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Love & Luck #1
Fake It 'Til You Make Out
Heath
It’s a classic Boy meets girl, girl breaks boy’s heart, boy pretends to be gay to get back at girl, girl outs boy to everyone on Facebook…
Okay, maybe it’s not that classic. But it’s what happened to me.
When I bump into my cheating ex and catch sight of the moon-sized rock on her finger, there’s only one option to save pretend to be dating my gay best friend, Declan.
And when she outs me on Facebook and everyone I know sees it, there’s still only one keep pretending to be dating Declan.
And when Declan and I have to kiss to keep up the ruse and it turns out there’s actually a spark between us (more like a blazing inferno, if truth be told), there’s once again only one option…
This book is not appropriate for anyone who doesn’t like laughing, anyone who doesn’t like dogs, or anyone who doesn’t like hot men having a lot of sex…with each other.
Happily ever after included.
It’s a classic Boy meets girl, girl breaks boy’s heart, boy pretends to be gay to get back at girl, girl outs boy to everyone on Facebook…
Okay, maybe it’s not that classic. But it’s what happened to me.
When I bump into my cheating ex and catch sight of the moon-sized rock on her finger, there’s only one option to save pretend to be dating my gay best friend, Declan.
And when she outs me on Facebook and everyone I know sees it, there’s still only one keep pretending to be dating Declan.
And when Declan and I have to kiss to keep up the ruse and it turns out there’s actually a spark between us (more like a blazing inferno, if truth be told), there’s once again only one option…
This book is not appropriate for anyone who doesn’t like laughing, anyone who doesn’t like dogs, or anyone who doesn’t like hot men having a lot of sex…with each other.
Happily ever after included.
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First published February 6, 2020
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 803 reviews
August 3, 2020
As the blurb states:
It’s a classic story: Boy meets girl, girl breaks boy’s heart, boy pretends to be gay to get back at girl, girl outs boy to everyone on Facebook…And that was actually a pretty accurate description of how the book got started, as Heath pretended to be in a relationship with his gay best friend, Declan, which set up all sorts of hilarity when they were only *pretending* to be a couple in front of their friends and family.
Ben Ryland: I still want proof of some kind before I'm totally sold on this heath thing. Doesn't need to be naked proof but I need something!But when Heath decided that they needed to really sell their fake relationship at Declan's birthday party, by exchanging a steamy kiss in public, one bathroom stall later and their relationship immediately changed from faking it to a whole helluva lot more real.
Me: He likes riding cowboy? He likes the taste of cum? Do you want me to go on?
Ben Ryland: Yeah no thanks, that'll do pig.
I really liked how, since these guys had been best friends for a decade, they never really got weirded out by being with one another. Their former smartass behavior toward each other continued much the same as before, even in the bedroom, which was a breath of fresh air.
“Do I have to do anything special with the foreskin?”This playful and fun story was told in dual POV and had a good deal of steam, so I found myself all in for these two as a couple.
“Yes, there’s a little latch at the back so you can take it off. Just leave it on the nightstand and I’ll reattach it when you’re done.”
AND THEN THE RAINS CAME... :- /
At around 80% in, the author decided what this carefree story simply must have was a "BIG MISUNDERSTANDING".
Ugh, those are the most dreaded of over-used, tired plot devices in my opinion, so it would be a huge understatement to say that I was NOT happy that the story went in that direction.
But what made it worse was that, after Heath caught Declan secretly (but harmlessly, of course) meeting up with his ex, it was Heath who everyone in the book seemed to think needed to make things right.
WRONG. Heath wasn't at fault in the slightest here, so nope, nope, NOPE.
And when Heath finally crawled back to Declan, instead of Declan coming clean with a goddamn EXPLANATION, we got sex. Wait... whut???
“I just…got scared.”FUCK, NO! What the hell, people?!?!?
“I know. And I’m sorry for scaring you. I’ll explain everything, I promise. But right now I just really fucking need to be inside you.”
“Fuck, yes.”
So yeaaaaaah, the first 80% of the book was firmly in 4-star rating territory, but the unnecessary horse-shit ending pulled it down to around 3.25 stars for me.
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My ARC copy of the book was provided by the publisher in exchange for a fair, unbiased review.
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April 9, 2020
Fake It 'til You Make Out was both SO much fun and SO frustrating.
Part of it was immensely enjoyable. I love a good sexuality discovery story and the MC's realization of his bisexuality was refreshingly angst-free. He wasn't hung up on the whys or hows, and I adored how he just embraced his desires. The whole set up was pretty much my crack. Friends-to-lovers and fake boyfriends... I mean, just take my money! I couldn't get enough.
But, alas, not all was perfect.
Simply put, this author needs an editor. Badly. So many easy to correct errors. EVERYWHERE. All of the characters are supposed to be American, yet "centre" was spelled the British way in every instance. There were other examples of non-American spellings and idioms, and I wanted to scream every time I read them. Also, please, either put dialogue in quotes or italics, not BOTH! The author randomly switched back and forth in how she did her dialogue from italics to quotations and, most annoying, often both. Please, no.
And, finally, the real kicker: An incredibly silly misunderstanding to create drama. WHY???? The author made it through most of the book so drama-free, and then she had to throw a wrench into everything. And it was 100% unnecessary! Just lazy writing.
Despite my issues, I have to admit, this book was adorable.. Super fun, hot bisexuality discovery story with some funny banter and an easy-to-read plot. The author better step up her editing game for the next in the series because I really want to continue.
*Copy provided in exchange for an honest review*
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Part of it was immensely enjoyable. I love a good sexuality discovery story and the MC's realization of his bisexuality was refreshingly angst-free. He wasn't hung up on the whys or hows, and I adored how he just embraced his desires. The whole set up was pretty much my crack. Friends-to-lovers and fake boyfriends... I mean, just take my money! I couldn't get enough.
But, alas, not all was perfect.
Simply put, this author needs an editor. Badly. So many easy to correct errors. EVERYWHERE. All of the characters are supposed to be American, yet "centre" was spelled the British way in every instance. There were other examples of non-American spellings and idioms, and I wanted to scream every time I read them. Also, please, either put dialogue in quotes or italics, not BOTH! The author randomly switched back and forth in how she did her dialogue from italics to quotations and, most annoying, often both. Please, no.
And, finally, the real kicker: An incredibly silly misunderstanding to create drama. WHY???? The author made it through most of the book so drama-free, and then she had to throw a wrench into everything. And it was 100% unnecessary! Just lazy writing.
Despite my issues, I have to admit, this book was adorable.. Super fun, hot bisexuality discovery story with some funny banter and an easy-to-read plot. The author better step up her editing game for the next in the series because I really want to continue.
*Copy provided in exchange for an honest review*
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February 27, 2024
this is a thesis btw, so buckle up
i really wanted to read something good, but my brain was like no i’m not letting you read anything good that doesn’t also promise to be a little bit shit so here were are lmao and lemme tell u, it delivered extra on the shit, did not get the memo on “little bit”💀
okay so ignoring the fact we start a book about two men falling in love with an immediate blowjob from a woman…..heath and declan are actually fucking hilarious….there were multiple times i was laughing out loud from their banter and antics like they’re goofy fuckers fr😂 like heath’s instagram posts with the excessive hashtags😭 or heath’s “acting background” or the fact that instead of just saying “I’m dating Declan now” he says “I’m all for the dick now. I swallow cum and everything—it’s delicious.” like lmaooo sir!!!😳
one of the more natural fake relationship stunts, bc declan and heath are just goofin the whole time, planning and scheming together about how to fool everybody and having a good ass time doing it, laughing at how silly it all is (exactly how me and my bestie would approach a fake relationship stunt, unserious af💀) but of course they’re gonna “act” their asses off bc this involves their bestie and they’ve got each other’s backs. “act” is in quotes bc they almost immediately discover they want to jump each other’s bones and they fucking go for it….like when i tell you heath just dives headfirst into being attracted to men……he does not give a FUCK about a bi-awakening…most go with the flow mf on earth, rivers fear him….
and i’m just obsessed that they started calling each other babe to keep up the pretense, but they do it all the time, even when no one is around…..like they’ve completely just ran with it and turned it into a lifestyle😂
but then, absolute pandemonium occurred….i thought i was losing my fucking mind…..the shock of the entire 3rd act break up was electric chair equivalent…..
after coming to the realization he’s in love with heath, declan meets up with his ex, josh, bc josh has recently confessed he has testicular cancer, but hasn’t told anybody else but declan, so declan’s trying to be there for him. josh says it’s not terminal, at least not yet, as he’s still waiting on the results after a round of chemo, but the doctors have been telling him for ages that the prognosis is good and they’re confident josh will make a full recovery. declan asks if there’s anything he can do to help, anything josh needs before he gets the results tomorrow. josh’s ballsy ass said yea, u know what, how about a kiss?🥴🥴🥴🥴 EXCUSE???? lemme just give u the word for word:
Josh glances away, his face a mask of indecision. “Well, there is one thing…maybe.”
