Olivia

The Geek Girl Squad #1

by Jasmine C. Caldwell

Fake it ‘til you make it...

Olivia counts herself lucky to have a steady job in graphic design. She's focused on climbing the ladder, but her mom keeps hounding her about finding a man. In an effort to keep her from matchmaking, Olivia lies and says she's seeing someone. Now her mom insists she introduce this boyfriend to the family at the big reunion, but how is she supposed to bring someone who doesn't exist?

After his last girlfriend betrayed him, Jake wants nothing to do with relationships. Most women look at him and only see the jock. The thing is, he has a nerdy secret: his love of anime. He can’t jeopardize his reputation as a sports anchor. After meeting Olivia at a work picnic, he’s completely smitten. When Olivia comes to him, worried about showing up dateless to the family reunion, he offers to stand in as her fake boyfriend – but he wishes it were real.

Can a smart, ambitious woman, and a closet otaku-jock fake it long enough to make a lasting connection?

Genres: Romance, Contemporary, Chick Lit, Ebooks, Fake Dating, Contemporary Romance, Fiction

186 pages, Kindle Edition

Published January 31, 2021

About the author

Jasmine is a multi-award-winning author and a lover of all things romance. When she’s not reading or writing, you can find her baking or playing board games with her friends and family. She lives in Pennsylvania with her patient husband and too many books. Find her online at www.jasmineccaldwell.com

Reviews

[E.D. Hackett · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was a great novel about the Geek Girl Squad, a group of 20 somethings searching for love. Olivia and Jake start off as enemies and then pretend to be together (to benefit her parents), and of course things happen and a real relationship emerges! Lots of strife as we watch them navigate their relationship, figuring out what they want out of each other.
As I was reading, I could imagine this as a movie. The story was fun and the couple had an engaging arc. I enjoyed Olivia's personality and thought her relationship with her friends was realistic. Her friends added to the story because they each had their own unique personality.
I was rooting for Olivia and Jake! I enjoyed it and finished it in one sitting! I'm excited to read the other books in the Geek Girl Squad series!

I received an advance copy of this book and this is my honest review.

[Susan Burlew · Rating 4 out of 5]

Geek Girl vs sportscaster! Olivia is a geek and proud of it. Jake is a former athlete turned sportscaster who is also a geek. He keeps it a secret. Will love conquer all? Enjoyable read. Highly recommend!!!

[Alicia · Rating 3 out of 5]

3 - Really close to the beginning is something that in life and fiction makes me cringe - someone announcing that they are just so weird. It's always the most utterly banal people who do it, never the fascinatingly quirky or genuinely odd. And so it is with our Olivia. She establishes her #NotLikeOtherGirls bona fides early on - she's a geek! but she goes to the gym! but it's for her health! and acts persecuted as only a conventionally attractive white woman from a wealthy family can. The whole "jocks can't be nerds" thing seems weirdly dated when there are articles about all the anime pro athletes watch when they are on the road and pro athletes with twitch streams, Chris Kluwe walked so Jake can run. The sex scenes seem like an afterthought. Maybe it's because I am her age, but I want the story about Jake's mother's trip around Europe more than any other members of the Geek Girl Squad.

[Kimbot the Destroyer · Rating 3 out of 5]

Serviceable contemporary romance. Really more 2.5 stars

1. FMC not being like other girls.
2. Diversity and feminism seemed more like ticking off a checklist than being smoothly incorporated into the story.
3. Jade is the poor friend and has relatives that practice hoodoo and sews all their clothes and has the shitty service industry job? If this is the Black friend, can't WAIT to see what happens with the fat friend.
4. MMC wasn't the most though out or complex character.

I have awful gatekeepy opinions about the portrayal of nerds in media that I should not express.

[Catarina Águas · Rating 4 out of 5]

I liked this book. Olivia was herself and made no apologies for it, I like that. Jake was so sweet, I loved him. In the end, I think she was just being stubborn, the man apologized so much and told why he did it, cut him slack woman. They were good together nonethless

[Khushi Saha · Rating 5 out of 5]

Super cute, genuine, sweet, and a little steam. I loved the ride-or-die group of Olivia and her friends. And Jake is a jock hunk, with a "nerdy" secret. That's my kind of guy! This book was a quick read, had simmering heat, and great character development. I loved the anime and gaming aspect of it too! If you want a little escapism, or need a great vaca or beach read, this on is it! I'm looking forward to the authors spin-offs in this series!

