Pretending to be His: A Billionaire Fake Dating Romance

by Everly Summers

She wants to write a love story.
She never planned to fake-date a billionaire.
And she definitely didn’t expect him to fall first.

Violet Hart dreams of writing love stories. Actually living one? That feels far less attainable—especially after her ex walked away and took her confidence with him. Between relentless writer’s block and a broken heart, Violet is starting to wonder if happily-ever-after is something that only exists on the page.

So when a chance encounter with a devastatingly charming stranger sparks a bold, wine-fueled idea—fake date him long enough to prove she’s moved on—Violet surprises even herself by saying yes.

Then she finds out who he is.

Alex Bennetti. Manhattan’s most eligible billionaire bachelor. Tabloid regular. The kind of man who doesn’t pretend to date anyone…until a carefully managed public image makes pretending suddenly very useful.

The rules are public appearances, no expectations, and absolutely no feelings.

Naturally, the rules don’t last.

Soon Violet is stepping into a world of black-tie galas, whispered gossip, and a man who makes her feel seen in ways she never expected. And Alex—controlled, polished, and famously unattached—starts doing something dangerous.

He falls first.
He falls hard.

Now Violet has to decide if this is just another role she’s playing…or the love story she’s been too afraid to believe could be hers.

Pretending to Be His is book one in the Bennetti Boys series and features fake dating, opposites attract, sparkling banter, and a billionaire who doesn’t do halfway when he falls.

Perfect for readers who love Meghan Quinn, Melanie Harlow, and Kelsie Rae.

Genres: Romance

425 pages, Kindle Edition

Published November 2, 2024

Reviews

[Sandy (Sandy.Reads)]

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️💫 (4.25/5 Stars)

I love a good meet-cute, and Pretending to Be His delivered that perfectly! Add in one of my favorite tropes—fake dating—and it was chef’s kiss.

Alex, the brooding billionaire MMC, has been burned before, but watching him fall so fast for Violet was everything. Meanwhile, Violet is such a strong FMC who just needs that extra push to step out of her comfort zone and chase her dreams—and Alex is the perfect person to help her do that.

The push and pull between them kept me hooked, and I adored Alex’s family and friends just as much as I loved Violet’s bestie, Max. The side characters were so well written and added so much depth to the story.

Also, the audiobook? Absolutely fantastic! The way the narrators brought this story to life was perfection, and the tension between them was electric. I couldn’t stop listening. Now, I’m counting down the days until the next book in the series is out so I can binge it!

If you love a billionaire romance with strong, compelling main characters and a swoon-worthy love story, this book is for you!

[Shannon Beasley]

The characters are a 5 star for me! I don’t read spice and that is the only reason I gave this book a 4. I hope you enjoy Alex and Violet as much as I did. And for the love of everything, get the latte correct!!!

[Amanda]

Couldn't stand the voice of the person reading this audio book 😂

[Romona]

Pretending To Be His by Everly Summers is book one in a romance series. It came out November 1, 2024.

It is a fun, heart warming steamy romance novel that brings together two people, Alex and Violet, in the pretense of a fake relationship.

This story centers around Violet who is an aspiring author who hasn’t had a book published yet, as she’s stuck in a writer’s block and Alex a billionaire.
Violet pretends to be a girlfriend to Alex for his business partners and parties, and Alex pretends to be a boyfriend to make Violet’s ex boyfriend regret leaving her. Alex spoils Violet and gives her everything.
As they continue to play the part and spend more time together, the line between pretends and reality becomes a blur.

I liked that there are certain chapters listed that are spicy you can skip over and continue on without missing out on any of the story. The spice level is pretty high but is not overdone or tacky

I enjoyed this book very much. I feel it was well written and I am looking forward to book two in this series. Book two comes out December 31, 2024.
I would recommend this book.
I give it five stars.

[kflood]

I enjoyed this very much. It's well written, paced, and has all the feels that takes you on journey of believing anyone could be on a ride like this one.

Loved Alex & Violets story. I have wide readily tastes. This spice was done with class without being overdone
Also enjoyed the ending, but hope the authors will bring back couple, they kids in a future book, and potentially further books centered around more couples in the Bennetti family.

I'd definitely recommend this new author to all the romance readers out there.

I may need to get a few physical copies as Christmas presents.

