Borrowing My Bestie's Brothers

by Sam Hall

What do you do when your mother is determined to get you married?

Create not one… not two… but three pretend boyfriends.

It was supposed to be a lie so ridiculous she’d never bother me again.
I never expected mother dearest to call my bluff—and insist on meeting them.

Luckily, my bestie is ready to help and volunteers her three gorgeous brothers for the role of fake boyfriend.

Brock is my boss, his grumpiness only outstripped by his smouldering good looks.
Hunter is a part time surf wear model and full-time hottie.
And Hayden? He’s Hunter’s identical twin, pretty on the outside, scary deep on the inside.

But what happens when you find out you’re the only one who’s been faking it?There’s a reason why the chemistry between us is so convincing.
I now know exactly why these guys were so keen to help out and it turns out my mother isn’t the only one being fooled.

This is a contemporary reverse harem standalone romance where the girl doesn't have to choose.

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

504 pages, Kindle Edition

First published August 20, 2024

About the author

Australian author of paranormal RH novels

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Reviews

[Vanessa Macedo · Rating 1 out of 5]

I’m sorry, but the skittish way Jaime is, and her mindset of fake, fake, fake while the three brothers are basically professing themselves thru acts of service is just maaaaaaad annoying. The miscommunication from mainly Jaime is also a major no. If you’re at that age and still don’t know how to communicate like an adult, it’s a major ick.

[Ꮗ€♫◗☿ ❤️ ilikebooksbest.com ❤️ · Rating 4 out of 5]

Grease, Grit and a Triple Dose of Trouble



The following ratings are out of 5:
Romance: 💚💜💙❤️
Heat/Steam: 🔥🔥🔥🔥
Chemistry: 🧪🧪🧪🧪
Story/Plot: 📕📗📘📔📙
World building: 🌏🌍🌎🌏
Character development: 😋🙂🤨😘🥰
Narrator(s): 🎙🎙🎙🎙🎙
Narration type: Dual Narration

🛡️ Audiobook Review: Borrowing My Bestie’s Brothers

Genre: Reverse Harem Romance | Narrators: Dorje Swallow and Sofia Lette

🦸🏼‍♀️ Heroine Spotlight: Jamie

Jamie is twenty-eight, fiercely independent, and thriving as a full-time auto mechanic in a male-dominated field. She’s got grease under her nails, pride in her work, and zero interest in conforming to anyone’s expectations—especially her mother’s. But when Mom starts pushing hard for grandbabies and demands to meet Jamie’s supposed trio of boyfriends, Jamie’s harmless fib spirals into a full-blown romantic charade. With no actual boyfriends to present, she’s forced to improvise… fast.

🧑🏻‍🔧 Hero Spotlight: Brock, Hunter, and Hayden

Enter the three brothers who are about to turn Jamie’s life upside down:

• Brock: Jamie’s boss and Millie’s protective older brother. Initially reluctant to hire her, Brock quickly saw Jamie’s potential and gave her a full-time spot in his garage. He’s the grounded, brooding type with a soft spot for Jamie that’s been simmering for years.
• Hayden & Hunter: Brock’s identical twin brothers, both ex-models with sun-kissed charm and a reputation for fleeting flings. Hayden, however, has harbored real feelings for Jamie since high school—and now sees his chance to finally act on them.

🔥 Plot Pulse

Millie, Jamie’s best friend and the brothers’ sister, orchestrates the ultimate fake-dating scheme: her three brothers will pose as Jamie’s boyfriends for a week. What starts as a comedic cover-up quickly turns emotionally tangled. Hayden’s long-standing crush resurfaces, Brock’s protective instincts deepen, and even Hunter—usually the wildcard—finds himself drawn into the mix. The brothers have never shared a girlfriend before, and the polyamorous setup challenges their boundaries, desires, and loyalties.

💘 What Hit Home

• The slow-burn attraction: The guys had feelings for Jamie long before she considered them romantically, which added depth and sincerity to the romance.
• The emotional payoff: Jamie’s strained relationship with her mother hits a powerful turning point when her brother finally sees the truth and defends her—an unforgettable moment of validation.
• The fresh dynamic: Watching the brothers navigate a polyamorous relationship for the first time felt raw, real, and surprisingly tender.

😬 Room to Grow

• Jamie’s aversion to commitment and her resistance to traditional life goals (marriage, kids) felt a bit one-note at times. Her tomboy persona was authentic, but her emotional walls could’ve used more nuance or backstory.

