REVIEW: The Fake Mate by Lana Ferguson

The Fake Mate by Lana Ferguson: Dating is hard in general, but for ER doctor Mackenzie Carter it seems to be a string of bad first dates one after another. If this wasn’t bad enough her overly eager matchmaker grandmother is ever ready to set up with one guy. Which is how she finds herself telling her Gran a little white lie, that she is actually seeing someone, an Alpha wolf-shifter cardiologist named Noah Taylor.

When Mack approaches Noah for a simple picture of them together to help prove her relationship to her Gran, Noah makes a counter offer, one that could benefit both of them. You see Mack is not the only one with single-dom problems, the hospital board recently learned that Noah is an unmated Alpha and now they fear that he wont be able to practice medicine safely. The plan is simple really, they fake mate to get the hospital board of Noah’s back and keep Mack’s Gran from sending her on anymore dismal dates… but what happens when the line between fake mating and the very real attraction between them begins to blur, maybe love is the one beast the two of them just cant tame…

Okay going into this book I was a bit apprehensive as to if I would actually enjoy a paranormal, wolf-shifter romance, and the verdict is I actually really liked The Fake Mate. This book was a cute quirky, supernatural play on the fake dating turned real trope and I for one really enjoyed reading Noah and Mack’s story. I honestly did not expect to get drawn into this book as fast as I did, not only was it an interestingly new reading experience for me but I really enjoyed getting to see the Wolfie side to things.

Noah was just the cutest, he was one of the nicest heroes that I have read. I loved the fact that he genuinely wanted to practice medicine without having to conform to other peoples rules. Even though he ‘masked’ his Alpha scent while at work, he still gave of the intimidating vibe, however he was a total softie. I loved that even though he was an alpha and did have all the right tendencies when needed, he was for the most part a shy, quiet, reserved guy. Where as our Omega leading lady Mack was all sunshines and extroverted. I loved that she was so outspoken and comfortable in her own skin, she was sassy and I loved this about her. Together these two really made a great pair, bring out the best in each other.

Now like I said this was my first wolfie romance, so to say I was not expecting the steamy turn things take once these two fake mate would be an understatement! Good gosh, things got hot and fast once Noah stopped taking his Alpha suppressants and his full Alpha-ness began to kick in! I loved how possessive he got when around Mack. And once Mack went into heat, the pages quite literally started to burn up! These two definitely did not need to question their compatibility!

The Fake Mate definitely surpassed my expectations in terms of what a shapeshifter romance would be like. This book not only had great steam but it also had an interesting storyline, with two great main characters. I would definitely recommend this book to supernatural romance readers!
 

Book Info:

Publication: December 5, 2023 | Berkley |

Mackenzie Carter has had some very bad dates lately. Model train experts, mansplainers, guys weirdly obsessed with her tail—she hasn’t had a successful date in months. Only a year out of residency, her grandmother’s obsession with Mackenzie finding the perfect mate to settle down with threatens to drive Mackenzie barking mad. Out of options, it feels like a small thing to tell her grandmother that she’s met someone. That is, until she blurts out the name of the first man she sees and the last man she would ever date: Noah Taylor, the big bad wolf of Denver General.

Noah Taylor, interventional cardiologist and all around grump, has spent his entire life hiding what he is. With outdated stigmas surrounding unmated alphas that have people wondering if they still howl at the moon, Noah has been careful to keep his designation under wraps. It’s worked for years, until an anonymous tip has everything coming to light. Noah is left with two options: come clean to the board and risk his career—or find himself a mate. The chatty, overly friendly ER doctor asking him to be her fake boyfriend on the same day he’s called to meet the board has to be kismet, right?

Mackenzie will keep her grandmother off her back, and Noah will get a chance to prove he can continue to work without a real mate—a mutually beneficial business transaction, they both rationalize. But when the fake-mate act turns into a very real friends-with-benefits arrangement, lines start to blur, and they quickly realize love is a whole different kind of animal.