Sloane De Carlo is going to have to move to Antarctica.
As if it wasn’t bad enough that she accidentally made her private blog very public, and all her innermost secrets and embarrassing moments are trending, now the entirety of the Internet is dying to know who her all-consuming, never-get-over-him crush “Guy” really is. She’s even got a literary agent dangling a book deal in front of her … front of her nose—but there’s a catch. She’ll have to get closure with “Guy” and give her story that pitch-perfect ending.
Too bad the real “Guy” is engaged to someone else. #Blessed
The only person in her teeny hometown of Arbor Bay who knows the truth is local bartender Brady Knox. And he’s not telling…for a price. He’ll pretend to be Sloane’s “Guy” if she’ll use her newfound Internet fame to bring more business to his struggling local bar. Brady’s always been a lone wolf, but there’s something about the pint-sized, supremely awkward, yet beautiful Sloane that charms him.
But keeping secrets in a small town like Arbor Bay isn’t easy. And Brady was never meant to be the guy for a pitch-perfect ending…
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Fake It Till You Make It by Anne Harper a five-star read you wont need to fake your joy over reading. I adored this story, it was funny and made me chuckle and smile a lot more than I thought it would the fake dating troupe isn’t always done well, sometimes its just as fake and unrealistic as the relationship they are trying to fake, but this one does it right, it just makes all the awkward, embarrassing moments that make you cringe, will also make you smile. Sloane and Brady are great characters and they tell their story in a way that just sucks you in and makes you feel part of the parade, but it’s also the secondary characters that will pull you in and make you care about them, make you want to hear their story, that’s what makes this such a compelling and fun read. I couldn’t put it down once I picked it up, I had to know what happened next. Do not miss this great story and do not miss this amazing author.
Quick, easy read.
This book reminded me so much of my favourite romance author, Jenny Crusie whose books have amazing banter and humour. I loved the comedy aspect of the romcom, I loved the warm and likeable characters ,the dialogues, the twists in the plot and the ease of reading. Totally recommended for lovers of romantic comedies, HEAs, surprising alliances, new adult and small-town romances – you won’t regret picking up this book.
I really enjoyed this romance. It is written in third person from a dual POV.
Sloane is a very interesting character. I love her vulnerability, her sense of humor, and her determination. She has a killer survival instinct, thinks fast on her feet, and can roll with the punches. I really appreciated how she grows over the course of the book and how she finds her voice and the courage to take chances with her heart. I love the fake relationship she begins with Brady. I loved reading as it became more and more real. Brady is a grumpy guy who has had heartbreak and is fighting for his dream. I loved reading as Sloane brought more laughter into his life. Her ability to surprise him and get her way when he was grumpy was fun. Their black moment felt like a realistic challenge to overcome. The grand gesture was really something! I could see it play out like a movie in my head.
I love the setting of the small southern town. The secondary characters; friends, family, mean girl, and social dynamics, felt true to life. There is a lot of southern humor entwined that some people may not appreciate but I loved it. The hours-long goodbye: oh yeah, that is definitely a thing. I laughed hard at that. I love the appreciation for the fierceness of a southern woman. I also loved the recognition that a southern man has of when to push that line. I adored the festival and how Sloane and brady tackled their events with a twist that made me laugh.
This novel was funny with a little heat, and a tiny bit of angst. I found it a very enjoyable read and I cannot wait to see where this new author goes from here. I am certain that she will be very popular with many of us who enjoy a romantic comedy with witty banter and fun characters in a story without a lot of emotional drama.
#SmallTown #RomanticComedy #FakeRelationship #GrumpyHero
A fake relationship starts feeling all too real in Anne Harper’s debut rom-com! FAKE IT TILL YOU MAKE IT starts out on a fun premise of a woman who accidentally releases all of her teenage and more secrets while drunk one night. The characters have a cute connection, but an over abundance of slang was this author’s attempt at making funny moments and it just didn’t cut it a good bit of the time. I enjoyed the characters though, and their story was satisfying.
Sloane DeCarlo nabs a reader’s attention quickly when we learn she had a diary-like blog that she for some crazy reason decided to release into the public … and now has to endure the embarrassment of people sort of knowing her secrets and what she might have said about them.
Brady Knox is awesome. He’s sweet and down to earth and just what a reader wants in a hero.
This was a fun sweet story that I really enjoyed. After seeing the cover for this book and reading the blurb I couldn’t wait to get this book in my hand. Sloane and Brady were such fun characters. All the characters and the story kept me entertained. I love this trope of stories, I am sucker for fake relationships and this book had it all. If you are looking for a quick fun read grab Fake it till You Make It, you won’t be disappointed.
