2021 Trend: Fake Dating Books Galore

This follow-up to Rioter Adiba Jaigirdar’s debut book, The Henna Wars, sounds too cute for words. Popular girl Hani says she’s dating Ishu when her friends invalidate her sexuality — saying she can’t be bi if she’s never dated a girl. Ishu agrees to go along with the charade as long as Hani will help her become more popular, the first step in her plan to become head girl. But when this fake relationship becomes tangled up with real feelings, they have to fight to stay together in spite of all the people who don’t want two Bengali girls to get their happily ever after.

After reading the first book in Cole’s new Runaway Royals series, How to Catch a Queen, I am even more eager to get my hands on this stunning sequel. I mean, did someone say grown-up Princess Diaries but make it gay? Because Alyssa Cole really did that. The investigator from World Federation of Monarchies we briefly met in the first book, Beznaria, comes center stage in How to Find a Princess as she tracks down the heir to the Ibarania throne…and falls for her in the process. Just go ahead and sign me the heck up.

Nozomi wasn’t expecting her perfect summer plans to include a fake girlfriend, but then she meets Willow: the perfect girl who just happens to need some help making her ex jealous. But Nozomi has a plan of her own. A plan that involves turning this fauxmance into something real. Now if only she can convince Willow their fake relationship could be something more.

In search of the ultimate pitch to save herself and her job from impending layoffs, Julia discovers a resort offering the perfect meet-cute moment for guests to live out their romantic fantasies. Julia may have given up on love, but now she’s going to have to pretend she wants nothing more. Then she stumbles into Luke, another romcom hopeful. But neither of them has been exactly up front about their real identities or motives for being here. Is real love possible amidst all those lies? Or is this carefully orchestrated romantic weekend nothing more than it promises: just a chance to live out your romcom dreams?

Actress Anna Gardiner is on a mission to book a new movie and make herself a household name, but a fling with ad manager Ben Stephens couldn’t hurt, right? Except their casual relationship takes a turn for the serious under the Hollywood spotlight. No big deal. The real question is: will either of them be willing to let things go back to the way they were when the cameras stop rolling?

More of a supposedly casual relationship pretending to be more for the publicity and then actually turning into more than, say, a totally fake relationship. But still counts in my book! Besides, you really think I was going to pass up a chance to include a new Jasmine Guillory book on this list? Please.

How do you turn a marriage of convenience into the real thing? By joining The Bromance Book Club, of course! With some help from romance novels and his book-loving friends, Vlad is determined to show his wife, Elena, their marriage is more than just a façade. But dangers from Elena’s past — the very reason they married in the first place — pose a threat just when it seems Vlad might be able to get through to her.

Brazilian pop star Natalie is living the dream: topping the charts and selling records. Until she’s dumped on live television, that is. Her PR team comes up with the brilliant plan of faking a relationship with a movie star. But instead of the bad boy Nati was hoping for, she gets a soft-hearted Brit. William isn’t at all who she expected, but as the ploy unfolds, she begins to realize he might be exactly who she wants.

I’m incredibly excited for this book, and not just because it’s written by one of my Twitter friends. A swoon-worthy fake dating book for the ages. And just tell me you don’t want that cover on your shelves? I mean.

This follow-up to The Boyfriend Project finds a personal trainer agreeing to fake-date her client. What could go wrong? For former NFL football player Jamar Dixon, the answer is a whole lot. Which is why, when he asks Taylor Powell to help him get back into tip-top shape so he can go pro again, he makes sure no one will know what they’re really up to together. Being outed as a “couple” wasn’t part of the plan. But maybe there’s more to this relationship than meets the eye. And if Jamar is playing for keeps, well, maybe that wouldn’t be such a bad thing.