Happy pub day to The Fake Mate & Technically Yours! Check out my latest reviews for these Berkley Romance novels below:

The Fake Mate by Lana Ferguson
Publisher: Berkley Romance
Pub Date: 12/5/2023

Thank you to Berkley Romance for the free copy on NetGalley and PRH Audio for the free audiobook copy in exchange for my honest review.

Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Mackenzie Carter navigates pressure from her nosy grandmother to find a perfect mate which leads her impulsively claim she’s dating Taylor, a cardiologist hiding his true nature. Could their fake dating arrangement possibly lead to more?

I liked Lana’s debut, The Nanny, so I was excited to see that her sophomore book, The Fake Mate, especially since it went into a different direction. This paranormal romance explores fake dating, grumpy-sunshine, wolf shifters, and set against a hospital backdrop. I was engaged in the two distinct perspectives in this novel. The banter and chemistry between Mackenzie and Noah was a great balance of sweet and spicy. There were a few of cheesy moments which weren’t for me and I wasn’t a fan of the glands concept. I found that Noah’s reason for fake dating was justifiable, but Mackenzie’s reasoning came off as silly. Overall, this was a 3.5 star read for me, but I rounded to 4 stars on GoodReads.

Technically Yours by Denise Williams
Publisher: Berkley Romance
Pub Date: 12/5/2023

Thank you to Berkley Romance for the free copy on NetGalley and PRH Audio for the free audiobook copy in exchange for my honest review.

Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️

Pearl Harris navigates her new role as acting director of OurCode amidst a scandal, while grappling with her unresolved feelings for Cord Matthews, a board member and her former flame, whose return threatens both their careers and the future of the nonprofit. Their undeniable chemistry challenges their personal rules against workplace romance, making it difficult to separate their professional duties from the pull of a second chance at love.

Technically Yours has been one of my most anticipated reads! I have been excited to see Pearl and Cord getting together ever since I read The Fastest Way To Fall. This can be read as a stand alone, but Britta and Wes show up as supporting characters which is a pleasant surprise. I had mixed feelings about this book. First, I loved that we got to see Pearl and Cord years later. The dual perspective, combined with flashbacks of their meeting and infatuation, added depth to the story. In the present day, Pearl’s wishy-washy feelings towards Cord irked me, as he gave her no reason for doubt, though I understood this stemmed from her past toxic relationships. Cord was lovable, but he seemed too perfect which kind of irked me. The mentor/mentee relationship between Cord and Ty was sweet. I valued how Denise integrated discussions on the significance of pronouns and addressed issues of racism and sexism in the workplace in her writing. Though this wasn’t for me, Denise is always an auto-read author for me and I can’t wait to read her next book!