What do you think?
Rate this book
Our Big Fat Fake Vacay
One lousy mix-up is all it takes to take my happy, independent life down a few notches. If my mother would stop trying to set me up with cringey guys from my past, I wouldn't have had to lie and tell her I was already in a relationship with the last person I wanted.
But when that lie gets Cooper Whittaker—my brother's best friend and my new fake boyfriend—and his parents invited on our annual Bradford Family Vacation, we both agree that faking a relationship might be the key to getting both of our meddling mothers off our backs.
It's easy to fake being in love with the boy who broke my heart years ago, but what happens when the man he's become starts making me feel more than I bargained for?
But when that lie gets Cooper Whittaker—my brother's best friend and my new fake boyfriend—and his parents invited on our annual Bradford Family Vacation, we both agree that faking a relationship might be the key to getting both of our meddling mothers off our backs.
It's easy to fake being in love with the boy who broke my heart years ago, but what happens when the man he's become starts making me feel more than I bargained for?
225 pages, Kindle Edition
Published January 23, 2024
30 people are currently reading
200 people want to read
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 30 of 64 reviews
January 12, 2024
Super cute!!
Hannah left town eight years ago after declaring her love for Cooper, her brother's best friend only t to have him friend-zone her. Now she is back and when her mom won't stop setting her up on dates, Hannah decides a pretend boyfriend will solve all of her problems. But she didn't expect Cooper to get tangled up in her lies.
When their families go on vacation together and Hannah and Cooper are forced to pretend to be boyfriend and girlfriend, Hannah does the one thing she swore she would never do again: she falls in love with Cooper. The only problem? He still sees her as his best friend's little sister.
What to love:
Brother's best friend
Fake Dating
Vacation romance
Single POV
Unrequited crush
One bed trope
Cooper taking care of her
First "real" kiss
The rules
Cute epilogue
I am a sucker for a good fake dating story, especially when it is combined with some of my other favorite tropes! So many cute moments and the way Cooper took care of Hannah was honestly so swoony.
This was fun, quick read and the perfect pick-me-up for anyone who enjoys sweet romcoms with witty banter and a heroine who is lovable but still trying to figure things out. The teasing between the siblings cracked me up and I am hoping someday we can get Wesley and Jase's stories! 4.5 stars
I received a complimentary copy but a positive review was not required.
Hannah left town eight years ago after declaring her love for Cooper, her brother's best friend only t to have him friend-zone her. Now she is back and when her mom won't stop setting her up on dates, Hannah decides a pretend boyfriend will solve all of her problems. But she didn't expect Cooper to get tangled up in her lies.
When their families go on vacation together and Hannah and Cooper are forced to pretend to be boyfriend and girlfriend, Hannah does the one thing she swore she would never do again: she falls in love with Cooper. The only problem? He still sees her as his best friend's little sister.
What to love:
Brother's best friend
Fake Dating
Vacation romance
Single POV
Unrequited crush
One bed trope
Cooper taking care of her
First "real" kiss
The rules
Cute epilogue
I am a sucker for a good fake dating story, especially when it is combined with some of my other favorite tropes! So many cute moments and the way Cooper took care of Hannah was honestly so swoony.
This was fun, quick read and the perfect pick-me-up for anyone who enjoys sweet romcoms with witty banter and a heroine who is lovable but still trying to figure things out. The teasing between the siblings cracked me up and I am hoping someday we can get Wesley and Jase's stories! 4.5 stars
I received a complimentary copy but a positive review was not required.
January 13, 2024
This was such a fun book!! My second by this author, and I was fortunate to receive an ARC copy. I currently read 2 or 3 books at a time, and I kept reaching to read this one. There were several laugh out loud moments! The comedy was great, as was the story. I really liked the main characters, and their interactions. Top notch rom-com material. I joy to read. 😀 Highly recommend to pick this one up. 👍
January 10, 2024
Ashley has done it again!! I could soak up more of Hannah and Cooper all day every day! It’s the brother’s best friend/fake-dating romance you never knew you needed. Ashley wove a beautifully hilarious story filled with everything you could ever want in a romcom. Witty banter, he falls first, smart fmc, overbearing yet sweet mother, phenomenal side cast of brothers (who I secretly hope get stories of their own one day!) I’ll come back to this one again and again. 🙌🏼
February 26, 2024
I love a brother’s best friend trope when the brothers are encouraging and supportive. This book lacked Cooper’s POV, that would have improved a ton. And there were some conversations that didn’t have any dialogue tags, so it was difficult to know who was speaking. This was my first book by this author, and I will probably read more.
January 10, 2024
Genre: romcom
Content: just kisses
So here’s the thing: Ashley Funk’s writing style and I? We VIBE. We really do. I loved this one, just like I’ve loved her previous two books!
Back in high school, Hannah had a major crush on her brother’s best friend, Cooper. After confessing her feelings and being “little sister-ed”, Hannah left Utah and has stayed away for the past 8 years. Now back, her meddling mother is breathing down her back about dating…and Cooper ends up roped into a fake dating scheme on a family vacation.
I think my favorite part was how sweet Cooper was about Hannah’s plane anxiety and also the taking care of her while she was puking. He’s the sweetest. Although I will say I wanted to shake him when his response to their kiss was “what are we doing?” No, Cooper. Try “Hannah, I love you.” Or “Hannah, I’ve been dreaming of that for a long time.”
