Flo and Dylan come from very different backgrounds but have an amazing connection. If it could be just the two of them all the time without family and friends interfering then everything would be perfect….

I love the fake dating trope so I imagined a fake break up story could be a really great twist on that. I was so excited to read this book but I unfortunately found it pretty hard going, a bit all over the place and it was at times confusing. There were lots of interesting characters but almost too many to keep up with and I didn’t find either of the main characters particularly likeable.

I did enjoy that the book explored how differently women and men in the public eye are perceived and the best thing in the book for me was the friendship between Dylan and his best friend Max. I really wish there had been more focus on that because the small snippets were so lovely.

Overall, I was disappointed in this book. The more it went on the more I questioned how a fake break up actually benefited this couple and the ending nearly had me throwing my Kindle across the room!

Flo and Dylan are a “mismatched” couple in the eyes of their families and friends. They both have work jobs that won't fulfill their passions and live in a not so nice flat.

While some characters were fleshed out great with their reliable struggles and difficulties in moods and feelings, I felt like some others were just like caricatures and added in to put the spotlight more on the main characters.

I love a good romantic comedy and this one was great in showing that many times, as adults, people have to live with the pressure of their close circle and their way to fame and succeeding in their dreams and career is not always as easy as it seems. The consequences for this couple were to break up, but that love wouldn't let them live it up.

I enjoyed this story and I’ve read his previous book so I knew I was in for a treat with The fake up.

🆓📖Very grateful to the publisher for my review copy through NetGalley.

I was interested in reading this book, as it features a twist on the fake romance stories. It sounded interesting and a little different.
Sadly I didn't enjoy it as much as I expected to. The book was very slow in places, especially in the middle. I couldn't relate to the characters and didn't like them very much. There were some funny and amusing moments, but overall I struggled to read.
Thank you to Netgalley and the Publisher for my ARC.

This book started so well and I found myslef fully invested in the characters. But about half way through it fell flat and I really struggled from there I'm afraid.

Dylan and Flo, are struggling artists, trying to get their big breaks in acting and music respectively. At the start of the story, it's clear that they love each other, but are getting bogged down by the inevitable pressures that face wannabe stars, as well as the everyday ones that affect relationships. There's an immediate disparity in class, at least according to Flo's mum and her friend's perceptions of Dylan, despite him coming across as likeable from the start. When the pressures become too much, they split. Both upset, they channel their heartbreak into their careers, and boom! Their acting and music benefits (whoever could have guessed that music and heartbreak were a winning formula, eh? 😉 Or that channeling deep emotions makes for a better performance?) Still, their mutual love doesn't dwindle, and they decide to get back together, but in secret.

I immediately loved the premise of this story. Fake-dating is one of my favourite tropes, and i was excited to see it being flipped on it's head. However I'm not convinced it was completely successful in execution, particularly as I felt a lot of the conflict was literally only there to pad out the storyline. I liked both main characters at the beginning of the book, and I loved reading about how they got together, but for a rom-com, I found the romantic elements lacking. At times it really dragged, and I wasn't a fan of the obvious classist stereotypes. There were a few amusing moments, and I really liked Max, Dylan's best friend. There was also some social commentary on contemporary themes that felt well-integrated, but my biggest concern was that by the end I didn't really like either Dylan or Flo that much.

Overall Rating: ❤❤
Heat Rating:
Emotional Rating: 🥰😢😡🤦‍♀️

*Thanks to NetGalley for the opportunity to leave an honest review*

I WILL POST THE SAME REVIEW ON AMAZON UK ON PUBLICATION DAY

So this is a bit of a twist on the “fake romance” trope, in that Flo and Dylan ARE in a relationship, but are pretending not to be.

From very different backgrounds, which is a source of friction in their relationship, Flo and Dylan are both on the cusp of success when we meet them, Flo as a singer-songwriter and Dylan as an actor. A short lived break up coincides with opportunity landing at their respective doorsteps, but they soon realise that they want to be together and so reunite. Their fledging careers rely on a certain extent to their being single so they pretend that they never got back together.

