When Fake Changed Everything

by J.P. Sayle

When did being ‘fake boyfriends’ start making it difficult to remain ‘friends?

Jamie Rider is a man who accepts who he is with no boundaries, but with that comes consequences that leave him vulnerable.

That is, until Todd.

Todd shows him that he'll always be his knight in shining armour bringing Jamie to a new reality.

Todd stands up to the bullies allowing Jamie to see that friendship is no longer the thing he craves the most.

But can a fake relationship, too many years of friendship and a nasty boss prevent Jamie from gaining the one thing he now realises he can’t live without - Todd?

‘When Fake Changed Everything’ is a standalone book. It is M/M romance with fake relationship, friends to lovers, and a best friend who needs a sassy boyfriend who loves to wear heels.

Genres: M M Romance, Friends To Lovers, Gay, Contemporary, Audiobook, Short Stories

94 pages, ebook

First published October 30, 2019

About the author

Where does one start with about what I do?
I’m a writer, but I’m sure you guessed that by now if you’re reading this, hey? What you might not know is I’m a little quirky, live in my pj’s most of the time and have cake Saturdays with my sisters every week. I dedicate a little of my time to taking care of my grandbabies and on the dedicated writing days I like to write an eclectic mix of romance, suspense and paranormal fantasy. In the main I’ve written gay romance but I’m branching out under another the pen name in the future, so watch this space.
I’ve a passion for books like you would not believe and it led me down this path and now I’ve over 29 books released and heading towards releasing a whole lot more. The way my head is I never know where I’ll be headed next. I hope you’ll find a little joy in my words and follow me to see where the journey takes me and you.
If you’re interested at some point in 2021 I’ll be writing under the name JP Paton which will be F/M crime and Fantasy two of my favourite things. Be sure to keep your eyes peeled 


French
Par où commencer par ce que je fais?
Je suis écrivain, mais je suis sûr que vous l’avez deviné maintenant si vous lisez ceci, hein? Ce que vous ne savez peut-être pas, c'est que je suis un peu excentrique, que je vis dans mon pyjama la plupart du temps et que je prends un gâteau le samedi avec mes sœurs chaque semaine. Je consacre un peu de mon temps à m'occuper de mes petits-enfants et lors des journées consacrées à l'écriture, j'aime écrire un mélange éclectique de romance, de suspense et de fantaisie paranormale. Dans l’ensemble, j’ai écrit une romance gay, mais je vais dans le futur sous un autre nom de plume, alors surveillez cet espace.
J'ai une passion pour les livres comme vous ne le croiriez pas et cela m'a conduit dans cette voie et maintenant j'ai plus de 29 livres publiés et je me dirige vers la sortie de beaucoup plus. La façon dont ma tête est, je ne sais jamais où je vais me diriger ensuite. J'espère que vous trouverez un peu de joie dans mes paroles et que vous me suivrez pour voir où le voyage vous mène, moi et vous.
Si vous êtes intéressé à un moment donné en 2021, je vais écrire sous le nom de JP Paton qui sera le crime F / M et Fantasy deux de mes choses préférées. Assurez-vous de garder les yeux ouverts 


Spanish
¿Por dónde empezar con lo que hago?
Soy escritor, pero estoy seguro de que ya lo habrá adivinado si está leyendo esto, ¿eh? Lo que quizás no sepas es que soy un poco estrafalario, vivo en mi pijama la mayor parte del tiempo y tengo pastel los sábados con mis hermanas todas las semanas. Dedico un poco de mi tiempo a cuidar de mis nietos y en los días dedicados a la escritura, me gusta escribir una mezcla ecléctica de romance, suspenso y fantasía paranormal. En general, escribí romance gay, pero en el futuro me voy a diversificar con otro seudónimo, así que mira este espacio.
Tengo una pasión por los libros que no creerías y eso me llevó por este camino y ahora tengo más de 29 libros publicados y me dirijo a lanzar muchos más. Por la forma en que está mi cabeza, nunca sé a dónde me dirigiré a continuación. Espero que encuentres un poco de alegría en mis palabras y me sigas para ver adónde nos lleva el viaje a ti y a mí.
Si está interesado en algún momento en 2021, escribiré bajo el nombre de JP Paton, que será F / M Crime y Fantasy, dos de mis cosas favoritas. Asegúrate de mantener los ojos bien abiertos 