I finished this one and immediately went back and am reading it again. It’s easy to read, funny, and just makes you feel happy. Our Big Fat Fake Vacay comes out on January 23rd!
*I received a complimentary copy from the author. All opinions are my own. No positive review was required.
Quotes I Loved:
🤣On the outside, I'm wearing a mask that says I am completely Zen, but on the inside, it's Inside Out Girl Alert levels of crazy.
🎶 I don't know what I'm expecting, but it's not Taylor Swift. Familiar, but updated, chords filter through the small speaker in my ear. Oh my gosh, Cooper listens to Taylor's Version.
🤤Muscles that shouldn't even exist do, in fact, exist in Cooper's body. A pair of athletic shorts is the only thing obscuring his god-like physique, but even they can't hide his muscular thighs…. "Hannah," Cooper's voice breaks me out of whatever spell that was. "You're drooling."…"Put a shirt on." Cooper smoothly sits up, his easily-countable abdominals rippling with hardly an effort. "Why? Does this bother you?" The boyish sparkle in his eyes shines in stark contrast to his devilish smirk.
💔 I thought I would be free after this whole mess, but instead, I'm more smothered than a Café Rio burrito. A sad, broken-hearted, romance-reading, human burrito.
😘 All I know is that kissing Cooper— loving Cooper—is something I should be doing today, tomorrow, and forever.
Content: just kisses
So here’s the thing: Ashley Funk’s writing style and I? We VIBE. We really do. I loved this one, just like I’ve loved her previous two books!
Back in high school, Hannah had a major crush on her brother’s best friend, Cooper. After confessing her feelings and being “little sister-ed”, Hannah left Utah and has stayed away for the past 8 years. Now back, her meddling mother is breathing down her back about dating…and Cooper ends up roped into a fake dating scheme on a family vacation.
I think my favorite part was how sweet Cooper was about Hannah’s plane anxiety and also the taking care of her while she was puking. He’s the sweetest. Although I will say I wanted to shake him when his response to their kiss was “what are we doing?” No, Cooper. Try “Hannah, I love you.” Or “Hannah, I’ve been dreaming of that for a long time.”
I finished this one and immediately went back and am reading it again. It’s easy to read, funny, and just makes you feel happy. Our Big Fat Fake Vacay comes out on January 23rd!
*I received a complimentary copy from the author. All opinions are my own. No positive review was required.
Quotes I Loved:
🤣On the outside, I'm wearing a mask that says I am completely Zen, but on the inside, it's Inside Out Girl Alert levels of crazy.
🎶 I don't know what I'm expecting, but it's not Taylor Swift. Familiar, but updated, chords filter through the small speaker in my ear. Oh my gosh, Cooper listens to Taylor's Version.
🤤Muscles that shouldn't even exist do, in fact, exist in Cooper's body. A pair of athletic shorts is the only thing obscuring his god-like physique, but even they can't hide his muscular thighs…. "Hannah," Cooper's voice breaks me out of whatever spell that was. "You're drooling."…"Put a shirt on." Cooper smoothly sits up, his easily-countable abdominals rippling with hardly an effort. "Why? Does this bother you?" The boyish sparkle in his eyes shines in stark contrast to his devilish smirk.
💔 I thought I would be free after this whole mess, but instead, I'm more smothered than a Café Rio burrito. A sad, broken-hearted, romance-reading, human burrito.
😘 All I know is that kissing Cooper— loving Cooper—is something I should be doing today, tomorrow, and forever.
February 5, 2025
Fake dating needs 3 rules-
Rule #1- its all about the optics
Rule #2- don’t talk about fake dating
Rule #3- No catching feelings
Simple enough except for when it comes down to the boy she’s was in love with in high school.
I loved Cooper and Hannah. I loved how sweet Cooper was to Hannah. I understood why Hannah tried to keep her heart safe in the end but I love how she was able to overcome her doubts and fears.
Favorite quote:
I know my resolve to keep Rule Number Three is crumbling. But it’s Cooper. The boy I liked before he was really a man, and now the man himself, who’s showing me that he’s still all those good things I remember.
The little wink he throws over his shoulder is enough to send my heart into orbit, and I’m not sure it has the automated landing to make it back to Earth safely.
Rule #1- its all about the optics
Rule #2- don’t talk about fake dating
Rule #3- No catching feelings
Simple enough except for when it comes down to the boy she’s was in love with in high school.
I loved Cooper and Hannah. I loved how sweet Cooper was to Hannah. I understood why Hannah tried to keep her heart safe in the end but I love how she was able to overcome her doubts and fears.
Favorite quote:
I know my resolve to keep Rule Number Three is crumbling. But it’s Cooper. The boy I liked before he was really a man, and now the man himself, who’s showing me that he’s still all those good things I remember.
The little wink he throws over his shoulder is enough to send my heart into orbit, and I’m not sure it has the automated landing to make it back to Earth safely.
January 10, 2024
Brother's best friend + fake dating!? Um, yes please! These are definitely among my absolute favorite tropes so putting them together is like a dream. There are also few moments where he takes care of her (in more ways than one), another favorite! Throw in Ashley Funk's writing style which is just so effortless and enjoyable? I couldn't help but love this story.
