The Fake (A College Sports Romance)

Smart Jocks, Book 4

De: Rebecca Jenshak

Narrado por: Jason Clarke, Ava Erickson

I’ve made a lot of dumb mistakes but none dumber than losing her.

Senior year. I should be partying and living it up with my friends before graduation, but one more mistake and I’m off the team.

Enter Chloe. She comes into my life at a low point, but she becomes the bright spot I reach for every day. She’s the kind of girl who makes a guy want to be a better man. And for a while, I even start to believe I’ve changed enough to deserve her.

I’ve got my eye on the future, and I’m letting my past stay where it belongs.

But the thing about the past...it always comes back to bite you when you least expect it.

©2019 Rebecca Jenshak (P)2019 Rebecca Jenshak

Second Chances and happily ever after's

Alright, confession time. I have never listened to an audiobook of a book I haven’t already read. I hadn’t read The Fake before so I was a little nervous about going into an audiobook blind. Well, I was pleasantly surprised. It was a little hard for me to follow at first but once we got into the story, I was all in.

Nathan, oh sweet Nathan. I just adored him, there was so much more to him than meets the eye. Jason Clarke crushed it, he was such a great Nathan and at times even had me swooning. There’s just something about hearing a hunky guy profess his love to his girl that gives me goosebumps. Nathan was going through a lot when he meets Chloe, but meeting her helped clear the fog and see what he really wanted. Jason was fantastic and perfectly believable.

Ava Erickson killed it as Chloe, she was fantastic. Chloe had a lot to prove when she showed up at Valley and a boyfriend was very low on her radar. Well, until she meets Nathan and realizes he may be able to help her gain approval of her teammates. Their little arrangement started as mutually beneficial, a transaction but the more time they spent together the harder their chemistry was to deny. Ava did a great job as Chloe and I really enjoyed her.

Overall, I really enjoyed this story and Jason and Ava’s telling of it, it was captivating. I can’t wait to listen to more of Rebecca Jenshak’s stories through Audible. I don’t know if any of her other guys will be able to top Nathan though, he’s a romantic at heart which just makes me melt.

Best of the series

I loved this book. Nathan was by far my favorite of the guys and I loved Chloe too. I read and listened to this book that's how much I loved it. I couldn't wait for it to come out on Audible. I was slightly disappointed that Jason Clarke did Nathan. His voice just wasn't what I was picturing Nathan to sound like. Ava Erickson was prefect for Chloe though. Can't wait to see what Rebecca does next.

Sorry to see this series come to a close :(

I'm sad to see this series come to a close, but The Fake does provide us with a satisfying ending. Chloe situation is practically ripped from the headlines, and I love how Rebecca Jenshak gave an alternate perspective to what is portrayed in reality in this regard. I've wanted Nate's story since he was introduced, but I especially wanted to see him get a HEA after he suffered a bit of heartbreak and rejection in The Tip-Off. His backstory and the responsibility he took on made him a very sympathetic hero and I think one of my favorite aspects of the book was that when ish hit the fan, it didn't take an inordinate amount of time for the dust to settle - because I don't think I would've enjoyed reading about Nate being in any kind of emotional turmoil for any longer than necessary. I also really loved the fake relationship trope utilized here. I think I can officially say that Rebecca Jenshak is a must read author for me and I can't wait to read whatever she comes out with next! 4 out of 5 wine glasses.

Love this

This is such a fun take on the fake relationship trope I love it so much

Sweet college sports romance

Jason Clarke and Ava Erickson did phenomenal with this book. I absolutely love this book and they bring it to life in the best way. Nathan and Chloe have chemistry Chloe wants to deny and keeps Nathan playing whatever role Chloe will let him to stay close even if it’s a fake boyfriend. I did everything I could to continue listening because I was so eager to hear what would happen next. This is such a sweet story about a girl who is just trying to fit in with her beach volleyball team and end college on a high note after a devastating ending to her junior year of colleges and a boy who is struggling to help keep his family afloat at home but keeps it under wraps even away from his best friends. Together they have a beautiful story filled with normal college athlete life and everything else that comes with being in their senior year of college.

Nathan and Chloe are the sweetest!

Jason Clarke and Ava Erickson are two of my top favorite narrators and they knocked THE FAKE out of the park. Ava has such a melodic, young voice and performs her characters so well, she's perfection for New Adult romance. And we all know that Jason's sexy, deep voice is pretty awesome.

