Fake Out Hearts

By: Nikki Lawson

Narrated by: Marie Hawkins, C.J. Grey

He’s my ex’s rival. The gorgeous, tatted up bad boy of the NHL…

And now he’s my husband.

When my ex breaks up with me in a very public way, all I want to do is hide from the world. But instead, I end up having the hottest night of my life with Theo Camden—a right winger for the Aces and my ex’s biggest rival.

It’s only supposed to be one night, but when Theo finds out that I’ll be deported since I lost my job after the breakup, he proposes something else.

Marriage.

We’ll tie the knot in Vegas and spend a few years living together, pretending this thing between us is real. Then I’ll be free to stay in the country and we can both go our own ways.

But being fake married is more complicated than I thought—especially when the line between fake and real starts to blur.

Kisses that were supposed to be just for show start to feel like something else, and when Theo learns to cook my favorite foods and calls me “my wife,” I realize I’m doing the one thing I was never supposed to do…

I’m falling for the husband I can’t keep.

Because once he learns the secret I’ve been hiding, this will all be over.

TROPES IN THIS BOOK:

• Marriage of convenience
• Dancer x Hockey player
• Boy obsessed
• Ex’s rival
• Found family
• Jealous/possessive hero
• Forced proximity

Fake Out Hearts is a contemporary hockey romance loaded with banter, feels, and deliciously dirty steam.
It can be listened to as a complete standalone.

©2024 Nikki Lawson (P)2024 Nikki Lawson

I love Theo!

Ugh could Theo be any more perfect? He’s such a sweetheart. I really enjoyed Fake out Hearts. It’s my favorite in the series. I really hope Sawyer gets a book.

Great !

Could not put it down. Great narrators. Need more. Good stories from Nikki Lawson. Yes

Let down ending.

This books was SOOOO GOOD. Right up until it wasn’t. It all fell apart during the last hour when for absolutely no reason at all the FMC decided to ruin her own life by refusing to communicate. Very out of character for the entire rest of the book. But everything before that was perfection.

So goood!

The only thing I don’t like is how the girl pronounces her a’s. Everything else is 👌🏻

The narrators were good

Pretty sure I am exasperated by Becca. The plot of the book was good enough and I absolutely love Theo. But Becca, no matter how the story tries to spin it gave off Puck Bunny. She was okay with staying with Shawn no matter what rude thing he did or said. He never pretended to be anything other than an a**hole and she stayed. She tried to pass it off as being for her work Visa but it’s like girl you never tried to build a life for yourself or have a Plan B. Her entire plan was stay with Shawn until he hopefully married her.

Then when she got with Theo I was annoyed with the one hundred references of Shawn from what he did or didn’t do during intercourse to what he did or didn’t do romantically. The entire book is Theo reassuring the girl of her worth 🙄 but she brought nothing to the table. Except one scene where they make it that she got him his mojo back by brining him skating at a rink (it was cute but idk it was just one little scene) for the love of God I need authors to create more strong female leads. Of the two hundred (ish) books I’ve read / listened to this summer I have come across MAYBE 10 strong, independent + confident, emotionally mature female leads and it’s so infuriating.

Long

Just ok. First I need to acknowledge that the narrators were fantastic! They did such a great job - especially given what they had to work with. Next, the steamy scenes were really well done. However, there were WAY too many. I like steamy bits, but come on, this book could have been several hours shorter if there was an appropriate amount of sex. It was ridiculous. I fast forwarded several times (and I routinely listen to erotica!). The rest of the story was under developed (a defamation lawsuit should have been filed against Shawn, more should have been discussed about why Becca couldn’t get pregnant, several other side stories were started and should have been discussed). That was also a lot of eye rolling dialogue. Seriously. A lot. So, all that said, I probably won’t listen to this author again, but I’d listen to these narrators again for sure.

Unconvincing fmc

Compared to the first two books, the fmc is not very believable. It almost seems like something is missing from the character development throughout the book. The mmc was a fabulously fluffy cinnamon roll just like all of Lawson mmc so far. Also absolutely hate the comment a dad makes about his son having burned enough calories to “earn” cake at the end. What a toxic approach to food and nutrition, especially for a parent to say to their young child.