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Pine Ridge #1
Finn's Fake Boyfriend
Finn:
I found out the hard way, why it’s not a good idea to sleep with a coworker. After a regrettable one-night stand, I can’t get her to leave me alone. I need help. When my best friend suggests pretending to date her twin brother would solve my problem, I thought she was crazy. Except, I accidentally told my former date that Theo is my boyfriend. Now I just need to find a way to tell him that.
Theo:
My last relationship ended when I discovered that I wasn’t the only one my ex was dating. I was still getting over that heartbreak when my twin sister tells me that her best friend, and my childhood boy-next-door crush, needs my help. She thinks that I should pretend to date Finn! Why would he even go along with this… he’s straight, isn’t he? But now I can’t stop having sexy dreams about him. And I’m starting to wonder what it would be like to kiss Finn for real… and not just as his fake boyfriend.
I found out the hard way, why it’s not a good idea to sleep with a coworker. After a regrettable one-night stand, I can’t get her to leave me alone. I need help. When my best friend suggests pretending to date her twin brother would solve my problem, I thought she was crazy. Except, I accidentally told my former date that Theo is my boyfriend. Now I just need to find a way to tell him that.
Theo:
My last relationship ended when I discovered that I wasn’t the only one my ex was dating. I was still getting over that heartbreak when my twin sister tells me that her best friend, and my childhood boy-next-door crush, needs my help. She thinks that I should pretend to date Finn! Why would he even go along with this… he’s straight, isn’t he? But now I can’t stop having sexy dreams about him. And I’m starting to wonder what it would be like to kiss Finn for real… and not just as his fake boyfriend.
221 pages, Kindle Edition
Published September 5, 2022
79 people are currently reading
352 people want to read
About the author
Shae Michaels
11 books67 followersShae lives in Wisconsin with her family and a cat named Stanley who tolerates them. She enjoys reading, watching ice hockey, and listening to music.
Her books are often sweet, frequently steamy, and full of perfectly imperfect men who somehow manage to bumble their way to a Happily Ever After.
Her books are often sweet, frequently steamy, and full of perfectly imperfect men who somehow manage to bumble their way to a Happily Ever After.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 69 reviews
September 21, 2022
4.5! I need Goodreads to get it together and start offering .5 ratings. Kthankssomuch.
Anyway, what did I just read? Like EXCUSE ME SHAE MICHAELS! You did not have to go that hard, but you did, and I'm so grateful.
I randomly found this book someone on the interweb, and honestly, I bought it because I wanted a quick and easy cute little romance as a cleanser between books. Something I didn't have to think to much about. Then I wasn't sure if or when I wanted to read it. I even almost returned it... I know I know. I'm the worst. I feel bad for using this book like that. AND BOY DID I PLAY MYSELF. 1000% fully and completely played myself in the best way because this very quickly turned into one of my favorite romance reads of 2022.
I LOVE FINN AND THEO SO DAMN MUCH!
This book was such a welcomed surprise. And I'm honestly so surprised because it's only 216 pages, but the author is clearly a magical genius. It give you all the tropes and clichés, but again, in the best way. I was sucked in from the first chapter, and read as fast as I could until the very end. Like the whole concept of fake dating is already a fan fav, but then we had all the twins, childhood besties, friends to lovers, only one bed, camp retreat, holiday after holiday, sports (hockey) gays, slow burn, forced proximity, low pining and angst, but there was sooooo much cuteness and sweetness that my heart was about to burst. I cannot stop smiling. I loved this book so much more than I thought I would. Thank goodness I found it, THANK GOODNESS I kept it. I'm so glad it exists in the world. I can't wait to see what comes nextttttttt! I'm hoping for a story with Finn's twin brother. I. need. more. hockey. gays.
The only things is that as fabulous as the book was, it was too short. I felt like it could have been a bit longer to slush everything out more. But that's a minor minor thing.
Anyway, it's fabulous and everyone who loves M/M romances should read it. Period.
Anyway, what did I just read? Like EXCUSE ME SHAE MICHAELS! You did not have to go that hard, but you did, and I'm so grateful.
I randomly found this book someone on the interweb, and honestly, I bought it because I wanted a quick and easy cute little romance as a cleanser between books. Something I didn't have to think to much about. Then I wasn't sure if or when I wanted to read it. I even almost returned it... I know I know. I'm the worst. I feel bad for using this book like that. AND BOY DID I PLAY MYSELF. 1000% fully and completely played myself in the best way because this very quickly turned into one of my favorite romance reads of 2022.
I LOVE FINN AND THEO SO DAMN MUCH!
This book was such a welcomed surprise. And I'm honestly so surprised because it's only 216 pages, but the author is clearly a magical genius. It give you all the tropes and clichés, but again, in the best way. I was sucked in from the first chapter, and read as fast as I could until the very end. Like the whole concept of fake dating is already a fan fav, but then we had all the twins, childhood besties, friends to lovers, only one bed, camp retreat, holiday after holiday, sports (hockey) gays, slow burn, forced proximity, low pining and angst, but there was sooooo much cuteness and sweetness that my heart was about to burst. I cannot stop smiling. I loved this book so much more than I thought I would. Thank goodness I found it, THANK GOODNESS I kept it. I'm so glad it exists in the world. I can't wait to see what comes nextttttttt! I'm hoping for a story with Finn's twin brother. I. need. more. hockey. gays.
The only things is that as fabulous as the book was, it was too short. I felt like it could have been a bit longer to slush everything out more. But that's a minor minor thing.
Anyway, it's fabulous and everyone who loves M/M romances should read it. Period.
October 9, 2023
Low angst
Dual first person POV
Slow burn
Fake Boyfriend
Forced proximity
Medium steam
Fake Boyfriend is my favorite trope so I eagerly read this , even after feeling unsettled immediately by the actions of Theo in chapter one. For a 32 year old man his behavior was unprofessional and immature. Wrong place, wrong time, wrong approach. I told myself it was an "emotional outburst" but the lack of actual emotions from anyone other than Raine left me annoyed at Theo while hurting a heck of a lot for Raine.