“Name it.”
“Alright, I’m sorry, I know this is miles beyond inappropriate, and I swear this isn’t me trying to make a move or anything. It’s just…okay, I know I said I’m confident about tomorrow, but there’s a part of me that’s not. And if it goes the wrong way, then after tomorrow my life’s gonna be all about hospitals and treatments and losing my hair and all that shit. Who knows when I’ll get to kiss someone again.”
My brows shoot up. “You want to kiss me?”
Josh lets out a groan and throws his head back. “Urgh, no, it’s stupid. And way inappropriate. And you have a boyfriend that could easily kick my ass.”
“He wouldn’t if he knew the situation,” I assure Josh. I get to my feet and motion for him to stand. “Come on, stand up.”
ummmm WHAT. THE. FUCK.!!!!!!!!! like urrrrr JOE KING!!!!!!!!! my immediate reaction was this is genuinely the dumbest, stupidest, most idiotic bullshit that anyone could ever think up!!!!!! the man isn’t even DYING!!!!! damn at least wait for the results to come in🥴🥴🥴 and what do u mean ur boyfriend would be ok with it if he knew the situation????? did u ASK him????? omfg!!!!!!! lemme just keep it a buck…. I. don’t. give. a. fuck. who. is. dying.!!!! my boyfriend is NOT kissing anyone but me!!!!!!! die thirsty!!!!! absolutely fucking OUTRAGEOUS behavior from both of these motherfuckers……josh bc that’s the most inappropriate request ever when that’s ur EX, u know he has a boyfriend, and u haven’t got ur results, YOU’RE NOT DYING yet, ask on ur ACTUAL deathbed if u insist on asking…..who fucking does that😭😭😭😭 and declan👊👊 bc why would you EVER, for ANY reason, kiss your EX behind ur boyfriend’s back without him knowing……serious actual brain rot is occurring!!!
heath happens to be walking out and about and catches josh and declan walking out of the building and hugging. that’s it, he missed the kiss. heath is like um wtf is this, bc he secretly happened to see a text from josh sent to declan’s phone from the night he first spilled the beans about having cancer (unbeknownst to heath) that read “Hey, thanks for last night. It really means a lot. I’ll text you…” to which he tried to sus out answers from declan by asking “Hey I was wondering, have you seen Josh lately?” to which declan says “I bumped into him last week actually.”, conveniently leaving out the fact they met up and he told declan he has cancer😐 so heath sees them out and about and is like ok wtf! first he lies to me and now i see him and josh hugging?? heath confronts declan later that night, telling him he saw him with josh. declan’s like “Okay, look, I can explain the kiss.” heath is like KISS?!!??! and declan is like “It’s not what it looked like. Or what it sounds like. It’s just…we’re…friends.” declan thinks that’s the only explanation he can give heath without violating josh’s trust……..😒😒😒 FUCK JOSH! you would rather LIE to your boyfriend, that you are in love with, let this misunderstanding never be fully explained, allow the possibility of losing ur boyfriend…all bc u don’t want to break ur EX boyfriend’s “trust”??!???!??!! I’M DONE, CUT THE SHOW, I’M DONE!!!!!!!!!! like who gives a fuck about ur ex’s “trust”, i’m spilling the beans immediately and winning back my mans, josh’s feelings would be the furthest thing from my mind!!!!! like you genuinely care more about ur ex’s feelings rn???? why do your loyalties lie with ur EX over ur current boyfriend, the man ur in love with!? ur boyfriend is more important and valuable than ur ex’s secret cancer!!!!!
heath storms out and declan just stays where he is bc he thinks anything he says right now will make it worse and heath isn’t in the mood to hear it anyway. plus declan thinks “there’s a little part of me that’s kind of angry at him. Shouldn’t he know I’d never hurt him like that? Shouldn’t he just know?” HUHUHH HUH UUHHUHHH!?!?!!?!?!??!!?!?!!!!!!! i want declan dead. i want him 6 feet under. he needs to be below the surface of earth for me to have any peace bc WHAT!!!!!!!!!! you’ve literally already hurt him like that!!!!!!!! i…….i am speechless…….mans needs a serious bonk on the head…..you literally kissed your ex. period. point blank. there is no explanation that makes that right. i’m flabbergasted, this man really thinks he did nothing wrong🤯 JAIL!!!!!!!!! PRISON!!!!!!!! INCARCERATION!!!!!!!!!!!!
no one checks declan for making a huge MISTAKE either…..anyone who hears declan’s side of the story should be 1. decking his ass and 2. keeping it real and telling him he’s a supreme fuck up, this is entirely HIS fault, he’s a complete and total dumbass, he needs to tell heath EVERYTHING, then he needs to get on his knees and BEG for his LIFE until his skin is blistered……where is the common sense here ?????
oh but it gets WORSE……declan gets a text from josh saying he’s all clear, he’s not dying, and declan can tell his family and heath……sooooo, declan runs to explain to heath right???? no, he thinks:
“It’s a relief to have the all clear, but I’ve already decided I’m not going to tell Heath yet. I’m not going to go running after him and explain the misunderstanding. This—whether he can trust me, whether he thinks what we have is worth fighting for—is something he needs to figure out on his own.”
*nate jacobs voice* WHHHHHHAAATTT THE FUUUUCKKKKKK!!!!!!! WHAT THE FUCK IS WRONG WITH YOU!!!!!!
i instantly blacked out in anger at this part. that is genuinely the craziest thing i’ve ever heard. YOU kiss your ex, YOU fuck up, YOU lie/omit info, and you think the move is to sit back on ur ass and WAIT for heath to come to YOU?????????????????????????????? LETHAL INJECTION!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
so what’s heath doing in the aftermath??? getting the WORST advice ever from his loved ones😭😭😭😭 his sister is all like there must be some explanation, declan’s not a cheater, he wouldn’t hurt you, what you guys had was real, etc……his grandpa…..lord i need a fucking cigarette….this is the convo heath has with his grandpa:
“He…he kissed someone else,” I say quietly, my chest tightening at the words.
“Oh, is that all?”
My eyes widen. “What do you mean ‘is that all’? He cheated on me, Gramps!”
“Oh, I didn’t realize you were in eighth grade.”
“Grandpa…”
He fixes me with a stern look and I find it impossible to hold his gaze. “What’s the real issue here, Heath? You can’t expect me to believe you’ve thrown this amazing thing away over one little kiss.”
ummmmmmm excuse?????????????!!!!!!!!!!!!! like this must be a joke……..like ur playing in my face this can’t be real……plus grandpa’s parting wisdom? heath can’t just run away at the first sign of trouble………🫥🫥🫥i need a gun, someone give me a gun
heath takes grandpa’s words to heart (instead of erasing them from memory like he should) and goes to declan’s family’s house to talk to him. he walks in to see the whole fam barbecuing plus……..no……it can’t be……yes……..JOSH, back from the dead, and sitting down next to declan…….😐😐😐😐 y’all………i am exhausted😐😐😐😐 heath turns around to leave bc HELLO wtf!!!! but is stopped. heath is all like oh i should go, i don’t wanna intrude, you are josh are obviously [together]…..to which declan is all like omg no i’m not getting back with josh, our families are just close, i love YOU, “This past week has been the fucking worst. All I wanted to do was call you or come over or stop by the bar, but I know you, and I knew I needed to give you space to figure things out on your own. And now you’re here, and please, please can we just forget what happened and go back to how things were?” and apparently heath is so dickmatized by hearing the words “i love you”, he forgets to have basic self respect. the following convo occurs:
“I love you too, by the way,” [Heath] manages to get out through heavy breaths once we finally break apart. “I just…got scared.”
“I know. And I’m sorry for scaring you. I’ll explain everything, I promise. But right now I just really fucking need to be inside you.”
“Fuck, yes.”
someone euthanize me!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!😵💫😵💫😵💫😵💫😵💫😵💫😵💫😵💫😵💫 NO EXPLANATION AND YOU’VE TAKEN HIM BACK AND ARE ON UR WAY INSIDE TO FUCK???????????? i know what you’re thinking……perfect time to bareback for the first time right???😒😒😒😒😒😒 well the author thinks so……the author also thinks that immediately after they fuck is the perfect time to get engaged with the weakest proposal i’ve ever seen:
“This is it, baby. You and me, forever.”
