This is my second book by this author and I really enjoyed it! If you are a small town romance fan at all, this is a series that you will probably want to start! I'm excited to see where the next book takes us! This book follows Zoey, who works for her father in his property development company. She is basically married to her job and has never done what she actually wants to do. When her father discusses retiring, he tells her that she will have to prove herself in order to take over. She decides to head to the small town of Pine Falls to convince the town to let their company build a hotel in town. She is met with a lot of resistance, especially from Matt, the local florist. Despite their initial distaste for each other, their fake relationship ends up becoming more real than either of them thought it could be.

The love story is very sweet, the romance feels realistic and I was rooting for them the whole time. I loved reading about how Zoe finds herself and finally does what she really wants. There was also some great Autism representation with Matt's little sister.

This is such a great romance read and I definitely recommend it!

OMG, this fake dating romance was so cute! The main characters were amazing and had so much chemistry. It was the perfect amount of sweet and spicy. It was written really well, and it gave me those Gilmore Girls vibes, which I loved. The author did a great job with the autism representation, too. The side characters were adorable and made the story even better

OMG I LOVED this small-town romance. I finished it in under 48 hours and feel like I immediately need to continue with the other three books by Elodie Colliard. I especially loved the autism representation, the lovely small town setting (would like to move to Pine Falls immediately) and the kind & charming habitants of Pine Falls. I very much related to Zoé's Struggles with meeting her parents expectations. I did struggle a bit throughout the book as I expected her dad to pull some kind of stunt and worried about the possible outcome. I loved the open communication and tenderness in the relationship of Matt and Zoé.
There were online two details that slightly bothered me (for which I would subtract a half-star if I could): the random squirting in one of the spicy scenes very early on in the book after what felt like five seconds of fingering and the fact that we find out about half the way in that the FMCs name is Zoé not Zoey but the chapter headers still use Zoey after that revelation (although it is very cute that Matt doesn't).
All in all a wonderful romance novel, perfect for any fan of a cute small-town romance.

I will post my review on goodreads after the publishing date.

it's cute!! it had me in the first part, i thought it's be one of those all think no talk books, but it proved me wrong!! i loved their development and the blossoming not only of their relationships but their personal lives! will def be continuing to follow this series

This was very nearly a DNF for me. There's a good set up and the characters have good bones, but it only works in fits and starts. There are emotional outbursts that are not well grounded and then immediately backtracked, repetitions of simple details, and conclusions leapt to in the characters' minds that aren't well tracked. The greatest strength is its charming small town setting, charmingly described.

I totally fell head over heels for Hoax and Kisses! I wasn’t even two chapters in before I was smitten with the town of Pine Falls, the quirky cast of characters, and of course, the electric chemistry between the leads.

The setup? Utterly delightful. A fake relationship that feels anything but fake, a charmingly nosy small town that lives for drama, and two people who clearly aren’t fooling anyone but themselves. I loved the banter, the tension, the swoony moments that sneak up on you when you least expect them. Elodie Colliard knows exactly how to deliver the emotional payoff while keeping it playful and warm.

Our heroine is sharp, funny, and vulnerable in ways that feel real — no cookie-cutter lead here. And the love interest? Ugh. Adorable. Grumpy-sunshine perfection. I loved watching their dynamic evolve from spark to slow-burn to full-on inferno. All the while, the town itself is almost a character of its own — gossipy, charming, chaotic in the best way.

If you’re in the mood for a feel-good rom-com with heart, spice, and a fake dating trope done just right, do yourself a favor and add this one to your list. I already want to go back to Pine Falls.

Microtropes:
- Soft flower boy who’s not afraid to get his hands dirty.
- Golden retriever energy with a spontaneous black cat attitude.
- Inappropriate use of a public bathroom.
- Both of them are excellent at holding up walls 😏.

This story started out with a bang (literally 😏) and then tortured us in the best way with a perfectly executed slow burn. It was such a strong introduction to Elodie’s work; I already know I’ll be circling back to explore more of her books.

