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Boston Revs Three Outs #2
The Fake Out
Things only an idiot would do:
1. Develop an obsession for his best friend’s sister.
2. Agree to let her be his new roommate.
3. Kiss her.
Hello I’m Emerson Knight and I am an idiot.
I try to stay away from Gianna Damiano, I really do. But between crop tops and fiery glares I can’t get her off my mind. One fake date changes everything and I cannot deny I want my hands on every one of my new roommate's delicious curves. One night keeps turning into one more. And suddenly I’m lying to my best friend.
I’m the man known for his fake out, but I’m only kidding myself because the way she’s stealing my heart feels very real.
Author Note: The Fake Out is book two of the Boston Revs Three Outs Series. It is a stand-alone baseball romcom between a black cat female main character and golden retriever male main character. This roommates-to-lovers teammate's sister romance will guarantee you tons of fun banter and swoony moments between the goofy baseball star and the curvy girl who stole his heart. Add in some laughs with the Revs team and an adorable pet puffin and it is sure to be fun for all.
1. Develop an obsession for his best friend’s sister.
2. Agree to let her be his new roommate.
3. Kiss her.
Hello I’m Emerson Knight and I am an idiot.
I try to stay away from Gianna Damiano, I really do. But between crop tops and fiery glares I can’t get her off my mind. One fake date changes everything and I cannot deny I want my hands on every one of my new roommate's delicious curves. One night keeps turning into one more. And suddenly I’m lying to my best friend.
I’m the man known for his fake out, but I’m only kidding myself because the way she’s stealing my heart feels very real.
Author Note: The Fake Out is book two of the Boston Revs Three Outs Series. It is a stand-alone baseball romcom between a black cat female main character and golden retriever male main character. This roommates-to-lovers teammate's sister romance will guarantee you tons of fun banter and swoony moments between the goofy baseball star and the curvy girl who stole his heart. Add in some laughs with the Revs team and an adorable pet puffin and it is sure to be fun for all.
332 pages, Kindle Edition
Published July 1, 2024
726 people are currently reading
5995 people want to read
About the author
Jenni Bara
27 books949 followersJenni Bara lives in New Jersey working as a paralegal in family law, writing real-life unhappily ever-afters every day. In turn, she spends her free time with anything that keeps her laughing, including life with four kids, or five, if you count her husband. She is just starting her career as a romance author writing books with a great balance of life, love, and laughter.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 592 reviews
June 30, 2024
“You look like everything I want and can’t call mine.”
⭐⭐⭐⭐.5 🌶️🌶️
If you’re looking for your next loveable golden retriever book boyfriend, this one’s for you! Emerson Knight is the MARRY in the game of FMK. Every. Single. Time. Not only is he a deeply loyal friend and teammate - the ultimate yes man willing to help anyone and put them first - but he also shows a vulnerability that’s rarely seen from professional athletes in romances. He’s had his eye on his best friend’s sister Gianna for a long time and when she’s forced to share an apartment with him after a bad break up, he’s determined to make sure she has the best of everything and knows her self-worth. I loved how he never backed down from her strong personality but helped her to embrace it at every turn!
And can we talk about the BODY WORSHIPPING this man shows Gi? It’s enough to make any woman weak in the knees! 😮💨 Emerson finds a way to turn each of her insecurities into something to be treasured and when he finally gets her in his arms, he’s like a man possessed with need 🙌🏻
Gianna is a powerhouse black cat heroine that I guarantee you’ll fall in love with. She’s been dealt a really shitty hand from her ex (ugh..JAKE! 😤) and still manages to keep her head high and chase her dreams. I loved her feistiness, her protectiveness of the people she loves and the way she determined to show Emerson that he was so worthy of being chosen. She is the perfect representation of a plus-size character, displaying real and relatable insecurities that made her so endearing.
It’s impossible to not fall in love with Jenni’s writing and the world she’s created with the Revs! They are the ultimate comfort books for me, especially as a fan of the Revs and the Mom Coms. The Fake Out is no exception when it comes to favourite character cameos that make these books so special and must-reads for me!
Thank you so much Jenni and @theauthor.agency for the ARC opportunity! ✨
June 24, 2024
ANGEL BABY EMERSON 🥹😭😭😭😭 oh. I loved this one. It’s been a long time since I’ve loved both main characters this much!! 🫶🏼
April 12, 2025
emerson is the cutest golden retriever boyfriend ever. this man needs to be protected at ALL costs.
July 14, 2024
RATING ♾️+ ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
SPICE: 🔥🔥💥
Okay so the first book in this series, the Fall Out was already one of my top 10 books this year, and I loved The Fake Out even more, so this book is somewhere in the realm of all time favorites. It’s just that good!
I don’t think I’ve ever read a black cat/ golden retriever book that was as epically perfect as this one. EVER.
Have you ever loved a book and a main character so much that you have actual trouble describing it to anyone else? Is that just me? Because that’s how I feel about this book! I ATE IT UP!
Emerson knight must be protected at all costs. He is a damn treasure, and my golden retriever loving heart absolute claims him. He is mine. You can all fight me for him!
TROPES ⬇️
✨ Baseball Player MMC
✨ Curvy Artist FMC
✨ Roommates
✨ Brother’s best friend
✨ Fake Dating
✨ Black Cat/ Golden Retriever
Emerson and Gianna are one of my favorite book couples I’ve read recently. He’s the golden retriever who is her brothers best friend. And she is the black cat artist whose life has been turned upside down. Now living together, Emerson cannot fight his attraction to Gianna after a fake date brings them closer. Neither of them are in a place for something permanent, but their hearts say otherwise.
Everything about this is fantastic. I love how Emerson sees Gianna and how much he cares for her. Being a curvy girl myself. Seeing him enamored with her healed a little bit of my soul. Plus this man is the definition of if he wanted to he would. and he calls her mariposa. RIP ME, I’m a puddle on the floor now. 🫠
Golden retrievers are my favorite MMC type, and I loved how he was everyone else’s biggest cheerleader and when he needed someone to show up for him at the end, everyone (even the grumpy coach) rallied behind him. I shed a tear I’m not going to lie, it was so sweet 🥹
Jenni’s writing just draws me in so easily and her stories just make me love happy endings and men that know exactly what they want. I can never put her books down, and I also love how much the sport itself plays a role in her books!
Everything about this was swoonworthy and you absolutely need to pick it up!
SPICE: 🔥🔥💥
Okay so the first book in this series, the Fall Out was already one of my top 10 books this year, and I loved The Fake Out even more, so this book is somewhere in the realm of all time favorites. It’s just that good!
I don’t think I’ve ever read a black cat/ golden retriever book that was as epically perfect as this one. EVER.
Have you ever loved a book and a main character so much that you have actual trouble describing it to anyone else? Is that just me? Because that’s how I feel about this book! I ATE IT UP!
Emerson knight must be protected at all costs. He is a damn treasure, and my golden retriever loving heart absolute claims him. He is mine. You can all fight me for him!
TROPES ⬇️
✨ Baseball Player MMC
✨ Curvy Artist FMC
✨ Roommates
✨ Brother’s best friend
✨ Fake Dating
✨ Black Cat/ Golden Retriever
Emerson and Gianna are one of my favorite book couples I’ve read recently. He’s the golden retriever who is her brothers best friend. And she is the black cat artist whose life has been turned upside down. Now living together, Emerson cannot fight his attraction to Gianna after a fake date brings them closer. Neither of them are in a place for something permanent, but their hearts say otherwise.
