The Grumpy Fake Out: A Spicy Fake Dating Surprise Pregnancy Romance

by Aria Bates

One spilled coffee, one bad first impression… and now I’m living with the hockey grump I was supposed to keep at arm’s length.

Cole Axel is my worst nightmare in skates.
Brooding. Arrogant. A billionaire bad boy who thinks PR people like me are a joke.

One viral scandal later, I’m not just cleaning up his image.
I’m moving into his penthouse to babysit him full-time.

The solution? Fake dating.
Staged kisses, cozy interviews, and way too many nights pretending we actually like each other.

Except the touches start lingering.
The kisses deepen, the nights blur with heat and tangled sheets.
And the grump I swore I hated keeps showing me pieces of himself no one else gets to see.

I should’ve known better than to fall for him.
Because now I’m staring at a positive pregnancy test while a dream job in LA dangles in front of me.

And worst of all?
If I choose wrong, I don’t just lose him.
I lose everything.

290 pages, Kindle Edition

Published September 24, 2025

Reviews

[Lilly · Rating 2 out of 5]

Nice Storyline, but Many Issues

The overall storyline is nice; however the book has many issues. The timeline is all over the place, bouncing back and forth. Some sentences or paragraphs are copied and pasted into multiple sections. Overall, the writing and structure need a lot of work.

[BeBop19 · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a very good articulation of a love that is not only unexpected, but satisfying. There are a lot of books out there that try to bring this type of story together. Some fail and some are surprisingly successful, this one is a very special treat. I loved the balance of the spice to plot. Cole and Maya have enough depth that there is more than just jobs and relationships. The complexities of these characters are beautifully woven so you do not get bored or rush to anticipate the ending. It wasn’t rushed or pushed to an ending, but flowed enough to keep you reading.

[Debdutch · Rating 5 out of 5]

“The Grumpy Fake Out” by Aria Bates

-A hockey love story. I received a free copy and am voluntarily sharing my honest thoughts.

Maya is hired to fix Cole’s image, but he makes her job impossible. Their banter is sharp, sarcastic, and full of reluctant chemistry. A surprise test changes everything, forcing teamwork and truth.

Family ties and humor keep this grumpy-sunshine romance heartwarming. A fun read with a cuter ending.

[Julie Juhl · Rating 5 out of 5]

The Grumpy Fake Out by Aria Bates

Maya and Cole's story is a great fake relationship story that turns into so much more. Cole needs his image cleaned up and Maya is hired to do it. There is chemistry, lingering touches, kisses that deepen and so much more. I loved their story and I am sure you will too.

I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.

[Lillian · Rating 1 out of 5]

It took me a pretty long time to finish vs my normal reading speed because things didn't make sense. It had a plot line with random smut scenes thrown in there that were never mentioned again, like they never happened. It didn't seem very finished, like I would read one paragraph and the next paragraph would go back and say the same thing but in a different format. It was a very difficult read from me.

[Sarah Dianne · Rating 2 out of 5]

Respectfully… what happened here? This reads like three half-finished manuscripts were merged into whatever this book is. name changes? ✅ location changes? ✅ time jumps? ✅ I don’t even know how this is accomplished

[Júlia Bandeira · Rating 1 out of 5]

Desenvolvimento péssimo

[Lindsey · Rating 2 out of 5]

Could have been great.

Jumps around too much. A lot of major missed points leaves you wondering, and doesn't help with an already messy and confusing timeline.

[Molly (hiatus) · Rating 1 out of 5]

1.5

[Kayce Greene · Rating 1 out of 5]

Not good. The writing didn't make sense. Character names changed and details were of every other sentence. It seemed rushed & repetitive.