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How to Fake a Meet-Cute
Not yet published
Expected 12 Jan 27For fans of Katherine Center and Nora Goes Off Script, How to Fake a Meet-Cute is a delightfully witty rom-com about a fake relationship that might just be the realest thing that's ever happened.
When a clumsy trip on the red carpet leads to a viral photo of America's sweetheart, actress Chloe George, in the arms of hockey's bad boy, Axel Poteet, the internet explodes. With both their careers in a slump, they see an opportunity. A few staged dates, some curated social media posts, and one big public romance could be the PR miracle they both need. Chloe is a professional, after all--faking love is her job. But as the lines between performance and reality blur, their perfectly scripted love story is about to get a major rewrite, delivering the kind of heartwarming and hilarious tale that flies off the shelves.
While Chloe and Axel navigate their public charade, Chloe's sister and manager, Leah, finds herself at odds with Axel's infuriatingly fit personal trainer, Owen. The man's favorite food is broccoli, he's never had one sip of a Diet Coke in his life, and he thinks going on a five-mile run is fun. Seriously, who can trust someone like that? But it's Leah's job to protect her sister, and if that means putting up with the most annoying man alive and getting the world to believe this fairy tale between Chloe and Axel so her sister's career will thrive, then she'll do everything in her power to make it happen.
Of course, Chloe and Axel's secret isn't the only one she's trying to keep. Leah has a few of her own. Ones that have potential to destroy a lot more than just her sister's career. But she's on that too. As long as everything goes according to plan, it'll all work out. All she has to do is trust her head and ignore the weird flutter in her heart every time Owen walks into the room.
How to Fake a Meet-Cute delivers a story brimming with hope, humor, and heartfelt emotion that will leave readers smiling.
When a clumsy trip on the red carpet leads to a viral photo of America's sweetheart, actress Chloe George, in the arms of hockey's bad boy, Axel Poteet, the internet explodes. With both their careers in a slump, they see an opportunity. A few staged dates, some curated social media posts, and one big public romance could be the PR miracle they both need. Chloe is a professional, after all--faking love is her job. But as the lines between performance and reality blur, their perfectly scripted love story is about to get a major rewrite, delivering the kind of heartwarming and hilarious tale that flies off the shelves.
While Chloe and Axel navigate their public charade, Chloe's sister and manager, Leah, finds herself at odds with Axel's infuriatingly fit personal trainer, Owen. The man's favorite food is broccoli, he's never had one sip of a Diet Coke in his life, and he thinks going on a five-mile run is fun. Seriously, who can trust someone like that? But it's Leah's job to protect her sister, and if that means putting up with the most annoying man alive and getting the world to believe this fairy tale between Chloe and Axel so her sister's career will thrive, then she'll do everything in her power to make it happen.
Of course, Chloe and Axel's secret isn't the only one she's trying to keep. Leah has a few of her own. Ones that have potential to destroy a lot more than just her sister's career. But she's on that too. As long as everything goes according to plan, it'll all work out. All she has to do is trust her head and ignore the weird flutter in her heart every time Owen walks into the room.
How to Fake a Meet-Cute delivers a story brimming with hope, humor, and heartfelt emotion that will leave readers smiling.
- GenresRomance
320 pages, Paperback
Expected publication January 12, 2027
About the author
Rachel Magee
10 books417 followersRachel wrote her first novel when she was twelve and entered it into a contest for young author/illustrators. Unfortunately, the judges weren’t impressed with her stick figures. So she dropped the dream of becoming a world famous illustrator and stuck to spinning stories. When she’s not busy working on her latest book, she loves to travel with her family and friends. By far, her favorite destination is the beach, which tends to work its way into most of her stories. Between vacations, you can find her at home in The Woodlands, TX with her wonderful husband, their two adventurous kids and a couple of spirited pets, all of whom share Rachel’s love of the ocean. Well, except the cat and dog. They’re both afraid of water. Find out more about what Rachel has been up to at rachelmageebooks.com.