“Was that a proposal?”
The wry grin tells me he’s joking, but as soon as I hear that word I know in my bones it’s exactly what I want. Heath is mine and I want the entire world to know it. “Do you want it to be?”
His eyes lock with mine in the mirror, the levity of a moment ago gone. “Do I want to be your husband and spend the rest of our lives together? Of course I fucking do!”
😵💫😵💫😵💫😵💫😵💫 heath, babe, have you ever heard of the bare minimum?? no?? yea, okay, didn’t think so. bc this isn’t even bare minimum. plus this is accidental proposal. and there’s STILL no explanation from declan…….sigh…..and we don’t even get an ON PAGE explanation😭😭😭😭😭😭 it literally goes to the epilogue after this “proposal”😐😐😐
certainly there can’t be anymore fuck shit in the epilogue right?? *buzzer sound* WRONG……heath and declan have been engaged for a month now, but declan keeps insisting that they need a better, classier, family friendly proposal story. “And considering [Declan] asked last time, it’s up to me to do the honors this time round.”😦
first of all, “asked” is a bit of an overstatement. second, i’m actually crying bc u mean to tell me that declan somehow convinced and conned u into redoing the proposal in front of all of your friends and family and making YOU propose?????💀💀💀💀 you are actually helpless.
this is the best we get regarding the explanation:
“I felt like the biggest asshole on the planet when I learned what had been going on with [Josh]—dude was going through some seriously scary shit and I got all crazy and insecure because Dec was just being a good friend.”
i……..am. in. HELL.!!!!!!!!!!! what in the gaslighting is going awwnnnn here😵💫😵💫😵💫😵💫
crazy and insecure??????😦😦😦😦
Just😦
Being😦
A😦
Good😦
Friend😦
???????????😦😦😦😦
you’re taking the piss!!!!!!!!!!!!……..this is like……jaw dropping, heinous, truly, truly, EVIL, alternate dimension type shit…..my eyes MUST be deceiving me bc AIN’T. NO. WAY.
before the third act catastrophe, i would’ve given this four stars. it was entertaining and funny and very goofy, very unserious. but after the way you’ve destroyed my sanity, 1 star. i have suffered.
heath- seek help baby, everyone you know is ur opp
declan- perish
i really wanted to read something good, but my brain was like no i’m not letting you read anything good that doesn’t also promise to be a little bit shit so here were are lmao and lemme tell u, it delivered extra on the shit, did not get the memo on “little bit”💀
okay so ignoring the fact we start a book about two men falling in love with an immediate blowjob from a woman…..heath and declan are actually fucking hilarious….there were multiple times i was laughing out loud from their banter and antics like they’re goofy fuckers fr😂 like heath’s instagram posts with the excessive hashtags😭 or heath’s “acting background” or the fact that instead of just saying “I’m dating Declan now” he says “I’m all for the dick now. I swallow cum and everything—it’s delicious.” like lmaooo sir!!!😳
one of the more natural fake relationship stunts, bc declan and heath are just goofin the whole time, planning and scheming together about how to fool everybody and having a good ass time doing it, laughing at how silly it all is (exactly how me and my bestie would approach a fake relationship stunt, unserious af💀) but of course they’re gonna “act” their asses off bc this involves their bestie and they’ve got each other’s backs. “act” is in quotes bc they almost immediately discover they want to jump each other’s bones and they fucking go for it….like when i tell you heath just dives headfirst into being attracted to men……he does not give a FUCK about a bi-awakening…most go with the flow mf on earth, rivers fear him….
and i’m just obsessed that they started calling each other babe to keep up the pretense, but they do it all the time, even when no one is around…..like they’ve completely just ran with it and turned it into a lifestyle😂
but then, absolute pandemonium occurred….i thought i was losing my fucking mind…..the shock of the entire 3rd act break up was electric chair equivalent…..
after coming to the realization he’s in love with heath, declan meets up with his ex, josh, bc josh has recently confessed he has testicular cancer, but hasn’t told anybody else but declan, so declan’s trying to be there for him. josh says it’s not terminal, at least not yet, as he’s still waiting on the results after a round of chemo, but the doctors have been telling him for ages that the prognosis is good and they’re confident josh will make a full recovery. declan asks if there’s anything he can do to help, anything josh needs before he gets the results tomorrow. josh’s ballsy ass said yea, u know what, how about a kiss?🥴🥴🥴🥴 EXCUSE???? lemme just give u the word for word:
Josh glances away, his face a mask of indecision. “Well, there is one thing…maybe.”
“Name it.”
“Alright, I’m sorry, I know this is miles beyond inappropriate, and I swear this isn’t me trying to make a move or anything. It’s just…okay, I know I said I’m confident about tomorrow, but there’s a part of me that’s not. And if it goes the wrong way, then after tomorrow my life’s gonna be all about hospitals and treatments and losing my hair and all that shit. Who knows when I’ll get to kiss someone again.”
My brows shoot up. “You want to kiss me?”
Josh lets out a groan and throws his head back. “Urgh, no, it’s stupid. And way inappropriate. And you have a boyfriend that could easily kick my ass.”
“He wouldn’t if he knew the situation,” I assure Josh. I get to my feet and motion for him to stand. “Come on, stand up.”
ummmm WHAT. THE. FUCK.!!!!!!!!! like urrrrr JOE KING!!!!!!!!! my immediate reaction was this is genuinely the dumbest, stupidest, most idiotic bullshit that anyone could ever think up!!!!!! the man isn’t even DYING!!!!! damn at least wait for the results to come in🥴🥴🥴 and what do u mean ur boyfriend would be ok with it if he knew the situation????? did u ASK him????? omfg!!!!!!! lemme just keep it a buck…. I. don’t. give. a. fuck. who. is. dying.!!!! my boyfriend is NOT kissing anyone but me!!!!!!! die thirsty!!!!! absolutely fucking OUTRAGEOUS behavior from both of these motherfuckers……josh bc that’s the most inappropriate request ever when that’s ur EX, u know he has a boyfriend, and u haven’t got ur results, YOU’RE NOT DYING yet, ask on ur ACTUAL deathbed if u insist on asking…..who fucking does that😭😭😭😭 and declan👊👊 bc why would you EVER, for ANY reason, kiss your EX behind ur boyfriend’s back without him knowing……serious actual brain rot is occurring!!!
heath happens to be walking out and about and catches josh and declan walking out of the building and hugging. that’s it, he missed the kiss. heath is like um wtf is this, bc he secretly happened to see a text from josh sent to declan’s phone from the night he first spilled the beans about having cancer (unbeknownst to heath) that read “Hey, thanks for last night. It really means a lot. I’ll text you…” to which he tried to sus out answers from declan by asking “Hey I was wondering, have you seen Josh lately?” to which declan says “I bumped into him last week actually.”, conveniently leaving out the fact they met up and he told declan he has cancer😐 so heath sees them out and about and is like ok wtf! first he lies to me and now i see him and josh hugging?? heath confronts declan later that night, telling him he saw him with josh. declan’s like “Okay, look, I can explain the kiss.” heath is like KISS?!!??! and declan is like “It’s not what it looked like. Or what it sounds like. It’s just…we’re…friends.” declan thinks that’s the only explanation he can give heath without violating josh’s trust……..😒😒😒 FUCK JOSH! you would rather LIE to your boyfriend, that you are in love with, let this misunderstanding never be fully explained, allow the possibility of losing ur boyfriend…all bc u don’t want to break ur EX boyfriend’s “trust”??!???!??!! I’M DONE, CUT THE SHOW, I’M DONE!!!!!!!!!! like who gives a fuck about ur ex’s “trust”, i’m spilling the beans immediately and winning back my mans, josh’s feelings would be the furthest thing from my mind!!!!! like you genuinely care more about ur ex’s feelings rn???? why do your loyalties lie with ur EX over ur current boyfriend, the man ur in love with!? ur boyfriend is more important and valuable than ur ex’s secret cancer!!!!!
heath storms out and declan just stays where he is bc he thinks anything he says right now will make it worse and heath isn’t in the mood to hear it anyway. plus declan thinks “there’s a little part of me that’s kind of angry at him. Shouldn’t he know I’d never hurt him like that? Shouldn’t he just know?” HUHUHH HUH UUHHUHHH!?!?!!?!?!??!!?!?!!!!!!! i want declan dead. i want him 6 feet under. he needs to be below the surface of earth for me to have any peace bc WHAT!!!!!!!!!! you’ve literally already hurt him like that!!!!!!!! i…….i am speechless…….mans needs a serious bonk on the head…..you literally kissed your ex. period. point blank. there is no explanation that makes that right. i’m flabbergasted, this man really thinks he did nothing wrong🤯 JAIL!!!!!!!!! PRISON!!!!!!!! INCARCERATION!!!!!!!!!!!!
no one checks declan for making a huge MISTAKE either…..anyone who hears declan’s side of the story should be 1. decking his ass and 2. keeping it real and telling him he’s a supreme fuck up, this is entirely HIS fault, he’s a complete and total dumbass, he needs to tell heath EVERYTHING, then he needs to get on his knees and BEG for his LIFE until his skin is blistered……where is the common sense here ?????
oh but it gets WORSE……declan gets a text from josh saying he’s all clear, he’s not dying, and declan can tell his family and heath……sooooo, declan runs to explain to heath right???? no, he thinks:
“It’s a relief to have the all clear, but I’ve already decided I’m not going to tell Heath yet. I’m not going to go running after him and explain the misunderstanding. This—whether he can trust me, whether he thinks what we have is worth fighting for—is something he needs to figure out on his own.”