The gorgeous cover initially drew me in, and thankfully, the story absolutely lived up to it. So many swoon-worthy moments: the almost murder attempt, surprise breakfast delivery, hotel bathroom rendezvous, the market shower scene… and perhaps most importantly: NO THIRD ACT BREAKUP. Instead, when she asked for space, he respected it. They were never over, because he trusted her completely and believed in her. And that unwavering trust made the entire journey worth it.

Song of choice: Daylight by Taylor Swift

Okay, first things first: the cover is absolutely stunning. I’d like it framed, thanks.

Even though this is technically the first book in the series, coming back to Pine Falls felt like coming home. Elodie’s written in this setting before, and to me, it has full-on Stars Hollow vibes. Cozy, comforting, and filled with characters that feel like friends.

Now, about Zoey and Matt… oof, they really made my heart ache. Both go through some tough stuff (different situations, but equally hard), and it felt like they were exactly what the other didn’t know they were missing. That whole “finding your North in a person” feeling? Yeah, Matt was that for Zoey. It was soft and emotional and made me tear up more than once.

The side characters? ICONIC. Warm, funny, and full of charm — they gave the story such vibrant energy. Also, Daphne?? I adored her. The autistic rep felt natural and needed, and honestly, she added so much to the plot. I wish more books handled it this well.

Now… I have to be honest. I don’t like insta-love. And while this didn’t feel too rushed, the story does happen in a very short time frame. It left me doubting the depth of their connection a little, which was a shame because I loved them together. I just wanted a bit more build-up, more slow-burn, more “will-they-won’t-they” to really sink my teeth into. It’s the one thing that held it back from being a five-star read for me — but that’s totally a me problem.

Also, shoutout to healthy communication and no third-act breakup. I’m actually begging for more books like this, thank you.

Elodie’s writing continues to be everything I love: emotional, grounded, and beautiful in all the right ways. I didn’t want to stop reading — except adulting said otherwise. Toxic.

3.5 rounded up to 4⭐️

City girl meets small-town boy, and a one-night stand turns into fake dating, all big buzzwords for me so it’s no surprise I enjoyed this one. The writing captivated me from the first chapter, and the characters’ backstories were well flashed out. The rest of the characters made up the perfect cozy small-town vibes I love so much. The only reason why the rating wasn’t higher is that the relationships setups could have been stronger. I liked how Zoey and Matt met and the initial tension between them but the switch from heated rivals to supportive friends (and more) could have been more fluid. The same goes for the townspeople, I wanted more scenes of Zoey creating friendships and a life there she didn’t want to leave.
Zoey's relationship with her mom was also quite confusing, most of her internal dialogue was based on the idea that she never had someone in her corner but every time she talked about her mom she was described as someone reliable and loving so it was a bit weird in my opinion.

That said, I really enjoyed how supportive Matt was of Zoey, how he challenged her to open up and discover a side of her that she had kept locked away for a long time. The autistic representation was also very appreciated and it felt like Colliard handled it with the care it deserves. I would recommend this to people who enjoy a softer kind of romance, like the Oxford Series by Clare Ashton or some books from Chloe Liese.

I’m intrigued about the previous series and curious to know more about Charlee and Oliver’s story. I'm still deciding whether to go back and read it, but I will definitely continue with this series. I can’t wait to learn more about Lola and James!!

- 𝑯𝒐𝒂𝒙 𝒂𝒏𝒅 𝑲𝒊𝒔𝒔𝒆𝒔 𝒃𝒚 𝑬𝒍𝒐𝒅𝒊𝒆 𝑪𝒐𝒍𝒍𝒊𝒂𝒓𝒅, 𝒓𝒆𝒍𝒆𝒂𝒔𝒊𝒏𝒈 𝑨𝒖𝒈𝒖𝒔𝒕 𝟐𝟔𝒕𝒉

𝘛𝘳𝘰𝘱𝘦𝘴:
✰ 𝘴𝘮𝘢𝘭𝘭 𝘵𝘰𝘸𝘯
✰ 𝘰𝘯𝘦 𝘯𝘪𝘨𝘩𝘵 𝘴𝘵𝘢𝘯𝘥
✰ 𝘳𝘪𝘷𝘢𝘭𝘴 𝘵𝘰 𝘭𝘰𝘷𝘦𝘳𝘴
✰ 𝘧𝘢𝘬𝘦 𝘥𝘢𝘵𝘪𝘯𝘨

This book was a joy to read! Fake dating excellence romance between two rivals set in a charming small town... also giving huge Gilmore Girls vibes.
The romance between Matt and Zoey was the perfect mix of sweet, comfort, angst and spice. I loved them together and how they got there.
I also really appreciated how much care the author put in the autism representation and one of my favorite things about this read was how beautiful the relationship between Matt and his sister was.