Everything about this is fantastic. I love how Emerson sees Gianna and how much he cares for her. Being a curvy girl myself. Seeing him enamored with her healed a little bit of my soul. Plus this man is the definition of if he wanted to he would. and he calls her mariposa. RIP ME, I’m a puddle on the floor now. 🫠
Golden retrievers are my favorite MMC type, and I loved how he was everyone else’s biggest cheerleader and when he needed someone to show up for him at the end, everyone (even the grumpy coach) rallied behind him. I shed a tear I’m not going to lie, it was so sweet 🥹
Jenni’s writing just draws me in so easily and her stories just make me love happy endings and men that know exactly what they want. I can never put her books down, and I also love how much the sport itself plays a role in her books!
Everything about this was swoonworthy and you absolutely need to pick it up!
March 10, 2025
🎧 ARC + ALC Audiobook Review 🎧
Title: The Fake Out, Boston Revs Three Outs book 2
Author: Jenni Bara
Narrators: Oscar Reyes & Victoria Connolly
⚾️ Steamy
🦋Baseball
⚾️ Brothers best friend
🦋Forced proximity
⚾️ Roommates to lovers
🦋Fake dating
My thoughts:
🎧 I really enjoyed Victoria as Gianna and I thought she brought that little ray of storm cloud to life with ease. Oscar captured Emerson bringing a Puerto Rican flare to the character that was so necessary to his character, flipping into an accent in all the right places!
📚Gianna's life comes crashing down, forcing her to move in with her brother and his shirtless pro MLB player roommate, Emerson. Emerson is an absolute delight, a gooey cinnamon roll of a man I just want to savor! His quirky, goofy character and enormous heart had me swooning. He loves hugs and cuddles, always goes out of his way for everyone, and yet doesn't see his own worth.
I loved that Gianna is a fuller figure character. The story was just fantastic and made me fall in love with both of them. The texting was fun, and I never knew so much sexual tension could be found in a haircut. The spice was sizzling, and the tension, chemistry, and pining were spot on!
They always say the sign of a good book is that it makes the reader feel, and boy, did this one knock it out of the park. I absolutely loathed "Jake the Jerk!" He was the biggest dirtbag tool I've read about in a long time. 😒
I also loved seeing characters from other books woven into this one. As a fan of the Momcom series, it was a treat to see them here. Overall, I can't say enough good things about this baseball romance. There’s no third act break up, just a steady climb to the best happily ever after for character you can’t help but love. Jenni absolutely hit a home run with this one. #1 baseball romance on my roster!
P.s. Jenni includes a playlist at the beginning of this book, which is so fun! I love it when authors do this! ❤️
Title: The Fake Out, Boston Revs Three Outs book 2
Author: Jenni Bara
Narrators: Oscar Reyes & Victoria Connolly
⚾️ Steamy
🦋Baseball
⚾️ Brothers best friend
🦋Forced proximity
⚾️ Roommates to lovers
🦋Fake dating
My thoughts:
🎧 I really enjoyed Victoria as Gianna and I thought she brought that little ray of storm cloud to life with ease. Oscar captured Emerson bringing a Puerto Rican flare to the character that was so necessary to his character, flipping into an accent in all the right places!
📚Gianna's life comes crashing down, forcing her to move in with her brother and his shirtless pro MLB player roommate, Emerson. Emerson is an absolute delight, a gooey cinnamon roll of a man I just want to savor! His quirky, goofy character and enormous heart had me swooning. He loves hugs and cuddles, always goes out of his way for everyone, and yet doesn't see his own worth.
I loved that Gianna is a fuller figure character. The story was just fantastic and made me fall in love with both of them. The texting was fun, and I never knew so much sexual tension could be found in a haircut. The spice was sizzling, and the tension, chemistry, and pining were spot on!
They always say the sign of a good book is that it makes the reader feel, and boy, did this one knock it out of the park. I absolutely loathed "Jake the Jerk!" He was the biggest dirtbag tool I've read about in a long time. 😒
I also loved seeing characters from other books woven into this one. As a fan of the Momcom series, it was a treat to see them here. Overall, I can't say enough good things about this baseball romance. There’s no third act break up, just a steady climb to the best happily ever after for character you can’t help but love. Jenni absolutely hit a home run with this one. #1 baseball romance on my roster!
P.s. Jenni includes a playlist at the beginning of this book, which is so fun! I love it when authors do this! ❤️
February 19, 2025
• Best Friend's little sister
• Forced Proximity
• Baseball romance
• Sunshine/black cat
• Artist FMC
• FWB to so much more
🎧Audiobook review🎧
Duet Narration
Narrated by Oscar Reyes and Victoria Connolly
I have loved this series! 👏
Instantly after meeting Emerson in book one, I remember thinking, "PLEASE tell me there is an Emerson book." I was so eager to learn more about him. His playful personality immediately drew me in!!! And Jenni did NOT disappoint. Emerson was exactly what I had hoped he would be. Tender. Playful. Not afraid to show his emotions. And Oscar Reyes did such a wonderful job with his performance of Emerson. Getting to hear the best parts of Emerson brought to life was so much fun! And only made me love his character that much more. Jenni nailed the FMC that she picked for Emerson. Gianna was spunky and loved the people in her life so hard. She had incredible black cat energy, which balanced Emerson so well. Victoria Connolly played Gianna. She isn't a narrator I have had the pleasure of listening to very much! And need to change that! I loved her performance so much I can't wait to listen to her again. She did such a wonderful job with her performance of Gianna. And she only made love Gianna's black Cat energy even more!! These two in duet were perfect for Emerson and Gianna! 👏👏👏
I loved the relationship Gianna and Emerson had. These two had BIG protector energy for the people in their lives! And the closer these two grew together the more you got to see just how much these two were willing to protect the other from. It was probably my favorite part of their relationship!!
Gianna's dad calling her a little ray of storm clouds couldn't have been more perfect when it came to describing Gianna!
I'm so excited for what's to come in this series now that I'm all caught up!! 🥰
•Overall: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
•Plot:⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
•Humor: 🙃🙃🙃
•Spice:🌶🌶
•Relationship pace: ONS, but slow burn
•Ending: HEA
•Tropes/Microtropes: Baseball romance, black cat energy, the sunshiniest MMC, best friend's little sister, roommates, FWB to lovers, fake dating, side characters from other books, he boosts her up
• TW: Cheating ex, OMD
• Forced Proximity
• Baseball romance
• Sunshine/black cat
• Artist FMC
• FWB to so much more
🎧Audiobook review🎧
Duet Narration
Narrated by Oscar Reyes and Victoria Connolly
I have loved this series! 👏
Instantly after meeting Emerson in book one, I remember thinking, "PLEASE tell me there is an Emerson book." I was so eager to learn more about him. His playful personality immediately drew me in!!! And Jenni did NOT disappoint. Emerson was exactly what I had hoped he would be. Tender. Playful. Not afraid to show his emotions. And Oscar Reyes did such a wonderful job with his performance of Emerson. Getting to hear the best parts of Emerson brought to life was so much fun! And only made me love his character that much more. Jenni nailed the FMC that she picked for Emerson. Gianna was spunky and loved the people in her life so hard. She had incredible black cat energy, which balanced Emerson so well. Victoria Connolly played Gianna. She isn't a narrator I have had the pleasure of listening to very much! And need to change that! I loved her performance so much I can't wait to listen to her again. She did such a wonderful job with her performance of Gianna. And she only made love Gianna's black Cat energy even more!! These two in duet were perfect for Emerson and Gianna! 👏👏👏
I loved the relationship Gianna and Emerson had. These two had BIG protector energy for the people in their lives! And the closer these two grew together the more you got to see just how much these two were willing to protect the other from. It was probably my favorite part of their relationship!!
Gianna's dad calling her a little ray of storm clouds couldn't have been more perfect when it came to describing Gianna!