*nate jacobs voice* WHHHHHHAAATTT THE FUUUUCKKKKKK!!!!!!! WHAT THE FUCK IS WRONG WITH YOU!!!!!!
i instantly blacked out in anger at this part. that is genuinely the craziest thing i’ve ever heard. YOU kiss your ex, YOU fuck up, YOU lie/omit info, and you think the move is to sit back on ur ass and WAIT for heath to come to YOU?????????????????????????????? LETHAL INJECTION!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
so what’s heath doing in the aftermath??? getting the WORST advice ever from his loved ones😭😭😭😭 his sister is all like there must be some explanation, declan’s not a cheater, he wouldn’t hurt you, what you guys had was real, etc……his grandpa…..lord i need a fucking cigarette….this is the convo heath has with his grandpa:
“He…he kissed someone else,” I say quietly, my chest tightening at the words.
“Oh, is that all?”
My eyes widen. “What do you mean ‘is that all’? He cheated on me, Gramps!”
“Oh, I didn’t realize you were in eighth grade.”
“Grandpa…”
He fixes me with a stern look and I find it impossible to hold his gaze. “What’s the real issue here, Heath? You can’t expect me to believe you’ve thrown this amazing thing away over one little kiss.”
ummmmmmm excuse?????????????!!!!!!!!!!!!! like this must be a joke……..like ur playing in my face this can’t be real……plus grandpa’s parting wisdom? heath can’t just run away at the first sign of trouble………🫥🫥🫥i need a gun, someone give me a gun
heath takes grandpa’s words to heart (instead of erasing them from memory like he should) and goes to declan’s family’s house to talk to him. he walks in to see the whole fam barbecuing plus……..no……it can’t be……yes……..JOSH, back from the dead, and sitting down next to declan…….😐😐😐😐 y’all………i am exhausted😐😐😐😐 heath turns around to leave bc HELLO wtf!!!! but is stopped. heath is all like oh i should go, i don’t wanna intrude, you are josh are obviously [together]…..to which declan is all like omg no i’m not getting back with josh, our families are just close, i love YOU, “This past week has been the fucking worst. All I wanted to do was call you or come over or stop by the bar, but I know you, and I knew I needed to give you space to figure things out on your own. And now you’re here, and please, please can we just forget what happened and go back to how things were?” and apparently heath is so dickmatized by hearing the words “i love you”, he forgets to have basic self respect. the following convo occurs:
“I love you too, by the way,” [Heath] manages to get out through heavy breaths once we finally break apart. “I just…got scared.”
“I know. And I’m sorry for scaring you. I’ll explain everything, I promise. But right now I just really fucking need to be inside you.”
“Fuck, yes.”
someone euthanize me!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!😵💫😵💫😵💫😵💫😵💫😵💫😵💫😵💫😵💫 NO EXPLANATION AND YOU’VE TAKEN HIM BACK AND ARE ON UR WAY INSIDE TO FUCK???????????? i know what you’re thinking……perfect time to bareback for the first time right???😒😒😒😒😒😒 well the author thinks so……the author also thinks that immediately after they fuck is the perfect time to get engaged with the weakest proposal i’ve ever seen:
“This is it, baby. You and me, forever.”
“Was that a proposal?”
The wry grin tells me he’s joking, but as soon as I hear that word I know in my bones it’s exactly what I want. Heath is mine and I want the entire world to know it. “Do you want it to be?”
His eyes lock with mine in the mirror, the levity of a moment ago gone. “Do I want to be your husband and spend the rest of our lives together? Of course I fucking do!”
😵💫😵💫😵💫😵💫😵💫 heath, babe, have you ever heard of the bare minimum?? no?? yea, okay, didn’t think so. bc this isn’t even bare minimum. plus this is accidental proposal. and there’s STILL no explanation from declan…….sigh…..and we don’t even get an ON PAGE explanation😭😭😭😭😭😭 it literally goes to the epilogue after this “proposal”😐😐😐
certainly there can’t be anymore fuck shit in the epilogue right?? *buzzer sound* WRONG……heath and declan have been engaged for a month now, but declan keeps insisting that they need a better, classier, family friendly proposal story. “And considering [Declan] asked last time, it’s up to me to do the honors this time round.”😦
first of all, “asked” is a bit of an overstatement. second, i’m actually crying bc u mean to tell me that declan somehow convinced and conned u into redoing the proposal in front of all of your friends and family and making YOU propose?????💀💀💀💀 you are actually helpless.
this is the best we get regarding the explanation:
“I felt like the biggest asshole on the planet when I learned what had been going on with [Josh]—dude was going through some seriously scary shit and I got all crazy and insecure because Dec was just being a good friend.”
i……..am. in. HELL.!!!!!!!!!!! what in the gaslighting is going awwnnnn here😵💫😵💫😵💫😵💫
crazy and insecure??????😦😦😦😦
Just😦
Being😦
A😦
Good😦
Friend😦
???????????😦😦😦😦
you’re taking the piss!!!!!!!!!!!!……..this is like……jaw dropping, heinous, truly, truly, EVIL, alternate dimension type shit…..my eyes MUST be deceiving me bc AIN’T. NO. WAY.
before the third act catastrophe, i would’ve given this four stars. it was entertaining and funny and very goofy, very unserious. but after the way you’ve destroyed my sanity, 1 star. i have suffered.
heath- seek help baby, everyone you know is ur opp
declan- perish
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
February 26, 2020
⋰⋱⋰⋱⋰⋱*PLEASENTLY SURPRISED*⋰⋱⋰⋱⋰⋱
Okay, I have to be honest - this book was adorable. I truly liked it. Sure, I didn't love it - had it had more depth, then maybe - but it was a really enjoyable, fast forward and cute read. I flew - is that the right word for it? - through it in one go with no breaks whatsoever, not even to hit the bathroom. I didn't wanna stop until I was done, and when I was done I didn't want it to stop. I wanted more. It actually reminded me a bit of Alessandra Hazard 's series Straight Guys, and you know I'm obsessed with that series, so this is a good thing. I kinda want to a book with Shay and his best friend now. Though I'm guessing that won't happen and there's another love-interest for them both as I sneak peaked on the blurb for book two. That said, the book was awesome, funny and had me smiling like a fool. It was a good choice for me to read right now. I liked, I definitely did.
The Characters:
The list is a bit long, so I put it in a spoilers tag.
Quick basic facts:
Genre: - (New Adult?) Contemporary Romance (M/M)
Series: - Series (Standalone?), Book One.
Love triangle? -
Cheating? -
HEA? -
Favorite character? - Declan ‘Dec’ Joseph Kelly.
Would I read more by this author/or of series? - Yes.
Would I recommend this book/series? - Yes.
Will I read this again in the future? - Who knows.
Rating - 3.5/4 stars.
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February 7, 2022
MM Romance
Fake Relationship
2.5 WTF stars ⭐️
This had the potential to be the cutest book. Two best friends of 10+ years pretending to be together for a few months and falling in love. Pair that with a bi-awakening and I’m swooning and I totally was until I wasn’t! WTF was this author thinking?? So disappointing!!!
