Book review: (ARC) Hoax and Kisses, by Elodie Colliard
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ (5/5)

Hoax and Kisses had me back in a 2000 rom-com and I’m crazy about it! Colliard gave me the same nostalgic feeling as I get when I put on my favourite movies from this era. She executed it so freaking well. The characters Matt and Zoey had me rooting for them from the start, and the tension between them was a killer- I ran after their story, each page at a time. This book is everything I wanted in a romance novel!

The fact the Elodie also gave us her characters in Pine Falls, where my other favourite book of hers (Unbearably Yours) is based, just set the cosy tone for me, I was won from the first chapter 😍 The fake relationship trope is clever, witty, and is the reason you fall in love with Zoey and Matt- the depth of their relationship- they are each others Ying and Yang. Their vulnerability and approach to love was honest and beautiful. YOU NEED TO READ THIS BOOK! It’s my favourite romance of the year and has pushed Unbearably Yours off my top list for all time! This book really was like watching a movie unfold from a screen, bravo Elodie 🥰

Thank you to Netgalley and Victory Editing for an Arc of this book for an honest review.

this was my second book from Elodie and i really loved it! it was like a rom com movie, i wanted more and more! the romance between the two characters was well balanced! i think they brought the best of each other and i love everything about it. especially that the book was in Canada. i love it when it is, i can picture the scenes way better.

anyway, i totally recommend this book! thank you to Elodie and her team for this opportunity!

review on my bookstagram coming soon! @bookshelf.mel

A hallmark movie in all the best ways!

City, Zoey, meets small town, Matt. It sounds like a story that you’ve already heard but this one was different. Not just the fake dating, or the steam (it was STEAMY 🌶️🌶️🌶️)

Matt is so sweet, he has all the makings of a grump but also a golden retriever, who knew there was a way to combine them. The writing was so well done that I felt for Zoey and what she was going through. The ending was so satisfying I’m almost cried. 🥹

This story was not only wholesome, funny, and sweet but has a wonderful cast of characters. It’s rare when I want to venture into small towns but this is definitely a fictional destination spot.🏠

I loved the business model, such a random nerdy thing but I did. Where everyone is supporting each other, I think in times like the current political climate, it’s important to see in fiction what is possible. 💞

Thank you to NetGalley and the author for the advanced copy in exchange for an honest review! This book was such an easy 5-star read for me. I’ve loved Elodie’s writing ever since "Unbearably Yours" (which btw, if you haven’t read yet, please do! It’s amazing). She writes with so much heart, emotion, and truth that it completely pulls you in and makes you forget about the real world. I genuinely love her for that.

Now let’s talk about this BEAUTIFUL book. The Pine Falls setting was SO GOOD. I’m a sucker for small-town vibes and this one felt warm, charming, and alive in the best way. It made me want to move there, honestly.

As for the romance, Elodie nailed it. The one-night stand / instant attraction trope can be tricky. It often feels too lust-heavy with no real depth, but here it was done so beautifully. Matt and Zoey’s connection grew naturally. Their emotional and romantic development was handled with care. You could feel the shift from physical pull to real love, and it made me feel so many emotions. They’re definitely my new comfort couple (after Oliver and Charlee, of course).

Matt was such a well-rounded character. Emotionally mature, kind, deeply loyal to the people he loves and yes, a bit of a grump on the outside, but in the best way. His character arc was done so well. And Zoey… my girl. She’s tough on the outside but soft and vulnerable underneath. I could really relate to her need for her father’s validation. Her journey and growth hit home for me, and I loved watching her open up.

Also, I HAVE to mention the autism rep through Daphne’s character I think it was so respectfully and thoughtfully written. That meant a lot to me and added another layer to how good this book was.

Overall, I just loved this book. Please check it out when it releases on August 26, you won’t regret it!!

Thank you NetGalley for this ARC! This is my first Eloise Colliard book, and it won’t be my last! I loved the relationship between Matt and Zoey, and how after a few misunderstandings at the beginning, they communicated so well with each other. I also really enjoyed that Matt was the flower shop owner! The side characters were also great, especially Daphne. I can’t wait for Book 2!

I thought this book was really easy to read and I enjoyed most of it though the instalust/love wasn't well thought out or paced nicely. Also the early onset of spice when the characters had 2 interactions where they both weren't overly nice to each other didn't make sense. Overall I did like it but I didn't overly enjoy it. I'm sorry.