I'm so excited for what's to come in this series now that I'm all caught up!! 🥰
•Overall: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
•Plot:⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
•Humor: 🙃🙃🙃
•Spice:🌶🌶
•Relationship pace: ONS, but slow burn
•Ending: HEA
•Tropes/Microtropes: Baseball romance, black cat energy, the sunshiniest MMC, best friend's little sister, roommates, FWB to lovers, fake dating, side characters from other books, he boosts her up
• TW: Cheating ex, OMD
July 3, 2024
EMERSON. SIR. HOW DARE YOU BE SO PERFECT.
I was a little skeptical about this one. Emerson seemed to have a bit of a revolving door in the first book. Being best friends with Chris, he had known Gianna for 6 years. In those 6 years, Giana had many relationships with different men (we know this bc at some point Em lists all of them). Emerson never pursued anything with Gianna because of how close he is with Chris. Now. You may be thinking "omg who cares! if he loved her, he would have tried!" Just read the book. There's a reason Emerson is such a fun loving goofy guy. He spent a lot of his life being lonely, and Chris was his first real friend 🥺. Gianna was very closed off from him as well. It wasn't like they were close--he was interested in her but thought she was off limits. He cared for her from afar though (sure I wish he was celibate BUT he she had been in several relationships and didn't give him a second thought so 🤷♀️)
With that being said, i think this book is completely safe. He isnt with anyone else during this book. Doesn't look at anyone else. Doesn't think about anyone else. We don't know the last time he'd been with someone. There's barely any talk of Emerson's past. In fact, if I hadn't read the first book, I wouldn't have even known. The authors did a great job making you forget about that so that he could have a clean slate for you to just love him--and let me tell you, you. Will. Love. Him. The amount of times I just wanted to reach into my Kindle and hug a fictional chatacter was wildly unhealthy.
I took off a star for one main reason. The miscommunication got a little ridiculous. So many times I was like mmmmk just TALK to each other. It happened A LOT. I understand that as authors, you need to keep the plot going but some of the stuff I was just like 🤦♀️
Let me also say that I don't think I have ever related to a FMC like I did with Gianna. The way she preferred anger over showing her vulnerable side hit me in the feels.
Lastly---- That. IG. Post. Was. EVERYTHING.
Can't wait for The Foul Out!!!
I was a little skeptical about this one. Emerson seemed to have a bit of a revolving door in the first book. Being best friends with Chris, he had known Gianna for 6 years. In those 6 years, Giana had many relationships with different men (we know this bc at some point Em lists all of them). Emerson never pursued anything with Gianna because of how close he is with Chris. Now. You may be thinking "omg who cares! if he loved her, he would have tried!" Just read the book. There's a reason Emerson is such a fun loving goofy guy. He spent a lot of his life being lonely, and Chris was his first real friend 🥺. Gianna was very closed off from him as well. It wasn't like they were close--he was interested in her but thought she was off limits. He cared for her from afar though (sure I wish he was celibate BUT he she had been in several relationships and didn't give him a second thought so 🤷♀️)
With that being said, i think this book is completely safe. He isnt with anyone else during this book. Doesn't look at anyone else. Doesn't think about anyone else. We don't know the last time he'd been with someone. There's barely any talk of Emerson's past. In fact, if I hadn't read the first book, I wouldn't have even known. The authors did a great job making you forget about that so that he could have a clean slate for you to just love him--and let me tell you, you. Will. Love. Him. The amount of times I just wanted to reach into my Kindle and hug a fictional chatacter was wildly unhealthy.
I took off a star for one main reason. The miscommunication got a little ridiculous. So many times I was like mmmmk just TALK to each other. It happened A LOT. I understand that as authors, you need to keep the plot going but some of the stuff I was just like 🤦♀️
Let me also say that I don't think I have ever related to a FMC like I did with Gianna. The way she preferred anger over showing her vulnerable side hit me in the feels.
Lastly---- That. IG. Post. Was. EVERYTHING.
Can't wait for The Foul Out!!!
February 20, 2025
Thank you Must Love Audio for the #gifted audio.
Okay well, I’m just going to call it. Jenny Barra is an auto-buy author and one of my favorites. She brings it all to the table. Incredible characters, fun dynamics, epic spice, fierce fmc’s and mcs that will go to war for their women while also recognizing how strong and powerful they are. And did I mention the sports? Jenni is checking all my boxes over here.
This is only my third book by her but I’m obsessed. I started crying in this one. I also couldn’t turn it off. I literally listened to it straight through from when I turned it on to just now when I finished it.
Expect 👉🏼 Baseball Romance, Reverse Grumpy/Sunshine, Brother’s Best Friend, Forced Proximity, Curvy FMC, a splash of Fake Dating, and a sprinkle of revenge mixed with He Falls First and He Falls HARD 🫠
I love him. I love them. I am just so happy. I have the cheesiest smile on my face that no one could wipe off.
Emerson has been silently crushing on his best friend’s sister since the moment he met her. But she has always had a boyfriend and never given Emerson the time of day. With her love life and living situation up in the air, Gianna comes to stay in her brother’s apartment and sparks start to fly.
The Fake Out is everything DUET narration is supposed to be. It was PERFECT. Oscar Reyes and Victoria Connolly were magical.
If it wasn’t already clear, I loved this book so much and I’m just desperately waiting for the next Jenni Bara audio to release! 🎧💋
Okay well, I’m just going to call it. Jenny Barra is an auto-buy author and one of my favorites. She brings it all to the table. Incredible characters, fun dynamics, epic spice, fierce fmc’s and mcs that will go to war for their women while also recognizing how strong and powerful they are. And did I mention the sports? Jenni is checking all my boxes over here.
This is only my third book by her but I’m obsessed. I started crying in this one. I also couldn’t turn it off. I literally listened to it straight through from when I turned it on to just now when I finished it.
Expect 👉🏼 Baseball Romance, Reverse Grumpy/Sunshine, Brother’s Best Friend, Forced Proximity, Curvy FMC, a splash of Fake Dating, and a sprinkle of revenge mixed with He Falls First and He Falls HARD 🫠
I love him. I love them. I am just so happy. I have the cheesiest smile on my face that no one could wipe off.
Emerson has been silently crushing on his best friend’s sister since the moment he met her. But she has always had a boyfriend and never given Emerson the time of day. With her love life and living situation up in the air, Gianna comes to stay in her brother’s apartment and sparks start to fly.
The Fake Out is everything DUET narration is supposed to be. It was PERFECT. Oscar Reyes and Victoria Connolly were magical.
If it wasn’t already clear, I loved this book so much and I’m just desperately waiting for the next Jenni Bara audio to release! 🎧💋
March 10, 2025
✨ The Fake Out by Jenni Bara ✨
I am OBSESSED!!! I fell in love with Jenni Bara's writing with the first book in this series and then she came in and wrote THE MOST PERFECT follow up. This book completely stole my heart. I cried not once, but twice (like the good kind of cry because it was just so dang sweet), the spice was hot AF, and I didn't want this book to end!!
Emerson had my heart in book one. I just love how goofy, happy, and fun he is! And then there is Gianna- the grumpy to his sunshine in every way. But these two went together so perfectly. I love that she saw who he was behind all the smiles and he was able to look past her prickly exterior to who she really was. And the fact that they were doing all of this in secret made it EVEN BETTER! I freaking loved this book!!
✨ Baseball Romance
✨ Teammate's Sister
✨ Roommates
✨ Secret Relationship
✨ Curvy FMC
✨ Golden Retriever Hero
✨ She's the Grump
✨ Artist Heroine
✨ Fun with Paint
📚 Book: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
🎧 Audio: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
🔥Spice Rating: ❤️
🎧 𝗡𝗼𝘄 𝗹𝗲𝘁𝘀 𝘁𝗮𝗹𝗸 𝗮𝘂𝗱𝗶𝗼...
