I knew this book was off to a good start when I laughed out loud when reading the first chapter. Lucy is dumped by her fiance (there is a chia pet involved) and thus is single when her agent offers her a chance to be in a fake PR relationship with Markus (someone who plays very different types of music than the folk group she and her brother have created.) The book is a really playful read and has a lot of fun with the idea of a fake relationship. Paparazzi chasing our leading couple around New York or LA is pretty common in books, but it was fun to see our leading characters in a resort of Arizona. I was definitely jealous of the luxurious suite and the prickly pear tea (which I have never had and want to try.)

I do wish the book had given some of the really interesting subplots a little more time to breathe. There's a lot going on in this book: Lucy's breakup, a disagreement over music, conflicts within Lucy and Markus's band, Markus going through a personal journey. Some of the ideas that were really interesting (Lucy implies at one point that her brother might be disappointed if she is more active in songwriting), don't get as much page time as I would have enjoyed.

This book was a quick, fun read, and I'd recommend to fans of Emily Henry or Elsie Silver.

A wonderful read!
This novel drew me in from the very first page and kept me hooked until the end. The characters were vibrant and relatable, the writing was engaging, and the story had just the right balance of heart and humor. Highly recommend!
Many thanks to NetGalley, the author, and the publisher for my ARC. All opinions are my own.

I love when books surprise me and having that feeling that you just can’t stop reading until it’s done. That was the case for me with The Payback Plan. It took me a while to really get into the story but once it took off, it was a great ride.

The story revolves around a group of women who meet unexpectedly at an airport and they all bond by their respective desire to get well deserved revenge on their exes. So they all form a bond and a friendship on this common goal and each tackle another’s friend ex. Giving very much “How to Lose a Guy in 10 Days” sort of vibes for me.

The narrative was unbelievably funny, the chemistry was there, the tension and character growth was amazing. I could feel the connection they were making - in friendships and relationships as well - and it didn’t feel rushed or forced. A great read and a pleasant surprise to enjoy as much as I did!

Thank you NetGalley, the publisher and author for providing me this ARC in exchange for an honest review!

PS: I was very happy to learn that this will be a series written by different authors and each of the girls will have their moment and story. Excited for Bella’s turn next!

Thank you NetGalley, MiaMcCoy and Victory Editing NetGalley Co-op for allowing me access to read and review this ARC.

Genre: Romance
Vibes: 🎶🎙️🎸🐕🐩💕🎧🧘🏻‍♀️💆🏻‍♀️🤘🏻
Rating: 3.5 ⭐
Tropes: enemies-to-lovers / fake relationship / forced proximity / one bed / slow burn

It was a cute story -- could have used some more description in some of the backstories, like the lawsuit, since they referenced it so much and you don't really learn about it until the book is almost over. Also, there is a spicy scene that involves some BDSM which I thought was a little weird for the first time they have intercourse, but to each their own.

‘I Hate My Fake Boyfriend’ is a super fun musician based romance with fake dating, and enemies to lovers. This story follows two musicians in their respective bands whom appear as enemies over a controversy of a stolen song. The two are forced into fake dating by their management to create peace between their hostile fandoms.
This story had me laughing quite a bit, the banter between the two was great and their inner monologues were so funny to read!
The ending felt quite speedy to me and I would have liked to explore a little more, but overall a great read that I enjoyed a lot!

You know when you pick up the book and know within a chapter whether you'll like or absolutely love it. This was one of those books that I knew by the first page that I was going to LOVE it. A close proximity is always a brilliant trope but the way Mia McCoy writes this is beautiful written.