Cooper and Hannah are absolutely great together. Hannah had had a crush on Cooper as a teenager, but when he turns her down, she never wants to see him again... a vow that she does pretty well with until they end up in an accidental fake dating situation... and facing a family vacation with both of their families. From hand holding practice to rule breaking kisses, I just enjoyed every minute with these two. When he keeps her calm during the flight? Oh my goodness, it was just the best. While the romance was great, the story would definitely not have been the same without the dynamic with her brothers as well. I loved their sibling banter and playfulness... but of course all the love and support was there too. It was a quick read, and one that I absolutely adored!
Our Big Fat Fake Vacay is a closed-door romance with kisses only and no language.
**I received an ARC for consideration. All opinions are my own.
Cooper and Hannah are absolutely great together. Hannah had had a crush on Cooper as a teenager, but when he turns her down, she never wants to see him again... a vow that she does pretty well with until they end up in an accidental fake dating situation... and facing a family vacation with both of their families. From hand holding practice to rule breaking kisses, I just enjoyed every minute with these two. When he keeps her calm during the flight? Oh my goodness, it was just the best. While the romance was great, the story would definitely not have been the same without the dynamic with her brothers as well. I loved their sibling banter and playfulness... but of course all the love and support was there too. It was a quick read, and one that I absolutely adored!
Our Big Fat Fake Vacay is a closed-door romance with kisses only and no language.
**I received an ARC for consideration. All opinions are my own.
January 15, 2024
Hannah is still scarred by the time she yelled at her childhood crush and brother's best friend Cooper when she was 17, and she has spent the last eight years avoiding him altogether. So imagine when they see each other again after all that time, they 'accidentally' end up fake dating to get Hannah's mum off her back and to stop her setting her meddling in her love life. When Hannah's mum finds out they are 'dating', she invites Cooper and his family on their family vacation!
An absolute gem of a rom-com, and if you love brother's best friend, fake dating and one bed tropes then this one's for you! I loved every minute of this book!
An absolute gem of a rom-com, and if you love brother's best friend, fake dating and one bed tropes then this one's for you! I loved every minute of this book!
January 17, 2024
Hannah left for California eight years ago to escape a broken heart. But now she’s back and living with her brothers, whose best friend is still around all the time. Hannah is in for trouble as she tries to avoid the man who’d broken her heart.
I love fake dating tropes! Ashley Funk did it perfectly with funny characters and swoony moments. Hannah was so relatable and it was hilarious to read her inner dialogue. Such a fun book!
I love fake dating tropes! Ashley Funk did it perfectly with funny characters and swoony moments. Hannah was so relatable and it was hilarious to read her inner dialogue. Such a fun book!
January 27, 2024
Oh the cuteness! This is such a sweet fun read. I really enjoyed it I loved Hannah’s relationship with her brothers it was wholesome. Her and Cooper are adorable and so made for each other it was lovely seeing them realise it. This is a nice easy sweet adorable with all the feels romance.
January 18, 2024
I love this book!! The story was so fun and relatable, making it the perfect CLEAN romance it is! Cooper and Hannah are some of my favorite characters I have ever read! Maybe I let myself become invested in stories and fictional people too easily, but I was falling in love, and my heart was breaking right along with the characters. I am not ashamed of crying! Excuse me while I go blow my nose and read it again!
January 23, 2024
Ahhh! Hannah and Cooper! What a couple. After leaving town 8 years ago because her brother’s best friend would never see her as more than his friends little sister, Hannah decides to move back.
When she is reunited with Cooper, she pretends he’s her boyfriend so her mom will stop setting her up on blind dates. They end up going on a joint family vacation. They set up rules around fake dating…but things get fuzzy.
Tropes:
Brother’s best friend
Fake dating
One bed
Vacation romance
One POV
I couldn’t put this down. I found myself reading it any free second I had. So so good. Loved it! Epilogue was perfection!
When she is reunited with Cooper, she pretends he’s her boyfriend so her mom will stop setting her up on blind dates. They end up going on a joint family vacation. They set up rules around fake dating…but things get fuzzy.
Tropes:
Brother’s best friend
Fake dating
One bed
Vacation romance
One POV
I couldn’t put this down. I found myself reading it any free second I had. So so good. Loved it! Epilogue was perfection!
January 14, 2024
This book is the perfect way to kick off my new year. Light, adorable, and featuring warm weather instead of the wintery nonsense I have outside my window.
Jokes aside, I love how easy it is to fall into Ashley Funk's books and enjoy every step of the way. The characters are plenty relatable, funny, and just feel human. They're the kind of people that seem like they'd be fun to know in real life.
Okay, well, maybe not every step of the way was enjoyable on this one... The overbearing mother nearly sent me, but it's worth getting past her to the swoony connection between Hannah and Cooper. I only wish there was more of it!
If you're looking for a no spice rom com to warm your heart, this one should do the trick!
Jokes aside, I love how easy it is to fall into Ashley Funk's books and enjoy every step of the way. The characters are plenty relatable, funny, and just feel human. They're the kind of people that seem like they'd be fun to know in real life.
Okay, well, maybe not every step of the way was enjoyable on this one... The overbearing mother nearly sent me, but it's worth getting past her to the swoony connection between Hannah and Cooper. I only wish there was more of it!