Living in Alberta, the story quickly became close to my heart because of those references.

Also being a (self-diagnosed awaiting official diagnosis) AuDHD Mama to two (diagnosed) Autistic children and a baby showing signs (but being too young for an official diagnosis yet) meant this story hit even closer to home with the Autism storyline for Daphne in the most lovely way. 🥰 Matt and Daphne’s mom reminded me a lot of my FIL, whom I love very dearly and also has some very outdated views of Autism. And I really felt for Matt, as I also had to fight really hard to have my kiddos get testing and be diagnosed, just as he did his sister.

I’m normally more of Slowburn gal than instalust. But I still really loved this book and felt in Zoey & Matt’s scenario, the situation fit.

I absolutely adored their story, especially since as an Autism Mama I know what it’s like to have to fight so hard to advocate for your child, and it was so lovely to see Matt repeatedly go to bat for his sister.

The nature and small town elements really tied everything in to the flower shop, and this one was hard to put down.

All in all just a beautiful, hygge story. 🥰 Go read it. You won’t regret it. 😉😊

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

First of all I want to start off by thanking Netgally and Elodie for the chance to read this as an arc in return of an honest review.

The cover alone is the reason I requested this arc (yes I judge books by its covers) and this one didn’t fail to meet my expectations. This book took me a little while to get into but once I passed the 30% mark I just couldn’t put it down.

The storyline between the two main characters hold my favourite tropes.
✨Small town romance.
🌟Fake dating.
🌟Rivals to lovers.
🌟One night stand.
🌟Found family.

If you enjoy reading about the above tropes I would highly recommend reading this book. After finishing it got me excited to pick up more books from Elodie. This book gave me the feeling of a hallmark movie and I absolutely ate that up. The book is very well written and the character development was strong in this book.

Once again. Thank you to netgally and Elodie for the chance to read this book as an arc.

ITA
Prima di tutto, grazie a Victory Editing per la copia arc. Non avevo mai letto niente di Elodie Colliard, ma questo libro mi ha davvero sorpresa. Non so cosa mi aspettassi, ma sicuramente non di finirlo in un pomeriggio, incollata alle pagine come se non avessi niente di meglio da fare (spoiler: avevo un sacco di cose da fare).

Tropes
Fake Dating
Small Town Charm
Rivals to Lovers
Found Family
Slow Burn
City Girl x Small Town Boy
Open Door Romance
No Third-Act Breakup
One Night Stand

Zoey Delacroix è un’ereditiera determinata a conquistare un posto nell’impero alberghiero di famiglia, ma anche a dimostrare che vale ben più delle aspettative di papà. Il suo obiettivo? Costruire un hotel proprio nella cittadina dove suo padre aveva miseramente fallito anni prima.
Matt Becker è un fiorista che si destreggia tra mille responsabilità: gestire la sua attività, prendersi cura di Daphne (la sorella adolescente autistica) e cercare di sbarcare il lunario mentre i genitori brillano per la loro assenza. Il loro primo incontro è un disastro totale. La proposta dell’hotel di Zoey viene massacrata durante la riunione del consiglio comunale, e Matt non è proprio il suo fan numero uno. Ma quando la reputazione di lei è a pezzi e le finanze di lui sono al collasso, nasce un’idea folle: perché non fingere di essere fidanzati? Lei riconquista la fiducia della comunità, lui ottiene l’aiuto economico di cui ha bisogno. Che può mai andare storto con un piano del genere?
Naturalmente, quello che doveva essere solo un accordo commerciale si trasforma in qualcosa di molto più pericoloso e reale. Mentre Zoey scopre quanto le piace questo nuovo mondo fatto di genuinità e calore umano, Matt si rende conto che forse è ora di smettere di vivere in modalità pilota automatico. Ma riusciranno a distinguere tra ciò che è finto e ciò che è autentico prima che sia troppo tardi?

Zoey all’inizio potrebbe sembrare la classica ragazza di città un po’ fredda e spigolosa, ma vi assicuro che sotto quella corazza c’è una donna profondamente vulnerabile e sola. È cresciuta con la pressione di dover ereditare l’impero di famiglia, ma quello che desidera davvero è trovare il suo posto nel mondo, un posto dove possa essere sé stessa senza dover costantemente dimostrare il suo valore. Il suo viaggio di crescita personale è semplicemente magnifico da seguire. La vediamo passare dal voler solo portare a termine un progetto al desiderare sinceramente di fare del bene per la comunità di Pine Falls. E il rapporto complicato con il padre aggiunge profondità e rende il suo percorso ancora più toccante.

