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Faking All the Way
One gorgeous hockey player. One little lie. One fake relationship that turns my holidays upside down.
When my asshole ex ambushes me at the airport with his perfect new fiancée, I panic and claim I'm dating Asher Vaughn, the hockey star whose face I just saw on the news.
Then the actual Asher Vaughn walks into baggage claim, so I do the only logical thing I can think I march over and kiss him like my life depends on it.
But the crazy thing is… he kisses me back.
He even agrees to go along with my lie in exchange for a place to stay while he's in town dealing with his estranged father. Should be easy enough. He'll take the guest house, we'll keep up appearances in public, and after the holidays, we'll go our separate ways.
I just didn't expect Asher to be so good at pretending. He defends my dreams, kisses me under the mistletoe, and looks at me like he's been starving for my curves his whole life.
And when we get snowed in one night with only one bed, all our rules go out the window.
The next thing I know, he's tying me up with Christmas ribbon and showing me everything I've been missing. Calling me “bright eyes” like it means something, teaching me to skate, and making me scream his name where my ex might hear.
This was supposed to be temporary. Just a deal to survive the holidays.
But as we count down the days until Christmas, I don't know what scares me that our fake relationship will be ending soon… or that I want it to be real.
TROPES IN THIS
Small town
Hockey player hero
Plus sized, black cat heroine
Fake dating with benefits
Holiday romance
Forced proximity
Opposites attract
Faking All the Way is a contemporary romance loaded with banter, chemistry, and all the holiday spice you've been craving.
It is a complete standalone with a HEA!
When my asshole ex ambushes me at the airport with his perfect new fiancée, I panic and claim I'm dating Asher Vaughn, the hockey star whose face I just saw on the news.
Then the actual Asher Vaughn walks into baggage claim, so I do the only logical thing I can think I march over and kiss him like my life depends on it.
But the crazy thing is… he kisses me back.
He even agrees to go along with my lie in exchange for a place to stay while he's in town dealing with his estranged father. Should be easy enough. He'll take the guest house, we'll keep up appearances in public, and after the holidays, we'll go our separate ways.
I just didn't expect Asher to be so good at pretending. He defends my dreams, kisses me under the mistletoe, and looks at me like he's been starving for my curves his whole life.
And when we get snowed in one night with only one bed, all our rules go out the window.
The next thing I know, he's tying me up with Christmas ribbon and showing me everything I've been missing. Calling me “bright eyes” like it means something, teaching me to skate, and making me scream his name where my ex might hear.
This was supposed to be temporary. Just a deal to survive the holidays.
But as we count down the days until Christmas, I don't know what scares me that our fake relationship will be ending soon… or that I want it to be real.
TROPES IN THIS
Small town
Hockey player hero
Plus sized, black cat heroine
Fake dating with benefits
Holiday romance
Forced proximity
Opposites attract
Faking All the Way is a contemporary romance loaded with banter, chemistry, and all the holiday spice you've been craving.
It is a complete standalone with a HEA!
438 pages, Kindle Edition
Published October 16, 2025
3 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 12 of 12 reviews
October 28, 2025
I love all of Nikki Lawson's hockey books. I am so glad that I was able to come across this one.
Asher Vaughn, a hockey player who has been out due to injury and is unsure about his future playing for another team, never expected this Christmas to change his life forever.
Kat, an independent illustrator, goes home for the holidays, dreading every moment of it. She grew up in a small town, so everyone knew each other, along with all the gossip. The one person she never wanted to run into was her ex. That didn't last long since she ran into him at the airport, getting her bags. She just didn't expect the secrets and lies to start that soon.
All she wanted to do was make up a name and celebrate the holidays with her family. A name that she never thought would actually be in the same place at the same time. Time for some improv.
Asher Vaughn, a hockey player who has been out due to injury and is unsure about his future playing for another team, never expected this Christmas to change his life forever.
Kat, an independent illustrator, goes home for the holidays, dreading every moment of it. She grew up in a small town, so everyone knew each other, along with all the gossip. The one person she never wanted to run into was her ex. That didn't last long since she ran into him at the airport, getting her bags. She just didn't expect the secrets and lies to start that soon.
All she wanted to do was make up a name and celebrate the holidays with her family. A name that she never thought would actually be in the same place at the same time. Time for some improv.
October 19, 2025
Such a cute and sweet holiday romance.
