Ten Rules for Faking It | A Slow Burn with a Satisfying Romance

Thanks to St. Martin’s Press for sending me a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

3.5/5 

Everly Dean could not think of a worse way to spend her 30th birthday. After catching her boyfriend cheating, she accidentally tells the entire story on live radio! Her very good looking boss, Chris, agrees to a Bachelorette-style event where eligible bachelors date Everly and fans of the radio show can vote on their favorite contenders. The problem is, Everly struggles with anxiety which makes dating in this capacity an ultimate challenge AND her feelings for Chris are growing stronger. Looks like she’ll just have to fake it til she makes it. 

This was a bit of a slow burn for me. I enjoyed the creative plot and the forbidden love aspect of Everly and Chris’s romance. I wasn’t the biggest fan of Everly at first, but she began to grow on me. I am a big proponent of maintaining one’s mental health, and I was a bit disappointed at how Everly’s anxiety was addressed and handled. I appreciated the closer look at how anxiety can be crippling but also make you resilient, but it also seemed like a mental health issue that Everly did not want to seek outside help for. Mental health was a major theme within the book so I was hoping for some more discussions on support. 

The romance aspect was solid. Everly’s dates with the bachelors were interesting, but not the major plot. Her relationship with Chris was much more interesting. The beginning of it felt a bit rushed. He went from not acknowledging her at all to being the supportive boss and friend. Once the relationship developed more, it felt more natural to me. The book was lacking in steam for me, but the cute romance was definitely there. 

Ten Rules for Faking It is out December 29th!