Se cercate il fidanzato ideale da romanzo, Matt è il vostro uomo! È il perfetto mix tra dolcezza e forza: un fiorista dal cuore tenero che farebbe qualsiasi cosa per proteggere sua sorella. Il modo in cui si prende cura di Daphne è una delle cose più belle di tutto il libro e si vede quanto la ami e quanto sia disposto a sacrificare per il suo benessere. Sì, all’inizio può sembrare un po’ scontroso ma si ammorbidisce in fretta e diventa il tipo di uomo che pagherei oro per incontrare.

Zoey e Matt si completano alla perfezione: lei lo aiuta a uscire dalla routine quotidiana e a pensare al suo futuro, lui le insegna che va benissimo seguire i propri sogni anche se vanno contro le aspettative familiari. Le scene spicy ci sono, ma non sono lì tanto per. Sono credibili, coerenti col modo in cui si avvicinano l’uno all’altra. Niente cringe, per fortuna.

La storia scorre che è una meraviglia e ho letteralmente divorato il libro in una sola volta perché non riuscivo a staccarmi!

Un altro punto a favore è la rappresentazione dell’autismo attraverso Daphne. È trattato in modo realistico, senza romanticizzazioni o stereotipi, e questo rende la dinamica familiare ancora più credibile.

Se devo trovare un difetto: forse avrei voluto un po’ più tempo per vedere crescere certi passaggi del loro legame. Ma non è qualcosa che rovina la lettura. Anzi.


ENG
First of all, thanks to Victory Editing for the review copy. I’d never read anything by Elodie Colliard before, but this book really surprised me. I don’t know what I was expecting, but I definitely wasn’t expecting to finish it in one afternoon, glued to the pages like I had nothing better to do (spoiler: I had tons of things to do).

Tropes
Fake Dating
Small Town
Rivals to Lovers
Found Family
Slow Burn
City Girl x Small Town Boy
Open Door Romance
No Third-Act Breakup
One Night Stand

Zoey Delacroix is an heiress determined to earn her place in the family hotel empire, but also to prove she’s worth more than daddy’s expectations. Her goal? Build a hotel right in the small town where her father had failed miserably years before.
Matt Becker is a florist juggling a thousand responsibilities: running his business, taking care of Daphne (his autistic teenage sister), and trying to make ends meet while his parents are notably absent. Their first meeting is a complete disaster. Zoey’s hotel proposal gets torn apart at the town council meeting, and Matt isn’t exactly her biggest fan. But when her reputation is in ruins and his finances are falling apart, a crazy idea is born: why not pretend to be engaged? She wins back the community’s trust, he gets the financial help he needs. What could possibly go wrong with a plan like that?
Naturally, what was supposed to be just a business arrangement turns into something much more dangerous and real. While Zoey discovers how much she likes this new world full of authenticity and human warmth, Matt realizes that maybe it’s time to stop living on autopilot. But will they be able to tell the difference between what’s fake and what’s real before it’s too late?

Zoey might seem like the typical cold, sharp-edged city girl at first, but I promise there’s a deeply vulnerable and lonely woman underneath that armor. She grew up with the pressure of having to inherit the family empire, but what she really wants is to find her place in the world, a place where she can be herself without constantly having to prove her worth. Her personal growth journey is simply wonderful to follow. We see her go from just wanting to complete a project to genuinely wanting to do good for the Pine Falls community. And her complicated relationship with her father adds depth and makes her journey even more touching.

If you’re looking for the perfect book boyfriend, Matt is your man! He’s the perfect mix of sweetness and strength: a tender-hearted florist who would do anything to protect his sister. The way he takes care of Daphne is one of the most beautiful things in the whole book, and you can see how much he loves her and how willing he is to sacrifice for her wellbeing. Yes, he might seem a bit gruff at first, but he softens quickly and becomes the kind of man I’d pay good money to meet.

Zoey and Matt complement each other perfectly: she helps him break out of his daily routine and think about his future, he teaches her that it’s perfectly fine to follow your dreams even if they go against family expectations. The spicy scenes are there, but they’re not just thrown in randomly. They’re believable and consistent with how they get closer to each other. Nothing cringeworthy, thankfully.