Oscar Reyes and Victoria Connolly narrated this and I couldn't get enough! They were perfectly cast and brought this book to life in the best way. I was so sad when I got to the end of this audiobook because I wanted MORE!
Thank you so much to Jenni Bara and Must Love Audio for this gifted audiobook.
Spice Rating
🤍 clean romance
💗 closed door/ fade to black
❤️ spicy content (a few detailed scenes)
❤️🔥 explicit, play-by-play (major part of the plot)
🖤 graphic, more than vanilla
I am OBSESSED!!! I fell in love with Jenni Bara's writing with the first book in this series and then she came in and wrote THE MOST PERFECT follow up. This book completely stole my heart. I cried not once, but twice (like the good kind of cry because it was just so dang sweet), the spice was hot AF, and I didn't want this book to end!!
Emerson had my heart in book one. I just love how goofy, happy, and fun he is! And then there is Gianna- the grumpy to his sunshine in every way. But these two went together so perfectly. I love that she saw who he was behind all the smiles and he was able to look past her prickly exterior to who she really was. And the fact that they were doing all of this in secret made it EVEN BETTER! I freaking loved this book!!
✨ Baseball Romance
✨ Teammate's Sister
✨ Roommates
✨ Secret Relationship
✨ Curvy FMC
✨ Golden Retriever Hero
✨ She's the Grump
✨ Artist Heroine
✨ Fun with Paint
📚 Book: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
🎧 Audio: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
🔥Spice Rating: ❤️
🎧 𝗡𝗼𝘄 𝗹𝗲𝘁𝘀 𝘁𝗮𝗹𝗸 𝗮𝘂𝗱𝗶𝗼...
Oscar Reyes and Victoria Connolly narrated this and I couldn't get enough! They were perfectly cast and brought this book to life in the best way. I was so sad when I got to the end of this audiobook because I wanted MORE!
Thank you so much to Jenni Bara and Must Love Audio for this gifted audiobook.
Spice Rating
🤍 clean romance
💗 closed door/ fade to black
❤️ spicy content (a few detailed scenes)
❤️🔥 explicit, play-by-play (major part of the plot)
🖤 graphic, more than vanilla
July 2, 2024
Ah! I loved this book so much! An amazing baseball/best friend's sister/found family book!
Emerson and Gianna are so good together! I loved how fun and happy Em got his happily ever after and with Gianna! His best friend's sister. I love that trope!
Gianna is closed off due to how she feels about herself and how her past relationships have treated her. Her most recent ex-boyfriend cheated on her and got his OW pregnant! I was so mad for her!
Gianna is an amazing character. She learns to stand on her own and go after what she wants personally and professionally. And Emerson is a great guy who may not get the recognition he deserves but eventually does thanks to Gianna.
I loved watching these to interact with each other. Their banter, tension, and chemistry were great!
I can't wait for more from Jenni!
Emerson and Gianna are so good together! I loved how fun and happy Em got his happily ever after and with Gianna! His best friend's sister. I love that trope!
Gianna is closed off due to how she feels about herself and how her past relationships have treated her. Her most recent ex-boyfriend cheated on her and got his OW pregnant! I was so mad for her!
Gianna is an amazing character. She learns to stand on her own and go after what she wants personally and professionally. And Emerson is a great guy who may not get the recognition he deserves but eventually does thanks to Gianna.
I loved watching these to interact with each other. Their banter, tension, and chemistry were great!
I can't wait for more from Jenni!
March 14, 2025
I love all of the books in this series, but The Fake Out might be my favorite! I just adore Gianna and Emerson. He has always had a thing for her (always a fan of some secret pining) and when she goes through a break up with her gross ex and ends up moving to Boston and becoming Emerson’s roommate, things get so interesting! He is the perfect guy, and the way he respects and admires her is the best. They both have different types of insecurities, and they help each other overcome them, and it’s the sweetest thing. The tension, chemistry, banter are all on point, and I loved the reverse grumpy x sunshine vibes, too! And of course the side characters, everyone in this series is so entertaining.
🎧 The audiobook is narrated 𝗶𝗻 𝗱𝘂𝗲𝘁, and the way Oscar Reyes and Victoria Connolly portrayed these characters was ahhh! I have no words, except I loved listening to them. I have read the book before and it was already flawless in my opinion, but adding these voices made it even more perfect! I didn’t think it was possible. But I definitely recommend getting this in your ears.
Produced by Lyric Audiobooks 👏🏼👏🏼
Listen if you like ⇣
•Baseball romance
•Fake dating
•Found family
•Brother’s best friend/teammate
•Roommates
•Golden retriever x black cat
•Forced proximity
•Curvy FMC
•Dual POV
•Spice
Thank you so much @mustloveaudio @lyricaudiobooks & @jennibarabooks for the ALC!
🎧 The audiobook is narrated 𝗶𝗻 𝗱𝘂𝗲𝘁, and the way Oscar Reyes and Victoria Connolly portrayed these characters was ahhh! I have no words, except I loved listening to them. I have read the book before and it was already flawless in my opinion, but adding these voices made it even more perfect! I didn’t think it was possible. But I definitely recommend getting this in your ears.
Produced by Lyric Audiobooks 👏🏼👏🏼
Listen if you like ⇣
•Baseball romance
•Fake dating
•Found family
•Brother’s best friend/teammate
•Roommates
•Golden retriever x black cat
•Forced proximity
•Curvy FMC
•Dual POV
•Spice
Thank you so much @mustloveaudio @lyricaudiobooks & @jennibarabooks for the ALC!
March 9, 2025
Audio reread—All of Jenni’s audios have been so good! Duet narration without fail elevates any audio for me, but add Oscar Reyes perfectly portraying Emerson’s playful nature and Victoria Connolly voicing Gi’s black cat personality and you’ve got perfection.
Oh, Emerson. You sweet, golden retriever of a man. I absolutely adored everything about him - especially his vulnerability. It’s not often we see the superstar athlete feeling less than or not good enough, at least within the sport itself, but Em has layers. Yet despite his own insecurities and worries, he is Gianna’s biggest supporter. The way he was secretly supporting her talent for years… swoon.
And Gi - well she’s the black cat every woman who’s been told about her RBF can relate to 🙋🏻♀️ I love how she let herself open up to Em and in doing that found ways to believe in herself as well.
The ending to this one was unbelievably heartwarming and had me all teary eyed with joy. Jenni’s writing really is just something that makes you feel good as you read, and I highly recommend this one along with The Fall Out and Back Together Again (co-written under Gracie York).
Oh, Emerson. You sweet, golden retriever of a man. I absolutely adored everything about him - especially his vulnerability. It’s not often we see the superstar athlete feeling less than or not good enough, at least within the sport itself, but Em has layers. Yet despite his own insecurities and worries, he is Gianna’s biggest supporter. The way he was secretly supporting her talent for years… swoon.
And Gi - well she’s the black cat every woman who’s been told about her RBF can relate to 🙋🏻♀️ I love how she let herself open up to Em and in doing that found ways to believe in herself as well.
The ending to this one was unbelievably heartwarming and had me all teary eyed with joy. Jenni’s writing really is just something that makes you feel good as you read, and I highly recommend this one along with The Fall Out and Back Together Again (co-written under Gracie York).
July 25, 2024
Loved this book!
I am loving this series and this book was just as good as the first one!
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️/5
🌶️🌶️.5/5
Dual POV
Emerson was just the sweetest! He is truly one of a kind and would do anything for his friends and family. But I felt for him when he would talk about his past and how he always felt like an outsider and never really had friends so he just became a person he thought everyone would want to be around.
He was so vulnerable and sweet with Gianna it just made me swoon!
