Fake and Don't Tell

by Rebel Bloom

My ex-boyfriend is meeting my cousin at the altar. My solution?
Persuading one of my three BFFs to be my fake date...

My name is Poppy Jo Summers, and I’ve broken the golden
Never sleep with any of your best friends, let alone all three of them.

My proposition seemed innocent enough.
One of them would be my fake date for my evil cousin's wedding.
In return, I’d do a favor for all three of them. No big deal, right?

Except Jude needed a fake date to his company's party; to my surprise, Mr. hot-as-sin CEO couldn’t keep his eyes or hands off me the entire night.

Then Cyrus took me out so I could teach him how to be more romantic. Stubborn, dominant, and built like a tank, the only lesson I learned from him was that romance can be overrated.

And when my charming next-door neighbor Sam agreed to a double date so I could set him up with a co-worker, I burned up in flames when it was my thigh he grabbed under the table.

We hadn’t just broken our rules, we’d thrown them out and crossed the line from fake to real.
And with my heart on lockdown from my ex; I know this is a dangerous game to play.
I might think I’m broken now, but I would shatter like glass if I ever lost my three best friends…

18+ Only. Fake and Don't Tell is an extra spicy laugh-out-loud why choose romance. HEA guaranteed!

Genres: Friends To Lovers, Romance, Why Choose, Contemporary, Fake Dating, Contemporary Romance, Spicy

353 pages, Kindle Edition

Published June 13, 2023

About the author

Rebel Bloom is known for laugh-out-loud reverse harem romances that are unapologetically steamy.

Her recipe for the perfect romance? A pinch of sugar, a generous cup of spice, and a heap of cocky alphas who might not always play nice.

Rebel lives with her partner and their adorable army of fur babies, while writing stories that would make your Nonni blush.

Grab one of her reads, get comfy, and dive into a world where romance is as hot as it is hilarious!

Reviews

[bookgalbrock 🐝✨ · Rating 4 out of 5]

ˋ°•*⁀➷ Fake And Don’t Tell


╰⊰✿ “You can have the romance and anything else you want. As long as you never stop being the loud-mouthed, ball-busting lunatic that you are. We love you for every bit of you, Poppy. From the way you argue about everything with your full heart, to the way you love hard enough to leave us breathless.” ✿⊱╮



4.25 ★ ★ ★ ★
spice rating: 4.25 🌶️🌶️🌶️🌶️

Why Choose
Friends To Lovers


❥ Rebel Never Disappoints. I never know where her stories will take me but I always know it’s gonna be one hell of a ride!! And this was no different.

❥ Poppy Jo and her three best friends have been the fearsome foursome since diapers. But what can go wrong when you need one them to be your fake date to a wedding, because your cousin is marrying your ex. The answer is everything!!

❥ This one just pushed its way into my TOP 3 Rebel books! Which is no easy feat because I love all of her work!


╰⊰✿ “We’ve each loved you since the day we met you. You made your home in us and you’ve given us a place to call home since then too. You’ve given us everything, Poppy. We’ll never be able to give you as much as you’ve given us, but maybe this could be a start.” ✿⊱╮

[Cindy · Rating 4 out of 5]

*3.75⭐️ THIS WAS SUCH AN AMAZING RH ROMANCE BOOK, if only it wasn’t ruined by the fmc during the third act conflict. She was so mean for what she did, especially to her best friends. I couldn’t help but feel like they deserved better. And her apology didn’t really change my mind.

quotes:
“I tried to disappear into the bed. I went as flat as possible under the blanket and squeezed my eyes shut. If Florida ever needed a sinkhole it was right then, right there.” Exactly how I felt during this scene

“Sara told me to just say what I’m feeling or thinking, but if you knew half the stuff I’m thinking, I’d be institutionalized by now. “

“What do we want? Quiet hours! When do we want them? Now! What do we want? Poppy gone! When do we want it? Yesterday!”

“They don’t actually keep trying. You throw one little fit and they just give up on you.” This sentence made me so angry because how is she going to turn it on them😤

“The way I see it, if you don’t figure this out, the only mistake those men made is falling for you. you’re doing to them what Andrew did to you and that really sucks, Poppy.” TELL HER SARA!!

