Fake It: You'll Stay Up All Night Reading This

by Brisa Starr

Love on the Harper's Journey from Employee to Finding Freedom in Ethan's Heart.Harper is so desperate for the job, she's willing to lie to get it. But she has a good reason, so that makes it OK, right?Ethan is her devastatingly handsome new boss, and he hired her based on her lie. He's falling for Harper, but office romance is forbidden, so he can't touch her, no matter what his heart and hormones say.But when the boss and employee take a business trip to Las Vegas, well... their relationship changes and things will never be the same.Harper knows she must tell Ethan the truth, even if it means risking everything... her newfound happiness, her security, and the man of her dreams.Her lie is eating her alive. If she comes clean, will they survive?A love story with a heroine who makes mistakes but digs deep to find her own strength, and ultimately, her freedom.

Genres: Romance, Contemporary

245 pages, Kindle Edition

Published September 26, 2020

About the author

In 2018, my family sold everything to travel the world. We currently live in a small, medieval hilltop town in Umbria, Italy. When I'm not writing, I'm scouting locations for future novels.

My passion is writing love stories with swoon-worthy heroes, inspiring heroines, heart racing love scenes, and a happily ever after, because, after all, we all deserve that.

I love hearing from readers so please reach out to me on social or email.
http://BrisaStarr.com
http://Instagram.com/BrisaStarr
http://HappySexyMillionaire.ME

Reviews

[Moony (Captain Mischief) MeowPoff · Rating 2 out of 5]

I got this eARC from Netgalley in exhange for a honest review
It was okay. I mean Sparrow and Grands i adored, i actually wish we had seen more of them. The Grandmother kind of fell away, i know it was about Ethan and Harper but still. I did not enjoy their relationship, it was too fast for my liking and their chemistry was meh. The bump in the road was too quickly resolved and heartbreak quickly over.

[Jessica Morelo · Rating 2 out of 5]

Harper needs a job urgently, and as result of her desperation she lies about something really important. She goes to an interview where she would get everything she desires, a job with a wonderful environment, coworkers that value her skills, but especially her handsome boss, who is willing to spend a lot of time with her, getting Harper out of her comfort zone.

Since the beginning of the story I felt connected with Harper, we have the same professional passion and I do the same thing she does to relax. I did not have any idea of what to expect, romance is not a genre that I read often, it happens once in a while, but I was looking for something light, easy to follow in the few minutes I have free at work. I found all those aspects here, is really entertaining and funny, it made me forget all that was happening around me, I was completely absorbed by Harper and Ethan.

It is not a book that is going to change my life, it is not a complex plot, but it was what I needed. With the author’s writing style I could not stop reading, I read 80% of the book in one day, Ethan and Harper’s love story is enchanting, everything felt so cozy and exciting. Also there were some pretty hot moments. I loved them.

This is the first book of the Young brother’s serie, I willing to read the other 2 books, because those brothers besides being hot, they are awesome, and I hope to get to know a little bit more about the characters in this first book, like Sparrow, Harper’s sister, she is witty.

One thing that I noticed is that there is kind of an instalove, I could understand they were attracted to each other immediately because that happens, but I felt like it was too early to be in love. Additionally, Ethan's past story felt unbelievable to me, not specifically what happened but the other things he mentioned about the way he feels about women and what he had stopped doing. Also, I felt that the way Ethan felt disappeared so quick.

I had a good time reading this, it made me feel better and I forgot my worries for a while, so I consider this is a pretty good recommendation for those days when you do not want to think, when you are looking to be chill and have little fun.

[Coco.V]

🎁 FREE on Amazon today (12/29/2020)! 🎁






💝 ARC provided by the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. 💝

[Alyssa Jacunski · Rating 3 out of 5]

A quick read, I did finish this within about a day or so. There were a few items that took me out of the story that I didn’t enjoy, but overall this gave me what I wanted: an employee / boss forbidden romance novel. If you are not a fan of open door romance novels, this is not the book for you.

While I enjoyed most of this novel, there were a few things that either bothered me or were not my style. First of all, feet were talked about a lot in this novel. I am not a fan of feet – I don’t want to touch or see people’s feet and I don’t typically care for my feet to be touched. Harper was constantly noting that Ethan was walking around barefoot. Or she was picking things up with her toes, or he was kissing her feet. It was honestly something that made me cringe and I didn’t enjoy. However, this is purely a personal preference. If you like or don’t mind feet, this likely wouldn’t bother you.