Gianna is the sister of not only Emerson’s teammate but roommate and best friend. And he’s had a secret crush on Gianna for years. After a rough, embarrassing breakup Gianna needs to get away from New York a bit so her brother offers her to stay in his room while he stays with his girlfriend. This means that Gianna and Emerson are now roommates.
Emerson was just so patient with Gianna and they both helped each other realize their own worth.
The way Emerson would compliment Gianna and worship her, was incredible. The fact that once Emerson found out Gianna was getting hate online when people saw a picture of them together and he immediately posted a picture on his own social media praising her 🥹
Gianna is such a good character too! Sometimes the black cat, reverse grumpy energy of a FMC can be a bit much but I thought Jenni did a terrific job!
I just loved their relationship and watching them both grown individually and together. They had the best banter and chemistry!
⚾️ Baseball romance
💙 Brother’s best friend
⚾️ Forced proximity
💙 Roommates
⚾️ Secret pining
💙 Reverse grumpy x sunshine
⚾️ Golden retriever MMC x black cat FMC
💙 Fake dating
⚾️ Curvy FMC
"𝗬𝗼𝘂 𝘄𝗮𝗻𝘁 𝘁𝗼 𝗸𝗻𝗼𝘄 𝘄𝗵𝘆 𝗜'𝗺 𝘀𝘂𝗰𝗵 𝗮 𝗳𝗿𝗮𝗻𝘁𝗶𝗰, 𝗰𝗹𝘂𝗺𝘀𝘆 𝗱𝘂𝗺𝗯𝗮𝘀𝘀 𝗿𝗶𝗴𝗵𝘁 𝗻𝗼𝘄? 𝗜𝘁'𝘀 𝗯𝗲𝗰𝗮𝘂𝘀𝗲 𝘆𝗼𝘂'𝗿𝗲 𝘀𝗼 𝗳𝘂𝗰𝗸𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗴𝗼𝗿𝗴𝗲𝗼𝘂𝘀. 𝗚𝗲𝘁𝘁𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝘁𝗼 𝘄𝗼𝗿𝘀𝗵𝗶𝗽 𝗲𝘃𝗲𝗿𝘆 𝗶𝗻𝗰𝗵 𝗼𝗳 𝘆𝗼𝘂 𝗶𝘀 𝗲𝘃𝗲𝗿𝘆 𝗲𝗿𝗼𝘁𝗶𝗰 𝗱𝗮𝘆𝗱𝗿𝗲𝗮𝗺 𝗜 𝗻𝗲𝘃𝗲𝗿 𝘁𝗵𝗼𝘂𝗴𝗵𝘁 𝗜'𝗱 𝗴𝗲𝘁 𝘁𝗼 𝗲𝘅𝗽𝗲𝗿𝗶𝗲𝗻𝗰𝗲."
"𝓨𝓸𝓾 𝓵𝓸𝓸𝓴 𝓵𝓲𝓴𝓮 𝓽𝓱𝓮 𝓭𝓻𝓮𝓪𝓶 𝓘'𝓵𝓵 𝓱𝓪𝓷𝓰 𝓸𝓷 𝓽𝓸 𝓪𝓷𝓭 𝓹𝓾𝓵𝓵 𝓸𝓾𝓽 𝓸𝓷 𝓪 𝓫𝓪𝓭 𝓭𝓪𝔂."
"𝗠𝗮𝗿𝗶𝗽𝗼𝘀𝗮, 𝗜 𝗸𝗻𝗼𝘄 𝗲𝘃𝗲𝗿𝘆 𝗶𝗻𝗰𝗵 𝗼𝗳 𝘆𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝗯𝗼𝗱𝘆, 𝘀𝗼 𝘆𝗼𝘂 𝗰𝗮𝗻 𝗯𝗲 𝗱𝗮𝗺𝗻 𝘀𝘂𝗿𝗲 𝗜 𝗸𝗻𝗼𝘄 𝘄𝗵𝗲𝗻 𝘆𝗼𝘂'𝘃𝗲 𝘄𝗿𝗮𝗽𝗽𝗲𝗱 𝗺𝘆 𝗳𝗮𝘃𝗼𝗿𝗶𝘁𝗲 𝗰𝘂𝗿𝘃𝗲𝘀 𝗶𝗻 𝗰𝗲𝗹𝗹𝗼𝗽𝗵𝗮𝗻𝗲."
"𝓕𝓻𝓸𝓶 𝓽𝓱𝓮 𝓼𝓮𝓬𝓸𝓷𝓭 𝔀𝓮 𝓶𝓮𝓽, 𝓘 𝓴𝓷𝓮𝔀 𝔂𝓸𝓾 𝔀𝓮𝓻𝓮 𝓼𝓹𝓮𝓬𝓲𝓪𝓵. 𝓨𝓸𝓾 𝔀𝓮𝓻𝓮 𝓶𝔂 𝓫𝓾𝓽𝓽𝓮𝓻𝓯𝓵𝔂. 𝓐𝓵𝔀𝓪𝔂𝓼 𝓶𝓮𝓪𝓷𝓽 𝓽𝓸 𝓼𝓸𝓪𝓻."
Thank you so much to the author and The Author Agency for the arc!
I am loving this series and this book was just as good as the first one!
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️/5
🌶️🌶️.5/5
Dual POV
Emerson was just the sweetest! He is truly one of a kind and would do anything for his friends and family. But I felt for him when he would talk about his past and how he always felt like an outsider and never really had friends so he just became a person he thought everyone would want to be around.
He was so vulnerable and sweet with Gianna it just made me swoon!
Gianna is the sister of not only Emerson’s teammate but roommate and best friend. And he’s had a secret crush on Gianna for years. After a rough, embarrassing breakup Gianna needs to get away from New York a bit so her brother offers her to stay in his room while he stays with his girlfriend. This means that Gianna and Emerson are now roommates.
Emerson was just so patient with Gianna and they both helped each other realize their own worth.
The way Emerson would compliment Gianna and worship her, was incredible. The fact that once Emerson found out Gianna was getting hate online when people saw a picture of them together and he immediately posted a picture on his own social media praising her 🥹
Gianna is such a good character too! Sometimes the black cat, reverse grumpy energy of a FMC can be a bit much but I thought Jenni did a terrific job!
I just loved their relationship and watching them both grown individually and together. They had the best banter and chemistry!
⚾️ Baseball romance
💙 Brother’s best friend
⚾️ Forced proximity
💙 Roommates
⚾️ Secret pining
💙 Reverse grumpy x sunshine
⚾️ Golden retriever MMC x black cat FMC
💙 Fake dating
⚾️ Curvy FMC
"𝗬𝗼𝘂 𝘄𝗮𝗻𝘁 𝘁𝗼 𝗸𝗻𝗼𝘄 𝘄𝗵𝘆 𝗜'𝗺 𝘀𝘂𝗰𝗵 𝗮 𝗳𝗿𝗮𝗻𝘁𝗶𝗰, 𝗰𝗹𝘂𝗺𝘀𝘆 𝗱𝘂𝗺𝗯𝗮𝘀𝘀 𝗿𝗶𝗴𝗵𝘁 𝗻𝗼𝘄? 𝗜𝘁'𝘀 𝗯𝗲𝗰𝗮𝘂𝘀𝗲 𝘆𝗼𝘂'𝗿𝗲 𝘀𝗼 𝗳𝘂𝗰𝗸𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗴𝗼𝗿𝗴𝗲𝗼𝘂𝘀. 𝗚𝗲𝘁𝘁𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝘁𝗼 𝘄𝗼𝗿𝘀𝗵𝗶𝗽 𝗲𝘃𝗲𝗿𝘆 𝗶𝗻𝗰𝗵 𝗼𝗳 𝘆𝗼𝘂 𝗶𝘀 𝗲𝘃𝗲𝗿𝘆 𝗲𝗿𝗼𝘁𝗶𝗰 𝗱𝗮𝘆𝗱𝗿𝗲𝗮𝗺 𝗜 𝗻𝗲𝘃𝗲𝗿 𝘁𝗵𝗼𝘂𝗴𝗵𝘁 𝗜'𝗱 𝗴𝗲𝘁 𝘁𝗼 𝗲𝘅𝗽𝗲𝗿𝗶𝗲𝗻𝗰𝗲."