[Sarah · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was so good. I laughed out loud so many times I lost count. The FMC was funny and relatable, especially as a fellow tomboy who struggles to feel feminine and beautiful and sexy. The three guys were also hilarious and great to read about. Everyone had their distinct personalities that were easily conveyed and understood. The development of the relationship(s) was well written and genuinely fun to read about. Honestly this book was great and I loved it, the only reason I can’t give a full 5 stars is because the pacing at the beginning made it a little hard to get into at first. 4.5/5

[Carol Cooper · Rating 3 out of 5]

This would have easily been a 4 star read for me because
The men were *chefs kiss*
The story was intriguing
The spice was top notch
The dialogue was hilarious
The banter was amazing
But
Poppy fucking sucked. I'm sorry but she did. Putting the men through exactly what destroyed her was just awful. I get being broken from previous abusive relationships... but to dish out that same abuse to your 3 best friends all because you don't like talking about your feelings? Nah, fuck that. Cyrus, Sam, and Jude deserved way better. 🤷‍♀️

[Sam · Rating 1 out of 5]

Bravo for managing to hit almost every single “I’m not like other girls” cliche. Poppy Jo, despite having a cute name, was unbearable.

[Shelby | Spicy.booknook · Rating 4 out of 5]

I’m stopping at 60ish %. Everyone is good right now and I have a feeling someone is going to do something stupid and it’ll piss me off 😂
This was a cute friends to lovers read. Once the line was crossed the smut was insane 😂

I liked it, I just choose to stop here 😂

[alexandra · Rating 3 out of 5]

✩‧₊ 3.5 stars ★ ★ ★ ☆ ☆

･ ｡ﾟ☆: Fake and Don’t Tell *.☽ .*:☆ﾟ

0:24 ─●──────── -2:56 ↻ ◁ II ▷ ↺

🎶 He can't keep his wild eyes on the road, mm. Takes me home. The lights are off, he's taking off his coat, mm, yeah 🎶

Poppy Jo Summers (h) discovers that her ex-boyfriend is marrying her cousin, and now she needs a fake date for the wedding. Who better to ask than her three best friends, who will do it with no strings attached? She only offers them a favor if they do her the solid of pretending. Cyrus Collins, Jude Allen, and Sam Clark (H) have known each other since they were children but never thought more of their friendship. When Cyrus challenges Poppy to see who she can pretend best with, they cannot return the kiss she gives them each. There is lingering tension and a need to improve their friendship.

─── ･ ｡ﾟ☆: THOUGHTS*.☽ .*:☆ﾟ. ───

🎶 All of this silence and patience, pining in anticipation. My hands are shaking from holding back from you (ah, ah, ah) 🎶

All of them were entirely platonic from the start. None of them had explored connections with each other because they weren’t best friends who partook in physical contact often. However, Poppy kisses them and asks one of them to be her date to the wedding; she unleashes feelings that none of them knew they had, except Sammy. From there, they start noticing things about each other that they weren’t interested in. The romance follows Poppy exploring her connection with each of her best friends, but she is terrified of jeopardizing three decades of friendship. However, once they’re all on board with being in her life, all three know how to work well together to be in her life as friends and partners.

[Jude]

🎶 Say my name and everything just stops. I don't want you like a best friend 🎶

“You shouldn’t have kissed me and pinned me to that wall just for some weird show with Sasha.”

I frowned. “Is that what you think?”

“Yeah, it is. What happened a few days ago is embarrassing and nothing I want to talk about again, much less have it used to draw in some woman for you.”

Poppy is very affected by the kiss with Jude and vice versa, but she still automatically helps him when he asks for the favor she promised. She knows she doesn’t want to risk their friendship, so she has to pretend everything is normal. However, it’s difficult when he’s asking her to be his fake-date to impress another woman. Jude has never considered Poppy as a partner, but he’s always compared other women to her. There’s no one like Poppy, but he’s always picked girls that are the exact opposite of her and more like him to see if they could be compatible. He’s been interested in Sasha all along, but since kissing Poppy, he knows there’s no one else but her. He’s the jealous type and he’s going to make it known. These two are the first to hook up, but pretend it didn’t happen the next day. However, it’s inevitable because they are completely attracted towards each other and always end up arguing and making up. They always argue about how Poppy doesn’t close her doors and Jude worries a lot about her safety. He was so worried during their physical moments because he was rough and wanted to ensure he didn’t hurt her, even though she told him plenty of times that she liked it. He’s a natural worrier and her #1 defender.

