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 and Bauer are the kind of characters that I get giddy over. And their story is the perfect example of a smart, sexy, substance-filled romance that I LOVE!
Claire has a quiet strength and intuitiveness that is absolutely incredible—a fierce wallflower among a large loving boisterous family. Bauer has built up this persona with a devil-may-care attitude to hide the sadness in his heart of growing up second best in his parents’ eyes. Claire sees that hurt immediately and she’s drawn to him in a way that she never expected. And Bauer in turn sees Claire as the shining star that is often overlooked in her family.
Their chemistry is slow-burn fire and once they let go that fire roars! Their banter and vulnerable candidness with each other is seamless. The touch of drama in the story is heartfelt and honest. What else can I say except read this wonderfully written captivating book! 5 REAL stars for FAKED!
5 PRINCESS EFFECT STARS!! Claire puts Bauer under a spell. I absolutely loved this book…..Karla Sorensen put me under a spell, I read this book in one sitting. Claire and Bauer are so different, but so right for each other and their story will have you glued to the pages. You must read this book.
I was so excited to read this book and Karla didn’t disappoint! Faked was a sweet and beautiful story that I entirely enjoyed and loved!
Bauer and Claire were everything! Both as individuals and together. I can’t even find the right words that would explain how much I loved these characters and how incredible they were! They were so cute together, so adorable, and so perfect for each other.
I’m not a big fan of insta-love but with Claire and Bauer it worked. There was so much chemistry between them, the kind you can literally feel.
I loved this book so much! I enjoyed every minute I spent reading it. And I’m already impatient to read the next book in this series. Especially Isabel’s book.
Faked is easily one of my favorite books I have read this year.
At first glance, Claire and Bauer seem like total opposites with nothing in common. Through their respective siblings they end up attending a party together, her pretending to be her twin sister Lia and him taking the place of a sick Finn. That party sets in motion an attraction and potential for more that neither expected.
I thought the development of their relationship was so well done. Of course, they are physically attracted to each other, but it’s so much more than that. Claire sees past Bauer’s bad boy persona to the person he is underneath it all. Bauer encourages Claire and sees her as an individual, not as just as Lia’s twin.
This story was sweet, funny, and at times a little sad, especially as Bauer and Claire talked about their family experiences. I am really looking forward to the rest of this series and I do hope we get to see Finn get a happily ever after too.
Thank you to the author for providing an ARC for an honest review.
Yay! The next generation of the Ward family. This good girl/bad boy story is so sweet, awkward, hilarious, and steamy all rolled into one. The awkward moments had me laughing and feeling bad for Claire. The buildup in the relationship as it changes and grows had me genuinely excited for her. What a fun dynamic to follow both Claire and Bauer, but also the family supporting characters.
I can’t wait to see what happens with this family next!
Faked is the second book in the Ward Sisters series but still a standalone. Although if you haven’t read any of the Ward sisters, and The Marriage Effect, you definitely should! They are all terrific. This is Claire’s story but I loved getting to see our favorite Ward family members in this one again. This is a fake relationship, opposites attract, bad boy-good girl trope. Studious, sweet Claire agrees to swap places with her identical twin, Lia, for a night. She is expecting to be accompanying Finn, Lia’s best friend and Claire’s secret crush, to an event. But, as fate would have it, Finn cannot come, so he sends his half-brother, Bauer, in his place. Bauer is a rough around the edges professional snowboarder. These two meet and sparks fly, but what they didn’t count on was that they would have to continue a fake relationship outside of this event. These two were complete opposites, but they worked so well together even with some tough family issues to work through. I really enjoyed this one, and am looking forward to Lia’s book next!
*I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.
I honestly feel like these Ward sisters are some of the best characters ever written. They are so unique in their own way, and watching them get their own HEA, has made this one of my favorite series.
Claire is living in the shadows of her twin. Her twin is a little more outgoing, a little more outspoken, and best friends with her long time crush.
Bauer is the back sheep. He doesn’t fit in anywhere, and if he is ever going to reach the top of the snowboarding community, he is going to need to change his ways.
I know we were all rooting for Finn, but after reading about him in this book, he would have never made Claire happy. Claire and Bauer have this chemistry that makes you want to push them together and hope they act on it.
I loved their slow burn romance and how they both understood each other’s actions. They were perfect for each other and watching their walls and insecurities fall, made their story fantastic.
My only wish would be to have had a scene with Logan and Bauer. I would have loved to see Logan go all big brother on him afterwards.
