LONG LIVE THE ROMCOM! Justin Myers has such a fantastically unique and compelling writing style. (Sympathetic whilst scathing - something I have first hand experience of after doing a Guardian Blind Date...)
This is a slightly different tone to his two previous - and both wonderful! - novels. There's a deceptive lightness to proceedings, allowing him to make some excellent commentary on modern dating, friendships, the art industries & social media. I fell in love with it instantly and just could not put it down. Gripping and hysterical - this is just screaming to be adapted for the small screen.

I'd like to preface my review by saying that I'm a big fan of Justin Meyers, both his journalism and his two previous novels, so that will have coloured my thoughts on this book. Perhaps from another writer I would have given this 4 stars, but I expected more having read his other work.

To start with the positive: it's a real skill to write genuinely funny scenes and there are plenty of those here. There's also lots of painfully relatable scenarios, especially as a young person living in London. Most of the secondary characters were well fleshed out and I really enjoyed spending time with them.

However, I found the two central characters very difficult to connect with. Their personalities felt inconsistent throughout the novel and they seemed so selfish and poorly matched that I just couldn't make myself root for their relationship. This might have been helped by my a bit of work on the pacing – the midsection seemed to take up far too much of the novel, favouring lots of glossy tv and music scenes over character/relationship development and the resolution ended up feeling rushed.

Now, don't get me wrong, I certainly didn't find this a bad book, it just wasn't the great one l was hoping for.

I'm unable to stay connected and interested with what's going on in the story. It's just not for me. But the writing's good.

Dylan and Floria are dating and think they’re happy, although their friends and colleagues and even family aren’t that pleased for them. They row over their different backgrounds and fight and eventually break up with everyone telling them they aren’t right for each other. There is then the sneaking around as they decide to get together but keep it secret. The back and forth as both Dylan and Floria get their creative careers started and successful is rather long and you generally like them both although sometimes want to give them a good shake. A few stereotypes thrown in along the way, with a bit of a daft ending.

One of the most original rom coms I had the chance to read recently! The antics of this broken up couple had me in stitches, but at the same time I was so hoping they would come to their senses and see they were meant to be!

Thanks to Little, Brown Book Group and Netgalley for this advance review copy.

I was familiar with Justin Myer's work, having been an avid reader of his Blind Date review column in The Guardian over the years. The Fake Up is his third book, and was the first book of his I'd read. It tells the story of Flo and Dylan, a couple going through a relationship breakup whilst trying to navigate the challenges of their careers, friendships, families and more. I found the dynamic between Flo and Dylan and how they interact with one another over the course of the book really interesting, I really felt that they both changed over the course of the book and became more confident within themselves. There's plenty of twists and turns throughout the book to keep you guessing. An easy and enjoyable read.

I really wanted to enjoy this and I gave it my best shot.
But it just wasn’t for me. I couldn’t connect with the characters. I should have been able to, they were normal people and no reason for me not to like them but I didn’t feel that connection and I wasn’t invested in their stories.

I didn’t hate it, I just didn’t love it either. But there are great reviews and as my least read genre, I would still say give it a go as you might enjoy it more.

Thank you to the publisher and netgalley for my arc of this novel. This has in no way influenced my review or opinion.

A quick and easy read that I found myself picking up after a long day to unwind. The characters are beautifully written and I came to love them within the first few pages and was rooting for them all the way to the end. At times I wanted to stop reading because I just wanted the experience to go on for longer.

Thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for providing me with a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

The Fake-Up was a great read, focussing on how Dylan and Flo's relationship progresses after a public breakup. Although this feels like an ending, it was the beginning of a new chapter in their lives and throughout the book we are on the edge of our seats about where their relationship is headed. Although the ending felt rushed, it was an easy and enjoyable read.

An enjoyable story of a fake break up and fake lives. When Dylan and Flo break up, suddenly their careers ascend. But when they realise they still love each other they cannot come clean, as too much depends on their single status. So they embark on a secret relationship journey which will see them engineering clandestine meetings, often in disguises, phoney arguments and similar shenanigans. I absolutely loved this book, which is full of amazing characters – bad, annoying and funny. There are also explorations of homophobia, biphobia and classism, the pressures of stardom and coming out when famous. Dylan and Flo are loveable and flawed and I really enjoyed following their story, getting to grips with sudden success, changes in their relationship and – basically – growing up. There were some amazing scenes, some hilarious, some cringeworthy and the ending – to me – was absolutely spot on. Altogether – big thumbs up!

