The Fake Mate Paperback – December 5, 2023

This was a fun read! It was my first omega verse book and I think I would definitely read more. The narrators did a great job with this. It was pretty predictable, but if the romance and plot is good, sometimes you can overlook that. I really enjoy this author’s books. They are just so funny and cute with very decent spice!

Am I… am I into paranormal romance again? This delightfully different, deliciously spicy love story has me questioning everything. I devoured it in one sitting, stayed up WAY too late reading, and am left with the desire to read more of its kind. It’s been years since True Blood and Twilight and all the paranormal things that oversaturated the market back in the day, and it seems like I might finally be able to sit down and enjoy something involving shifters again. I only checked this one out because of that fantastic cover and my sincere enjoyment of The Nanny, but it took no time at all to realize I was going to love this. It’s like a contemporary grumpy/sunshine, fake dating romance with a twist. The biggest difference is that our leads are both wolf shifters, so faking a relationship comes with some unintended consequences. I loved that the characters were the kind of opposites who complemented each other perfectly, I loved their chemistry in and out of the bedroom (and there's a whole lot of time spent in the bedroom!), I loved that I never quite knew where the story was going to go next. It felt familiar and fresh at the same time, and I just absolutely ate it up.The story follows Mackenzie and Noah, two doctors who work at the same hospital but have never spent any time together. Noah has a reputation for being a scary grump, while Mackenzie is friends with everyone she meets. When Mackenzie discovers that Noah's job is on the line because he never disclosed that he's an alpha shifter without a mate (and they have a reputation that precedes them), she realizes that faking a relationship might benefit her as well. Shortly after, the two make their new "relationship" work-official, and Noah goes off the suppressants that have been minimizing his alpha hormones, as someone would if they were happily mated. It doesn't take long before things start changing between them, as Noah reveals a side of himself that he's been hiding from everyone and their hormones start wreaking havoc on their systems. And when the two start adding some sexual benefits to their previously platonic relationship, things quickly start spiraling out of control.I'm a sucker for a grumpy/sunshine, fake dating relationship any day of the week, but it's always fun when there's a new spin on the familiar trope. This is exactly that - Noah and Mackenzie start playing with danger the moment they start spending time together, and heating things up in the bedroom makes things even messier. There's a TON of spicy moments, most of which advance the relationship in some kind of way. I loved that they were so intimate and revealing, in addition to simply being pretty sexy. Noah is such a sweetheart once he shows his softer side, but he's also insanely protective and smitten with Mackenzie after those hormones flood his system. It was fun watching the alpha side of him come out to play, and Mackenzie really was a great partner for him. The paranormal element is front and center throughout the story, yet it was easily understandable even to those who are new to the genre. Their gossiping co-workers explain anything the reader might need to know, lol, and the overall tone is both sexy and playful. It was just exceedingly entertaining, and so incredibly easy to binge. I loved it!Audio note: The audio is excellent! I've been listening to a lot more Joe Arden recently, and I'm loving his voice. He's got that deep growl that works perfectly for a wolf shifter (especially in the plentiful spicy scenes!), but he also infuses so much emotion and personality into his performance. Samantha Summers also does a great job, and her upbeat voice embodies Mackenzie well. It's dual narration with a runtime of around 11 hours, so it was kinda too much for a single day... which is why I was up so late listening, lol. I can't even remotely recommend this one as a workday listen, as the spice is prevalent throughout the entire story. These two start feeling the effects of their hormones early on and it doesn't take a lot of time before they're hitting the sheets, so keep that in mind when listening. The lighthearted vibes were fantastic in audio though, and this is one listening experience that enhanced the story - without a doubt. Highly recommended in the format.

I read a review that stated that the use of “knot” was overwhelming in the book. No lies told! However, I didn’t mind it at all. The parroting of words between the characters also felt like normal everyday speech between people, so I didn’t mind that much either. However, if that would bother you, then this book may not be a good fit.Plot 3/10- the plot is weak, an easily solvable situation that took an entire book to deal with. There is no reason for their forced courtship, and also the climax was so simple to solve that you have to wonder why the author couldn’t have thought of anything else. The ending of the climax was also very anticlimactic and not satisfying.Spice - 6/10 open door, very explicit, use of “knot” is used 99% of the time.Character 8/10 - everyone was realistic and their personalities not overly done. Character development was nicely played out. Warning: if you love strong male leads, this is not for you. MMC is very introverted, shy, and unsure of himself. FMC is very sure of herself and fills the role of his other half nicely.World building: 6/10 - this is a twist to what is considered normal in the paranormal book world. Alpha/omega positions are obsolete and useless in this world, so if you love overly dominant wolf action with superpowers, this is not it at all. However, shifters do play a part in this world, so it’s not a big loss if you’re interested in seeing a new world of shifters.Overall 7/10- it was a cute Hallmark read, weak plot, hot spicy scenes with mild to moderate humor mixed in.

I can’t begin to say how much I enjoyed this story! It was funny (so funny), lighthearted but also heartwarming. I loved getting to see Noah and Mack find their way to happiness.Sometimes when characters get themselves in a bind and it seems like there is no way out it really can be so stressful but I found it so gripping in this story all because I wanted them to reach their happily ever after.I will say the book is lengthy and I felt like the story could have been somewhat condensed but once I decided to keep on going and the story picked up again I really enjoyed it!Here you will get one sassy heroine who is a little afraid to let someone in and one grumpy hero who hasn’t cracked a smile in goodness knows how long. And hey presto, the rest is romcom gold!