If you're looking for a no spice rom com to warm your heart, this one should do the trick!
January 13, 2024
*ARC REVIEW*
Ooooo! I love me a good fake relationship story. Everytime I start reading one I find myself thinking, “they can’t honestly think they won’t catch feelings..” and then they do catch feelings and I’m HERE. FOR. IT.
I totally LOVED the sibling group chat, the meddling mom, and the relationship acting lessons. Such a cute, funny book and the story flowed really well. Super sweet and clean (kisses only).
Book Releases on Jan 23rd!
Ooooo! I love me a good fake relationship story. Everytime I start reading one I find myself thinking, “they can’t honestly think they won’t catch feelings..” and then they do catch feelings and I’m HERE. FOR. IT.
I totally LOVED the sibling group chat, the meddling mom, and the relationship acting lessons. Such a cute, funny book and the story flowed really well. Super sweet and clean (kisses only).
Book Releases on Jan 23rd!
January 12, 2024
This was a really fun and light read. I enjoyed the personality of the author that shone through in the writing - the quick quips and references kept me engaged as much as the slow burn or the main characters. It was cute!
January 9, 2024
This book was a cute, short rom-com that gave me all the good butterflies, and even made me a little emotional! Cooper and Hannah are the sweetest, and I’m always a sucker for a brother’s-best-friend trope 🥰 It’s a great read for a quick pick me up (or if you need a distraction on your flight 😉)
January 23, 2024
Reader’s Notes:
– this is told from Hannah‘s point of view
Review:
Another book for list of “I couldn’t put it down”! I had work the next morning, at an earlier time than normal, but that didn’t stop me from consuming this wonderful book! I loved Hannah & Cooper’s fake romance and how quickly their plans got out of their hands! I loved Hannah’s mother’s tenacity at throwing them together in so many ways during their vacation (this being after trying to set Hannah up with other guys back home). I also really liked the fact that Hannah’s brothers were in on the fake dating bit and even tried to help the two of them in their acting when it was discovered that Cooper’s family would be joining them on the family vacation. I loved it when Hannah was starting to forget that they were pretending and fell back into her past crush on Cooper. It was especially emotional when Hannah got sick and Cooper stuck around to help take care of her!
Summary:
Hannah just returned home after having been living in California, but her mother is hovering over her life and setting her up on random dates with sons of her friends and acquaintances as if Hannah doesn’t know how to have a life. To be fair, Hannah much prefers the way her life is with online friends and living with her best friends, her brothers. She doesn’t want a relationship right now, especially since the desire for a relationship is one of the reasons she ran off to California in the first place. Hannah’s high school crush had been on her brother Jase’s best friend, Cooper. But when she finally got the guts to say something, Cooper flat out rejected her and Hannah did not take that well.
But with her mother barking up the relationship tree for her only daughter, Hannah has to get a bit creative in deterring unwanted dates and helpful suggestions. Which is how Hannah becomes the owner of a new mysterious boyfriend (read: a fake boyfriend that doesn’t exist) in order to keep mom off her back. But when an accidental and unwanted lunch with Cooper is discovered by her mother, Hannah makes the hasty decision of giving her fake boyfriend a very real identity: Cooper’s. And oddly enough, he’s willing to go along with it. Even when their mothers go behind both their backs and set it up so Cooper’s family is joining them on their annual family vacation. Now they’ll have to put on a performance of their sham of a relationship…
– this is told from Hannah‘s point of view
Review:
Another book for list of “I couldn’t put it down”! I had work the next morning, at an earlier time than normal, but that didn’t stop me from consuming this wonderful book! I loved Hannah & Cooper’s fake romance and how quickly their plans got out of their hands! I loved Hannah’s mother’s tenacity at throwing them together in so many ways during their vacation (this being after trying to set Hannah up with other guys back home). I also really liked the fact that Hannah’s brothers were in on the fake dating bit and even tried to help the two of them in their acting when it was discovered that Cooper’s family would be joining them on the family vacation. I loved it when Hannah was starting to forget that they were pretending and fell back into her past crush on Cooper. It was especially emotional when Hannah got sick and Cooper stuck around to help take care of her!
Summary:
Hannah just returned home after having been living in California, but her mother is hovering over her life and setting her up on random dates with sons of her friends and acquaintances as if Hannah doesn’t know how to have a life. To be fair, Hannah much prefers the way her life is with online friends and living with her best friends, her brothers. She doesn’t want a relationship right now, especially since the desire for a relationship is one of the reasons she ran off to California in the first place. Hannah’s high school crush had been on her brother Jase’s best friend, Cooper. But when she finally got the guts to say something, Cooper flat out rejected her and Hannah did not take that well.