I was delighted to be preapproved for an advance copy and really wanted to love it.

Unfortunately I just could not engage with it and really struggled.

The Fake-up seemed pointless and I found Dylan and Flo one-dimensional.

The premise seemed fun and the concept interesting. It just did not engage me atall.

I haven’t read any other books by this author and requested a copy purely based on the book description. It was a great read with very relatable characters and dialogue. There were some really funny scenes along with a really interesting storyline. Thank you to NetGalley and the publishers for allowing me access to read this novel. Would totally recommend.

This was such an interesting take on the fake dating trope.

Dylan and Flo are in love and although they are happy, their friends and family don't fully agree. This causes tension in the relationship and ultimately they break-up.
This is when things start to get interesting!
They each start to progress in their very public careers but miss each other. This leads to them agreeing to be together in private but publicly they will continue to be single. Cue the drama!

Overall, I really enjoyed this story. The idea of a fake break-up is great and even though the main characters annoyed me with their choices towards the end, the side characters completely made up for it.

(Review will be posted on my Instagram closer to the release date.)

This was such a great rom com. I love the style of writing, the characters are great and the way they interact makes them so relatable. Awesome job as a first novel.

This is an easy and warm read, It is heart warming like a hot bowl of grandma's chicken soup in winter. The main charcters are lovely.

Such an easy read, finished in one sitting. Enjoyed the dynamic between Flo and Dylan. Loved all the other characters whom make the story too. Enjoy the romance.

I really wanted to love this. I sat through the whole book hoping that it would redeem itself. The first half was alright! We got to know the characters (who at this point we’re likeable) and learn their backstories.

My favourite characters were Max and Jesse, and considering they weren’t even major characters, says something. I quite liked Flo and Dylan at the start of the book, but towards the end it seemed like they had a 180 personality switch and felt like two completely new, extremely unlikable characters. Especially Flo. She was so hard like that she just killed off any connection I had to her as a character. It got to the point where I just didn’t want them to be together anymore. They felt toxic.

I feel like I was more invested in Max and Jesse’s (albeit very small) side-plot romance, than I was Flo and Dylan’s storyline.

To be honest, this one just wasn’t for me. I find it hard to enjoy a book with in relatable characters, and I struggled to find even a smidgen of one in this book.

I liked the one because it was a really unique and fresh concept.
Premise
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 . . .
__________
I’ve never really read a book quite like this. At first I was like am I reading this right? It was interesting and funny to see Dylan & Flo and all their antics especially since everyone thought they broke up!

In this light-hearted romance novel by Justin Myers the two protagonists Flo and Dylan are destined for each other, or so they believe. They try and fight the odds around them, Flo’s disapproving mother, her judgemental best friend: Estelle, and the pressures of their careers and financial situation. Flo and Dylan eventually break up, but soon reconcile after they both their careers are propelled to fame and fortune, only they decide to keep it from their fans, family and friends.
I really enjoyed this fun and unique plot despite being slightly predictable at times, the storyline was refreshingly different to the mainstream romance novels I’ve been reading recently. The characters were quirkily and loveable and I loved seeing them develop as the story progressed. Although I found that Estelle’s character was quite exaggerated and annoying at times (perfectly executed), I really enjoyed that Justin Myers made her more real by showing her character development throughout the book alongside Flo and Dylan.
The ending fell slightly flat for me, but I think the way that Myers wrote it made me enjoy the book even more as it didn’t feel like a cliché ‘happily ever after’ moment, even though the characters ended on a happy note, both content in themselves and their careers.
Overall, I really enjoyed this book: the perfect concoction of love, humour and heartbreak! I will definitely be recommending this to my fellow romance readers and can’t wait to read more of this authors books!

The Fake - Up initially made me laugh out loud - it has a great concept but just seemed to rag on a bit too much.
Floria dreams of being a famous singer, Dylan her boyfriend wants to be a famous actor. The book begins where both are still holding out for their dreams whilst living in a grubby flat. Then, each is discovered AFTER they have broken up - but have they really broken up?
This is the premise of the whole story - each gets to live their dream whilst secretly still carrying on with the relationship.

I felt that the story could have been wrapped up before its inevitable end.