One of Bustle’s Most Anticipated Fall ReleasesDebut author Sarah Smith nails this fun and sexy rom-com where two office foes hammer out their differences to build a love that will last….Emmie Echavarre is a professional faker. She has to be to survive as one of the few female employees at Nuts & Bolts, a power tool company staffed predominantly by gruff, burly men. From nine to five, Monday … From nine to five, Monday through Friday, she’s tough as nails–the complete opposite of her easy-going real self.
One thing she doesn’t have to fake? Her disdain for coworker Tate Rasmussen. Tate has been hostile to her since the day they met. Emmie’s friendly greetings and repeated attempts to get to know him failed to garner anything more than scowls and terse one-word answers. Too bad she can’t stop staring at his Thor-like biceps…
When Emmie and Tate are forced to work together on a charity construction project, things get…heated. Emmie’s beginning to see that beneath Tate’s chiseled exterior lies a soft heart, but it will take more than a few kind words to erase the past and convince her that what they have is real.
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4.5 STARS!
A debut novel by Sarah Smith, Faker was a real treat and so much fun to read! The cover and then the blurb drew me in instantly, making me want to read this novel. Off the bat, I can see how and why people may get The Hating Game vibes but honestly, there really is no comparison. This story is so very different, diverse, and special in its very own way and right.
The story begins with Emmie our heroine, she’s of Filipino and Hawaiian descent. Working in a mostly male dominated career, she doesn’t let anyone step all over her. She’s a boss and proud of it! But, she’s stuck having to see and hear Tate, her enemy, whose office is right across from hers. Constantly bickering back and forth (its rather cute), these two are very hostile towards one another. Now, Tate is a bit of a loner at heart. Reserved, brooding with an introvert personality. He’s got that mean look to him but its hard to not see how handsome he is. He’ll do whatever he can to get Emmie’s attention… even if that means being a complete a-hole.
“A couple months ago, you couldn’t stand the sight of me.”
“And you were starting arguments with me constantly.”
Their relationship builds slowly with time. We learn so much about these two and how alike they are. The chemistry is off-the-charts. Told mostly through Emmie’s POV we get to see her guarded side. She’s someone that doesn’t let just anyone in. With Tate being so private, he doesn’t open up to just anyone, and it’s refreshing to see him let his walls down, showing this sweet and kind side. I fell head over heels for this brooding man!!
Overall, this was a great debut! I definitely would have liked more’ especially from Tate’s POV; however, I’m not disappointed. After reading Sarah’s words, we’ve only hit the tip of the iceberg. This author is full of potential and this is me stating this not knowing what else Sarah has in store for us! So, kudos to Sarah, what an amazing job well done!
*I received a complimentary copy of this book from Berkley through NetGalley. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.*
This is a slow burn coworker romance between Emmie, one of the few women at Nuts & Bolts, and Tate, her coworker who she’s convinced hates her, and the feeling is mutual. Sarah Smith does a perfect job amping up the tension between the two of them, as they slowly get to know each other, a process that’s accelerated when Emmie falls off a ladder at a work event and has a concussion. Their simmering passion as well as genuine emotional connection had me racing through this book but also wanting to savor it. When they do finally get it on, Tate proves himself just as wonderful and giving of a lover as I’d come to expect. Emmie is a tough (on the surface) character, because she’s had to be, and watching her unfold and get vulnerable with Tate was a joy.
Full of sweet, subtle moments that hold an immense significance, Faker is a well written novel from debut author Sarah Smith.
Emmie Echavarre thinks she’s a faker. After all, she’s faked it. Being employed as a copywriter at Nuts & Bolts, and one of the few female employees in a testosterone ran company, has Emmie faking it Monday through Friday. But is she truly a faker? Emmie is sentimental, something I discovered I rather loved. Strong when she needs to be. A straight forward, assertive individual. She doesn’t allow her co-workers to treat her with anything besides professionalism and respect. At work, Emmie is hard as she fakes it from eight to five. However, the hate she feels towards one co-worker is one of the few things Emmie does not have to fake. But maybe, just maybe Emmie’s fake persona is not so fake and is more a part of her than she realizes. Oh, and that hate she feels? Maybe it’s not hate at all… Maybe it’s just deeper emotions at play.
