The Fake

I love The Fake!! Nathan and Chloe are absolutely my favorite couple in the Smart Jocks series by Rebecca Jenshak!! The only thing I did not like about the book is it’s the last book in the series.

Chloe is a transfer student and will be playing on the volleyball team. She comes with some rumors and issues. Nathan is a senior on the basketball team hoping to change his playboy image. So what better for them than to have a fake relationship.

Their relationship maybe fake but their chemistry and attraction is the real deal. The heat between Nathan and Chloe jumps off the page as you read. I could not put this book down, when I say it’s my favorite in the series I meant it. I was so invested in these two. I was on the edge of my seat reading and waiting. We all know with fake relationships come real feelings and real heartache. I could not put this book down but did not want it to end.

Rebecca Jenkshak definitely saved the best for last in the series! Jenshak delivered a captivating book, with and amazing storyline and a great cast of characters. Absolutely all the basketballs for The Fake and Jenshak!!

I am a huge and I love this series so much and I have been waiting for Nathan’s story! It was sweet, cute and sexy. This series is a must read for sports romance fans!

I loved Nathan and Chloe. In the previous books, you knew something was going on with Nathan and in this book all is revealed. Chloe supported him and he supported her. Nathan and Chloe may have started off as a fake relationship, but in the end there was nothing fake about it or their genuine feelings for each other. Their attraction and undeniable chemistry was fiery. They both had their own personal struggles but together they were stronger.

The Fake is a great college romance filled with sweet, sexy and romantic moments. And with a hero and heroine that you can’t help but root for. All in all it was such an enjoyable read and I am sad this series is over. I’m so looking forward to what comes next from Rebecca Jenshak.

This was a really great sweet and sexy read.

“I don’t want to be the guy who saved her, I want to be the guy she chooses.”

Nathan Payne is haunted by nightmares but does what he has to do to keep everything afloat. When he gets in trouble, the brightest spot in his life becomes the new transfer to Valley. They strike a mutually beneficial deal but, deep down, he wants everything between them to be real.

“Our agreement is starting to feel like the longest foreplay ever.”

Chloe MacPherson is having a tough time gelling with her new roommates and teammates, as she transferred to her new college under a cloud. When she realises that Nathan could help her win her teammates over, she makes him an offer he can’t refuse. However, when real and fake start to blur, she needs to decide if she has room in her life to have something real with him.

I really enjoyed reading Nathan and Chloe’s story. They had instant chemistry and I loved the barely-there restraint they both showed. They both had issues to deal with but I loved how well-matched they were and how they understood each other. There were some definite swoony moments between them! It was great seeing Chloe win over her roommates/teammates, and I adored how Nathan’s friends stood by him and not so surreptiously tried to help him wherever they could. This story was a worthy addition to this series.

So listen, I love sports books but Rebecca Jenshak writes some amazing jock heroes. I have wanted Nathan’s story, and what a story it was. Who knew that underneath all of his playful exterior was such a tortured boy underneath. Well, he was and he was also amazing. The thing I liked about this book was that Nathan fell hard and fast for Chloe who wanted nothing more than to focus on volleyball. She had so much to prove to her teammates and to herself that she didn’t have time for Nathan. He pushed his way into her heart and wouldn’t let her go, though.

I love a good hero. I love a good hero that doesn’t even look at another girl after he knows that no one will compare to the girl that he has fallen for. This book has all of the things and more.

4.5 Stars!
Chloe Macpherson is a 21 yr. old college student who comes from a wealthy family. She transfers from California to Valley U her senior year and is excited to get a spot on the Valley U beach volleyball team. She’s hoping to escape some drama in her past, and is looking for a second chance, and a fresh start, but things aren’t going so great. She’s at a new college, and in a different city, and wants to make a good impression. She wants to prove she can make it on her own, and that she deserves to be on the team, but they aren’t quick to accept her. She isn’t fitting in anywhere, and is lonely. Then she meets Nathan Payne, and everything changes. He’s the first real friend she’s made at Valley, and he seems to just get her. He becomes the bright spot at her new school, but her focus needs to be on volleyball, not guys. He’s kind of a big deal on campus, and she soon realizes his presence is winning over her teammates. He’s ridiculously gorgeous and charming, and they decide to pretend a bit for show. Lines get blurred, and soon she worries she could be falling for her fake boyfriend.