Thank you NetGalley, Entangled and Wildfire for a complimentary copy. I voluntarily reviewed this book. All opinions expressed are my own.
REVIEW
First, that cover is too cute! As for the story, Fake It Til You Make It is delightfully charming. Sloane, this poor girl, has gone viral for accidentally posting some personal information. Now, she has to play out this scenario about a secret “guy” crush, so she finds Brady. He agrees to be a fake boyfriend “guy” because the social media exposure might save his struggling bar. There are plenty of shenanigans and cringe worthy moments in true romcom fashion. What began as a mutually beneficial business arrangement, might be a lot more than that for Sloane and Brady. Or not. Read and find out!
I loved this book, a perfect combination of humor and swoony romance that makes it a fabulous rom-com.
4.5 Highly Entertaining Stars!!
You guys … the blurb … I mean it’s #winning, amirite?!?!? Lol What grabbed me for this read was the promising shenanigans I knew would be part of the storyline, and it did not disappoint! I was highly entertained! The pretend to be or fake dating trope is one of my favorites in romantic comedies because there’s an inherent humorous component already built into it. It is impossible not to be entertained by such shenanigans LOL or at least it is for me!
Sloane and Brady entertained me from beginning to end. Yes, some of the plot points didn’t quite fit the age I had imagined them to be in, but overall, it honestly was a very relatable story that grabs you because you just can’t wait to see what is going to happen next. The secondary characters were a bonus that not only enhanced this story but promise more stories to come! (fingers crossed)
I am highly pleased with this debut (in romantic comedy) novel and I’m looking forward to more from Anne Harper in the future!
Fake It Till You Make It by Anne Harper, book one in her Accidentally Viral series, was a funny, delightful, snarky with a side of smirk, and moving story that put two people in an awkward situation together, agreeing to a fake relationship. When Sloane’s private blog of all her innermost secrets, thoughts, and embarrassing moments “accidently” became public her quiet life suddenly exploded; making her the tending star of the internet. She even has a literary agent offering her a book deal, but there’s a catch; she needed to get closure with her crush “Guy” to give her story an ending. Returning home to her small town of Arbor Bay to figure things out and hide, Sloane discovers the real “Guy” is engaged to someone else. The only person who knows the identity of “Guy” is local bartender Brady. He won’t tell, but for a price. He will pretend to be Sloane’s “Guy” if she will use her newfound internet fame to bring more business to his struggling bar. But keeping secrets in a small town goes against the code of small town living.
From the start Sloane and Brady challenge, intrigue, and surprise each other. The chemistry between them could light the town and then there’s the physical attraction they share. Proving they are a couple gets funnier as they are forced by the town’s Mean Girl into activities as Mean Girl, who doesn’t know but happens to be the sister of the real “Guy”, tries to expose them, and announce it to the world; allowing her to be back into the spotlight. Despite all this, Sloane and Brady find ways to make this fake relationship look real and natural. Hmm, maybe it really is.
Ms. Harper wrote a wonderful, sexy and humorous story that should not be missed. She provided a tale rich with off the chart chemistry, hysterical banter, awkward situations, and endearing characters giving Sloane and Brady a chance for a real relationship. I highly recommend Fake It Till You Make It to other readers and look forward to the next book in the series.
I voluntarily reviewed a complimentary copy of this book.
I really enjoyed this book! At first I had some difficulty getting into it, but after 3 chapters it was on!
Sloane has written a blog ever since she was a teenager after the death of her parents. It has always been private, but one night when she is a bit drunk she decides to change the settings to public. After that, her blog goes viral with the public focusing on one thing: why Sloane never told the unnamed ‘guy’ in her blog how she feels about him. Upset and humiliated Sloane returns to her home town, to the place her brother still lives in their parents’ home. She has an offer from a publisher with the condition she tells ‘guy’ the truth, but that is hard for her. And fortunately she is saved from further humiliation by Brady, bartender, who claims HE is ‘guy’. Brady has his own reasons, but spending time with Sloane makes him (and her) realize there is something more between them than just a temporary fake relationship.
I won’t go any further into the storyline as it is lovely to read for yourself. The budding romance between Sloane and Brady is so organic and sweet. I loved them as a couple. I also liked the growth Sloane and Brady show and their realizations about where they want to be in life and how they feel about each other.
