The Great Dating Fake Off

3.5/5

That was an interesting book, though it wasn't as captivating as I hoped. it took me 6 days to read it. 6. days. where it should have taken me 2 at most. And not because i was busy (although i couldn't read at work), but because when i put it down for the night, I didn't have any desire to read it the next morning. Honestly, half the time I didn't even remember that I was reading it.

The first 20% or so was the most intriguing to me. Nora and Sebastian met, had insane chemistry from the get go and he was about to ask her out - but circumstances forced him to leave her bookstore, while she began pretending to be her best friend's girlfriend for his sister's wedding. Alright. The same day/week, Sebastian found out that his best friend wants her to pretend to be his girlfriend at her brother's wedding. of course, it's the same wedding.

Okay, I love it. I was super excited to see the longing between Nora and Sebastian, how they're drawn together but knowing they can't ever be together because the other person is in a relationship and they genuinely like their partners, dammit... Imagine my disappointment, where, when Sebastian and Nora reunite at the wedding, the truth about their fake relationship comes out INSTANTLY. The was no longing, no angst, nothing. They immediately learned that they're in the same boat but decided not to pursue a relationship. And I'm left like... So what's the point?? The blurb of this book clearly suggests that while Nora and Sebastian are very attracted of each other, they keep secrets - from each other too. Alas, that's not happening.

So if you're reading this book expecting longing, angst, yearning, and guilt for being attracted to a person who's in a relationship, while they pretend to be in one too - it's not the book for you. Nora and Sebastian learn instantly that the other person is faking it for whatever reason and they know that they're both currently single. The drama comes from mostly the bride and groom's families, AND the fact that Sebastian moves around a lot for work, while Nora wants to stay in the one place she calls home. That's the drama.

I was hoping for something else. I mean it was still a good boo, but the synopsis misled me. I was expecting something else, and therefore, my ranking is lower.

Also, the remaining 70-80% of the book dragged on. I loved the drama between the groom's and the bride's family, but that's it. I didn't like that Nora and Sebastian spent so much time together, knowing they shouldn't. especially not at the wedding. I know that that was the book and a story but it didn't excite me at all. I would have been more interested if they did it while believing the other was in a relationship. I don't condone cheating and I never read books with this theme, but they were both fake dating so it doesn't count, right? But I just wanted them both to feel guilt over that and that the drama would be them finding out that their respective relationships weren't real.

The sex scenes were well-written and interesting. especially the photo booth scene was excellent, I loved it The third act was the weakest part of the whole book for me, with all the drama between bride and groom distracting from the main relationship.

All in all, it wasn't the worst book, but it wasn't the best either. i was simply expecting something different.