Tate Rasmussen is the social media specialist at Nuts & Bolts, which is quite ironic since he’s an introvert. A loner by nature, Tate comes off as ice cold. He’s confrontational and indifferent. Distant. Unfriendly. Quite frankly, Tate is very much standoffish. Or is he? Beneath the surface he is an entirely different person. Thoughtful and caring. Sensitive and vulnerable, yet calculating and just as protective and possessive as he is a good kisser and my-oh-my can he kiss! I was enamored by his many layers, wanting to delve deeper into him with every turn of the page!
Emmie and Tate were completely surprising. From a slow build-up with high sexual tension to fun and banterful moments, their relationship was refreshing. The way they unravelled only for each other, exposing and stripping themselves bare added just the right amount of emotion to this romantic comedy.
A sexy, slow burn romance, Sarah Smith has penned not only a lighthearted novel but an utterly charming one!
Faker is an impressive debut about an office romance with an enemies to lovers vibe! Emmie is a Filipino living in the midwest and arguing daily with her whiter than white bread coworker, Tate. Their banter in the beginning is really biting. They do NOT like each other. However, Tate is strangely concerned about Emmie being hassled by a coworker. It isn’t long before Emmie and Tate’s relationship changes. Emmie is still a bit hesitant-Tate had really hurt her feelings in the past.
The focus of the plot of Faker is on their relationship and on each character’s growth. Emmie shared her struggles with having to leave Hawaii as a teenager and being the only non-white girl in her midwest town. Tate shares his struggles with being supremely introverted. I felt a connection with Tate because I really understood his struggle-not wanting to be in certain situations, not enjoying social events, etc.
My only struggle with Faker was an event near the end involving Tate. He does something that I just found unbelieveable and while it isn’t unforgiveable, I do think Emmie probably should have been a bit more questioning and unsure of his motives. However, I found Faker to be highly entertaining and think that readers will enjoy the low angst and unique characters!
Audio fans: Donnabella Martel is a new to me narrator and I thought the story was well performed! The entire story is told from Emmie’s POV and Martel does a great job brings Emmie to life.
Faker
Sarah Smith did a great job in her debut novel Faker. Enemies to lovers is one of my favorite troupes and she definitely did it justice. Faker gave me The Hating Game vibes, but was unique and fun in its own way. Emmie and Tate work together and you can tell that something is brewing in the glares they enjoy giving one another. Emmie found Tate attractive from the moment they met. Too bad Tate seems to hate her and they can’t stop bickering and annoying each other. There is tons of chemistry between the two who just can’t help getting the others attention. Talk about building up tension after the months of foreplay they been having!
Emmie and Tate’s relationship builds slowly as they each begin to open themselves to one another. I really liked that both of them were so open to communication. So many times in romance novels if only the characters sat down and told each other how they felt there would be no massive blow out. Sarah Smith did a great job of building tension and excitement while having the characters speak to each other like the adults they are.
This was a special read as a woman of color in an interracial relationship. It’s always fun to read romance novels with diverse characters. Emmie is of Filipino and Hawaiian decent and it was so cute how Tate was interested in learning more about her culture and where she grew up. Emmie was also a woman of color working in a male dominated environment. She embraced her boss lady status and I loved every second of it and how Tate did not mind one single bit!
I can’t wait for Sarah Smiths next book!
Very sweet, and charming. I love debuts, and FAKER had me completely entertained from beginning to end. A great feel good escape.
Sarah Smith’s Faker is an enemies-to-lovers book done right. Emmie Echavarre works in a male-dominated workplace called Nuts & Bolts, and so she has to fake acting tough, really tough. The thing she doesn’t have to fake is her contempt for Tate Rasmussen, a coworker who has been rude to her since his first day. However, as Emmie and Tate are forced to work together on a project, she’ll discover that there’s more to Tate than meets the eye, and that maybe he doesn’t hate her after all.
I thoroughly enjoyed this novel. It’s entertaining, funny, and romantic. The plot unravels in such a way that you understand where both protagonists are coming from, and the inevitable conflict in the story is pretty low stakes and the characters works through it quickly.
Overall, it’s a fun and fast read perfect for fans of books like Sally Thorne’s The Hating Game.
A multicultural hate-to-love story with a feisty Fil-Am FMC, grumpy outside-softy inside MMC, close family relationships, deep friendships, and mangoes. Yes! Yes! Yes! A fantastic debut from a fresh new voice in romance. Fil-Ams represent!
Faker was a cute enemies-to-lovers romance. Easy reading and enjoyable. Perfect for fans of romance without a lot of angst.
