Every action has a consequence, and Claire Ward knows it. And yet, even knowing that her decision to swap places with her identical twin sister, Lia, for a night could be disastrous, she still does it. Why? Because it will give her an evening with the man she’s been crushing on for years, Lia’s best friend, Finn. Miss Straight A Student has thought through all the angles, and knows the risk is … angles, and knows the risk is worth it. And everything would have been fine, if Finn had been the one to show up at her door.
But it wasn’t.
Bauer Davis— Finn’s half brother and his exact opposite in just about every definable category is the one waiting for her instead. A professional snowboarder, Bauer is covered in ink, full of attitude, and has a chip on his shoulder the size of Mt. Olympus. The kind of bad boy that Claire has never been attracted to before.
Now the good girl is with the wrong brother for a night, and when the consequence is that they have to pretend to be together for an event, it’s nothing she could have predicted. But maybe, just maybe, what makes Bauer so bad, is exactly what Claire needs.
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Claire Ward is the quiet one among her siblings. Growing up she was constantly facing comparisons with her twin sister Lia and she often felt overshadowed. She wants people to think of her as her own separate person from Lia . This book finally puts her in the spotlight and I loved getting to know her even more! She’s very empathetic and cares a lot about helping others, I can’t help but admire her.
She’s set to attend a family event in Lia’s place (a twin swap!). Instead of Finn, it’s his half-brother Bauer Davis who picks up Claire. He’s a snowboarder and the exact opposite of Finn.
Bauer really won my heart over. He has his flaws (who doesn’t?) but I could see that he was willing to try harder and work through his emotionally-stunted all for Claire. He’s someone you really just want to give all your love to because you just know he deserves it and needs it but never got a lot of it growing up.
I love the kind of relationship they have. They understand each other in different ways. Bauer was “the other brother.” The black sheep of the family. Claire was the twin who had always faded into the background. She is one of the very few people in Bauer’s life who thinks good of him and isn’t expecting him to mess up any second. Bauer, who is usually closed off, allows himself to be vulnerable around her.
As always, I love the scenes of the Ward family!!! It’s evident how much the love and support they had for each other growing up affected Claire. I wanted more scenes with the family but I guess they really are growing up huh. I’m very much looking forward to getting to know more about Lia and Isabel through their books!
4.5 stars
“Faked” is only my second book from Karla Sorensen and I’m finding out that I really like how she writes her characters! Sports romance books are some of my favorites, so it was a no-brainer that I would pick this one up!!
Claire always felt like she was invisible. Lia, her twin sister, is the most outgoing of the two. She’s also the one having a friendship with the boy she always had a crush on, Finn. When her twin asks her to change places for a charity gala, she agrees since this is her chance to spend time with Finn. However, Finn isn’t eh one picking her up but his older half-brother Bauer.
Bauer grew up being the black sheep of the family. Her stepmother only tolerated him and hasn’t missed an opportunity warning Finn against him. He’s a bad boy snowboarder, living life not caring what everyone thinks of him. After losing his sponsor, attending a charity gala instead of his brother is the tight opportunity for him. What he didn’t anticipate was his date for the night, Claire!
Claire and Bauer have some serious chemistry! I could feel the sparks flying through the pages. They are perfectly made for each other, but their relationship won’t be easy. Insecurities, demons, the past and the present will get in their way. I really enjoyed their story and I’m eagerly waiting for Lia’s book; that teaser at the end left me wanting more!!!
I absolutely love Faked, it has some of my all-time favorite book things, the wild one is soft for the sweet and studious one, there’s only one bed, we’re trapped by a snowstorm, and gray sweatpants on a tattoed muscled Bauer. While I really enjoy a good sibling/friend trope, I’m so glad this book went the direction it did. I adore watching Bauer and Claire peel each other’s layers back and learn about what makes them tick. Honestly, Karla Sorensen made me miss winter and snow, which is ridiculous because I hate everything about both of those things (except gray sweatpants and Christmas), Claire and Bauer’s 4-day entrapment felt like the best escape from the world right now. This is a great book, it’s sweet and funny, you get to spend time with the Ward family, it has minimal conflict and an adorable ending. Definitely recommend!
I love the Ward sisters so much! Claire and Bauer make such a great story! Claire agrees to help her sister Lia and gets hang out with crush Finn, but instead his brother Bauer shows up.