There were a few stylistic writing items that I didn’t care for within this novel as well. The author’s use of “bahahahahaha” seemed ill placed. While this works if you’re including texting or any sort of electronic communication with novels, having this as a hearty laugh within a novel took me out of the story and I don’t think it worked well.

When reading additional reviews, a few individuals noted that there was some over description in the novel for the simplest of tasks. Unfortunately, I do have to agree with this. It was unnecessary and didn’t add anything to the plot. That aside there’s one additional scene I didn’t care for and felt that it lacked consent from Harper.

It may sound like I’m nit picking, but this isn’t by any means a bad book. These few items aside, I did enjoy the novel. It is a fast-paced, steamy romance novel that gives the reader exactly what they’re looking for: a way to escape into the world of Harper and Ethan. There’s the appropriate amount of will they won’t they, additional plot drama and watching their relationship progress that it made the majority of flaws worth the read.

Thank you to NetGalley for the e-copy of this novel in exchange for an honest review!

[Natasha · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is the second book that I have read by this Author, but this book had a very different feel in writing style, which I found interesting. It is a workplace romance story between a boss and their employee, which in the real world is a dicey situation to navigate at the best of times and the dilemma was felt in this story too. This is book 1 in a series about 3 brothers who run a successful family owned business together. The workplace itself sounds awesome and the kind of company I think many of us would dream to work for. The brothers were great characters, and workplace romance aside, sound like they are the kind of Bosses that you wish you could work for. Ethan is genuinely a nice guy. It’s not often that you read a romance novel where the Hero is a really good guy who is pretty much uncomplicated and straight forward. Harper was also an admirable character, who has willingly taken on the responsibility of her younger sister Sparrow despite the challenges. One of the things I really enjoyed about this book was all of the characters, including the minor ones, were likeable. The exception was of course Harper’s mother who makes a brief appearance. We already know that she is a deadbeat parent, so to me, the only thing missing in this story, is the fact that Harper needs to take out a restraining order against her mother and to file for custody (if she doesn’t already have it) of Sparrow for all of their sakes. It was the only thing that I felt was a loose thread in the story, but in the scheme of the plot line, is only a minor observation. I look forward to reading the rest of the series as each of the Young Brothers find love.

Thank you to the Author, Publisher and NetGalley for providing me an ARC. I am voluntarily reviewing the ARC and giving my unbiased and honest opinion.

[Holly Doyal · Rating 4 out of 5]

Let me just start off by saying I LOVED this book. I will immediately be reading the rest of the Young Brothers series as I can't wait to see what happens with Benjamin and Gavin. My only problem with this book is I started reading it late at night while on vacation. By 3 AM, I was still reading the book and I had about 1.5 hours to go. I forced myself to go to bed, but I finished the book by noon the next day. It's that good.

This is the story of Harper & Ethan. Harper has lost her job as a marketing associate after her company went under. She applies for a marketing director job at Ethan's company and she is called in for an interview. She misrepresented her job on her resume since she basically did her old boss' job for him. So she's sure she got the interview because she indicated she had marketing manager experience - which she technically had the experience, just not the job title.

Ethan has issues with commitments after his ex fiancee cheated on him with three different men. Therefore, he cannot tolerate a lie of any type. When he finds out that Harper lied on her resume, will he be able to forgive her and let their relationship continue to blossom? or will this be enough for him to call it quits?

I received a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. The opinions stated above are mine without biases.

[Ali · Rating 3 out of 5]

Fake It by Brisa Starr
Fake It was a super quick romance read that I got though in almost one sitting. Harper and Ethan were a cute couple that I was actively rooting for and I’m sure you will too.
Pros:
• Harper- I really liked Harper because she had real problems. In a lot of these types of books the heroine has almost fake problems or problems that are so ridiculous complex and sad they aren’t believable. Harper is able to overcome and have a good life in spite of and because of the things she goes through.
• Marketing background- I loved that this revolved around marketing since that is my field
Cons:
• Ethan- I liked Ethan ok, but sometimes he was really cringey. He also has an extreme amount of money that is borderline uncomfy compared to how Harper is living.
• Smut out of nowhere- The sex scenes were fine, but sometimes in a random conversation Harper and Ethan just start talking dirty for no reason and it was actually kind of gross. I laughed thinking about if that had happened in a real-life scenario.

