I really enjoyed Four Steps to the Perfect Fake Date by Lilian Monroe. The story is a charming and lighthearted romcom that kept me entertained with its witty banter, quirky characters, and the classic enemies-to-lovers fake dating trope. Daphne, a notorious rule follower turned spontaneous woman, and Calvin, the broody small-town sheriff and her high school nemesis, have fantastic chemistry that builds gradually and feels authentic.

I appreciated how the book balanced humor and heartfelt moments, especially as both characters confront their emotional baggage and family issues. The supporting cast, including Daphne’s grandmother and Calvin’s little sister, added warmth and levity that enriched the story. The mystery involving a stolen heirloom added an intriguing layer to the plot, keeping things fresh.

While I loved the first half for its fun and fast pace, the second half dragged a bit with Daphne’s self-doubt and the characters holding back their feelings. The breakup felt a little overblown, but the eventual resolution and epilogue were satisfying and heartfelt.

Overall, I’m giving Four Steps to the Perfect Fake Date four stars. It’s a delightful, emotional, and funny small-town romance that I’d recommend to anyone who enjoys a well-crafted fake dating story with real heart and humor.

This book was a charming and witty romantic comedy. The novel centers on Daphne Davis, a former rule-follower whose life takes a downturn, prompting her return to her hometown, Fernley Island. There, she unexpectedly reconnects with Calvin Flint, her high school rival turned sheriff, leading to a fake dating arrangement that evolves into something more.

I loved the fake dating, enemies to lovers, and close proximity themes troops

I loved the dynamic between Daphne and Calvin with their witty banter and evolving chemistry, making their journey from adversaries to partners both believable and engaging.

With the small town setting and character growth, this was a good easy read with the perfect romance.

Calvin and Daphe's book is a funny, steamy enemies to lover’s romance. Daphne has always felt like the oddball in her family. Her grandma, mom, and sister are all fearless go getters and Daphne always plays it safe. Calvin was left to fend for himself as a child and was a troublemaker who drove Daphne crazy in high school. Now they're both back on the island and forced to work with each other. They always say there's a thin line between love and hate.

Note- I did not read the other book but its totally fine to read as a standalone.

I liked the book, its fairly low stakes even though there is little bit of a mystery involved. The characters were pleasant and not too frustrating, the story was cute, the complication was predictable and the chemistry worked. It was a bit of a weird kind of obsession with a cooking tool, that was my main complaint. But i think it was enjoyable and a quick read.

Im not sure how I really feel about this book. The characters weren't that interesting. The female character was insecure and unable to move passed that a lot of times. The male character was just meh. All around: not great but not bad.

Daphne is an accountant who returns to her hometown feeling like a failure after losing her career and her relationship. She has to deal with her family, a quirky small town and being attracted to her new boss all while trying to figure out what happened to the money the sheriff department is missing. Calvin returns to his hometown to become the acting sheriff after the town was rocked by a huge scandal involving the prior sheriff. He isn’t sure he wants to stay once the job is over. He left town a bad boy and returned as a sheriff with a lot of weight on his shoulders. Daphne and Calvin don’t seem like a good fit at first glance but they just might be each other’s missing pieces.
The author made a good choice giving the characters a big problem to solve since this story would just be a typical quirky small town romance without it. The big story gave the characters a reason to keep pushing forward and spend time together. Daphne starts the story with a good reason to be upset. She slowly opens her heart and mind to understand her perspective about her family might not be correct. She realizes that her boyfriend at her prior job did her a favor. She also comes to realize that her opinions about Calvin might now be fair. Calvin has a lot of family and personal baggage at the beginning of the story. The addition of his ½ sister was a good way to show that Calvin has always had his humanity. Their relationship is very sweet. Calvin gives Daphne a lot of time to get to know him as an adult. His slow realization that he doesn’t feel the same about his hometown as he did when he was a kid was good to read. The author gave Daphne and Calvin good reasons to end up together. I was rooting for them by the end. Now that he is an adult, all he wants is to do a good job as acting sheriff.
There are bad guys in this story. Each one serves a different purpose in the story. I like that the author gave the characters different bad guys to fight against. Not all of them are equally bad. Not all of the solutions are clean and tidy but they are all good.
This story takes place on an island off the coast of Washington State. This is a sweet love story about two people that return to their hometown only to discover that they needed to come home to find everything they were looking for when they left. I will definitely read more from this author in the future.

Four Steps to the Perfect Fake Date is a perfect read that provides a wonderful escape, filled with misadventures, misunderstandings, and an amazingly mismatched couple that will keep you laughing and entertained from the very first page. The story centers around Daphne who is a noted rule follower. However, her life has taken a chaotic turn when she is jilted by her ex, kicked out of her home, and laid off from her job. Daphne goes back home to find peace but finds she feels more out of sync than ever so she decides to bail on her sister's engagement party and decides to change up the way she lives her life. But who should enter the picture but her high school nemesis, Calvin Flint, except he is no longer the scrawny bully he use to be he is now the town's handsome sheriff. The chemistry between these two is invigorating and their banter is witty and cute. They will definitely leave you rooting for the sweet relationship they are heading toward. The small town and all the supporting characters add that quirkiness to these stories that makes it that much better. I love small town reads with all the different characters. I recommend it to fans of romantic small town comedies and anyone who needs a feel good read.