I will definitely be adding Everly Summers to my must read list of authors.

Congratulations on accomplishing a life long dream and continued Happiness and success. I'm looking forward to what Gems Everly will continue to bring to her reading fans around the globe.

[Kristina Stangl]

A Sweet and Refreshing Fake Dating Romance

A sweet and refreshing modern take revolving fake dating between a head strong female and her billionaire male lead. An entertaining contemporary romance that was beautifully written and had me glued at every page.

This love story is between Violet and Alex. He’s a wealthy billionaire with a playboy reputation who wants to rehabilitate his image, while she’s down on her luck after her most recent breakup with her boyfriend. After a chance encounter, Violet and Alex strike up a deal: they’ll fake date to improve Alex’s reputation to his investors, while Violet will get her revenge on her ex. But along the way, their fake relationship might evolve into something real.

Overall, a great read and I love the author’s writing style!

[Keeks]

Loved this! What a great book! The drama, the family, the twists! It kept me gripped for every page and I just couldn’t get enough

[Michelle Frater]

Alex Bennetti, billionaire extraordinaire, isn’t exactly the relationship type—not after getting burned once before. But when he spots Violet Hart walk into the Velvet Clover in her faded NYU sweatshirt, something inside him perked up and took notice. Most women came here to be noticed, but she was different, she wasn’t playing that game and Alex found himself wanting to get to know her. And when he overhears her talking on the phone about her ex and something called “vanilla dirty talk”? He’s officially intrigued. Cue one bold question from Alex: “And what words does one using vanilla dirty talk not use?”—and one hilariously unfiltered answer from a tipsy Violet (involving certain censored words you won’t hear in a Jane Austen novel), and sparks are officially flying. Instead of doing the normal thing and just asking her out, Alex, in true billionaire fashion, hatches a wildly over-the-top fake dating scheme. It’s perfect: the board of his company thinks he needs to settle down, and Violet gets a little revenge on her oblivious ex. Win-win. Except, of course, it doesn’t stay fake for long. As the lines blur between pretend and real, Alex and Violet discover a connection that neither of them expected. He encourages her writing dreams; she teaches him how to actually enjoy life. Still, not everything is smooth sailing. Alex’s near-constant monologue about his feelings for Violet started to wear thin—it took him way too long to get out of his own way. But that frustration was more than balanced by how much I adored his big, warm, wonderfully chaotic Italian-American family. Sure, it might be a bit of a cliché, but I couldn’t stop smiling every time his aunt, uncles, cousins (and cousins of cousins) pulled Violet into their loud, loving orbit—especially in contrast to her cold, emotionally distant parents. And then there’s Max, Violet’s fiercely loyal (and yes, predictably gay) best friend. I’ll admit, I sighed a bit at the trope—can’t we just have a straight male BFF for once? — but I loved how deeply he cared for Violet and how quick he was to jump to her defense when things fell apart. Speaking of falling apart, the second half of the book shifts from snappy banter to deeper emotional stakes—and yes, a seeming betrayal that sends Alex spiraling. I couldn’t believe how quickly he believed the worst of Violet, but past trauma makes people do stupid things, and once he recognized his mistake, his regret felt sincere. If I had one other nitpick, it’s that the story dragged slightly in parts—but honestly, I was floored to learn this was a debut novel. It’s sharply written, emotionally layered, and full of swoony billionaire romance vibes. All in all, this book delivered the steam, the sass, and the feels. A fantastic debut—and a must-read for fans of witty banter, fake dating, and big Italian families who steal your heart.
I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

[Carmen Dieleman]

Pretending to be his

Op het begin vond ik het echt een leuk boek, ik ging er vlot doorheen, de verhaallijn was leuk en ik wilde echt verder lezen. Ergens net over de helft ging het alleen qua tijdslijn heel snel en had ik het gevoel dat dingen werden overgeslagen. Alsof ik hoofdstukken miste. Het einde maakte gelukkig veel goed. Ik vond het einde helemaal af, mooi beschreven en heel schattig.

Je leest vanuit een duo POV wat ik altijd erg fijn vind, je leert ze allebei dan goed kennen en je kan als het ware in hun hoofd kijken.Wat het voor mij altijd erg leuk maakt. Er zat humor in dit boek, liefde en een vleugje vriendschap. Max vond ik de humor aan het boek maken door de scènes met Violet.