Overall, this was a good quick read that left me in a good mood, so I think it achieved what it was going for. I’m giving it a 3/5 stars.

I received this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

[Lyndi (mibookobsession) · Rating 4 out of 5]

Harper Dallas had been caring for her little sister with autism since Sparrow was nine. Working as a digital marketing associate, she is desperate when her company closes. She tells a little white life on her resume, because after all she's been doing her manager's job for years. There's instant attraction between her and her new boss Ethan, but there's an office policy against dating coworkers. But after a business trip to Vegas gets a little steamy, they decide to keep their relationship a secret at home. But what will Ethan do when he finds out it's all based on a lie.? This workplace sounds awesome! Laid back with casual attire only (seriously, the boss goes barefoot), a beanbag meeting room, and foosball tournaments. I would lie to work there too! I liked the close relationship between Harper and Sparrow and how she'll do anything to get her sister the care she needs. And Ethan is really great with her once he knows. We should all have hot bosses like this lol! Thank you to Brisa Starr and BooksGoSocial for the opportunity to read this book. I received a complimentary copy of this book through NetGalley. The views and opinions expressed in this review are entirely my own.

[Brigitte · Rating 3 out of 5]

Being unemployed and meeting up to responsibilies aren't easy. In this case a lie leads to a good job which in turn leads to an office romance. The truth finds a way to surface and proves that coming clean is always best.

Harper makes an impression at the interview for a job she desperately needs. Her performance is very impressive, but she gets involved with Ethan, her boss. Not always a good idea. The more they get involved, the more enamoured they become. There is an office policy against employees being romantically involved. What happens when Harper's lie comes to light? Will Ethan understand and forgive? The thing is that he is far from being perfect. He's been lying too.

Harper's dedication to her sister is commendable. Ethan is a good boss and with the help of his two brothers, they succeed in their endeavours. Some of the contents aren't convincing and the romance moves quickly. It's easy to read and achieves the desired outcome.

I received an eARC from Netgalley and the views expressed are my personal opinion.

[Terry · Rating 3 out of 5]

A forbidden office romance.

Harper lies on her resume to get her dream job ... little did she know that her boss would be her dream guy. But she lied so that she could make her sister's life better. Ethan and his brothers own a business together and Ethan is in charge of marketing. He hires Harper because of her resume and he soon finds out that he is attracted to her, but an office romance is forbidden.

I admired Harper for taking responsibility for her sister and doing whatever it takes to give her a better life. Ethan is hot and he has a heart of gold. But I just couldn't get into the characters and at times I found the banter cheesy ... but the steamy scenes were very hot,

I received a copy courtesy of BooksGoSocial through NetGalley in exchange for a honest review.

[Debbie Caswell · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a first time read for me of this author and I have to say I enjoyed it immensely the story flowed well kept me engaged and was just a sheer good fun read perfect escapism

Harper desperately needs a job and she lies on her resume to get an interview She needs this job as she is caring for her sister If she gets the job it will be perfect she loves what the job entails and the comapny and workers are perfect for her Then she meets Ethan he would be her boss and the attraction between them is instant but workplace relationships are taboo. When they go to Vegas for the job things explode between will it be a case of what happens in Vegas stays in Vegas or are they going to build something that lasts You will have to read to see

[Helena#bookdreamer · Rating 3 out of 5]

Thank you netgalley for providing this ARC in exchange for an honest review.
I liked this romantic comedy specifically because it features a strong, realistic female protagonist. Harper knows she needs a high paying job to secure the future of her sister and grandmother. She takes on a lot of responsibility and this leads her to lie on her resume. What she didn't count in is her instant attraction and connection with her boss, Ethan. He puts her at ease with his carefree manner and passion for marketing. I liked that he respects her work ethics and follows her sound advice. Their chemistry was slow burn and sweetly genuine but it lacked fire. Ethan's inner dialogue sounded unrealistic and clichéd. Just not enough there for me to love the novel but enough for me to be entertained.

