Book Review: The Fake Mate

I love a good fake dating romcom and The Fake Mate by Lana Ferguson was such a fun read!

Side note: can you see the deer in the background under the tree? Perfect backdrop for this shifter romcom.

This novel follows Mackenzie Carter and Noah Taylor. Mack is an ER doctor and Noah is a interventional cardiologist working at the same hospital. Noah is well known at the hospital because he’s brilliant and since he mostly keeps to himself people think he’s scary. Rumors abound in the hospital with stories like that he makes nurses cry etc.

Mack and Noah may have different personalities, but they do have something in common – they’re both shifters. Noah is an alpha, which he didn’t originally disclose to the hospital because alphas are stereotyped to be aggressive and even violent. If the hospital knew they might not have hired him because of the perception of alphas. Someone found out though and made an anonymous tip to the hospital board and now his career is on the line. One thing that could save his career? If alphas are mated they are supposedly calmer.

As luck would have it, Mack has had a string of horrible dates. She’s not even that interested in dating, but her grandmother is on her case constantly about getting a boyfriend. Finally one day while on the phone with her grandma, she lies and says she has a boyfriend. When her grandma asks for details about him, the first person she sees is Noah.

The two begin to talk and realize that fake dating could be mutually beneficial to them both. Mack has a “boyfriend” to keep her grandma off her back. Noah would tell the board that he has a mate to appease them and keep his career safe. But can they keep the dating fake?

I loved this book. Mack and Noah were both really good characters and I love that Mack was also a doctor. The two really brought out the best in each other. Mack found someone she could see herself actually being with and committing to and Noah found someone he actually wanted to let in, spend time with, and be social with.

The spice was good and so hot especially since it’s a shifter romance (spoiler: knotting is involved). I’m becoming a big Lana Ferguson fan!

Read this if you want a spicy shifter romcom with the fake dating trope.

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