[Cyrus]

Poppy looked up at me, her face full of shadows. “So, what happens next?”

Gripping her ass, enjoying the feel of having both of my hands full, I met her shocked expression and smirked. “You asked.”

He’s forward about his attraction. Cyrus doesn’t have a good reputation for dating because he takes girls to sports bars and ignores them half the time. With Poppy, things are different because they understand each other better than most. The two have great banter con, constantly argue, and make everything competitive, but it’s all in good nature. He’s the one who challenged her to kiss him in the first place; he loves to rile her up so she can follow through on her actions. While she likes being in control, too, he takes over in the bedroom, and she likes it that way. Their chemistry is great, and they balance each other out. Even when Andrew, her ex, was calling, he was the one to call him out. He told him to f*ck off plenty of times, and he didn’t want that toxic behavior around Poppy.

[Sam]

🎶 Please don't be in love with someone else. Please don't have somebody waiting on you 🎶

“I’ve loved you since the day I met you, Poppy.” Sam didn’t raise his voice, didn’t fight back. “I figured it out when I was thirteen. I went away to college as soon as I could to try to stop it. I did everything I could to stop it. It’s never faded. It’s only gotten bigger and heavier. I love you, Poppy.”

I shook my head. My body had gone numb and I couldn’t tell if I was breathing. “No, you don’t.”

He’s a total sweetheart towards Poppy and has loved her since he was a teenager and first discovered what loving someone meant. He never dated because he had hopes that one day, there would be a chance that he could end up with her. Sam watched her date men over the years and never had women over because they weren’t Poppy. He set the standard. He was soft towards her but cocky in the bedroom. He just wanted to make sure she felt loved and safe. He was gentle, but he was scandalous once you got him going. He’s not the least innocent, even though he comes off that way; I mean, he has a dick piercing. I bet he got it just for her. He’s even a dog dad with Poppy, and he only agreed to a double date so he could spend more time near Poppy, and he sat next to her in the booth and not his actual date. Sam is so sweet; he calls her “Baby” and doesn’t pressure her into anything. He’s into aftercare and doesn’t want to push her too hard in case it’s something she doesn’t like.It hurt when she told him she didn’t love him because he was so lovely from the beginning, and she shut him down. Yet, he still attempted to console her, knew she was in denial about her feelings, and didn’t take it too personally. She calls him Sammy, and it’s the cutest thing ever because that automatically makes him susceptible to her charms. If she needs information from the guys, she’ll turn on the flirty behavior around Sam because he won’t resist her and will spill everything. He’s so affected by Poppy. It’s seriously so cute; I love him. The fact that her family knows he’s been in love with her forever is just as sweet. I love best friends to lovers, and he’s the epitome of the best friend who’s been secretly in love with her the entire time. He probably would have never admitted it if she hadn’t proposed the fake-date situation. He valued her friendship more than having her as a romantic partner; he’s so cute.

[All]

“I don’t love you. I don’t.” I heard the wobble in my voice and squeezed my arms around myself. “This was a mistake.”

Sam stood up and followed my movements with his eyes. “Poppy, you’re coming undone at the seams, baby.”

“I’m not. I’m fine. I just have regrets. I hope this doesn’t hurt our friendship.”

I’m not surprised this is how the love declarations went down. Poppy was afraid of putting herself in a vulnerable position after she loved a person before, but the guys accidentally pushed her too hard. It was sad that she blurted out that she didn’t reciprocate their feelings at various times because they insisted that she loved them. It was the first book where the FMC had to grovel and where the MMCs gave her the space she asked for. It hurt me. She regretted it automatically and missed them badly, but they wouldn’t cave until she came to her senses. Fortunately, she had her brother and best friend calling her out and making her realize what she was missing.