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Displaying 1 - 9 of 9 reviews
August 20, 2026
Cute, lighthearted read about two sisters, Chloe and Leah. Both are trying to find their way in life. Clean, no spice romcom. Great for adults and teens.
I received a complimentary copy of this book. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.
I received a complimentary copy of this book. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
Thank you to Thomas Nelson Fiction | Thomas Nelson and NetGalley for the opportunity to read this ARC!
This was such a fun romance read. I found this while scrolling one day, and once I read the summary, I NEEDED to read this. I could not put this book down. From the plot to the characters, everything was so well constructed and thoroughly thought through.
The plotline of this book was really intriguing to me. The whole idea of this story was to convince the world that Chloe, one of our FMC’s, and Axel, one of our MMC’s, were in a relationship that would benefit both of them in different ways. Chloe needed a boost to her reputation as her last movie was a box-office flop. Axel is a known hothead on the hockey rink and needed Chloe to show he had a soft edge. While the relationship started as a contract, they both ended up developing feelings, leaving each other better than they found each other. Our other sister and FMC, Leah, was also off developing her own relationship with Owen, our second MMC and Axel’s best friend/physical therapist. While Chloe and Axel had the meet-cute, Leah and Owen had more of the enemies-to-lovers plot. While they were never truly enemies, Leah was very standoffish towards Owen. However, their proximity to each other, the dinner he cooked for her every night, and the “technically” one bed made them fall for each other as well.
Focusing on our sisters once more, both of their plots were developed beautifully throughout the story. Chloe started as an actress on the edge of being cast out of Hollywood and ended by reclaiming her title of America's Sweetheart. Leah started as the side character in Chloe's story and then ended up being the center of attention. A side note: Everyone hates a third-act breakup, but a third-act breakup WITH SISTERS? It was a whole other level of emotional turmoil.
Lastly, if you are looking for a spicy book, this is not for you. It didn't have a hint of spice, and I’m not complaining. This book is truly that good; you don’t need the spice to spice it up.
Overall, this book was a super enjoyable read. I loved that this was a sister dual POV. I haven’t read a romance book like this yet, and it was refreshing to have the story told through the two sisters' views rather than one sister and then one of the male characters. I'm excited to have more people dive into this story. This will definitely be at the top of my recommendations once it is released!
I received a complimentary copy of this book. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.
This was such a fun romance read. I found this while scrolling one day, and once I read the summary, I NEEDED to read this. I could not put this book down. From the plot to the characters, everything was so well constructed and thoroughly thought through.
The plotline of this book was really intriguing to me. The whole idea of this story was to convince the world that Chloe, one of our FMC’s, and Axel, one of our MMC’s, were in a relationship that would benefit both of them in different ways. Chloe needed a boost to her reputation as her last movie was a box-office flop. Axel is a known hothead on the hockey rink and needed Chloe to show he had a soft edge. While the relationship started as a contract, they both ended up developing feelings, leaving each other better than they found each other. Our other sister and FMC, Leah, was also off developing her own relationship with Owen, our second MMC and Axel’s best friend/physical therapist. While Chloe and Axel had the meet-cute, Leah and Owen had more of the enemies-to-lovers plot. While they were never truly enemies, Leah was very standoffish towards Owen. However, their proximity to each other, the dinner he cooked for her every night, and the “technically” one bed made them fall for each other as well.
Focusing on our sisters once more, both of their plots were developed beautifully throughout the story. Chloe started as an actress on the edge of being cast out of Hollywood and ended by reclaiming her title of America's Sweetheart. Leah started as the side character in Chloe's story and then ended up being the center of attention. A side note: Everyone hates a third-act breakup, but a third-act breakup WITH SISTERS? It was a whole other level of emotional turmoil.
Lastly, if you are looking for a spicy book, this is not for you. It didn't have a hint of spice, and I’m not complaining. This book is truly that good; you don’t need the spice to spice it up.
