Reviews

Hate to Fake It to You by Amanda Sellet

meganh10's review against another edition

medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Plot
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? No

3.25

kimwritesstuff's review

funny lighthearted fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

2.0

I liked this book, but I thought it could have used more spice. Don't get me wrong there is some spicy kissing, but that's about it. Also, some of the storylines are left open at the end of the book, which could set this up for a series, but it just felt like something was missing. 

This book is rife with the miscommunication trope and pretending to be someone you're not. The thing is the writing isn't bad, but the plot has way too much going on. It's really hard to tell what anyone's motivation is. I wish that this was more focused on Jefferson and Libby, the background was distracting. Like is Mr. L really a pyscho? Is Hildy's Uncle that big of a misogynist? It's just too many plot points that honestly felt unresolved.

This was just an okay book in my opinion, I think that the author is a good writer I just really didn't love the story.

Thanks to St. Martin's Press and NetGalley for the ARC. All opinions are my own.

00laura23's review

hopeful inspiring

3.5

This is an entertaining, laugh out loud read. Jefferson and Libby are interesting, intriguing, entertaining, complex, fun characters. Overall, I enjoyed their romance and the path it took to get to their HEA. These two are fund to spend time with. The secondary characters added to the fabric of the story. These characters and their quirkiness added to the laughs and at time my enjoyment of the story. I wasn’t a fan of Jean’s from the start and didn’t warm up to her by the end of the book.  There were parts of this book that I really loved and other parts that I didn’t like/enjoy.

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

readwithkait's review against another edition

adventurous lighthearted slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Plot
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.25

 This was such a unique premise, and I haven’t read any books like this before. However, it fell a little short for me. 

 

The introductory first couple of chapters were very confusing. There’s several main characters, and it was hard to follow who was who and what was going on. As the story progressed this got easier, but I felt like I missed some things in the beginning. 

 

The characters themselves were funny and entertaining, but some of the conflict, especially between the FMC and her best friend, seemed very manufactured and came up out of nowhere. 

 

I also wish this book was a little shorter. After the main plot point ended and the characters were no longer all together, it took awhile to wrap up. There was almost a whole chapter where the FMC was having a full conversation, out loud, with a roach in her apartment, which didn’t really add anything. 

 

My favorite part of this book was definitely the gorgeous setting, the entertaining banter, and the goats! 

 

I was provided a complimentary ARC from NetGalley in exchange for my honest review. 

marywahlmeierbracciano's review

adventurous funny medium-paced

• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

The incomparably funny Amanda Sellet’s Hate to Fake It to You is so much fun to read!  It’s a door-half-open screwball comedy set in Hawaii and starring Libby, a pragmatic yet dreamy waitress and aspiring profile writer who runs a phony influencer account with her best friend from their roach-infested apartment.  When a calculating Gen-Z heiress slides into their DMs and wants to meet (and potentially collab), Libby and friends scramble to keep up the ridiculous charade.  But when opportunity comes knocking, so does the handsome wildlife photographer in (reluctant) cahoots with the media mogul, and Libby can’t help but be herself with him.  With a super unique plot and structure, this romance is a breath of fresh Oahu air! 

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Misogyny and Alcohol

Minor: Pregnancy, Abandonment, Misogyny, and Infidelity

readwstephanie's review

3.0

I enjoyed the banter and there were laughable moments but I couldn't connect with the characters or the plot. It felt forced.

thosebookbesties_la's review

4.0

 Thank you to Amanda Sellet, St. Martin’s Press and Netgalley for the digital copy. My thoughts are my own. 
 

This book's plot was an absolute gem, bursting with unparalleled originality that kept me gleefully hooked from start to finish! The characters? Oh, they were a kaleidoscope of personalities, each as unique as a snowflake. Sure, they were a tad unpredictable, making them a bit like trying to catch fireflies, but hey, that mystery only added to the fun!

Now, let's talk about Miss Jean - a whirlwind of chaos wrapped in a bundle of unpredictability. While I couldn't quite pinpoint her essence, it only added to the excitement, leaving me eagerly flipping pages, waiting for that "aha!" moment.

And can we talk about the Hawaiian flair? At first, it was like being whisked away on a tropical adventure, with every page dripping in island charm. Sure, it tapered off a bit, but the magic lingered, keeping me enchanted throughout.

Okay, okay, I'll admit it - the beginning was a bit like waiting for a pot to boil. But once it picked up steam, I was on a rollercoaster ride of emotions, flipping pages faster than a kid in a candy store!

By the time I reached the end, I was practically doing cartwheels of joy! While I initially leaned towards a 3 or 3.5-star rating, the second half knocked it out of the park, earning this book a solid four stars in my book!

Now, imagine if the characters delved a bit deeper into their thoughts and the descriptions of Hawaii were as vivid as a Technicolor dream - that would've been the cherry on top! But hey, even without those extras, this book was an absolute blast! And trust me, I'm not one to dish out compliments lightly.

 

what_courtreads's review

funny lighthearted medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes

3.75

teensyfry's review against another edition

3.25

This book had a lot going on. For me, it felt like there was a lot of background noise, and it wasn't all necessarily relevant to what was going on. It felt like some characters just showed up, and maybe I just felt like I wanted to know them more? I think if this was a second book and I had gotten to know the main 3 characters more, that would have helped immensely, whereas with the way it is it feels like I met about 9 relevant characters and only a couple felt fleshed out versus "oh this person is here to serve this purpose". I thought the premise was fun and interesting, and I loved the scenery - it definitely helped the book! I think this book is definitely worth a re-read, and I think that might bump up the rating as I spend more time with the characters. I think another thing that would have brought me value personally was an introductory chapter or so to know the characters and their backgrounds, or even a character list might have been enough. I got sucked into the whirlwind and chaos of their story right away and that resulted in a lower rating than if there had been a bit more foundation before diving in.

Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin's for the ARC!

trivial_reads's review against another edition

2.0

I picked up Hate to Fake it to You, a romantic comedy book set in Hawaii that had a really interesting cover art and synopsis. However, to be honest, I found it a bit hard to get into the story. The pace was a little sluggish, and it felt like it went on for too long. I'm sure others would like this one, but I struggled to get into it.