I really loved this book up until 62% where I got bored. I loved the dynamics between the main characters, I could feel their interest growing in each other and could see this ending well. However it was just so slow by 60%, very samey. It would not make me want to not read the author again.

The Fake Mate was my first Lana Ferguson book but it will definitely not be my last!

This book was SO much fun, from start to finish. I would absolutely read more shifter/paranormal romances from Lana because I need moreeeee!

(A fluffy, smutty Mack/Noah epilogue book, anyone?)

It was the perfect blend of shifter and workplace romances, with fake dating, grumpy/sunshine AND dual POV? What more could a girl ask for.

Literally my only complaints are that I wish we saw more of Mack and Noah as wolves and that (view spoiler). I saw it coming a mile away and it's resolved relatively quickly, but I still kind of wish it wasn't included.

Still, I would definitely recommend you pick this up! I can see myself rereading this at some point in the future when I need something fun and quick.

↠ 5 stars

A steamy, outrageously fun, omegaverse romance.

The Fake Mate follows Mackenzie, a young doctor, attempting to avoid the dates inflicted on her by her grandmother. Enter, Noah Taylor. Alpha wolf and alpha doctor, Mackenzie’s spots a perfect opportunity. No one is as surprised as Noah and Mackenzie when their arrangement becomes more real than either of them had ever anticipated.

A fun book full of grumpy/sunshine, fake dating and workplace romance.

The Fake Mate by Lana Ferguson is a delightful blend of paranormal intrigue and contemporary romance. Mackenzie and Noah's agreement to pose as fake mates quickly escalates into a genuine connection, challenging their preconceptions and stirring unexpected emotions.
Ferguson crafts a captivating narrative with witty banter and steamy chemistry between the characters. While Noah's stoic demeanor and Mackenzie's determination add depth to the story, some readers may find Mackenzie's actions in the middle portion a tad selfish.
Additionally, the breakup in the third act may feel cliché, but it doesn't detract significantly from the overall enjoyment. Ferguson's novel offers an engaging twist on werewolf romance, making it a recommended read for fans of the genre.

The Fake Mate, by Lana Ferguson, was my first shifter/omegaverse romance and honestly I loved it! It would seem that I’m just unlocking new sub-genre after new sub-genre for myself this year which is so much fun.

Have you found any new genres you’re enjoying recently?

The Fake Mate is Mack and Noah’s story, they’re two Drs working in a hospital in Denver. Mack is having no luck dating and is keen to find a way to stop her Grandma sending her on more ill fated (and bizarre) dates. Whilst Noah has just had his hidden alpha status exposed, and being unmated, it threatens his position at the hospital. So, when the chatty, overly friendly ER doctor asks him to be her fake boyfriend the same day he's called to meet the board, it must be kismet, right? But when the fake-mate act turns to a very real friends-with-benefits arrangement, lines start to blur, and they quickly realise love is a whole different kind of animal.

The Fake Mate was a great read, the kind that is a whole lot of fun and that you won’t want to put down. Its got:
🐺 fake dating
🏨 grumpy/sunshine
🐺work place romance
🏨 duel POV
🐺 a surly MMC who comes out of his shell by spending time with the FMC
🏨 ‘touch her and I’ll tear off your arms’ energy
🐺 he falls first
🏨 shifters and all that comes with it (iykyk 🔥)
🐺MCs who help each other to realise what they’ve been missing/holding back on
🏨 a hilarious and quick witted FMC

Now I will say that the third act break is miscommunication but it worked in context and it was a case of best intention/poor execution from one character. To those who often avoid this trope don’t let it out you off, it was resolved really well.

Overall I really enjoyed this one and will definitely look forward to seeing what Ferguson writes next, whilst also bumping her debut The Nanny up my tbr pile.

I had a good time with this., my only critique is that I wished we had more time with them as wolves. It felt fairly omega only rather than shifters but I enjoyed it otherwise.

As much as i wanted to love this book i really couldn’t enjoy it and ended up skimming through most of it. There was no real relationship between the main characters and everything was based on their lust for one another which i understand but made the story fairly dull for how long of a read it was

I haven't really read any romantasy other that witches so I knew that werewolves would be something new. It just wasn't for me, I'm glad I gave the genre a try and the author but I wouldn't pick it up/recommend it.

I really really enjoyed this book! I am so happy that I was able to receive a copy of this ARC.

I know very little about the omega-verse as I haven't read many books in that area but I thoroughly enjoyed this! I really couldn't put this book down and absolutely devoured it!

This story follows Mackenzie (Mack), an Omega who is done with the dating scene after one too many disastrous dates set up by her grandmother. She's fed up of people hearing about her genetic status as an Omega and making assumptions about her sex life and habits and the judgement she faces for being born what she is. One day she stumbles across a solution to her problem, a fake boyfriend that she met at work. When spinning this story on a phone call to her nagging Gran in walks the most intimidating and surly surgeon in the hospital, and that's the name she gives her Gran, Noah Tyler. When she proposes the idea to him it turns out that he needs her help in return.