🎧 Narration Vibes

Narrated by Dorje Swallow and Sofia Lette, this dual POV audiobook brings Aussie flavor and emotional texture to every scene. Their chemistry and cadence elevate the story, especially for fans of Sam Hall’s reverse harem romances. The accents, the pacing, the emotional beats—they nail it.

📝 Final Thoughts

This audiobook delivers a delicious blend of fake dating, forbidden crushes, and emotional reckoning—all wrapped in a uniquely Australian setting. If you love reverse harems with heart, heat, and humor, Jamie and her trio of troublemakers will rev your engine.

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[Pene|ope • Temp Hyperfixation: WC & OMV · Rating 3 out of 5]

2.5 stars. Insta-love-ish + fast burn. They've been in love with her for years, apparently. They're completely devoted to her and there's so much hinted at regarding how their feelings for her grew, but we don't get to see any of that before they're already all-in with her.

They treat her very well.

She pushes them away for so long for no good reason until between one second and another, she suddenly decides she wants to be all-in with them too.

The continual family drama was torturous to get through, but I also had my popcorn out for all of it.

Ends on a HFN, but they're all in it for life. They don't want to get married or have children at all, so you could consider it a HEA for them, but if these are things you look for in a book, rest assured that she doesn't change her mind like many other FMCs do.

No third act breakup, but they only become official (aka she stops distancing herself) after 80% through the book anyway.

[Ash (so there’s this book) · Rating 5 out of 5]

Genre: Adult Contemporary Romance
Spice 3/5🌶️

Tropes & themes: MFMM fake dating, mechanic FMC, best friend’s three brothers, boss x employee, twin MMCs, golden retriever, grump & boy next door, found family, learning to love, 1 week of fake dates (but nothing is fake), narcissistic mother
Kink: cock warming, squirting, monster 🍆 (ala Girthmasterr)

Spoiler-free summary:
Jamie has been lying to her narcissistic mother about her dating life, telling her that she’s been casually dating three men. Now, with her parents in town, Jamie has to cough up three men, or the truth. Her best friend offers a solution, fake date her brothers, the men that Jamie has grown up with, but have always been off limits. Now her best friend is giving everyone the green light, and Brock, Hunter, and Hayden are playing for keeps.

Thoughts:
This is a story of finding the courage to let yourself be taken care of. Jamie, the FMC, is somewhat of a commitment-phobe, not really believing that love can be a positive thing because of her familial trauma. Enter three patient, steady men that have just been given the go-ahead to pursue her, and let the feels flow. This was definitely fun and goofy, hot and exciting, but it was also, for me, emotional and satisfying.

“There’s more than one way to be a girl. Let me show you.”

I’ve said this before, but for me, a gender queer person, I adore Sam Hall’s FMCs. I always, always find a piece of myself in their stories, and I love how they aren’t afraid to question and experiment with what being a woman is. And even more endearing, these stories show that being different doesn’t make you any less worthy of the love and life you want.

I also really enjoyed these MMCs! You’ve got Brock the brooding, older, boss-man, Hunter the golden retriever that hides his emotions behind a smile, and Hayden the quiet, reserved twin that holds his heart on his sleeve. They all were exactly what Jamie needed!

As for romance and smut, you’ll get Sam’s signature spicy goodness with love and care. As well as some explosive 💦 moments that were deliciously surprising!

[Zen · Rating 2 out of 5]

2 stars

Although I enjoy most of her fantasy novels, I've come to the realization that aim not a fan of this author"s contemporary works and won't be reading those any longer.

[Carmen · Rating 5 out of 5]

Twins!!!

Oh my, Sam Hall never disappoints! This is the second book I've read, and I plan on reading many more by the author. I loved all the main characters. The side characters all had good depth and helped add to the story perfectly. The family drama, hurt/betrayal, the fear, the laughs, the tears, the love... It's beautifully put together. Also.. the spice? I probably shouldn't have been reading this while at work!! LOL

[Main Energy · Rating 2 out of 5]

Lost interest. Might try again. In a book funk.

[Nemo (The ☾Moonlight☾ Library) · Rating 4 out of 5]

Loved the HEA that ended with the promise of no wedding and babies.

The antagonist characters were just awful and easy to hate. Really well written as well!

I wasn't a huge fan of Jamie's 'My boss is so hot and I have a MAD crush but he actually wants to date me for real but I'll insist it's fake but sleep with him anyway'.

