Working at Bliss, Sarah Harrison deals with all sorts of—interesting clientele. Yet no one sparks her interest more than Jared Gaines, the ultra-rich, ultra-sexy businessman who frequents her shop, buying delicate little “gifts” for the women in his life.But one day, Jared sends her a gift from Bliss. Then another—and another. So when Sarah walks into his office demanding to know why he can’t … he can’t stop sending her gifts, he makes her an offer she somehow can’t refuse: be his fake girlfriend for the weekend while attending his brother’s engagement party.
Next thing Sarah knows, she’s in San Francisco, pretending to be in love with Jared. Not that it’s a hardship. Once you get the man away from the office, he’s much more relaxed. Sweet. Funny. Even…thoughtful? Oh, and sexier than ever, of course.
Their pretend relationship feels very real, very quickly. Soon Sarah’s in over her head. Could what she and Jared share turn into something real? Or is it all actually…fake?
more
I loved this book so much! I really wanted to not like Jared, but he is so emotionally damaged that you just have to hope he gets the girl. Sarah has so much on her plate that the last thing she needs is a relationship. But there is something about Jared that draws her to him. He invites her to attend his brothers engagement party as his “girlfriend”. The weekend together shows them that maybe this could be real. Such a great story. Can’t wait for more in this series!
What great fun I had reading Fake Date! Monica Murphy shows her expertise once more in the game of pretending to be a couple when the seemingly uptight Jared Gaines asks the feisty Sarah Harrison to be his date for a family weekend. These two have been dancing around one another, shooting off snarky remarks and witty comebacks as Jared frequents the lingerie boutique in which Sarah works, for the past 6 months. Oh but they don’t have anyone fooled as naughty thoughts enter their minds more than once as Jared is presumably buying expensive unmentionables for his numerous mistresses.
What is more than wonderful is that Sarah gives as good as she gets and doesn’t let Jared off the hook when he is being rude and his usual jerky self. She may just be what he needs in his life, even if he doesn’t even want to see it. Their banter is off the charts insane and the weekend they spend together is all kinds of sexy and passionate. And no one is more surprised than they are. I laughed right along with them and there was more than once that I wanted to kick Jared’s arse for being so daft and incorrigible at the same time. Men! He could drive any woman crazy but I can’t blame Sarah for wanting him to drive her crazy in more ways than one.
With some of the best secondary characters ever, Fake Date is delightful, smart and full of a sweetness that only Monica Murphy can deliver. I can only hope we get a glimpse of these two in the future as Murphy continues the series.
Sure to make you smile just like it did me, I happily give Fake Date a solid 4 stars!
*** ARC Received for Honest Review ***
4 stars
What a super cute read! This is a lot of foreplay with a big, steamy payoff. The push and pull between Jared and Sarah is so much fun. Don’t miss out on the chemistry that brews hot between these two.
3.5 stars.
I had mixed feelings about this book, I was so excited to read it after reading the blurb but Jared drove me crazy and the chemistry between him and Sarah felt forced at times. Overall it wasn’t a bad story, just felt it could have flowed a bit better. Excited for Holidate, I loved Candice!
We have Sarah Harrison an employee at Bliss Lingerie store is getting by in life, not just on helping support her family, but also getting through one of her clients Jared Gaines who comes every month to make her life hell by choosing exotic pieces of panties and bras for his mistress. Jared hates that word, but he’s only going because he loves to see Sarah squirm whenever he makes smart comments. Fed up with the banter and sparks between them, he takes a bold step by shipping her the lingerie items he bought, to her house… the rest is history!
The story between Sarah and Jared was freaking amazing! I read Saved the Date by Monica and let me just say, this story does not compare. The banter between these two, the chemistry between them was freaking FIRE. I couldn’t put it down and I devoured this book in literally two days! Sarah and Jared had that thing going on for them by being sarcastic and snarky with one another that gave the story such a comic feel to it, and I love a good laugh. Plus Enemies to lovers stories are kinda my thing and them falling in love was more like an enemies to lovers feel for me. Their stories as characters were similar in some ways, for example, they both lost people they love, they both have siblings which they adore. I saw them bonding over things they had in common.