Overall, this book was a super enjoyable read. I loved that this was a sister dual POV. I haven’t read a romance book like this yet, and it was refreshing to have the story told through the two sisters' views rather than one sister and then one of the male characters. I'm excited to have more people dive into this story. This will definitely be at the top of my recommendations once it is released!
I received a complimentary copy of this book. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
I received a complimentary copy of this book from NetGalley. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own...
"How to Fake a Meet-Cute" by Rachel Magee tells the story of two sisters, Chloe and Leah, and their relationship with the infamous hockey player, Axel, and his personal trainer, Owen. After saving Chloe from an almost embarrassing tumble down the Met Gala steps, Axel proposing the idea of fake-dating in exchange for a mutual benefit: he potentially gets resigned to his team and she gets positive press after a particularly bad movie. As Chloe and Axel navigate their "relationship", Leah- Chloe's personal manager/sister- and Owen- Axel's personal trainer/best friend- begin spending more time together. The novel goes back and forth between the sisters' perspectives as they slowly form their own romantic relationships.
While I enjoyed the concept of this book, the timeline of the two sisters' relationships and some of the dialogue felt a little off to me. I think Chloe's story with Axel makes sense with them being a slow burn and realizing they actually have feelings for each other rather than just what they're portraying to the media. But Leah's is a little random. I believe her trope is supposed to be close proximity/enemies to lovers, but I was sort of confused by them being enemies. I do think they had a playful banter in the beginning, but whenever she would say things like "...it was a big resort. Maybe Owen could get a room on the other side of it" I was confused because it didn't seem like there was any tension between the two.
I also wasn't obsessed with some of the language used throughout the book. There were some moments when the characters were using complex vocabulary like "niggle" (which I found out means "a minor nagging annoyance" but I still felt uncomfortable by this word choice) but then flipping it and using slang terms like "rizz" that felt unauthentic to the 29 year old characters.
Obviously with this being an advanced copy there will be edits and changes, so I am excited to see how the story shapes out to be when it's released in January.
"How to Fake a Meet-Cute" by Rachel Magee tells the story of two sisters, Chloe and Leah, and their relationship with the infamous hockey player, Axel, and his personal trainer, Owen. After saving Chloe from an almost embarrassing tumble down the Met Gala steps, Axel proposing the idea of fake-dating in exchange for a mutual benefit: he potentially gets resigned to his team and she gets positive press after a particularly bad movie. As Chloe and Axel navigate their "relationship", Leah- Chloe's personal manager/sister- and Owen- Axel's personal trainer/best friend- begin spending more time together. The novel goes back and forth between the sisters' perspectives as they slowly form their own romantic relationships.
While I enjoyed the concept of this book, the timeline of the two sisters' relationships and some of the dialogue felt a little off to me. I think Chloe's story with Axel makes sense with them being a slow burn and realizing they actually have feelings for each other rather than just what they're portraying to the media. But Leah's is a little random. I believe her trope is supposed to be close proximity/enemies to lovers, but I was sort of confused by them being enemies. I do think they had a playful banter in the beginning, but whenever she would say things like "...it was a big resort. Maybe Owen could get a room on the other side of it" I was confused because it didn't seem like there was any tension between the two.
I also wasn't obsessed with some of the language used throughout the book. There were some moments when the characters were using complex vocabulary like "niggle" (which I found out means "a minor nagging annoyance" but I still felt uncomfortable by this word choice) but then flipping it and using slang terms like "rizz" that felt unauthentic to the 29 year old characters.
Obviously with this being an advanced copy there will be edits and changes, so I am excited to see how the story shapes out to be when it's released in January.
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
⭐️⭐️ 2 stars
Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for providing me with an ARC of "How to Fake a Meet Cute" in exchange for an honest review.
Unfortunately, this one really missed the mark for me. Going into a book marketed as a rom-com, I was expecting both romance AND comedy, but I felt like there was very little of either.
