Faking the Heat

by Nina Brown

Coming Soon

450 pages, Kindle Edition

Published August 7, 2026

Reviews

[Erin E. · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.75 rounded

"It was about survival. Real things can break. They always do. We’re better as a lie that works than a truth that destroys us.”

This was super cute, sweet, all the things. Firefighter MMC, struggling artist FMC. Friends to lovers with some messiness in-between.

Sterling- I really loved his character. Strong, steady, calculated. Being Mandy's rock for years. And Mandy- she's a very relatable character. Getting out of a toxic relationship and discovering herself.

Loved his nickname for her..sparkles. they were just so adorable. I always love a good fake dating trope. This is full of humor, chemistry, drama. Tons of emotional depth. The growth of both characters is on point. Especially Mandy!!! Tension and angst done well. Sooo many good things.

The only reason this isn't rated higher for me is it could use some polishing. Some of the timeline didn't match up and I found it to be confusing on a couple parts. Overall, I thoroughly enjoyed the premise of the story, I fell in love with both characters, side characters (most of them 😂), and of course Bowie.

I found myself smiling a lot throughout this one! 🖤


🖤Firefighter MMC
🖤Fake Dating
🖤Forced proximity
🖤struggling artist FMC
🖤Friends to lovers

[Miancka · Rating 5 out of 5]

🔥🔥🔥 5 STARS 🔥🔥🔥

Okay, Nina Brown… you got me with this one! 🥹❤️ Faking the Heat was such a fun, emotional, swoony read, and I absolutely loved Mandy and Sterling!

Friends-to-lovers is one of those tropes that can either be done amazingly or leave you screaming “JUST KISS ALREADY!” 😂 Thankfully, this one gave me all the delicious tension, denial, banter, and chemistry I was hoping for. Watching these two go from best friends to realizing that maybe what they have is a whole lot more was SO good.

And Sterling?! 🥵🔥 That man had my heart from the beginning. The way he takes care of Mandy, remembers the little things, and is always there for her had me completely melting. And the nickname “Sparkles”? I was DONE. 🥹

Mandy was such a relatable character too. Watching her slowly find herself, rebuild her confidence, and realize her own worth after everything she's been through made her growth one of my favorite parts of the story. There was so much more emotional depth here than I expected, and I loved seeing both characters work through their own issues.

Add in fake dating, forced proximity, a firefighter MMC, hilarious inner dialogue, plenty of tension, amazing side characters, and a romance that slowly sneaks up on both of them… and you've got a recipe for a book I couldn't put down. ❤️‍🔥

Funny, heartfelt, swoony, emotional, and just the right amount of spicy, Faking the Heat absolutely earned its place on my favorites list!

If you're a sucker for friends-to-lovers + fake dating + forced proximity + firefighter romance, put this one on your TBR! 🚒🔥❤️

5 ⭐️ | 5 🔥

[Martina May Trower · Rating 4 out of 5]

This story was entertaining and I really loved the characters in this they made me laugh but the love story is beautiful I cant lie about that! Fake dating - forced proximity - swoon - feel good romance - friends to lovers - banter. This Love story has got all of that and more, so if thats what you love then this book is for you.

This story shows that loving relationships can grow and evolve from strongly built friendships and be just as amazing if not even better through the depth and emotional growth.

The sexual tension between these guys is HOT and they try to ignore this heat but unfortunately you can only ignore heat for so long until it gets too hot to handle. Sterling is a lovable and caring person who wants to help and he has been in love with Mandy for a lot longer than she realises. This is one of those cases where friends don't want to take that step over the line and ruin the relationship as friends that they already have, because they don't want to lose them from their lives completely.

This is a slow burn light hearted book that will make you fall in love with romance stories. We all know that fake dating always lead to something a lot more than fake feelings.

This is my honest review and opinion of this book.

[sycokittykat - Stefanie · Rating 4 out of 5]

"We're in catastrophic breach of Rule Seven"

Mandy was a very entertaining character. Her inner monologue was always making me giggle. She grew up in a house of expectations and had to have her apartment explode to find her footing. 

Sterling is amazing. He is a firefighter/paramedic who grew up needing to feel necessary. Now he cares for others and forgets that he has needs too. I adore the friendship between him and Mandy. He is quick to offer her a place to live. 

I loved how they had this sexual tension they just pretended wasn't there for so long. I loved how they decided on this fake dating ploy. The way they created this beautiful love story based on actual events should have been a clue but nope. 

Shout out to Becca being the best sibling ever. She came in when her brother didn't even know he needed her. She slid in and managed to get them both thinking about what everyone else already saw. 

I love unique nicknames and sparkles was absolutely adorable. 

"I've loved you since a Tuesday in September six years ago when you put a double-shot latte down the front of my boots and then tried to fix it with a napkin for 10 minutes"

[StephF Ilysei_reads · Rating 5 out of 5]

I had such a fun time reading this book. The inner monologue in Mandy's chapters has me in absolute stitches. She is someone you could completely see being your bestie and getting up to utter chaos with. The way her and Sterling are in complete denial to themselves and each other about how they feel was fun to read. The way I swooned at how damn adorable Sterling is in the book from "Sparkles" to being able to remember every details about the day they met.
Loved seeing Mandy find someone who loved her for her and that giving her the confidence to be herself. And ADORED Sterling finding someone who wanted him for him and not cause he was filling a role.
Side note on Becca being the most amazing sister ever.
This book had all the things you want in a love story of the two people being in love being the last ones to realise it.

