Fake It 'til You Make It: A laugh-out-loud, fake-dating romantic comedy from Laura Carter

A laugh-out-loud fake dating romantic comedy that's utterly irresistible
'One of the best fake date romances I have come across' ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ Reader Review

Can a fake date fix everything?

On a day Abbey thought would be the best of her life – her boyfriend is surely going to propose tonight, right? – it all falls apart: he tells her he’s met someone else. And then to make things worse, she loses her job.

In an act of reimagination, she splurges her wedding savings on renting an apartment in a building she’s always dreamed of living in and kits out her wardrobe to match.

But when her family invites her ex – a close family friend – plus a date(!!) to her parents’ vow renewal, Abbey realizes her façade won’t be enough. There’s nothing for it but to fake one more thing – a romance. And she knows exactly who to ask... her hot new neighbor...

A laugh-out-loud fake-dating rom com, with a chemistry you’ll be thinking about long after turning the last page. Perfect for fans of The Hating Game and Elena Armas.

Readers LOVE Fake It 'til You Make It!

'What a breath of fresh air this book is! A perfect, playful escape. A fun, fast read that will have you rooting for main characters Abbey and Ted' Samantha Tonge

‘A brilliant rom-com you’ll fall in love with’ Mandy Baggot

Amazon top 10 and internationally bestselling author of romcoms and sports romance, translated into multiple languages. Exploring relationships and getting under the skin of her characters is Laura’s passion. She takes inspiration from everything she loves from sports to law, from music and books to on screen romances, and from her own friends and family (shhhhhh, don't tell them!). Laura lives in Jersey and loves nothing more than being active outdoors.

Rep'd by Tanera Simons of Greenstone Literary Agency.

Connect with Laura through Facebook (@lauracarterauthor), Instagram (@lauracarterauthor) and TikTok (@laura.carter.author).

Fake It ’til You Make It by Laura Carter is a fun, lighthearted, and romantic contemporary comedy built around one of romance fiction's most entertaining tropes: fake dating. Blending romance, humor, awkward situations, friendship, attraction, and the inevitable complications of pretending to be in love, the novel follows two people who agree to create a fictional relationship—only to discover that their carefully constructed arrangement may be producing very real feelings.

With its playful premise and laugh-out-loud tone, the book is aimed at readers who enjoy feel-good romantic comedies, enemies-to-lovers tension, fake relationships, workplace romance, witty banter, and stories where a pretend romance gradually becomes something genuine.

The publisher presents the novel as a romantic comedy in which pretending to be in love becomes increasingly difficult when real emotions enter the picture. (harpercollins.com)

The Fake-Dating Premise

At the center of the novel is a deceptively simple arrangement.

Two people decide that pretending to be romantically involved could solve a problem.

Perhaps they need to impress someone.

Perhaps they want to escape an awkward social situation.

Perhaps one of them needs a relationship for appearances.

Whatever the original motivation, the agreement seems manageable because both characters understand that the relationship is not real.

There are rules.

There are boundaries.

There is an ending date.

Most importantly, there are supposedly no real feelings involved.

But romantic comedy has a way of destroying carefully established rules.

The more time the couple spends together, the harder it becomes to separate performance from reality.

What begins as an act gradually starts feeling genuine.

When Pretending Becomes Complicated

The attraction of the fake-dating trope comes from the contradiction at its center.

The characters have to behave as though they are in love while constantly reminding themselves that they are not actually a couple.

They may have to hold hands.

They may have to flirt.

They may need to appear affectionate in front of friends, family, or colleagues.

They may have to invent stories about how they met.

And every successful performance makes the situation more complicated.

Eventually, the question changes from:

“How do we convince everyone we're together?”

to:

“What if we actually want to be together?”

This transition provides much of the novel's romantic and comedic energy.

A Romance Built on Chemistry

Fake-dating stories work best when the two characters have genuine chemistry, and Laura Carter uses the setup to create plenty of opportunities for attraction and emotional tension.

The characters may initially insist that their relationship is simply an arrangement.

But attraction does not always respect agreements.

A glance can last too long.

A supposedly meaningless touch can suddenly feel significant.

A kiss performed for someone else's benefit can create unexpected emotions.

The characters are forced to confront feelings that become increasingly difficult to dismiss.

This creates the classic romantic-comedy tension between what the characters say they want and what they actually want.

Humor at the Heart of the Story

The novel's appeal is not limited to romance.

Comedy is central to the experience.

Fake relationships naturally produce awkward situations, misunderstandings, exaggerated performances, and moments in which the characters must improvise.

One person may know the details of the fabricated relationship while the other forgets them.

Someone may ask an unexpected question.

A friend may become suspicious.

A family member may want to know intimate details.

The couple must maintain their story even when doing so becomes increasingly ridiculous.

These situations allow the novel to use humor to move the romance forward.

Instead of making the characters fall in love through serious declarations alone, the story lets them become closer through shared embarrassment, laughter, teasing, and unexpected moments of vulnerability.

The Difference Between Appearance and Reality

A deeper theme beneath the comedy is the difference between how relationships look and what they actually are.

The couple's relationship begins as an illusion.

From the outside, they appear to be together.

Inside, they know the truth.

But as their emotions change, the situation reverses.

The relationship may still technically be fake, but the feelings are real.

This creates an interesting question about what actually makes a relationship genuine.

Is it the label?

The commitment?

The physical attraction?

The emotional connection?

Or the fact that two people genuinely care about one another?

The novel explores these questions through humor rather than heavy philosophical discussion.