Nathan Payne grew up in Michigan, and is now trying to overcome his past, and move on with the future. Previously a party boy, he’s trying to change his image. He’s a senior on the Valley U basketball team, and his scholarship is in jeopardy when he lands himself in hot water with his coach. He has a lot of responsibilities, but his family and basketball are everything to him. He’s at an all time low when he meets a stunning blonde that brightens his day. He wants to spend more time with her. He tries to avoid complications, but there are real feelings there. He wants her to be his, and be the guy she deserves, but will the past come back to haunt him?

The Fake (Smart Jocks #4) by Rebecca Jenshak is a new adult, college sports romance full of emotion and heart. I really enjoyed this one. I loved Nathan in the other book I read in this series, and was dying for more of him! We get to see all the sides of Nathan, and that there is so much more to him. This was a steamy story about second chances and beautiful connections.

Damn did I love these two. I think they may rival Zeke and Gabby for top couple in this series….yes, they were that good. We already know Nathan, but in this book we get to meet Chloe. She’s a volleyball transfer, that has teammates that are pretty nasty to her. Don’t worry, it’s all explained in the book, is it a good reason…not in my opinion, but I did understand. Anyway, these two are down on their luck and just kind of find each other. They have a hot night together and then, because he’s a big basketball star at their college….her teammates are nice-ish to her, and he becomes her fake boyfriend. Let me be clear, these two have a shit ton of chemistry together, like off the charts, they definitely belong together, but Chloe is a bit harder to convince.

This was a safe read, with a great storyline. Two people that need each other, find each other at the best possible time. They are relationship goals all the way. And their chemistry *fans self*. We get to see all of our favorites and it just puts me in my happy place. Nathan is about the sweetest guy, I adored him, being strong for his family and taking on the weight of the world. And Chloe…pretty much the same, but in a much different way. I love and adore this group of friends, watched/read them all turn into grownups and become amazing people. And they did it together, they are all so close. Absolutely love this series….so much. We get a kick ass epilogue and an hea. This group has my heart for sure…all the book crack series love.

This read is a bit bittersweet to me, Nathan was the last of the original four guys to get his story, he was always the carefree, laidback ballplayer, who held himself close too his self. Nathan really gave us all of him in the read, he is really a standup guy doing everything he can to help out his family without being a burden to anyone. He meets new transfer student Chloe who is a volleyball player being shunned due to her parents helping get into her past college. This girl is determined to make it own her own, when a one night stand results in her being seen with the hottest guy on campus, Nathan, she notices everyone is a bit more chill with her, especially teammates. Nathan and Chloe kinda make a deal to help each other out, but the lines get blurred and all the feelings are real or just fake.
Such a great read I loved all these reads from the Smart Jocks series, we do get to revisit some of the past characters, which I love, I just love how these guys are a family and are so there for one another, especially off the court. Nathan really redeems himself and grew so much and Chloe was a perfect fit for not only Nathan but the entire family. It did say in the end that there will be more Jocks so who knows, but these 4 guys will always leave an impression on me.

Well, this one is bittersweet for me. It was heartwarming yet sad, because The Fake is the fourth and final book in the Smart Jocks series. And what a fantastic series it was! This is a standalone, but you should read the other 3 because they are all so good!

The Fake follows the always intriguing Nathan and a new transfer student, Chloe. Chloe comes with quite a past with a scandal that is very timely today. Nathan made some bad decisions and got himself into quite a bit of trouble. They are both down when they meet. Sparks fly immediately and soon their faking a relationship, that turns real quite quickly. I loved these two together. They were great characters on their own and together they were incredible. The writing and pace were perfect.

The Fake is a perfect little final love letter to this series. We got to see all our favorite characters and the epilogue gave us the closure we wanted. I truly will miss these characters. Highly recommend this amazing series!

*I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

5 “Hot & Awesome” Stars!

Nathan is going through a rough time. Hiding things from his teammates and best friends. I felt so much for this guy, he literally does everything he can to help his family even putting his own future on the line. Once you see what I’m talking about you’re going to want to hug and kiss more than his cover adorning abs. He’s trying to get back on the right track and luckily meeting Chloe helps set the path for him.

Chloe is a senior transfer to Valley U with a lot to prove. A scandal at her last university has her pushing herself to the extreme to be accepted by her teammates/roommates. Nathan can help her do just that and their arrangement is concocted. Except Nathan and Chloe both feel more to it, but the lines begin to blur over what’s real and what’s for show.

I adored both of these characters, but I adored them even more together. They were funny and their relationship felt so natural. Nathan is a sweetheart and Chloe is pretty much a ride or die friend and fake girlfriend. I loved how genuine she was in everything she tried to do.