I try to be a forgiving reader, especially with new or new to me authors, so I sucked it up and moved on-- just to find a villain who was hardly a villain. In fact, the approach taken with Ally and the way she was portrayed actually made me feel irritated with the other characters (and by extension, the author). The idea of a one night stand being persistent and optimistic about a future without taking a hint- completely plausible. But not to the extent that the author took. Finn eats the baked goods Ally leaves behind and avoids/ hides from her instead of using his communication skills to say, "I'm not interested". And maybe give the baked goods back to Ally to lessen her hope instead of accepting them. Then the group of adults have a conversation where Ally's behavior is called concerning which riled me immediately. You know what concerned ME? A group of people who collectively discussed this situation and called Ally "crazy", "stalker", and advised Finn to get a fake relationship instead of approaching school administration because "what if Ally says it wasn't consensual?" NO THANK YOU. She waits in doorways for Finn, bakes him cookies, and apparently texts him but the concern is he won't be able to confirm their one night stand was consensual? This line of thinking is harmful and disgusting. Then add on the over exaggerated behaviors the author throws in the few times we see Ally again- although there is never any mention of her texts or phone calls when she's not on page- and it all just felt forced and degrading. Can we please not portray people as desperate, claim they'd lie about r@pe, then laugh while calling them crazy for the sake of a storyline?
I couldn't get into the book after that. I tried, even pretending that Ally had been truly awful and that Raine had deserved what happened (which, again, he absolutely did not). I continued to read and refused to stop so I could give this author something positive regarding her writing. The positives definitely revolve around the easy flow from fake boyfriends to real boyfriends. When things evolved from mutual attraction to more, there was no "is he/isn't he" drama or angst. That's always the best approach in my opinion. I also liked the plot, although there were plot points that were not fleshed out enough while others were just too much. On page dialogue did not hold my interest and even the flirting felt forced. Add to that the lack of physical or emotional sensations. We know they held hands but neither man described how it felt. The glide of fingers, rough touch of someone's callus, the thrill of touching someone causing hearts to accelerate and desire to build... All details were reserved for kissing and bedroom activities. Ok, but I really wish there had been more ROMANCE in this romance novel. Ordinarily I'd be more than willing to look past the less than stellar execution of plot since it's a new author, but everything wrapped together has me feeling rather unenthusiastic about this story. It very much feels like a book about men loving men written for women. This is unfortunate because the secondary character who will be featured in the next book seemed sweet plus I would have liked to see Raine get his HEA. I'll just have to let my imagination do the work in this case.
Dual first person POV
Slow burn
Fake Boyfriend
Forced proximity
Medium steam
Fake Boyfriend is my favorite trope so I eagerly read this , even after feeling unsettled immediately by the actions of Theo in chapter one. For a 32 year old man his behavior was unprofessional and immature. Wrong place, wrong time, wrong approach. I told myself it was an "emotional outburst" but the lack of actual emotions from anyone other than Raine left me annoyed at Theo while hurting a heck of a lot for Raine.
I try to be a forgiving reader, especially with new or new to me authors, so I sucked it up and moved on-- just to find a villain who was hardly a villain. In fact, the approach taken with Ally and the way she was portrayed actually made me feel irritated with the other characters (and by extension, the author). The idea of a one night stand being persistent and optimistic about a future without taking a hint- completely plausible. But not to the extent that the author took. Finn eats the baked goods Ally leaves behind and avoids/ hides from her instead of using his communication skills to say, "I'm not interested". And maybe give the baked goods back to Ally to lessen her hope instead of accepting them. Then the group of adults have a conversation where Ally's behavior is called concerning which riled me immediately. You know what concerned ME? A group of people who collectively discussed this situation and called Ally "crazy", "stalker", and advised Finn to get a fake relationship instead of approaching school administration because "what if Ally says it wasn't consensual?" NO THANK YOU. She waits in doorways for Finn, bakes him cookies, and apparently texts him but the concern is he won't be able to confirm their one night stand was consensual? This line of thinking is harmful and disgusting. Then add on the over exaggerated behaviors the author throws in the few times we see Ally again- although there is never any mention of her texts or phone calls when she's not on page- and it all just felt forced and degrading. Can we please not portray people as desperate, claim they'd lie about r@pe, then laugh while calling them crazy for the sake of a storyline?
I couldn't get into the book after that. I tried, even pretending that Ally had been truly awful and that Raine had deserved what happened (which, again, he absolutely did not). I continued to read and refused to stop so I could give this author something positive regarding her writing. The positives definitely revolve around the easy flow from fake boyfriends to real boyfriends. When things evolved from mutual attraction to more, there was no "is he/isn't he" drama or angst. That's always the best approach in my opinion. I also liked the plot, although there were plot points that were not fleshed out enough while others were just too much. On page dialogue did not hold my interest and even the flirting felt forced. Add to that the lack of physical or emotional sensations. We know they held hands but neither man described how it felt. The glide of fingers, rough touch of someone's callus, the thrill of touching someone causing hearts to accelerate and desire to build... All details were reserved for kissing and bedroom activities. Ok, but I really wish there had been more ROMANCE in this romance novel. Ordinarily I'd be more than willing to look past the less than stellar execution of plot since it's a new author, but everything wrapped together has me feeling rather unenthusiastic about this story. It very much feels like a book about men loving men written for women. This is unfortunate because the secondary character who will be featured in the next book seemed sweet plus I would have liked to see Raine get his HEA. I'll just have to let my imagination do the work in this case.
September 5, 2022
“What happens when you start having sex with the person you’re fake dating?”
Ahh yes, a tale as old as time. Fake dating accidentally turns into real dating. I liked that they found common ground and immediately fell into their fake boyfriend roles to solve the problems they both were having with an ex partner and an extremely fixated coworker. Their relationship ended up being very soft and lovely. Overall I enjoyed this with a few caveats.
One: Instead of reporting the sexually aggressive behavior of a one night stand who happens to be a colleague who is coming on to him in the workplace, he concocts a fake boyfriend. He doesn’t want to report her at work so she doesn’t change her view on their evening to something less consensual. I feel like in the year 2022, maybe we don’t take that take?