Reviews

[Sue Milkovich · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a sweet touching story about best friends that become fake boyfriends. Jamie is a PA at a bank. It's a job he loves but he's being subjected to sexual harassment from his new boss. Todd is Jamie's best friend. He's been watching over his friend since he saved him from bullies in their school days. These two are adorable. Jamie is a little flamboyant. Todd is a big lumberjack. This short story is wonderful. These two are unlikely but perfect for each other. This is a feel good book. It left me smiling. I HIGHLY RECOMMEND THIS BOOK!!!!!

[Rachel Emily · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is a story that was part of the fake-boyfriends trope Prolific Works giveaway. I always love a good fake boyfriend story!

Overall, I enjoyed this story - sweet story between two best friends who have secretly always wanted more than just friendship. I loved how wonderful Todd is, and how much he loves his best friend.

[Melisha · Rating 2 out of 5]

Missing something

The book had all the parts of a good story and yet something was missing. The story felt very dry. Two stars for the potential of what the story could’ve been.

[Coline Peterson · Rating 5 out of 5]

JP Sayle's has done it again! This is such a wonderful book, well written and fast reading you can't help but eat it up! Jamie was in trouble, no matter what he did he couldn't convince his boss Brent he just wasn't interested in him. His best friend Todd was coming for vacation and Jamie had to go to an event for work and after turning down Brent explaining he would be bringing his boyfriend. After explaining why he needed Todd to be his fake boyfriend and he couldn't help hoping maybe they could be somehow end up being boyfriends for real.

[Mim Crenshaw · Rating 5 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this short; to me, it felt like I had read a full length read. I loved that Jaimie and Todd were opposites, but they were also best friends in which one had a crush on the other. I loved their interactions and chemistry. This was a great quick read.

I read a complimentary advance copy of the book; this is my voluntary and honest review.

[Teal Wolf · Rating 5 out of 5]

When Fake Changed Everything by JP Sayle is a short, standalone, contemporary m/m romance with a friend's to lovers,/fake turns real theme. When Jamie needs a fake boyfriend to get an overzealous suitor off his trail, his first thought is of his best friend Todd. Todd who he has had a crush on but knows he can never have... or can he? Todd jumps at the chance to fake a relationship with his best friend/secret crush... can things turn real while they fool Jamie's work and suitor? This fun, humorous and sweet romp will make the reader believe in the sweetness of love... and the hotness of spankings. I absolutely loved it!

I received an advanced reader's copy of the book and I am voluntarily leaving my honest review and recommendation.

[Tina · Rating 5 out of 5]

LOVE IT!!!

[Gabbi Grey · Rating 4 out of 5]

When Fake Becomes Real (an audio review)

I have enjoyed J.P. Sayle’s BDSM series and so was thrilled to get a chance to review this book. I’ve read a bunch of fake boyfriend books recently and when they’re done well they can be fun. This one had a couple of twists.

First there’s Jamie. He’s out and proud. He’s been bullied because of it, but he’s true to himself. And he’s been in love with his best friend Todd for many years. They have an odd friendship. Todd began the relationship as a protector for Jamie, standing up to the bullies who scattered to the wind with Todd’s looming presence.

Now, years later, Jamie is working in a bank and Todd is living in the wilderness. Todd visits Jamie a couple of times a year in the city but it’s not enough as far as Jamie’s concerned. Or perhaps it’s too much – being this close to the man he loves.

Todd, for his part, has been living a quiet existence. And he hasn’t told Jamie the two greatest secrets he keeps close to his heart – that he’s not so straight and that he’s in love with his best friend. But he’s silent until the opportunity to help Jamie arises. Jamie’s dealing with a new bully – a co-worker who just won’t take ‘no’ for an answer. Todd suggests they pretend to be fake boyfriends thereby cutting off any potential awkward situations. Sounds easy, right?