In general this book is delightful and heartwarming and I highly recommend picking it up as soon as it's released!

*arc kindly provided in exchange of an honest review

This was a swoony story featuring a fake dating premise between a guarded city girl and a protective and sweet small town guy.

It had a good balance of heart and spice with great chemistry between the main characters.
There was a bit of insta-lust, but they were slow to open up and be vulnerable with each other because of past wounds.

I appreciated the accurate representation of autism with Matt's sister.

All in all it's a comforting and heartwarming book with enough angst to give it emotional depth.

Small town, Hallmark style romance with the classic premise of opposites attract with a humble small town guy and a well-to-do big city girl.

Zoey works for her dad’s luxury hotel chain and is challenged with winning a bid for land to build another hotel within one month to earn her place as successor to her dad’s business. Matt is a florist in the small town who is opposed to any big hotel chains trying to take over the town.

Tropes:
- opposites attract
- small town
- enemies to lovers
- fake dating
- found family

I disliked both Zoey and Matt to begin with, which I think was due to the opening scene for Zoey and to do with Matt’s general demeanor coming off as rude at times. I did warm to them and really liked them together in the end. Matt was a great big brother to Daphne. Some of the storyline was a bit unbelievable or not fully explored at times (Matt’s mum and how long she had treated Daphne the way she did just to change because Zoey had one little conversation with her, how things ended with Zoey and her dad) but I enjoyed it overall and liked the minor characters in the town and would definitely read another book about one of them.

Great small town, cosy vibes!

3.5 stars

What a fun small town romance, a one night stand turned into fake dating.

Zoe is a city girl coming into town to make changes, Matt is the family man with the world in his shoulders. Their connection is everything, being exactly what they need to each other. I love the autism representation in this book, as an autism mama this really makes my heart happy to see. These characters were so relatable, making this book such a great read.

Thank you NetGalley for the ARC!

this is giving 2000s romcom in the best way and I ate it up! I can’t wait to pickup a physical copy of this for my library and to tell everyone I know about the cutest new love story.

3.75 stars

I'm going to start by saying this was not my favorite book from EC, yet I really like it.
What it was? I don't know, but I felt something was missing with our main couple. Like the chemistry was there, but everything happened too fast (maybe?).
I love the side characters, tho, especially Daphne. She was amazing, and the way EC wrote her it was beautiful and so real.
I love Elodie's writing style. It's emotional and beautiful, and it makes you feel like you're there with the characters, and that didn't change here.
Still, with the things i didn't love, I fully recommend this book, and I'm excited about this new series.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publishers for the chance to read this book in exchange for an honest review.

Ok. This was so cute. Elodie Colliard is becoming an instant buy author for me quickly!

Small town romance, fake dating, enemies to lovers…i ate this up. I saw the description said The Holiday meets Gilmore Girls and that fits this so perfectly. Zoey and Matt had so much chemistry, from their very first interaction I was HOOKED! You know when it starts fiery and angry it’s going to turn hot. Matt was so undeniably attracted to Zoey. I loved how much he couldn’t deny himself.

Ok, then the side things. Matt’s sister Daphne, who is autistic. I loved her!! He would tear the world apart for her, and for her to be seen and accepted and to have people love her for her. The struggle with his parents hurt my heart so much. How much he wanted things to be good for her in life and for her to thrive. How much he melted when Zoey was able to meet them where they were, PERFECT.

I loved getting more with characters we met in Unbearably Yours. All of the side characters were so good. The setting and all the townspeople really brought the Gilmore Girls comparisons to life.