The last part of the book gives a glimpse of Lia’s book, and let me tell you, I’m here for it!!! So excited!
-An Arc was generously provided in exchange for an honest review.-
Once again, the first book by a new author (to me) and I loved it. This book introduced me to the Ward sisters, who are a spin-off series from Karla Sorensen’s Washington Wolves series. Kudos to the author for filling in the blanks just enough to help me understand who all the players were but at the same time pique my curiosity to send me scrambling to Amazon to see what all I’ve missed. Honestly, I need 48 hour long days to read all the goodness I discovered.
Here we meet Claire, the quiet twin, who has been crushing on her twin sister’s best friend Finn for years. Literally years. Claire is the identical twin of Lia; they may look alike, but they are entirely different people. Through a set of well-set-up circumstances, Claire agrees to pretend to be Lia for a charity event. Claire believes this will give her time to hang out with her crush. Of course, this doesn’t happen, and Claire ends up with Finn’s brother Bauer, who is an entirely different type of person from Finn. And the loveliness unfolds for the reader.
One of the main things I loved about this book (and I mean I read it in one sitting savoring every word) was just how much I liked Claire. She was thoughtful, perceptive, and genuinely caring to those around her. She did not simper, hedge, or play games. Bauer needed her. Watching him fall for her was almost as good as watching Beauty and the Beast(*wink*). There were roadblocks and, of course, a wee bit of angst. But let’s be real, Claire is just too self-aware to fall into the angst pit for very long. It did take some help from friends and family to get them where they needed, but it was oh so satisfying when it happened.
If I could have asked for anything more with this book, it would have been some snowboarding scenes with Bauer. He was so darn cool, and it would have been rad (yeah, I said that) to have Clair and Bauer interact while he’s doing his thing. Regardless, this was a fantastic book, and I now love the Ward family and HAVE to read all the stories about the Ward sisters.
I freaking DEVOURED this book. I’m talking start to finish in a couple hours because I could not get enough of Claire and Bauer. These two were BRILLIANT! They not only had immediate and intense chemistry but the form a deep emotional connection that made them an incredible couple.
It seemed like Claire was one of the very few who actually saw Bauer for who he really was. He was such a misunderstood man and that caused him to build some pretty intense walls around his heart. The saying “If people tell a person what they are enough they will become that person” perfectly describes Bauer. My heart HURT for him. Heck, it still hurts for him. I would have loved to have seen his parents open their eyes to what an incredible man he was despite his upbringing. Beyond all of that though was Claire and Bauer together. These two understood each other in a way that was flat out beautiful. Claire easily saw Bauer for the man he is and Bauer saw Claire for the incredible woman she was right off the bat. They were one of those couples that really just jump from the pages because of how special they are.
To say I devoured this book by Sorensen is an understatement. The whole concept behind how these two were paired off was utterly amazing. But the banter, the chemistry and everything had me hook, line and sinker! Bauer is such a misunderstood soul, but he also doesn’t make it easy to get through his layers. Claire is so by the books, but there is something about Bauer she cannot resist. These two together were utterly brilliant and I loved every moment. Their push and pull. The sizzling moments. The character development. It was stunning. Even when things implode, my heart ached for these two.
Overall, I found this book to be unputdownable. I devoured it in one sitting. It has amazing flow and I honestly did not want it to end at all. I loved the sisters. They add so much depth and some great laughs. This is very much a book that needs to be read!
“You Ward women, you should come with a warning label, princess.”
I absolutely loved Bauer and Claire. This Ward family just seems to make me all emotional while reading and this story was no different! Another stellar book, it was everything I want in a romance with a fun twin swap twist- two opposites thrown together unexpectedly yet end up fitting perfectly together like they were meant to be. Claire and Bauer, the studious good girl and the tattooed bad boy, but that is all just surface level, in their hearts they are more alike than either expected. Both needing to be seen for who they truly are, they spark an instant connection and forge a love that was unexpected but exactly what they needed. Insecurities and past hurt cause some bumps in the road, but their love is addicting and undeniable.
“This is the most terrifyingly unexpected thing I’ve ever wanted.”