I’ve been reading this author’s Goode’s series and have really enjoyed it. I thought I’d give this one a whirl while I await the next book and it has some of the same elements like the chat app, the big family and the OTT humor which I loved. What I didn’t love was Declan’s ex Josh making an odd request and Declan going along with it. Heath finds out and doesn’t take it well. I thought for sure Declan would grovel but he acts like he did nothing wrong. Even Heath apologizes when it wasn’t his fault! WTF 🤬 Even when it’s “resolved”, there were no sorries, just a bathroom hookup with a weird proposal.
To be fair, I was not a fan of the first book in the Goode series either but was happy I forged ahead. I will NOT be exploring this series further because cheating is a dealbreaker for me especially when Heath had been cheated on in a past relationship. That’s why these two idiots are even pretending in the first place! So just no. I cannot.
Fake Relationship
2.5 WTF stars ⭐️
This had the potential to be the cutest book. Two best friends of 10+ years pretending to be together for a few months and falling in love. Pair that with a bi-awakening and I’m swooning and I totally was until I wasn’t! WTF was this author thinking?? So disappointing!!!
I’ve been reading this author’s Goode’s series and have really enjoyed it. I thought I’d give this one a whirl while I await the next book and it has some of the same elements like the chat app, the big family and the OTT humor which I loved. What I didn’t love was Declan’s ex Josh making an odd request and Declan going along with it. Heath finds out and doesn’t take it well. I thought for sure Declan would grovel but he acts like he did nothing wrong. Even Heath apologizes when it wasn’t his fault! WTF 🤬 Even when it’s “resolved”, there were no sorries, just a bathroom hookup with a weird proposal.
To be fair, I was not a fan of the first book in the Goode series either but was happy I forged ahead. I will NOT be exploring this series further because cheating is a dealbreaker for me especially when Heath had been cheated on in a past relationship. That’s why these two idiots are even pretending in the first place! So just no. I cannot.
April 13, 2020
*2,5 stars*
I’m afraid this one didn’t gel with me.
I can see what the author is trying to do (a light-hearted friends-to-lovers romance) but for me, there's too much that doesn’t quite work.
- Both guys come across much younger than they are.
- Their banter didn’t make me chuckle even once.
- I was missing some real feels.
- There are too many Kellys (11 siblings, if I remember correctly. Clearly the author is setting these up for the series.) My head started swimming at all the names.
- There are editing problems.
- The problem between Declan and Heath in the last third of the book is just there for the plot’s sake – it doesn’t make sense what happens.
Basically, I started skimming at 17% and just tuned in for one or the other chapter before the end. But nothing really grabbed me. It all felt as if I'd heard it somewhere before.
I’m sure other people will enjoy this way more than me.
I’m afraid this one didn’t gel with me.
I can see what the author is trying to do (a light-hearted friends-to-lovers romance) but for me, there's too much that doesn’t quite work.
- Both guys come across much younger than they are.
- Their banter didn’t make me chuckle even once.
- I was missing some real feels.
- There are too many Kellys (11 siblings, if I remember correctly. Clearly the author is setting these up for the series.) My head started swimming at all the names.
- There are editing problems.
- The problem between Declan and Heath in the last third of the book is just there for the plot’s sake – it doesn’t make sense what happens.
Basically, I started skimming at 17% and just tuned in for one or the other chapter before the end. But nothing really grabbed me. It all felt as if I'd heard it somewhere before.
I’m sure other people will enjoy this way more than me.
October 20, 2021
the blurb summarizes it perfectly: Boy meets girl, girl breaks boy’s heart, boy pretends to be gay to get back at girl, girl outs boy to everyone on Facebook…
i LOVE the fake relationship trope even if the plot is oftentimes predictable (not me reading the same thing a gazillion times 🤪). combined with the friends-to-lovers trope, it was a solid 3 star read even with the instalove/lust.
what had my enjoyment take a nosedive, though, was The Big Misunderstanding toward the end of the book. ngl my tolerance for underdeveloped (and often unnecessary) latter half drama over the past year has whittled down to this 🤏 so it's no wonder i was rolling my eyes and thinking here we go again. i probably still could've rounded up had the author navigated the conflict differently but no dice.
⚠️ DUCK!!! 🦆 SPOILERS INCOMING!!!! ⚠️
.
.
.
Heath (the guy who turns out to be not as straight as he thought) runs into Declan (his gay bff) and Declan's ex Josh hugging out in the open and assumes that they're back together even though Declan's only there to provide Josh emotional support over a medical scare. but having been dealt a major blow courtesy of his ex-gf cheating on him before, Heath is shaken to the core.
the thing is, Declan's been sneaking around to meet with Josh on multiple occasions and continually avoids telling Heath the truth, instead choosing to blatantly lie to his face about it. it's no wonder Heath assumes the worst.
when they confront each other after the incident, Declan brings up a kiss (yes, there was also a kiss that Josh randomly asks for and Declan grants his wish because there's nothing between them anymore so it's no biggie 🤷🏻♀️) that Heath didn't witness, and Heath is understandably DONE.
the worst part about this whole fiasco is that Heath is made out to be the one overreacting when Declan clearly contributed a large share of deceit and bad decisions 🙄 tbh Declan should've been the one groveling his patootie off, yet he keeps his distance to let Heath calm down and even Heath's grandpa reprimands him like "but it was just a kiss? what's the big deal?" ....i have no words.
fast forward to make up sex and a proposal right after to seal the deal 🎆🎆
i'm done 💀
i LOVE the fake relationship trope even if the plot is oftentimes predictable (not me reading the same thing a gazillion times 🤪). combined with the friends-to-lovers trope, it was a solid 3 star read even with the instalove/lust.
what had my enjoyment take a nosedive, though, was The Big Misunderstanding toward the end of the book. ngl my tolerance for underdeveloped (and often unnecessary) latter half drama over the past year has whittled down to this 🤏 so it's no wonder i was rolling my eyes and thinking here we go again. i probably still could've rounded up had the author navigated the conflict differently but no dice.
⚠️ DUCK!!! 🦆 SPOILERS INCOMING!!!! ⚠️
.
.
.
Heath (the guy who turns out to be not as straight as he thought) runs into Declan (his gay bff) and Declan's ex Josh hugging out in the open and assumes that they're back together even though Declan's only there to provide Josh emotional support over a medical scare. but having been dealt a major blow courtesy of his ex-gf cheating on him before, Heath is shaken to the core.
the thing is, Declan's been sneaking around to meet with Josh on multiple occasions and continually avoids telling Heath the truth, instead choosing to blatantly lie to his face about it. it's no wonder Heath assumes the worst.
when they confront each other after the incident, Declan brings up a kiss (yes, there was also a kiss that Josh randomly asks for and Declan grants his wish because there's nothing between them anymore so it's no biggie 🤷🏻♀️) that Heath didn't witness, and Heath is understandably DONE.
the worst part about this whole fiasco is that Heath is made out to be the one overreacting when Declan clearly contributed a large share of deceit and bad decisions 🙄 tbh Declan should've been the one groveling his patootie off, yet he keeps his distance to let Heath calm down and even Heath's grandpa reprimands him like "but it was just a kiss? what's the big deal?" ....i have no words.
fast forward to make up sex and a proposal right after to seal the deal 🎆🎆
i'm done 💀
October 23, 2021
⭐⭐⭐⭐ 3.5/5
August 20, 2022
4.5 ⭐️ Im not huge fan of best friends to lovers but the best part about it is that comfort level between the characters to blurt out anything and everything they are thinking to each other. Bonus points when they are characters that are confident/secure with themselves and their relationship. This book did that perfectly. (See highlights) After reading two of this author’s books now, I am also convinced Isla Olsen is the queen of building relationship progression through text conversation.
Best friends to lovers
Fake dating
Bi-awakening
Large fun family dynamics
No angst
I ♥️ Heath
Best friends to lovers
Fake dating
Bi-awakening
Large fun family dynamics
No angst
I ♥️ Heath
June 25, 2020
The synopsis of this book is really realistic, it says everything you need to know about what to expect from this book.
I really like the fake boyfriend theme, the book is super cute, I was about to read this book for a few months but I postponed it because I wanted to see if it came out on audibook, as it didn't seem like it was going to happen, I ended up reading it " the old way "!
The book is super fun, right at the beginning we are introduced to Heath (strange name i guess) and we see that he is a womanizer, later (not much later, in the next chapter) we learn that he is like that because he had his heart broken because his ex cheated on him with another man. So we met Declan, he's Heath's best friend and he's gay, when they meet Heath's ex at a cafe by chance, Heath can't help himself when he sees that his ex girlfriend is engaged and says that he's dating Declan (which seemed a bit silly but ...)
She puts a post about them being in a relationship on facebook and because Heath doesn't want to confess to his ex that it was a lie and ask her to remove the post he pretends that he's really dating Dec.