¸♡ OVERALL ♡¸.•

I will read all the RH books from this author because this was a fun read. I loved the dynamics and how it wasn’t necessarily insta-love but best friends becoming introduced to exploring dynamics within the friendship. It had topics of abusive relationships and last insecurities, and the MMCs were able to reassure her and validate her feelings. I thought it was a great standalone with a good mix of plot and smut.

[Neusitas · Rating 4 out of 5]

8 / 10 ⭐️
Erótica Reverse Harem / Poliamor / Friends to lovers

Divertida, fresca y muy muy hot 🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥

[Luna · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wild Ride

I’m so glad I came across this author—I’ve yet to read a book of hers that hasn’t made me laugh. The roller coaster of emotions is also something I love. If you like ‘why choose’ books, you should give this author a chance.

[Cindi · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 stars, rounded down because I'm not a fan of Poppy.



This is the first ‘new’ book I’ve read in over a year. I’ve reread several of my old favorites, but I’ve not picked up anything new during that time. I normally read MM books, but I wanted to jump back in (so to speak) with something different.

The blurb tells the early gist of the story, and other than a few sex scenes, a tad of drama, a crazy family, and Poppy’s indecisiveness, that’s the main story.

I’ve read quite a few reverse harem books over the years. Some have been great. Some have been really bad. Others have been somewhere in the middle. Fake and Don’t Tell falls in the middle for me.

I loved Jude, Cyrus, and Sam. They were all great guys. Throughout the entire book, I never saw anything with them that I didn’t like.

Then there’s Poppy, the true main character of the book. Poppy is described as the opposite of a ‘girly girl’ which is not a bad thing. She loves sports, builds things for a living, and doesn’t exactly go out of her way to be feminine in any way. Put simply, Poppy is one of the guys. She and her three guy best friends have been hanging out for decades, though I don’t remember any ages being mentioned. Nowhere in the book does it tell the story of how they met, only that they met when they were in diapers, I think? Not knowing had me feeling like I was dropped in the middle of another story, and that I was supposed to just know their backgrounds.

It all started with fake kisses that turned out to be anything but fake for all parties involved. After that, the friendship was irrevocably changed.

Poppy absolutely drove me nuts throughout the entire book, especially when her relationship with all three guys came out to others. During a short (ish) time after the big reveal, I was reminded of one of the many reasons that I don’t read a lot of het romance these days. She was so whiny that had I not been so far into the book – around 80-85% or so – I’d have done a DNF right then and there. She had three amazing guys who were head over heels with her, yet she sulked and whined like a baby because her ex had done her dirty. Hmm… she knew Jude, Cyrus, and Sam would never in a million years hurt her. They’d proven that with their friendship over the years. But let’s be a big baby cuz you’re scared of talking about feelings.

Honestly, I never could figure out why the guys wanted to continue being friends with her, much less more.

Then there are the other characters.

Poppy’s family. I loved her brother Charlie the cop. I though Mom was overbearing and a bit annoying. Dad seemed okay, as did her other brothers.

Bad Mood Banner. This would be Poppy’s former school principal and current neighbor. He was a crochety old man, but he was mostly entertaining, if a bit silly at times.

Sara. Poppy’s best girl best friend. Strangely, I liked her. I say strangely because in my reading experience, most female friends are pushy, bossy, and downright annoying. I really did like Sara.

Andrew. Poppy’s ex. Classic romance book villain.

Kaitlyn. Poppy’s cousin with the ‘perfect face’. Classic flawless character slash family golden child.

Aunt Bonnie. Poppy’s aunt and Kaitlyn’s mother. Typical mean shrew who could do no wrong, and thought everybody else were total failures – other than her precious Kaitlyn anyway.

The book is billed as humor, and I admit to smiling a couple of times, though they only involved Poppy indirectly. There’s an incident where Sara takes Charlie to his knees, quite literally. That part wasn’t the funny part. It’s what happened after. Then there’s Bad Mood Banner attempting to drive when he couldn’t see well enough to walk straight much less get behind the wheel of a car.

