I really enjoyed this book. It felt like a story about real people dealing with complicated emotions, and that made it hard to walk away from. Nora is strong and determined, but also grappling with a lot of vulnerability, and the author captures that balance beautifully. West is protective and patient in a way that never feels overbearing, you can tell how much he genuinely cares. The way these two open up to each other and learn to trust felt very natural, and their moments together felt both meaningful and easy to relate to. The story doesn’t rely on over‑the‑top drama or cheesy moments, which made it all the more captivating. It’s a character‑driven romance with heart!!

Thank you so much net galley for access to this one! This was such a fun read. I had a few moments where things felt a little disconnected and thrown in there (the party scene at the strange house? We still didn't learn a ton about the past fifth member of their group?) but overall this was super fun to read. Bodyguard trope is always a good time!! I am also so hype to see exactly what is going on with Rafe in the next book from that epilogue....

This book was such a good read! The story pulled me in right from the start and kept me hooked the whole way through. The writing was smooth and easy to follow, and the characters felt real and relatable. I found myself rooting for them and wanting to know what would happen next. The pacing was just right—never too slow, but not rushed either. It had a nice balance of emotion, drama, and just the right touch of humor. Overall, I really enjoyed this book and would definitely recommend it to anyone looking for a well-written, engaging story.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the advanced copy of The Faking Game!

This spicy, swoon-filled romance delivers all the best tropes: fake dating, brother’s best friend, forced proximity, dating lessons, and a slow-burn dynamic that turns absolutely blistering. Olivia Hayle knows how to bring the tension—and the tenderness.

West is the kind of grumpy, guarded billionaire hero you can’t help but fall for, and his chemistry with the sunshiney, self-discovering heroine crackles on every page. What starts as a strategic fake relationship quickly turns into something deeper, as emotional walls start to crumble and lines blur between pretend and real. The dual dynamic of West being both her protector and her “dating coach” is incredibly satisfying, especially as he starts catching feelings he never expected.

Tropes you’ll find:
💋 Brother’s best friend
💋 Fake dating
💋 Dating lessons
💋 Forced proximity
💋 Only one bed
💋 Cinnamon roll hidden under grumpy billionaire

If you love a romance that mixes heat with heart and gives its heroine the room to grow into her own confidence, The Faking Game will be your next binge. Equal parts sexy, sweet, and emotionally grounded—perfect for fans of Lauren Asher and Lucy Score.

I was excited to read this book when I saw fake dating and billionaire romance. This book was such a fun easy read full of everything I love to see in a romance. Nora is looking for love and protection and West is looking for a fake relationship to keep his family away. Now they just have to hide their secret from everyone.

Read if you like:
⭐ Fake Dating
⭐ Billionaire Romance
⭐ Brother’s Best Friend
⭐ Enemies to Lovers

Thank you to the publishers and NetGally for this Advanced Release copy. I received a complimentary copy of this book. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

I wanted to live this book sooo much more. But I didn't..
I wanted to loved them more Nora and Wes, but it was justnot really for me. I love the trope fake dating, brothers friend, but I am not reallyon board with love lessons. Nope!

I really enjoy reading Olivia Hayle's books. This has a fun plot with fake dating and the added off limits friend's sister that he has had the hots for. The spice in this was off the hook. Like super hot.

West was a deeper character than I thought he would be. I honestly did not need the whole billionaire part of it as some others say. He was just himself and that was nice. I love Nora trying to be herself and stand strong after letting everyone walk all over her. West was definitely a large part in helping her.

I cannot wait for the other books in this series. The hint of what's to come has got me excited :)

Thank you to NetGalley and Olivia Hayle for the e-ARC. This review is my own opinion.

Thank you netgalley for this arc!
Overall really enjoyed this book! I really like that there was a secondary plot to the main plot, it kept things interesting! The main and side characters were so likeable and i really liked the dynamics!
I’m very excited for the next book!
4⭐️

YO this book was so hot.

West could teach lessons on devotion, praise and protectiveness I'm just saying. He was quite LITERALLY everything Nora ever needed tied up in one hot ass bow. And let's not get it twisted she was everything he never knew he needed as well. The perfect match.