[Dani Boise]

RTC-- thank you to goodreads, won this in a giveaway :)

[Caitlin D · Rating 3 out of 5]

More like 3.5 stars ⭐️
The story was cute and a short read. My biggest complaint is the rehash of Jake’s insecurities over and over again. Olivia’s past relationship baggage comes up maybe twice, but Jake’s issues were written about constantly. I promise we didn’t forget in the 150 pages.

[Marietere T · Rating 5 out of 5]

AHHHHH! this is so fucking cute!!!!!!!!!!

[Bev · Rating 4 out of 5]

great book!

This is a book for all those girls whoever doubted they could get the boy. You can you can you can.!! Great story with fun and faithful friends!

[Jenifer · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was such a fantastic story that I saw so much of myself represented in the pages. I loved the whole dynamic of the Geek Girl squad and need to read the other 4 girls stories too. I know that they are going to be just as amazing as Olivia's was. Jake was the absolute perfect boyfriend for Olivia and I love the HEA ending that they got. This was my first Jasmine Caldwell book but I guarantee it's not my last - I just found me a new must read author.

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

[Storied Conversation · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was the first book I read by Jasmine C. Caldwell, and I can tell you it won't be my last. Her storytelling is excellent. We get all the details we need without getting bogged down by things we don't. She builds both her characters and her world well. The flow is easy to read and runs smoothly. Not once did I feel like the storyline was dragging.

Olivia is your typical woman in her twenties trying to establish a career with the thoughts of family and children coming later. She is a member of a geek girl squad that has remained close after college. They have board game nights and attend anime cons together, which I loved. I loved that Olivia didn't hide who she was, even though she had past boyfriends that wanted her to. Jake was just as great! As a television anchor, we see him one way, but I loved that he has a secret passion for anime. He and Olivia honestly couldn't have been more perfect together.

This was a quick read, but it really showcases how important it is for us to have our "square". That group of people who encourage us to always be ourselves, no matter what. This was certainly a great read and one I know y'all will love.

I received this book for free in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review. This review was originally posted on Storied Conversation

[Haizle The Princess · Rating 2 out of 5]

As the kids would say, this book was mid. As a geeky nerd girl, I went in with high hopes. Unfortunately, the whole thing was so cliche and full of stereotype after stereotype. "I'm a jock so people will make fun of me for liking anime" is so... ugh. It's not the world we live in anymore. I really had a hard time identifying with Olivia. It seemed to me like she wanted to keep things a secret, but when her feelings got hurt, she decided it was all Jake's idea. He just said he didn't want anyone to know he was a nerd, so I'm having a hard time understanding how Olivia pinned this all on him. I also thought it was real shady that she let those kids down until the end.

It also bugs me that the one friend of color is the poor one with a shitty job whose family practices Hoodoo. Like I said- stereotypes piled upon stereotypes.

[Joni Martins · Rating 4 out of 5]

Book Review

Basic Details:
Book Title: The Geek Girl Squad
Subtitle: Olivia (The Geek Girl Squad Series, #1)
Author: Jasmine C. Caldwell
Genre: Romance
Part of a series? Yes
Order in series: 1
Best read after earlier books in series? No
Available: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/5...
Overall score:
I scored this book 4/5
⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️
Short Summary of the book:
Being an anime lover/geek, Olivia has little chance of finding someone to fit. However, being a football fan and sports anchor who is an anime lover/geek is even harder to find a partner for. And if you’ve ever heard of foot-in-mouth, that might throw some spanners in the works too.
What I liked about the book:
It was a lovely romance.
What I didn’t like about the book:
I enjoyed the entire book.
My favourite bits in the book:
All the cute moments.
My least favourite bits in the book:
I enjoyed the entire book.
Any further books in the series? Any more planned by this author?
This is the second book I’ve read by this author. The title suggests there are more to follow in this series.
What books could this be compared to and why?
The books to compare this one to are romance stories with some humour too.
Recommendation:
In summary, I would recommend this book for the following readers:

Children No
Young Adult Yes
Adult Yes

If you like romance, this book may be the book for you.

