Author: Livy Hart

Synopsis:

One over-the-top Italian wedding. Two fake couples. And a million hilariously disastrous possibilities…

Nora D’Amato would do almost anything for her best friend. Pretend she’s smitten with him to get his overly invested Italian family off his back? Absolutely. Attend a wedding for said overbearing family? Bring it. Spend the next six days at a posh resort watching the bride and groom’s families hate on each other? Pass the popcorn.

There’s only one tiny little hiccup. Nora’s crush―and the object of some very inappropriate thoughts―is here, too. And looking so delectable that she could spoon him faster than stracciatella gelato in a heat wave.

But Sebastian Rossi isn’t available…officially. He’s here with his fake wedding date. And he owes her big time for keeping an eye on his nonna while he’s away months at a time for work. A week in the Adirondacks is a piece of overly frosted cake. Besides, it’s not as though he can have a real relationship when he’s constantly on the move. Definitely not with the cute bookstore manager he can’t stop thinking about.

And a wedding war zone with two feuding families is not the time or place for flirting or sexy sneak-arounds. Everyone is watching―whether it’s during the pickleball tournament, the angry patriarch showdowns, or even the bull-riding bachelorette party. This wedding is one slipped fauxcade away from catastrophe, and if Nora and Sebastian can’t keep to their own sides of the aisle, they risk exposing the very secrets they’re sworn to protect.

Review:

The Great Dating Fake Off  was smile worthy and so much fun!  Hart has a way of writing characters that you can’t help but love and a storyline that keeps you captivated and turning the page to see what happens next.  If you like fake dating….but with other people, adult romance, and books that make you laugh, then definitely add this one to your tbr!  

I take a deep, slow breath. Nora D’Amato is an occupational hazard to fake dating.

Starting out, I loved Nora and Sebastian’s meet cute!  The tension thrummed between them from the beginning, and I loved watching those sparks fly!  But fate had other plans, and they found themselves fake dating other people at a mutual wedding.  When they ran into each other again, I was screaming with laughter!  This book would make such a fabulous movie!

“Last night was…”
Those sea glass eyes snap up. “It was what?”
Risky.
A bad idea.
Like I was finally awake after years of being asleep.

With a wedding that was hosting families whose feud spanned generations, nosy people everywhere, and fabulous friends, I adored this book!  While there were a lot of people within the pages, as a romantasy lover I didn’t have a problem following along with who was who.  Yet there was a huge hiccup…. Sebastian was leaving shortly after the wedding.  To another state.  Nora was someone who had moved around her whole life, and she finally found the place that she wanted as her forever home.  As they snuck around and fell harder for one another, I was so nervous how their happily ever after was going to play out.

This woman loves playing with fire and apparently, I’m more than happy to fall into the flames.

Every single time Nora and Sebastian were together, it was memorable.  Their scenes played out like I was watching a movie…. while waiting for them to get caught haha.  The sauna, the game room, the lake, the photo booth *fans face*, they had so many beautiful moments together.  All the while making me laugh so much!  And I adored how they just clicked.  They felt like lifelong soul mates.  Plus, Sebastian was the best book boyfriend!  He stood up for Nora, was thoughtful, kind and oh so sexy!

She’s left me speechless, but one singular thought plays in my head. Don’t let go.

If you’re a fan of angst and tension, it was so fabulously done in The Great Dating Fake Off!  And the steam was incredible too!  Plus, the emotional side of this book rounded out the story so well.  I got tears in my eyes twice; this book warmed my heart!  I’m so happy I read this story!  The Great Dating Fake Off was a romcom that will keep you laughing and smiling from that first page to the last, I can’t recommend it enough!

I will never stop wanting you.

PS I love that they played Catan, I adore that game!

*I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book, provided by the publisher. All thoughts and opinions are my own.*

Synopsis:

Fate doesn’t play fair in this hilarious and sexy comedy of errors from the author of Planes, Trains, and All the Feels.

If you ask Mia Madden, the road to dating hell is paved with suspiciously hot online profiles. Take tonight’s date, for example. Alex Conroy’s whole “boardroom in the streets, lumberjack in the sheets” thing totally works for her, but his profile did not convey that he represents everything she loathes about corporate hustle culture. He’s not even worth her bottle of purse wine.