"𝓨𝓸𝓾 𝓵𝓸𝓸𝓴 𝓵𝓲𝓴𝓮 𝓽𝓱𝓮 𝓭𝓻𝓮𝓪𝓶 𝓘'𝓵𝓵 𝓱𝓪𝓷𝓰 𝓸𝓷 𝓽𝓸 𝓪𝓷𝓭 𝓹𝓾𝓵𝓵 𝓸𝓾𝓽 𝓸𝓷 𝓪 𝓫𝓪𝓭 𝓭𝓪𝔂."
"𝗠𝗮𝗿𝗶𝗽𝗼𝘀𝗮, 𝗜 𝗸𝗻𝗼𝘄 𝗲𝘃𝗲𝗿𝘆 𝗶𝗻𝗰𝗵 𝗼𝗳 𝘆𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝗯𝗼𝗱𝘆, 𝘀𝗼 𝘆𝗼𝘂 𝗰𝗮𝗻 𝗯𝗲 𝗱𝗮𝗺𝗻 𝘀𝘂𝗿𝗲 𝗜 𝗸𝗻𝗼𝘄 𝘄𝗵𝗲𝗻 𝘆𝗼𝘂'𝘃𝗲 𝘄𝗿𝗮𝗽𝗽𝗲𝗱 𝗺𝘆 𝗳𝗮𝘃𝗼𝗿𝗶𝘁𝗲 𝗰𝘂𝗿𝘃𝗲𝘀 𝗶𝗻 𝗰𝗲𝗹𝗹𝗼𝗽𝗵𝗮𝗻𝗲."
"𝓕𝓻𝓸𝓶 𝓽𝓱𝓮 𝓼𝓮𝓬𝓸𝓷𝓭 𝔀𝓮 𝓶𝓮𝓽, 𝓘 𝓴𝓷𝓮𝔀 𝔂𝓸𝓾 𝔀𝓮𝓻𝓮 𝓼𝓹𝓮𝓬𝓲𝓪𝓵. 𝓨𝓸𝓾 𝔀𝓮𝓻𝓮 𝓶𝔂 𝓫𝓾𝓽𝓽𝓮𝓻𝓯𝓵𝔂. 𝓐𝓵𝔀𝓪𝔂𝓼 𝓶𝓮𝓪𝓷𝓽 𝓽𝓸 𝓼𝓸𝓪𝓻."
Thank you so much to the author and The Author Agency for the arc!
July 2, 2024
Did these women put crack in these Boston sports universe series books or something?? Read this in a day. Emerson might be my favorite yet, idk. Between Brittanee and the Bolts, all the MomComs, and now Jenni and the Revs, these are top tier sports romance books for me.
dnf
July 6, 2024DNF 60%. I have to force myself to pick this up, so I’m going to put it down for now.
March 6, 2025
this was so… boring started off fairly strong, but after the main characters “got together” “” because they were really just hooking up I was so bored for him to get stung by a bee literally the whole time and he didn’t?????? odd, but yeah, there was really nothing pushing the plot forward. There was really no steaks and the climax felt so flat I was like “ wait that’s it??” anyway it wasn’t worst thing I’ve read but it wasn’t good either.
July 20, 2024
I once again got influenced to read the second book in the series that I didn’t know there was a first. This felt rushed and that there was no actual connection between them. All tell no show with character and plot development. Still physically cannot dnf and had some good tropes but this was just meh
February 19, 2025
This book is absolutely delightful, and I adored Emerson and Gianna. After breaking up with her boyfriend, Gianna needs a place to stay and ends up at her brother’s apartment since he’s rarely there. This means sharing space with his best friend, Emerson, making it nearly impossible to avoid temptation. Things take an even more complicated turn when Gianna tells a lie about being in a relationship, and Emerson agrees to be her pretend boyfriend.
Emerson has had feelings for Gianna for a long time, but with an uncertain future, he’s always avoided serious relationships. However, as their fake dating charade plays out, real emotions start to surface, making it harder to keep up the act. Their relationship is filled with so much encouragement, support, and undeniable sweetness, it’s impossible not to root for them.
The narration by Oscar Reyes and Victoria Connolly brings their personalities to life beautifully. Oscar perfectly captures Emerson’s fun loving and charming nature, while Victoria delivers Gianna’s sweetness and vulnerability with authenticity. If you’re in the mood for a heartwarming and fun sports romance, this is definitely a must listen!
Thank you, Jenni Bara for the ALC.
Emerson has had feelings for Gianna for a long time, but with an uncertain future, he’s always avoided serious relationships. However, as their fake dating charade plays out, real emotions start to surface, making it harder to keep up the act. Their relationship is filled with so much encouragement, support, and undeniable sweetness, it’s impossible not to root for them.
The narration by Oscar Reyes and Victoria Connolly brings their personalities to life beautifully. Oscar perfectly captures Emerson’s fun loving and charming nature, while Victoria delivers Gianna’s sweetness and vulnerability with authenticity. If you’re in the mood for a heartwarming and fun sports romance, this is definitely a must listen!
Thank you, Jenni Bara for the ALC.
July 2, 2024
I don’t think you understand. I’m obsessedddd with them. 😭
Wow. I truly don’t even know what to say. I’m absolutely obsessed with Emerson and Gi. The saying “to be seen is to be loved” IS Emerson. The way he shows his love for not only Gianna but everyone around him made me want to cry at every turn. He showed that he cared with grand gestures when warranted and with small acts every single day. Gi was perfection too. They both really saw each other in a way that no one else ever had and I just cannot get over their relationship. This book was perfect.
Wow. I truly don’t even know what to say. I’m absolutely obsessed with Emerson and Gi. The saying “to be seen is to be loved” IS Emerson. The way he shows his love for not only Gianna but everyone around him made me want to cry at every turn. He showed that he cared with grand gestures when warranted and with small acts every single day. Gi was perfection too. They both really saw each other in a way that no one else ever had and I just cannot get over their relationship. This book was perfect.
December 9, 2024
Again I cried lol. I love Emerson and Giannas story. It was so good. I was afraid of Chris's reaction but it was way better. I'm so glad Chris and GI both got stories. The chemistry was great and it was well written.
September 9, 2024
3.5⭐️
i liked it but still there were things that bugged me and i can’t even pinpoint them
i liked it but still there were things that bugged me and i can’t even pinpoint them
May 16, 2025
my sweet baby boy emerson knight who framed all of her paintings and bought her dream house!? how could I not be in love with him? 😭🫠🥹🫶🏻💓
January 25, 2025
3.5 stars
July 1, 2024
Thank you to the author agency for this ARC!
I’m loving the Boston Revs series and Emerson and Gianna have a great story! Gianna gets dumped by her terrible ex and doesn’t have a place to go. She takes an assignment in Boston near her brother for one month. He lets her stay with his roommate, Emerson. Emerson is an optimistic hero but feels like he always has to play a part. He has had a huge crush on Gianna, but his job means a lot of travel and she’s taken. When they are forced to be around each other more, he can’t help but want to make the grumpy girl smile.