I look forward to reading more books by this author.
Book Description by Author:
Fake it ‘til you make it...

Olivia counts herself lucky to have a steady job in graphic design. She's focused on climbing the ladder, but her mom keeps hounding her about finding a man. In an effort to keep her from matchmaking, Olivia lies and says she's seeing someone. Now her mom insists she introduce this boyfriend to the family at the big reunion, but how is she supposed to bring someone who doesn't exist?

After his last girlfriend betrayed him, Jake wants nothing to do with relationships. Most women look at him and only see the jock. The thing is, he has a nerdy secret: his love of anime. He can’t jeopardize his reputation as a sports anchor. After meeting Olivia at a work picnic, he’s completely smitten. When Olivia comes to him, worried about showing up dateless to the family reunion, he offers to stand in as her fake boyfriend – but he wishes it were real.

Can a smart, ambitious woman, and a closet otaku-jock fake it long enough to make a lasting connection?
About the Author:
Jasmine is a lover of all things romance. When she’s not reading or writing, you can find her baking or playing board games with her friends and family. She lives in Pennsylvania with her patient husband and too many books. Find her online at www.jasmineccaldwell.com

[Kelly Bailey · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was the first book I have read by Jasmine C. Caldwell. I can say this won’t be the last. I enjoyed the flow, character development, and details to get a good visual around their surroundings without the book being flooded with details that didn’t advance the characters.

I found Olivia is like many 20 somethings. I know I had the same mentality - establish one’s career since the opportunities can be limited to get in and the dreams of family will come true later. Sometimes we find ourselves looking for the one and when we stop putting our focus on the “hunt” something great comes along. Olivia is a strong, intelligent character which I love seeing in books.

Jake was a relatable hero even though we all can’t be in the business of a tv anchor. One realizes if we put every about ourselves out for all to see, for Jake it was the public opinion, it opens up the opportunity for others to judge. Others may find our hobbies outside of what they see as is acceptable in the pigeon hold society we live in.

I strongly believe we all need a squad, regardless of size. Our squad is our safe place, where we can be our true selves. This book showed us exactly how great the squad relationship is.

[Robbyn · Rating 3 out of 5]

*Disclaimer-I won a digital copy of this book via Goodreads Giveaway*

The “geek” side of this book was really fun. Olivia is part of a geek girl squad that has stayed close after college and continue to have board game nights and attend anime cons together. I enjoyed all the geeky moments, anime and geek culture references, and that this group of women did not hide their fandoms. I also really felt connected to Olivia when she talked about guys in her past that wanted to hide her and was proud when she vowed to not let that happen again. It’s a hard lesson to learn in life. I feel though that I never felt myself cheering for the main love story. Even though I could connect with Olivia in many ways, the love story never latched on for me. It was an enjoyable read though and the relationship between the girls was wonderful to experience.

[Anonymous 5 · Rating 5 out of 5]

Olivia is the first of the Geek Girl Squad series and after reading this, it looks to be a fun series to follow. It's a cute enemies to lovers/ fake relationship story that captured my interest and held it till the end. I loved meeting Olivia and her group of friends, they were so realistic and supportive of each other and had such great bonds- made me want to be part of their group! And Jake was the perfect, boyfriend and for Olivia and though I knew they would ultimately end up together, it was fun to watch how it all plays out before they reached that point. Although this was a quick read, the character development was great and you can't help but fall in love with them.
Can't wait to read the other girls' stories!

I received a complimentary copy from StoryOrigin and am voluntarily leaving my review.

[Sandy · Rating 4 out of 5]

I enjoyed this romance story with all of the characters. The two main characters were Olivia and Jake.

Olivia has a stead job as a graphic design. She has been focusing on her career but her mother want her to find a man to love. So when the next time she has to see her family she decides to bring someone as her fake boyfriend.  She is happy to meet a man a  cosplay she decides to use him.

Jake is a jock that likes anime. He works as a sports anchor. He doesn't want anyone to know that he likes anime because it's kind of a nerdy thing. While at a work picnic he see a beautiful girl that looks kind of nerdy. He wants to get to know this woman but not sure how.