But with her mother barking up the relationship tree for her only daughter, Hannah has to get a bit creative in deterring unwanted dates and helpful suggestions. Which is how Hannah becomes the owner of a new mysterious boyfriend (read: a fake boyfriend that doesn’t exist) in order to keep mom off her back. But when an accidental and unwanted lunch with Cooper is discovered by her mother, Hannah makes the hasty decision of giving her fake boyfriend a very real identity: Cooper’s. And oddly enough, he’s willing to go along with it. Even when their mothers go behind both their backs and set it up so Cooper’s family is joining them on their annual family vacation. Now they’ll have to put on a performance of their sham of a relationship…
April 17, 2024
Muscles that shouldn't even exist do, in fact, exist in Cooper's body. A pair of athletic shorts is the only thing obscuring his god-like physique... "Hannah," Cooper's voice breaks me out of whatever spell that was. "You're drooling." I snap my mouth shut and glare at Cooper, heat rising in my cheeks. It's a struggle to keep my eyes on his face and not let them drift...Just because I can appreciate a well-built man's bare torso does not mean I am into him. Because I am not into Cooper.
I'm not.
I'm not.
I'm not.
"Put a shirt on."
"Over the last two weeks, I have been dying a slow death, knowing I had you for one brief moment and I let you walk away. That kiss..." he trails off, his eyes dipping to my lips...
"That kiss?" I prompt.
"That kiss was not a mistake."
Read if you like:
* Fake dating
* Forced Proximity
* Brother's Best Friend
* She Falls First
* One Bed
* Meddling Mama
* Witty Banter
* Sweet Romcom
I loved every single thing about this book! I could not put it down and didn't want it to end.
Hannah is so much fun and I love that her job and interests lie in area that are usually male dominated.
Cooper is the absolute sweetest! I love how he takes care of Hannah.
I loved watching these two figure out their feelings for each other as the lines between friends and more began to blur.
Favorites:
* Three rules for fake dating
* Cooper looking up fear of flying tips
* Mini Taylor Swift concert
* "Hannah, you're drooling."
* Hannah Dearest and Cooper Darling
* Eating anticuchos
* Cooper taking care of Hannah when she's sick
* "I'm more smothered than a Cafe Rio burrito." (IYKYK)
* First REAL kiss
* "Sweetie, you're not that good of an actress."
* Skipping Sea World
* "This isn't fight club, Hannah."
* "Rule Number Three. Rule Number Three. Rule Number Three."
I have been hooked on Ashley Funk's books since I first picked up Cookie Bait and each book just gets better and better. She has become not only an auto buy author for me, but a drop everything and read it when one of her books comes out author!
I'm not.
I'm not.
I'm not.
"Put a shirt on."
"Over the last two weeks, I have been dying a slow death, knowing I had you for one brief moment and I let you walk away. That kiss..." he trails off, his eyes dipping to my lips...
"That kiss?" I prompt.
"That kiss was not a mistake."
Read if you like:
* Fake dating
* Forced Proximity
* Brother's Best Friend
* She Falls First
* One Bed
* Meddling Mama
* Witty Banter
* Sweet Romcom
I loved every single thing about this book! I could not put it down and didn't want it to end.
Hannah is so much fun and I love that her job and interests lie in area that are usually male dominated.
Cooper is the absolute sweetest! I love how he takes care of Hannah.
I loved watching these two figure out their feelings for each other as the lines between friends and more began to blur.
Favorites:
* Three rules for fake dating
* Cooper looking up fear of flying tips
* Mini Taylor Swift concert
* "Hannah, you're drooling."
* Hannah Dearest and Cooper Darling
* Eating anticuchos
* Cooper taking care of Hannah when she's sick
* "I'm more smothered than a Cafe Rio burrito." (IYKYK)
* First REAL kiss
* "Sweetie, you're not that good of an actress."
* Skipping Sea World
* "This isn't fight club, Hannah."
* "Rule Number Three. Rule Number Three. Rule Number Three."
I have been hooked on Ashley Funk's books since I first picked up Cookie Bait and each book just gets better and better. She has become not only an auto buy author for me, but a drop everything and read it when one of her books comes out author!
January 23, 2024
What’s better than going on vacation with your family- going on vacation with your old crush/brother’s best friend turned fake boyfriend and his family too?! Yes, this book is as silly as that all sounds, but Ashley Funk pulls out all the stops to tell us this amazing story!
After a rent spike, Hannah returns home to Utah after living in California for the past 8 years, now she’s living with her brothers and their house is frequently visited by Cooper! Since arriving back, her mother has been loving, kind, supportive and overly “helpful” (especially in the man department)! Hannah to get her mom off her back subtly mumbles about being in a relationship and then as an awkward twist of fate, Cooper is later named to be the significant other over speaker phone, right in front of him!
Cooper plays off the speaker call after it has ended, but instead of telling Hannah that the idea is completely ridiculous, he insists that they work together on the fake relationship! He needs his mom off his back as much as she needs hers. Now, the two along with their families are headed across the country to enjoy a relaxing Florida vacation. The mothers are so excited of the future of their children’s relationship and mixed feelings are felt by the pair!
While this book had me in stitches from laughing so hard occasionally, I also felt the weight of their betrayal! I can understand not wanting a mom to meddle in your personal life, but having to force some public kisses and share a hotel room with the person you tried to leave in your emotional past couldn’t have been easy. Overall Cooper and Hannah are a pair to cheer for throughout the rollercoaster ride of this book! Ashley Funk delivered on all cylinders of this book, and I can’t help but hope she will write books for Hannah’s brothers too – even if she doesn’t, they were brilliant supporting characters! Thanks for the ARC Ashley!