Noah is an Alpha, a designation just as a rare as being an Omega, and again a status that comes with its prejudices. This is why he didn't disclose it when he began his job at the hospital, however the board has received an anonymous tip informing them of his Alpha status. In order to keep his job secure Noah needs a fake mate so that the board believes that his alpha instincts won't take him over. So, the pair make a quid pro quo arrangement in which they have a fake relationship so that Mack's Gran will stop setting her up on dates and Noah can work towards moving to a more senior position at another hospital.

I really loved the grumpy x sunshine dynamic between the pair and the way that Mack brought Noah out of his shell. Mack's independent spirit and fierce personality make her a great character to read, and similarly Noah's awkwardness and slowness to open up make him charmingly adorable. Which makes the spicey scenes even more surprising and intense.

Generally I am not a fan of the miscommunication trope, and I would say that was my least favorite part of this book. However, I understand that for the sake of the plot it was important, it was necessary for the characters to have a falling out in order to really understand themselves and what they want.

This was a thoroughly enjoyable read, easy to get through and gripping as well. The blend of cuteness and spice was right up my street and I would love to read more books like this!

Oh my god i adored this book! The second i picked it up i could not put it down, everything about this was so good. I was hoooooked, i loved the storyline and the characters. + the spiceeeeeeeeee ;)))

This was a gripping read and I was intrigued by the characters. I will look out for more by this author.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for my copy of this arc!

This was the first I’ve read in the omega-verse and I thoroughly enjoyed it, I couldn’t put the book down and read it in one sitting! Mack reminds me of myself because she is constantly using humour to bait Noah but I love that he doesn’t realise at first.

This book is such a quick read and I felt like it flowed really well. I also loved that the 3rd act conflict was believable able not just there for the sake of it being there!

Noah and Mack were set in stone for me the minute Mack started with her wit and banter, I liked that they were so different and she cracked open his harder exterior.

A solid 4.25 read from me!

Thank you to NetGalley and Little Brown Book Group for the advance reader copy.

If you’ve ever read ABO fan fiction you’ll understand the dynamics presented in this book.
I enjoyed the book around half way/ two thirds of the way through but couldn’t get full into it in the beginning.

The main characters are fun and as most romance books go a little slow on the uptake about their feelings for each other.

The reason I’m not rating it higher is because I am not a fan of the miscommunication and/or lack of information trope which leads to a ‘breakup’.

Otherall an easy enough read and pretty quick.

A quick update - I’m lowering my review to one star as I just learnt the author wrote racist and racist trope stories before being kicked out of a fandom.

This was my first foray into the Omegaverse and what a fun, spicy ride it was! I absolutely DEVOURED this book. I loved Mackenzie as a character, she was an utter delight and such a charming ray of sunshine, I can totally see why Noah fell for her. Even though I hadn't read any Omegaverse stories before, I thought everything was well-explained in such a way that I was able to understand how the world and the different shifter types worked, but the explanations felt natural rather than taking me out of the story. I really enjoyed the development of the romance between Mackenzie and Noah over the course of the book, and although the conflict was slightly predictable, I still enjoyed the storyline and was excited to see how it would all be resolved in the end. Lastly, the sex scenes - WOW they were spicy, and I loved them! I'd definitely be keen to read more books set in this universe.

This was a fun read. Perhaps a little predictable and I did find myself getting a little bored at times but an enjoyable read nonetheless.

DNF
this book had such a fun premise and so much potential to be a favourite for me but the execution just fell flat for me! it felt very dragged out and the mc lacked any depth for me at all, which made it really hard for me to connect at all. some of the attempts at humour came across as more cringeworthy to me and made for more of an awkward experience than humorous.

I really don't know how I feel about this book - the chemistry between Mackenzie and Noah was great, but their relationship was so formed on the physical side of things that I sometimes found it hard to root for them as an overall couple. I quite enjoyed the integration of the werewolves alongside the humans in day-to-day life - I didn't feel the need for there to be a huge amount of time spent on contextualising the world, and I thought that part of it worked well! I just didn't find their relationship morphing from purely physical to an emotionally fulfilling one to be believable, especially as it all came as a result of her being 'in heat', rather than any quality time spent together or trust being built up between the two. I also thought their conflict towards the end of the book could have been completely avoided and it just frustrated me.

I'd never read an actual omegaverse book but knew what to expect, so I was here for the ride, and I ended up having a lot of fun! I was not fully windblown by the story as it felt predictable in a lot of ways, but it read so quickly and was a really fun time! (3.75)

Thank you Netgalley for the arc in exchange for an honest review.

Well I apologise now.
So this has been on my Arc list since the beginning of December. I’ve had so much come up it’s been pushed back so many times.
BUT omg am I kicking myself now!!!!

5⭐️!!!!!

This was a refreshing read!! I should of started this so much sooner then I had!
It had me laughing out loud and a permanent smile plastered on my face.
This gave alllllll the feels!!

Grumpy sunshine
Fake dating
Shifters
Sassy FMC (this was done in such a funny way)

Mac dosent take herself to seriously and loves her life and her grandparents so much so to please then and get off her back she manages to get the grumpiest man around to pretend to date her.
But it’s a mutually beneficial agreement that Noah needs also.

When an addendum is added to the contract the lines are blurred.

I loved this was one of the best books I’ve read in a while with my current mood this has been such a pick me up and needed.

Thank you!!!

Give me more. This book oh my gosh. I have found a new auto buy author. And a new subgenre I didn't realise I'd love.