Calvin always envied prefect Daphne with her perfect loving family and her perfect life in high school, and sometimes acted out against her. He never expected to see her again, much less to see her life may not be as perfect as he always thought. Daphne just got dumped by her fiance and lost her big city job, and now she's back at home working for the local police station investigating their finances. Then after a couple incidents where the townsfolk start rumors of a relationship been them, they go with it. Calvin needs a date to his mom's vow renewal and Daphne has her own reasons for fake dating. Soon enough their feelings are all too real, but they both have trust issues from their pasts keeping them apart.
I enjoyed the first book in the series and the shakeup of the police department leads right into this book that features the sister to Ellie and her high school nemesis. Daphne suffers from a lack of self confidence after always being compared to her sister. Calvin felt abandoned in childhood and has a lot of trust issues, but he's so sweet and loving with Daphne. I loved these two together, and the added little mystery with her crazy grandmother and friends added a lot of comedy.
I voluntarily read and reviewed an advance copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

There’s hardly any chemistry between the main characters but I’m a sucker for the ex bully trope. Every single time I’ll eat it up. I was hoping for more fully flushed characters. The FMC was very insecure and unsure of herself while the MMC was only full of lust for the love interest.

This book had been sitting on my TBR for a while, and I only just got around to reading it. Maybe I subconsciously put it off because I’m not a fan of covers with real people—they just don’t appeal to me. But the blurb convinced me to give it a try, and I love the mix of enemies-to-lovers, fake dating, and slow burn. In the end, the story didn’t completely win me over, but it was still an okay read. Personally, I found it a bit too spicy—less would have been enough for me.

I loved loved loved this book. I hadn't read anything from Lilian Monroe before this book and I could tell she really knows what she is doing. The community this book takes place in is so fleshed out and thorough, it feels like a very real small town with a thick culture of gossip and warmth. The family dynamics here are very grounded in reality aside from being absolutely hilarious. The insecurities from these characters also felt very real. Things I think almost everyone can empathize with. The fear of not being chosen, feeling neglected, not feeling good enough. Having deep seeded personal issues that actually affect your ability to be in a relationship. It did get to a certain point, by the time of this third act separation, I was frustrated that neither one of them had figured out what kept them apart or had the courage to have a real conversation about their feelings. I suppose that is kind of the point, though.

I loved watching these two fall for each other. I loved the hijinks the families get into and the dynamics of everyone together. I read this book so fast because I just wanted these two to have their happy ending and couldn't pull myself away from the world to go back to everyday life.

⭐ 3.75
🌶️ 1
🥵 Spicy chapters: 29-30
📚 Tropes/Themes: small town, starting over, bickering, enemies to lovers, he falls first, he takes care of her, sheriff x accountant, slow burn
👀 Dual POV 3rd person
🛍️ Available: Now

💬 This was a cute, mostly enjoyable story. The beginning is smart and snarky and hilarious and sucked me in pretty quickly.
I like how they have to do actual police stuff. That probably sounds silly but I feel like in other books where the MMC is a sheriff there isn't much more to that than a namesake, but in this he was actually doing police work.

I also really love how they lean into the "small town" ness, with over the top characters and crazy antics. It gives the story a cozy, homey vibe.

That's said, I promise I try not to overthink characters and books but... well I sincerely hope that Calvin and Daphne underwent a lot of therapy during the 9 years that separates the end of the story and the epilogue 😅

Idk, I think it was meant to be some comic relief but it was really bumming me out the lengths Daphne felt she had to go to to be accepted within her family, especially when there wasn't really much mention of trauma on her side. It really seemed like most of it was self-imposed and I was frustrated that her family didn't recognize the situation for what it was.

Calvin I get and I really loved watching him work through his issues and grow as a person in what felt like a REALISTIC and honest way.

Despite that like I said it was a cute story that I enjoyed. And I plan to read the previous book in the series.

This was my first book read by this author. I really enjoyed reading this book. It made me laugh and smile at times. I did feel like some parts were really repetitive when both main characters were thinking bad about themselves, but it didn't make me enjoy the book any less. I loved Mabel and her friends and the shenanigans they seemed to get into and get Daphne involved in. I will now be checking out other books by this author