Bauer, hiding behind his tattoos and surly attitude, he is 100% BOYFRIEND MATERIAL, a sweet and caring man, with just one smoldering look he can set Claire’s heart rate into overdrive. His vulnerability makes him endearing and his outspoken feelings for Claire had me falling in love with him too. For Claire being a twin has its perks but sometimes she just wants to stand out on her own accord. I may have even cried a little bit over her bond with her sisters and her brother, the love of family knows no bounds. Claire is beautiful in her own right, but vulnerable in wanting to be seen and needed, becoming something no one in their right mind would leave. Bauer is the just the man to make her feel beautiful and wanted but his own past haunts him and his happiness. Together they conquer their relationship fears and with some innocent touches that end up creating some sizzling chemistry, this story will have you wishing for your own snowboarding bad boy.
“We were products of our circumstances, but we didn’t have to let those circumstances steer the wheel of every choice we made.”
Adored this opposites-attract, good-girl-bad-boy romance!
“Apparently, my good girl fetish was marrow deep, and I didn’t realize it until just now.”
Claire Ward has had a crush on her twin sister’s best friend for years. When an opportunity presents itself to spend an evening with him, she decides to brave it. However, the guy who comes to pick her up is not her crush, but his bad boy older half-brother.
“His wide grin held the slightest secret edge to it that was meant only for me. It made my heart race.”
Bauer Davis is a professional snowboarder who has just lost his sponsor following some bad press. He avoids visiting his somewhat estranged family, but when an opportunity lands in his lap to schmooze with possible sponsors, he grabs it with both hands. However, his date for the evening is not quite who he expected it to be. In actual fact, it just made his evening a whole lot more interesting!
“This is the most terrifyingly unexpected thing I’ve ever wanted.”
I adored Claire and Bauer’s story! They were real opposites but fit together so well. I loved Claire’s empathy and understanding – and, boy, Bauer was crying out to be understood and loved for himself. I also adored that Bauer could see Claire as a unique person in her own right, not the other twin who is always inadvertently in her sunnier sister’s shadow. Their love was fast but so thrilling and heartwarming and I relished every moment of it!
This story portrayed strong family ties, troubled family ties, and sizzling chemistry between two people, who sometimes struggled to be truly seen, and found love where they least expected it.
Nothing is fake about the insane emotions in Faked by Karla Sorensen. Every piece of heartbreaking, angsty, sexy and swoonworthy emotion was very real. Karla Sorensen’s epic writing won my heart over once again.
Claire Ward has a crush on her twin sister Lia’s best friend Finn since forever. So she agrees to attend a charity gala with Finn in her sister’s place. But on the D day, she finds out that she is not the only one lying. Because the beast of a man covered in tattoes and holding an arrogant attitude is certainly not Finn. She is stuck with his half brother Bauer. He is always all over the news not only for his snowboarding talent, but for the fights and indecent behaviors. And they are not faking it only for the night. They are going to spend some time in mountain to convince a rich businessman that he needs to donate to the charity for in need kids. Lies bring complications. And they are not ready.
Bad boy aholes are my eternal weakness. And Bauer was made for me. He is a broken man with little faith in humanity and darkness hiding all his great qualities. He has this impenetrable wall around his heart and he does his best to push everyone away with his almost rude behaviour. My heart is aching for this misunderstood, jaded, lonely and all out beautiful man. He thinks Claire is too good for him. She is sweet, innocent, soft, caring and the light he never thought he could have. This girl is just perfect. Just the right amount of sass and intensity balanced her adorable personality. Their chemistry was instant even if it was full of bitterness and animosity. Then slowly their hearts became one and the author made it a beautiful journey. The tension and pain from Bauer’s stubbornness and past issues caused all kind of emotional warfare in me! And that happily ever after was simply amazing.
Faked by Karla Sorensen was wonderfully written and it made me feel all the incredible feelings. Claire and Bauer’s touching love story is a must read romance!
Received ARC for honest review
I received a free ARC copy of this book from the author prior to release and am voluntarily leaving a review.
This is book 2 in the saga of the Ward sisters, who are younger sisters to Logan Ward, a very famous football player told in the authors previous Washington Wolves series. This is Claire’s story and she is one of a set of twins who are 21 years old. Claire’ twin is Lia, and she has a best friend Finn for several years. Claire has a BIG crush on Finn, but Finn doesn’t even know she is alive. So when Lia needs a favor, a date for Finn, Claire is excited to help. But Finn gets sick and begs his half brother, Bauer, to help and so Claire ends up on a date with Bauer.
Bauer, is the black sheep, rebel in his family and is a famous athlete in snowboarding. He goes to his date, Lia and knows right away it is not Lia and so starts a twin fun storyline, blinddate fun.