And as we all know it always goes wrong, right?
Maybe not ...
Rating: 4 Stars.
Steam: 6.5 out of 10.
Triggers:
Love Triangle:
Cheating:
HEA:
I really like the fake boyfriend theme, the book is super cute, I was about to read this book for a few months but I postponed it because I wanted to see if it came out on audibook, as it didn't seem like it was going to happen, I ended up reading it " the old way "!
The book is super fun, right at the beginning we are introduced to Heath (strange name i guess) and we see that he is a womanizer, later (not much later, in the next chapter) we learn that he is like that because he had his heart broken because his ex cheated on him with another man. So we met Declan, he's Heath's best friend and he's gay, when they meet Heath's ex at a cafe by chance, Heath can't help himself when he sees that his ex girlfriend is engaged and says that he's dating Declan (which seemed a bit silly but ...)
She puts a post about them being in a relationship on facebook and because Heath doesn't want to confess to his ex that it was a lie and ask her to remove the post he pretends that he's really dating Dec.
And as we all know it always goes wrong, right?
Maybe not ...
Rating: 4 Stars.
Steam: 6.5 out of 10.
Triggers:
Love Triangle:
Cheating:
HEA:
February 23, 2020
2 stars
This was a cute, but forgettable story, that was enjoyable to read until about 80% in. I liked the characters, and I love out-for-you stories, so I was enjoying myself.
THEN, Declan’s ex Josh is scared about some results from a medical test regarding cancer, so Declan (who has been supporting Josh emotionally and meeting up with him without telling Heath) and Josh kiss because Josh “hasn’t been kissed in awhile.” WHAT?! But don’t worry everyone, it’s ok because Josh might have cancer, and there were no fireworks.
Heath finds out and is appropriately upset, especially considering cheating is a huge no-no for him, and part of the reason the fake relationship began in the first place.
Then somehow, Heath comes crawling back to Declan...they don’t even talk out what happened, all of a sudden they’re banging in the bathroom at a family BBQ and get engaged?!
I hated it.
This was a cute, but forgettable story, that was enjoyable to read until about 80% in. I liked the characters, and I love out-for-you stories, so I was enjoying myself.
THEN, Declan’s ex Josh is scared about some results from a medical test regarding cancer, so Declan (who has been supporting Josh emotionally and meeting up with him without telling Heath) and Josh kiss because Josh “hasn’t been kissed in awhile.” WHAT?! But don’t worry everyone, it’s ok because Josh might have cancer, and there were no fireworks.
Heath finds out and is appropriately upset, especially considering cheating is a huge no-no for him, and part of the reason the fake relationship began in the first place.
Then somehow, Heath comes crawling back to Declan...they don’t even talk out what happened, all of a sudden they’re banging in the bathroom at a family BBQ and get engaged?!
I hated it.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
May 20, 2020
4 Funny-lighthearted-surprised Stars!! 🤩💕My first book by this author and I am pleasantly surprised by how much I laughed. Since I didn't go in with a lot of expectations, I enjoyed the crazy plot (best friends-to-lovers/fake boyfriend-to-lovers/gay-for-you💞); large family shenanigans, funny texts and situations.. and the sizzling hot steam😉🔥. All in all this was a quick read with no angst (except for one teeny-tiny misunderstanding towards the tail end of the book) I enjoyed the fact that it had no heavy emotion or deeper message in the story.. because sometimes you just want a fun distraction from all the heaviness around you.. and this is just the book to do it. Highly recommended!! 👍👍
December 4, 2020
Audio 4.5 Stars
Story 4 Stars
Story 4 Stars
September 13, 2020
*4.50 Stars*
This is totally cheesy and corny. And I loved every second of it.
When a book makes me smile and giggle from the very first page I can't help but go with all the ridiculousness.
All the well loved MM tropes here for the taking.
Fake Boyfriend, GFY/BI, insta love, friend-to-lover, big-misunderstanding, big overly involved family, extra-steamy can't take my hands off of you, OTT HEA. All wrapped up with some good humor and banter.
This is very much a low-angst & feel good read. Very entertaining. Leave any realism and believability at the door folks, this is pure insta love and all fun.
Will I remember this story tomorrow, nope, but it was a perfect escape.
Highly recommend!
This is totally cheesy and corny. And I loved every second of it.
When a book makes me smile and giggle from the very first page I can't help but go with all the ridiculousness.
All the well loved MM tropes here for the taking.
Fake Boyfriend, GFY/BI, insta love, friend-to-lover, big-misunderstanding, big overly involved family, extra-steamy can't take my hands off of you, OTT HEA. All wrapped up with some good humor and banter.
This is very much a low-angst & feel good read. Very entertaining. Leave any realism and believability at the door folks, this is pure insta love and all fun.
Will I remember this story tomorrow, nope, but it was a perfect escape.
Highly recommend!
September 28, 2020
that totally blindsided
80% of sweet and fluffy, funny & feel-good, big happy families and just all round cutypatooti
For 80% of that up there
then
(((((((WHAM)))))))
secrets, lies, kissing of exes, anger, hurt, betrayal
WHY?
because plot conveniences
because after 10 years of closeness, with not one ounce of negativity between them during this decade, hero 2 now decides to have secret meet ups with his ex bf (who confides in him that he has cancer. a condition which hero 2 decides he’ll keep to himself)
because hero 2 lies to hero 1 about one of these meet ups
because hero 2 decides to oblige ex with a sweet kiss and a deep meaningful moment to ensure that, without words, the ex knows hero 2 cares and supports him
because cupping your hand around your ex’s cheek, pulling him closer to you and having your lips meet his in a soft kiss is CHEATING when you’re in committed relationship (according to my romantic heart)
because it doesn’t matter WHY you kiss someone else, (unless you’re being held at gunpoint) kissing anyone other than your partner in any other way than innocently, is cheating. the reason for this kiss is NOT innocent, no matter what his intentions are
because H2 feels he doesn't have to explain the misunderstanding to H1 since H1 should figure out, by himself, if he can trust H2 or not
because the "injured party" is made out to be the asshole
because the ex’s situation is not his story to tell hence H1 hasn’t been given any reasons for these compromising situations
because because because – so many more becauses
but mostly:
because when H1 decides to trust H2, & goes to H2’s family home to see him, he finds H2 with the ex AND ex’s family (cos their families are suddenly close like that) all cosy and sweet-like
but even mostly mostly MOSTLY
because there is. Not. A. Single Apology. no forgiveness is asked for. no grovel to speak of
then they live happily ever after
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
February 28, 2020
3.5 Stars
Fake It ‘til You Make Out is catnip for me. I heard fake relationship and pounced on that buy button with a big ‘ole grin on my face. Pretend relationships always have huge potential for sexiness. I can't resist! :)
Heath Caplin and Declan Kelly have been best friends for years. They’re there for each other for fun and favors and more. So much more! When Heath bumps into the ex who broke his heart, he grabs his best friend’s hand and sets off a whirlwind of lies and pretending that turns both of their worlds upside down. With laughs and light hearted fun, we watch as Declan and Heath begin to see each other in whole new ways.
“So…on a scale of one to ten, one being a completely normal situation for best friends to find themselves in, ten being the opposite—where does grabbing my junk fit in?”
Now with ruses like this you really just have to have fun with the whole thing. And Ms. Olsen does just that. A couple of too fast or maybe too soon parts pulled me out of the story, but overall I just had fun. I loved the banter between Heath and Declan and their families. Their families added huge heart to this story, which I adored. The Kelly family text-fests made me laugh out loud. I can’t wait for more! I loved the whole family, but Shay Kelly piqued my interest for sure. And Heath’s Grandpa was perfect! Haha…He had the best lines.
“Forget about all the labels. The only thing you need to work out right now is what do you want? What will make you happy? Focus on that and the rest will work itself out.”
I’m so happy I stumbled across this low angst, fake relationship read filled with likeable characters, cute dogs, and lots of laughs and love. Thank goodness for goodreads! Now I have a new series and author to stalk. I can’t wait for more from Isla Olsen.
Recommended.
November 29, 2020
5 stars audio and story!!!! Wish it was longer!!!! Loved loved loved. Hope the rest of the books in this series go on audio. 😍😍😍😍
May 10, 2024
Reread - 5/2023
Surprisingly I actually enjoy this much more during this reread. Is short, fun and sexy, eventhough everything seems to move very fast and resolve very quickly.