Claire has always been the good girl- works really hard, does the right thing,,, Bauer is the opposite- or at least his appearance to everyone is the bad boy!
As the connect together for a night, then are forced to take a road trip together, a beautiful connection builds. Both has issues from their pasts they must deal with to realize how perfect they are together.
I love how Karla Sorensen tells a story and Faked gives all the real feels! Nothing fake about this book!
In our lives we strougle to find out place, to find our person, the One that makes you better, to BE the best you can be. Faked is a lot about that. A perfect tale of finding someone that is it for you, and the imperfections that makes you you. Another great book in wich you will lose yourself for moments, love, laugh and be mad! Enjoyed very much as i do to all of Karla Sorensen books. Can’t wait for Lia’s book!
I can’t even begin to tell you how much I loved this story! Karla just keeps surprising me with every book & pushing herself towards the top of my Favourite Authors List.
This book is smart, it’s sexy and it’s just the kind of romance I love. Packed with honest, flawed characters who make you fall for them – even when you want to throttle them!
Claire’s character is like an unexpected treasure. We obviously know her from other books in the series, but it’s here she blossoms. Quietly strong, witty and kind. She’s the type of woman you want to be friends with.
Now Bauer, well he is Book Boyfriend Hall of Fame material. I am talking climb him like a tree, faint from his dirty talk kind of hot. But you know what I loved even more, his flaws and his vulnerabilities. Who said an alpha can’t have feelings!
It’s a rich read with a cast of amazing supporting characters, fantastic pace and enough angst that had me happily reading until 3am because I just couldn’t put it down!
Definitely a 2020 Favourite. This one gets all the “you’re everything I never knew I needed stars”
It goes without saying, that I am a HUGE fan of Karla Sorensen’s work. Faked was everything I needed it to be and more. Claire and Bauer’s story kept me on my toes with the witty dialogue and great banter. Sorensen developed their story through some great world building, and huge doses of hilarity. I am a HUGE fan of catching up with past characters, but to have them included into a new storyline? It’s the best, and Sorensen did that in waves. The development was thoroughly plotted out. The depth went deeper than I anticipated, but was much appreciated because it helped understand these characters on a deeper level. The plot wasn’t overly done, and did not takeover the actual story, which wins this author even more brownie points. The chemistry was exciting and that’s because the enemies to lovers aspect packs a punch. It was a nice to progression to something more, and that was because the actual story was paced perfect.
Bauer is misunderstood in a big way by just about everyone. He holds this certain maturity that I didn’t think he would have. I envy him in more ways than one, but the one that really made me fall for him was his ability to not dwell on others thoughts.
Claire is the twin that stays in the background. She can hold her tongue when need be, but that does not mean she can’t banter with the best. She is smart and kind. Prefers hoodies to dresses, and smart as a whip.
Overall, Faked was a really well written story that I enjoyed immensely. It took me out of my world for a while and I really needed that.
*I RECOMMEND THIS BOOK
This was another solid offering from this author! Claire and Bauer are so good together. Bauer is the half brother of Claire’s long time crush Finn, her twin sister Lia’s best friend. Lia asks Claire to pretend to be her and accompany Finn to a fundraiser. Finn became ill that day and Bauer took his spot, unbeknownst to them. Their chemistry is off the charts. Their story is one that you don’t want to miss. I really enjoyed their journey to happiness.
I was provided a advanced copy of this book by the author in exchange for my honest and voluntary review.
Thank you for the privilege of reading this book!
It’s official — I’m a Bauer girl! Bauer Davis just surpassed all other Karla Sorensen book boyfriends and took the top spot! I loved every moment of Bauer and Claire’s journey. Beautifully written and full of hilarious banter and steamy moments, Faked is a must read!
Faked is the second story in a spin-off series that takes us into the lives of the 4 Ward sisters who we met as young teenagers in ‘The Marriage Effect’. I have loved the Ward sisters ever since reading Logan’s book and the fact that they are now getting their own stories makes me ecstatic. And let me tell you, Karla has delivered big time! I loved Molly’s book but this book for Claire… ahh, I absolutely adored it!
