Thank you to Olivia Hayle and Netgalley for this ARC!

I was pleased to find I actually really enjoyed this book! Billionaire romance isn't really my thing in general, so it was fun to find one I really like. I generally prefer ones that hit you over the head with the idea *he's not like other billionaires* and while this didn't do that, I did still really enjoy his character. I'm also not usually a fan of the virgin FMC trope, but it did make sense in the context of her character and actually added to the story.

Nora is a perpetual people pleaser and West is her brother's best friend (who is also a billionaire). When Nora begins to get creepy messages from a stalker, West agrees to let her live with him and provide security. While they start off as enemies (ish), West and Nora decide to fake date as it'll get his mom to stop setting him up and give Nora the dating experience she desperately wants. As a people pleaser, Nora has struggled with dating and the expectations within it. West is able to show Nora that it is okay to demand what you want and set boundaries and, in the end, Nora is able to help West with a big obstacle in his life. Both characters were written really well and I loved reading their romance blossom.

Very excited to continue this series!

I was kindly gifted those as an ARC by the author iv previously read a few of her books and am yet to read once that i haven't absolutely devoured (also this cover is stunning) i literally spead through the book i was reading to start this one I was that excited. Usally, I try not to go into bid with high expectations so I don't get let down, but this absolutely lived up to the hype I'd given it in my head. Especially with thid being brothers best friend & vergin fmc romance I'm usally not to keen on them but this was done so well i adored Nora from the get go she was sweet and even if she didn't knoe it she was strong and the way west wanted her actually made my heart hurt he wanted her but also wanted to respect his promises to his best friend. Change of topic West was a pro with that praise kink of his. Delishhhhh I was melting into a puddle for him. I can't wait for rafe's book next he's a savage😂

ALSO THIS IS A FU***NG SLOW BURN

ARC Review: The Faking Game by Olivia Hayle
Rating: 4/5 stars

The Faking Game is a swoony, feel-good romance that delivers a perfect mix of fake dating, brother’s best friend, and “enemies”-to-lovers tropes—all wrapped in an emotionally grounded, slow-burn love story. Nora, a guarded yet endearing main character, moves in with West Calloway—her brother’s best friend and longtime crush—after a stalker incident. What begins as reluctant roommates quickly turns into fake dating for safety and private “dating lessons” for confidence, with undeniable chemistry bubbling beneath the surface.

West is a possessive sweetheart from the start, full of quiet praise, thoughtful gestures, and obvious care for Nora—even when she’s convinced he’s just trying to irritate her. Their dynamic evolves with heartfelt growth, witty banter, and intimacy that feels both earned and electric. Despite its 500+ pages, the story never drags, thanks to strong character development and emotional depth.

The third-act conflict is resolved with refreshing maturity, and while some spicy scenes were more intense than I prefer, they were well-written and fit the tone. A charming, romantic, and satisfying read for fans of slow burns with heart and heat.

Witty, swoony, and deliciously addictive- The Faking Games is everything a fake dating romance should be, with a few clever twists that elevate it beyond the trope.

I’ll admit, I was hesitant about one element going in (IYKYK) as it’s not my jam usually- I like more experience lets say, but Olivia pulls it off with charm and intelligence. The world she builds feels immersive without being overdone, and the side characters aren’t just filler- they breathe life into the pages.

Nora’s arc is the one that stands out, her emotional growth, quiet strength and internal tug-of-war make her a heroine you root for. And West? Delectable. The perfect balance of protective alpha and emotionally attuned man who been low key pining from the start. Their chemistry sizzles, the banter pops and the brotherly dynamic adds even more depth to the dialogue.

The cherry on top is the seamless tease into book2 in the series- a marriage of convenience setup between Nora’s brother and a rival- I cannot wait to devour.

This was a smart, sexy, emotionally rich romance that delivers the feels and the fun! ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ 🌶️🌶️🌶️
Thank you for this great eARC read!

#thefakinggame #oliviahayle #fakedating #romancebooksofinstagram #spicyromance #billionareromance

First of all thank you to Oliva Hayle, the publisher and NetGalley for giving me early access to this E-book! All opinions in this review are my own.

I don't even know where to start with this one....

It's about Nora who's born into a insanely wealthy family. But she has a stalker and moves to New York!
She has to live with her brothers best friend who teaches her how to have a relationship. They fall in love but west has to marry before 30 to keep it his estate.


I am a easy girl. I see forbidden love and brothers best friend but this was a drag.

Imagine twisted games but about 100 pages longer and just worse?
I hated who the stalker was... Its insanely anticlimactic and the time line felt off.