There’s a pinch of fake dating to make her ex leave her alone, sneaking around to hide their feelings from her brother, and the sweetest nickname (mariposa). I loved how much Emerson supported Gianna’s artwork and how Gianna stood up for Emerson. There’s definitely some spice! And some cameos from all the Revs and some Mom Com members ❤️
I definitely recommend you read the whole Revs universe ⚾️
Tropes:
⚾️Black cat heroine
⚾️ Baseball player hero
⚾️ Roommates
⚾️Fake Dating
⚾️They cook for each other
I’m loving the Boston Revs series and Emerson and Gianna have a great story! Gianna gets dumped by her terrible ex and doesn’t have a place to go. She takes an assignment in Boston near her brother for one month. He lets her stay with his roommate, Emerson. Emerson is an optimistic hero but feels like he always has to play a part. He has had a huge crush on Gianna, but his job means a lot of travel and she’s taken. When they are forced to be around each other more, he can’t help but want to make the grumpy girl smile.
There’s a pinch of fake dating to make her ex leave her alone, sneaking around to hide their feelings from her brother, and the sweetest nickname (mariposa). I loved how much Emerson supported Gianna’s artwork and how Gianna stood up for Emerson. There’s definitely some spice! And some cameos from all the Revs and some Mom Com members ❤️
I definitely recommend you read the whole Revs universe ⚾️
Tropes:
⚾️Black cat heroine
⚾️ Baseball player hero
⚾️ Roommates
⚾️Fake Dating
⚾️They cook for each other
February 5, 2025
4.5 ⭐️ loved Emerson and Gi!!!!
March 10, 2025
4.5 ⭐️ | 3 🌶️ | 4.5 🎧
What to Expect:
- Baseball Romance
- Best Friend's/Teammate's Sister
- Roommates
- Golden Retriever x Black Cat
- She's Grumpy/He's Sunshine
- Curvy Heroine
- Secret Relationship
- Forced Proximity
- Found Family
After a tough breakup, Gianna Damiano moves to Boston to stay with her brother, Christian. Christian is a pitcher for the Boston Revs baseball team and shares an apartment with his best friend, Emerson Knight. Emerson is the loveable and energetic third baseman for the Boston Revs. Since Christian spends most of his time at his girlfriend's apartment, he offers his empty room for Gianna to use. Emerson has been crushing on Gianna for a long time, so having her as his roommate definitely puts him in an interesting position. Will Emerson cross the line, or can he keep his hands off his best friend's sister?
It is impossible not to fall in love with Emerson and Gianna. They are so cute together! Emerson is so perfect! I can't count how many times I said "awww" while reading this. He has been Gianna's silent hype man for years and will do anything to see her smile. With the future of his baseball career up in the air, Emerson doesn't feel he has much to offer Gianna and thus doesn't want to pursue anything serious with her.
Emerson leans into being the high-energy, motivational guy who keeps everyone laughing, but he is much more than that. He is caring, sweet, and has a heart of gold. The black cat/golden retriever dynamic between Gianna and Emerson was fun to read. I loved how Gianna was a little grumpy while Emerson was all sunshine and rainbows. They are opposites but fit well together. Their chemistry was amazing, and I loved how they supported each other through their insecurities. I enjoyed witnessing Gianna grow throughout the story and how she was encouraged to pursue her dreams.
Jenni does a wonderful job of creating likable and relatable characters. I appreciate how Jenni approached Emerson as being neurodivergent. The Fake Out is a well-written sports romance with amazing banter, tension, heat, and all the feels.
Narration:
Victoria Connolly and Oscar Reyes perform this audiobook in duet-style narration. Their performances were magical and I couldn't stop listening. Victoria and Oscar were the perfect voices for Gianna and Emerson, and I thoroughly enjoyed how they brought the characters' personalities to life. After having read this book before the audio was available, it was so fun to hear all the fun and special moments between Gianna and Emerson. This was a great listening experience!
Thanks to Jenni Bara and Lyric Audiobooks for the gifted advanced listener copy. Opinions expressed are my own.
What to Expect:
- Baseball Romance
- Best Friend's/Teammate's Sister
- Roommates
- Golden Retriever x Black Cat
- She's Grumpy/He's Sunshine
- Curvy Heroine
- Secret Relationship
- Forced Proximity
- Found Family
After a tough breakup, Gianna Damiano moves to Boston to stay with her brother, Christian. Christian is a pitcher for the Boston Revs baseball team and shares an apartment with his best friend, Emerson Knight. Emerson is the loveable and energetic third baseman for the Boston Revs. Since Christian spends most of his time at his girlfriend's apartment, he offers his empty room for Gianna to use. Emerson has been crushing on Gianna for a long time, so having her as his roommate definitely puts him in an interesting position. Will Emerson cross the line, or can he keep his hands off his best friend's sister?
It is impossible not to fall in love with Emerson and Gianna. They are so cute together! Emerson is so perfect! I can't count how many times I said "awww" while reading this. He has been Gianna's silent hype man for years and will do anything to see her smile. With the future of his baseball career up in the air, Emerson doesn't feel he has much to offer Gianna and thus doesn't want to pursue anything serious with her.
Emerson leans into being the high-energy, motivational guy who keeps everyone laughing, but he is much more than that. He is caring, sweet, and has a heart of gold. The black cat/golden retriever dynamic between Gianna and Emerson was fun to read. I loved how Gianna was a little grumpy while Emerson was all sunshine and rainbows. They are opposites but fit well together. Their chemistry was amazing, and I loved how they supported each other through their insecurities. I enjoyed witnessing Gianna grow throughout the story and how she was encouraged to pursue her dreams.
Jenni does a wonderful job of creating likable and relatable characters. I appreciate how Jenni approached Emerson as being neurodivergent. The Fake Out is a well-written sports romance with amazing banter, tension, heat, and all the feels.
Narration:
Victoria Connolly and Oscar Reyes perform this audiobook in duet-style narration. Their performances were magical and I couldn't stop listening. Victoria and Oscar were the perfect voices for Gianna and Emerson, and I thoroughly enjoyed how they brought the characters' personalities to life. After having read this book before the audio was available, it was so fun to hear all the fun and special moments between Gianna and Emerson. This was a great listening experience!
Thanks to Jenni Bara and Lyric Audiobooks for the gifted advanced listener copy. Opinions expressed are my own.
February 18, 2025
First thoughts:
4.5 beautiful stars I think...
If you love green flags and a Golden Retriever I have your new favorite book.
But if you normally go for the cinnamon roll or bad boy stick around because I somehow fell hard 😍🙃🥹
Full Review:
⚾Sports romance - baseball
⚾Black 🐈⬛
⚾Golden Retriever
⚾Green flags galore
⚾Boy obsessed
⚾Brothers best friend
⚾Roomates
⚾Fake date
⚾Plus size FMC
⚾ Dual pov/ 1st person
Oh Emerson, sweet, caring and class clown.
"This guy was sweet enough to cause a toothache."
Yep. That covers it. There isn't a single red flag anywhere near this guy. If you are looking for your next Golden retriever I have found THE ONE. And the body worshipping this man does, phew! He loves and respects a curvy/plus size figure.
Gianna or Gi is a top notch black cat FMC. She's been dealing with the worlds worst ex boyfriend who also happens to kinda be her boss. And he could not be a more terrible of a human if he tried. She moves out after breaking up with him and into her brothers apartment with Emerson 🤭.
We got so many cameos from some of my FAVORITES in this world and it really made me fall in love more. This world Jenni and the girls created with the mom coms has my whole heart. You do not HAVE to read any other books for this one it is an interconnected standalone. However the mom coms, Brittanée's Revenge games series and The Fall Out by Jenni all have cameos and Easter eggs throughout them.
Ok one more quote from Mr. golden retriever
“I’m big on cuddling, Mariposa, so I need some snuggles.”
4.5 beautiful stars I think...