Jamie’s co-worker just won’t take no for an answer and things end in a massive showdown.

There were two little things that niggled at me. First was that Jamie seemed to need rescuing a lot and Todd was there to do it. Happily to be sure, but it might have been nice to see Jamie succeed on his own. Second is there was a consent violation between the two men that left me uncomfortable. But these were minor niggles. Overall I did enjoy the story and especially loved the ending.

Matt Haynes narrated Ms. Sayle’s Playroom series, so I was surprised to hear him speaking with an American accent after his British one. He does a competent job with both, and his narration style is distinctive and unique. I hope to listen to more books by Ms. Sayle narrated by Mr. Haynes.

[DJO · Rating 2 out of 5]

1.5 stars rounded up bc I'm feeling oddly generous. This wasn't the hottest of hot messes but it was an extremely toasty mess. I'm a big fan of the fake relationship trope but this was just so short and underdeveloped it didn't stand a chance. I'm not gonna spend a lot of time but I'll say 1) Brent (was that the asshole boss's name) was such a puppet-y villain it was inane. Who acts like that and gets away with it? He was an asshole to the nth degree and, I'm sorry, he was so cookie cutter bad I just had to laugh, 2) Did this story take place in a world where consequences for sexual harassment in the workplace just don't exist? Brent was so incredibly off-base and inappropriate in his role as MC#1's boss it was IN.SANE. And MC#1 just put up with it. WTF? No way. 3) The relationship development was just weird. And by weird I mean non-existant. The MCs would have these semi-interesting is-this-fake-relationship-thing-for-real moments, like a shared kiss or a spanking for God's sakes and then the chapter abruptly ends and the next chapter starts two days later. Wha? 4) No sexy times. I thought I'd at least have that to make things fun but nope. Nuthin'. So yeah, not much to flip my switch here. I def would've bailed if it wasn't such a short listen. As it was, I got through it but barely.

[Julianne Macneil · Rating 5 out of 5]

i read this book as part of an arc program. This is the story of friends to lovers Jamie and Todd. They were best friends since they were in school and Todd helped Jamie when he was being bullied. Now they are grown and Jamie works at a bank as an assistant to the manager and Todd owns his own logging company left to him by his grandfather. Todd spends his vacations with Jamie and looks forward to spending time with him. When Jamie's boss keeps asking him out and refusing to take no for an answer, Jamie tells him his boyfriend is coming for a visit. His boss doesn't believe his boyfriend is real and tells Jamie he will be watching him. When Todd comes, Jamie has to get the nerve to ask him to pretend to be his boyfriend without giving away the fact he is in love with him. Todd loved Jamie and wants to be with him, but he doesn't think Jamie is interested in him. When Todd agrees to be Jamie's pretend boyfriend, he has a hard time remembering it is fake. I really enjoyed this story. I loved how protective Todd was of Jamie and loved him for himself and didn't want him changing. I love how Jamie adored Todd and how Todd would do anything for Jamie. I think they really loved each other and needed to realize they belonged together. Well done .

[DC · Rating 4 out of 5]

I’m somewhat conflicted regarding how I feel about this story, so I’m calling it 3.5 stars rounded up. I like the premise of the story and I felt a genuine connection to Todd, the absolutely loveable bear of a man. Jamie took some getting used to and it had nothing to do with his being femme. My issue with him is that he came across as a bitchy selfish queen. But overall I think they made a cute couple and was happy things worked out for them.
What I hated was Brent. The story passes his behavior off as mere sexual harassment. But as soon as there was non-consentual touching and forced kissing, it became sexual assault. The outcome for him should have been far harsher than the relative slap-on-the-wrist he received.
There was also a weirdness to reading this. It centers around Thanksgiving and the characters refer to states, so I assume it takes place in the US. However, the writing is in British english, not American english which made it difficult for my mind to reconcile the words with the storyline. The author would have done better to use Christmas as the occassion since corporate parties are plentiful for that holiday. Thanksgiving, however, is a family holiday, i.e.; no corporate parties.