At some points I was just smacking myself with my Kindle out of severe second hand embarrassment. It was a lot of second hand embarrassment.

But it did make me giggle and kick my feet sometimes! I wanted to love this so so so so badly. But I just couldn't get past it

Was the book bad? No. Was it for me? No.
Reading the other reviews makes me think I read a different book but I just hope it makes so many other people happy when it releases.

SUCH A PERFECT brother's best friend/fake dating trope book.
I loved this book so much I couldn't put it down. I enjoyed so much how well written it is, how it develops, how the slow burn BURNS.
Olivia Hayle never disappoints, I knew that, but this book is so great, funny, it makes you yearn.
Finding this kind of book, well written, with a plot, backstories, girl, you had me and now you can keep me.
Such a nice reading.

WOW i loved reading this !!!!!! as this was my first olivia hayle book, i had no idea what i was getting into. after reading the faking game, a whole new world in romance novels has been introduced to me !!!! i absolutely loved the progression of the fmc and the mmc throughout the novel—i truly couldn’t put this down !!! i can’t wait to read more of the author’s books. thank you to netgalley and olivia hayle for this arc !!!

Thank you to Olivia Hayle and NetGalley for the ARC of The Faking Game in exchange for an honest review.

I loved this book so freaking much for so many reasons. First of all, if you can’t find a trope you connect with is this book, there’s no hope for you. We have so many classics here: brothers insanely rich best friend, enemies to lovers, fake dating, dating lessons, forced proximity.. UGH the list goes on and on and Olivia nailed every one of them! Nora and West have one of the most adorable relationships that translates over to the written word effortlessly. I love that they have this deep history together through Nora’s brother before they even decide to step into their fake relationship. The premise of West teaching/showing Nora how to be in a relationship was GENIUS and a huge contributing factor as to why the book was so fun.

I’m fairly confident this will be book one of a series that is yet to grace us with their presence at this very moment, but you better believe when the next book is released, I will be running to get my hands on it so quickly! If you are a lover of slow burns and fake dating turned not so fake, then this one is for you my friend. Please ensure you get your hands on this one, as it comes out May 25th for your reading pleasure!

🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟

I devoured this book. Olivia Hayle absolutely nailed the fake dating + brother’s best friend combo, and I was hooked! West is the perfect mix of protective and emotionally mature (with just the right amount of ego), and Nora is so relatable—funny, vulnerable, and stronger than she thinks.

Their chemistry? Off the charts. The slow burn was torture in the best way, and the dating lessons trope added such a fun twist. I loved watching their relationship shift from fake to very real, and the emotional payoff was so satisfying.

Also, can we talk about the banter? So sharp and sweet. This book had me smiling, swooning, and staying up way too late. If you love slow burns, forced proximity, and an MMC who falls hard, you need this on your TBR.

Thank you Netgalley & Olivia Hayle for the gifted copy!

Nora and West were sweet, the underlying conflict, the way he helps her through her mental blocks... The angst between them, the push pull and then whether Rafe would find out. I loved this book for a fun summer escapism. Definitely an airport read!

Nora's arc where she stands up for herself and stops people pleasing is my favourite part!

I'm also happy there's a character called Amber that isn't just the 'other woman'!

Can't wait for the next in the series

Thank you to Netgalley and Olivia Hayle for the ARC!

I really enjoyed this fake dating billionaire romance despite my personal tastes leaning towards sports romance. The romance was steamy, the characters unique enough. It's always interesting to imagine how the 1%$ lives. My biggest reason this wasn't a 4 star read is because the female main character is so infantalized (is that a word?) throughout the book. By her brother, who thinks she must be 14 years old, and by West, especially when he finds out about the virginity thing. Good Lord, you'd think she would've said she's under 18 the way he reacted. Even her estranged mother treats her like a child. I do like that she gained some of that spark/boundary setting in a healthy way, but Rafe really needed a freaking slap for all the babying he does.

I also feel like it would've been better if they did more with the stalker line, because I love a good touch her and die situation. Also we never found out if she won the fashion show!

I really hope that this gets a series with Alex, James, and Rafe getting their own books! Even Hadrian's side of things might be interesting. There's definitely more to explore in this world and I will definitely be on the lookout.

| arc review |

this was my first Olivia book, but wow I’m obsessed and I can’t wait to pick up some more of her books 🤩

this book was SO well written & easy to read. there were so many elements to the story that I really enjoyed (sorry spoiler free over here). fake dating has quickly become one of my fav tropes & this book has topped any that I’ve read so far! it has the perfect amount of slow burn & spice which put me rightttt in my feels.

gotta admit that West may just be one of my top book boyfriends now 😭 he’s literally perfect?!? 😍 he treats Nora like a literal princess 😭 & im obsessed with her! she’s such a fun character with so much depth to explore throughout the book!

