10 Fake Dating Romances to Read Today

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Fake dating and fake marriage are hallmark tropes in romance novels. And, oh my goodness, can they be fun. Not only do we get a swoony romance, but we also get the added drama and humour of two people (often practically strangers) trying to make their relationship look legit.
This trope is right behind enemies to lovers/hate to love in my favourite romance trope list.
Read on for some fantastic fake dating and fake marriage novels, and a few that I haven’t read yet but have heard fantastic things about. (Yes, you’ll see a few repeat authors, because some people are just really darn good at writing fake relationships.)
Fake Dating Romances I’ve Read

The Unhoneymooners by Christina Lauren
When Olive and Ethan are the only two people at their siblings’ wedding to avoid a nasty food-borne illness, they pretend to be married so they can take the all-expenses paid honeymoon that Olive’s twin sister won. Not only does Olive have to pretend to be her sister, but she has to pretend to be in love with a man she despises. To top it all off, she runs into her brand new boss there and the faking it gets a little out of control. (Fake marriage AND enemies to lovers? Yes, please!)
Grab yourself a copy: Chapters-Indigo | Bookshop.org

The Kiss Quotient by Helen Hoang
For Stella, math is what makes the world make sense. And relationships are tricky, even more so for her because she is an Autistic person. She knows she needs practice, so she hires gorgeous escort Micheal Phan to help her. At first, their relationship is all about teaching her the mechanics of the bedroom. But soon, her training becomes relationship practice.
Note: This book is the first in a series.
Grab yourself a copy: Chapters-Indigo | Bookshop.org

The Wedding Date by Jasmine Guillory
When Drew and Alexa get stuck in a hotel elevator togethers, sparks fly so much that Drew asks Alexa to be his plus-one, to his ex-girlfriend’s wedding, tomorrow. Alexa does the unthinkable and actually says yes. Between getting to know one another, faking out his ex’s family and friends, and trying to figure out if this has the potential to be the real thing, the weekend (and the next, and the next, and the next) get complicated.
Note: This book is the first in a series.
Grab yourself a copy: Chapters-Indigo | Bookshop.org

Roomies by Christina Lauren
Holland has a huge crush on the street musician who plays in one particular subway station. When he saves her from a random attacker, she pays him back by getting him an audition with her uncle, a Broadway music director. The problem, Calvin’s Irish, not American, and his visa expired a long time ago. Holland and Calvin get married to get him a work permit…and now they have to prove to immigration that their relationship is the real deal.
Grab yourself a copy: Chapters-Indigo | Bookshop.org

Fix Her Up by Tessa Bailey
Georgie wants to be taken seriously. But since she chose party-planning, clowning, and making people laugh instead of her family’s renovation business, nobody treats her as an adult. When her big brother’s best friend, and her childhood crush, Travis Ford ends up back in town, she proposes a plan. What if the people thought they were a couple? His stardom as an, albeit injured, baseball star will make people see her as an adult, and a steady relationship with a hometown girl will help him land a family-friendly new job.
Note: This book is the first in a series.
Grab yourself a copy: Chapters-Indigo | Bookshop.org

To All the Boys I’ve Loved Before by Jenny Han (YA)
When Lara Jean discovers that all the secret letters she wrote to her old crushes have been mailed, she and her childhood friend, and now popular guy Peter decide to fake a relationship. Peter thinks being with Lara Jean will help him get back with his ex-girlfriend. And Lara Jean wants to prove to her other old crush—her big sister’s boyfriend—that she is over him.
Note: This book is the first in a series.
Grab yourself a copy: Chapters-Indigo | Bookshop.org
Fake Dating Romances I Want to Read

If I Never Met You: A Novel by Mhairi McFarlane
When Laurie’s long-term boyfriend breaks up with her, and then news of his new girlfriend’s pregnancy hits, her life is completely turned upside down. It doesn’t help that she and her ex work together at the same law firm. To deal with the humiliation, and give the offie gossip something else to focus on, she recruits the office playboy to partner up in a fake romance.
Grab yourself a copy: Chapters-Indigo | Bookshop.org

Fake It Till You Break It by Jenn P. Nguyen (YA)
Mia and Jake have known each other their whole lives and can’t stand each other. But their mothers, who are best friends, are determined to make their kids the perfect couple. But Mia and Jake have a plan, to fake a relationship, and the most epic of breakups, to get their moms off their backs. It turns out though…they might not really hate each other anymore…
Grab yourself a copy: Chapters-Indigo | Bookshop.org

The Real Deal: A Novel by Lauren Blakely
April needs to show her family that she’s doing just fine in life so they stop trying to set her up with every man they know. So when it’s time to head home for the summer family reunion, she brings along boyfriend-for-hire Theo. Theo needs this one last job as a fake boyfriend, and then he will be able to move forward in his life. But when they start to fall for each other they wonder if it’s possible this is the real deal.
Grab yourself a copy: Chapters-Indigo | Bookshop.org

Island Affair by Priscilla Olivieras
Sara feels like the odd one out among her successful siblings, even though she’s a social media influencer who has big things coming down the pipe. When her boyfriend no-shows for her family’s beach vacation, she convinces Luis, a swoony firefighter, to pretend to be her fiance. When the vacation ends, they have to figure out if this fake relationship could be real and how to make that happen.
Note: This book is the first in a series.
Grab yourself a copy: Chapters-Indigo | Bookshop.org

As you can see, I’ve read a fair number of fake dating / fake marriage novels. It is one of my favourite romance tropes. If you’re looking for a fun romance read, these might be right up your alley.
What are your favourite fake relationship romance novels?

Kim
…I just added every single one of these to my goodreads, THANK YOU VERY MUCH. ;D
Nic
Hi Trisha! I just read ‘If I Never Met You’ by Mhairi McFarlane, which fits this category perfectly, and would highly recommend it.
Trisha
Thanks you, Nic, for reminding me of that one! I’ve been meaning to read it. Gonna go add it to my library holds list right now. 😃
Nic
I am an idiot and just realised you posted about ‘If I never met you’ – I didn’t recognize the cover 🙂 It’s great, I’m sure you’ll enjoy it!
Trisha
Lol! That’s the difficulty with different covers for different markets. 😂