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How to Fake (and Break) An Engagement In Seven Days: A Steamy Romantic Comedy Novella
✔ Billionaire Boss-employee romance.
✔ Fake dating trope gone wrong (but so right).
✔ One bed, forced proximity, and unresolved angst.
✔ Swoon-worthy moments & family meddling.
Alex Carrington is a grumpy, workaholic billionaire whose family won’t stop nagging him to settle down. So, in a moment of pure desperation (and zero thinking), he blurts out that he’s engaged. The only problem? His "fiancée" is actually his assistant—who hates him.
Anika Patel has spent three years managing Alex’s impossible schedule, his caffeine addiction, and his general lack of a soul. She’s also spent two years making sure she never falls for his stupidly handsome face again—not after that disastrous office fling. So when he asks her to fake being madly in love during a week-long Valentine’s Day family trip, her answer is a hard no.
Until he makes an offer she can’t refuse.
Now, trapped in a romantic getaway on Catalina Island, with one bed, too many meddling relatives, and a whole lot of unresolved tension, Anika and Alex have to pull off the ultimate performance. But when fake kisses start to feel way too real, they both start wondering…
What if this time, it’s not an act?
For fans of The Proposal, fake dating and fake engagements.
✔ Fake dating trope gone wrong (but so right).
✔ One bed, forced proximity, and unresolved angst.
✔ Swoon-worthy moments & family meddling.
Alex Carrington is a grumpy, workaholic billionaire whose family won’t stop nagging him to settle down. So, in a moment of pure desperation (and zero thinking), he blurts out that he’s engaged. The only problem? His "fiancée" is actually his assistant—who hates him.
Anika Patel has spent three years managing Alex’s impossible schedule, his caffeine addiction, and his general lack of a soul. She’s also spent two years making sure she never falls for his stupidly handsome face again—not after that disastrous office fling. So when he asks her to fake being madly in love during a week-long Valentine’s Day family trip, her answer is a hard no.
Until he makes an offer she can’t refuse.
Now, trapped in a romantic getaway on Catalina Island, with one bed, too many meddling relatives, and a whole lot of unresolved tension, Anika and Alex have to pull off the ultimate performance. But when fake kisses start to feel way too real, they both start wondering…
What if this time, it’s not an act?
For fans of The Proposal, fake dating and fake engagements.
202 pages, Kindle Edition
Published February 13, 2025
1 person is currently reading
7 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 7 of 7 reviews
March 9, 2025
- No dark secrets! No twisted minds. Just pure, sweet, 'ahhh' reading.
- Your brain deserves a vacation. It wants sunshine. Skip the angst and grab this book!
This book was so much fun! It reminded me of cozy/classic romances I loved way back in college. It's definitely a comfort read for me. The fake relationship trope between the boss and his assistant was light and enjoyable. Easy to get lost in! I really liked how Anika and Alex's characters grew. They felt real and guaranteed there wasn't too much drama, even with the fake relationship.
There were good life lessons in the story. The way Anika handled things smoothly and how Alex treated her made them a couple I was rooting for. Anika's got her stuff together, and SHE'S NOT AFRAID to say what she thinks. She doesn't take any nonsense which is awesome! And Alex? He's not one of those jerky bosses. Trust me! Alex isn't like those annoying boss guys you see in other books, either. He actually listens to our dear Anika, which was a huge plus for me.
And as someone who has a soft spot for elders, I love Alex's adorable grandma! Although she has few moments in the story, her presence added a heartwarming vibes. I found myself genuinely invested in her interactions with the MMC and FMC. The author created this... believable emotional connection that made the story feel real.
This book is sweet, easy read that will make you smile. Try this one if you want a happy, relaxing book! It's great for relaxing after a long day! And it's even better if you read this story in nature, like I did (surrounded by trees and mountains). You will feel deeply relaxed.
Thank you for this wonderful story, Alanis!
- Your brain deserves a vacation. It wants sunshine. Skip the angst and grab this book!
This book was so much fun! It reminded me of cozy/classic romances I loved way back in college. It's definitely a comfort read for me. The fake relationship trope between the boss and his assistant was light and enjoyable. Easy to get lost in! I really liked how Anika and Alex's characters grew. They felt real and guaranteed there wasn't too much drama, even with the fake relationship.
There were good life lessons in the story. The way Anika handled things smoothly and how Alex treated her made them a couple I was rooting for. Anika's got her stuff together, and SHE'S NOT AFRAID to say what she thinks. She doesn't take any nonsense which is awesome! And Alex? He's not one of those jerky bosses. Trust me! Alex isn't like those annoying boss guys you see in other books, either. He actually listens to our dear Anika, which was a huge plus for me.
And as someone who has a soft spot for elders, I love Alex's adorable grandma! Although she has few moments in the story, her presence added a heartwarming vibes. I found myself genuinely invested in her interactions with the MMC and FMC. The author created this... believable emotional connection that made the story feel real.
This book is sweet, easy read that will make you smile. Try this one if you want a happy, relaxing book! It's great for relaxing after a long day! And it's even better if you read this story in nature, like I did (surrounded by trees and mountains). You will feel deeply relaxed.
Thank you for this wonderful story, Alanis!
April 3, 2025
If you are looking for a feel good book that won't take long to read give this one a try --> this book is a really cute quick read (it's a novella) the main story is happening over a week long vacation but nothing feels forced because the author does a really good job with pacing and showing that while the couple is currently in a "fake relationship" they are naturally drawn together as they have worked closely with each other for several years and have had an office "fling" in the past.
*Indie author *Billionaire *workaholic *some spice *2nd chance *office romance
*fake fiance/relationship *one bed *forced proximity *novella *Grumpy MMC *happy ending
wrote more on my blog:
https://elbyslibrary.blogspot.com/202...
*Indie author *Billionaire *workaholic *some spice *2nd chance *office romance
*fake fiance/relationship *one bed *forced proximity *novella *Grumpy MMC *happy ending
wrote more on my blog:
https://elbyslibrary.blogspot.com/202...
March 29, 2025
This book was so good! From the very first chapter I was interested and I finished this one all in one day. I have to say this isn’t one of my typical reads but I loved it! There was just enough romance to keep the story moving and it had a great story line which made it really hard to put it down. I highly recommend this book and will definitely be reading more of Alanis Winters books. Definitely going to recommend this book to all my friends! I was emotionally attached to the characters as well by the end I found myself crying right along with the one character when something happened which is not typical of me at all haha so you know it’s a great book!
February 27, 2025
This was a very fun quick read! I love Alex’s character! I also found the footnotes really funny, I haven’t really seen that before in romance books
April 13, 2025
An easy and romance. Full of classic tropes but still so enjoyable! Really well written
April 15, 2025
This is a very fun and easy to read, perfect book to read on holiday!
April 14, 2025
This was a good quick read that I finished in a little over 24 hours.
It is a romance novella that contains quite a few tropes that are common in the romance genre.
It is a very well written story and has likeable lead and secondary characters.
This novella also has footnotes in it, which is the first time that I have seen that in a Romance novel. I found many of them to be unneeded, but one could easily just not read them when reading the novella.
It is a romance novella that contains quite a few tropes that are common in the romance genre.
It is a very well written story and has likeable lead and secondary characters.
This novella also has footnotes in it, which is the first time that I have seen that in a Romance novel. I found many of them to be unneeded, but one could easily just not read them when reading the novella.
Displaying 1 - 7 of 7 reviews