Two: There were so many side characters that could easily have their own book that I was a little confused on where I should be looking. Raine is heartbroken and mistreated at work. Tessa is clearly going to hook up with Canada. Mike’s engagement is going to fall apart and fast. TJ is yelling at a mystery person on the phone at Thanksgiving.
Sawyer is my pick though - closeted NHL player who won’t allow himself to find anyone special until he retires. I am interested in all of these stories but also a little overwhelmed in the span of a 225 page book.
Ahh yes, a tale as old as time. Fake dating accidentally turns into real dating. I liked that they found common ground and immediately fell into their fake boyfriend roles to solve the problems they both were having with an ex partner and an extremely fixated coworker. Their relationship ended up being very soft and lovely. Overall I enjoyed this with a few caveats.
One: Instead of reporting the sexually aggressive behavior of a one night stand who happens to be a colleague who is coming on to him in the workplace, he concocts a fake boyfriend. He doesn’t want to report her at work so she doesn’t change her view on their evening to something less consensual. I feel like in the year 2022, maybe we don’t take that take?
Two: There were so many side characters that could easily have their own book that I was a little confused on where I should be looking. Raine is heartbroken and mistreated at work. Tessa is clearly going to hook up with Canada. Mike’s engagement is going to fall apart and fast. TJ is yelling at a mystery person on the phone at Thanksgiving.
Sawyer is my pick though - closeted NHL player who won’t allow himself to find anyone special until he retires. I am interested in all of these stories but also a little overwhelmed in the span of a 225 page book.
October 3, 2024
4 and 1/2 I loved this book stars. This is only my second book by Shae Michaels and I really enjoyed both of them. Some writers I like their stories, but struggle with the prose. Shea’s stories just flow for me. I look forward to reading more.
Finn is a big strong Hockey player turned high school coach. Theo is slighter in build and an openly gay man. They agree to be fake boyfriends, but of course they fall in love. This is a sweet low angst story with no last minute break up. I really appreciate that.
Finn is a big strong Hockey player turned high school coach. Theo is slighter in build and an openly gay man. They agree to be fake boyfriends, but of course they fall in love. This is a sweet low angst story with no last minute break up. I really appreciate that.
August 11, 2022
Ok. So this was just about the cutest thing ever. Two very awkward MCs are thrust together when Finn's best friend decides her twin Theo would be the perfect beard to get Finn out of being harassed by his female co worker. I mean, to be frank, Finn did go on one date and sleep with the women, but the level of harassment she then began was just wow. The woman was totally nuts! Like wayyyy out to lunch. But I digress. Back to Finn and Theo. Who again, were adorable.
After spending some time together to sell the whole fake boyfriend shebang, including a weekend work retreat away where there was GASP! only one bed, the relationship between Finn and Theo starts to change. I love how the only one bed trope always opens that door. Lying next to the person and realizing how much you want them to turn over and kiss your brains out. It's only a matter of time before that becomes a reality.
It was sweet how easily Finn and Theo fell into a real relationship. Even though they are both super awkward with talking about important things like feelings, they were both adult enough to communicate. I liked that Finn never hid how he felt. Theo made him feel things he hadn't before and after seeking advice from his brother he decided to be honest and just go for it. Theo of course was thrilled as there was no hiding how much that man adored Finn in return. The book had basically no angst on top of a plethora of delicious steamy scenes. It concluded with a sweet as sugar epilogue.
I am left curious about a few of the side characters. I'd like a book about Sawyer, Finn's twin for one. It also seems Finns BFF Mike may be getting some cold feet about his own man. Then there's Canada, a character we get minimal info about but I'd totally read his story and I don't know why. Probably because I'm nosy and I want to know more about the quiet tattooist. As this appears to be a start of a series, and a great MM debut at that, I am hoping I'm lucky enough to get some of these stories in the future.
After spending some time together to sell the whole fake boyfriend shebang, including a weekend work retreat away where there was GASP! only one bed, the relationship between Finn and Theo starts to change. I love how the only one bed trope always opens that door. Lying next to the person and realizing how much you want them to turn over and kiss your brains out. It's only a matter of time before that becomes a reality.
It was sweet how easily Finn and Theo fell into a real relationship. Even though they are both super awkward with talking about important things like feelings, they were both adult enough to communicate. I liked that Finn never hid how he felt. Theo made him feel things he hadn't before and after seeking advice from his brother he decided to be honest and just go for it. Theo of course was thrilled as there was no hiding how much that man adored Finn in return. The book had basically no angst on top of a plethora of delicious steamy scenes. It concluded with a sweet as sugar epilogue.
I am left curious about a few of the side characters. I'd like a book about Sawyer, Finn's twin for one. It also seems Finns BFF Mike may be getting some cold feet about his own man. Then there's Canada, a character we get minimal info about but I'd totally read his story and I don't know why. Probably because I'm nosy and I want to know more about the quiet tattooist. As this appears to be a start of a series, and a great MM debut at that, I am hoping I'm lucky enough to get some of these stories in the future.
January 11, 2023
This book is cute and has a lot of nice things happening in it but it took so long to read because it spends time in situations that don’t advance the story. The fake dating storyline has been beaten to death, someone has to stick a fork in it and call it done. Especially the “straight” guy pretending to date a gay guy and finds out he’s not so straight after all (oops).
I want to focus on what I liked first because I did enjoy a lot of this. I thought the MC’s, Finn and Theo, we’re great together. They have known each other for years but have never become super close. They have fun together and share the same friends and their families are neighbors and all get along.
Spoiler: It’s told that Finn is not exactly straight early on so it’s no surprise that he doesn’t mind fooling around with Theo. He never felt ashamed or ghosted Theo after hooking up. I love when a character accepts that this is who they are and they don’t need to apologize. There was no big misunderstanding and that was refreshing.
The reason Finn needs a fake boyfriend is because there’s a woman at work who he slept with and she is now basically stalking him. I really didn’t like this angle. This woman was portrayed as a crazy woman and even acted it. Women don’t have to be psycho and in some m/m books they are portrayed that way.
