ROMANCE

The (Fake) Dating Game

by Timothy Janovsky
Afterglow. Jan. 2024. 288p. ISBN 9781335041555. pap. $12.99. LGBTQIA+ ROMANCE
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Janovsky’s (“Boy Meets Boy” series) Harlequin debut is a sweet and steamy fake-relationship romance that turns real. Holden James promised his dying mother that he’d win their favorite game show, and Madcap Market’s call for open auditions seems like a sign. The problem? The show only accepts contestants in pairs, and Holden has just been dumped. Enter Leo Min. The sympathetic and unfairly sexy hotel concierge brought Holden a board game and pizza when he was at his lowest, and with a little convincing, he agrees to be his partner for the audition. All Holden needs to do is convince the casting directors that he and Leo are a couple, that they deserve to be on the show, obliterate the competition on live TV, and sit back and enjoy a happy, fulfilled life.
VERDICT Fans of the fake-dating trope and game shows will find a lot to like here. Holden is a sympathetic narrator, and readers will happily root for him as he learns that while there are no quick fixes for grief, opening up to the right people can make all the difference.
Reviewed by Rebecca Moe , Dec 02, 2023
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