Imagine her horror when it turns out that Alex is also the hot-shot new boss her dad can’t stop complaining about—the Forbes 30-under-30 company fixer of his nightmares. Worse, their respective best friends are dating. Mia and Alex are constantly thrown together, whether it’s for corporate volunteer hours at the animal rescue, squaring off at the company picnic, or literally trapped in an escape room. It’s one nightmare after another...no matter how sexy the company is.

Mia’s life is now a romantic-comedy of errors, complete with her kinda, sorta, accidentally sleeping with the enemy. And she’s not sure which is worse: that Alex could ruin her dad’s career, or that she might actually like him.

Review:

Some Kind of Blunderful was an opposites attract romance that was laugh out loud hilarious! With the most fabulous banter, this smile inducing book was so much fun! And I loved that the writing was seamless and so easy to devour. After finishing this book, I went and added Livy Hart’s other books to my tbr.  This book was easily my top favorite steamy romantic comedy for 2023!

Our laughter falls away all at once. My thumbs slide over the warm flesh of her healing palms, landing in the center. I trace circles over her skin, waiting to see if she’ll pull away. One of us should.”

Mia Madden was trying her best to get back into the dating world, after being left at the alter by her high school sweetheart. I was so happy she had her bestie Josie in her life, she had her back and was so positive. When Mia found herself going on a date with Alex, who she met through a dating app, she definitely needed her bestie’s support. Mia’s date with Alex was a horrific, awkward disaster. From their first few moments together, I couldn’t help laughing out loud. They were the polar opposites from each other and were fumbling towards being the worst date ever. Yet after they parted ways, they would soon discover that wouldn’t be the last time they saw each other. Not only were their best friends dating, but Alex was the new boss Josie’s father loathed and ranted about. As the pages unfolded, we got to watch as they couldn’t seem to escape from each other.

“Don’t sell yourself short, Mia. Look at you. Your bar for men needs to be in fucking space.”
My heart vaults into my throat.

Alex had the cards stacked against him. Not only did he get the job Mia’s dad wanted, but he came across as a shark. I wasn’t sure I would like him, yet it wasn’t long until I was proved wrong. As Alex blundered around Mia, Fancy Nancy disaster lol, I felt bad for him. Especially since he seemed so alone, except for his best friend Ezra. Since we also got this story from Alex’s point of view, it was impossible not to fall in love with him. As we watched him spend more time around Mia, he couldn’t seem to escape thoughts of her afterwards. And it wasn’t that far into the story that I was already saying out loud oh my gosh I love him so much! Alex was thoughtful, kind, patient, protective and had a way with words that were sigh worthy. I loved that he knew what he wanted in life, but Mia definitely was struggling in that area.

I believe every last promise his eyes are making me right now, and he hasn’t even kissed me yet. I’m already antsy at the faintest of touches outside my clothes.

Mia was so easy to adore and someone you would want to be friends with. I loved her oversharing. I absolutory loved her close knit family and the time she spent with her sisters! So as the story progressed, my heart felt for Mia. Disliking Alex was what she should do, in solidarity of her dad’s feelings. Yet the more time she spent around the man, the more she saw into who he was. It was impossible for her not to having conflicted feelings when Alex was concerned. She saw a fun, caring side of Alex that others didn’t. And she also couldn’t ignore the sexual tension that was like electricity between the two of them.

My eyes fall shut as my hand drifts down her spine. I may be confused as to what comes next for us, but not about the fact that I want her . That part is out of my control, and it’s terrifying.

This story had so many memorable scenes, and I fell in love with Mia and Alex each step of the way. One of the things I loved most about them was that they acted like adults and were able to realize the mistakes they made, and own up to them. Plus their banter was phenomenal! I couldn’t stop smiling when they were together! So as their story went from sexual tension to more, their moments together were hot and so steamy! Yet, it was hard to not be nervous for them. What would happen when her dad found out that Mia wasn’t feeling hate towards Alex anymore?  Or that their relationship had moved to more?  The only thing I’m going to say about this is that I loved seeing how Mia’s family could struggle but still love each other at the end of the day. It was such a beautiful and healthy portrayal of families that made me so happy.

Some Kind of Blunderful brimmed with humor and romance! If you’re looking for an adult romance story to read, definitely pick this one up! This story made me fall in love and cry twice. I closed this book with a smile on my face and I can’t wait to see what Livy releases next!

*I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book, provided by the author. All thoughts and opinions are my own.*