I’ll be the first to admit that the fake-dating trope in books isn’t always always my favorite. I don’t want to wait forever before I start to see glimpses of an attraction – I need to see some early signs even if it takes a while to get there completely! However, recently I’ve read a couple of books back to back that I’ve loved and had to share. So, without delay, here are three fake-dating books to read before Valentine’s day.
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Faking Under the Mistletoe
Okay, yes, technically you could call this a Christmas novel. And it is, in the sense that it takes place throughout the holiday season and has holiday events as the scene for several moments throughout the book.
However I’m suggesting that you set all of that aside for the tale of Olivia and Asher. Olivia is all fun and light while Asher is grumpy. He doesn’t find Olivia charming at all. An impulsive moment throws them into a fake romance to make Asher’s ex-girlfriend jealous, naturally and chaos ensues.
What I liked most about this book was its fun banter and quick pace. I love a book that I don’t want to put down and can consume over the course of the weekend, and each book on this list checks that box. Olivia is a bit chaotic, but in a fun way.
Bonus: Faking Under the Mistletoe is also on Kindle Unlimited, which you can get free for 30 days!
The Love Hypothesis
This is on EVERYONE’S TBR list right now and it’s all anyone is talking about! This has a little bit of enemies to lovers AND a fake romance all rolled into one, just like Faking Under the Mistletoe.
This time we have Olive and Adam who find themselves in a fake romance. Olive wants to convince her best friend that she is SO OVER her ex, who is so clearly in love with her bestie. Adam agrees because the optics of this fake relationship will benefit him at work by making him look like he’s planting roots.
You know what happens next. It gets spicy! I’m here for grumpy Adam warming to Olive. I love that Olive and Adam are scientists – yay for women in STEM! Yay for smart, capable women who are absolute disaster in relationships. Yay for this book!
Fun Fact: Ali Hazelwood took her fanfic about Kylo Ren and Rey and turned it into this modern romance! Thanks to Andrea from Born and Read in Chicago for that intel!
Take a Hint, Dani Brown
I pulled this from from the archives to round out this list and I think it deserves a revisit. I loved all three of the books in the Brown sisters trilogy and Dani’s turn is HOT.
The story of Dani and Zaf starts with Dani who is definitely not looking to be locked down. A viral moment throws Dani and Zaf into the spotlight and Zaf convinces Dani to play along to get his charity some much needed publicity.
This book turns common tropes on their heads because Zaf is the one trying wife Dani up, while Dani wants the heat and none of the commitment.
Spoiler Alert: I’m a sucker for a Happily Ever After ending, so we know where this book is headed. None the less, enjoy the ride if you know what I mean.
Looking for more book recommendations? Don’t miss Megan’s favorite books from 2021!
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