There were a lot of side characters and I had a hard time keeping some straight. Tessa, Theo’s twin sister and Finn’s best friend, was both funny and annoying. The author had her in the book just enough to not go totally overboard.
There were so many parts of this story that I thought were meant to show Finn and Theo becoming closer but they were drawn out and boring. Theo takes Finn as his date on weekend work getaway and I didn’t feel this showed much happening between the MC’s. Instead, there is so much focus on another character that is never spoken of again in the story. There may be a future book for this character but it threw the story off for me.
Even though there were bumps in the story this author has a lot of potential. I am going to see how the second book in the story is.
I want to focus on what I liked first because I did enjoy a lot of this. I thought the MC’s, Finn and Theo, we’re great together. They have known each other for years but have never become super close. They have fun together and share the same friends and their families are neighbors and all get along.
Spoiler: It’s told that Finn is not exactly straight early on so it’s no surprise that he doesn’t mind fooling around with Theo. He never felt ashamed or ghosted Theo after hooking up. I love when a character accepts that this is who they are and they don’t need to apologize. There was no big misunderstanding and that was refreshing.
The reason Finn needs a fake boyfriend is because there’s a woman at work who he slept with and she is now basically stalking him. I really didn’t like this angle. This woman was portrayed as a crazy woman and even acted it. Women don’t have to be psycho and in some m/m books they are portrayed that way.
There were a lot of side characters and I had a hard time keeping some straight. Tessa, Theo’s twin sister and Finn’s best friend, was both funny and annoying. The author had her in the book just enough to not go totally overboard.
There were so many parts of this story that I thought were meant to show Finn and Theo becoming closer but they were drawn out and boring. Theo takes Finn as his date on weekend work getaway and I didn’t feel this showed much happening between the MC’s. Instead, there is so much focus on another character that is never spoken of again in the story. There may be a future book for this character but it threw the story off for me.
Even though there were bumps in the story this author has a lot of potential. I am going to see how the second book in the story is.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
September 12, 2022
3.5 stars
A really fun an cute low-angst romance. It's refreshing to read a book with the fake dating trope that's not full of miscommunication and drama.
Very exicited to read what Shae Michaels comes out with next.
A really fun an cute low-angst romance. It's refreshing to read a book with the fake dating trope that's not full of miscommunication and drama.
Very exicited to read what Shae Michaels comes out with next.
September 6, 2022
It’s kind of an extreme tropefesr: fake boyfriends, demisexuals who suddenly like sex, camp retreats that only have one bed, twins next door to twins, hockey butts, dates at diners, loud teachers’ lounges, and so on. The core friend group includes a tattoo artist who is named inexplicably after a place (like, seriously, when did “Canada” or “Kentucky” become first names? (Only Canada appears in this book). We know some of them are going to get their book, too.
But the more serious problem with this book is that it’s padded out with irrelevant details that don’t really build atmosphere and don’t push the plot or the characters. Why do I care what Finn is always wearing, especially since he’s bad at clothes? Why do we get the full list of the scavenger hunt items, especially since our heroes don’t even win? Why does other-person-with-name-starting-with-T fall off the house during the light-stringing? Why does Finn hit a porcupine with his SUV? Why do I know that Finn has an SUV, and not some other car? Why are there so many nosy co-workers? Given that there are so many nosy co-workers, why didn’t they previously unearth the fact that Theo’s ex was simultaneously dating another minor character? Like there’s all this detail, but it’s not actually necessary. (And none of those are spoilers, since none of them spoil the actual plot.)
And then, oh boy, all the wet dreams and sex fantasies. Like, they’re a weird mix of “ew” and “uh, it doesn’t work like that”. I skipped the sex writing after their second kiss was … you know, I’m not going to cut and paste that from the book. Nope!
I am delighted this is the book for other people, but I honestly read it mostly for wry chuckles.
But the more serious problem with this book is that it’s padded out with irrelevant details that don’t really build atmosphere and don’t push the plot or the characters. Why do I care what Finn is always wearing, especially since he’s bad at clothes? Why do we get the full list of the scavenger hunt items, especially since our heroes don’t even win? Why does other-person-with-name-starting-with-T fall off the house during the light-stringing? Why does Finn hit a porcupine with his SUV? Why do I know that Finn has an SUV, and not some other car? Why are there so many nosy co-workers? Given that there are so many nosy co-workers, why didn’t they previously unearth the fact that Theo’s ex was simultaneously dating another minor character? Like there’s all this detail, but it’s not actually necessary. (And none of those are spoilers, since none of them spoil the actual plot.)
And then, oh boy, all the wet dreams and sex fantasies. Like, they’re a weird mix of “ew” and “uh, it doesn’t work like that”. I skipped the sex writing after their second kiss was … you know, I’m not going to cut and paste that from the book. Nope!
I am delighted this is the book for other people, but I honestly read it mostly for wry chuckles.
August 10, 2022
Finn's Fake Boyfriend by Shae Michaels is just what I needed to read today.
This book made my day, I just kept smiling reading about these two sweet guys falling in love.
Finn is being harassed by a coworker at the high school he works at, after going on a date with her once she's now obsessed with him and won't leave him alone. That's when the fake relationship scheme floats around, his best friend, Tessa, suggests a fake boyfriend instead of a fake girlfriend. Finn thinks she's lost it at first, but it would solve his problems.
Theo is Tessa's twin, he recently just broke up with his two timing ex only a few weeks before Tessa concocts this idea. There is no way this could work is there?
I absolutely loved this story, I was so engaged I'm this story from the first couple of pages. When a book does that I know it's bound to be good.
I enjoyed every single character mentioned throughout the course of this book, they all added humor and shenanigans to this story that just made this book so much better. I think if those characters weren't there this wouldn't have been as successful.
The plot was fleshed out in my opinion, Finn and Theo fake dating eventually leads into them dating for real. I thought the moments between these two characters were so sweet... And spicy.
I also appreciated that the author didn't have some fight or fall out happen to the characters, I really enjoyed that this ended in a happily ever after without too much drama.
I highly recommend Finn and Theo to anyone who wants a sweet love story that is guaranteed to make you smile.
