In a world where wolf shifters are widely known and integrated into modern society, shifter doctors Noah Taylor and Mackenzie “Mack” Carter enter a mutual arrangement where they pretend to be mates at work. Fearful of loosing out on an upcoming promotion, often grumpy Noah needs to appear to be mated when his unmated alpha status, a designation that holds negative stereotypes and is often discriminated against, is discovered by the hospital board. Needing a break from her grandmother’s constant matchmaking attempts, Mack is more than happy to pretend to be Noah’s mate at work if he pretends to be her boyfriend at dinner with her grandmother. Having to remain in close proximity in order to keep up their lie, Noah and Mack eventually start a friends-with-benefits arrangement, which makes it hard to separate “fake” feelings from real.
The Fake Mate is a steamy contemporary romance, with some paranormal elements, that is perfect for fans of romance authors like Tessa Bailey, Ali Hazelwood, Chloe Liese, and Talia Hibbert. I would also recommend The Fake Mate to fans of paranormal romances like A Discovery of Witches by Deborah Harkness, My Roommate is a Vampire by Jenna Levine, Ice Planet Barbarians by Ruby Dixon, or Spookily Yours by Jennifer Chipman. Tropes present in The Fake Mate are close proximity, fake dating, friends-with-benefits, grumpy with sunshine, workplace romance, and fated mates. Themes and topics include discrimination, stereotypes, blackmail, matchmaking, insecurity, loneliness and isolation, abandonment, love and sacrifice, and secrets and lies. I thought that The Fake Mate was very unique compared to other werewolf/ wolf romances I’ve read in the past, like the Twilight or Shadowhunters series, in that wolf shifters aren’t a secret, nor do they live in a hidden fantasy world. Furthermore, The Fake Mate was more of a Grey’s Anatomy-like romance that just so happened to include some paranormal elements, which I found delightful yet different from what I was expecting. There were a ton of steamy scenes throughout The Fake Mate as well as some swoon-worthy moments, both of which I think fellow romance readers will enjoy. I will definitely be reading more of Lana Ferguson’s books in the future! On the downside, I felt like the third-act conflict was predictable and was resolved unrealistically quickly. I also personally felt like some of the wolf shifter terminology could have used some more explanation as I sometimes found myself guessing. Lastly, I thought that the main characters spent too long doubting or hiding their true feelings and insisting that their relationship was still fake, which was a bit frustrating. If you love Grey’s Anatomy, spicy contemporary romances, and paranormal elements like wolf shifters, then you should definitely add The Fake Mate to your TBR list!
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February 2024
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