Hate to Fake It to You

De: Amanda Sellet

Narrado por: Barrie Kealoha

A waitress masquerading as an influencer and a wildlife photographer are on a collision course with romance—and chaos—in Hate to Fake It to You, a zany modern twist on a screwball comedy classic about figuring out what you really want—by pretending to be someone you’re not.

Everyone gets a glow-up on social media, but for Libby Lane, it’s more than filters and cherry-picked content. Her online persona, Lillibet, is the fakest of fakes: the affluent, healthier-than-thou opposite of her glam-free life on the side of Oahu most tourists never see, cooked up by Libby and her best friends under the influence of free wine and career desperation. The phony fronting is all in good fun, until a real influencer stumbles onto the Love, Lillibet Instagram feed and starts making waves.

When Hildy Johnson, the ambitious junior member of a media dynasty, travels to Hawaii to talk to “Lillibet” about parlaying her lifestyle brand into a job, Libby and her friends scramble to take the make-believe to a new level. Complicating the charade even further is Hildy’s handsome companion, a wildlife photographer whose keen eye sees more than he lets on, and Jefferson has Libby directly in his sights. Between the pretend husband, borrowed goats, a made-up holiday, and Libby’s very real attraction to Jefferson, it’s anyone’s guess which lie will blow their cover first… especially since “Lillibet” isn’t the only one with something to hide.

©2024 Amanda Sellet (P)2024 Dreamscape Media

Homage to the north shore

I adored the Hawaiian cultural references. The characters all seemed like real people, the romance was lovely and the slapstick was on point!

Laughter with wit, wisdom, friendship and love.

It’s amazing what friends can talk you into! I feel like I just finished a wild ride filled with hysterical characterizations, impossible situations, witty dialogue, true friendship and even true love. Perfect for a summer beach read if you’re not embarrassed about laughing out loud in front of strangers. Add to this the lovely island setting and a reader who is perfect for the job and you have an enjoyable experience..

What a treat!

Let me first admit that my normal reading/listening fare has characters named Gabriel (Allon) or Jack (Reacher or Ryan) in them. But, since I felt like I needed a breather between these, and since I spent two years of my misspent youth on Oahu, I was intrigued by this book, its colorful front cover, and the glowing reviews on the back. (Since it's much easier for me to incorporate audiobooks into my daily life, I went that way, which, as you will see below, was a great idea!)
I found the writing in this pleasant "beach read" to be absolutely delightful. Witty, playfully sarcastic, delightfully colorful. The detailed descriptions of Hawaian locations brought back a rush of memories - - exotic shave ice, sunsets, swaying trees in the tropical breeze. I really enjoyed the characters the author brought to life - - great personalities (for the most part!), superbly captured interactions between them, wonderful environmental descriptions. Perhaps most impressive in that regard were the "dramatic" scenes between the characters, whether romantic or confrontational. They (and their supporting dialog) were masterfully and believably crafted, at least to this non-trad romance reader! To say in a different way, I felt "drawn-in" to the story line.
The bonus for the Audible version for me was the sweet relief of having a reader that not only had a great sense of comic timing, but also correctlly pronounced the Hawaiian place and "thing" names. (Can't tell you how many good books I've had ruined by klutzy readers!)
I will readily admit that the sense of humor displayed here (as well as some of the lingo, (which I know because of multiple children and grandchildren), could be lost on certain readers. But, if you want clever, intelligent humor, with a sweet, odd-ball love story, I strongly suggest you give this a try!