After a rent spike, Hannah returns home to Utah after living in California for the past 8 years, now she’s living with her brothers and their house is frequently visited by Cooper! Since arriving back, her mother has been loving, kind, supportive and overly “helpful” (especially in the man department)! Hannah to get her mom off her back subtly mumbles about being in a relationship and then as an awkward twist of fate, Cooper is later named to be the significant other over speaker phone, right in front of him!
Cooper plays off the speaker call after it has ended, but instead of telling Hannah that the idea is completely ridiculous, he insists that they work together on the fake relationship! He needs his mom off his back as much as she needs hers. Now, the two along with their families are headed across the country to enjoy a relaxing Florida vacation. The mothers are so excited of the future of their children’s relationship and mixed feelings are felt by the pair!
While this book had me in stitches from laughing so hard occasionally, I also felt the weight of their betrayal! I can understand not wanting a mom to meddle in your personal life, but having to force some public kisses and share a hotel room with the person you tried to leave in your emotional past couldn’t have been easy. Overall Cooper and Hannah are a pair to cheer for throughout the rollercoaster ride of this book! Ashley Funk delivered on all cylinders of this book, and I can’t help but hope she will write books for Hannah’s brothers too – even if she doesn’t, they were brilliant supporting characters! Thanks for the ARC Ashley!
January 24, 2024
This book was a very light-hearted, easy read making reading it feel like a vacation itself!
Let’s talk characters. I felt every character was enjoyable. The author did a great job developing the FMC and she’s someone I could easily be friends with. As for the MMC, well I’m pretty sure he is everything every girl would dream of in a MMC...or a real love for that matter! Each side character was also an addition to, and not a distraction from, the story. They had purpose and held my interest.
As for the story itself, it was fun and written in a way that made me feel like I was on vacation with them. I was rooting for their love story from the start. Also, I’m a sucker for any real-life love story that involves people knowing each other from childhood, so I was sold on rooting for a happy ending for this story from the get-go!
A game called Skyrim plays a supporting character in this book. I’m no gamer and didn’t understand any of the references to this game but it didn’t make the book any less enjoyable. It’ll just be a fun bonus for those who are gamers themselves.
All in all, it was a fun book and worth the read!
*Potential Spoilers*
There were a couple things that I could have done without. First of all, there is a food poisoning scene and if you know me, you know this is a huge trigger, so I had to very lightly skim quite a few pages. That being said, I can tell what was written would give a reader all the butterflies...and not the kind given by food poisoning 🥴 But, fair warning to all who may be squeamish.
The second thing is a third act breakup/miscommunication. I often wish characters would just be honest and lay all their feelings out there; it’s obvious that’s where it is headed anyway. I felt this book had the perfect flow for that to occur, but it didn’t happen. However, upon finishing, I see why the author chose this third act woe; it really helped lead to a satisfying conclusion of a separate story line.
Let’s talk characters. I felt every character was enjoyable. The author did a great job developing the FMC and she’s someone I could easily be friends with. As for the MMC, well I’m pretty sure he is everything every girl would dream of in a MMC...or a real love for that matter! Each side character was also an addition to, and not a distraction from, the story. They had purpose and held my interest.
As for the story itself, it was fun and written in a way that made me feel like I was on vacation with them. I was rooting for their love story from the start. Also, I’m a sucker for any real-life love story that involves people knowing each other from childhood, so I was sold on rooting for a happy ending for this story from the get-go!
A game called Skyrim plays a supporting character in this book. I’m no gamer and didn’t understand any of the references to this game but it didn’t make the book any less enjoyable. It’ll just be a fun bonus for those who are gamers themselves.
All in all, it was a fun book and worth the read!
*Potential Spoilers*
There were a couple things that I could have done without. First of all, there is a food poisoning scene and if you know me, you know this is a huge trigger, so I had to very lightly skim quite a few pages. That being said, I can tell what was written would give a reader all the butterflies...and not the kind given by food poisoning 🥴 But, fair warning to all who may be squeamish.
The second thing is a third act breakup/miscommunication. I often wish characters would just be honest and lay all their feelings out there; it’s obvious that’s where it is headed anyway. I felt this book had the perfect flow for that to occur, but it didn’t happen. However, upon finishing, I see why the author chose this third act woe; it really helped lead to a satisfying conclusion of a separate story line.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
January 26, 2024
This is a fun and cute brother’s best friend and fake relationship story. I really liked it. The romance was sweet and there were a lot of fun interactions and banter. I enjoyed the fun relationships with the brothers, especially with how close in age they all were. And their involvement in the charade was entertaining. The characters were very engaging and I loved that the female main character was into things that sometimes get pigeon-holed as male nerd interests. It’s a fun story. Hannah had avoided Cooper, her older brother’s best friend, for eight years after she was embarassed by a failed attempt to act on her feelings for him. After she moved back to her home town it was impossible to keep her distance completely. When Hannah’s solution to quell her mother’s matchmaking attempts spiraled out of control, Cooper ended up pretending to be her boyfriend. This landed their families together on a family vacation to Florida and forced the ruse to continue. “Pulling deep from my database of Being In Love With Cooper - a little outdated since high school, but still archived and functional…” Unsurprisingly, the line between fake and real got pretty blurry. “Oh well. It’s just my heart anyway. It probably needs a good stomping now and then.” The epilogue is really sweet. I really hope that there are plans to write the stories of Wesley and Jase. I’d love to read them. This is a closed door romance with one bed, mild innuendo and no harsh language.