The biggest issue for me was the lack of relationship development between the main characters (love interests). They barely spend any meaningful time together throughout the book, so I never really got to see their relationship develop or understand why they fell for each other. There were multiple moments where it was implied that they had spent time together or grown closer, but we didn't actually get to see those moments on the page. By the end, when they said "I love you," it felt completely out of nowhere. Especially since they hadn't even kissed or actually gone on a date together before that point. Or really had a lot of meaningful time together. I just couldn't buy into their romance.
I also didn't find much comedy in the book. For a rom-com, I was expecting some genuinely funny situations, banter, or lines that would make me laugh, but unfortunately, I didn't find much of that here.
The secondary romance between the sister and her love interest had a similar problem. Their relationship didn't feel developed either, and then suddenly he is moving across the country for her after they had essentially just spent very little time together platonically. Again, it felt like a major romantic development happened without us actually seeing enough of their relationship to make it believable.
Overall, I think this book had a cute premise, but the execution just didn't work for me. I needed much more relationship development, chemistry, and actual comedy to make this feel like the rom-com it was marketed as.
Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for providing me with an ARC of "How to Fake a Meet Cute" in exchange for an honest review.
Unfortunately, this one really missed the mark for me. Going into a book marketed as a rom-com, I was expecting both romance AND comedy, but I felt like there was very little of either.
The biggest issue for me was the lack of relationship development between the main characters (love interests). They barely spend any meaningful time together throughout the book, so I never really got to see their relationship develop or understand why they fell for each other. There were multiple moments where it was implied that they had spent time together or grown closer, but we didn't actually get to see those moments on the page. By the end, when they said "I love you," it felt completely out of nowhere. Especially since they hadn't even kissed or actually gone on a date together before that point. Or really had a lot of meaningful time together. I just couldn't buy into their romance.
I also didn't find much comedy in the book. For a rom-com, I was expecting some genuinely funny situations, banter, or lines that would make me laugh, but unfortunately, I didn't find much of that here.
The secondary romance between the sister and her love interest had a similar problem. Their relationship didn't feel developed either, and then suddenly he is moving across the country for her after they had essentially just spent very little time together platonically. Again, it felt like a major romantic development happened without us actually seeing enough of their relationship to make it believable.
Overall, I think this book had a cute premise, but the execution just didn't work for me. I needed much more relationship development, chemistry, and actual comedy to make this feel like the rom-com it was marketed as.
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
Chloe George has long enjoyed the spotlight as a Hollywood actress, but after her latest film flops and her breakup becomes tabloid fodder, she suddenly finds herself in need of some serious image repair. Then, during a very public tumble on the Met Gala steps, she’s caught in the arms of handsome hockey star Axel Poteet. Axel may be a talented player on a national team, but his bad boy reputation often overshadows his skill.
When a photo of their dramatic encounter goes viral and sparks rumors of a romance, Chloe and Axel decide to lean into the assumption. A few staged outings, they believe, will help reshape public opinion for both of them — and then they can amicably “end” their fake relationship and return to their separate lives.
Leah, Chloe’s sister and manager, finds herself pulled into the chaos of the faux romance while also dealing with Axel’s persistent trainer and physical therapist, Owen, whose devotion to healthy living borders on exasperating. Though Leah has always supported Chloe’s career, she’s quietly been nurturing her own dreams, keeping more than a few secrets from her family.
This is a heartwarming, wildly fun story filled with lovable, interesting characters who take the reader on an unexpected ride. Rachel Magee blends humor, charm, and emotional depth in a way that makes this novel an absolute delight.
I received a complimentary copy of this book. All comments and opinions expressed are my own.
When a photo of their dramatic encounter goes viral and sparks rumors of a romance, Chloe and Axel decide to lean into the assumption. A few staged outings, they believe, will help reshape public opinion for both of them — and then they can amicably “end” their fake relationship and return to their separate lives.
Leah, Chloe’s sister and manager, finds herself pulled into the chaos of the faux romance while also dealing with Axel’s persistent trainer and physical therapist, Owen, whose devotion to healthy living borders on exasperating. Though Leah has always supported Chloe’s career, she’s quietly been nurturing her own dreams, keeping more than a few secrets from her family.
