In "The Fake Out" by Stephanie Archer, the story revolves around the main characters, Rory and Hazel, who find themselves in a fake dating arrangement that turns into a genuine and meaningful relationship. Rory, a sweet and supportive individual, helps Hazel navigate through her past relationship issues while finding joy in his own life. The book is set in the Vancouver Storm universe and includes tropes like frenemies to lovers and fake dating, creating a dynamic and engaging storyline filled with banter and found family elements.
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Sensitive Topics/Content Warnings
There are medium content warnings, particularly related to discussions around body image and parental expectations.
Has Romance?
The Fake Out features a strong romantic storyline with significant chemistry and development between the main characters.
From The Publisher:
The best way to get back at my horrible ex? Fake date Rory Miller-my ex's rival, the top scorer in pro hockey, and the arrogant, flirtatious hockey player I tutored in high school.
Faking it is fun and addictive, though, and beneath the bad boy swagger, Rory's sweet, funny, and protective.
He teaches me to skate and spends way too much money on me.
He sleeps in my bed and convinces me to break my just-one-time hookup rule.
He kisses me like it's real.
And now I wonder if Rory was ever faking it to begin with.
The Fake Out is a pro hockey fake dating romance. It is the second book in the Vancouver Storm series but can be read as a standalone.
Tropes:
Fake dating
Ex's rival
Pro hockey
Golden retriever hero
Boy obsessed
Forced proximity
Ratings (19)
Incredible (6) | |
Loved It (6) | |
Liked It (5) | |
It Was OK (2) |
Reader Stats (46):
Read It (21) | |
Want To Read (20) | |
Not Interested (5) |
2 comment(s)
Oh. My. God. THIS BOOK!
I literally couldn’t put it down. I am truly grateful for getting to read this as an arc!
I must say, it was better than I expected.
I have a soft spot for fake relationship stories, and in this case, the blurb genuinely intrigued me. I was not disappointed. The reason Hazel and Rory decide to fake a relationship is quite compelling. I appreciated that from the start, we could see they were genuinely interested in each other and could develop deeper feelings.
Hazel and Rory are well-crafted main characters who, in the most positive sense, remind me of Elle Kennedy's book characters. They possess depth and interesting backgrounds, and it's evident they complement each other well. I also liked that Rory had profound feelings for Hazel from the beginning. There was something really sweet about this whole situation. I hadn't read a story like this in a while, and this one was truly well-executed. I never doubted that Hazel and Rory were a good match.
If I were to nitpick, I'd say the book is a tad too long. Especially since there were a few moments that could have been shortened without harming the story. It wasn't a significant issue, and the length didn't bother me while reading, but I think it could have been tighter for the benefit of the overall narrative.
Another aspect that I didn't appreciate was the way Rory's relationship with his father and his father's relationship with his mother was resolved. That part seemed rushed or perhaps written differently in the final version of the book, lacking proper consideration. It didn't convince me, and I was eagerly awaiting Rory's final confrontation with his father. The book built up the tension masterfully to that point, making the actual confrontation a bit lackluster.
I haven't read the first book in this series, but it wasn't necessary. Although I admit I'm curious about what else this author has to offer. This book was genuinely good and delivered precisely the kind of story I needed.
What can you read after
The Fake Out?
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