[rosdoll · Rating 3 out of 5]

If you're looking for a book that is sweet and a fast read, then this might be for you. The blurb is enticing and the book has a lot of potential. I enjoyed reading about Todd and Jamie and how they became best friends. However, I found the book to be more about the development of their friendship and their internal musings, where only the reader can see how they really feel about each other. To me, there was not much romantic relationship development or discussion between Todd and Jamie about how they really felt about each other, beyond best friends, until a brief conversation near the end of the book.

There was a bit of drama with Brent, but I feel the situation wasn't fully capitalized. I didn't like the way he was given so many allowances, and the resolution felt rushed to me. I wanted more detail.

This is a cute, sweet story, but don't expect a lot of heat. If this book were to be re-released in the future with more volume, details, and spice, I would absolutely re-read it.

I received an advanced reader's copy of this book and have decided to voluntarily share my honest opinion.

[Stephanie Bonsall · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved this book and it was a great read as well as a lovely story. Jamie and Todd have been friends for years and both have always wanted more, but hidden it from the other. So when Jamie asks Todd to be his boyfriend for a work event, Todd is overjoyed. This is short lived though, when Jamie says it's fake and just for the purpose of taking someone to the event. Todd is staying at Jamie's as he always does when he has time off from work, but living together with the tension surrounding being fake boyfriends and wanting more, starts to make life uncomfortable for both men. Then comes a shopping trip, realisation, a burnt breakfast, and an overbearing bully of a boss, culminating in a showdown at the party and you have a very entertaining story. I loved how different Todd and Jamie were in every sense of the word, yet they complimented each other perfectly and I loved the fact that they got their happy every after. I definitely recommend this if you love an entertaining short story.

[Belinda Zamora · Rating 4 out of 5]

Todd and Jaime have been best friends since school days when Todd saved Jaime from bullies.
They're both very different men, though.
Jaime is sweet, soft, delicate and femme.
Todd is very masculine and just doesn't understand Jaime's fascination with fashion.
When Jaime has to come up with a spur of the moment fake boyfriend for a work party to combat the advances of a sleazy manager, he quickly enlists the help of his best friend.
Because it should be easy, right?
I mean, what could go wrong?
Basically everything as these two men finally come to the realization that they're madly in love with one another.
All it'll take is getting out of their comfort zones and understanding that their preconceived notions of the other are exactly that.
Perfectly sweet with an adorable HEA.

[Audrey Pott]

I love best friends to lovers stories and this was well written, believable sexual harassment issues from Jamie’s boss Brent, who gets his comeuppance. Todd had been secretly in love with Jamie for years, afraid to do anything about it until Jamie asked for his help against his boss. Two loveable characters, heels, makeup flamboyant Jamie and a spanking by Todd had my feet toe-curling and steam just poured out of my kindle.

I voluntarily reviewed an arc of this book for my honest opinions of which I’m under no obligation to do so. I absolutely recommend this story.

[Carlee · Rating 4 out of 5]

I love me a fake to real boyfriends story, and Todd and Jamie's was no different, also the height and size diffence and just the personality difference always gets me.

the story was short but sweet, and well written, even though it was short the characters were well developed and fleshed out, and hook you in from the moment you start reading. I just loved Todd and how he wouldnt stand for Jamie putting himself down or trying changed how he dressed for Todd, that Todd loved him how he was and wanted to show that off

[Violet Marshall · Rating 4 out of 5]

A friends to lovers with fake boyfriends thrown in makes a great story. This is a short but well written story. The plot was entertaining and it was steady throughout the book. I found the story and characters wonderful. The characters were developed and thought out. Jamie and Todd are the MC’s of this book. I enjoyed this book and I can recommend it as a good read. I voluntarily read an advance copy of this book for an honest review.

[R · Rating 4 out of 5]

Jamie needs a fake boyfriend to protect him from his lecherous boss. His best friend (and secret crush) Todd will do it, right? Todd would gladly pretends to be his Bluebell’s anything. His crush is a secret too.