I absolutely devoured this story! Faked is such a fun flirty, and light read that left me loving these characters and just wanting more. Bauer and Claire pulled me in right to their story from the get go and there wasn’t a dull moment. They have such a great dynamic together and their chemistry is off the charts. Whilst their romance paced quite quickly, I felt the instant connection between them. They are the true definition of opposites attract, but boy, do they work. Their mutual banter and their vulnerabilities made them relatable and real characters. The Ward family just seems to give me all the feels while reading and this story was no exception. Another stellar book from Karla Sorensen; it was everything I could want in a romance story with a fun twin swap twist – two complete opposites unexpectedly thrown together yet end up fitting perfectly for one another.
Faked was such a wonderful book. It ticked ALL my boxes! It was perfect balance of swoonworthy storytelling and steam, hot and sexy moments. Karla Sorensen has penned a beautifully written story which gave me feel all the feel good emotions. Claire and Bauer’s touching love story is a absolute must read!
I think my favorite thing about the award sisters books so far is the are not what you expect. This book is about Claire and Bauer, a professional snowboarder. They were such an unlikely couple who didn’t have a reason to cross paths but man was the result of a twin switch and Bauer being the surprise date to a fancy dinner but the result couldn’t have been better.
Claire gets pushed out of her comfort zone doing a twin switch and the situations that come from it. She thought she was going to the fancy pants dinner and award ceremony with Finn, her long time crush and twin’s best friend, but instead gets his bad boy big brother. Bauer is the black sheep of the family and has a chip on his shoulder because of it, he instantly wants her and knows it’s Claire pretending to be Lia.
Cause and effect happens and Bauer and Claire get snowed in at a small cabin. Forced proximity by themselves with all that chemistry leads to the inevitable. Even though they are blissed out together entering back into real life insecurities take root and they both have to work things out. But what it leads to is them both knowing they want to be together.
I absolutely loved Bauer and even though he was a bad boy player who was being selfish until he realized Claire saw him. He made me swoon so hard in parts and my heart ached for him during other parts. They were such an unexpected couple but they couldn’t be more perfect for each other. I kept dying to know what would happen next all the way until the end. I keep thinking Karla Sorensen’s books can’t get better and she proves me wrong with each book.
Take a good man and wrap him up in the trappings of a “bad boy” I am all in! I was so excited for Claire book, from the moment I read Focused I wanted to read the rest of the sisters’ stories. This is my favorite kind of series, an interconnected story about a group, each new book taking on a new character. Each of the Ward sisters are their own person but I don’t think that anyone would have looked at Claire, the quiet book worm, to take an interest in the tattooed snowboarder, black sheep of his family, Bauer. But she did and I never looked back!! Bauer and Claire have such a great dynamic together, their chemistry is off the charts and while their romance is rather quick you can feel the instant connection. Nothing about them was forced… minus how they met… but when it is just them it felt real. On the surface you wouldn’t think that these two would have a lot on common, but rather quickly their similarities shine through. From past family trauma and current insecurities, they find a rather solid common ground to build upon. But mostly, Claire and Bauer are just cute together! I really enjoyed reading Faked because it was fun. Nothing too heavy, no triggers, no big drama just a splendid romance between two people you’d never expect. Highly, Highly, HIGHLY recommend Faked!
-Mackenzie
If I could give this book 6 , I absolutely would!!
Oh. Em. Gee. y’all better prepare to SWOON because BAUER is EPIC book boyfriend material!!!
I dare you to finish this book and not ask your man for a stack of pancakes!!!
The Bauer Butterflies are FOR REAL!!!
If you’ve read the blurb then you know that the premise of this book is a twin swap. In a nutshell, Lia Ward was asked to attend an event on the arm of her best friend Finn, but she can’t go and asks her sister Claire to secretly step in. Claire is the quiet twin. The girl living in the shadows so to speak compared to her more vivacious mirror image. She’s spent her quiet time secretly in LOVE with Finn. She believes Finn to be everything she’s ever wanted until an unexpected twist of fate places her in the path and in the arms of his half-brother Bauer. AKA the bad boy of professional snowboarding.
“Not who you were expecting, I know”, he muttered, eyes glancing down my body. “Finn is sick, so you’re stuck with the bad brother for one night, princess.”
Dear Lord, with those words…I was already sold on the taller, rough edged bad boy!
