I really enjoyed this book! It was such an easy, addictive read (I may or may not have stayed up until 3am two nights in a row because I just couldn’t put it down).
The story follows Nora, the younger sister of West’s best friend. After a series of events, Nora ends up living with West, who steps in as her temporary protector. While under the same roof, they strike a deal that leads to latenight conversations, undeniable chemistry, and a deeper understanding of each other.
If you're into forced proximity, forbidden love, fake relationships, and billionaires with the softest heart, this one has it all. I especially loved seeing Nora come into her own, learning how to set boundaries, finding her voice, and learning to put herself first. And the spice? Chef’s kiss. It was hot and steamy in the best way, without ever going too dark.
Thank you Olivia Hayle and NetGalley for my arc!

This was my first Olivia Hayle book and I loved it I will be reading more from her immediately. Nora and west were such a great match and balanced each other so well.

Thank you to the publisher and Olivia Hale for my review copy. These are my thoughts:

Nora is a fashion model and heiress to a luxury empire. West is the billionaire Calloway heir and very sought after bachelor. He is also Nora’s brother’s best friend. When Nora needs protection against a stalker, her brother calls West for a favour. He is to keep her safe and protected in the fortress that is his family home. Not happy that her dating plans will be put on hold, Nora and West come to an agreement: in exchange for pretending to be his girlfriend, West will give her “dating lessons”. All sounds fun and easy until secrets and feelings begin to surface and lines begin to blur. Of all the dangerous and reckless things West has done in his life, this little arrangement might just be his undoing.

This was a fun, cute, sweet and spicy read.
Nora was inexperienced when it came to dating and to men and at almost 25, she felt that being a virgin was a big “failure”. She was also a chronic people pleasure and struggled to be her most authentic self. West was a grumpy and busy rich man, being cornered into finding a wife - which he didn’t want.

I really liked Nora and West. Individually, they were more than met the eye and together they became quite the duo. I liked seeing their friendship evolve and how he helped her come out of her shell and stand up for what she really wanted, instead of agreeing and being a version of herself that others expected.
West really liked to praise her and she thrived on it. For a virgin, she was very curious and it made for some funny moments. West was kind and patient and answered all her questions.

Olivia really knows how to write a billionaire romance. Her setting are rich and her characters shall never want for anything. Her characters are also characters are sexy and the spice is “spicin’”!

Loved the little teaser at the end for Nora’s brother’s story! This is a series I’m going to want to keep reading.

[Spice: 3/5]

I really enjoyed this one! It was fast paced yet a slow burn which built up nicely to the spicy scenes and the emotional connection between the love interests. I also liked how the author handled the main characters people pleasing tendencies and could definitely relate to her character. Overall it was a great enemies to lovers romance with a good storyline and fleshed out characters.

I rolled my eyes at a lot of this to be honest and felt frustrated at how babied Nora was. However, West really grew on me and, eye rolls aside, I still couldn't put it down.

thank you to Olivia Hayle and Net Galley for this arc!

I really enjoyed Nora and West story, we truly got to see them grow healthy boundaries and communication skills that we don’t often see the development of in books as often and as some who is also a recovering people pleaser i loved the representations that we saw of that within Nora, and I can’t wait to see where the boys books take us.

Everything about this book had me so so so in love! I won’t lie, I was a little nervous when I saw how long it was, but Olivia made every word matter!! Each word served its purpose and I ate it up!!

Forced proximity, dislike to lovers, fake dating, best friend’s younger sister?? Yeah nothing went wrong and I’m already quaking for Book 2!! Until then, I will be going back through Olivia’s backlist and reading every word she has written.

Ok this book was such a fun read overall!! Nora and West were absolutely adorable, and I loved their relationship dynamic. I also absolutely loved the friendships we got to see between Nora and Amber and between everyone on the Lost Weekend trip. I love a good forced proximity romance, and this gave me everything and more. It was a bit spicier than a book I would normally read, but not anything too crazy either. I would give this book a 4 🌟! Super excited for Rafes' story to come out!

The Faking Game is Dual POV, Brothers Best Friend, Fake Dating, Roommates, Slow Burn, Jealous/Protective MMC & a Contemporary Romance following some of the world's most elite families.

This story follows West Calloway & Eleanore Montclair in book one of A Billionaire Games Novel.
West owns the best security team in the country, if not the world (his words not mine. LOL) so when Nora (Eleanore) moves to New York from London to escape a terrifying stalker situation her brother Rafe contacts his best friend to watch over & protect his sister until they can uncover the stalker.