The Emotional Risk of Fake Dating

Although fake dating is usually presented as a fun romantic trope, it carries an obvious emotional danger.

Someone may fall in love first.

The other person may not feel the same way.

One character may believe the arrangement has become real while the other continues treating it as an act.

This creates the possibility of heartbreak.

The characters therefore have to decide whether honesty is more important than maintaining the comfortable illusion.

The closer they become, the more difficult that decision becomes.

Romantic Tension and Banter

Witty dialogue is an important part of contemporary romantic comedy.

The characters often use teasing and sarcasm to protect themselves from emotional vulnerability.

They may argue about small things.

They may challenge each other's assumptions.

They may try to prove that they are not attracted to one another.

But their arguments can reveal chemistry rather than incompatibility.

This kind of banter creates the playful tension that romance readers often look for.

The more the characters insist that they are not falling for each other, the more obvious it may become that something is changing.

From Arrangement to Connection

The emotional progression of the novel is ultimately about moving from an artificial relationship toward a genuine connection.

At the beginning, the characters have a reason for pretending.

By the middle of the story, they have begun enjoying the arrangement for reasons that have nothing to do with the original purpose.

They laugh together.

They become comfortable around one another.

They learn personal details.

They begin to notice each other's vulnerabilities.

Eventually, the fake relationship becomes the setting in which a real relationship develops.

This is one of the most satisfying elements of the fake-dating trope.

The characters get to know one another without initially admitting that they are doing so.

Vulnerability Beneath the Comedy

Romantic comedies are often at their best when the humor hides a more emotional story.

The characters may appear confident and carefree, but both can carry insecurities.

One may be afraid of rejection.

Another may have been hurt in a previous relationship.

Someone may be worried about not being good enough.

Someone else may be uncomfortable with emotional commitment.

The fake relationship gives these characters a temporary safety net.

They can say things as part of the act that they might otherwise be too afraid to admit.

Eventually, however, the emotional safety of pretending disappears.

They have to decide whether they are willing to be honest.

Why Fake-Dating Stories Are So Popular

The fake-dating trope remains popular because it combines several romantic situations in one story.

There is forced proximity.

There is romantic tension.

There is uncertainty.

There is the possibility of jealousy.

There is the gradual development of trust.

And there is the satisfying moment when the characters finally recognize what the reader has often understood long before they do.

They are no longer pretending.

The appeal lies partly in watching two characters fall in love while they are still insisting that they are not.

A Feel-Good Reading Experience

Fake It ’til You Make It is primarily designed as entertainment.

It offers a lighter reading experience than emotionally heavy romance novels.

The humor keeps the story moving, while the romantic development provides an emotional center.

This makes it particularly suitable for readers who want something enjoyable to read after a long day.

It can also appeal to readers looking for a fun holiday romance, weekend read, beach read, or easy contemporary romantic comedy.

Themes of Honesty and Self-Acceptance

Although the story is built around pretending, honesty eventually becomes unavoidable.

The characters may be able to pretend to everyone else.

They cannot pretend forever to themselves.

This gives the story a broader message about emotional honesty.

People sometimes use performance to protect themselves.

They pretend to be confident.

They pretend not to care.

They pretend that relationships do not matter.

But genuine intimacy requires eventually removing those defenses.

The fake relationship therefore becomes a journey toward emotional honesty.

The Fear of Taking a Chance

Another important romantic theme is risk.

Falling in love always involves uncertainty.

There is no guarantee that another person will return your feelings.

There is no guarantee that a relationship will work.

There is always the possibility of rejection or heartbreak.

The characters initially avoid this risk by telling themselves that the relationship is fake.

But eventually they have to decide whether the possibility of real happiness is worth the emotional risk.

This makes the romance more satisfying because love becomes a choice rather than simply an accident.

Who Should Read Fake It ’til You Make It?

The book is especially suitable for readers who enjoy:

Contemporary romance
Romantic comedy
Fake-dating romance
Feel-good romance
Funny romance novels
Witty romantic banter
Slow-burn attraction
Forced-proximity romance
Stories about unexpected love
Lighthearted relationship fiction
Books with happy romantic energy
Easy and entertaining contemporary fiction

Readers who enjoy the fake relationship turns real trope will likely find the premise especially appealing.

Final Thoughts

Fake It ’til You Make It by Laura Carter takes one of contemporary romance's most reliable premises and turns it into an entertaining story about the unexpected consequences of pretending to be in love.

The characters begin with a practical arrangement.

They know the relationship is supposed to be temporary.

They know they are supposed to maintain certain boundaries.

And they believe they can keep their emotions under control.

But spending time together changes things.

The jokes become more personal.

The attraction becomes harder to ignore.

The fake affection starts feeling real.

And eventually, the characters must confront the possibility that the relationship they created for appearances may be the most genuine thing in their lives.

For readers searching for Fake It ’til You Make It by Laura Carter, Fake It ’til You Make It summary, Laura Carter books, fake-dating romance novels, romantic comedy books, funny romance novels, contemporary romance, fake relationship books, pretend dating romance, books where fake dating becomes real, witty romance, feel-good romantic fiction, lighthearted love stories, romantic comedy with banter, or entertaining contemporary romance novels, this book offers the kind of playful, romantic reading experience that makes the fake-dating trope so enjoyable. (harpercollins.com)

Ultimately, the story is built around a deliciously simple romantic question:

What happens when the relationship you're pretending to have becomes the relationship you actually want?

The answer, naturally, involves plenty of laughter, awkwardness, attraction, emotional confusion, and the possibility of falling in love when you least expect it.