The early sex scenes with the guys, whether with one guy or all three at once, were pretty hot. Cyrus and his dirty talk… just wow. The later sex scenes were a bit much, if they were even on page. Quite a few weren’t. One thing I can’t stand with M/F books is the use of ‘sex’ or ‘core’ or other non-sexual words when describing a woman’s anatomy. Either come up with something better or just use slang already. The guys did. Holy cow, how the guys did. 😉

The number one issue I had with this book is the length. 371 pages. I honestly believe it could’ve been cut in half and still told a decent story. There’s building up to something, and then there’s spending way too much time letting Poppy whine and be wishy washy about the men dragging things out with detail overload.

The fake boyfriend trope was barely touched on, so I won’t really even go into that part of the story.

Overall, the book was okay. As I said, I did love all three of the guys. Each was different yet not. One thing they were in full agreement on is Poppy. They loved her unconditionally, and they would go to the ends of the earth to prove it. Trust me, had she not gotten her head out of her ass they had to seriously work to get her to chill out already or it would’ve gone on forever.

I’m sure, depending on the length, I’ll read others by this author.

[Maelle C · Rating 5 out of 5]

I've read several Rebel Bloom books and this is by far my favorite!

This book surprised me and I wanted so badly to know how Poppy, Sam, Cyrius and Jude's story would end that I lost a few hours sleep.

No time to get bored with this book, it's funny, cute, full of emotions, insecurities, friendship, and very sexy and hot.
The chemistry between the characters is undeniable and they complement each other perfectly.

The spice is great and well-balanced, what I mean is that unlike a lot of HR, here there's a real story and not just spicy scenes one after the other.
This is a book with just the right mix of humor, romance and spice.
Everything is fair and well-written, and there's never a dull moment.

Rebel Bloom really is one of my favorite HR authors, her writing is fluid and very pleasant to read.

I would highly recommend this book to anyone and everyone.

I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.

[leila braga · Rating 4 out of 5]

cara, eu ri alto em alguns momentos.

muitooo divertido!
e o hot, nossa senhora! very hot indeed

a menina é muito espirituosa e os caras são benignos demais. chega deu satisfação. sem homi escroto, mas que no fundo no fundo bem lá no fundo é apx pela dona, sem trocas escrotas, enfim, é um amorzinho e muito rápido, bonzinho de acompanhar, sabe?

vale demais a pena, nossa. delícia. aiai

[Sarah · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book was pretty funny.

[Bent Letters · Rating 2 out of 5]

2.5 Stars

[Alexis M · Rating 5 out of 5]

My second Rebel Bloom and I can't get enough!
Cutesy short fun Rom Com style RH.
Some of the scenes (like the boys and her brothers hanging out) had me dying.
Highly recommend!!!

[Show Me The Sea · Rating 2 out of 5]

spoilers

It was a lovely feel good book until it ended to cringe like.


The wedding scene and the microphone stealing just ruined it. I’m so sad.

[thebrunettebibliomaniac · Rating 4 out of 5]

I definitely recommend this book if you are looking for a fun quick funny emotional read.

[Heather White · Rating 5 out of 5]

My heart!!

I love reading best friends to lovers, but a reverse harem of best friends to lovers?? Just wow! I loved this book. Poppy is a feisty one, and I'm here for it. She was quick to put them in their place until she was so out of her element and trying to figure out how she could love her best friends like that. It took her some time, but she knew they were for her.
I wish their book wasn't over, though. I want more from them. I want to know how the wedding went. I want to know how many kids they have. I just want to know more.

[Taylor Jade Kennedy · Rating 5 out of 5]

perfect. amazing. heart warming.

I love a book that can actually make me laugh out loud and this book had me not only doing that, but crying as I laughed so hard as well.
The FMC was right up my ally, I saw so much of myself in her. The 3 weeks of her getting her shit together was a little much but thankfully it went by quickly in book reading time.
The men are perfect And I fell completely in love.

[Donna P. Wingo · Rating 5 out of 5]

laugh out loud funny

This was hysterical. I love Poppy, her men, Bad mood Banner, and her wacky family! I’ve never laughed so much, so hard!

[Mulan Book Princess · Rating 4 out of 5]

I thought this was such a fun book. Poppy is an absolute sweetheart as are Jude, Cyrus and Sam. They all have such a great rapport which turns awkward after one night. This foursome will need to figure out how to navigate this new relationship while dealing with Poppy’s ex, a crazy neighbour and a persistent ex. I found this book entertaining and enjoyable to read.

