Fake Dating Romance Books: When Pretend Feelings Become Real

Fake dating romance is the trope that keeps on giving. Two people pretend to be in a relationship for practical reasons—convincing a family, salvaging a reputation, making an ex jealous—and somewhere along the way, the fake feelings become devastatingly real.

We know exactly how it’s going to end. That’s the point. The fun is watching them fall while insisting to themselves (and each other) that it’s all just pretend.

Here’s why fake dating romance dominates Kindle Unlimited and the best books to read right now.

Why Fake Dating Romance Works

Fake dating delivers a unique cocktail of romantic tension:

Built-in intimacy escalation. To sell the lie, they have to touch. Hold hands. Kiss in public. Every fake gesture creates real chemistry—and the reader gets to watch them process feelings they’re not supposed to have.

Denial + proximity = tension. They’re spending massive amounts of time together, pretending to be a couple, while insisting it means nothing. The cognitive dissonance is delicious.

Clear stakes. There’s a reason they can’t just admit the truth. The arrangement benefits them both—until it doesn’t. When the fake relationship threatens to end, they have to confront what they actually want.

The “when did it become real?” moment. At some point, one of them realizes they’re not pretending anymore. That internal shift—often while maintaining the external facade—is romantic catnip.

Best Fake Dating Romance Books

Fake Dating Sports Romance

The Blurred Playbook by Rowan Black

The Deal: Jax Donovan is hockey royalty with a PR nightmare. Sadie Sinclair is the team’s analytics genius who needs her work taken seriously. He needs a fake girlfriend to repair his image. She needs access to prove her models work.

The Complication: Sadie is the coach’s niece—completely off-limits. Jax has undiagnosed dyslexia that’s tanking his classes. As Sadie tutors him in private while dating him in public, the lines blur fast.

The Fall: Jax realizes first. He’s not pretending when he looks at her like she hung the moon. Now he has to convince Sadie that what started as a playbook became something real.

Perfect for fans of: The Deal by Elle Kennedy, college sports romance, tutor/jock dynamics

Fake Dating Roommates Romance

Better Late by Milo Hart

The Setup: Owen has been in love with his best friend Theo for seven years. Now Theo—freshly divorced and questioning everything—is crashing on Owen’s couch.

The Arrangement: When Theo needs a plus-one for his ex-wife’s engagement party (yes, really), Owen agrees to play the supportive “new boyfriend.” It’s just one night of pretending. No big deal.

The Problem: Owen has wanted this for years. Theo is starting to realize he wants it too. The pillow wall between them on the couch is getting harder to maintain—and the fake relationship is making Theo question what’s been real all along.

Perfect for fans of: Friends to lovers, bi-awakening, pining

Popular Fake Dating Scenarios

Looking for a specific setup? Here’s what readers love:

• Fake Dating for Family Events: Weddings, holidays, reunions—anywhere nosy relatives ask “when are you settling down?”
• Fake Dating for PR: Athletes, celebrities, or professionals who need to repair public image (The Blurred Playbook)
• Fake Dating to Make Someone Jealous: Often backfires spectacularly when real feelings develop
• Fake Engagement: Higher stakes version—now they have to plan a wedding they never intended to have
• Contract Relationship: Business arrangement with clear terms that slowly get violated (Vertical Integration)

The Essential Fake Dating Moments

Every great fake dating romance hits these beats:

The “rules” conversation. They establish boundaries. No kissing unless necessary. Hands above the waist. Absolutely no catching feelings. (All rules that will be broken.)

The first public display. The hand-holding. The pet names. The way their heart races even though it’s supposed to be fake.

The moment alone that goes too far. They’re practicing for an audience that isn’t there—and suddenly neither can pretend anymore.

The realization. One of them understands first. The panic of falling for someone who signed up for pretend. The question: does the other feel it too?

The confession. When the fake ends, someone has to say the truth—that they don’t want to stop. This is the grovel readers wait for.

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