This was a fun story to read. It had action, secrets,  and drama within. It also had a few laughs and giggles to.

I received a complimentary copy via StoryOrigin. This is my honest unbiased opinions.

[Megan · Rating 3 out of 5]

This Cosplay novella is about a group of former college mates who live and work in the same city. They remained a close knot group of friends and they do everything together including attending Cosplay conventions.

Olivia, a graphic designer meets Jake, a sports TV anchor and former football player, at a work picnic. Jake, who has always been seen as a jock, has a hidden side - he loves superheroes and anime but he tries to hide this side of his personality. Olivia, on the other hand, doesn't hide her love of anime and he is immediately attracted to her.

However, both have been hurt by their previous love interests and are understandably wary towards one another. The storyline was engaging and the characters were likeable. This is not a clean book as there is swearing and there are some sexual scenes. It was a pleasant read and I rate this book 3.5*.

[Rosie · Rating 5 out of 5]

A 5 Star Plus Read for All.

I found this book for free one day on my KU as free and it I loved it from start to finish.
I'm not going to write a point by point review as it will spoil the book.
I will say that it's a beautiful love story that starts in a way that made me smile and also made me want to carry on reading to see where the relationship goes. I loved the group of Olivia's friends as well seeing how supportive they were to each other and loved their get togethers with good food friends and games.
Your heart will warm at the different types of love alongside the different types of relationships. You won't put the book down until you see where the HEA ends. Pick this book and you won't be disappointed a top notch read.

[Patty Mele · Rating 5 out of 5]

I liked this book very much and this is my opimion. And when I got this book I was able to read it from the very beginning to the very end. I thought the storyline was so well done and it was very good and this is my opinion. I thought the charcter built up was so good it made the story so much better in my opinon. I receieved this book for free thru an Advanced Review Copy, ARC, with an honest review freely given.

[Angelina A. · Rating 5 out of 5]

Sweet romance and more

This books features well written characters and plot. Olivia and her friends have a well established friendship that has lasted through college. It’s refreshing to see a female lead have a well written subplot.

Jake and Olivia are adorable. Their meet cute over his secret passion for anime was a refreshing modern day twist.

Olivia and Jakes relationship was believable and made for a nice weekend read. I look forward to more of The Geek Girl Squad.

[Mandy · Rating 4 out of 5]

Good book

I really like the book. I love the whole idea of the 5 friends living close together and being like sisters.

I love the vibe between Olivia and Jake. I was rooting for them.
I was rooting for him to come out of hiding and I'm glad he did.

I wish the story was a little longer but otherwise enjoyed it. I can't wait to read the others stories.

I got an advance copy of this book for review.

[Christyn · Rating 3 out of 5]

quick, cute-ish, cliche

A good quick good to start the new year. Super cliche and I would give it 2 stars, but I really enjoyed the anime talk in the book so that added another star. It felt rushed though, and certain aspects I didn’t much care for but overall a really cute book to read between books!

[Cyra · Rating 4 out of 5]

I won this book through a goodreads giveaway. I bought it was a good book with a good trope however, some parts of it were a little tough to get through. As per the title, the mc is a “geek” and the book makes many references to animes and other fandoms. Usually, the author does a good job of rex
king the relevance of these references, however, sometimes it can get a bit confusing.

[Elvira · Rating 5 out of 5]

I had an awesome time reading this storyline it was entertaining and well worth reading. The characters are engaging and had me hooked from start to finish.


I received a copy and am voluntarily leaving my honest review.

[Manisha Robinson · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book is a sweet romance . The characters Olivia and Jake have a great connection and the storyline is wonderful.

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

[Christina Smith · Rating 5 out of 5]

Loved the Nerdy Girl Story!

A funny romance, and a perfect story to escape too! My favorite comments centered on Olivia's spasming ovaries as she watches Jake with kids... I can't wait for the next!

[A G · Rating 3 out of 5]

Ok romance

Geek focus is anime.
Romance level: open door sex very early in relationship
Jock worried about his own anime geekiness was frustrating.
Good friendships noted.
Story started to drag and couldn't keep my attention all the way through.

[Courtney · Rating 3 out of 5]

Really cute! It was low-angst, cute story! Loved the girl squad aspect and can’t wait to read about the others!