1st read - 5/2020
This book is funny and cute in a way. Both Heath and Declan are best friends who decided to be fake boyfriends because of reason explained in the blurb. This fake bf angle is a bit different from all the other fake relationship I read because Health and Declan are really just friends, no one is pining over the other. I find it hilarious from the way they plan out the whole shebang to fool their families.
Oh yeah, Declan has 11 siblings and there is no way I can keep track of any of them besides of the oldest gay brother and Aidan who stayed with Declan. Reading their family text messages is both amusing and confusing.
When it comes to romance, the feeling and chemistry is outmost important for me and I just don't feel much between these two. They seems like two bro having fun sexy times when they get turned on by each other. To me, their relationship is take it or leave it, I don't find myself rooting for their HEA. And the way they speak and behaves feel like two frat boys to me eventhough Heath used to have a successful career and he saved up quite a dough. There was a minor drama due to misunderstanding, which I'm totally okay but not satisfied with the way how it is handle. I prefer some rightful groveling and grand gesture.
Surprisingly I actually enjoy this much more during this reread. Is short, fun and sexy, eventhough everything seems to move very fast and resolve very quickly.
1st read - 5/2020
This book is funny and cute in a way. Both Heath and Declan are best friends who decided to be fake boyfriends because of reason explained in the blurb. This fake bf angle is a bit different from all the other fake relationship I read because Health and Declan are really just friends, no one is pining over the other. I find it hilarious from the way they plan out the whole shebang to fool their families.
Oh yeah, Declan has 11 siblings and there is no way I can keep track of any of them besides of the oldest gay brother and Aidan who stayed with Declan. Reading their family text messages is both amusing and confusing.
When it comes to romance, the feeling and chemistry is outmost important for me and I just don't feel much between these two. They seems like two bro having fun sexy times when they get turned on by each other. To me, their relationship is take it or leave it, I don't find myself rooting for their HEA. And the way they speak and behaves feel like two frat boys to me eventhough Heath used to have a successful career and he saved up quite a dough. There was a minor drama due to misunderstanding, which I'm totally okay but not satisfied with the way how it is handle. I prefer some rightful groveling and grand gesture.
March 29, 2020
This is the second "fake boyfriend" book I've read this week that didn't have an initial attraction by either guy before the game started, and they've been besties for ten years. And lived together for four.
Again, I don't know if I like this or not.
It for sure makes the believability way less believable, but also makes the discovery a little more fun? Maybe?
I won't get into too much, because overall it was cute and I definitely want to read the next one, but I wouldn't go into this expecting perfection, more fancy.
I didn't notice any of the non-American phrases like some of the ARC reviewers but I did notice the italics vs. quotes and oh, can it be come or cum not both? I personally prefer come.
Cute story and super cute HEA.
Again, I don't know if I like this or not.
It for sure makes the believability way less believable, but also makes the discovery a little more fun? Maybe?
I won't get into too much, because overall it was cute and I definitely want to read the next one, but I wouldn't go into this expecting perfection, more fancy.
I didn't notice any of the non-American phrases like some of the ARC reviewers but I did notice the italics vs. quotes and oh, can it be come or cum not both? I personally prefer come.
Cute story and super cute HEA.
October 24, 2020
Loved this! 👏❤️👏❤️
This was funny, cute, sexy 🔥🔥 and just what I needed to read (listen to) in these crazy times! Fake boyfriend & bi-awakening: two of my favorite tropes!
Is the premise under which the guys come together believable? No, but who cares? This was so much fun to read!
Read the blurb, read other reviews & then read the book!
Another plus: a SUMPTUOUS performance by Joel Leslie!
My rec? Hell yes!
This was funny, cute, sexy 🔥🔥 and just what I needed to read (listen to) in these crazy times! Fake boyfriend & bi-awakening: two of my favorite tropes!
Is the premise under which the guys come together believable? No, but who cares? This was so much fun to read!
Read the blurb, read other reviews & then read the book!
Another plus: a SUMPTUOUS performance by Joel Leslie!
My rec? Hell yes!
May 25, 2021
UPDATE: Audiobook review on May 24, 2021
I can't believe I am going to say this but listening to this audiobook was torture. I liked it better when I read it.
Joel Leslie performance was OTT , exaggerated and annoying. Telenovela style dramatic. It was just too much.
ORIGINAL: E-book review on Jan 21, 2020
Hilarious and Sexy Romp
Fake it 'till You Make Out had me laughing from the start!
This is a hysterically funny , utterly ridiculous , steamy, friends to lovers, Insta-lust, Insta-love, first time gay, GFY, fake boyfriend , MM romance story with a delightfully HEA and 2 delicious epilogues. And just the right and colorful story to cheer me up and get me out of my head.
I liked Declan and Heath. Liked their effortless friendship , witty, ridiculous and snarky banter, hot AF chemistry and sexy times . Their social media shenanigans , their sexting and overall interaction was amusing and endearing. I love their love for each other , their caring , wacky family and friends.
#KU #Kindle #FakeItTillYouMakeOut #IslaOlsen #GRR #Read2020 #LoveIsLove
I can't believe I am going to say this but listening to this audiobook was torture. I liked it better when I read it.
Joel Leslie performance was OTT , exaggerated and annoying. Telenovela style dramatic. It was just too much.
ORIGINAL: E-book review on Jan 21, 2020
Hilarious and Sexy Romp
Fake it 'till You Make Out had me laughing from the start!
This is a hysterically funny , utterly ridiculous , steamy, friends to lovers, Insta-lust, Insta-love, first time gay, GFY, fake boyfriend , MM romance story with a delightfully HEA and 2 delicious epilogues. And just the right and colorful story to cheer me up and get me out of my head.
I liked Declan and Heath. Liked their effortless friendship , witty, ridiculous and snarky banter, hot AF chemistry and sexy times . Their social media shenanigans , their sexting and overall interaction was amusing and endearing. I love their love for each other , their caring , wacky family and friends.
#KU #Kindle #FakeItTillYouMakeOut #IslaOlsen #GRR #Read2020 #LoveIsLove
Read
July 21, 20202.5/5
Sigh. I am so sad.
Actually, thinking about it, I might be devastated even (Yes, dramatic much? I am aware ). But I really enjoyed this story at first. And I really needed to love a book after the frustrating amount of mediocrity I have gone through lately.
I mean, sure, the story had its fair share of flaws, but it was FUN. And I wanted to give it 4 stars, just based on my enjoyment, not the actual quality of the plot (which, let's be real, was not original by any means)
And it's probably because I lowered my expectations after reading the blurb that I liked it so much. Going in, I knew full well that this will definitely be OTT and ridiculous, which it was. And yet, it was still so entertaining, so lighthearted and even hot.
BUT then the thing at around 77% happened... UGH...
Why, dear author? Oh, why? Why did you decide that it was a good idea to RUIN a perfectly fun read with the most overused misunderstandings trope in history?
I should be able to get past it, but I can't. It just hit me out of the blue. I was expecting a misunderstanding, sure. I mean, we were at this crucial point in the story and no drama has happened yet. GASP. Almost unheard of......
But this kind of misunderstanding still caught me off guard. I did not expect Josh's question, and just couldn't wrap my head around the reasoning behind it? Nah. And of course, he had to get caught. Ugh.
Following that great misunderstanding, we get - of course, what else could it be - no communication whatsoever (which is just so sad, given that they had GREAT communication when they started their fake relationship). No Declan running after Heath and explaining himself. Nope. Instead, we have a week of waiting, and finally Heath running to Declan. I mean, DUH, it was Heath's fault after all... as his gramps says, "It was just a kiss. No biggie"..... NOPE
Have I mentioned the proposal? Yeah, that was classy too . ..
So what's the conclusion of this (admittedly) very dramatic review? It's still enjoyable, and I'd still tentatively recommend it. Just don't expect the plot to be of any quality, and if you can do that, you have a very fun read coming.
(I will be reading the rest of the series....)
Sigh. I am so sad.
Actually, thinking about it, I might be devastated even (Yes, dramatic much? I am aware ). But I really enjoyed this story at first. And I really needed to love a book after the frustrating amount of mediocrity I have gone through lately.
I mean, sure, the story had its fair share of flaws, but it was FUN. And I wanted to give it 4 stars, just based on my enjoyment, not the actual quality of the plot (which, let's be real, was not original by any means)
And it's probably because I lowered my expectations after reading the blurb that I liked it so much. Going in, I knew full well that this will definitely be OTT and ridiculous, which it was. And yet, it was still so entertaining, so lighthearted and even hot.
BUT then the thing at around 77% happened... UGH...
