The Fake Mate

by Lana Ferguson

Two wolf shifters agree to be fake mates but unexpectedly find something real in this steamy paranormal romantic comedy by Lana Ferguson.
 
Mackenzie Carter has had some very bad dates lately. Model train experts, mansplainers, guys weirdly obsessed with her tail—she hasn’t had a successful date in months. Only a year out of residency, her grandmother’s obsession with Mackenzie finding the perfect mate to settle down with threatens to drive Mackenzie barking mad. Out of options, it feels like a small thing to tell her grandmother that she’s met someone. That is, until she blurts out the name of the first man she sees and the last man she would ever date: Noah Taylor, the big bad wolf of Denver General.
 
Noah Taylor, interventional cardiologist and all around grump, has spent his entire life hiding what he is. With outdated stigmas surrounding unmated alphas that have people wondering if they still howl at the moon, Noah has been careful to keep his designation under wraps. It’s worked for years, until an anonymous tip has everything coming to light. Noah is left with two options: come clean to the board and risk his career—or find himself a mate. The chatty, overly friendly ER doctor asking him to be her fake boyfriend on the same day he’s called to meet the board has to be kismet, right?
 
Mackenzie will keep her grandmother off her back, and Noah will get a chance to prove he can continue to work without a real mate—a mutually beneficial business transaction, they both rationalize. But when the fake-mate act turns into a very real friends-with-benefits arrangement, lines start to blur, and they quickly realize love is a whole different kind of animal.

• ISBN10: 0593549376
• ISBN13: 9780593549377
• Publish Date: 5 December 2023
• Publish Status: Active
• Publish Country: US
• Publisher: Penguin Putnam Inc
• Imprint: Berkley Publishing Corporation,U.S.
• Format: Paperback (US Trade)
• Pages: 352
• Language: English
• URL: https://penguinrandomhouse.com/books/isbn/9780593549377

Reviews

[Quirky Cat]

Book Summary:

Mackenzie Carter would do just about anything to get her grandmother off her back. To be fair – her grandma wants her to be happy, but she keeps equating happiness with a relationship. But Mackenzie can't take any more of these awful setups.

So yeah, she jumped at the chance to get out of that situation. So what if she has to pretend to be the fake mate of her grouchy co-worker? They can make this work, can't they? All they have to do is go on a few fake dates and tell a bunch of lies to her family and the rest of her co-workers.

My Review:

I'll be the first to admit that The Fake Mate isn't the type of book I usually snatch up with my book subs. That said, I couldn't resist! I love a good werewolf story, and the idea of a werewolf rom-com-esque novel was just too much to say no to.

The Fake Mate is split into two perspectives: Mackenzie's and Noah's (Dr. Noah Taylor to us plebs). It's a grumpy/sunshine romance with a few paranormal twists. Both have a good reason for pretending to be in this relationship, and obviously, both will fall head over heels for each other, with a few bumps along the way.

By the way, those paranormal twists? They include actual werewolf mating habits, alpha and omega traits, and a lot of spice. Yeah, don't read this book if you're not looking for a spicy time! The romantic plot progressed very quickly, but I would have liked more time for them to be in the "getting to know you phase." Then again, with werewolf hormones in the mix, I can hardly blame them. Can I?

The Fake Mate is a funny and cute novel with a lot of spice. The paranormal elements made it a lot more fun for me. I just wish that it had been a bit funnier? I know that sounds odd, but come on! That title screams comedy.

Highlights:
Romantasy
Alpha & Omega Romance
Werewolves & Hospitals
Grumpy & Sunshine

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