This book has a good sense of humour and likeable characters. It’s fairly easy to see what is going to happen but it’s still enjoyable to watch events unfold. I do feel that it was a little long, I started to get a bit tired of the whole situation and so I think it could have been better cut down some. I did roll my eyes a little at the ending.

Enjoyable rom-come with a twist on a familiar trope.

I really liked this book at the start - I loved hearing about Dylan and Floria and wondered how their lives and careers were going to pan out, the writing style was right up my street. However...I then got to a point in the story where I felt like I'd hit a brick wall. The book then seemed to drag and the story felt like it was padded out. I skimmed through a lot of it from then on. I lost interest in the characters, the will they/ won't they phase went on far too long for me, and I got to the point where I just couldn't care less about whether they got back together or not.

I am so sorry - this just wasn't the book for me, although I am sure that many other people will love it.

This book was enjoyable but not gripping, it took me a while go get through which shows it wasnt a "page turner" I didn't really take to the character.

This book started off with such an interesting perspective, I found myself enjoying finding out about Flo & Dylan and cringing along with the description of their dingy flat.
However as the story carried on, I realised I was not invested in either the plot or the characters. Reading became a chore and I really wasn’t interested in the ridiculous situation the two main characters found themselves in, or even cared about how the story would end. Maybe it’s the ‘fame’ business, but egos were huge and there was a real lack of humanity / warmth. Not for me!

The story of Dylan and Flo. Both struggling to get their careers off the ground until they split up. Everyone but them seems happy that they are no longer together, but will it last? I liked how it is told from both of their points of view.

Dylan and Flo are happily in love until they both achieve fame. They split up, then get back together, but don't want everyone to know. A really different love story, funny, giving an insight into the lives of celebrities. I couldn't wait to see what happened in the end. Brilliant.

Thanks to Little Brown Book and Netgalley for an advance copy of this book in exchange for a review.

Unfortunately this one just wasn't for me. Sorry.

I have mixed feelings on The Fake Up hence the three stars.

I enjoyed the beginning and the light hearted Rom com and also the ending. But the middle of the book seemed slow with a story that was long winded.

Am sure others will enjoy.

A fun light read. Great characters and humour. An unique relationship between a couple who apparently don't belong together according to friends and family. I raced through and enjoyed this hugely.

Confusing at first with the different characters,parts were funny but it felt too long and wasn’t really for me

I found this book wasn’t for me. I really tried to like it but I just couldn’t identify with either main character, they both seemed to live in a world of their own and felt all their problems were some one else’s fault. Then they break up, get back together and ‘fake’ being broken up, ‘fake’ being with other people and then decide to reveal their relationship only to break up at the last minute and then because of media interest decide to ‘fake’ being together. Max was the most real character in the book and would of really liked to see more of him.

This just wasn’t my kind of read,

Flo is an aspiring musician, Dylan an aspiring actor. Though their upbringings were very different they f ell deeply in love. Then one night their differences come to the fore and they break up, much to the delight of Flo's family and friends. Suddenly both of their careers take off and all they want to do is tell each other, realising they want to be together but that it could harm their fledgling careers they concoct an elaborate plan. They will pretend they are single and see each other in secret but what will their secrets end up costing them.
This funny story will keep you guessing, with some characters you will love and some you really won't.