I was given the opportunity to read this ARC for an honest opinion, and I am so glad I was chosen to be on Monica’s street team, I get to read and give an honest review about her books, and this one knocked my socks off! I absolutely adored Fake Date. I cannot wait to read Holidate next! I gave a well deserved 5 stars to this one and if I could give it a 6 I would have!
J’avais adoré le 1er tome de cette saga, Save the Date, où nous avions découvert l’histoire de Caroline et d’Alex et j’étais donc heureuse de retrouver cette atmosphère de comédie romantique avec un nouveau duo qui allait conquérir nos coeur. Si vous aimez comme moi les comédies romantiques, celle de Monica Murphy saura vous ravir.
Sarah Harrison est une jeune femme de 25 ans qui est très mature pour son âge car à la mort de ses parents, elle n’a eu d’autre choix que d’assumer le rôle de chef de famille et mettre ses envies de côtés . Brent son frère de 21 ans est plus indépendant que leur soeur Andie qui n’a que 16 ans. Cette adolescente a besoin d’attention et qu’on l’aide à finir le lycée pour ensuite trouver sa voie professionnelle. Sarah saura être à l’écoute de cette jeune femme et saura donc lui offrir un environnement sein. Mais avec ce “poids” et son travail chez Bliss, elle n’a pas le temps de penser à elle et à sa vie privée. Quand un client commence à flirter avec elle, elle ne sait plus ce qu’elle doit en penser mais heureusement , elle pourra compter sur son groupe d’amies. Que ce soit Caroline ou Stella, elles seront là pour écouter ses questions, ses doutes et pour tenter de l’aiguiller du mieux que l’on peut. J’ai aimé cette amitié car on va aisément imaginer que dans les prochains tomes nous pourrons les retrouver pour prendre de leur nouvelle ou pour découvrir leur propre histoire.
Sarah va donc faire face à l’impressionnant Jared Gaines qui vient régulièrement lui acheter de la lingerie fine. Elle s’est donc fait une idée bien précise de l’énergumène et la tension sera très présente dès qu’il entre en scène. Elle ne parvient pas à être naturelle avec lui car elle sait qu’il va lui reprocher le moindre faux pas. Il est grognon , il n’a pas de temps à perdre et pourtant il semblerait qu’il lui envoie certains signaux qu’elle ne parvient pas à déchiffrer. Pourtant quand il lui demandera d’être sa fausse petite amie lors d’une soirée de fiançailles de son frère Kevin , elle va tout de même accepter. Elle saura cependant le remettre à sa place en temps voulu car bien qu’il soit la plupart du temps un gentleman , il saura aussi être brut de décoffrage. Que se passera t-il pendant ce week end à San Francisco ? Se pourrait il que cette vaste comédie débouche sur de vrais sentiments?
Jared Gaines est un sacré personnage qu’on a plus souvent envie de baffer que de cajoler. Il est froid, met de la distance avec les autres et il n’a aucun ami proche pour le sortir de sa tanière. Il partage de douloureux points communs avec Sarah mais contrairement à elle, il ne parviendra pas à extérioriser ses sentiments. Il a été marqué par la perte et la trahison et de ce fait, il ne sait plus aimer. Il a peur d’ouvrir de nouveau son coeur et c’est pour cela qu’il repousse sa propre famille. La seule avec qui il parvient encore à avoir un dialogue est Candice sa soeur de 23 ans que j’ai adoré découvrir. Elle sera l’héroïne du 3ème tome, Holidate , et j’ai hâte de la retrouver. C’est un rayon de soleil qui illumine les scènes où elle est présente. Elle est gentille , adorable et elle supporte son frère. Elle va le pousser à sortir de sa zone de confort et à renouer avec leur frère Kevin qui va épouser sa fiancée Rachelle. Depuis la mort de sa mère, il n’a plus eu les mêmes relations avec son père Marcus et encore moins sa belle mère Mitzy et il serait donc grand temps qu’il se rende compte des barrières qu’il met entre lui et les autres. Sarah pourra t-elle lui ouvrir les yeux? Saura t-il ouvrir de nouveau son coeur?