I don't know what it is about me, because I'm ace so it shouldn't matter, but I don't really like it when the multiple guys are already committed romantically, and the heroine is just like, nah, I'm just gonna sleep with them and string them along even though I don't have feelings or at least can't admit it, for narrative tension, because I should just use them for their hot bodies. It didn't sit well with me in one of the bear books and it doesn't sit well with me in the contemporary romance either.

I think Hall's really nailed the niche, however I'd like to see a contemporary where the guys aren't all 'we've loved her since we were kids and she has no idea'. Since we get their POV, seeing their feelings change and grow would be really nice as well. It might make things less repetitive.

[Eve · Rating 3 out of 5]

2.5 Stars

Okay, this was pretty enjoyable. It was an easy read with low stakes which I can appreciate. I feel this could have been shorted but that’s neither here nor there. It didn’t drag massively so I can’t complain. The problems with the FMC’s family were interesting to follow and probably one of the highlights of this book.

Now, I fear the only mistake I made here was the whole Brothers thing. I’m not opposed to the FMC’s love interests being brothers, although I prefer to avoid that, I don’t completely hate it. It only got uncomfortable when I realised they were doing group scenes? Um, yeah. Obviously nothing happened between them but it still felt icky and morally (? Ethically?) questionable. And I did try to pretend it wasn’t the case but the author just loved to remind us in every other sentence.

Nonetheless, I’m still pretty pleased with this.

[TheheartofBrigid · Rating 5 out of 5]

Borrowing My Bestie’s Brothers is a contemporary romance written by Sam Hall.

💜 pushy mother
💜 close best friend
💜 found family
💜 fake dating
💜 🌶🌶🌶🌶 spicy spice

Jamie loved getting her hands dirty working on a car at the garage. It’s what she knew. What she’s comfortable with. What she’s not comfortable with is dealing with her mom. She always has a way of pushing Jamie to get what she wanted no matter what she had to say about it. So when her parents were flying into town for the week to celebrate her brother’s engagement, her mother had expectations. This may or may not include meeting the three guys that she was told Jamie was dating. The problem? There were no guys. What is she going to do? How will she face her mother?

This was a good stand alone contemporary romance. I like how Janie didn’t really fit into any girly box. She did her own thing and liked what she did. She also had certain values and desires and held to them. Her family dynamics were also hard to navigate. It’s a relief to see a book that has family dynamics like this, because sometimes toxicity is hard to navigate and see from the outside looking in. And it’s hard for families to stand up for themselves and break those toxic traits. I really enjoyed this book and I can’t wait to dig into the next story that comes out.

[Cee · Rating 2 out of 5]

DNF @ 34% / 22 chapters read

This is so awkward and the way Jamie’s brain works in making excuses or getting people to go away is so cringe. The fact that the guys are essentially lying to her and letting her call them dating fake all the damn time is also painful. To me and also to Jamie I think who is just going to be confused. The sex scene was waaayyyy too soon and too emotional for a one night stand/fake date (lol seriously?) type of thing. So, the morning after scene when shes so eff’d up over it? Painful and really not dealt with at all.

Omg the mom. Straight up abuse. The more we learn the worse it is. The dad didn’t step in? And you know she bulldozes your boundaries, wtf haven’t you cut her off?? Why are the people in her life saying they’ll help her get through the visit and not going “wtf go no contact already!” Because wow….

[Isabelle · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5* I wanted to another easy, fluffy read so decided to continue with another of the author's works.
I personally felt the FMC was relatable, so I actually really enjoyed her character and personality. I think the MMCs feel a little similar to other characters (from other books written by the author) but as I wanted an easy read, this wasn't a big deal breaker for me. However, if it continues the same in further works then I would probably DNF.
It feels hard to find RH/Why Choose that aren't the "academy/college" trope, so I am all for any that are different to that! So I liked the whole fake dating idea, I have read some before but I liked that this had a twist by showing a toxic family (because families are too often portrayed as perfect) so it pulled me in a lot more.

[Beth · Rating 5 out of 5]

Another great romcom with some sad family drama. Jamie has had a rough time with her mom to the point she tells her a big lie to get her off her back. This brings us to her besties brothers. Her bestie and her friends family are the sweetest family you could wish for. Millie is a great friend, her parents are lovely and her brothers and kind and hot! I spent most of the book thankful that she had them growing up and as an adult. Her own family was pretty awful. I loved watching her shine her spine up and make it steel. And seeing how much the guys loved her and what they did to help. They were wonderful.

[girlwithhearteyes]

DNF @ 45%

I love this type of story, where the FMC thinks her best friend’s hot brother is out of her league, except he’s been secretly pining all along. It’s a typical teen romcom plotline, except here with 3x brothers because it’s a why choose/reverse harem.

