn't get into this book nor could I turn off my hockey loving brain. I couldn't get over the fact that there was an NHL team in a small town called Maple Falls. It was impossible to look over, I'm sorry. There is just no way.
Also, this wasn't really a romance. It was very Hallmark-y with the setting and the silly subplots, but that's it. I don't even think the main characters were fleshed out. They were very flat and lacked character. I also didn't understand any chemistry. I was also really put off by the fact that the FMC Ashlyn was only there to "save her parent's marriage"...uh? okay? That's a little weird and too involved.
I did laugh at one part and that was with the MMC Jamie and the bears. I'm not sure why, but that did tickle my funny bone. It was so unserious, that it was humorous, but that also did a disservice to the story because it made it very juvenile altogether.
All in all, I like my hockey romance authors to show that they really do know some hockey...and I like my romances to actually have romance. That's not even a drag at closed door books, I don't mind those at all....this one was just lacking in ALL the things.

A solid 2/5. I didn’t understand the connection between the mmc or fmc. They went from just a random dinner to suddenly being besties. That scene where she cried and calls him honestly didn’t make sense either. The tears make sense but calling him? Not one bit. And the fact he dropped everything for her. I think that it’s super fast pace but doesn’t really give you time to love the characters and explore their dynamics. It establishes the way the dynamics should be but doesn’t really get you there. It’s kind of like don’t tell me - show me but throughout the whole book I felt like I was only told.

Honestly this book is so cute and cosy. I love good small town romances and this one does not disappoint at all. I read this in one sitting I could not put this book down it was sooo good.

This was such a perfect, cozy read to start off the fall season. I didn’t realize until I finished this book there is a whole series before these books set in Maple Falls. This still read great as a standalone, but I will be going back to start that series. This was such a cute hockey romance with all the small-town vibes. I would definitely recommend to get into the fall spirit.