Bref, je me suis régalée avec la lecture de cette comédie romantique qui a tous les ingrédients pour me plaire. Monica Murphy nous offre de l’humour , de l’amour, des personnages complexes mais intéressants et c’est une lecture à ne pas manquer.
Murphy creates delightful romance. Fake Date lays on the charm with a hint of obvious and more than enough heart. Jared and Sarah are a riot. She makes you want to laugh, he makes you want to scream and they both kept me craving more. Sometimes our emotions need a chance to take a breather and find the smile that hides within. Monica Murphy is the perfect fit for bringing out the fun.
**I voluntarily read an early copy of this title courtesy of NetGalley and the publisher in exchange for an honest review**
Fake Date is the second book in Monica Murphy’s Dating series and if you haven’t read the first in the series, never fear, this one can be read completely as a standalone.
Sarah Harrison works at the high end lingerie store Bliss where one of her many jobs is to serve as a personal shopper to her clients. Her latest client that she’s encountered is the enigma that is Jared Gaines. He’s completely put together, always decked out in a suit, not a hair out of place, yet all she knows is he buys a whole lot of lingerie, so her assumption is he’s definitely a ladies man.
When Jared starts sending Sarah gifts, she doesn’t quite know what to make of it. She doesn’t want to be attracted to him, but she totally is. She’s got her hands full due to the fact she’s raising her brother and sister following the death of their parents and so the last thing she’s had time for is dating. It turns out that Jared makes a proposition that Sarah pose as his girlfriend for his brother’s engagement party. She agrees, but will it be as easy as they originally think it will? Not likely when the lines begin to blur and feelings begin to emerge.
This was a fun, flirty fake relationship/hate-to-love novel and it was a great one. I enjoyed every minute of it and I also enjoyed Jared’s sister, Candice, and Sarah’s group of friends. I was stoked to see that the next book stars Candice as our heroine. Can’t wait!
I loved it and it was fun, flirty, and sexy. I definitely recommend this book, this series, and this author.
Fake Date is a cute read that I couldn’t put down. Jared is hot and knows what he wants. I love the changes in him throughout this one. I love the chemistry between Sarah and Jared. He just has this way of wearing her down that you will turn into a little pile of goo. Sarah is sweet and caring. She does an amazing job raising her siblings. Sarah just has this way about her that makes you feel like you have known her forever. I loved Fake Date. I really can’t wait to see what Monica Murphy has in store for us in the next Dating book to come. The Dating series is hot and cute and something you don’t want to miss out on.
This is my fifth Monica Murphy ARC. This book is the second book in the new Dating Series, and I have to say that Jared and Sarah are favorites after Drew and Fable…. though that ending with Candice peaked my curiosity to the highest level. I’m already looking forward to book three.
I love Jared and Sarah… Sure there were parts that frustrated the h€ck out of me and parts that made me roll my eyes but it was all part of it.
Overall I enjoyed the story. I devoured it overnight! It’s an easy and light read with a dash of angst here and there… it’s definitely a page-turner. It’s also inspiring and swoony.
To the fans of Monica’s One Week Girlfriend series and to all romantic saps like me, I definitely recommend!
Monica Murphy is becoming one of my favorite authors. Her books are so good, you won’t want to put them down.
Fake Date gives us everything we love about a fake relationship. These two couldn’t be more different. Who would of thought that Sarah would end up helping Mr. Jared Gaines out. These two meet at Bliss Lingerie. Jared is a client of Sarah’s and thinks he’s a ladies man with many mistresses. But once the truth finally comes out, feelings start to take over and begin to surface.
Jared is a hard businessman and has been burned. He doesn’t live and would rather work than be around his family. But Sarah helps him see that he can drop the walls and he can learn to love again.
Who would of thought that the sales clerk and the business could fall in love when everything was supposed to be fake.
Highly recommended.