Claire is smart, enchanting and articulate. She is a vision of loveliness and Bauer isn’t the only man to take notice. She tries her best to hold up her end of the deal she made with her twin, Lia, but it isn’t long before that sweet little butterfly is emerging from her cocoon.
-Claire’s breath caught. “Why are you looking at me like that?”she whispered.
“You’re not even trying, do you realize that?”
Her tongue darted out to wet her lips. ” What do you mean?”
I dipped my head and took a deep inhale of her hair, before letting my nose graze along her cheekbone so that I could whisper against her ear. “You’re not even trying to pretend that you’re her anymore, princess.”
Bauer and Claire had INSANE chemistry and I lOVED how they stoked each other’s flames SO naturally. It was like they didn’t even have to try, they just freaking fit!! Their journey is fun, flirty, emotional, and filled with enough tension and anticipation thrown in to have you salivating for these two to crest that snowcapped mountain!
I was SO prepared for Bauer to be a Grade A axx-hole the way the snark and sexy just rolled passed his lips, but Oh Not…Bauer was simply Precious!! He threw me for a loop! This bad boy brother packs some serious game and made me SWOON page after page. He was real, raw, and as vulnerable as his guarded heart could manage as he fell axx over snowboard for the Good Girl his heart never prepared for. Bauer and Claire were the perfect pairing and they charmed the pants right off me. This was such a wonderful book, one that is sure to top my 2020 list! It checked ALL my boxes! Every. Single. One.
The key I think? It felt like a genuine romance right from the start. The kind of romance story that gets passed down through generations of family. Two people who meet, and their lives are never the same.
“You’re the least forgettable person I’ve ever met, Claire.”
Bauer is pretty unforgettable too, trust me on this!
HIGHLY RECOMMEND
Claire has had a crush on her twin sister’s best friend since forever. So when she sees her chance to spent a whole night with Finn, she grabs it. Only … it’s not Finn who is picking her up that night. Nope, this tall, muscular, tattooed, handsome man is certainly the total opposite of his little half brother Finn.
Bauer only needs a minute to realise the gorgeous princess in the lobby is not in fact his brother‘s best friend, but her twin sister. And where Lia usually meets him with open hostility, Claire’s quiet nature intrigues him. He is curious to find out more about Claire, and why she took her sister’s place.
What’s better for that than being stuck together for the weekend?
I‘m not gonna lie, I was excited about the original storyline with Claire and Finn. Girl and her identical twin‘s best friend? Sign me up.
When Karla scrapped the story and started over, I was equally excited though. Because so far, Karla has never ever disappointed me with her ability to write amazing characters as well as couples, and I trusted her gut on this.
And boy, did she do good. Finn who? I didn’t once think about that possibility once I started reading. Bauer is … total boyfriend material.
He is sweet, attentive and a total softie at heart when it comes to the woman that stole his heart. He has a great intuition about what Claire feels and needs, and wants to make sure this thing with him is really what she wants. Claire has just a way about her to push down his wall and get Bauer to open up to her.
Add all the hot glances, innuendo, dirty talk and a girl can’t help but swoon.
Claire was a character we didn’t know that much about before. She’s quiet, calm, the voice of reason in the background. But here, talking about what she loves, her aspirations and accepting to just be herself and go after what she wants with Bauer, she really blossoms and shows us all her amazing strength that her family already saw, but bystanders (I‘m looking at you, Finn!) didn’t notice at first glance.
Both Claire and Bauer are great characters on their own, but together, they are just incredible.
Sometimes in writing, you just have to scrap everything you got and start over new to get to the Happily Ever After.
Let me start by saying, I loved the Washington Wolves series. Then it was announced that the Ward sisters would also get books. I am not always a fan of “spin-off” stories, or the kids of the previous generation. This time, of course, it was more younger siblings, but still, I was unsure. Then came Focused, probably my all-time favourite American football romance to date. And I knew I should have just trusted Karla Sorensen to deliver great stories.
Because Faked is no different. Is it a fun story of a twin swap, meeting the bad brother instead of the good one, throw in some snowed-in escapades for good measure? Sure. But boy is it more. SOOO much more. Without being over the top drama, without being angsty. It is just real, and deep, and emotional, while never losing sight of humour, butterflies and sibling bickering.