Alright, buckle up, darlings, because I'm about to dive headfirst into Lilian Monroe's "Four Steps to the Perfect Fake Date." Let me tell you, this isn't your run-of-the-mill romance story. Lilian Monroe, in her insightful "Four Steps to the Perfect Fake Date," doesn't just give us a how-to guide; she offers a glimpse into the messy, beautiful, and surprisingly real emotions that can blossom when you're *pretending* to be in love. Fake dating, at its core, is a performance. It's about crafting an illusion, a believable narrative that convinces those around you that sparks are flying. But Monroe, with a heart full of passion, understands that the magic lies in the *evolving* nature of the charade. It's not about rigidly sticking to a script but about allowing personalities and genuine interactions to shape the relationship. The initial awkwardness, forced laughter, and carefully curated public displays of affection are all building blocks. The beauty lies in the transformation. As the fake relationship progresses, something shifts. The actors, consumed by the roles they play, start to see each other in a new light. The carefully constructed facade begins to crack, revealing vulnerabilities, hidden depths, and unexpected connections. It is in these moments of authentic interaction that the fake begins to feel…REAL. Then there's the juiciest trope of them all: the enemy-to-lover dynamic lurking beneath the surface. Monroe implicitly acknowledges the inherent tension of this element. What better foundation for a fake relationship than underlying animosity? The constant bickering, the thinly veiled insults, the simmering resentment – it all provides a fertile ground for explosive chemistry. Because let's face it, the line between love and hate is often thinner than we'd like to admit. And when those two extremes collide, the result is a passionate inferno that burns all pretense to ashes, leaving behind a raw and undeniable truth. Monroe's "Four Steps" isn't just a guide to faking a relationship: it's a guide to discovering oneself and the unexpected depths of human connection. It’s a testament to the power of vulnerability, the allure of forbidden desires, and the undeniable truth that sometimes, the most authentic love stories begin with a lie. And that, my friends, is the heart of a truly captivating fake dating tale.

With her personal and professional life in upheaval Daphne decides to return to her hometown for a fresh start. She believes that always doing what is expected of her hasn’t served her well so that is the first thing she is going to change. She now finds herself facing another challenge when Calvin, her boss, also happens to be her adversary from when they were teenagers.

Calvin had a reputation from when he was teenager, but he is no longer that boy and is now the Sheriff. The animosity between them remains but the more time they spend with each other the more Calvin sees the Daphne that she has kept hidden.

Pretending to be a couple, a little intrigue and two people trying to overcome their pasts are just a few of the things that Calvin and Daphne must overcome as they take us on a journey that includes humor, emotion and love.

Daphne Davis, after being dumped by her former fiance, has taken a job as an accountant at her hometown sherrifs office. She has been tasked with finding out where all the funding for their office has gone. Calvin Flint is the current Sherrif and a former classmate of Daphne's, of whom she did not get along with. Calvin and Daphne are forced to work together not only at work, but also outside of work to keep his mother off his back. However, Daphne has agreed to work with him for her own benefit, and her quest lands her into some questionable situations.
The tension between those two, the character growth, the story line, and the writing were all chefs kiss! I thought that their story was well written and easy to follow along with and that they were both characters who deserved to be loved.

Daphine Davis is driving back to her hometown town which is on an Island. She is feeling down after her fiancé broke up with her, and she lost her job. Always the rule follower, she is now driving with mint chocolate ice cream between her legs when she gets pulled over. It is by her new boss, the sheriff, who was also her tormentor during high school. Calvin Flint cannot believe it is Miss Perfect whom he is pulling over. He lets her go, but every time after this, she ends up doing something to embarrass herself when she is with him. The goes on and they both realize that they had a different look at the way things were in high school. They become more than friends, and then Daphine decides she wants to be part of her family and wants to get her grandmother's cast iron Dutch oven, which is actually in his mother's kitchen, which just adds more to this story. A really good story with excellent characters and very much worth the read.

I loved this book and I couldn't put it down once I started reading it and I was hooked from the very first page. I loved the chemistry, attraction and the banter between them was really amazing.

Accountant Daphne Davis has returned home to work for the local Sheriff’s department, not expecting to see the new acting Sheriff, Calvin Flint. He was her nemesis in high school and now he will be her boss. She is tasked with finding out where the money, scheduled for the new addition, went. Calvin had turned his life around from the boy who didn’t care if he graduated to the man he is now, but still there are times when he doesn’t believe that he deserves happiness. Daphne had lost her job and was dumped by the man she had planned to marry. She is the quiet one, but her grandmother manages to involve her in a plot to retrieve a stolen pot, yes, a pot that makes the best bread…and crust. Calvin is falling for her once again, but will she be staying in town or head back to the city? Her involvement with the group of elderly citizens, including her grandma, may lead her to one of craziest things she has ever done. She is not a risk taker, but maybe she will soon learn that she is braver than she thought. Laugh out loud at times, but with a definite hint of tenderness as Calvin proves that he believes in her, but she needs to believe in herself as well. I received an advance review copy at no cost and without obligation for an honest review. (paytonpuppy)

Hallmark movie vibes with cliche settings and characters. I was disappointed by the campy and predictable storytelling when the plot had the potential to deal with more complicated issues and feelings that would have set it apart.

Daphne is whiny and her thoughts are endlessly repetitive. Calvin is more interesting - I feel like he deserves better! Not bad, but it doesn't stand out.

Thank you to NetGalley & the publisher for providing an eARC for review.