The story flows beautifully and I literally devoured the book in one sitting because I couldn’t put it down.

Another plus is the representation of autism through Daphne. It’s handled realistically, without romanticization or stereotypes, and this makes the family dynamic even more believable.

If I have to find a flaw: maybe I would have liked a bit more time to see certain parts of their bond develop. But it’s not something that ruins the reading experience. Not at all.

ARC Review

This upcoming release is a small-town, cozy charmer containing emotional depth that takes place in Pine Falls. Matt is a florist who is juggling financial strain and guardianship of his teenage sister, and Zoey wants to prove her worth by securing a land in town, a hotel heiress. The town votes don’t go her way, however. Matt suggests a fake relationship to secure his spot in her investment program, as well as to win back her favor.

The book is warm and empowering, expressing themes of community, rewriting one’s future, self-discovery, and more. Overall, I really enjoyed this read!

<b> Some Tropes: </b>
Small Town Charm
Fake Dating
Rivals to Lovers
Dual POV
Found Family

A fake dating romance that was excellent, and I loved the connection that developed the main characters. Zoey was a character who was searching for her own place in the world and would undergo some growth that would enable her to get to see would have a positive impact on her life and learn who she needed cut out. Matt was such a brilliant character who would help Zoey achieve her goals and determine what she wanted to do in the future.

This book was brilliantly written and I love the plot and the way it progressed to an amazing ending.

Oh my god.

I am in love with Zoë and Matt, I could truly feel their love for each other through reading.
The autism representation was done beautifully and I really applaud the way the author has done research and accurately represented the way autism can be.

I honestly loved this book I couldn’t put it down once I picked it up!!

This was a super cute small town romance! It was a quick, cozy read that I really enjoyed.

I really appreciated that the author was able to write an interesting, compelling story and still have characters that communicated well and didn’t fall captive to the dreaded miscommunication trope.

I definitely look forward to returning to this setting in future books!

Thank you to Victory Editing NetGalley Co-op and to NetGalley for giving me access to this eARC!

Ok THIS waa such a cute read. I'm obsessed. Fallen in love with the characters from the very beginning!

I felt topics in this book were spoke about really well and honestly it just made me happy reading it. The pace of the book was perfect and it flowed very well!

The main characters were so loveable and the story between them was just chefs kiss! It was the first book i've read by this author and i'll definitley be reading more!

Thank you to Netgalley & the publisher for this lovely arc!

First time reading Elodie and I enjoyed her style. It was not my favorite romance and some of the dialogue came across a little hokey for my taste but overall it was a cute read. It tackled alot of topics really well and I would recommend it to others.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the opportunity to read this arc.

As a parent of a child with autism, I have stopped reading books in the past that I felt did not give a good description or look into life with autism. I felt in this book, Eloise Colliard did a great job of representing not only what it could look like in Daphne but also in the different way other people react around a person’s needs.

Overall, I really enjoyed reading this book. It was a cute book that did not have a third act breakup (which literally drives me crazy!!)

4.5 ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️✨

🌸 ‘I was relentless in my quest to become the perfect daughter. To deserve the status of heir to his empire.’ 🌸

I really enjoyed this book! There aren’t many romance books that I have read and enjoyed, normally I am a fantasy/romantasy reader, but this book was an exception! I loved that although the story revolved around the romance between Zoé and Matt, there was so much more to the story than that! 💗

Zoey Delacroix has been brought up her whole life by her father to take over her father’s hotel empire, but first she must convince shareholders that she finally has what it takes to take over. She must secure a piece of land in the small town of Pine Falls, something her father failed to do. Meanwhile, Matt Becker is stretched thin, running his own flower shop and caring for his sister whilst his parents are away, all whilst trying to have enough money to pay for her expensive private school. He needs money, a lot of it and fast.

When Zoey’s hotel proposal at the town hall meeting turns into chaos, she finds an unexpected lifeline: Matt. He suggests a fake relationship to win back the towns favour, in turn for a spot in her small business investment programme. It’s strictly business… until it isn’t. Zoey starts to question whether she really wants the life her father has created for her, and she starts to realise how much she fits in with Pine Falls and its people. As lines blur and real feelings get tangled in their fake romance, Matt and Zoey must find the nerve to rewrite their future or risk losing the one thing they never saw coming: a shot at love.🌲

🌸 ‘I’ve been alone for so long. It seems impossible sometimes to picture a life where I’m not. Where I’m happy. Where I do what I love. Where I can truly be myself. The price always seemed to high to pay.’ 🌸

This book covered so many great topics and had a lot of depth, like struggles with finding your own identity and path in life- this is something that so many of us can relate to some extent. Also, it was great was that there was autistic representation within this book! I loved Daphne as a character, she was so sweet and I love how much she loves flowers- I also love that Matt named his flower shop after her!

