Chinese herbalist Chryssy Hua Williams never believed in the Hua family curse…until Break-Up #9. Now she and her aunties run a special healing retreat for the broken-hearted. But after Chryssy’s innocent run-in with celebrity cellist/bad boy Vin Chao has everyone gossiping, he offers her a deal: they’ll fake-date, he’ll “break” her heart (and increase ticket sales), and in return, he’ll promote her business.
It’s like Chryssy’s whole cursed love life has been leading up to this moment. But all it takes is one kiss—and a whole lot of unexpected chemistry—to land both of them in hot water
Fake dating is one of the most popular romance tropes despite not being something that happens in real life very often. Why is that? I have a theory. So many romances, possibly even most of them, boil down to some variety of a forced proximity story. For a romance to be compelling, people who have good reasons to be apart are being pushed together, and that tension drives the story. Fake dating is one way to accomplish that proximity, along with road trips, sports teams, spaceships, offices, blizzards, you name it.
Fake dating is especially popular because the trope fast-tracks the intimacy that comes with the proximity. The audience the couple is performing their courtship for—family, coworkers, whoever—has expectations. Of physical closeness, of a certain level of familiarity. And even if the concept of the relationship is fake, that intimacy can become very real. It’s delicious to watch a couple fight that reality until they have to succumb to it.
Even if fake dating doesn’t often happen in real life, there is one notable exception. Actors who pretend to be a couple on screen have definitely been known to find real love. I’m rooting for you, Zendaya and Tom Holland. So I’ve collected some of my favorite fake dating romances for you, all of which star BIPOC characters. You’ll root for these couples, too.
Stars in Your Eyes by Kacen Callender
Kicking off with a Hollywood PR romance! This one pairs a bad boy and a golden boy who fake a relationship to create buzz about the movie they star in as romantic leads. If you like your romances on the angsty side, this one is for you. I also appreciated that, given the tempestuous nature of Hollywood romance, this book gives the couple adequate time to really sort through all their mess. It gives me faith they have the tools—and not just the chemistry—to make their relationship work.
The Cowboy Whisperer by Sabrina Sol
If you like Western romances and/or the classic 1992 sports romance movie The Cutting Edge, this is the book for you. Veronica is an equestrian and Olympic hopeful recovering from a humiliating viral moment, and an injury. She is boarding her horse at Tómas’ ranch, and he seems to have unexpectedly good advice for her while she’s training. So she agrees to fake date him while his ex is back in town, in exchange for more help with training. They’re both rather skittish with matters of the heart, but the way they grow to trust each other is lovely.
How to Find a Princess by Alyssa Cole
Yes to a queer Anastasia retelling! Alyssa Cole has done such thoughtful things with the concept of royalty in her recent contemporary series, and this one deeply explores what duty really means—and what to do if you’re an inveterate people pleaser. In this story, Makeda is the long-lost princess being swept back to her fictional country by Bez, who was investigating the case. The two fake being married aboard a cargo ship, and if that sounds odd, wait until you meet the cast of characters aboard the ship. This book is capital F: FUN.
Single Player by Tara Tai
This book uses the fake dating concept in an unusual way, which I think is really fun. Andi is the narrative director for a video game. They have some past trauma about being doxxed by hateful people in the video game community, and they don’t like executives demanding their game have a romance plot to create broader appeal. Enter Cat, hired to write the game’s romance. Not only do the two butt heads, but a fake dating scheme with Andi’s ex creates extra complications. Andi and Cat both have sincere moments of personal growth on their journey toward each other, something I love to witness in romance.
Counterfeit Courtship by Synithia Williams
This is the third book in the Heart and Soul series, which is an utter delight from start to end. The series follows three ghost-hunting brothers as they find their respective Happily Ever Afters. This book pairs playboy Tyrone with makeup artist Kiera. When Tyrone and Kiera are photographed kissing, Tyrone asks Kiera to fake a relationship with him for the sake of his reputation. She agrees for the chance to work on his show. And you know how it goes from there.
Love, Lies, and Cherry Pie by Jackie Lau
Mark and Emily’s parents are friends. Emily is convinced fake dating Mark will finally get her mother to stop meddling in her romantic life. Mark is boring, after all, so what’s the risk? But what if her mother is right and Mark is secretly a dreamboat? If you like a quiet, steadfast main male character, this book is for you. And if you appreciate romances with complex family dynamics that have realistic amounts of both love and frustration, you’ll find this book beautifully heartfelt.
If fake dating is your very favorite trope, you’re in luck. We have queer fake dating books and books that demonstrate how fake dating took over the year 2021. All these fake dates add up to real feelings, my friends!
