Justin Meyers has written another wonderful sweet romance.I was drawn in from the first pages totally involved in the story.Allthe twists and turns the lovely characters kept me turning the pages.Will be remmending this novel and the author.#netgalley #littllebrownuk

I really enjoyed this book, and I love seeing male authors write romance. It was a 'read-it-in-one-sitting' book with solid writing and superb humour. The concept was unique; as much as I love an enemies-to-lovers, I also love to read about couples being together and not just ending up together. On top of all of this, Justin touches on some really meaty subjects and does it very well.

I love Dylan and Flo almost as much as I love Justin Myers.

Plus points for the wonderful cover!

— received this book for free in exchange for an honest review —
2.5 stars rounded down. The beginning of the book had this warm feeling around the fact Dylan and Flo lived in a small apartment that had a you and me against the world vibe. After the breakup their careers really take off arguably for Flo more than Dylan. This book was a solid 3 stars in my opinion right up until the last few chapters. There was come important conversation topics within the book focusing around LGBT issues mainly between Dylan and his best friend Max. Max’s coming out story made me feel quite emotional which lead me to my 3 star review, however towards the end Flo and Dylan start to do strange things for no apparent reason and the ending of the story was kind of obvious while simultaneously coming from no where and having no real reason why it happened. There’s no real low of the book just arguments between Flo and Dylan’s which seem to be referenced as the low point however they’re quickly resolved, so quick they’re resolved within the same chapter. On top of that the ending was supposed to be a sad end however I felt so emotionally disconnected from the characters it didn’t really bother me at all. Estelle who is Flo’s best friend is the only one with any real character development and Max and Jesse end up being the lovable characters of the story. Overall I felt like Dylan was winey and didn’t actually achieve the success on his own more like with the help of Lois where as Flo actually earned her success on her own, in addition to this Dylan spent the whole book complaining at Flo when her career was on the line and overall I felt he was selfish but was supposed to be this lovable main character.

I appreciate the free copy of this book for review, but unfortunately I just couldn't finish it. I just couldn't get into this book and didn't enjoy it at all. I'm sure it's a great book but just not for me.

I found this book to be both an easy and quick read, although there were areas where the pace could have been a bit quicker.
Definitely a book to recommend to anyone looking for a quick, funny romance.

Dylan and Flo’s relationship is complicated, both have their own separate dreams and ambitions, their families don’t think they should be together and they decide to end their relationship. Things change, both of the characters gain success towards their dreams and they decide to get back together but have to do so in secret as their achievements were based on their break up. This is a Rom-com.

Thank you to netgalley, the publisher and the author for allowing me to have access to an eARC for this book in return for an honest review.

Apologies for taking so long with the feedback.

This is a great romance book, fistly I think the cover of this book is cute and the premise of the book is cool. the writing style I really fell in love with it was great.

Such a fun romance with great characters. Flo and Dylan are two wonderful characters that make me laugh out loud at multiple occasions throughout the book. The author touched on a lot of important topics, and did not make the storyline too predictable.

Modern rom-com with some hilarious situations. The characters were great and provided some laugh out loud moments.

I really wanted to like this book, I loved the whole concept but unfortunately I just didn't enjoy it. There were parts that I thought were good but on the whole unfortunately not for me.

If you loved One Stop from Laura Jane Williams then you’ll love Justin Myers new rom com…

If you have ever read any of The Guyliner blog posts, you’ll be familiar with Myers’ style and tone, like a pal chatting to you over a glass of vino and it’s no different in his most recent fiction. The Fake Up is the story of Dylan and Flo, a young and ambitious couple who are struggling to achieve their dreams individually and collectively. Many of us will relate to the challenges faced in your 20’s; knowing yourself and who you are in a romantic partnership, knowing what you want to be doing but unsure or unable to get to it, creating balance in times where there is none. The flame of young love burns strong, the only problem for Dylan and Flo is that they ended their relationship months ago and so now only exists in the shadows. And as with anything that is hidden from those you love (the very same people who were happy to see the relationship change), then it all inevitably starts to unravel as the lies gets deeper and more insidious.

Myers writes a hilarious tale of romantic love (and let’s be real - red blooded, young, sexy things), chasing dreams and the evolution of all kinds of relationships. It takes us through the growth of a young person, how as they change and the surroundings around them too. I loved it - it’s a true beach read in the best of ways. You’ll have flipped to final page before you know it whilst sipping on a margarita and looking out to sea.

I really wanted to like this book, I loved the whole concept but unfortunately I just didn't enjoy it. There were parts that I thought were good but on the whole unfortunately not for me.

Flo and Dylan are in love and scraping by the best they can but really neither of them are really being honest with themselves and they are stuck in a rut. With two very different backgrounds, different families and often different perspectives it can cause friction in their relationship. Especially as those closest to them do not accept their relationship. Then the inevitable happens...