This will be a re-read for me and I would highly recommend it again and again

I Hate My Fake Boyfriend by Mia McCoy focuses on two musicians who hate each other so much, there are potential lawsuits involved. Lucy and Marcus both have a lot going on in their personal lives, with Lucy trying to establish a solo music career, and Marcus searching for his biological father. Both are pining after the same thing, and to achieve their goals, find themselves in a fake relationship!
The highlight of this book was the relationship that formed between the two main characters dogs. The sub-plots were not fleshed out well, and I felt the theme of searching for a biological parent didn’t mix in with the other themes being more lighthearted. Additionally, the writing style leaned more towards YA than adult; Nothing wrong with YA, but this book was not marketed as such, so I was not expecting it here.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for sending me a copy of this book to review.

This was a fun romance novel, and I enjoyed it a lot. I am looking forward to reading more by this author.

It was fine but I felt like there were parts of a storyline that would be mentioned but then never explored. It was like the author wanted to add too many elements without actually developing them. Like for instance, why was the MMC into bondage? I mean it happens but then like never talked about. I thought the book had some good humor.

Firstly thank you so much to NetGalley, Mia McCoy and Victory Editing for this ARC copy!

This was a super cute and fun enemies to lovers story. After suffering from a major heartbreak out leading lady ends up in quite the predicament with the rival band’s lead singer leading to fun antics and lots of spice

It was okay, I found that the writing was not my favourite and that the story line was very generic. I would've liked it if the story was a little less predictable. Otherwise it was good.

This was such a fun read! The romance was so much fun and the characters banter was very entertaining. I would highly recommend this book!

Mia McCoy absolutely nails the fake dating trope in I Hate My Fake Boyfriend, delivering a story packed with humor, chemistry, and just the right amount of angst! From the very first page, I was hooked on the hilarious, tension-filled dynamic between the leads. They claim to hate each other, but every sarcastic jab and accidental lingering glance says otherwise—and I was here for every second of it.

The banter? Top-tier. The slow burn? Torturously delicious. And when those real feelings start creeping in? Chef’s kiss. McCoy does an incredible job making the romance feel organic and heartfelt, while still keeping things light, flirty, and full of laugh-out-loud moments.

If you love fake dating disasters that turn into something undeniable, characters with crackling chemistry, and a romance that gives you all the feels, then I Hate My Fake Boyfriend is an absolute must-read. I didn’t just love this book—I devoured it.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ Fake dating perfection!

This was a cute story, though I probably wouldn’t read it again. It kind of felt rushed and felt like the “I love you” part came too early without any significant development to lead to that.

I enjoyed every second of this. It’s a fast paced and a true enemies to lovers. He wanted to sue her! If you need a pick me up this is the book to read.

Thank you NetGalley for the ARC!

This book could have really benefited with 100 more pages. I would have loved some more explanation into the ex-fiance and other topics that were brought up with our main characters. Without the background info the pacing felt a bit off but I did still enjoy the book and would recommend it.

First of all thank you for the opportunity to read this book. I felt the book started of really strong and I enjoyed Lucy and Marcus and their interactions , but as it progressed it felt a little bit like it lost its way. The fake dating bit didn't really work for me and the big secret of all the problems once revealed was like huh?
Overall I did enjoy it, but I felt the story could have been tweaked a little bit.
I loved the dogs love story!

Thanks to NetGalley for this digital arc.

The love story was fun and enjoyable but parts of the story were choppy and left me confused. There is a subplot with dogs that I also really enjoyed.

Thank you NetGalley for the Arc.

I hate my fake boyfriend is a standalone romance book, here you’ll find:
✨Fake dating
🎸Grumpy x Sunshine
🐾Dual pov
🎶Forced proximity
•
This was a cute and fun read, nothing exceptional but it was enjoyable.
The book follows the life of two musicians who are forced to fake date so their fans won't fight with each other.
I really the banter between the two of them and how they slowly opened their self up with each other.
I think that the problem with this book was that it felt too rushed sometimes and there were a few of things that weren’t explained at the and and it felt like they were out there just for lengthening the story.

Overall it was a good read and entertaining, I would recommend it if you want something funny and not too demanding.

This... was different. It felt a bit disjointed and didn't flow very nicely, but some of the scenes were fun to read.