I also thought that Matt and Zoe’s relationship was really enjoyable to read about! I love that Matt teaches her, along with the people in the town, that it is ok to live a life that you want for yourself, even if it goes against the wants of your family and people around you. I thought that their relationship also developed pretty naturally, going from fake dating to love as the book goes on. I enjoyed it! This is a great book for summer if you love small-town, contemporary romance books! 💗

Tropes in the book! 🎀
~ fake dating
~ small town romance
~ slow burn
~ city girl x small town boy
~ rivals to lovers
~ open door romance

Thank you to Netgalley and to the publisher for approving me for this ARC! 🌷

I love Hoax And Kisses so much that I'm not sure my review can do it justice.
Let me just start by saying that I'll never recover from Matt and Zoey's story!
Zoey, the FMC, is a strong and independent woman who constantly has to hide her truest self in order to be accepted. From page one I wanted nothing more than to hug her and tell her "I see you, I feel you, and I hope you'll find unconditional love in your life".
Matt is the most perfect MMC ever! Showing your softer side is soooo difficult. But then you find a person like him and you instinctively know you can trust him with your true feelings. He truly is the softest, kindest, and most understanding MMC ever written. He's precious and a true protector. I mean, a MMC who spends hours on Google Translate listening and repeating the FMC's foreign name until he can pronounce it correctly must be protected at all costs! Am I right or am I right?!
The romance between these two is perfection! From the moment Matt and Zoey met, I started grinning like crazy and I never stopped until the end of the book. Seriously, the disaster meet cute, the teasing, the banter, the sparks flying between them, the fake dating arrangement, and the sweet moments were so perfectly written that it all felt like the most classic romance I never get tired of reading and rereading!
The spice is the PERFECT mix of sweet, vulnerable, and so damn hot! Just read chapter 24 (aka my new all time favorite chapter) and you'll understand what I mean. I swear chapter 24 of this book is my new obsession! I highlighted every single line of it and I am not sorry about it!
The side characters are just wonderful! I wish James and Lola were my best friends. Daphne is the most precious girl. And Freddy the cat is the meanest and yet cutest side character ever written. I'm not surprised I love them all so much. I mean, Matt was a side character in Elodie's previous book and that is all it took for him to have readers wrapped around his finger.
I am already so in love with Pine Falls and its residents that I really cannot wait to read the other books in the series!
Just like Pine Falls, Elodie's stories have a way of pulling you in and giving you a break from your life, and I am here for it!

First, I loved the cover. I was drawn in by the fact it was cute in a Vintage way.

I loved Matt and Zoey. They had two very different and yet similar storylines. Regardless of their different family backgrounds, they have similar traumas that they grow through together.

I love a fake dating book with a happy ending, and this delivers just that. I thought it was written very well, and I enjoyed how much depth and description were given to their story. I completely fell in love with Matt's sister, Daphne. I completely hated Zoey's dad, but that was definitely the point.

All in all, this was a one day read that I couldn't put down. I was not disappointed. It had the perfect mix of romance and storyline. It never felt overdone and flowed beautifully.

Thank you to the author Elodie Colliard and the publisher for the e-ARC of Hoax and Kisses!

I didn’t expect to love this book so much. What started as a fun fake dating/small town romance quickly turned into something deeper, more heartfelt, and honestly just really well done.

One of the things I appreciated most was the gender role reversal — Zoey is a successful, big-city businesswoman, and Matt is a small-town florist with a quiet strength. Their dynamic felt fresh and natural. I also adored the way their relationship developed — the chemistry, the banter, the slow build of emotional intimacy. It was the perfect mix of sweet and swoony.

The neurodivergent rep was another highlight for me. Matt’s autistic sister is written with so much care and nuance, and the way the book portrayed the challenges she faces — especially from family — was both eye-opening and realistic.

And let’s not forget: no miscommunication trope (a personal favorite), meaningful conversations, two genuinely kind and caring characters, and one quote that had me squealing — “I don’t want to exist in a world where you’re not mine.”