De personages vond ik erg leuk. Violet was lief met een beetje pit, maar toch onzeker. Alex vond ik een ondoorgrondelijke man, maar met een zachte kant voor Violet. Ik raad het boek aan om te lezen, het is gewoon een cozy fun read en ik ben ook heel benieuwd naar het volgende deel!

At the beginning I really liked the book, I went through it quickly, the storyline was nice and I really wanted to read on. Somewhere just over halfway it only went very fast in terms of timeline and I had the feeling that things were skipped. As if I was missing chapters. Fortunately the ending made up for a lot. I thought the ending was completely finished, beautifully written and very cute.

You read from a duo POV which I always like, you get to know them both well and you can look into their heads, so to speak. Which always makes it very nice for me. There was humor in this book, love and a touch of friendship. I thought Max made the humor in the book through the scenes with Violet.

I really liked the characters. Violet was sweet with a bit of spunk, but still insecure. I thought Alex was an inscrutable man, but with a soft side for Violet. I recommend reading the book, it's just a cozy fun read and I'm also very curious about the next part!

⭐️⭐️⭐️,5 sterren
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[Dionne Muller]

Pretending to be His: A Billionaire Fake Dating Romance by Everly Summers is a captivating romance novel that follows the story of Violet Hart, an aspiring romance writer who currently works as an editor for non-fiction books, and Alex Bennetti, a handsome and enigmatic billionaire bachelor in Manhattan.

In a serendipitous twist of fate fuelled by a bit too much alcohol, Violet and Alex concoct a scheme to solve both their problems through a fake dating arrangement - Alex needs to rehabilitate his playboy image with his shareholders, while Violet hopes to make her ex-boyfriend regret letting her go. The two enter into a mutually beneficial, no strings attached, completely platonic relationship.

While the premise and characters are compelling, the book could use some polishing from an editorial standpoint. Some sections are bogged down with extraneous details that detract from the main storyline. There are also some minor spelling errors and a few small inconsistencies in the plot.

Despite these issues, Pretending to be His is, as a whole, a well-crafted and thoughtfully developed romance. The main characters are authentic and endearing, and the chemistry between them leaps off the page.

The supporting cast is equally interesting, leaving the reader eager to learn more about them in future instalments.

All in all, Everly Summers has delivered an engaging and satisfying fake dating romance

[SweetlySarcasticBibliophile]

Pretending to be His Feels like an early 2000s Rom-Com in all the good ways and in some of the bad ways. There is a adorable meet cute, banter that I totally love, a clumsy overworked assistant, some got just talk to each other moments, and some I am not like other girls internalised misogyny.

I know a lot of books have some I am not like other girls comments but maybe because it felt so 2000s or because of how frequent they were I noticed it more and it pulled me out of the story a bit. A lot of comments were putting other women down (the ex bestie who yes maybe deserved it) but also women in general, comments on trying to hard, wearing too much make up, not eating "real meals" being too thin felt quite outdated.

I found that the ending dragged on a bit long, the time between when they spoke felt unnecessary to resolve the conflict and I wanted my HEA a bit faster as I was losing interest.

My favorite things from this book are the cute texts and banter that develops their relationship and the relationship we see between Alex and his family and eventually Violent and his family develop.

I had some cute squeal moments, and for a debut book I think this series and author has a lot of potential!

Thank you NetGalley and Everly Summers for a copy of Pretending to be His

I am leaving this review voluntarily.

[Erin]

Pretending to Be His by Everly Summers is a delightful and steamy contemporary romance that combines the allure of a fake relationship trope with heartwarming character growth and swoon-worthy chemistry. From the first page, readers are thrust into an emotionally charged and engaging story that explores love, healing, and the complexities of trusting someone enough to let them into your life—and your heart.

The spice level in Pretending to Be His by Everly Summers is moderate to high. The chemistry between the main characters, Gracie and Max, is undeniable, and the tension between them builds nicely throughout the story. While the book isn't overly explicit, there are several steamy moments that heat things up, especially as the characters’ fake relationship turns into something much more passionate.