[Ashley · Rating 3 out of 5]

Fake It was a super quick romance read that I got though in almost one sitting. Harper and Ethan were a cute couple that I was actively rooting for and I’m sure you will too.

Harper is smart, sweet and I love how dedicated she is to taking care of her family. Ethan is fun and sexy, but quick to get angry with Harper when things don’t go the way he wants, which rubbed me the wrong way at times.

Their relationship is * h o t *; I loved that it was a forbidden office romance which just added to the burning chemistry between them.

I’m looking forward to reading about Ethan’s brothers in the next two books in this series!

Overall, this was a good quick read that left me in a good mood, so I think it achieved what it was going for.

[TLynn · Rating 5 out of 5]

Fake It is the first book in the Young Brothers series and was a great start for the series. I loved the Young brothers, especially Ethan. He was so sincere and always wanting to help others. Harper had been hurt and disappointed with her parents, but she took her responsibility to take care of her younger sister very seriously. She had to find a good secure job so she could provide her sister with the therapies she needed. I didn’t like that she lied about her last job position on her resume and kept it a secret for so long. She wanted to tell Ethan the truth, but fear held her back. Eventually, Ethan found out the truth but would he let her lie ruin their relationship? Or could he understand why she had to lie in order to get an interview?

[Tripip · Rating 2 out of 5]

This was a quick steamy read using the forbidden office romance trope. While I liked Harper and her realistic life trials, I was disappointed that Ethan had to be the uber rich boss. I think he could have just been a boss without the uber rich aspect, and it would have appealed more to me. Other than brand name dropping, his lifestyle wasn’t the flashy uber rich nature.
I also got a little bogged down with the minutia of life tasks such as getting ready in the morning from applying makeup from the lipstick, to the eyeliner and the mascara to going to the toilet. I didn’t think that much detail added to the story.
This was an ok read for me.

I received a free copy from Netgalley. This is my unbiased review.

[Jackie Colegrove (jc.reads) · Rating 4 out of 5]

*Thanks to NetGalley for a copy of the book in exchange for my honest review*

Fake It was a quick, steamy read that I finished in a day; I really liked it!

Harper is smart, sweet and I love how dedicated she is to taking care of her family. Ethan is fun and sexy, but quick to get angry with Harper when things don’t go the way he wants, which rubbed me the wrong way at times.

Their relationship is * h o t *; I loved that it was a forbidden office romance which just added to the burning chemistry between them.

I’m looking forward to reading about Ethan’s brothers in the next two books in this series!

[Tracey · Rating 4 out of 5]

Fake It is the 3rd book I've read by this author in the last several weeks but the 1st book in the Young Brothers Series. Harper and Ethan have a rocky relationship mostly based on wrong assumptions and miscommunications that usually drive me mad but in this case I really enjoyed how they navigated through it. I loved the friendship angle among the Young brothers and look forward to reading Benjamin's and Gavin's stories as well. This one had a different "feel" to me than Ms. Starr's other books but I enjoyed it nevertheless and will definitely be reading more from her in the future! I voluntarily read and reviewed an ARC for NetGalley.

[Cariadne · Rating 2 out of 5]

The writing was a bit rough. The author overdoes it on descriptions, walking her characters through motions that add nothing to the character or advance the storyline. This was especially the case at the beginning where we had to suffer through reading her drawing eyeliner and preparing for her job interview. Even midway, did we need to read about her squatting on a toilet or our fella tying up a condom and wrapping it in tissue and setting aside on a nightstand?

[Mel T · Rating 4 out of 5]

I enjoyed Fake It, the first book in the Young Brothers series. Both Ethan and Harper were a little bit quirky, but it worked in the overall context of the book, and I loved the steam and intensity between them. The side characters added a lot to this book - his brothers, her assistant Andrew, her grandmother and her autistic teenage sister was adorable. Overall a great book. Brisa Starr is fast becoming a favorite author of mine!

[SUSAN LARSON · Rating 5 out of 5]

FAKE IT is fabulous and a real...I could not put the book down. I wish I had worked at a company with three fabulous brothers.
I am patiently waiting for Brisa Starr's next book

[Stacy K · Rating 5 out of 5]

It’s a story about an office romance.. I liked it
He has his reservations about his trust in women and she doesn’t want to get involved with someone because of her situation at home.

I received a copy from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.