Faker is a fun hate-to-love read, a fun jaunt on romance tropes that nails multicultural relationships and female empowerment all at once!
Emmie and Tate are too cute. I identified well with Emmie’s feeling that she needed to be tough at work to prove herself, so from the first paragraphs I was hooked with the heroine. Tate–oh, swoony Tate–is the classic “shy boy,” quiet and socially awkward but with pure passion underneath. This type of hard-to-know guy is perfectly realistic to me, and the awkwardness of an office setting only intensifies his AND her outer personas. When the armor falls away, Sarah Smith gives us a sweet and HOT couple for the happily ever after.
I love how the author brings in details of Emmie’s filipino heritage as part of the “courtship” (haha old fashioned term, I know!), adding to Tate’s sweetheart status when we see how he cares enough to learn about her culture.
Overall this is a fun hate-to-love read that any romance fan will tear through, all the while cheering for Emmie and her girl power!
My review will be in two parts. How I feel about the author’s skills of writing a book and then the second part my feelings on the content of the book.
The author is a master storyteller. I was so involved in reading this story and wanted to know how these two very different people would get together as a couple. I finished the book in two days, juggling the things I needed to do, so I could read. The author is so gifted in plotting and character development. It is difficult for me to believe that this is her first published book. I really liked that the story is told in dual points of view.
I think this author will have many more books in the future. She is bound to have a lot of success with her first book and have a following of fans of readers.
Now for my personal feelings on the content of the story. I was so interested in the plot and wanted a happy ending for Emmie and Tate. I had not read an “enemy to romantic couple prior to this book. I did enjoy that idea for a romance book. The part of the book where they were enemies and then slowly became friends was the part I loved. Once they became a couple, I was not happy with where the plot went. This is the problem with romance books to me. I never know if the sex scenes will overwhelm the other parts of the book that I enjoy. Everyone has their own taste and I cannot even explain why I feel this way about some books, but I did with this one. I was so involved and truly was enjoying it, and then bam, my enjoyment level decreased quite a bit and I then just skimmed through the final sex scenes to get to the actual story again.
Overall, I did like the author’s style of writing. I think she is very talented. I just do not think her books are for me.
(Spoiler: I also had a difficult time understanding how Emmie could brush aside Tate’s very bad trait of being so possessive about her. She is a strong woman and his actions were pretty upsetting to me and should have been to Emmie also. With the personality trait he showed, it looks like he would want to control many parts of Emmie’s life in the future.)
Our FAKER is Emmie Echavarre – she is a survivor and will “fake it ‘til she makes it” especially at work as a copywriter and as one of the few female employees at Nuts & Bolts, a power tool company. In charge of the company’s social media is the ever so handsome Tate Rasmussen, whose disdain and hostility towards Emmie is simply over the top. Forced to work together in a project, could Emmie continue to fake it or give in to Tate’s rough exterior.
I just loved this fun, feel good and ferociously sexy read, a debut novel by author Sarah Smith, a Filipina author. She has since written another romcom called Simmer Down which I am thrilled to read next! I had fun reading this and enjoyed the hot chemistry, the realistic craziness and medical emergencies, the filipino cultural inferences, and food of course!
Check this romcom out if you want to read more own-voice authors.
I loved this book. The push pull between them is great . Not your traditional romance . Great work!
This book sounded so good and had so much potential! Enemy to Lovers can be so awesome but it has to be done right. The first portion of this book I absolutely loved. The enemies part is always fun trying to guess why they are enemies or seeing how they hate on each other but you KNOW there’s more. But it felt like it so quickly resolved the enemies issues and I was like … what I want more and now what?? Enemies to Lovers is best when it’s a slow burn not Insta love/list. It just didn’t quite hit the mark.
The “issue” they have towards the end seemed like not a big enough problem to overcome and I felt like it was resolved fast too. I expected something so much more to cause problems since they stopped being enemies really fast.
The intimate scenes were so awkward. First of all, “moan” was used way too much and I think it didn’t come across like the author thought. It didn’t feel natural. And it just felt awkward when they were kissing or anything else.
It was a little annoying how much fixation was on how white and milky his skin was. Obviously, at some point a description makes sense but every time she looked at him she talked about it and it felt so weird.
I had so much hope for this book and the premise sound amazing but it just fell flat for me. The first portion was really great but then just meh. I wanted to love it so bad but it just didn’t do it for me.