I LOVED EVERYTHING about this book. The characters, the friendships, the emotion & the brutal honesty of being a "people pleaser". Seeing Nora's growth into being her own person & not just someone obsessed with a man (I mean she is obsessed with West, but you would be too.) is absolutely what made me love her character.

THE ENDING HAD ME SHOOK & READY FOR BOOK 2.

Thank you so much to Olivia Hayle & NetGalley for the eARC & the opportunity to enjoy this story.

This is my first book by Olivia Hayle but whew can she write a good billionaire novel. I absolutely loved both the FMC and MMC. Normally an inexperience trope is not one of my favorites to read but with the brother’s best friend and fake dating trope to make up for it made for an easy read. I did love how Olivia developed Nora’s character throughout the book while utilizing West as someone who helps her find her strength and not do the work for her.

The ending was a jaw dropper and I absolutely can’t wait to read book 2 but I low key can’t wait for Jame’s book…bring on the duke.


Thank you NetGalley and Olivia Hayle for the eARC I thoroughly enjoyed this one.

4.5 stars ⭐️ this had so many of my favorite tropes! Nora and West had undeniable chemistry. I loved everything about it!!

What to expect:
- fake dating
- brother’s best friend
- virgin FMC
- slow burn
- billionaire romance

Thank you to NetGalley and Olivia Hayle for the ARC. All opinions are my own 🫶🏼

Thank you NetGalley and Olivia Hayle for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Billionaire MMC and inexperienced MFC are not my favorite tropes BUT fake dating, secret dating, mutual long term pining (and misunderstanding turns to dislike), forced proximity, lessons, brothers best friend are all *chefs kiss*.

I loved the growth that West helps Nora achieve through their lessons. This went beyond romantic relationships and was important for her relationships with her mom, brother, and even agent.

West’s growth was important to their future but a little more internal so it was less of the storyline.

Overall I enjoyed and that cliffhanger leading to book #2…consider me hooked!

5 stars – no rounding, no qualifiers. It was perfect. The FMC was well developed and interesting. A pleaser, who learns through the MMC, that maybe she doesn’t have to put everyone else first. I loved that. Also appreciated that there were ‘reasons’ for her perspectives and decisions.

This book was built on a trope I don’t typically enjoy – a virgin FMC. I’m just not into it and when I’ve tried it in the past, it’s not typically executed well. Well, this time, the author did a great job. Nora didn’t go from virgin to sex kitten. There is progression; it’s natural.

Oh, and West – he’s delightful. Patient, kind, understanding…and delivers praise that will curl your toes (if that’s your thing).

This had one of the best slow burns I’ve read in a while. Low angst. I really just loved the characters.

Off I go to read more of Ms. Hayle’s back list.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for the ARC.

Ohhhh she was a spicy one! Dating and sex lessons were a big part of the plot and they made me sweat and fan myself. I loved how West always checked in with her and made her feel comfortable, it was clear he wanted her to feel empowered. Their physical intimacy really enhanced their emotional intimacy! Nora needed help standing up for herself and focusing on her needs and West was her biggest supporter in that. She was honest with him in a way she’d never been with anyone and he provided her the safe space to explore not only her sexual desires but also her emotional needs. I really enjoyed these two!

I love steamy, brother's best friend, fake dating romances and this one definitely did not disappoint! The flashbacks added very sweet moments to a great story.

if you've liked olivia hayles other books, you'll like this one :)

this was super cute and probably one of my favorite olivia hayle books. West was a dream and I appreciate how they didn't drag out the dating reveal with her brother for too long. There was a small bit of a romantic suspense plot going on, but it wasn't my favorite! I think this book could have been even better if they leaned into the stalker thing a little more. It ended up being so much nothing that it felt a bit pointless, I was waiting for a more interesting reveal or for the events themselves to come to a head in a more dramatic fashion! it was a bit underwhelming in that respect, but then again, this wasn't billed as a romantic suspense so i can't really complain. the romance itself was adorable and fake dating between two yearners always hits :)