If you love green flags and a Golden Retriever I have your new favorite book.
But if you normally go for the cinnamon roll or bad boy stick around because I somehow fell hard 😍🙃🥹
Full Review:
⚾Sports romance - baseball
⚾Black 🐈⬛
⚾Golden Retriever
⚾Green flags galore
⚾Boy obsessed
⚾Brothers best friend
⚾Roomates
⚾Fake date
⚾Plus size FMC
⚾ Dual pov/ 1st person
Oh Emerson, sweet, caring and class clown.
"This guy was sweet enough to cause a toothache."
Yep. That covers it. There isn't a single red flag anywhere near this guy. If you are looking for your next Golden retriever I have found THE ONE. And the body worshipping this man does, phew! He loves and respects a curvy/plus size figure.
Gianna or Gi is a top notch black cat FMC. She's been dealing with the worlds worst ex boyfriend who also happens to kinda be her boss. And he could not be a more terrible of a human if he tried. She moves out after breaking up with him and into her brothers apartment with Emerson 🤭.
We got so many cameos from some of my FAVORITES in this world and it really made me fall in love more. This world Jenni and the girls created with the mom coms has my whole heart. You do not HAVE to read any other books for this one it is an interconnected standalone. However the mom coms, Brittanée's Revenge games series and The Fall Out by Jenni all have cameos and Easter eggs throughout them.
Ok one more quote from Mr. golden retriever
“I’m big on cuddling, Mariposa, so I need some snuggles.”
February 27, 2025
UPDATE: Feb 2025
If reading this book was amazing, listening to it was spectacular!!! 5/5 ⭐️ the performance was on point. The emotions were everywhere. Chapter 42 on audio? Oh gosh! I loved it!!!! Oscar is the perfect Emerson and Victoria the perfect Gi. Love it so much.
The way he calls her mariposa… swoon, melts my heart. What can I say? This book is perfect, a whole perfection. The MCs are perfect? No, they have doubts, insecurities and imperfections but they are so real, so amazing. I love how they are together and how they are as individuals. It’s my favorite book from Jenni (Well, More Than a Story is still my #1). Em and Gi are so good together, I love them a lot. And obviously I love Emerson even more because of his Puerto Rican roots and cooking skills. He is definitely the best even when he doesn’t think he deserves it. When they finally profess their love is such a beautiful moment. In this story the laughter, romance and passion are present in every moment and Chapter 42 is going to make your eyes watering a little lol. All the feels. Congratulations Jenni you did amazing.
If reading this book was amazing, listening to it was spectacular!!! 5/5 ⭐️ the performance was on point. The emotions were everywhere. Chapter 42 on audio? Oh gosh! I loved it!!!! Oscar is the perfect Emerson and Victoria the perfect Gi. Love it so much.
The way he calls her mariposa… swoon, melts my heart. What can I say? This book is perfect, a whole perfection. The MCs are perfect? No, they have doubts, insecurities and imperfections but they are so real, so amazing. I love how they are together and how they are as individuals. It’s my favorite book from Jenni (Well, More Than a Story is still my #1). Em and Gi are so good together, I love them a lot. And obviously I love Emerson even more because of his Puerto Rican roots and cooking skills. He is definitely the best even when he doesn’t think he deserves it. When they finally profess their love is such a beautiful moment. In this story the laughter, romance and passion are present in every moment and Chapter 42 is going to make your eyes watering a little lol. All the feels. Congratulations Jenni you did amazing.
July 2, 2024
Arc review
The Fake Out by Jenni Bara
Book 2 in boston revs series
Welcome to Boston
Where you take back your power
⚾️Sports Romance
⚾️Fake dating
⚾️Golden retriever baseball star
⚾️Roommates
⚾️Brothers best friend
⚾️Black cat fmc x Curvy
Gianna is out one afternoon with her boyfriend and he decides to tell her he's leaving her for someone else, a fellow coworker and some mor fun surprises so she leaves his @ss in the dust but has nowhere to stay.
She winds up staying with Emerson, who's her brothers best friend and teammate. He wants to make her life easier, help boost her up but Gianna wants to focus on her job and art, but little does she know one person has been gifting her art to everyone they know.
She needs a fake boyfriend to prove to her ex she's over him so Emerson readily volunteers cause we all know he's been pining for her for years!
This was the perfect mix of sweet, spicy, and all the little cameos but other characters. If you love baseball romance mixed with romcom this is for you!!
Thank you to Jenni for this awesome arc!! Can't wait for the next one!!
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
🌶🌶
Available Now!!!
The Fake Out by Jenni Bara
Book 2 in boston revs series
Welcome to Boston
Where you take back your power
⚾️Sports Romance
⚾️Fake dating
⚾️Golden retriever baseball star
⚾️Roommates
⚾️Brothers best friend
⚾️Black cat fmc x Curvy
Gianna is out one afternoon with her boyfriend and he decides to tell her he's leaving her for someone else, a fellow coworker and some mor fun surprises so she leaves his @ss in the dust but has nowhere to stay.
She winds up staying with Emerson, who's her brothers best friend and teammate. He wants to make her life easier, help boost her up but Gianna wants to focus on her job and art, but little does she know one person has been gifting her art to everyone they know.
She needs a fake boyfriend to prove to her ex she's over him so Emerson readily volunteers cause we all know he's been pining for her for years!
This was the perfect mix of sweet, spicy, and all the little cameos but other characters. If you love baseball romance mixed with romcom this is for you!!
Thank you to Jenni for this awesome arc!! Can't wait for the next one!!
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
🌶🌶
Available Now!!!
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
July 7, 2024
Rating 🌟🌟🌟🌟.5
Spice 🌶️🌶️🌶️
Tropes
❤️Black cat FMC
❤️Cinnamon roll MMC
❤️Fake dating
❤️It's always been you
❤️Reverse Grumpy/Sunshine
❤️Sports Romance
❤️Mutual pinning
❤️Nicknames
❤️Angst
I really love it
This book is a combo package of the brother's teammate, best friends, roommates and fake dating.
Ahm ahm Edible body pain iykyk 🌚 🌚 🌚
Gianna was out with her bf when that guy informs her he's leaving her. But she ate it and left no crumbs.
Then she ends up staying with Emerson, her brother's teammate. He was a sunshine who wants to help her but she was invested in her job and art.
Ahn ahmm
Then she needs a fake boyfriend and then Emerson jumps in..
"YOU LOOK LIKE EVERYTHING I WANT AND I CAN'T CALL MINE"
I love her character and the way she is ready to protect the people she loves. She is perfect character when it comes to the real and genuine insecurities of a plus size FMC.
This man can make woman go week in the knees and the way he worships her body 🥵🥵🥵
Spice 🌶️🌶️🌶️
Tropes
❤️Black cat FMC
❤️Cinnamon roll MMC
❤️Fake dating
❤️It's always been you
❤️Reverse Grumpy/Sunshine
❤️Sports Romance
❤️Mutual pinning
❤️Nicknames
❤️Angst
I really love it
This book is a combo package of the brother's teammate, best friends, roommates and fake dating.
Ahm ahm Edible body pain iykyk 🌚 🌚 🌚
Gianna was out with her bf when that guy informs her he's leaving her. But she ate it and left no crumbs.
Then she ends up staying with Emerson, her brother's teammate. He was a sunshine who wants to help her but she was invested in her job and art.
Ahn ahmm
Then she needs a fake boyfriend and then Emerson jumps in..
"YOU LOOK LIKE EVERYTHING I WANT AND I CAN'T CALL MINE"
I love her character and the way she is ready to protect the people she loves. She is perfect character when it comes to the real and genuine insecurities of a plus size FMC.
This man can make woman go week in the knees and the way he worships her body 🥵🥵🥵
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