Great book and I look forward to a next book by this author! (2020)
This was such a cute story I couldn’t stop laughing. Sloane needs to run for cover when she accidentally makes her private blog public when when the mystery guys identity is being questioned Brady decides to help her out by stepping up as the “mystery guy” he figures he can help her out while helping himself out too.
As soon as I read this book was set in a small town in Alabama and it was a fake relationship romance, I knew I had to read it.
The characters were the real stars in this story.
I absolutely loved Sloane, she was an amazing character, her background story, her blog posts, her way of being nice and chatty, her awkwardness, she definitely stood out as unique. Her relationship with Emma, her best friend, and Callum, her brother, brought so many hilarious and nostalgic moments and I loved their moments together. I really, really liked Callum, his love for his sister and his kind heart definitely made him one of my favorite characters too. Brady was a little moody, very grumpy, but he was a very, very hot and charming bartender. I really liked how much he loved the bar and how badly he wanted to save it. Sloane and Brady together were definitely two puzzle pieces that fitted together perfectly! Sloane came alive when she was with Brady and Brady could really relax and be himself with Sloane, it was just so easy for them to be together that it really felt meant to be. Their banter was amazing and they were so cute together, it was so much fun to see their relationship slowly becoming more real than either of them could imagine. I was rooting for these two from their very first interaction.
I didn’t care much for the other reason Brady ended up jumping in the fake relationship, that ended up stirring a bit of drama (not much though thankfully), also some hilarious scenes were just a little over the top. Apart from that, I had so much fun reading this book, there were scenes that made me laugh so hard there were tears streaming down my face.
If you love the fake relationship trope, romantic comedies and southern charm, you need to read this book.
This is the first book that I have read from this author. It was an ok read for me. It started out great but I couldn’t get over the characters and how childish and immature they acted. I like the premise of a fake relationship but it wasn’t enough to keep me invested in the story. I am sure that others will like this story but it just wasn’t for me.
I read an early review copy of this book from NetGalley and I am voluntarily leaving an honest review.
I really liked this sweet, funny, emotional fake relationship romance between Sloane and Brady.
Sloane, who has used her private blog as a diary, unfortunately decides in a drunken mistake to make it public. This starts a lot of problems but also funny mistakes and a sweet romance with the bartender she told the only secret that is still a secret. He tries to help her by offering a fake relationship in return for her helping him get the costumers back to his uncle’s bar via her viral celebrity.
Their common enemy Carol, the towns rich gossip and dramatic character, thinks she has figured out Sloane’s secret and she does everything she can to ruin Sloane’s reputation and hurt Brady in the process. Brady has a secret of his own that creates problems in their relationship.
I loved Sloane and Brady and their journey to figuring out how to let go of the past and jumping into the future together. They have to fight insecurities, what they want out of life and a common enemy to find their HEA. Brady’s growl is amazing and what a scene;)! They are fantastic characters and you can’t help falling for them and their romance.
My only problem is Carol’s character was a little too much and I didn’t quite understand their forgiveness that came quite quickly.
I can definitely recommend this book.
I got this book from Entangled Publishing and Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.
Sloane’s super secret, super private blog just went public and viral. Oops! And now she’s faced with the repercussions of a blog confessing her unrequited long time love for someone who is engaged to someone else, and whom she never told. And there’s one man she accidentally told of her unrequited love. Brady remembers the adorably awkward Sloane confessing her fantasy that she was going to marry golden boy Marcus someday, and now he plans on using Sloane’s new infamous presence to help bring in customers to his bar. But can a fake relationship with Sloane stay fake once the two realize how much chemistry they have?
I luuurved this rom-com. It’s seriously sweet and funny, and this couple is adorable and sexy. Awkward and quirky Sloane is the perfect match with grumpy hot bartender with a heart, Brady. It’s a slow burn, sexy but sweet relationship that’s pitched at the perfect intensity, not too over the top, not too clean, and all kinds of witty and funny. Loved. Loved. Loved!
Fake It Till You Make It by Anne Harper was a fun and light read. Sloane has to move to Antarctica now, right? Her blog just went live, by accident, and now everyone wants to know who her “Guy” is. But she cannot share, as he is engaged to someone else. What is a girl to do? Enter Brady, owner of the local bar who figures they can help each other. Easy enough, right? But as they spend time together, lines begin to blur. Their romance was a bit of slow burn as they get to know each other. Fake It Till You Make it by Anne Harper is a fake romance that will leave you with a smile.
Read and reviewed for Sultry Sirens Book Blog.
Happy reading!