This is the first book I've read by Justin Myers and sadly I'm not sure I'll be rushing to read further books of his. Whilst I'm sure some people may really enjoy this book and the issues it deals with, I'm not sure this was really one for me. We are initially introduced to Flo and Dylan; Flo a budding musician and Dylan an actor. Both competitive fields of work to get into, and both hoping for that first big break. Despite living hand to mouth on each of their wages, the one thing that keeps them both going is 'love'. From the outset you get the impression that no matter how little they have, they will always make things work together and get great enjoyment from such simple things, such as sharing a cone of chips at the end of the night. The author does a great job of really building a picture of these two characters who seem destined to be with one another, no matter what problems life throws at them. However, it soon unravels that these two characters are from very different backgrounds; Flo from a very privileged background where money has never been an issue, Dylan, from a working class background brought up by his single mother. Despite working shifts at local bar to supplement his lack of acting work, Dylan we discover is a very proud man who wishes to pay his way, especially when it comes to sharing costs or treating his partner Flo. Flo, however, knowing that she can rely on her parents financially whenever she wishes, is able to secretly 'upgrade' them in hotel stays, telling Dylan they have been offered a 'free upgrade'. A nice gesture, but not so good when Dylan finds out and feels hurt he has not been able to pay his way. The difference between Flo and Dylan's backgrounds and their friends becomes an issue, with Flo's parents and friends seeming to 'look down' on Dylan. Eventually, this causes the two of them to break up, which was where the book went downhill for me. Whilst the book was dealing with the issue of money and class, it was at this point Flo's character lost all credibility for me. Flo still clearly loved Dylan but allowed the influences of her family and friends to sway her, with their opinions being more about class and money than her true relationships. The narrative that then follows is that Flo and Dylan both get the lucky break they've been waiting for, but are still not happy as they are not with one another. Getting back together would affect their work, being seen in the public eye, as well as affect relationships with family and friends. So, the two of them get back together but in secret. I think the author intended there to be some rather funny moments that would come from this secret set up. However, I began to find alot of the characters quite irritating, including Flo at times, and so I began to care less about their relationship and jobs, as it seemed both Dylan and Flo, now earning money, had lost a sense of what was really important between them. I found this a real shame as I think the initial set up of the book and their relationship had greater potential to explore such issues. As already said, some may find this book funny and entertaining in parts, but sadly this was not one for me. My thanks go out to netgalley and Little Brown Books for the opportunity to read and review an ARC of this.

The Fake Up is an unconventional contemporary romance that follows Flo and Dylan. Both of them are trying to make it in their careers, singing and acting, and this creates a toll on them. They decide to break up but after realising that they still want to be together, they get back together. However, they don’t tell anyone. The entire world, including their friends and family, think that they’re broken up which leads to then sneaking about in a series of wild ways. But real life always comes around and both Flo and Dylan realise this might not have been the best idea.

I enjoyed the beginning of this book and that it was different from other romances. However, I very quickly lost interest and started to dislike the characters. It was quite amusing to see them sneaking about in the beginning, but after a while it became tedious. Both Flo and Dylan changed so much and there was so much that I really didn’t like about them towards the end. I don’t know if the author was trying to make a point about fame changing you, if so fair enough, I just don’t see why it was done to the two main characters who we have spend an entire book reading about. I did like how Max, the best friend, pointed out a lot about homophobia and Dylan and Flo’s privilege, but again I just ended up really disliking them and liking Max more. Dylan and Flo seemed completely oblivious to everyone but themselves and their actions really showed that.

Overall, I liked the idea and the ending was suiting, I just felt that the execution was off for me and I really didn’t care about the main characters towards the end.

Dylan and Flo are on the rocks. Of course they are in love. Obviously they want it to work. But sometimes it feels the world is against them. Their flat is falling apart, their friends never stop meddling and the obstacles keep them
from their dreams are insurmountable. Maybe they just.... aren't meant to be. The break-up completely shatters them both. While Flo cries in her mum's kitchen, penning ballads about heartache, Dylan is forced to sleep on his best friends sofa and channel his pain into acting. Soon Dylan and Flo are on the cusp of everything they've ever wanted. There's only one problem, they can't live without each other.

This is a rom-com with a few twists. Dylan and Flo love each other but life isn't going in the right direction for them both. They break-up and throw their energies into song writing and acting. The story is told from Dylan and Flo's perspective, The pace is slow throughout. I did like Dylan and Flo but there wasn't much intrigue to the story. It was as if the author was always looking for laughs. I did enjoy the book and I would read this author again.

I would like to thank #NetGalley #LittleBrownBookGroupUK and the author #JustinMyers for my ARC of #TheFakeUp in exchange for an honest review.