I didn't particularly warm or connect to any of the characters. It felt like they didn't have the character development that they needed. I was really looking forward to the characters exploring the legitimate reasons for their break up and growing as people together or apart and it didn't happen.

I really loved the concept but I found it very disappointing.

With many thanks to Little, Brown UK for pre-approving my early copy, to the author and Netgalley.
#TheFakeUp #NetGalley

The latest offering from Justin Myers introduces us to adorable couple Flo & Dylan.
They have a cute story and seem like an unbreakable couple, but the book takes some interesting twists and turns. Whilst I enjoyed its unpredictability and characterisation, the storyline seemed a little far fetched, for example the break-up seemed rather sudden. Also, the chances of them both finally achieving the fame they’ve longed for for so long, at the exact same time, didn’t feel realistic.

The ending of the book was a little disappointing, they must be exhausted of living a charade all this time, so wanting to continue that didn’t seem in character.

That being said, there is a lot to enjoy this book. Both Flo and Dylan are great characters, and I enjoyed hating Estelle and Barnaby! The book is unpredictable and steers away from your typical rom-com. Worth a read!

Many thanks to netgalley for an advance copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

For a feel good rom com the fake up is the book for you.. I
Dylan and Flo are in love. The only trouble is, they broke up months ago and everyone was delighted for them.

So what so Dylan and Flo do when they want to be together and no one else supports them. The book is full of funny moments and awkward encounters, will leave you doubled up.

I won't say much else as I don't qant to ass any spoilers. Great book 3 stars.
Thank you to netgalley, the publishers and author for the digital advanced copy of the fakeup.

I'm a big fan of Justin Myers' writing: I read and loved the five or so years of his Guyliner dating blog more or less in real time, and then devoured his first two novels as well.

This is an ambitious, witty, character-driven romcom which still packs in a *lot* of plot twists and is pretty much unputdownable. Like Mhairi McFarlane's Who's That Girl, it gives us a convincingly written glimpse into the lives of people who have had a certain type of 21st-century fame thrust on them. They still talk and act like 'normal' people (and, haha, Dylan the actor's copper man-bangle is a cute allusion to the 'Connor chain' events of 2020). I love the miniature details Myers adds in, like Dylan Fox telling us he once got a parcel addressed to Dylon Fix. These are on nearly every page, and it's what I love him for.

It's also narrated really cleverly by switching seamlessly between the POVs of Flo and Dylan, the main characters, so it has a first person narrative feel to it even though it isn't. I know, I know, this is free indirect style, but I wasn't going to... oi, you at the back, I'm still talking, put your phone down.

I can't quite put my finger on why, but I didn't really love or sympathise with either Dylan or Flo, and I guess I was probably meant to... However, this is more than compensated for by the supporting cast of characters - Max, Ciara. Joy and Estelle are the stand outs. It's so refreshing to get depictions of mum-daughter and straightboy-gayboy relationships, for example, that are unclichéd, a bit messy, and real.

I'd wholeheartedly recommend this, and Myers' first and second novels, to fans of Mhairi McF and Marian Keyes - and look forward to where he takes us next.

I was t a big fan of this book. Not much storyline abd couldn’t relate to the characters much. Sorry

TWO EXES. ONE BIG SECRET. LET THE GAMES BEGIN...

Dylan and Flo are in love. The only trouble is, they broke up months ago and everyone was delighted for them.
At first, it's exciting sneaking around, hiding from disapproving friends, climbing through bedroom windows to avoid family, and concocting hilarious disguises. It's like Romeo and Juliet. With more sex and less poison.
But soon it becomes harder to separate truth from lies. Dylan and Flo are in way over their heads, and the games have only just begun.
Are they better off together or apart? Will the pretending just get to be too much after a while? Their careers take off when they are broken up in a way they never did before when together. The media gets ahold of their breakup story and runs with the rivalry.
This was a fun read, perhaps a little longer than I felt necessary, but over all i enjoyed it.

This was a real surprise for me. As much as I enjoyed the idea of the premise, I was well aware that there is often a disappointment. However, I really, thoroughly enjoyed it. Great characters and some legitimate laugh out loud moments. Highly recommended.

Headlines:
Dramatic with slow slumps
Problematic coupledom
Fame and fortune

I wanted to like The Fake Up, in fact I tried rather hard to like it, pushing through the slow parts alongside the drama; sadly overall, this wasn't a winning read for me.

The early days of Flo and Dylan were the ones I felt most invested in but honestly, the feels from these two, the connection between them and them and me as a reader, was weak. Their break-up then eventual finding one another again was sometimes satisfying and sometimes frustrating.

I don't want to wax lyrical about this one but I think the writing style and lack of character development and connection was what stopped me from gelling with the book. While it wasn't a long book, it felt long. I wanted to feel uplifted at the end, but I felt flat.

Rating is rounded up.

Thank you to Little Brown for the review copy.

This was written well but it wasn't the book for me. I wasn't engaged in the story and I didn't particularly like the characters.

I was sent this book by Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.