Honestly I could see Zoey and Matt as a Luke and Lorelai just a different font.

Highly enjoyed this one.

This book is like a hallmark movie with the big shot city business person falling for the small town hero just minus christmas and i loved reading it.

The story was enjoyable, I wasn’t a huge fan of the insta-love/lust but I really enjoyed the couple. I also enjoyed the small town aspect of the whole thing and how even when things ended differently she still found a way to make it right.

Zoe being the businesswoman was a really fun part of the story, especially because she really seemed to really cared how she impacted the people. I was so glad when she finally decided to take the reins of her own life and stop pleasing her father. Her dads ending was also satisfying and he totally got what he deserved. Her love for the town grew in a very organic way which I loved and honestly she really did care even when she had just gotten there.

Matt, he was honestly so sweet once we got past the rudeness. I really didn’t like his mom but I am glad she had her character development. I feel like while Matt was a great brother, he still was too responsible for a child that wasn’t his even if it was his sister and only for a month. His role as a brother very quickly turned into the role of caretaker in the eyes of his parent and I did not like that. While I semi-understood his parents wanting a vacation I feel like they should have prioritized their literal child.

I really loved seeing autistic representation in books, I feel like it’s one of the many topics that should be more talked about. Daphne was honestly such a great character and addition to the story, I loved her. the amount of this she knew about flowers was probably my favorite thing about her and she really seemed to love it, it gave her confidence and comfort. The care that her brother had for her was heartwarming and their sibling relationship was incredible.

The book was amazing especially for a cozy, reliable and light read. i honestly look forward to the rest of the series in this universe.

Hoax and Kisses was an enjoyable read. This small town, fake relationship book is sweet and spicy in all the right places. Matt and Zoey are hot and heavy at first, then when things go awry a fake relationship is what is needed to help. Seeing the characters learn and trust on the pages is really nice. This deals with a lot of topics, including emotion and mental abuse, betrayal and more but I really appreciated the Autism rep with Daphne, she was an absolutely amazing character to read and so see how much Matt loves her sister and how Zoey grows to love her.

First of all, thank you Netgalley for the arc and author Elodie Colliard for writing this book.

Uhm wow? This was such a cute book! I've searched up the author on google because I feel the need to read all her other books and to whoever is designing the covers- you are so so cool. All of her books covers are the prettiest things ever- of course you shouldn't judge a book based off it's cover but in this book? Yes you can, the outside and inside are equally as good!

Hoax and kisses has everything you need for a good romance book:

a double POV
great spicy scenes
countless love confessions
a basically perfect MMC
and a HEA

I adored the characters in this book, Zoey is so so sweet and Matt? This man runs a flower shop and thats all I need to say. Him and his sister have the best bond ever, I love Daphne so much (especially the part when she was defending Zoey, I was cheering her on) and the way Zoey was around her and making sure she was comfortable was perfectt.

The resolution of this book was so real, even though it was a HEA, some things just didn't go as planned which I really loved, but in the end it did make way to something even better. I feel Zoey's character arc and her realising what a terrible person her dad is, was such a big part of this book which I really liked.

Honestly, I wish this book was longer, I feel it could've done better with even more bonding scenes between Matt and Zoey because this book contained immediate attraction- which I am unfortunately not the biggest fan of. There are definitely other things which I would've like to be different (full review will be in my goodreads, linked below) but this was such a great book and I know this author will be popular.

4 stars!

https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/7753533957

Thank you Netgalley and the author for the ARC!

This book was so cute! I loved this book so much. It was another stayed up late to read book for me, because I couldn’t put it down.

Zoey and Matt had such great chemistry from the start, and it kept building throughout the book. They were so cute together, and she fit in so well in his life. Matt was so sweet and gave off serious golden retriever vibes. He was the perfect balance for Zoey and her bit of black cat personality. I loved these two together!

I loved the side characters as well, the interactions were saw were adorable and genuine. I loved how everything gave Matt crap for stuff. I laughed a few times while reading. They all had such great dynamics with each other!

This was such a great fake dating/slow burnish book! I’m seriously so in love with this book!