📚 Bookstagram Review: The Faking Game by Olivia Hayle 💋🎭⁣
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Fake dating? Check. Brother’s best friend? Check. Secret pining, steamy lessons, and a dash of danger? YES PLEASE. 😍⁣
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Eleanore (Nora) is forced out of her apartment by a stalker and lands in the one place she never expected—living with West Calloway, her brother’s infuriatingly hot best friend. What starts as a protective move turns into a fake dating arrangement... plus private dating lessons. 👀⁣
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From shared beds to stolen glances, West and Nora’s chemistry is off-the-charts. He’s rich and emotionally unavailable. She’s sweet, awkward, and totally unaware of her own worth. Together? FIRE. 🔥 And let’s be honest—this “just for practice” setup? Totally not fooling anyone.⁣
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This is the kind of swoony, emotional slow burn that makes you grin like an idiot and blush at the same time. 💘⁣
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✨ Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC! I couldn’t put it down.⁣
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#TheFakingGame #OliviaHayle #Bookstagram #ARCReview #NetGalleyReads #FakeDatingTrope #BrothersBestFriend #RomComReads #BookishLove #SpicyRomance #BookLovers #SlowBurnPerfection

I love a good fake dating romance, and this one definitely did not disappoint.

I love reading romances about men who would do anything for their woman, and West definitely fit that description—even though she has no idea how he feels for her.

I could relate to Nora and her people-pleasing ways. She constantly puts others' needs before her own, always striving to keep everyone happy. West is the exception to the rule, being the only person she doesn’t feel the pressure to please. With his help, she finds the courage to speak her mind and express her feelings honestly. West love and support for her were wunderful to read.

One thing that stood out to me was how they both were billionaires—not just the male lead, which it often is. It made their relationship feel much more balanced, and it was refreshing to read a billionaire romance where money and different lifestyles wasn’t the central conflict.

Another highlight was the group dynamic between West and his three close friends (one of whom is Noras' older brother, Rafe). Their bond gave me all the found family vibes and added warmth and humour to the story. I'm really looking forward to reading their books in the future!

I couldn’t put this book down and highly recommend it to anyone who loves brother’s best friend, billionaire, fake dating/dating lessons, forced proximity.

Thank you so much for the opportunity to read this book early in exchange for an honest review.

Release Date: May 25th, 2025

This book was between 3 and 4 stars for me. There were parts I really enjoyed but then at other times it felt like the book was a bit too long. This was a very solid brother's best friend romance though. The small flashbacks to when they were younger fit the story well, and you could see how it affected their current day situation.

I think a lot of people will relate to Nora and her people pleasing issues. I do feel like everyone around her treated her like a child though but at the same time, she didn't really help matters when it came to that.

I loved West though. I liked that he helped her learn boundaries, how to speak up for herself, and self defense. He was supportive and pushed her to communicate more not only with him, but with her family and those around her.

I did find the stalker aspect interesting, but was disappointed in that ending. I was just expecting a little more from that story line.

Thank you to NetGalley for this ARC.

Wow -just wow. This is the first book I have read by Olivia Hayle and it blew all my expectations out the water.

It had me hooked from the first line 'The best part about going to a nightclub is when you finally get to leave.'

This follows Nora - aka Eleanore Montclair , the Montclair Heiress and West - aka Weston Maude Calloway , The Heir to the Calloway fortune.

Nora is a model and face of the Montclair company, and West is her older brother Rafes , best friend. After receiving multiple threats from an obsessed stalker , Rafe ask West to step in to protect Nora as they are both in New York, while Rafe lives in Europe.

This arrangement then escalates to them living together in his family manor , and then fake dating to protect her from this stalker.

Getting to know Nora, we realise that she is the youngest child and a people-pleaser, she has never been able to set boundaries with her family and in relationships, which is why at 24 she is still a virgin.

West, agrees to fake date her as he needs to be married by 30 in order to inherit his family home and Calloway holdings, and this will get his mother of his back. In exchange for helping him out, Nora ask West to help her practice intimacy and skills need in relationships.

I loved these characters, West is so emotionally mature and sees the way Nora struggles pleasing everyone around her, at the detriment of her own happiness and is more than happy to be the one she practices she skills on. I love how protective her was of her.

I loved the world building, the boys friend group, the hints at more story to come in this series.

The growth of Nora and the way West is so deeply obsessed with her bite and her wellness. It was such a beautiful story, with great banter and hot bedroom moments.

I had so many highlights from this book - most from West POV, cause he just saw Nora in all her complex glory and loved every inch of her.

Some of my favourite quotes:

Nora POV:

The best part about going to a nightclub is when you finally get to leave.

Because if I tell people, they’ll worry more than they already do, and I don’t like that. It’s the currency of my life: being well-liked. Making others happy. Maybe that’s why West bothers me so much. I haven’t been able to figure out how to make him happy.

The problem with being a chronic people-pleaser who hates conflict is that life is nothing but constant conflict.