January 24, 2025
OUR BIG FAT FAKE VACAY
by: Ashley Funk
@ashleyfunk.writes
~One lousy mix-up is all it takes to take my happy, independent life down a few notches...
“You are the best thing that’s ever been mine.”
-MY BIG FAT FAKE VACAY, is such a delightfully cute romcom. It is a quick but enjoyable read with many cute moments along the way. It’s filled wonderfully with such witty banter and characters who are lovable and trying to figure out what exactly they want, along with strong family dynamics and of course funny sibling teasing. Watching Cooper and Hannah’s fake relationship blur into possibilities of something more had my attention and when Hannah unfortunately gets sick, Conner is right there and caring for her in such a way that is swoon-worthy. You can’t help but notice the sparks of chemistry and wanting things to be real. It’s a story that will make you smile, shake your head, and even laugh out loud. Plus, it also has a cute and satisfying epilogue! Definitely a cute rom com worth the fun read!🙌🏻📚🩷
“All I know is that kissing Cooper- loving Cooper-is
something I should be doing today, tomorrow, and forever.”
-Content: just kisses; one bed trope; no spice!
#ourbigfatfakevacay
#ashleyfunkwrites
#cuteromcom
#allaboutthebestreads
“Please don’t go. I love you.”
by: Ashley Funk
@ashleyfunk.writes
~One lousy mix-up is all it takes to take my happy, independent life down a few notches...
“You are the best thing that’s ever been mine.”
-MY BIG FAT FAKE VACAY, is such a delightfully cute romcom. It is a quick but enjoyable read with many cute moments along the way. It’s filled wonderfully with such witty banter and characters who are lovable and trying to figure out what exactly they want, along with strong family dynamics and of course funny sibling teasing. Watching Cooper and Hannah’s fake relationship blur into possibilities of something more had my attention and when Hannah unfortunately gets sick, Conner is right there and caring for her in such a way that is swoon-worthy. You can’t help but notice the sparks of chemistry and wanting things to be real. It’s a story that will make you smile, shake your head, and even laugh out loud. Plus, it also has a cute and satisfying epilogue! Definitely a cute rom com worth the fun read!🙌🏻📚🩷
“All I know is that kissing Cooper- loving Cooper-is
something I should be doing today, tomorrow, and forever.”
-Content: just kisses; one bed trope; no spice!
#ourbigfatfakevacay
#ashleyfunkwrites
#cuteromcom
#allaboutthebestreads
“Please don’t go. I love you.”
January 21, 2024
Going on vacation with your family and your older brothers best friend? Yes. Going on vacation with your family and FAKE DATING your older brothers best friend? IMMEDIATELY YES.
This was my my first book of the year and what a way to start it!
Ashley is one of my top rom-com authors. There's just something about her humor. It's so quick and witty, I love it! I adored Ashley's last novel, Like Cabins On Fire, so I was excited to see how this one would compare and I can easily say it might be her best one yet!
Hannah and Cooper will go down as one of my favorites. I just loved their relationship and how it naturally evolved. It was so tender. AND he listens to Taylor Swift. Biggest green flag I've ever seen. I could go on about this book forever and tell you every detail, but I think you should go ahead and read it yourself!
What you can expect:
*Fake Dating
*Brother's best friend
*BREAKING THE RULES
*Meddling mothers (who are the best)
*He takes care of her
*One POV (I love male POV, but I genuinely loved not having it. It just added to the suspense!)
Five stars! Can't wait to read what Ashley puts out next.
This was my my first book of the year and what a way to start it!
Ashley is one of my top rom-com authors. There's just something about her humor. It's so quick and witty, I love it! I adored Ashley's last novel, Like Cabins On Fire, so I was excited to see how this one would compare and I can easily say it might be her best one yet!
Hannah and Cooper will go down as one of my favorites. I just loved their relationship and how it naturally evolved. It was so tender. AND he listens to Taylor Swift. Biggest green flag I've ever seen. I could go on about this book forever and tell you every detail, but I think you should go ahead and read it yourself!
What you can expect:
*Fake Dating
*Brother's best friend
*BREAKING THE RULES
*Meddling mothers (who are the best)
*He takes care of her
*One POV (I love male POV, but I genuinely loved not having it. It just added to the suspense!)
Five stars! Can't wait to read what Ashley puts out next.
February 28, 2024
4.5 ⭐ Round Up
Synopsis:
Hanna is back on her hometown and she make up a fake boyfriend so her mom stops asking about her love life. Except her fake boyfriend is her first (rejected) love.
Includes:
✨Friends to Dislike to More
✨Fake Dating
✨Cinnamon Roll MMC
✨Women in STEM
✨One Bed
✨Takes Care when Sick
✨Brother's Best Friend
🌶️Heat Level:
Just (Swoony) Kisses
Attraction/Tension:🔥🔥
My opinion:
This is such a cute book! I absolutely love Ashley's writing. It's so easy and engaging, the story flows effortlessly and it's a very lighthearted book. Cooper is a dreamy book boyfriend and Hannah is a relatable main character and I was rooting for them the whole time. I really recommend this book if you want a lighthearted feel-good fake dating romance.