This was a short sweet story of friends who become fake boyfriend’s to real lovers. Not a lot of background but the story was charming enough to make up for that.

I received an arc of this book.

[Lisa Wilson · Rating 5 out of 5]

Sweet friends to lover story

Loved this short story of friends Jamie and Todd and how they go from friends who love each other but are too afraid to let the other one know, to actual lovers when Todd goes all protective of Jamie in a sticky sexual harassment case with Jamie's boss. The boys get their HEA. Would have loved for the story to be longer but it is perfect for an afternoon curled up on the sofa reading.

[RACHEL REED · Rating 5 out of 5]

Story : ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️

Narration : ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️


This was such a sweet and short listen.

I absolutely loved the fake dating, friends to lovers trope.

Jamie and Todd were absolutely adorable. I loved hearing their story.
It was sweet, cute and low angst.

I so wish this was longer because I wasn't ready to let them go yet.


I loved Matt Hayes's narration. I felt it suited the mood of the story and it was an easy, feel good listen overall.

[Beverly · Rating 5 out of 5]

Jamie's boss made me mad
What kind of creep forces his unwanted attention on an employee-using power and position to intimidate him into a date!!?? Enter best friend Todd as a decoy! This was the best favor Todd has ever done (fake bf for Jamie). Will it blow up in their faces and expose Jamie or will the friendship develop into more??!! This was amazingly perfect, and I loved it. Check it out.

[Mac Paterson · Rating 4 out of 5]

A cute short story about what happens when best friends try to be fake boyfriends and get a whole lot more. I love the fake romance trope especially when both guys have hidden feelings for each other, and this is done really well in this book. Perfect if you’re looking for a quick read to warm your heart.

[Kitt · Rating 3 out of 5]

Todd and Janie are best friends, so when Jamie is getting harassed at work and needs a fake boyfriend, he turns to Todd, who he secretly likes, to take the position (no pun intended). Turns out, Todd has a crush on Jamie, too. Can the friends become lovers without losing their friendship? Great short read.

I received a complimentary ARC and am voluntarily leaving this honest review.

[Patricia Nelson · Rating 5 out of 5]

This has got to be one of the most fascinating, fantastic, sweet, engaging, charming, grab-you-by-the-feels, lovely, adorable, sexy, totally awesome, and delightfully different friends-to-lovers/fake boyfriend stories I've read in quite some time. I was hooked from beginning to end, and would definitely recommend getting this gem ASAP.

[Maureen · Rating 4 out of 5]

This cute novella has several things I always enjoy, fake date for a business do, one slim feminine man and the other a big muscled bear, and also lifelong friends both secretly loving the other but too scared to say. This one is a small but touching tale as the plans come undone and things get dodgy. A lovely read.

[Sallyann · Rating 4 out of 5]

Loved this short but sweet Fake boyfriend/ best friends to lovers story. Jamie and Todd were so sweet together and I absolutely loved how protective of Jamie Todd was. My only complaint is that I would have loved this to be a full story instead of just a novella.

[Penny Chelmer · Rating 4 out of 5]

Friends to lovers!

I did enjoy this book it’s a traditional friends to lovers and has all the steamy love as well. Although the book is a bit short and could of used a longer ending.
But would recommend.

[Phoenix · Rating 5 out of 5]

Loved this sweet book!

This was a great and wonderful book! Todd and Jamie were adorable, both wanting something they didn't think they could have. Lovely short read that will get your attention and heart within the first page!

[kathleen · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved this best friends to fake boyfriends to real lovers story! It's also a a great opposites attract story. Jamie and Todd are the MC’s of this book and you can't help but fall in love with them.
The story was very entertaining and once I started I couldn't put it down. Highly recommend!

[Leslie · Rating 3 out of 5]

The sexual harassment that Jamie suffered through was uncontainable. You can’t tell me that not one of his coworkers knew what was going on. His boss deserved more than a broken nose! I’m so glad Todd came to his rescue and they got their HEA.