*I was given a free copy of this book by Net Galley in exchange for my honest and voluntary review. All thoughts and opinions are those of my own.*
It’s no big shocker that I don’t like man whores so I was so scared to start this book. A man who comes into a lingerie store monthly to buy things for his mistresses? Yeah, no. But Monica told me to trust her, and that is one thing I do. I trust her. I fell head over heels for Jared and his distant, cold, brooding self. It’s understandable why he is the way he is, and I loved seeing his walls being broken down one by one. Sarah was his perfect match and she made him see that things aren’t always as they seem and got him to come out of his shell. I loved seeing him grow as a person and do things that were clearly out of his comfort zone, just for her. When he falls, he falls hard. This series is light compared to what I’m used to reading by Monica, but it’s refreshing and sometimes just what I need.
It’s been a hot minute since i read a Monica Murphy book and it’s got my all types of confused why.
I loved this book so hard.
I don’t know if it’s because Jared is so stand-off-ish or Sarah’s way of breaking down his walls or what but this book had me hooked.
The moment you meet Jared he kinda dominated the page like i felt his presence so strongly the entire book, he has the look that could melt you into a puddle and not think twice about it.
Sarah she was amazing, so great at dealing with Jared when he was being difficult as a customer but also great at winding him up with little jabs.
Both of them got on so well, the chemistry was off the charts with them and anyone in the nearby vicinity would feel it too.
I look forward to reading the next book too!
Talk about self sabotage… Jared is an expert on that. Too afraid. But since Sarah doesn’t shy away from the broody jerk, she has no problem putting him in his place. She is good for him and selfless. For Sarah, it’s not about changing his character. It’s about helping him realize that his resentment, defensiveness and offensive behavior are eating away at him. Jared is missing out in enjoying family and life.
Both of them are not strangers to loss and hard work. And while Sarah shows him a smooth resentment free living, Jared becomes her challenge. He provokes in her a desire to take risks and finally live putting herself first. This is a very entertaining read. With lots of “I hate you, you are insufferable but deep down I really like you” attitude. How can you not like that?
Sarah Harrison is a personal shopper at Bliss Lingerie, and she has seen and dealt with a plethora of clients. However there is only one that she can’t decide whether she wants to throttle or kiss. Jared Gaines is a successful businessman, he can be considered cold, but he just doesn’t take crap from anybody. He has been shopping at Bliss for the woman that come and go in his life, but there is something about Sarah that he can’t seem to get enough of. When he sends her a gift from Bliss, and then another gift Sarah doesn’t understand what his game is. When she confronts him, he does the unthinkable, he asks her to be his ‘fake girlfriend/date’ to his brothers engagement party. Madness ensues as the two spend more time together, and it’s hard to deny their attraction, but when the weekend comes to a close will their fake relationship turn into something real? Or will it come to a close as well?
Jared is a different type of character than I’m used to Monica writing. I’ve read most of her books, and I have to say he is the epitome of jerk, but in the best way possible! I loved that Jared didn’t care what other people thought about him, at times yes I did want to slap him, but he was the epitome of alpha for me. I also loved that Sarah brought out a different side to Jared that many people didn’t get to see. She pushed him to be better and that is what every relationship is about. The banter between the two was hilarious, and I love that the secondary characters add to the story, and I can’t wait for the next book!
Holy chemistry! Jared and Sarah are adorable! The banter these two have is so funny. It is their way of flirting, I suppose. This is the second book in the dating series and it is also a hit, just as Save The Date Is. once again we have a brooding man who won’t let you inside his head and a woman who on the outside looks all put together and strong; when she really is doing everything in her power to hold everything together. Jared and Sarah start out as acquaintances. Meeting one another at Sarah’s place of work, Bliss. Jared seems to come in more and more often. And why? You think you know, but not until later in the book you find out. Jared is somewhat estranged from his family and is asked to attend a party. He really doesn’t want to go. But after some persuasion, Sarah decides to be his fake date to the party. But once away together, Jared and Sarah really find out that they are very compatible with one another. This book is very fun to read and had me smiling through most of it!
This is my second book from Monica!. I thought it was really good! I loved the concept of the story. It had great secondary characters that I hope get their own book!
Jared was a total ass and Sarah was your typical strong woman. They had great chemistry! I really enjoyed them calling each other Mr. Gaines and Miss Harrison. It was sweet and sexy. It was overall a great read! I can’t wait for the next book!