My only critique to this is the fact that Finn's brother Sawyer is mentioned a couple times but he isn't in the story much. I wish he had more of a role than what he did.
*I received an early copy of this book and this is my honest review.*
This book made my day, I just kept smiling reading about these two sweet guys falling in love.
Finn is being harassed by a coworker at the high school he works at, after going on a date with her once she's now obsessed with him and won't leave him alone. That's when the fake relationship scheme floats around, his best friend, Tessa, suggests a fake boyfriend instead of a fake girlfriend. Finn thinks she's lost it at first, but it would solve his problems.
Theo is Tessa's twin, he recently just broke up with his two timing ex only a few weeks before Tessa concocts this idea. There is no way this could work is there?
I absolutely loved this story, I was so engaged I'm this story from the first couple of pages. When a book does that I know it's bound to be good.
I enjoyed every single character mentioned throughout the course of this book, they all added humor and shenanigans to this story that just made this book so much better. I think if those characters weren't there this wouldn't have been as successful.
The plot was fleshed out in my opinion, Finn and Theo fake dating eventually leads into them dating for real. I thought the moments between these two characters were so sweet... And spicy.
I also appreciated that the author didn't have some fight or fall out happen to the characters, I really enjoyed that this ended in a happily ever after without too much drama.
I highly recommend Finn and Theo to anyone who wants a sweet love story that is guaranteed to make you smile.
My only critique to this is the fact that Finn's brother Sawyer is mentioned a couple times but he isn't in the story much. I wish he had more of a role than what he did.
*I received an early copy of this book and this is my honest review.*
July 22, 2024
cute little story that introduces us to a group of friends as well as Finn and Theo. It was an interesting take on a kind of friends to lovers story. The humor was good and not too ott. Finn and Theo were good together and made for each other.
August 11, 2022
Shae really knows how to write Mm romance like no other. I can’t even say who was my favourite character, Tessa had me dying when her plan to make Finn & Theo fake date actually worked and Finn was just so sweet towards Theo when he started to enjoy spending time with him. The cuteness overload in this book was just too much! I’ll deffo be re reading.
August 14, 2022
Such an amazing book. I couldn’t put it down!! I was completely pulled in as the story of Finn and Theo developed.
August 10, 2022
i liked reading this book, it was a sweet book to read
September 1, 2022
I received a ARC of this book and I’m so glad I did.
I absolutely loved it. Finn and Theo are so great together. I had a special place in my heart for Finn maybe it was because how he was introduced. That scene will always be in my head. It was hilarious. I loved watching Finn and Theo’s relationship develop. It was sweet and spicy.
You get a bit of everything in this book. A meddling family who is pushing these two together. A best friend who makes an amazing secondary character who you’re dying to know his story. At least I was, please give me Mike’s story! And a kind of ex girlfriend who is absolutely crazy. I mean seriously I was cracking up laughing at her. I mean that woman was out of her mind.
And the heat in this book was hot!!! Watching these two come together was so sweet. I loved how Finn just went with it and how Theo came out of his shell with Finn.
Shae Michaels definitely hit the ball out of the park with this book. The writing was flawless. This book flowed beautifully. I’m definitely going to be reading everything that is out by this author from now on.
I absolutely loved it. Finn and Theo are so great together. I had a special place in my heart for Finn maybe it was because how he was introduced. That scene will always be in my head. It was hilarious. I loved watching Finn and Theo’s relationship develop. It was sweet and spicy.
You get a bit of everything in this book. A meddling family who is pushing these two together. A best friend who makes an amazing secondary character who you’re dying to know his story. At least I was, please give me Mike’s story! And a kind of ex girlfriend who is absolutely crazy. I mean seriously I was cracking up laughing at her. I mean that woman was out of her mind.
And the heat in this book was hot!!! Watching these two come together was so sweet. I loved how Finn just went with it and how Theo came out of his shell with Finn.
Shae Michaels definitely hit the ball out of the park with this book. The writing was flawless. This book flowed beautifully. I’m definitely going to be reading everything that is out by this author from now on.
dnf
January 5, 2023So, this is my first DNF this year. I started it a few times only to get sidetracked again, then on Dec24 I made the final try and you guessed it, yes I got distracted again only to return today for good. And I have to say this book is not for me.
Already the cover is rather horrible, this should be a romance novel right? And after so many unsuccessful tries now I know at least one aspect why this book doesn't work for me: this is not my humor. It's not funny and for me the MCs somehow are not distinctive enough, I always had to think about 'who is it now?'
The whole storyline, as far as I was able to read, was rather hare-brained.
Already the cover is rather horrible, this should be a romance novel right? And after so many unsuccessful tries now I know at least one aspect why this book doesn't work for me: this is not my humor. It's not funny and for me the MCs somehow are not distinctive enough, I always had to think about 'who is it now?'
The whole storyline, as far as I was able to read, was rather hare-brained.
August 21, 2022
Thank you to the author for providing a free copy in exchange for a review!
Finn made the mistake of sleeping with a coworker, and he now knows why everyone says not to sleep with your coworker. She won't leave him alone, and she's stalking him at the high school where they work. He's desperate to do anything to get her away from him, so his friends devise a scheme. They insist that Finn should find a girl to fake date. However, the plan soon evolves into finding Finn a fake boyfriend, which is sure to get the woman off of Finn's back.
Enter Theo. Theo is one of Finn's best friends, and their families have been friends and neighbors for years. He recently discovered that his boyfriend was dating another man at their workplace, so his friends see him as the perfect candidate to be Finn's fake boyfriend. However, Theo has had a crush on Finn for a while now, and the plan might be too much for him to handle. Nonetheless, he agrees, but he will certainly be in for more than he bargained for.
Going into this one, I was not sure what to expect. The premise sounded interesting, but ultimately this book just wasn't for me. Finn and Theo were good characters, but I felt like things moved very quickly, and it was hard for me to keep up at times. Also, their voices were very similar, and I found myself having to flip back to see who was narrating the chapter or read until I found the other man's name. I don't think this was a bad book, and there are several people who have loved it. In the end, I just don't think that it was for me.