[Tina LeJeune · Rating 4 out of 5]

Faking the Heat is a delightful friends-to-lovers romance that had me smiling from beginning to end. Nina Brown perfectly blends humor, heart, and sizzling chemistry as Mandy and Sterling navigate a fake relationship that quickly starts to feel all too real. Their easy friendship, playful banter, and growing attraction made every moment between them a joy to read.

I loved the fake dating trope, the forced proximity, and the emotional depth woven throughout the story. Watching Mandy and Sterling realize that the best relationships sometimes grow from the strongest friendships made this romance feel both authentic and incredibly satisfying. Sweet, funny, and full of swoony moments, Faking the Heat is a feel-good romance I highly recommend.

[Anoesjka Connolly · Rating 5 out of 5]

When Mandy loses her apartment in a fire, her secret crush Sterling is there in his full turnout gear to rescue her yet again. Moving in to his guest room seems the easiest of her options, but as they get to know each other, the chemistry sizzles hotter than the fire that took her apartment building. Then come the interfering parents, who think that they already are a couple. Nothing is quite as simple as it was before. I love how Sterling is the safe space and always there to ground Mandy and keep her safe. I love how Mandy feels so at home in his place and his clothes, watching everything he does looking after her. I love that they managed to find their HEA together after a few speedbumps along the way. An enjoyable read.

[Virginia Danyow · Rating 5 out of 5]

A great story for anyone who has ever found happiness after being made to feel small.

Andy is always questioning her worth. Between trying to please her parents and a long time with Mr. Wrong she feels a whole lot less than.

Sterling is a savior. He has spent most of his life believing that he needs to prove himself necessary so people will keep him around.

Their two worlds collided, literally, and they have been friends ever since. But one gas leak leads to an explosion of another sort.

I received a copy of this book and I am leaving my honest review.

[Jessica Fahey · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a good a good slow burn romance with Mandy and Sterling. Afraid to ruin their friendship with something more. Both of them had to grow and get over their own issues to make the relationship work. The banter and dialogue between the two made me smile so many times throughout the book. I loved how Sterling remembered all the details for Mandy and could bring them to the story at the right times. She didn’t realize how he saw her during the years of their friendship. The supporting characters were great too in the story.

This was a good story! I have enjoyed the series!

[dales explorer · Rating 4 out of 5]

Mandy suddenly finds herself outside of her apartment block - and then sees it explode due to a gas leak.

Thankfully her best friend, Sterling, is a firefighter and he’s on duty. As her life explodes, he explains that she can come back to stay at his apartment whilst she works out what to do.

Mandy doesn’t realise that Sterling has been in love with her for 6 years. To exacerbate matters, they begin fake dating which turns into much more.

The chemistry is smoky and I was willing them to get together.

Great book with slow-burn.

[Erin Louise · Rating 5 out of 5]

I devoured this book!

Mandy is the absolute definition of a hot mess and what a delight she is on page!

What looks on the outside as a swoony fake-dating fireman/damsel in distress romance, runs a lot deeper than it seems. This story is filled with heart and healing (both mmc and fmc have been burned by love in the past), hope and resilience.

If you love:

🔥 Friends to lovers
🔥 Forced Proximity
🔥 Spoiled Felines 🐈
🔥 Roommate rules that absolutely get broken
🔥 He falls first

then you need to read this book!

[Shawn Burt · Rating 4 out of 5]

Omg this was wonderful, you never know where love will find you. The way he calls her Sparkles. Fast paced, slow burn. This book was on fire no pun intended. This was definitely a winner in my opinion.

I loved the fake dating trope, the forced proximity, and the emotional depth woven throughout the story. Nina Brown perfectly blends humor, heart, and sizzling chemistry as Mandy and Sterling navigate a fake relationship that quickly starts to feel all too real.

[Leanne Fitzgerald · Rating 4 out of 5]

ARC copy

Wasn’t sure about this when I first started to be honest but the story keeps pulling you back in. The growth in both characters but especially Mandy throughout the story is what kept me coming back. Reading how strong she became but also understanding the vulnerability through the pages was very emotive reading. Definitely a different genre for me but so glad I got the opportunity to read this and get out of my comfort zone. ❤️

[Nadia Hinojosa · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is part of the Firehouse 99 series. This book was so sad it hurt my heart while reading it. It was a slow burn and filled with so much heaviness. The heaviness comes from the honest conversations between Mandy and Sterling. You can feel the weight of their emotions. It was such a satisfying read.
Thank you, Nina Brown, for this beautiful tale of two people discovering love. It’s always in the last place you never expected.

[Ann L · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book is a proper emotional rollercoaster, it’s a total slow-burn that completely nails that painful, amazing feeling when best friends start falling for each other. The sheer tension of them sharing a bed and trying not to cross the line will have you clutching your chest and dying for them to just get together already.

[Melissa Roper · Rating 4 out of 5]

I loved mandy and sterling a firefighter and artist friends turned lovers who at first fake date I liked her inner monologue she's definitely someone who you want as a best friend loved the character development between them so good

[Read All About It · Rating 4 out of 5]

“Sparkles!”

You never know when you try a new author if it’s going to be a winner or a looser. This was a definite winner in my book.

“I’ve loved you since a Tuesday in September six years ago when you put a double-shot latte down the front of my boots

Fast paced off the bat. Sweet and Smoking. What a combo.

[Jennifer · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great read! Mandy was hilarious, relatable and someone you'd want as your bestie. And Sterling was so caring, wanting to take care of others any way he could. I loved the slow burn, in denial trope of the story. The side characters were amazing as well. Loved it.