The Fake May be about a fake relationship, but you feel the chemistry oozing off the pages the minute Chloe and Nathan meet. You won’t be able to fake the feels when reading this. Rebecca always surprise me with how more I love each of these guys more than the last. I especially loved this story and btw the fact that we’re getting more Jocks in 2020!?

I Am SO Here for it!!

*arc generously provided for and honest review*

5/5 stars

Overall Grade:

It began with curmudgeonly, yet compassionate Wes. Then, we were given playboy, yet kind Joel. After Joel, there was Zeke, the silent, but soulful type. And now, Rebecca Jenshak has crafted the piece de resistance of her Smart Jocks series with Nathan Paynter. Seemingly aloof and hiding secrets, what we find in this new hero is the essence of the romantic hero: a romantic heart.

I would love to say that I, Professor A, would choose any of these heroes over the other, but I can’t. I believe in my earlier reviews of the first three books of this series, The Assist, The Tip-Off, and The Fadeaway, that I fell more and more in love with her characters. Yet, the reality is I love them all. Each of the couples offers these romantic stories of struggle, perseverance, and love. It would be easy to put them within the confines of a specific romantic trope, but that isn’t what Jenshak is doing with this series. She’s simply telling a story about a basketball jock and his lady-love. And this reviewer has loved EVERY. SINGLE. ONE. OF. THEM. I cannot say this for every standalone series I’ve read. There is usually a weak link. After reading Jenshak’s newest tome, The Fake, I can’t find one. There is not a weak one in the bunch.

There are many reasons that you should read this book. Firstly, know that you do not need to have read the first three books of the series to understand this book. It’s truly a standalone, complete with a heroine we haven’t met before this book. That being said, if you’ve read the first three books, it makes the book more special. Nathan has been an interesting character since we first met him in The Assist. We’ve known that he was hiding secrets. Boys being boys, nobody (none of Nathan’s team members/roommates) felt compelled to interrogate his nightmares or his curious source of money. As a reader, we knew there were issues, so this book has been, by my estimation, one of the most anticipated. What the first three books add to The Fake is they make the story more fragrant because you will know the ancillary characters of the story. Yet, we really know very little of Nathan and Chloe, the hero and heroine, until this book.

So WHY should you read this The Fake? Here goes:

*Nathan Paynter. This man, even with his foibles, is a romantic. He’s a letter-writing, sweet-talking, unassuming romantic. He has secrets, and they threaten to derail his story (I’m not telling his secrets; you need to read this story for them), but his ability to fix his mess also paints him well in this story. He’s a hero unlike Jenshak’s other heroes, and there is something lovely about that.

*Chloe. Chloe represents some of the students whose parents have recently been indicted in fraud for college admissions. Her parents don’t defraud her former college. Instead, they buy her way in, and this leaves her unsure of her abilities. She’s a volleyball player, a student-athlete like Nathan. One of my favorite moments of the book is a “date” when they work out. She is Nathan’s perfect match, yet she fights it for the first third or half of the book. As it begins to frustrate the reader, Jenshak is brilliant to release us from that pain. She succinctly builds the tension of Nathan acting as her “fake boyfriend” to win over friends with their growing “like” for each other until you don’t think you can take it anymore. Then, Jenshak releases it and decides to build a struggle elsewhere. Through the character of Chloe, Jenshak reminds us that we should always live our truth. People-pleasing will always let us down.

*The moments of the story. I am not going to name them here, but there are so many incredible moments in this story between Chloe and Nathan. There is a sweet moment towards the end of the story where, if I was a swooner, I would have fainted. It’s sweet and charming and everything you love in a contemporary romance. Jenshak bombards us again and again with the chemistry of these two, along with Nathan’s natural romantic heart. I ate up every page of this book.

Like Rebecca Jenshak, I love sports. I don’t love every single moment of a game, match, etc. But I love the athleticism and mental challenge of sports. Jenshak has crafted these stories of college basketball players that pull at your heartstrings and engage in ideas about jocks. She’s illustrated in each of her books that these men are smarter than we consider them. They aren’t just book smart; these are men whose emotional struggles build to an emotional maturation that allows them to love their heroines deeply. Honestly, I think Nathan and Chloe’s story is the cherry on the sundae for this series. Ultimately, Jenshak’s newest book, The Fake, suggests that living your own truth and being honest with the person you love is all that matters in life.