I was actually really enjoying the book (despite some flaws that I could overlook because realism is optional in a teen romcom plot), but decided to DNF because I was *too* invested in Jamie ended up with one of the brothers (the older Daddy/boss one). Also the way the characters were behaving, it was hard to imaging them all being in a settled poly relationship.

YMMV!

[Denise Belo · Rating 4 out of 5]

I enjoyed very much! The boys are so cute, protective and caring that I am in love with them. Jamie is totally broken by her mother and awful family, and just need the right kind of people in her life to give her strength to face all that shit. It is a nice journey, full of insecurities, trust issues, and inferiority complex. Loved it! And the spice level are just perfect for me!!! So yes, really good indeed 🙃

[Ashlyn Schatz-Eason · Rating 4 out of 5]

Super Cute!!

Something about a Sam Hall book just hits right! I really enjoyed this book! I do feel at times I was confused about what was happening and had to back up, some parts felt a little disjointed! Over all it was a very good book minus the awful mom, I just wanted to throat punch her from the very beginning!!

[Sarah Elaine · Rating 1 out of 5]

DNF'd at 30%. This felt like someone else wrote it. it was clunky and awkward to read because of the pacing and dialog. I didn't like any of the main characters. I can't even remember their names. I usually dont bother track DNF's, but I realized I've tried to read this one 3 different times. Made it to the first smutt scene and found it kinda boring.

🌶

[ten31reads · Rating 5 out of 5]

Super cute!

This story is really cute. 3 brothers falling for the same girl whom they’ve known since childhood. The pacing of this story was great as well. You went on the journey from family-like friends to lovers, watching the transformations happen.

[Christian Marinello · Rating 1 out of 5]

This book was mediocre at best, maybe it was the fact it was brothers and not friends idk. It only got interesting at the end and even that i felt was lame. Im gonna read the next one in the series and give it a go but this one the plot was terrible and would not recommend

[Jill · Rating 4 out of 5]

This concept is a little weird I'll admit. I'm not sure about brothers in a poly relationship, but Sam Hall can write it so it works that's for sure. This was sweet and steamy, just the way I like it.

[Kaitlyn · Rating 2 out of 5]

entirely too long and not really my thing. Jamie needs therapy to deal with her familial issues because those men showed up and out from the get-go.

[જ⁀➴Charity ♡ · Rating 3 out of 5]

I love RH but this book was just not for me. I loved the idea and premise but I just couldn’t get into the authors writing. I found it a bit boring in my opinion.

[Daisy Delfin]

dnf at 26%, no rating

I couldn't take the book anymore, so I dnf it. I hate the mother of the FMC. But I also had trouble with the FMC: She just didn't get any hints.

I really tried, because this on was a br on RHR discord.

[Tobye · Rating 3 out of 5]

Cute, light read

Cute, light-hearted story with some dark undertones. The MC are fun, the multi-perspectives give insight into each character. Fun read.

[Diontae Washington · Rating 2 out of 5]

she’s a greedy sick freak(derogatory).

[Katherine · Rating 4 out of 5]

A different romance

This was an interesting romance, when fake dating turns real with three brothers.

I enjoyed this book even though it wasn't exactly what I expected.

[Naomi (aplace_inthesun) · Rating 2 out of 5]

I’ve read a few Why Choose romances and quite a few have been excellent. Bummed about this one though and nearly DNF’d it.

I found it incredibly difficult to get into, and Jamie’s character is not endearing in any way. It’s the slimmest of plots - needing a boyfriend as her mother wants her married off, and all of a sudden three brothers of her best friend are all in insta-love with her. And always have been. Oh and there’s a set of twins …. Because of course there are (insert eye roll).

Basically there was insufficient plot between the sex scenes and unfortunately some of those were really stilted and felt cobbled together.

Bummed as this is Australian?

[Denise Temple · Rating 4 out of 5]

I loved this book. The idea that all of these brothers are in love with the sisters best friend is hilarious. Each character has their own personality and they are easy to follow along with because of it. If you like MFM+ books this really is a cute one.

[Linn Granquist · Rating 2 out of 5]

Surprisingly entertaining! But I should have read the back before I started reading because polyamory with 3 brothers is not for me, but happy for our fmc, and it was a wild ride but maybe not in the best way…

[Lauren · Rating 4 out of 5]

A good read. Fake romance at the start but 🌶️ by the end! Is well worth a read. Not my typical book, but certainly kept me engaged!