This is Anne Harper’s first book, at least that I know of. She did such a good job with it, I had a lot of fun reading while at the same time I was emotional and could feel the characters chemistry.
At first it took me some chapters to fully adapt for her writing style. I’m usually used to reading books written in the first person and she writes in a kind of third person. So while at first I got confused, once I embrace it I was 100% on board and enjoyed the story a lot.
During some heavy wine induced night, Sloane De Carlo made her blog public and now she went viral. The world now knows a whole lot of embarrassing situations of her life and what people really want to know is who is the Guy? The one she claims she is love and her soul mate since 17 yo and more than 10 years later she still haven’t said said a thing. So now she was The Girl Who Said Nothing and people want to know what’s next. But the Guy is now engaged!
While hiding from the world, attempting to go to Antarctic, she meet Brady Knox the bartender from Cassidy’s bar in her small town. He is the only one who really knows who the Guy is. And while he needs help with advertising his bar, the Guy is also engaged to his ex-girlfriend Felicity. So he proposes to Sloane a deal: he becomes the Guy so she doesn’t have to tell who the Original Guy is and she helps him gain clientele in his bar with her new viral sensation condition.
Of course they both start to spend some time together and real feelings start to grow. But what I liked the most about them is how both of them brought the best in each other and taking them out of their comfort zone. She took a little of his grumpiness and he made her a little less shy. And their chemistry and friendship was so awesome. I loved how they support their ambitions and dreams.
Just wish they both had grown some backbone and tell Carol to mind her damn business sooner. Carol was a snake and crazy jealous girl who didn’t have anything else to do in her life other then terrorize people’s life. She had a front row in their breakup. But it was nice so see Sloane and Brady deal with their insecurities and work their problems.
I was mad at Brady, but then again I swoon so HARD towards the ending. How he got her back and the epilogue? GOALS! Just loved them together and their friends and family were actually amazing!
Fake It Till You Make It was sweet,heartwarming and funny story that I loved and entirely enjoyed.
Sloane’s super-secret and very personal blog went viral and one thing that everyone wants to know is who the Guy is. Brady,grumpy bartender,is the only person other than Sloane that knows her secret so they decide to make a deal that can benefit both of them.
Even though relationship between Sloane and Brady started as fake chemistry between them was anything but it. Nothing between them was forced or rushed. Their friendship and later relationship was beyond adorable.
Sloane is funny,kind,sometimes very awkward and I adored her. I loved how grumpy,antisocial but at the same time so funny and protective Brady is. They were both so sweet and I enjoyed every moment I spent reading about them.
Fake It Till You Make It is one of those books that makes you happy and keeps you entertained the whole time you are reading them and It’s filled with amazing characters that you can’t help but love.
4,5
Fake It Till You Make It (FITYMI) is a very quick and easy read.
The Characters are dramatic, quirky and simply delightful. Brady is such a great multi-dimensional well-developed character. He is completely a likeable good guy. Sloane is funny and quirky. Again, a well thought out character. I really enjoyed both characters. The supporting characters are also wonderful in this book. You have Sloane’s brother Callum and best friend Emma; they really help round out the story. (Side note: I sure hope they get their own book!)
The starts with an overly dramatic Sloane sharing with Emma about her drunken mistake of publicizing her online journal, and it goes viral overnight! The one post on her blog that seems to have everyone’s attention is her blog about “Guy”. “Guy” is the guy Sloane had a massive crush on since high school. The one she has secretly pined away for. Sloane hasn’t event shared her love of “Guy” with her best friend, Emma read about it like everyone else on the viral Blog post! There is only person in the whole world who happens to know her secret is the town bartender Brady. One night a little over a year before she drunkenly spilled her guts to a year ago. Everyone in her small town, on the internet and a literary agent all want to know who guy is. Sloane, finding herself in a difficult situation, Brady–who just found out his ex is newly engaged to Sloane’s “guy” offers to help Sloane by pretending to be “Guy” and fake a relationship.
The trope of the novel is Fake relationship, but with its own twist! It was an enjoyable read. There is plenty of chemistry in this book. It isn’t overtly sexual, but it absolutely delivers on the romance end of the story. Several LOL moments along with a few snickers here and there.
For a debut offering Anne Harper has an amazing pose and sense of character. I was shocked to learn this was her first novel. It was so well written and thought out. I can’t wait to see what other books from Ms. Harper.
I really enjoyed reading FITYMI. As a big fan of Rom-Com and the Nora Ephron effect on romance this book is that plus a little extra. This was a 4.5/5 read for me. It should be added to your TBR list for this spring/summer of 2020.