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Only Make Believe
189 pages
A breezy, theatrical romance where the lines between a paid performance and genuine passion delightfully blur.
What it feels like
This is a delightfully escapist romance that leans hard into the theatricality of the fake-dating trope. The reading experience is brisk and breezy, wrapping the reader in a lighthearted atmosphere where every staged glance and rehearsed touch crackles with unintended chemistry. The prose is accessible and dialogue-heavy, keeping the focus squarely on the emotional friction between two people who are desperately trying to maintain their professional distance. As the charade deepens, the mood shifts from playful performance to swoony vulnerability, exploring the tender reality of dropping one's guard. It is a perfect comfort read for anyone who loves watching pragmatic boundaries dissolve into genuine affection, offering a satisfying journey from a manufactured happily-ever-after to the real thing.
- Mood
- escapist
- breezy
- swoony
- theatrical
- Tone
- lighthearted
- earnest
- playful
- romantic
- Pace
- brisk
- Themes
- blurring fantasy and reality · dropping facades · escaping the past · unexpected vulnerability
- The writing
- Accessible and dialogue-driven, focusing on the immediate emotional friction between the protagonists.
- The arc
- Moves from guarded pragmatism and performative distance to genuine vulnerability and romantic surrender.
- Who it's for
- Readers who devour classic fake-dating tropes and love watching a pragmatic charade melt into genuine affection.
Content notes
- financial distress
- deception
About the book
The Bride was pretending. The Groom was, too. The Wedding was real--the second time!
Nikki didn't really want to impersonate Caressa, one of the world's most famous women, in a fake "celebrity wedding." But she'd go through the charade of marrying Gil Chandler, the man pretending to be Caressa's fiance, if it meant she could say goodbye to the seedy nightclub she'd been forced to call home. Nikki could finally start a new life with the money Caressa was willing to pay.
The elaborately staged ceremony might fool the press and divert the paparazzi's attention from Caressa's real wedding, but could Nikki convince herself that her growing attraction to Gil was only make-believe? Or could this be the dress rehearsal for the real thing?
Description from Open Library.
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