I did not know about Olivia Hayle's game and now that I do I'm absolutely hooked. You're trying to tell me this was over 500 pages? It didn't feel long enough, I could read about these two rich dynastic heirs for another 500. Also I normally don't vibe with billionaire romances (too on the nose) but West was exactly the kind of idealised wealthy man that actually couldn't give a damn about the money (except that house, he loved that house).

But oh my word - the lessons, the pining, the affection? I couldn't get enough.

I really hope there's a few more books in this series. Rafe is next squeeee!

Thank you to NetGalley, the publisher and author. I feel so lucky to have been able to read this addictive ARC!

4.25 stars

Thank you to NetGalley, Olivia Hayle and the publishers for the e-ARC in exchange for honest review.

Look, I love a fake-dating trope. Add in billionaires and I'm sold! I absolutely gobbled this story up!

We first meet Nora, a 25 year old model who recently moved back to NYC. She's tired of modeling and wants to follow her true passion for fashion design. However, one of the reasons she moved was because she'd been receiving threatening letters while in Paris.

Enter West. West is nearing 30 and is Nora's older brother's best friend. He's also a billionaire who currently owns the family home but must be married by 30 in order to keep the house. After hearing from Rafe, Nora's older brother, that Nora has continued receiving notes from her stalker in NYC, West takes over as her security detail along with his security company.

Nora ends up moving in with West and to try and entice her stalker to be more bold, they decide to put on a show of dating for the public. Of course, they catch real feelings.

Without spoiling the book, I just absolutely loved it. Couldn't put it down! The spice was spicy, the chemistry was perfect. This book had some of my favorite tropes and I cannot wait to read the rest of the series!

3.5 ⭐️
First off, thank you to Netgalley and Olivia Hayle for the arc!

Nora is a model, and from from a rich family. She has a stalker and has been receiving threats/weird mail which end up forcing her to move to a new city. Nora’s brother is concerned for her safety, so he makes her live with his best friend, West Calloway, in his mansion on Long Island.

I found myself relating to Nora and her not-so-great dating history! (I wish I couldn’t relate 😂) This book mentioned a lot of modern day relationship and dating concerns that women have, no matter their age and experience in dating. Concerns including his intentions not being communicated, fears of his reaction to your honesty, and even just the typical nerves of a first date. 💗

I also LOVED the fact that Nora and West decided to help each other out. West’s parents want him to find a wife and Nora needs someone to teach her how to be assertive and ask for what she wants (or doesn’t want). They end up fake dating! Eventually he teaches her some things about dating she never thought she’d learned about with him, of all people! 🤭🌶️🥵

The reason I didn’t rate this higher was mainly because I didn’t find the relationship between Nora and West to be believable. I loved their tension, and it started out really great. However, I felt that as I read the book it was less about some sort of plot and more about smut. Don’t get me wrong, I’m a huge fan of spicy books! With this one, though, I felt like it was lacking in the emotional depth aspect of the relationship and was only a physical attraction. 😕

Personally, I believe the recipe for an amazing romance book is including both the emotional attraction and the physical attraction, as well as a plot occurring during their storyline. I want to read a romance and believe their story. I didn’t feel like this gave me that feeling, as entertaining and fun as it was.

The tropes in this book include:
🤭brother’s best friend
🤭fake dating
🤭forced proximity
🤭dating lessons
🤭”I’m protecting you”
💵billionaire

When 25 year old model Nora finds out she has a stalker, her brother suggests she stay with his best friend West, a billionaire with a large secure estate. But Nora needs more than protection... she needs help with her nonexistent dating life and West needs a fake fiance so they agree to fake date.
The pacing and tension of the story were good and the characters were believable. If you're into praise kink, West is definitely your guy (honestly it was almost too much!) I already knew from reading this author's boss series that the story would be spicy, and I was not wrong, lol! Overall I really liked this story.
I voluntarily read and reviewed an advance copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

A fun billionaire romance and a great start for a new series. I can’t wait to read Rafe’s story. Book could have been shorter but it was overall enjoyable.