*I received a free review copy of this book from the author. I was not required to leave a positive review. All opinions are my own.*
Synopsis:
Hanna is back on her hometown and she make up a fake boyfriend so her mom stops asking about her love life. Except her fake boyfriend is her first (rejected) love.
Includes:
✨Friends to Dislike to More
✨Fake Dating
✨Cinnamon Roll MMC
✨Women in STEM
✨One Bed
✨Takes Care when Sick
✨Brother's Best Friend
🌶️Heat Level:
Just (Swoony) Kisses
Attraction/Tension:🔥🔥
My opinion:
This is such a cute book! I absolutely love Ashley's writing. It's so easy and engaging, the story flows effortlessly and it's a very lighthearted book. Cooper is a dreamy book boyfriend and Hannah is a relatable main character and I was rooting for them the whole time. I really recommend this book if you want a lighthearted feel-good fake dating romance.
*I received a free review copy of this book from the author. I was not required to leave a positive review. All opinions are my own.*
March 27, 2024
This book by Ashley Funk was a total Instagram made me do it book. I saw this one all over. So I borrowed it with my KU subscription. And it stayed there on my kindle for a really long time. I picked it up this week. And let me tell you, I should have read it ages ago!
I loved everything about this book. The characters are so great. The plot is a ton of fun. It made me laugh out loud so many times. And I read it in one afternoon. This book is just that good!
I loved Hannah! She seems like the kind of girl who could live down the street from you. I loved that she was down to earth. And just wanted to get her mom off her back. And that's how she ends up fake dating Cooper. Who her mom then invites to go on their family vacation.
The family vacation brings all sorts of crazy things. I loved every bit of it. I don't want to tell you all of the things, you'll just have to read it.
This is one I didn't want to put down! I need to read more by this author ASAP!
I loved everything about this book. The characters are so great. The plot is a ton of fun. It made me laugh out loud so many times. And I read it in one afternoon. This book is just that good!
I loved Hannah! She seems like the kind of girl who could live down the street from you. I loved that she was down to earth. And just wanted to get her mom off her back. And that's how she ends up fake dating Cooper. Who her mom then invites to go on their family vacation.
The family vacation brings all sorts of crazy things. I loved every bit of it. I don't want to tell you all of the things, you'll just have to read it.
This is one I didn't want to put down! I need to read more by this author ASAP!
January 16, 2024
Our Big Fat Fake Vacay is a sweet romcom with some brother's best friend, fake dating, and close proximity tropes that will make you smile. This is my first book by this author and I'll definitely pick up more from her. Her writing was on par for the clean romcom vibe and voice and the story held my interest to where I wanted to keep reading and was enjoying myself. The part when Cooper takes care of Hannah was my favorite. I would have loved to see Cooper's perspective and had that POV in the story and maybe a little bit more at the end with the two, though the epilogue completely made me smile and I loved it. Overall, I enjoyed this story, I'd read it again, and I look forward to reading more books by this author. I also hope Hannah's brothers get stories since they sound so cute.
I received an advance reader copy of this novel. All thoughts and opinions are my own.
I received an advance reader copy of this novel. All thoughts and opinions are my own.
February 2, 2024
I loved this book! I read this pretty much in one sitting (I had to make lunch for my kiddo). It was the perfect read today with it being cold and cloudy where I live.
I loved everything about this brother's best friend, fake dating, forced proximity, one bed, book!
My only complaint is I wished the book was much longer! I wanted to read more about Cooper and Hannah!
This is my first book of Ashley's, and I can't wait to read her other 2 books!
Highlights:
Family group texts
Cheesecake factory lunch date
Practicing holding hands
Listening to Taylor Swift
Helping Hannah during the flights
The beach day
Waking up with Hannah in the middle of the night
Hannah standing up for herself and creating boundaries
*Genre:
Romance (closed door)
*Tropes:
Brothers best friend, fake dating, he takes care of her, forced proximity, one bed
I loved everything about this brother's best friend, fake dating, forced proximity, one bed, book!
My only complaint is I wished the book was much longer! I wanted to read more about Cooper and Hannah!
This is my first book of Ashley's, and I can't wait to read her other 2 books!
Highlights:
Family group texts
Cheesecake factory lunch date
Practicing holding hands
Listening to Taylor Swift
Helping Hannah during the flights
The beach day
Waking up with Hannah in the middle of the night
Hannah standing up for herself and creating boundaries
*Genre:
Romance (closed door)
*Tropes:
Brothers best friend, fake dating, he takes care of her, forced proximity, one bed
January 28, 2024
I love a good fake relationship story, and Ashley Funk’s take on that did not disappoint! Brother’s best friend, friends to more, one bed, fake relationship…this sweet rom-com has it all! When Hannah is pushed by her overbearing mom, she and her brother’s best friend enter a fake relationship that they must take on the road for the yearly family vacation. Three rules and it will all be okay…right?! This story reads like a delicious warm and gooey treat for your HEA heart! You’ll smile. You’ll swoon (Hello Coop!). You’ll laugh. You’ll want to shake them and yell through the book at them. Through all those feelings, you will fall in love with Hannah, Coop, and their families! This is one I was sad to see end, but I’m excited to see what she has planned next!
Displaying 1 - 30 of 64 reviews