With that out of the way let me get to the heart of this story. Chloe and Nathan were adorable. Nathan had some growth to do over the course of the story an he did it beautifully. With his little brother being in school and his mother without a job he is the main provider for his family and always struggling to make enough money to make ends meet. Enter rich girl Chloe.

Chloe never lacked for money but her issues aren't material. After being kicked out of school she's transferred to Valley and that's not how she imagined her senior year. While her parents mean well, buying their daughter's way into college isn't what endears you to your fellow students and Volleyball teammates. That stain doesn't go away so she's having a hard time connecting to people at Valley. I loved Chloe's resilience, her strength and willingness to forgive, not just Nathan but her teammates too.

Before Nathan met Chloe he was used to taking the path of least resistance. Fighting for Chloe changed all that. I simply adored how Nathan treated her. He was head over heels in love with this girl and showed her with everything he did how much he cherished her.

If you love a good, low-drama fake relationship trope in your sports romance don't hesitate to grab this one. It's sexy, flirty and wonderfully sweet with absolutely endearing characters.

A great sports romance

The Fake is the fourth book in Rebecca Jenshak's 'Smart Jocks' sports romance. I love new adult and I love sports romance, so this series has been a real win for me.

Nate is one of the guys on the team with Wes, Joel, and Zeke. We don't know much about him, but in the last book, I feel like we got a bit of insight. He's Gabby's best friend and has something in his past that haunts him. Nate has responsibilities and a past, but he's a really fun-loving guy.

Chloe is a new character to the series and is an athlete herself. After a scandal at her last school, she's transferred to Valley her senior year to play volleyball. Her teammates/roommates don't respond to her well... until she has a night with Nate. She panics and tells the girls he's her boyfriend, and there the fake dating begins.

I love the fake dating troupe. Nate and Chloe have a lot of chemistry. They go from having a one night stand, to becoming friends who are fake dating, to falling in love. It was a really sweet progression. I listened to the audio book which was narrated by the dream team of Jason Clarke and Ava Erickson who did an amazing job voicing Nate and Chloe. I've listened to this entire series on audio, and I can't recommend the audio books enough.

This series has been so enjoyable to listen to. Though it looks like this book is the final book, I hope Jenshak decides to write more sports romances in this world.

Love love

My favorite couple so far in this series!!! Wish they fake dates a little longer, but still amazing! Gave me Can’t buy me love vibes 🫠

A great way to wrap up the series!

I loved reading the book, but listening to Nathan Payne and Chloe Macpherson's story was a whole 'nother experience, and one that I adored in equal measure. The Fake is the fourth and final audiobook in Rebecca Jenshak's Smart Jocks series, and I've been super curious as to who would be the narrators for this one but was thrilled when I learned it would be Jason Clarke and Ava Erickson. These two were the absolute best choices to give voice to Nathan and Chloe, and made this bittersweet end (as is the case when I'm as addicted as I am to such a fun and fabulous collection of stories) to this series far sweeter than bitter!

Twenty-one-year-olds Nathan Payne and Chloe Macpherson are both seniors and athletes at Valley U, with Nathan being a step away from being removed from his basketball team should he have another misstep and Chloe being the outsider on her new volleyball team as a transferee. Nathan and Chloe form a connection when they meet, with one empathizing with what the other is going through and vice-versa. A fake relationship could turn out to be mutually beneficial for both of them, especially considering they need to work on their public images. But what happens when what's supposed to be fake starts to feel real?

I absolutely loved Nathan and Chloe, and it wasn't difficult to feel for these two and what they were going through as individuals. They had that much needed chemistry that couples are required to have when it comes to romances, and Rebecca Jenshak couldn't have closed out her Smart Jocks any better than with this audiobook. The fact that Jason Clarke and Ava Erickson were impressive with their performances was like the cherry atop an already scrumptious sundae. The Fake had angst, humor, romance and all the good bits in between. This audiobook was a great way to spend the weekend. Five stars! ♥

Great real story

Wow...this audiobook was more than I expected. Rebecca Jenshak wrote a book that was real and right with the times.

Chloe had it all until she didn't. She's had to leave her whole world behind because of a scandal her parents created. Chloe is just trying her best to fit in any way she can. Then she meets Nate. Nate is nice but most of all, he doesn't know her past.

I love the man Nate is. He's trying to keep his family afloat while maintaining his collegiate career. I love how hard he fights to love Chloe, even when she feels she's not worth it. I love how great these two are together.

I love this story in general. The narrators did an amazing job. I do feel the male narrator sounded a little older than 21, but it was good. All in all, a great story to listen too.