When you unexpectedly run into your ex at the airport and can only think of a famous hockey players name to give him as your new man what’s the worst that can happen? Kat finds out it’s when said hockey player is also randomly in the airport and now you need him to agree to be your fake boyfriend for the holidays.
Asher hasn’t seen his father in years and with his hockey career up in the air the last thing he expected was to be called babe by some women he’s never met at bag claim. But Asher goes along with Kat’s scheme and before long there’s nothing fake about their romance. ♥️
Thank you so much Nikki for the ARC of this book.
When you unexpectedly run into your ex at the airport and can only think of a famous hockey players name to give him as your new man what’s the worst that can happen? Kat finds out it’s when said hockey player is also randomly in the airport and now you need him to agree to be your fake boyfriend for the holidays.
Asher hasn’t seen his father in years and with his hockey career up in the air the last thing he expected was to be called babe by some women he’s never met at bag claim. But Asher goes along with Kat’s scheme and before long there’s nothing fake about their romance. ♥️
Thank you so much Nikki for the ARC of this book.
October 23, 2025
This hockey holiday romance combines a slow burn, fake dating, and strangers to lovers. When confronted by an ex at the airport, what's the perfect comeback? Claim you're dating a NHL player, obviously. But what's the likelihood of running into him again in a small town? Kat soon finds out the odds are higher than expected. Asher is unsure what he's signed up for, but he decides to play along. As their fake relationship evolves, genuine emotions start to surface.
October 29, 2025
9% of the way through and so far it’s cute. However, 1 thing is glaringly obvious, this book needs an editor. How could he refer to her last name Sanders, if no one has mentioned this name to him. Also, Kat thinks that she’s partially responsible for Asher having no where to stay since she involved him in her little plot to deceive her ex, but that makes no sense because even without her he’d still be in the same small town with no options for a rental.
100% done and let me say this took me days to get through. It was cute and then it dragged, then it was cute again and then it dragged again. It should have been a DNF. I don’t know why I do this to myself 🤦♀️
I won’t be reading anything else from this author. It was way too slow of a read and the side characters lacked any dimension.
100% done and let me say this took me days to get through. It was cute and then it dragged, then it was cute again and then it dragged again. It should have been a DNF. I don’t know why I do this to myself 🤦♀️
I won’t be reading anything else from this author. It was way too slow of a read and the side characters lacked any dimension.
October 28, 2025
Like another reviewer, I dnf at about 30%. I enjoyed the beginning premise, and the texting was cute, but then it got boring. It felt too formulaic and perfect. There was no pining or conflict or anything to keep the story going, especially since we get both POV there is no mystery whatsoever about whether they like each other.
November 1, 2025
Very Cute & Spicy Holiday Romance 🥰
This was so sweet! Love the holiday feels, the (very) unique meet cute, the journey of self discovery for both the fmc and the mmc. How they both actually saw each other and related so intimately. Bonus points for the body positivity and self love journey weaved throughout. Definitely would recommend!!
This was so sweet! Love the holiday feels, the (very) unique meet cute, the journey of self discovery for both the fmc and the mmc. How they both actually saw each other and related so intimately. Bonus points for the body positivity and self love journey weaved throughout. Definitely would recommend!!
October 19, 2025
dnf at 30ish%
Liked the first 10ish% but after that it just got boring for me.
Not sure why, I liked the premise, but I ended up skimming too much to keep going.
Liked the first 10ish% but after that it just got boring for me.
Not sure why, I liked the premise, but I ended up skimming too much to keep going.
October 21, 2025
Fake dating, hockey romance during the holiday season🎄
October 22, 2025
another great book!
I don’t know how Nikki Lawson does it but she writes some great love stories! I usually don’t like the whole series but dang, I love this one!
I don’t know how Nikki Lawson does it but she writes some great love stories! I usually don’t like the whole series but dang, I love this one!
October 30, 2025
BETA/ARC
October 31, 2025
It started off cute and interesting but for some reason I kept skimming after about 30%.
November 1, 2025
Excellent
Nikki never disappoints..
LOVED this book.. Can relate to story being told. Highly recommended.
Now looking forward to next book..
Nikki never disappoints..
LOVED this book.. Can relate to story being told. Highly recommended.
Now looking forward to next book..
Displaying 1 - 12 of 12 reviews