Finn made the mistake of sleeping with a coworker, and he now knows why everyone says not to sleep with your coworker. She won't leave him alone, and she's stalking him at the high school where they work. He's desperate to do anything to get her away from him, so his friends devise a scheme. They insist that Finn should find a girl to fake date. However, the plan soon evolves into finding Finn a fake boyfriend, which is sure to get the woman off of Finn's back.
Enter Theo. Theo is one of Finn's best friends, and their families have been friends and neighbors for years. He recently discovered that his boyfriend was dating another man at their workplace, so his friends see him as the perfect candidate to be Finn's fake boyfriend. However, Theo has had a crush on Finn for a while now, and the plan might be too much for him to handle. Nonetheless, he agrees, but he will certainly be in for more than he bargained for.
Going into this one, I was not sure what to expect. The premise sounded interesting, but ultimately this book just wasn't for me. Finn and Theo were good characters, but I felt like things moved very quickly, and it was hard for me to keep up at times. Also, their voices were very similar, and I found myself having to flip back to see who was narrating the chapter or read until I found the other man's name. I don't think this was a bad book, and there are several people who have loved it. In the end, I just don't think that it was for me.
November 10, 2022
For me this book was a classic case of “Don’t judge a book by its cover!” I didn’t really think about reading this book too much until I read the description for book two in the series and thought I would try this one too.
I am so glad I did because this book was absolutely fantastic!!!
This was a super cute, funny love story between Finn and Theo. They have been friends all their lives and started fake dating. But as it does with this trope the fake dating started to not feel fake eventually. What I absolutely loved about what the author did with this book is that it was not a “we are fake dating and two days later we realize we like each other and want more” thing. It took a few weeks of hanging out and being friendly before those thoughts really went past lust for the other person. I loved that they really took their time! I say that but once they did decide to be real boyfriends the relationship moves like crazy but in such a believable and amazing way.
All the side characters in this book were great too. Tessa (Theo’s sister and Finn’s best friend) was awesome and I loved her son little Harry (and how he got his name)! The second book is about Finn’s friend Mike and I’m looking forward to his story!
This was a fantastic debut novel and I absolutely recommend this book to anyone that likes the fake boyfriends trope. It is absolutely worth the read and I can’t wait to read the next book in this series!
I am so glad I did because this book was absolutely fantastic!!!
This was a super cute, funny love story between Finn and Theo. They have been friends all their lives and started fake dating. But as it does with this trope the fake dating started to not feel fake eventually. What I absolutely loved about what the author did with this book is that it was not a “we are fake dating and two days later we realize we like each other and want more” thing. It took a few weeks of hanging out and being friendly before those thoughts really went past lust for the other person. I loved that they really took their time! I say that but once they did decide to be real boyfriends the relationship moves like crazy but in such a believable and amazing way.
All the side characters in this book were great too. Tessa (Theo’s sister and Finn’s best friend) was awesome and I loved her son little Harry (and how he got his name)! The second book is about Finn’s friend Mike and I’m looking forward to his story!
This was a fantastic debut novel and I absolutely recommend this book to anyone that likes the fake boyfriends trope. It is absolutely worth the read and I can’t wait to read the next book in this series!
December 25, 2023
Loved Theo and Finn so much!!!
I don’t often read books set in places that are familiar to me, but as a resident of various parts of Wisconsin for the past 25 years, I thoroughly enjoyed the mention of places I’m familiar with and the singular mention of the Milwaukee Admirals hockey team. If you’ve never been to the Northwoods you’re missing out and the lake country areas are spectacular as well.
Okay, enough of my fangirling over my state. Finn and Theo. Best friends brother, fake boyfriends, and opposites attract are tropes that check all my boxes.
Finn is a large athletic guy who played hockey with his twin brother and his best friend Tessa as they were growing up. Theo is Tessa’s twin brother and isn’t exactly a hockey fan. 😂 Finn finds himself in desperate need of saving from a one time date turned near stalker. Tessa comes up with the brilliant idea for Finn and Theo to fake date.
It was so achingly sweet to see these two as they went from lifelong acquaintances to being one another’s person. I didn’t feel that their relationship was rushed, though I understand how it could seem that way. When you’ve been around someone almost since birth, that removes a lot of need for certain aspects of relationship building.
I wish there had been a Caption and Bucky scene, but alas I was denied. 😭 A fun quick read that felt me feeling all warm and fuzzy. Can’t wait to read how certain side characters find their HEA’s as well.
I don’t often read books set in places that are familiar to me, but as a resident of various parts of Wisconsin for the past 25 years, I thoroughly enjoyed the mention of places I’m familiar with and the singular mention of the Milwaukee Admirals hockey team. If you’ve never been to the Northwoods you’re missing out and the lake country areas are spectacular as well.
Okay, enough of my fangirling over my state. Finn and Theo. Best friends brother, fake boyfriends, and opposites attract are tropes that check all my boxes.
Finn is a large athletic guy who played hockey with his twin brother and his best friend Tessa as they were growing up. Theo is Tessa’s twin brother and isn’t exactly a hockey fan. 😂 Finn finds himself in desperate need of saving from a one time date turned near stalker. Tessa comes up with the brilliant idea for Finn and Theo to fake date.
It was so achingly sweet to see these two as they went from lifelong acquaintances to being one another’s person. I didn’t feel that their relationship was rushed, though I understand how it could seem that way. When you’ve been around someone almost since birth, that removes a lot of need for certain aspects of relationship building.
I wish there had been a Caption and Bucky scene, but alas I was denied. 😭 A fun quick read that felt me feeling all warm and fuzzy. Can’t wait to read how certain side characters find their HEA’s as well.
