Tuesday, May 9, 2017

Faking It by Christine d'Abo


Faking It by Christine d'Abo 

Review by Lauren

source: copy from Netgalley/publisher; all opinions are my own

Official SummaryMax Tremblay should be happy. His night club, Frantic, is one of the most popular gay clubs in Toronto, and his childhood refuge, Ringside Gym, is well on the way to reopening. But when he finds yet another drunk in the alley beside the bar, Max isn’t sure this is the life he truly wants.

Grady Barnes has it all. He’s rich, famous, and wants for nothing. Well, nothing but a good relationship with his father. When he discovers that his father is going to force him into an arranged marriage, Grady has had enough. He tracks down Max, the man who got him to safety after a night of overindulgence, and makes him a proposal: pretend to be his fiancé for two weeks and he’ll invest in Ringside Gym.

When the pair travel to Vancouver to attend a family wedding, the flames of their mutual attraction ignite, and they discover that the only difference between pretend and reality is how well they can fake it.



Review: Faking It is the second book in the Ringside Romance series and I loved it just as much as the first. You could read these out of order, but I suggest reading them all because they are great, plus the first couple appears a bit in Faking It so it's nice to know who they are and how they got together.

With Faking It, we got the whole "fake fiance" trope. I tend to see this more in things like Hallmark films than in books. We all know that the book will end with the two characters actually getting together, but isn't that true of almost all romance books? Basically, the trope didn't bother me. It wasn't like Max and Grady had it easy.

I loved getting to know Max more - he's in the first book a bit - and meeting Grady for the first time. Both of them have very different backgrounds and stations in life, but they understand each other too. Max wants someone to take care of him sometimes, and Grady wants to be the one who is trusted to take care of someone. They both have "problems" so to speak with their fathers, though Grady's is more long-running and contentious.

I thought it was great how the author showed the two characters getting to really know each other while faking their engagement. The book showed that while it may have been quick, it's possible to love someone in a short span of time.

I can't wait for the third Ringside Romance book! Definitely check these out so you're all caught up for the next release! 

6 comments:

Verushka said...

I am all over this trope if it's donbe well, I think.Tropes and cliches aren't going away any time soon, but there are tons of authors who do them well, which is what I am beginning to appreciate

Lisa Mandina said...

I've actually seen a ton of this done in books. I love the idea of this though! Sounds like a good one!

Jennifer @ Bad Bird Reads said...

I love the whole fake fiancé thing.

Trish @ Between My Lines said...

I've read a few "fake fiance" trope books, and I've enjoyed them all.

Lola said...

I see the fake fiancé trope quite regularly in romance books, I am personally not a big fan of the trope, but I've read some books that handled it well. Good to hear the trope didn't bother you here and it was a good way for them to get to know each other better. I am glad you enjoyed this one!

Chiara @ Books for a Delicate Eternity said...

Oh, I love the fake lovers to real lovers trope! I love seeing how they pretend to be loving and flirtatious with each other, and then at some point they're all: ARE we faking? And then, of course, they're not. It is just one of those tropes that gets to my romantic heart, haha.

I'm glad you liked this one, Lauren!