I received an arc from netgalley and the publisher in exchange for an honest review.

This was a really fun and romantic fake dating read - I loved both of our main characters, the chemistry was great, West was a very dreamy and protective man when it came to the stalking situation Nora was going through. With this being a billionaire romance, I just wished that West billionaired a bit harder, I feel like we didn't really get to the see that side of him, other than the fact he had a giant house that he was trying to save due to incredibly out of date, old fashioned rules.

‘The Faking Game’ by Olivia Hayle is a character-driven romance featuring some of my favourite tropes: fake dating and brother’s best friend! Aspiring designer Nora Montclair and West Calloway, who recently inherited the luxurious Fairhaven estate and his family’s business. When Nora ends up staying at Fairhaven for her safety, they realise that acting as a couple might help both of them… but are real feelings hiding behind their facade?

One aspect of the novel I really liked was how well it explored the motivations behind Nora’s people pleasing nature, and her growth throughout the book as she learnt to stand up for herself. West was very supportive and I enjoyed their banter as they grew more confident together! The text chats between West, Alex, and their two friends were fun and made me look forward to reading the love stories of the other three guys which are coming soon…

This gets four stars from me for intense chemistry between Nora and West, realistic conflict and unexpected emotional depth. Definitely worth a read for fans of Ana Huang or Lauren Asher!

I received a Digital Review Copy of this book from the publisher via NetGalley. The opinions expressed in this review are my own.

Malgré les 500 pages du livre, ce fut une lecture très rapide et agréable. Il y avait beaucoup d'éléments que j'appréciais : le fake dating, le brother best friend et un peu de suspens. Après, s'il y avait de bons ingrédients, je n'ai pas toujours été convaincue de la réalisation. J'ai eu un peu de mal à m'attacher aux deux personnages principaux. Donc, une bonne lecture mais qui ne va pas rester mémorable pour autant à mes yeux.

3,5/5

4 stars⭐️
3/5 spice!🌶️

Things to expect:
♦️ Billionaire romance
♦️ Fake dating
♦️ Brothers best friend
♦️ Slow burn
♦️ Dating lessons

I really loved this book! It was my first billionaire romance read and I loved it. The characters felt very real and believable. This is just a great fun, light, happy read. I enjoyed the female main character, I think the MMC could have had more depth, but still really liked him. We are also introduced to the MMC’s group of friends that I imagine the rest of the series will connect to! Can’t wait to read more of their stories and more from this author!

Thank you to NetGalley and the author for the ARC. All opinions are my own.

As someone who can't resist a good fake dating trope, The Faking Game was an enjoyable read that hit a lot of the right notes. The chemistry between the leads was compelling, and the romantic tension kept me hooked from the start. If you're in the mood for something easy, spicy, and with a hint of danger, this one definitely delivers.

The suspense element left a little to be desired. The subplot involving stalking felt like an afterthought in the writing. Like, all of this… for what?

Overall, The Faking Game is a solid choice for readers who love their romance with some heat, a stunning setting, and a dash of intrigue—even if the suspense doesn’t quite steal the show.

I have never read any of Olivia's books before, but I thoroughly enjoyed The Faking Game. I finished this one in ONE day! I am always a sucker for a brother's best friend trope and this one did not disappoint. The angst throughout the book between West and Little Montclair was enough to make anyone hot!

⭐️⭐️⭐️.5 stars

THANK YOU NETGALLY FOR THE ARC 🫶🎀

OMG West, YESSSS ✨ This is the romance I dreamed about, the morally grey x sunshine I desperately needed! The smooth-talk, the praising, I want it all!! This book made me kick my legs every two pages 🎀

🌶️🌶️🌶️🌶️ Very spicy

Tropes:
🌹 Fake dating
🌹 Romance
🌹 Forced proximity
🌹 Billionaire romance
🌹 Enemies to lovers
🌹 Grumpy x sunshine

I couldn’t put this book down; I read the entire thing in 3 days! If you like fake dating and tension between characters. You will eat this book UPPP! Their relationship is soooo cute and heartwarming, and the struggle between friends and love seems legit.