I received a free advance reader copy of this book and am voluntarily leaving my fair and honest review.

[Bárbara · Rating 3 out of 5]

I mean idk I think I enjoyed reading it but won't think I would re read it

[Tabatha Wheat · Rating 5 out of 5]

this book!

not even going to lie, this was probably one of the best books I’ve read this year! poppy and the guys were just awesome (cyrus is my fav though) poppy is a cude, unapologetic smart a$$ and I LOVE IT!

[Tina · Rating 1 out of 5]

I REALLY need to start reading the synopsis 😭

[Nikkole · Rating 5 out of 5]

I think this is the best rebel has written!!!! Strong female lead and hot gorgeous best friends!!!

[Gemma Davies · Rating 4 out of 5]

Another great RH romance with all the feels

Just like all Rebel Bloom’s other RH romance stories, this one has everything. Hot guys, friends-to-lovers, highs, lows, laughs, tears and those stomach kicker moments where you just shake your head in despair at why our FMC can’t see the wood for the trees.

In this story, we meet Poppy Jo and her three life long best friends. They’ve been through everything together and her three men have always been there to protect, support and comfort Poppy through everything life has thrown at her. But when her arrogance personified ex-boyfriend announces he’s marrying her pretty little cousin at a family event, she panics and tells them she’s over him and that she has a new boyfriend… which of course, she doesn’t.

Now, not only is she dealing with the prospect of never being rid of her terrible ex as he’s set to join the family, she now needs to find a willing fake boyfriend to take to the nightmare wedding she’s expected to attend.

Who better to ask than one of her gorgeous, sexy and incredibly eligible best friends right? Hhhmmm, you’d think so, except asking them to fake date her only ends up opening a very big and very messy can of worms.

Not only does Poppy suddenly realise that her best friends are totally desirable, she’s also freaked out that she can’t choose or decide between them. What begins as an innocent invitation ends in a complicated relationship that becomes more than a little overwhelming for our emotionally troubled FMC. It’s going to take a lot of effort from the three boys to convince her that love is not bad word or a forbidden concept. Despite what her relationship with her ex had done to her, they need her to see that she deserves to be loved and more importantly, to be loved by them.

Great story. Fantastic likeable and identifiable characters that feel real and honest. Lots of emotion, especially around the struggles Poppy has with accepting love from not just one, but three men who want to give her the world without anything but her love in return.

Wholeheartedly recommend this writer. Feel good stories with lots of spice and hotter than hot romance. What’s not to love.

[Life In Pages · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is probably my favorite ‘Friends to Lovers’ book I have read yet! Friends to Lovers trope isn’t one of my top favorites, so I was surprised how much I loved this book. In the name of transparency, I tried reading this book a while back but got turned off by the FMC (like in the first few pages🤷🏻‍♀️) but I am a huge fan of Rebel Bloom, so I decided to give it a go one more time. I am so glad I did!!
Now the FMC, Poppy (LOVE that name), still isn’t my “favorite”, she still kind of rubs me the wrong way but at the same time I love her! 😂 I got put off by Poppy’s lack of emotional maturity, while she struggles with talking about her big feelings and runs away from them, I have no issues with that personally, so it was rather frustrating to read at times. However, this is also what made Poppy, Poppy! She’s loud, brash, bold, fearless, and didn’t pull any punches! She was also kind, loving, protective, and deeply hurt from past experiences. She was the perfect FMC for major character growth!

Now for Sam, Cyrus, and Jude….her 3 best friends….absolutely totally swoon worthy!!! Cyrus is my favorite….or Sam, 😂 I can’t make up my mind! These men were so perfect for her. They understood her SO WELL and that’s what you get when you fall in love with your best friend(s)!!!

I laughed so much throughout this story.

Favorite lines of the book….

- “I’d just orgasmed in front of my best friends. And on a random Sunday afternoon too.”
- “You were always the most beautiful. Even before you let us touch your fun parts.”
- “The woman was allergic to talking about feelings.”
- “You say that to my mom’s face!” (this one is my top favorite, laugh out loud line)

I highly recommend this one!!!!