I adored this book and I LOVED Bauer. He is a huge rebel who has never had anyone to love him, his entire life and Claire really helps anchor him and I adored their relationship and romance.
This is a standalone story and Lia’s story is next. I hope the author does a story for Finn too because I liked him a lot too. It is told in dual POV and thats my favorite way for authors to tell their stories.
Every book I read by Karla Sorensen just makes me want to read more. And Faked was no exception. It was funny and sweet and had just the slightest touch of drama.
I knew from the beginning that Claire was getting herself into something big and dangerous but she did it anyway. And she got way more than she bargained for in Bauer. I adored them both. They were so different but so perfect for each other. Their instant connection scared them both a bit but not enough for them to keep their hands to themselves.
I’m glad that it wasn’t all sunshine and snowball fights for them. They had to face reality sooner or later. And when Bauer tries to face down his biggest worry when it comes to Claire, her family, it brought up all of his fears and insecurities. Cue the chest rubbing. They were both so invested if only they would get out of their own way.
Claire and Bauer’s romance was unexpectedly fast and deep. Neither one was looking for it but it was just the thing they needed. Full of family and heart, Faked is the kind of book I love to be swept away by. Karla Sorensen gave me an opposites attract story that kept me smiling and swooning, even when I had nervous butterflies for how things would pan out. And oh my ending!!! I am so ready for more time with the Ward’s!
Overall Grade: +
I finished Karla Sorensen’s Faked a couple of days ago, and the words for this review have been mulling around in my head. As I was shopping today, while I was reading another book, the words wanted to emerge, but they require me to offer up a general opinion about Faked without a lot of detail about this book. Even more, they want me to talk about my own experiences to illustrate why Faked is an essential kind of book. Why I will read all of Karla Sorensen’s books…
To best understand my review, I think we have to begin with a quote that hit my Twitter feed today: “You think your pain and your heartbreak are unprecedented in the history of the world, but then you #read.” —James Baldwin— This quote IS the reason you, the reader, should read Karla Sorensen’s Faked, along with anything else she’s written. There is a relatability in her writing that acts as a mirror to your own experience. It’s the treasure you receive as you turn each page. It acts as a reminder that you aren’t alone, that the feelings and thoughts you felt at some point in your life weren’t your creation, that they were felt and thought by others. This is Sorensen’s superpower: an ability to articulate the human experience through a seamless, melodic style that grips your soul and makes romance important. That may sound heavy, but let me articulate this for you through my reading of Faked.
For one, this message of this book is foreshadowed in her blurb: “Every action has a consequence..” You think this relates solely to the twin swap (which isn’t a spoiler as it’s also in the blurb). But this isn’t the case. There are moments in Claire and Bauer’s pasts, experiences with others that have had a profound effect on their lives in the present. When those actions occurred, no one understood the gravity of those consequences, but, for Claire and Bauer, they were ingrained in their development. As such, these consequences influence Claire and Bauer’s coupling and create the tension of the story. Within the first couple of chapters of Faked, I found myself looking directly in the mirror of my own experience as Claire laid out her hurt. It’s no secret that Claire’s mother, Brooke, left her girls with their older brother, Logan. If that is new to you, go and download The Marriage Effect and read it immediately, It’s my favorite Washington Wolves book. Anyways, Brook’s neglect changes Claire’s life, and as we are privy to her life, Sorensen shows us its impact. It influences her choice of career and it affects her relationships with others. In this one moment in the book, the place where I felt my own life reflected back at me, Sorensen captured one of my truths. With her exquisite writing, it isn’t hard to do. However, in this moment, she very gently pushed on a bruise from my own experience and she connected me to Claire and Bauer’s story. She softened my soul and opened it to their romance, and I couldn’t put the book down after that. Through her careful plotting of their story, she articulates a message that people (not just parents — they are simply the culprits in this story) need to remember: our words and our actions can create meaning or trauma in a person’s life. I’m a teacher of writing, and I think about the words and actions I’ve taken with my students. I can change their perceptions of themselves easily, and that’s scary. In this story, Sorensen deftly illustrates this. And it’s the powerful reminder of Faked.