“You’re angry.” “Yes,” I say. “Funny, isn’t it? You’re the one who taught me how to be angry. Maybe you regret that now.” “No. I will always welcome your fire, Nora. Burn me with it when I deserve it.”

“Don’t leave me,” he mutters in my ear between polite conversations. “I might die if you do.” I laugh. “Are you addicted to me?” “Yes. Dangerously so.” His hand finds mine and locks our fingers together.

My lips widen into a smile. “I’d do anything for you, West.” He shakes his head slowly. “But I’d never ask you to do a damn thing for me.” “I know. That’s why I would.” “Be selfish, Nora. Please.”

“The fashion show,” I ask. “Can I be there beside you?” Her gaze slides to mine. “Do you want to be?” “Of course I do. It’s been in my calendar for weeks.” A smile spreads across her face. “Thank you.”


“What I want, Nora,” he says, his voice raw, “is for you to stay here forever. For you to be mine. For there to be no more faking between us—not ever. I want you on my arm. I want you wearing my ring. More than anything, I want you happy. I want to see you designing. I want to hear you say no a thousand more times. I want to make you come, and I want to watch you smile and laugh. I want to watch you charm everyone we meet. I want you in my bed. I want you in my office. I want you by my side.” The words hang in the air, making it hard to breathe. “It’s terrifying, I know. It terrified me. Marriage has always been something to be avoided. I’ve seen the way my parents did it, the punishments, the secrets, the games… if you give someone the key, they will wreck you. But you already have the key, sweetheart. And you’re welcome to wreck me as long as it means you’ll stay.” He shakes his head, his voice dropping. “I’m scared of what you’ll say now because… you love making people happy.” He pauses, closing his eyes for a moment before opening them again. They’re glazed. “But I still want your honesty, now more than ever. Even if it destroys me.”

West POV:

“It’s about trust. And sex should always be about trust.” “I don’t think everyone feels like that.” “Then they’re doing it wrong.” My voice comes out harsher than I intend. The idea of Nora people-pleasing in bed makes something inside me turn hard with fury. Not at her. Never at her. At the men who might not have listened. It makes me hate my own gender. The idea of men on a date, seeing her beauty, seeing her kindness and her smiles, and thinking only of their own gratification.

Flattered, then. More than flattered. It fucking wrecks me that I’m one of the few people she feels safe enough to be mostly herself around. That she doesn’t preen or pretend for me, doesn’t offer me fake smiles or hide her opinion.

She smiles beneath my thumb, and I’m lost. Maybe I always was. But this is the moment I know it, wholly and completely. There’s no recovering from her.

Her lips part on a soft sigh. She likes it when I praise her.

She doesn’t want to be here. Didn’t even want to model, has been trying to phase out of it, and yet here she is, doing a beautiful job of it anyway. Because she was asked to. Because she’s kind, and supportive, and doesn’t want to inconvenience anyone.

It hurts to look at her. That’s the way her beauty is: a dagger, sharp and piercing. And yet the pain doesn’t stop me from looking.

The rage that works its way through me steals my breath. That someone so good, and kind, who works so damn hard at pleasing everyone all the time, should be made to feel like this. I hadn’t realized the stalker scared her this much. She kept it all bottled up, and she did such a beautiful job of hiding it that even I hadn’t seen the full extent of it until now.

“Of course I don’t. You’re brave.” I open the door to her room, and she walks in front of me to her bed. And you take care of everyone else all the time. Let me take care of you now.

She consumes me. Her taste, her touch, her smiles. It’s all I think about in the days leading up to the Calloway Spring Ball and Rafe’s arrival.

“Hi,” I say. It’s not you kill me, but it’s close.

She turns it over, and then her breath catches. “Be a good girl and get angry,” she reads. “You had it engraved?” “If you ever need a reminder. If I’m not around to tell you to stand up for yourself.”


Alex sends me a delivery a day later. It’s a giant box of magnum condoms, along with a note that makes it clear he’s spoken to Rafe. I’m too young to become an uncle again. Magnum was generous of me, which I want noted. Happy for you. You took a risk with this. I approve. Burn this note after reading, though, and don’t tell Rafe. I’m playing both sides here. You get it.


Hints for book 2

“No. I should go to bed,” he says. “But I’m not sure what kind of reception I’ll get.” Rafe is sprawled out, his head against the headrest. His dark hair is mussed, and like West, he’s long since undone his bow tie. He’s turning something over on his own ring finger. Because West and I aren’t the only ones who got married this summer.