September 23, 2022
it was an acceptable read. it was fast pace, quick and easy to read. incredibly funny as well. i found myself laughing at loud at some scenes.
theo was indeed incredibly funny sometimes (and somewhat of an idiot as well; mostly at the beginning of the story).
finn made the story for me. i loved his character and was rooting for him. the sex scenes were good as well. i just don't enjoy reading sex as much as i used to?
the side characters! wow, they were great! i found myself surprised at how natural and real their conversations felt.
i loved finn's and theo's families. sawyer and tessa? 💖 it was a fun loving and charismatic group of friends!
i'd would be okay with reading other stories about those characters!
now, about clayton? i just felt their side story was sort of a plot device? it ruined finn for me just a little.
ally's story was not treated carefully enough. it felt somewhat unfair, honestly, it would've been great to see a bit more about men getting harassed at work discourse, without applying shame unto women or as the crazy one. i do believe what she did was inherently wrong, and finn do explained about the how many times he rejected her in polite ways and then not wanting to keep interacting with her. i dunno, it's a complicated topic.
theo was indeed incredibly funny sometimes (and somewhat of an idiot as well; mostly at the beginning of the story).
finn made the story for me. i loved his character and was rooting for him. the sex scenes were good as well. i just don't enjoy reading sex as much as i used to?
the side characters! wow, they were great! i found myself surprised at how natural and real their conversations felt.
i loved finn's and theo's families. sawyer and tessa? 💖 it was a fun loving and charismatic group of friends!
i'd would be okay with reading other stories about those characters!
now, about clayton? i just felt their side story was sort of a plot device? it ruined finn for me just a little.
ally's story was not treated carefully enough. it felt somewhat unfair, honestly, it would've been great to see a bit more about men getting harassed at work discourse, without applying shame unto women or as the crazy one. i do believe what she did was inherently wrong, and finn do explained about the how many times he rejected her in polite ways and then not wanting to keep interacting with her. i dunno, it's a complicated topic.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
August 18, 2022
I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again—Theo is such a delightful little snark monster and perfect for Finn.
This cute romp is the beginning of a new series and is sure to make you smile. I grew up not far from where the imagined town of Pine Ridge would be located and can completely relate with how family and friends interact—and I even learned something new about my own state. Next time I’m up north, I need to check out a few things ;)
The fake boyfriend trope is a fav of mine, so I jumped at the chance to read this book by debut author Shae Michaels and I was not disappointed. Breaking from the standard formula, the book is all fluff with no BIG MISUNDERSTANDING (tm) at the end.
The pacing dipped a bit for me in some places and details sometimes focused a little too much on mundane life things when I wanted MORE MORE MORE of Finn and Theo’s delightful banter, but that just goes to show how much I loved the two of them and all of their interactions with each other. Overall, it was an enjoyable read and I definitely recommend adding to your TBR.
I can’t wait to see what’s next for the guys of Pine Ridge.
*I received an ARC copy of this book and this is my honest review
This cute romp is the beginning of a new series and is sure to make you smile. I grew up not far from where the imagined town of Pine Ridge would be located and can completely relate with how family and friends interact—and I even learned something new about my own state. Next time I’m up north, I need to check out a few things ;)
The fake boyfriend trope is a fav of mine, so I jumped at the chance to read this book by debut author Shae Michaels and I was not disappointed. Breaking from the standard formula, the book is all fluff with no BIG MISUNDERSTANDING (tm) at the end.
The pacing dipped a bit for me in some places and details sometimes focused a little too much on mundane life things when I wanted MORE MORE MORE of Finn and Theo’s delightful banter, but that just goes to show how much I loved the two of them and all of their interactions with each other. Overall, it was an enjoyable read and I definitely recommend adding to your TBR.
I can’t wait to see what’s next for the guys of Pine Ridge.
*I received an ARC copy of this book and this is my honest review
June 3, 2023
So I got Shae’s second book in the Pine Ridge Series from a book box so naturally I have to start with book one in the series. And this one starts with a doozy when Theo finds out his boyfriend is also dating the new guy in his department. Talk about awkward af. Finn, on the other hand, is being stalked by a fellow teacher who is slightly crazed because he slept with her one time. So Tess, Finn’s best friend and Theo twin sister, comes up with the idea for Finn and Theo to date to ward off the crazy lady. And it works…mostly.
These two guys were so cute! Theo was a bit bumbling and shy but also snarky and sweet. Finn seemed to be a bit of a pushover but when it came to Theo he liked to take charge. These two were kinda-friends who became good friends that ultimately lead to them falling in love.
It wasn’t insta. It was well developed and so sexy when they finally succumbed to their attraction. No fumbling sexy times or breakups or unnecessary drama. This one was a relatively fluffy romance and I adored it.
SPICE: 🌶️🌶️🌶️
ANGST:💧
POV: 1st, Dual
These two guys were so cute! Theo was a bit bumbling and shy but also snarky and sweet. Finn seemed to be a bit of a pushover but when it came to Theo he liked to take charge. These two were kinda-friends who became good friends that ultimately lead to them falling in love.
It wasn’t insta. It was well developed and so sexy when they finally succumbed to their attraction. No fumbling sexy times or breakups or unnecessary drama. This one was a relatively fluffy romance and I adored it.
SPICE: 🌶️🌶️🌶️
ANGST:💧
POV: 1st, Dual
September 27, 2022
Finn slept with the wrong girl, who is now harassing him. Theo was cheated on by his boyfriend with his coworker. Being a part of the same friend group, it was a brilliant idea by Theo’s sister and Finn’s best friend for them to fake date- to make Theo’s ex jealous and too put a stop to Finn’s misguided hookup harasser. I’m sure you can guess what happens next.
I almost didn’t review this book as it was waaayyy spicier than I anticipated going into it, but overall, this is a very cute book, very well written, and yes spicy, but in a great way. I like that even though it is based on common tropes, it isn’t cheesy at all. The author even makes comments about “this only happens in cheesy romance novels.”
I truly love the characters. @shaemichaelswrites did a great job at making the characters different and thought out, but still having a harmony and chemistry that takes talent to write. I look forward to more from Shae Michaels!
I almost didn’t review this book as it was waaayyy spicier than I anticipated going into it, but overall, this is a very cute book, very well written, and yes spicy, but in a great way. I like that even though it is based on common tropes, it isn’t cheesy at all. The author even makes comments about “this only happens in cheesy romance novels.”
I truly love the characters. @shaemichaelswrites did a great job at making the characters different and thought out, but still having a harmony and chemistry that takes talent to write. I look forward to more from Shae Michaels!