I’ve said this time and time again in my reviews of Sorensen’s works: we NEED more of this romance. We need to read a book such as Faked to remind us that our words and actions change others not just ourselves. We need a genre like romance to emphasize the sometimes negative qualities of humanity because we can wrap the difficulties of human nurture in a message of love. It’s a safer space to unpack trauma in a world where an intuitive and insightful heroine can see the impact of words on a “bad boy” hero, validate him, cover him in love and kindness, and pour peace into his life. When read stories like Faked, we can be reminded to be better people, to stop and think, and to love people through their hurts. If you love this depth of experience wrapped in a beautiful story about the resilience of the human spirit, then you should be reading Karla Sorensen’s Faked.
4.5 Stars!
Claire is the youngest of the Ward twins. She has a complex because she feels like she is constantly compared to Lia as well as more often than not overshadowed by her as well. I loved how much Claire cared for people and how big her heart is! Not only was she caring but she was passionate about helping kids. Then you have Bauer who is the black sheep of his family so he has never been painted in a favorable light. I loved how Bauer was shown for who he really was. Bauer carries a lot of resentment, guilt, and hurt that he’s never dealt with. I loved how Claire pulled him out of his shell and bought to light the things he was not dealing with. I loved how Claire seen the good in Bauer and championed that to him and others. I loved how they were vulnerable and open with each other and how the contrast of their up bringing helped to bound them. If you are looking for a book that has heart, gives you the feels, throw in some sexy time, and some swoon moments this is the book you are looking for!
Well done Karla, another great book!
Claire and her twin Lia are identical and when she gets a chance to attend and event as Lia with Lia’s best friend, who she has had a crush on, she snaps up the opportunity. However, is bad boy snowboarder Bauer who turns up as her date for the evening. Bauer is Finn’s half-brother, and he and Claire have more in common than they think, as they are constantly overlooked in their families. These two have been hurt by their pasts and work at healing each other. This is a beautifully written story which is emotional, and with angst and witty banter, which leads to a humorous read. I highly recommend for all as this is a definite must read.
First of all how anyone could not love Bauer is beyond me and I kind of hate Adele for the way she treated him. Knowing he was a 4 year old little boy who just lost his mother and she did nothing to make things work in their relationship just leaves a really bad taste in my mouth for her and his father too who let it happen. Lol rant over.
As I said I am completely in love with Bauer. I think he is such an incredible character and while I know he is supposed to be the bad boy I guess I just saw so much more in him (kinda like Claire)
I loved Claire and I cannot believe the trouble making twins are all grown up with books of their own. I loved how insightful and empathetic Claire was. She immediately was able to spot all the good in Bauer, which he desperately needed.
This is pretty much an insta love kind of story. It is probably my favorite of all of the books in the original series and Molly and Noah’s. I don’t know what it is about if but I just clicked with it. Great characters, great writing, great story. Five star read all the way.
**I was generously provided with an advanced readers copy of this book in exchange for my fair and honest review**
I loved this story so much!
I more than loved it actually.
First off, I’d like to thank Karla Sorensen for Bauer Davis. I do believe he’s my favorite hero created from her beautifully talented mind.
Claire Ward, twin sister to Lia, agreed to go to an event dinner and act as Lia. Claire thought her date was going to be Lia’s best friend Finn, whom she’s had a crush on for years.
Little did Claire know that her date was going to be Finn’s half brother – a tattooed, hot as hell snowboarder & bad boy, Bauer Davis. The bad brother with all the muscles. But was he really that bad? The big sexy lug just needs LOVE and to feel wanted. (I volunteer.)
When Bauer picks up Claire for the event, she’s surprised and shocked to see it’s not Finn. But seeing Bauer up close, after spending some time with him, she just might not mind that it’s not Finn. The chemistry between Claire and Bauer was electric. They were instantly attracted to each other, the sexual tension was thick. They were opposites, but couldn’t have been any more perfect for each other.
The things they said, the things they did, the looks they gave, always at just the right times, gave me ALL THE FEELS. I loved these two together!!
In addition to the event dinner, they also get at stranded in a cabin hours away from home because of a snow storm. It’s there that these two get to know each other…very well. They bonded and connected on a level that kinda scared him. What if she’s too good for him?
He’s not boyfriend material.
No one would want a forever with him.
He’s no good.
Those were his thoughts.
I’m here to tell you he couldn’t be more WRONG. He’s perfect boyfriend material. He just doesn’t have a lot of experience with it. He hasn’t dated, and hasn’t wanted to date anyone, for a long time.
But he wants to try.
For her.
*SWOON*
This heartwarming love story satisfied me in every way possible. It grabbed ahold of my heart and didn’t let go.
Bauer Davis owns my heart.
He was so bad he was good.
And delicious.