Faking Christmas

Title: Faking Christmas

Series: Christmas Escape #3

Author: Cindy Steel

Narrator: Justis Bolding

Publisher: Independently Published

Genre: Christmas, RomCom, Contemporary Romance

Source: Hoopla

My Review:

Faking Christmas is technically a part of the Christmas Escape series, but each book stands alone. Overall, I enjoyed Justis Bolding's narration. I didn't like her voice for Chloe, Olive's sister, I felt like it was too manly.

Cindy Steel nails the romcom vibes. Not just with this book, but with others I have read of hers as well. 

While this is intended to be a lighter read, there are elements of grief as Olive is still grieving her father, who had died the previous holiday season, while also struggling with her mom having a new husband.

Olive and Miles are both English teachers, but Miles is the new teacher on the block, plus he is an author. Olive can't stand him. She thinks he's smug and bossy.

Read for: 

🎄fake dating

🎄Christmas Bingo

🎄enemies to more

🎄He sees her

🎄witty banter

🎄nicknames

🎄LOL moments

🎄heartfelt moments

🎄mistletoe kisses

Had I known there would be elements of grief, I would have skipped this one this year. But I would have missed out on a great story. The grief parts were triggering for me, but only because of a situation I am currently walking through. They were not too much, and they were done extremely well. I adored Miles and Olive together, and I laughed so much at their banter and antics. I highly recommend this one.

★★★★★/5

BOOK 8 Christmas reading challenge

Synopsis (Goodreads):  

One little white lie.

That's all it took. Now I'm suddenly having to fake-date my work nemesis to get me through a week at a Vermont Christmas lodge with my family.

The problem? I can't stand Miles Taylor. Not only that, but I don't date people I work with. But I can handle it. I've had practice faking my emotions for years. So it shouldn't matter that Miles never lets me get away with anything. And that he happens to boil my blood hotter than a steaming pot of wassail. So when he throws his annoying grin my way or forces me on dates he knows I'll hate, I'll just grit my teeth and smile.

Or maybe not. Did I mention that Miles is the one person in the world I can't seem to fool?

When my emotions begin feeling less like a sham and his arms feel way too comfortable, it makes me think that maybe Miles had a plan of his own. And I'm starting to like it a lot more than mine.