The intimate scenes are written with a good amount of detail and intensity, making them sensual and satisfying without being overly graphic. So, if you’re a fan of romance novels with a little more heat, but not full-blown erotic content, you can expect a good balance of passion and plot here. The author also makes the spice scenes stand-alone chapters so that if you want to skip them you can, without missing out on the main storyline.

Spice Level Rating: 4/5
(Steamy, but not quite over-the-top hot, leaning toward a satisfying level of romance heat.)

[Kayla]

Okay this was really enjoyable but there were a lot of things that made it obvious it was a debut novel. Every character was actually really well developed, which is sometimes rare in romance. The spicy scenes are not well done though - some parts are rushed or skipped entirely and I firmly believe authors need to pick a lane; either the book has spice or it’s door closed/cracked. You can’t flip flop, because these are very different readers.

The meet cute is good. The conflict makes sense. The book just felt really long for what we got. BUT she sets up the characters for future books very well.

Often with romance, ‘show me, don’t tell me’ is important and that tracks here. There’s a lot of internal monologue that would be done better through action.

It also felt like there should be more… violence? For a billionaire mafia romance… idk, maybe don’t lead with the reformed one.

If the next books continue with the characters we’ve been introduced to, I’m in…

Also, audio specific: the female narrator is great. The male is not right for this book. He did not even attempt a slight Italian accent.

[Carolina CHC]

I absolutely loved this book! As an avid reader, it’s often frustrating when people judge you based on the genre you enjoy. Sometimes, they make you feel guilty or even embarrassed, especially if you're into romance. But this book made me feel proud of choosing it, no matter the genre.

When the FMC, Violet, wrote the acknowledgments at the end of her book, I thought it was beautifully written, and it made me look forward to that part in any book I read in the future. Romance novels often reflect the heart of the author, and this one did so wonderfully.

While many romance books can seem repetitive, tackling the same themes over and over, this one truly stood out. It didn’t rely on the typical brooding, cruel billionaire archetype who is a beast to everyone, especially to the female protagonist. I can't wait to dive into the rest of the series!

Expect great chemestry among the main characters. great supporting characters, and a very enjoyable story.

I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

[Jasmine]

Bravo to Everly Summer’s for her debut novel!

Once I started reading I was immediately hooked and I had an hard time stopping. I enjoyed being introduced to the Bennetti family. I am looking forward to the next books in the series!

In this book, we follow the romance between Alex and Violet. Alex is the untouchable billionaire bachelor and Violet is the book publisher who can’t find inspiration for her own book. They met one night at a bar and decided to help each other out by pretending to be in a relationship.

What had started as fake dating becomes something more than that. They realized that their chemistry was undeniable and that they connected in more ways that they ever expected. I enjoyed going on the romance ride with Alex and Violet. They were both characters that were trying to move on from their past.

The book is a spicy (3.5 🌶️ /5) but you’re able to skip those chapters without missing anything with their romance story.

I listened to the audiobook with the amazing dual narration. I enjoyed both narrators, they helped bring Everly’s book to life! I love that there were no awkward voice changes.

[Sue Carter]

OMG - LOVED this book! I'd already read the second book in the trilogy ('Playing House') as an ARC and enjoyed that so much, I decided to back-track to Alex's story. This certainly did not disappoint; I loved this story of how wannabe romance author Violet is at rock bottom when she encounters gorgeous Alex in a bar who then helps her get revenge on her AH of an ex and his obnoxious fiancee. This is a good long rom-com with plenty of steam interspersed with feel good humour. I really liked that the story is told from dual POV so the reader is let into the thoughts of both of the main characters. I particularly liked the fact that it is really Alex who falls first & hard, mainly because he has never met anybody like Violet before! Will definitely be be reading more from this author.

[Some]

I'm coming back to review this after having read 1 /2 books after this one and idk why i couldn't remember this book because after i refreshed my memory, i remember i really enjoyed this!!! 🙃
(What reminded me of the story was the iconic grey sweatshirt line from Alex's POV!)

This was really cute - something about it was different from other authors stories of these billionaire men becoming interested with average women who run outside of their circle. I really enjoyed both characters and although there were some cliches, the story is also kind of cliche and that doesnt change how much i liked the story even though it was familiar. Still a refreshing contemporary romance! Might pick up the next books in the series!