Why, dear author? Oh, why? Why did you decide that it was a good idea to RUIN a perfectly fun read with the most overused misunderstandings trope in history?
I should be able to get past it, but I can't. It just hit me out of the blue. I was expecting a misunderstanding, sure. I mean, we were at this crucial point in the story and no drama has happened yet. GASP. Almost unheard of......
But this kind of misunderstanding still caught me off guard. I did not expect Josh's question, and just couldn't wrap my head around the reasoning behind it? Nah. And of course, he had to get caught. Ugh.
Following that great misunderstanding, we get - of course, what else could it be - no communication whatsoever (which is just so sad, given that they had GREAT communication when they started their fake relationship). No Declan running after Heath and explaining himself. Nope. Instead, we have a week of waiting, and finally Heath running to Declan. I mean, DUH, it was Heath's fault after all... as his gramps says, "It was just a kiss. No biggie"..... NOPE
Have I mentioned the proposal? Yeah, that was classy too . ..
So what's the conclusion of this (admittedly) very dramatic review? It's still enjoyable, and I'd still tentatively recommend it. Just don't expect the plot to be of any quality, and if you can do that, you have a very fun read coming.
(I will be reading the rest of the series....)
May 17, 2020
I am stupidly fond of the Fake Boyfriend trope, and when the MCs start off as Besties? Even better.
This was funny, sexy and romantic; loved that there was so little angsting over exploring sexuality. I probably would have given this 4.5 stars but that Big Misunderstanding was a bit of a disappointment (please, authors, stop doing this) and the italics used for thought AND dialogue was confusing.
That said, I'm totally on board for other books in this series. We get some vague hints about two new couples there in the epilogue (there were a several of those; oddly enough I didn't mind that this time around) and I'm eager to see who Owen and Shay get paired up with!
This was funny, sexy and romantic; loved that there was so little angsting over exploring sexuality. I probably would have given this 4.5 stars but that Big Misunderstanding was a bit of a disappointment (please, authors, stop doing this) and the italics used for thought AND dialogue was confusing.
That said, I'm totally on board for other books in this series. We get some vague hints about two new couples there in the epilogue (there were a several of those; oddly enough I didn't mind that this time around) and I'm eager to see who Owen and Shay get paired up with!
August 24, 2022
Yeah, no. 👎
Can't believe I was up until 3am reading this, only to be totally and completely disappointed towards the end. 😐
❌Cheating
🌼Bi - awakening
Here's the story.
Heath and Declan are best friends, have been for 10 years.
Declan is gay, Heath is straight. They're both around 28 years old.
Heath had a serious relationship where his girlfriend cheated on him and left.
When he sees her again, he fakes his romantic relationship with Declan.
They both convince everyone that it's real, until they start messing around and it actually becomes real.
✨✨✨✨✨
Up until this point I was really invested.
The downfall comes when Declan gets entangled into a serious slip off with Josh, his ex.
Josh has cancer and even though he doesn't want to, Declan takes time and talks to the guy. Fine, okay, but he keeps it a secret from Heath. And not only that, Josh asks him if he can have one more kiss, even though he knows Declan has a boyfriend and Declan then actually kisses him.
It's amazing how the author tried to play this out by Declan being such a good soul, helping dogs and kissing ex's when they presumably have terminal disease, and how Heath, having an ex doing that same shit to him - lying and cheating - eventually ends up with Declan, even though it's practically the SAME THING as it was with Heath's ex. Same thing. Lying and cheating.
You can't cover it up with sex and proposals.
🔵It's cheating.🔵
That kiss changed the whole narrative and I'm really sad the author did this to one of the MC's.
Can't believe I was up until 3am reading this, only to be totally and completely disappointed towards the end. 😐
❌Cheating
🌼Bi - awakening
Here's the story.
Heath and Declan are best friends, have been for 10 years.
Declan is gay, Heath is straight. They're both around 28 years old.
Heath had a serious relationship where his girlfriend cheated on him and left.
When he sees her again, he fakes his romantic relationship with Declan.
They both convince everyone that it's real, until they start messing around and it actually becomes real.
✨✨✨✨✨
Up until this point I was really invested.
The downfall comes when Declan gets entangled into a serious slip off with Josh, his ex.
Josh has cancer and even though he doesn't want to, Declan takes time and talks to the guy. Fine, okay, but he keeps it a secret from Heath. And not only that, Josh asks him if he can have one more kiss, even though he knows Declan has a boyfriend and Declan then actually kisses him.
It's amazing how the author tried to play this out by Declan being such a good soul, helping dogs and kissing ex's when they presumably have terminal disease, and how Heath, having an ex doing that same shit to him - lying and cheating - eventually ends up with Declan, even though it's practically the SAME THING as it was with Heath's ex. Same thing. Lying and cheating.
You can't cover it up with sex and proposals.
🔵It's cheating.🔵
That kiss changed the whole narrative and I'm really sad the author did this to one of the MC's.
July 4, 2020
It’s funny but I read the second book first. I thought I had read this book because one of the main characters had the name of Declan. That’s an unusual name for me and I had just read another book with a main character of that name.
Anyway, I hate that the author has to pull that tired old break up right before you get back together at the end. It’s so old it just makes me roll my eyes. I knew it was going to happen in the book ( from reading other reviews) and I decided to just let it go.
Anyway, this was a much used storyline, but I loved this one. It took an old theme and made it fresh. This time I really enjoyed the story and plan to read everything else in this series. I love the Kelly family.
Anyway, I hate that the author has to pull that tired old break up right before you get back together at the end. It’s so old it just makes me roll my eyes. I knew it was going to happen in the book ( from reading other reviews) and I decided to just let it go.
Anyway, this was a much used storyline, but I loved this one. It took an old theme and made it fresh. This time I really enjoyed the story and plan to read everything else in this series. I love the Kelly family.
March 2, 2020
It was fun, sexy and cute until around 80% of the book then the big misunderstanding happens and then a load of bullshit rolls.
Apparently it's totally OK for Declan to cheat because Josh has a lot going on and needs confort, and while he was kissing Josh he thought that Heath(his boyfriend) would totally be OK with it.
So Heath finds out and is not OK with it And DECLAN GETS MAD! And is all affronted that Heath doesn't have faith in him LIKE WTF DUDE? U just told him that you kissed ur ex and didn't even wanted him to find out! And everyone acts like Heath is crazy and needs to apologies because yea Declan kissed his ex but he's a good boy so he needs forgiveness. Gods why WHY?
Apparently it's totally OK for Declan to cheat because Josh has a lot going on and needs confort, and while he was kissing Josh he thought that Heath(his boyfriend) would totally be OK with it.
So Heath finds out and is not OK with it And DECLAN GETS MAD! And is all affronted that Heath doesn't have faith in him LIKE WTF DUDE? U just told him that you kissed ur ex and didn't even wanted him to find out! And everyone acts like Heath is crazy and needs to apologies because yea Declan kissed his ex but he's a good boy so he needs forgiveness. Gods why WHY?
October 23, 2020
I wasn't sure what to expect from this story. A new to me author, but I found the story flowed well and the leads easy to root for. And, it was really funny, noy laugh out loud hilarious, but giggle funny. I really enjoyed it and look forward to others in the series
May 7, 2023
Fake It 'til You Make Out was a fine romance. It has some fun moments and was entertaining. However, it never fully reached it's potential and that third act conflict was just plain dumb.
September 13, 2020
I FUCKING LOVE IT. I am so happy that this is a friends to lovers romance but they are not in love with each other until the fake thing starts and I adore Heath, he is the perfect guy, zero complicated and zero homophobic and i also adore the top/bottom dynamic. All caracthers are amazing,” and I couldnt stop laughting while reading it. It was kinda of insta love though
“Straight” H fucked two women in the beginning but there was no feeling between him and the other H other than friendship
“Gay” H kissed his ex when he is already with “straight” H but I understand it. His ex had a tumor and asked for a last kiss before finding out if it was cancer or not. It was a simple kiss and could get pass that
“Straight” H fucked two women in the beginning but there was no feeling between him and the other H other than friendship
“Gay” H kissed his ex when he is already with “straight” H but I understand it. His ex had a tumor and asked for a last kiss before finding out if it was cancer or not. It was a simple kiss and could get pass that
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
February 13, 2020
I had fun enjoying this fake boyfriends, friends to lover relationship story.
Heath and Declan once having this fake relationship for a revenge to Heath's ex-girlfriend.
But then one night they kissed and make out and one thing leads to another.
And what people saw (except them), had become real.
It was fun and entertaining. I liked the writing style and Heath and Declan were both likeable characters.
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