Claire is amazing. She is strong, she has ideas, and she has a twin sister who has always outshone her a little. Maybe sometimes she hid behind her, but sometimes it must hurt to not be seen as more than the other half. Her astuteness, her kindness, her empathy, make her exceptional. She doesn’t stop at glancing at people, she wants more, underneath the surface, which I absolutely loved. I know that quiet, in the corner, but always watching, kind of behaviour all too well, and it is so refreshing to see it paired not with a wallflower-shy-virgin-needs to be saved by the bad boy to be shown the world kind of thing, but she is her own person. A truly unique and great one.
Bauer, oh Bauer. The inked older half brother of Claire’s affection, and everything she didn’t want. Until maybe…. that proves much more interesting than the one she was always staring at from the corner of her eye. Bauer is a tough guy, and pulls up a wall like we all do, in order to not be hurt, but he’s no asshole. He’s had a bad set of cards that life dealt him, but he’s making his way. He can be closed off and hurt by his past, but also opening up, and optimistic, which is just so endearing about him.
I just enjoyed their conversation. Actual, grown-up conversation from deep to light, listening, truly listening. Their love grows so tentative through exploring one another and then bursts free in the sweetest, hottest, most understanding way. Their story was perhaps unusual, but in no way unreal or contrived. And most of all, it made me feel. I was there with them, from the first surprise, the fun, the butterflies, the heartache and the heart soaring. I felt. Big things. Just like them. And that is all you want from a book. Absolutely phenomenal.
If there is anything to say.. then I wanted more. More Claire and Bauer, more Bauer and his mentor, more Agnes, more Ward family, more of everything. But that’s just because I am greedy 😀 And boy, can I not wait for the next book!!!
I finished this book this morning and I still can’t get this beautiful story out of my mind. Sorensen has upped her game with this book. She takes us on a journey of two people who never thought they needed each other.
These two meet and the sparks fly. Bauer and Claire story will have you flipping the pages so fast. But you’ll slow down because you won’t want this story to end. I know for a fact that I didn’t want it to.
These characters are so much deeper than any other of her characters. We really get to watch them each bloom. Claire just wants to be herself, not her last name. And when she is needed the most her natural beauty and mind are a thing of beauty. And Bauer is so sweet even under his bad boy persona. We follow as these two fall in love and what a beautiful journey Sorensen takes us on.
Highly recommended.
*i was provided a advanced copy of this book by the author in exchange for my honest and voluntary review.*
This book grabbed hold of me from the beginning and didn’t let go until there were no more words to read. I have a weakness for bad boys who aren’t quite as bad as they seem and need the love of a good woman. This book checked all of those boxes. I loved Claire and how hard she fought to be her own person and to feel seen. Bauer was nothing short of book boyfriend royalty.
What starts out as a way to get closer to the man she has had a crush on forever, Claire agrees to attend a charity function as her twin sister Lia. But when Finn is to sick to attend his step brother Bauer takes his place. Although she fooled the rest of his family, Bauer instantly new that she was Claire and not Lia, but the black sheep of the family kept her rouse and went along with it although he was to expecting the connection he feels to her. Will the connection they both feel be enough to start a relationship? Or can you really start a relationship based on a lie? I fell in love with bad-boy Bauer from the minute he walked into the book and felt he was the perfect man for Claire. The emotional baggage that they both work through touched my heart strings. Once yuo start this book you will not be able to put it down. I cannot wait to see where Karla Sorensen takes us with Lia’s story.
Claire and Lia Ward are the twins sisters of Ryan whom we met in ‘The Marriage Effect’ and the youngest of his four sisters.
You don’t have to have read any other of the Ward sibling novels to enjoy Faked, BUT believe me, you’ll want to!
Claire and Bauer are… unexpected, especially since Claire has a massive crush on Lia’s best friend Finn.
The relationship that Karla Sorensen manages to craft between Bauer and Claire is beyond any expectation… SO much better than we could ever have hoped for!
Everyone loves a bad boy after all and Bauer fits the bill perfectly!
Claire however will be the one to win your heart. The ‘things’ she sees, the questions she asks, the support she offers… all this AND the unconditional love she offers. Wow, just Wow!
The journey to this couple’s HEA will take you through every emotion, the highs and the lows. Not only that, you’ll be glad you were along for the ride!