When You Fake Date a Stranger by Lia Huni: Book Review

 *Book received for consideration. All thoughts are my own.

When Rob Mead, the brilliant, handsome, wealthy CEO of AppTech, asked Gina Wilkes to attend a fundraiser as his fake girlfriend, she jumped at the chance. Even if she didn't owe him a favor, networking with Portland's rich and successful might offer an opportunity to increase her client roster when she wraps up this project and returns to her marketing job in Los Angeles.

Then one of Rob's coworkers tells a well-known gossip that the two are engaged. Soon everyone is in on the "secret."
Now Gina and Rob are on their way to Rob's hometown to set the story straight.

Except Rob is starting to have second thoughts. Fake relationships always work out in the movies. Maybe they can in real life, too. Can he convince Gina to give them a try?

When You Fake Date a Stranger is a sweet romantic comedy that won't steam your glasses. Perfect for fans of Sariah Wilson, Jenny Proctor, and Kate O'Keeffe, this sparkling romcom features a cinnamon roll hero, a strong, sassy heroine, and a supporting cast you'll want to grab a beer with. Plus lots of chemistry, sizzle, and a happily ever after.

Lia Huni writes sweet romantic comedy that won't steam your glasses. After travelling the world with the Air Force, she moved with her husband and three children to a small town in the mountains of Oregon that bears no resemblance to the town in her books. Well, not much.

Okay, there's a strong resemblance, but it's completely accidental.

You can learn more about Lia's books at liahuni.com

I don't know what it is about the fake dating trope... but they draw me in every single time. As such, with a title like When You Fake Date a Stranger, I was excited to jump into this one. And it did not disappoint! Rob and Gina were so fun together all on their own--- but when you add in the chaos of meddling family members and the small-town gossip mill? It had me smiling throughout the story and enjoying every single moment! 

Rob's character is described as being 'on the edge of the spectrum'. I've recently really enjoyed seeing more neurodivergent leading characters, but I also must admit that I can be a little apprehensive when I see books that take on autism. Having an autistic child, I can be rather picky and protective on this front, but this story didn't fall into some of the issues that I often see. Rob is one of two characters on the spectrum we get to know in this story, and it was nice to see different sides shown. I also appreciated the author's note reminding readers that these are just two characters and not meant to represent every single person on the spectrum. Having children on the spectrum herself, I feel like the author handled this topic quite well overall. 

This is the first book in a new series- When in Rotheberg. However, it does feature many characters from the author's previous series- Stolen Hearts of Rotheberg. I hadn't personally read any of the previous series, and while I was certainly able to enjoy this one just fine, there were a few times when these other characters were mentioned that I felt like maybe there was some back story for them I was missing... and I'm sure some spoilers were probably given too, so it wouldn't hurt to read those first. I look forward to going back and reading them myself! 

This is a closed-door romance with great chemistry, but nothing beyond kisses. There was no language in this book. 

Overall, this was a really fun read and one that fans of fake dating and small-town charm are sure to want to check out for themselves.