I had the huge honor of beta reading Faker by Sarah Smith, and I can tell you right now… it was utterly delightful even in its infancy. But the final, polished, published version? Guys, gals, and NBs… It. Is. To. Die. For. No, but seriously. Smith’s voice is gripping and witty and takes you on a romantic journey of enemies to lovers that’ll leave your heart melting into a simmering puddle of starry-eyed goop.
Okay, you may be thinking I’m a bit biased considering I beta read for Smith, which obviously means we’re friends. But if you’re thinking that, you’d be wrong. I practically begged this beautiful soul to let me review for her because I truly believe in this story and in Smith’s wow-factor as an author. I promise, if you give this a read, you’ll see what I mean.
Not only does Smith provide an #ownvoices heroine filled with fire and spunk, she also built a hunk’a hunk’a burnin’ love interest with dashing and dang near devious deliciousness. (Okay, okay… I got a bit carried away with the alliteration there, but Tate’ll do that to a person. And by “do that,” I of course mean turn your brain into mush.)
This story has a fresh and energetic take on one of my all-time fave tropes. Actually, it fits several of ‘em… enemies to lover, workplace romance, opposites attract… shall I keep going? But, really, I would recommend this to any lover of romance. It has a little something for everyone.
What really drew me to this book was the cover, also the hate to love aspect of it. I did imagine there would be more intense bickering between the two characters.
Once the bickering was over the main characters seemed to jump head/heart first into a relationship. In my opinion they moved rather fast then it started to turn cheesy.
The synopsis or blurb on the back seemed a little missing leading. ” Emmie Erchavarre is a professional faker. She has to be to survive as one of the few female employees at Nut & Bolts, a power tool company staffed predominantly by gruff, burly men. ” I thought she was part of a construction company building houses or something, but no she works in an office. Women work in offices all the time.
I didn’t know much about this book before besides the hate to love part. I just loved it with all the Omaha and Nebraska white boy-ness of Tate. It was a fun read that I didn’t know what might happen with the start, with co-workers that hated each other. The banter was funny and have a bunch of Lol moments. Tate is so Nebraska I loved it! I loved Emmie and her lady boss – cold stone bitch face at work but understand her working in an all (mostly) male workspace for it. Anyone who has worked in a male dominated job or workplace will enjoy and understand this book.
Sarah’s debut was wonderful- with funny and cute leads and can’t wait to see what her writing will lead to in the future. I of coursed loved the Nebraska/Omaha part and wished for even more of it. Loved the strong female lead of Emmie and the soft underside of Tate. Loved the chemistry and how Tate was hiding under the banter, the hospital and texting that gave the story more of the steam and newer true falling for each other, the steam was perfect, and liked the burn of the romance of this one!
Overall, 4 stars and 4 steams!
A cute, light contemporary read. I loved the cover and the characters. I wanted a little bit more heat though. I wasn’t the biggest fan of her always referring to his skin as milky, pale, and glaringly white. It kept giving me images of that movie Powder, in a “can harness extrasensory perception and heal the sick” kind of way. It sort of took away from the romance for me.
A funny, charming, and thoroughly entertaining debut. I couldn’t put it down!
This is a new-to-me author. Well, technically she is new to most people author since this is her debut. And, although there were some slips here and there, this is a solid first showing.
There was a lot of good about this story. While it wasn’t dripping with intense chemistry, there was definitely an almost innocent chemistry between Emmie and Tate. They gave me the warm-fuzzies, and that’s the most important thing for me in a romance. The way they’d get a bit flustered with one another was really sweet and kept me wanting more.
The couple had quite a few up and downs, but not in an overdone way. It was actually a bit realistic while staying entertaining. The relationship between Tate and Emmie is whole and has a complete narrative. I didn’t always like the way one was acting toward the other, but they are humans with human flaws. And, the more you read, the more you realize Tate has some sort of developmental disorder…which I wish had been delved into a bit more besides saying he has social issues.
Any other small problems I had were more with the peripheral characters or backstory. I felt as though Emmie’s best friend was going to be a big part of the story, and then she was not mentioned for a very long time. Which, to me, seemed out of character from what we’d been told up to that point about these characters. She does pop back up, but not as much as you would think. It leaves me feeling the story has holes and there was some disruption to the flow due to those holes.
All in all, this is a great debut novel for an author and I’ll surely check out her next book when it’s released to see how/if she grows and learns as her career progresses.
https://allingoodtimeblog.wordpress.com/2019/12/26/faker-book-review/