I highly recommend this book if you’re into billionaire + fake dating!! such a good read & now I’m sad I finished it 😭 but I can’t wait to read the next books!!

thank you to Olivia and NetGalley for this arc 🩷

I had SO much fun reading The Faking Game by Olivia Hayle. Such a light, fast-paced, easy to read, sexy delight. The Faking Game has everything I enjoy about romance novels. Brother’s best friend, fake dating, dating lessons, forced proximity, and billionaires! (not to mention the praise k!nk that i will always eat up 🫣) I truly loved West and Nora as characters and loved them even more together! West wanted everything for Nora and helped bring her into her own and it was a beautiful dynamic to read about. I cannot wait to read the rest of this series, I can already tell I’m going to be obsessed with this.

A huge thank you to Olivia Hayle and Netgalley for the opportunity to read this ARC in exchange for an honest review!

This was my first Olivia Hayle book, and I had a good time. I loved the banter between the 2 main characters and loved the little group chat snippets we got from the guy's group chat. The chemistry was amazing, and I love when the guy is grumpy to everyone but her. The whole stalker plot wasn't my favorite, and I feel like it was wrapped up rather quickly. Overall, I did have a good time reading this and will definitely be looking forward to the next book in the series.
Thank you NetGalley and the publisher for the Arc!

Fake dating
Forced proximity
Tension
Banter
Spice
He teaches her/ practice
Brother’s best friend
Possessive
Virgin
Lesson on how to stand up for yourself and vocalize what you want and deserve.

These tropes sound like the normal combo for a book like this and let me tell you. It did not disappoint one bit. I liked the characters and you bet that there is another book coming out about another side character and I will be reading it. The only thing I feel like that disappointed me a little was who the stalker was and how simple that was to be done with. I thought there might be a scene where he gets to her or something for the drama. Aspect but they made it simple. Not horrible but I wish they had done a little more with it. Other than that the plot and the events between the characters were great.

I really enjoyed this book! It was my first book by Olivia Hayle and certainly won't be my last. The plot intrigued me, I love fake dating stories. This book did not disappoint! Perfect for fake dating, enemies to lovers, best friends little sister troupe loving romance readers! It starts off slow plot wise but gives you time to connect with the characters. I truly felt like I knew them by the end of the book. My only complaint was that sometimes I couldn't tell the difference between the narration of West and Nora. They sounded too similar in some chapters. Overall, would definitely recommend this book!

4,5, but only because there was some drama which I didn't particularly care for near the end. I very much had fun reading this.

This thing is spicy. A wet dream for someone who's a fan of the 'dating lessons' trope, because it goes over everything (physically and mentally). If you're a people-pleaser and have a praise kink too, it hits all the right spots while calling you out and making you rethink your life choices (or maybe that's just me).

It's not perfect, but it doesn't lie about what it is. And it is great fun.

Thanks to NetGalley and the author for making it possible for me to read it!

*ARC REVIEW*

At the beginning of the book I was thinking it would just be another billionaire romance but Olivia had a way of showing the character growth and family dynamics that was beautiful. Olivia having a stalker was hard at first not to sympathize but the way West protects her and falls down bad. Olivia and West are a perfect match in all ways, and the banter is just amazing!!! I think West may just be a new book boyfriend. Cannot wait for the next book!!!! 📕

The Faking Game had me hooked right at the beginning all the way to the end. Fake dating is one of my favorite tropes, so I’ve read a lot of it and sometimes they can blend together, but this book felt like a fresh take on it for me. The reason for that is the journey that Nora goes on in this book. The biggest reason for the fake dating situation in this book is that Nora needs the practice. She’s really bad at advocating for herself and is a big people pleaser, so she hasn’t really gotten anywhere dating in the past. West is super invested in helping her with this issue not only in dating, but in all areas of her life. Nora’s growth in the book was very satisfying to read and I feel like a big change was seen in her. Through this journey together, we see the relationship blossom between Nora and West, and I just loved their dynamic. West was so sweet with her and protective.

This was my first Olivia Hayle book and this definitely made me want to go check out the rest of her books!

I really enjoyed this enemies to lovers romance. The various storylines - suspense/danger, deeply bonded friendships with the 4 guys, budding romance, and a people pleaser finding her voice, confidence and independence - made this a book I couldn't put down. I loved it from start to finish!