[Cassie]

The plot definitely had potential but I did cringe quite a few times reading this. The thing that irked me most was the authors constant use of question marks at the end of sentences that weren’t questions. And every single time it would have been perfectly acceptable to use a period to end the sentence or a coma to continue the thought.

There are also a few of similarities between this book and to fifty shades of gray. Billionaire boyfriend. Girlfriend who works as an assistant in publishing. Girlfriend suddenly takes her bosses job when they are fired due to the billionaire boyfriend’s meddling.

[Brendee Vee]

I’m always a sucker for the billionaire/ fake dating storyline and this one did not disappoint. Violet is a woman just creeping along on the edge of her becoming everything she desires- she just needs a little help, a gentle push in the direction of her dreams turning into reality. Alex is our brooding billionaire with a casing around his heart from being hurt before, but watching him falling for Violet is so heartwarming and I was eating up this story. The writing had been holding onto every word!

Can’t wait to read more from this author!

[Andrea]

You have to like the characters in a romance even if sometimes you don’t love them. You just have to at least like them and there is absolutely nothing to like about the FMC. There wasn’t one thing. She treated her best friend like poo poo - I mean she didn’t even care if she got makeup all over his pillows because he would just wash them. That’s what she said. And her work ethic does not seem amazing and the way she talks to everybody is just not nice. I just could not even bring myself to read very far.

[Whitney Schmitz]

I loved listening to Alex and Violet’s love story! It took a little while for me to get hooked but once I got more back story on Violet and Alex, I could not stop listening. I can’t wait for the series to continue!

The voice actors did a wonderful job bringing the characters to life and highly recommend listening to this swoon worthy book by Everly Summers!



A big thank you to the author for providing a free copy of the audiobook for my review.

[Librada O]

This book has a great story with just enough spice to keep you wondering what will happen next. Great side characters who do not crowd the main characters. It’s a nice slow climb and slow burn before you hit the bottom. I appreciate the way the author brought us back to the end. Looking forward to the next book in the series because she put in just enough information about the brothers/family to make you want to know about their lives.

[Linda]

Oh the chemistry between Alex and Violet had me swooning…big time!

This fake dating romance had dialogue I loved!
The banter was "chef's kiss!"
It just makes the story all that much better, and believe me, this is a good one!
A not-to-be-missed one!

This was fun.
It was steamy.
And I'll be jumping into the next right NOW!

I cannot believe this is a debut novel!
Everly Summers hit a home run!

[Johanna]

A very good read. A little predictable but well written. The characters were well developed and likeable. Plot was, as I said, predictable but well thought out. World building was well done. All in all a very good read. Would recommend.

Grab a copy, kick back and enjoy!

I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

[Theresa McKee]

I loved this book! I couldn’t put it down nor did I want it to end. This book made me laugh out loud, swoon so hard, sweat from the spice, and even cry. I loved all the characters and the banter. A MUST READ! Can’t wait to read more of her books and the next in this series

[Bookaholic blonde]

Congratulations on your debut novel!
This book was so well written.
I absolutely love the characters Alex and Violet and how they navigate through a fake relationship.
The spice was well written.
Really would highly recommend reading this book. 🔥❤️🥰📚

[Dara]

Well written

Strong main characters. Great supporting characters. Light OW/OM drama. I liked how their relationship built and how much time they spent together. I also liked that they earned their happy ending together.

[Book Addict]

What a read!

Read it in one sitting. The voice of the main characters resonated with me. I was enthralled with the highlights, the heartbreaks and so invested I could not see how this would end….. the author's words were almost poetic and I simply couldn’t put it down. That’s a love story.

[…Welcome to My World &#x1f30e..]

This book was a cute one. I was immediately drawn to it because of the narrative. Sad to say, I lost interest in most of the book and skipped a lot of pages due to repetitive writing, the book was just unnecessarily too long. I felt like the author purposely drug it out and there was no need for this book to be as long as it was. Nevertheless, the story was very cute and the last few pages made up for it. The characters were likable enough and the story line was very cute as well.

I received this book as an advanced reader copy for free and I am voluntarily leaving my review.

[Whitney]

DNF 29%

It's a love letter to the Fake relationship trope. Ms. Summers gives you the MMC's POV, which was refreshing, but the story was nothing new. It couldn't keep my attention.



I tried it.