September 17, 2022
I was really excited to read this author’s debut and this book did not disappoint! While I love MM romance, I tend to avoid contemporary, except holiday romances, because I’m particular about pop culture references. I didn’t even need the exception of this being a holiday romance, because I’m a huge Stucky fan and whenever that popped up, so did my cheesy smile. As far as holiday romances go, this felt very homey to me as a Midwesterner since the setting is just a few hours north of me in Wisconsin. This has grumpy/sunshine, this has fake dating, this has one bed, this has friends to lovers. This relationship is so sweet, and there’s plenty of secondary characters that I loved (my favorite starring as the MC in upcoming book 2). This is a well-written, cheeky, adorable, steamy, cozy holiday MM romance that brought all the feels. This is a 5⭐️ for me!
December 18, 2022
FINN’S FAKE BOYFRIEND by @shaemichaelswrites
The fake boyfriend trope, though done so many times, is one I love. I like that it allows the characters to test out their feelings without the actual scary part. I just love it! And this book was no exception. I also enjoyed that this book didn’t have any weirdness, no misunderstanding, no real hard “things” to overcome, it just felt so real! Finn was so good and wonderful and open to being with Theo when it was fake and when it became real. Theo was funny, witty, and overall just needed the right guy to bring his true self through. Loved every page, and I laughed a lot!
290/300
#mmromance #mmromancebooks #mmromancenovel #onederreadsfourstars
The fake boyfriend trope, though done so many times, is one I love. I like that it allows the characters to test out their feelings without the actual scary part. I just love it! And this book was no exception. I also enjoyed that this book didn’t have any weirdness, no misunderstanding, no real hard “things” to overcome, it just felt so real! Finn was so good and wonderful and open to being with Theo when it was fake and when it became real. Theo was funny, witty, and overall just needed the right guy to bring his true self through. Loved every page, and I laughed a lot!
290/300
#mmromance #mmromancebooks #mmromancenovel #onederreadsfourstars
March 5, 2024
3.5 stars
Super low angst and low-key cosy book (apart from Finn essentially being sexually harassed by a woman however thankfully that didn't take up too much of the book and didn't go into too much detail). I liked both Finn and Theo both separately and together, they were accepting of each other and had different personalities which complimented each other. I'm always a fan of a fake dating trope and this one was done well and wasn't strung out. The level of communication between them was great and although they moved really quickly I felt like it made sense for them as they've known each other for so long.
I enjoyed the other characters in the story, the big family and the kind of friends they were surrounded by.
Super low angst and low-key cosy book (apart from Finn essentially being sexually harassed by a woman however thankfully that didn't take up too much of the book and didn't go into too much detail). I liked both Finn and Theo both separately and together, they were accepting of each other and had different personalities which complimented each other. I'm always a fan of a fake dating trope and this one was done well and wasn't strung out. The level of communication between them was great and although they moved really quickly I felt like it made sense for them as they've known each other for so long.
I enjoyed the other characters in the story, the big family and the kind of friends they were surrounded by.
September 1, 2022
Finn's Fake Boyfriend was a fun, cute read that left me smiling. Finn made a mistake and slept with a co-worker and now she’s stalking and harassing him. His best friend Tessa thinks he should date her twin Theo. Theo had recently broken up his boyfriend who cheated on him. They start a fake boyfriend relationship that quickly turns into more. This was the cutest story, laughed out loud several times and just plain couldn’t stop smiling! There’s a strong secondary cast of characters that I’m hoping for a story for Sawyer, Finn’s twin. Overall a fantastic story, fun to read. Well written with pacing that hooked me.
September 6, 2022
This was a cute, fluffy, no angst book. The two MC's were sweet together and I loved Theo's ever changing pet name for Finn. There was a little over abundance of tropes I wanted to roll my eyes at a little and some other details I wish were developed deeper, but I think that's just me trying to force the book to be something it wasn't meant for. If you want a feel good, easy, sweet book to make you smile for an afternoon then this one will definitely fill that spot. Being a debut novel, I look forward to reading more from this author and seeing more of the other characters we met in this book.
October 9, 2025
I was so incredibly bored. The writing was okay, and the premise was interesting…until nothing happened. I mean, stuff happened, but I was just being told about it, never shown. They went on a couple of dates, and we’re just told that they went on those dates. The side characters are interesting, and they are both likeable characters, but it was all very surface level. I really was not interested in their relationship —very little chemistry, tbh —nor did I feel invested in them getting together. It was a fast read, I was already at 70% when I decided I just didn’t have the energy to keep reading
November 8, 2022
I'm a sucker for the fake boyfriend trope. It's more of my favorite tropes in romance books. And Shae Michaels doesn't disappoint. What a fun time. I just fell in love with Finn, He's in my top 10 favorite characters written. His confession to his collage adventures where top notch writing, his matter-of-fact delivery so out of sorts with the reaction from the other characters was brilliant!
Now if we can just get a HEA for sweet Raine, he really got sh!t on in this story. My heart went out to him.
Now if we can just get a HEA for sweet Raine, he really got sh!t on in this story. My heart went out to him.
January 15, 2024
amazing!
This book has ALL the feel goods and “kicking your feet” giddy moments you could ever want!!
I also want to say a HUGE thanks to the author for writing THIRTY year old MCs who know how to have a healthy conversation with communication. I am not a fan of the miscommunication trope and although this book has it—it is only for about 4 paragraphs and they talk it out. I hate when grown adults in books don’t know how to communicate!
This book is cute, spicy and a very easy read! 5/5 ⭐️ for pure enjoyment! I can’t wait to finish the series!
This book has ALL the feel goods and “kicking your feet” giddy moments you could ever want!!
I also want to say a HUGE thanks to the author for writing THIRTY year old MCs who know how to have a healthy conversation with communication. I am not a fan of the miscommunication trope and although this book has it—it is only for about 4 paragraphs and they talk it out. I hate when grown adults in books don’t know how to communicate!
This book is cute, spicy and a very easy read! 5/5 ⭐️ for pure enjoyment! I can’t wait to finish the series!
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