This is a heartwarming, wildly fun story filled with lovable, interesting characters who take the reader on an unexpected ride. Rachel Magee blends humor, charm, and emotional depth in a way that makes this novel an absolute delight.
I received a complimentary copy of this book. All comments and opinions expressed are my own.
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
While the title refers to a classic rom-com plot point, this book is more about the relationship between two sisters than each of their romances. The narration alternates perspective between Chloe, an actress known as America's sweetheart who's struggling after her last film bombed, and Leah, her older sister who serves as her manager and support person. Each is trying to figure out what comes next. Chloe needs to prove that she's still good enough to star in films and Leah needs to learn how to be the main character in her own life and follow her own dreams.
There are very light (closed door) parallel romances. Chloe literally falls for Alex, a professional hockey player, when she trips on the red carpet and Leah tag teams with Owen, Alex's physiotherapist. There's immediate chemistry between Chloe and Alex as they each help each other with a fake dating arrangement while there's more of an adversarial vibe between Leah and Owen.
It was easy to like and empathize with Chloe but more difficult to feel the same way about Leah. Even though she assists her sister, Leah is resentful and controlling and withholds the truth from her sister. Half the story features this prickly and jealous character.
I received a complimentary copy of this book. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.
There are very light (closed door) parallel romances. Chloe literally falls for Alex, a professional hockey player, when she trips on the red carpet and Leah tag teams with Owen, Alex's physiotherapist. There's immediate chemistry between Chloe and Alex as they each help each other with a fake dating arrangement while there's more of an adversarial vibe between Leah and Owen.
It was easy to like and empathize with Chloe but more difficult to feel the same way about Leah. Even though she assists her sister, Leah is resentful and controlling and withholds the truth from her sister. Half the story features this prickly and jealous character.
I received a complimentary copy of this book. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
I enjoyed this book! The plot was engaging, and the characters were fun to follow. It was also really clean, which I loved!
However, I did find the pacing to be slightly off. I had to really trudge through some of the middle, and then near the end everything feels like it happens at the same time. This book was definitely a slow burn, but all of the relationships got figured out right at the end with pretty minimal build up.
Otherwise, though, I had a fun time with this book and would recommend picking this one up!
However, I did find the pacing to be slightly off. I had to really trudge through some of the middle, and then near the end everything feels like it happens at the same time. This book was definitely a slow burn, but all of the relationships got figured out right at the end with pretty minimal build up.
Otherwise, though, I had a fun time with this book and would recommend picking this one up!
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
Fabulous story about two sisters and their unexpected love story and Hollywood successes. One as an actress and one as a screenwriter. Then there's the men in their lives. One is a NHL hockey star, and the other is his best friend/physical therapist. Pack away any preconceived ideas how a Hollywood star or a pro hockey player would act! That goes for the screenwriter and the PT/nutrition expert as well. Get ready to meet these characters and get lost in their world!
Thanks to Thomas Nelson Fiction and NetGalley for allowing me to read and review this wonderful book!
Thanks to Thomas Nelson Fiction and NetGalley for allowing me to read and review this wonderful book!
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
4.25/5 ⭐️
Loved this one!! Sloooooowwww burn. No spice, which was refreshing for an upcoming release. I did wish that the characters had a little more time together on page, but it was still lovely! Fake dating + celebrities + enemies to lovers = never a dull moment.
Thanks to NetGalley and Thomas Nelson Fiction for the ARC. I received a complimentary copy of this book. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.
Loved this one!! Sloooooowwww burn. No spice, which was refreshing for an upcoming release. I did wish that the characters had a little more time together on page, but it was still lovely! Fake dating + celebrities + enemies to lovers = never a dull moment.
Thanks to NetGalley and Thomas Nelson Fiction for the ARC. I received a complimentary copy of this book. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.
Displaying 1 - 9 of 9 reviews