[Ammie · Rating 3 out of 5]

Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️
Spice: 🌶️🌶️🌶️
POV: Multi
Ending: HEA
Recommendation: Yes

MMC(s): Jude Allen, Sam Clark, and Cyrus Collins
FMC: Poppy Jo Summers


Poppy is ambushed at her family reunion when she runs into her ex-boyfriend Andrew, who tells her that he is marrying into her family via her cousin. To prove to her family that she has moved on from Andrew she enlists the help of her 3 best friends. She needs one of them to be her fake boyfriend and date to the wedding.

She tells them that is they help her with this situation she will owe them a favor that they can cash in at any time. Separately Jude, Sam, and Cyrus cash in early on those favors and each favor is like a trial run to see who she is the most compatible with in making her family believe that she has a boyfriend. Jude, Sam, and Cyrus start to see Poppy as more than a best friend and as someone they would like to spend the rest of their lives with as a partner or wife. How do they navigate their relationships when neither men are willing to give up hope at a happily ever after with Poppy?

Poppy has some soul searching to do within herself. She has never let herself be soft because she always considered herself as one of the boys. She doesn’t navigate feelings well and prefers to dodge them at all cost. Will this all blow up in her face and loose her best friends in the process?


The only con I had about this book was the ending. It felt abrupt. The epilogue wasn’t a true epilogue. It just didn’t wrap things up enough for me.

I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.

[MsRHReviewer · Rating 5 out of 5]

A sweet romance where they try to fight their feelings, but the heart wins out

It was only a kiss.

All she needed to do was see if she could kiss any of her three guy friends without cringing or pulling away to be a believable but fake boyfriend to attend her cousin's wedding to her ex-boyfriend. That one kiss, however, suddenly made *FEELINGS* appear, but Poppy didn't do "feelings." Except anger - she could do anger, and she could do it well.

In return for one of the guys being her fake boyfriend for the wedding, she promised them each a favour. Going to a special event as a date? Teaching HOW to date? Setting one of them up with another woman on a DOUBLE date? Whatever it takes! After that kiss, though, they all realize - especially the guys - that what they really want may just be their best friend.

Unfortunately for Poppy, it isn't that easy. After a horrible relationship with her ex, she hated love. Hated the WORD love. She walled right up and refused to love again. It took some work, time, arguing, and people caring for her in the hard times for her to finally realize that maybe she could give it a chance again. That her best friends weren't just any regular guys. She already loved them, after all. She was just taking things to the next level with them.

This multiple POV story focuses primarily on Poppy and her struggle to accept a real relationship after being stomped all over for the last decade by her ex, who, unfortunately, is remaining in her life. It's about friendship, family, cranky neighbours, co-parenting a dog, and overcoming trauma you didn't even realize you really had.

[M · Rating 5 out of 5]

5/5 "shes one of the boys" but surprisingly, that didn't bother me this book. Maybe because I also liked her girl BFF Sara and her being "one of the guys" was more contextual than just being cool

I devoured this RH/ why-choose. Poppy Jo has broken up with her asshole of a boyfriend and reconnected with her childhood best friends. Just a cute group with her, Sam (her neighbour now), Cyrus (big bear) and Jude (billionaire).

Sammy has always liked her but kept his feelings to himself. With the window open, he finally is able to pursue her. I love how much space they give her as she finds herself after being with her emotionally abusive ex. She's not great with feelings and I think that was relatively understandable. Although, she did get quite mean in the grovel stage (her grovel stage, which highkey I loved)

Such a hilarious book, their banter was off the charts. Between her and the boys, but also amongst the boys themselves.

“She’s not going to see us. We’re spying, Charlie. The point is not to be seen.” I smacked Cyrus’s leg that was pressing into mine. “If you don’t close your legs a little bit, I’m going to lose my fucking mind.”

But also, I really liked the way Rebel spoke about Poppy Jo's healing and how she got to see Andrew (dickhead ex) to be what he truly was.

“I wanted to scream. I could hear his words, hear the way he romanticized my trauma, and I felt like snakes were crawling all over my body.”