They made a deal. You pretend to be my boyfriend, I pretend to be your girlfriend. Strictly business. No feelings. No complications.
Anyone who has ever read a fake dating romance knows how that ends. And it's precisely that—that inevitability, that building tension, and the moment when the fake finally becomes real—that makes fake dating one of the most beloved tropes on BookTok.
These are the best fake dating romance books, for every vibe and spice level.
What exactly is fake dating?
Fake dating is a romance trope where two characters agree to pretend to be in a relationship for the outside world — for their ex, for their family, for their colleagues, for the media, or for any other external reason. They pretend to be together when they're not.
And then — inevitably — the fake feelings turn into real feelings.
That's the magic of fake dating: the two characters have given themselves permission to get close without risk. They can hold hands, learn each other's stories, notice each other's habits. And in that artificial proximity, something they both hadn't planned grows.
Popular fake dating scenarios:
- Fake dating for the ex — to make a previous partner jealous
- Fake engagement for the family — surviving a family event with a fake partner
- PR relationship — two celebrities or athletes pretending to be in a relationship for the press
- Convenience marriage — a paper marriage that leads to real feelings
- Fake dating at work — colleagues simulating a relationship for business reasons
Why fake dating works so well
Fake dating combines two of the most powerful romance ingredients: permission and denial. The characters are allowed to get close — they even have to — but they're not allowed to actually feel it. And that tension between what's allowed and what's felt is exactly what romance fiction thrives on.
Fake dating is my favorite trope — one of the most repeated phrases on BookTok. For good reason. The trope guarantees slow glances, accidental touches, jealousy that reveals something the characters didn't want to know themselves, and a climax where the fake finally becomes real.
The best fake dating romance books
The Love Hypothesis — Ali Hazelwood
The most cited fake dating romance on BookTok. PhD student Olive Smith kisses the first man she sees in a moment of panic — Professor Adam Carlsen, the campus's notorious grump. What starts as a fake relationship to convince her best friend grows into something neither of them expected.
Lili Reinhart and Tom Bateman star in the film adaptation set to be released on Prime Video in September 2026. Read the book before the movie.
Scenario: Fake relationship for a friend
Trope-combo: Fake dating + grumpy sunshine + forbidden romance
Spice level: 🌶️🌶️
Fix Her Up — Tessa Bailey
Tessa Bailey has tried her hand at almost every romance trope. Her fake dating entry combines a birthday clown and an athlete-turned-house flipper in an effort to save both their reputations. Humor and spice are guaranteed.
Georgie wants to be taken seriously. Travis wants to clean up his image. A fake relationship seems like the perfect solution — until it isn't anymore.
Scenario: Fake relationship for reputation repair
Trope-combo: Fake dating + brother's best friend + small town
Spice level: 🌶️🌶️🌶️
Rival Darlings
Fake dating meets enemies-to-lovers. Rival Darlings has everything BookTok loves. Violet tries to make her ex jealous by pretending to be in a relationship with his rival, the handsome and infamous Reed Darling.
Two people who can't stand each other are forced to play a fake romance together — while the real tension becomes increasingly difficult to ignore.
Scenario: Fake relationship to make an ex jealous
Trope-combo: Fake dating + enemies to lovers + rivals
Spice level: 🌶️🌶️🌶️
The Right Move — Liz Tomforde
A slow-burn fake dating setup with emotional payoff where the push-and-pull keeps the tension high as the characters grow closer through real moments.
A basketball player and his best friend's sister — roommates who decide to use their situation for mutual benefit. But real feelings cannot be postponed.
Scenario: Roommates playing a fake relationship
Trope-combo: Fake dating + forced proximity + brother's best friend
Spice level: 🌶️🌶️🌶️🌶️
People We Meet on Vacation — Emily Henry
Emily Henry's bibliography also includes a fake dating romance. Two best friends who go on vacation together every year and decide to play their relationship for others — until the line between friendship and love blurs in a way that can no longer be ignored.
Scenario: Fake relationship during a vacation
Trope-combo: Fake dating + friends to lovers + slow burn
Spice level: 🌶️🌶️
The Proposal — Jasmine Guillory
Two strangers meet at a baseball game when the man next to her unexpectedly proposes — and she says no in front of thousands of spectators. Nik rescues her from the situation and soon they play a fake relationship together while something real slowly grows.
Scenario: Fake relationship after a public situation
Trope-combo: Fake dating + strangers to lovers
Spice level: 🌶️🌶️
💕 Be surprised with a fake dating romance
Our Blind Date Book (Romance) is perfect for romance fans: choose the genre, the rest is a surprise.
→ Order a Blind Date Book (Romance)
Fake dating in romantasy
Fake dating is not just a contemporary romance trope — it's also used in romantasy.
King of Wrath — Ana Huang
An arranged marriage that starts as a business transaction — the most formal fake dating scenario imaginable. Two people forced to live together while pretending to be a couple for the outside world, while real feelings slowly but surely grow.
Scenario: Arranged marriage as a fake relationship
Spice level: 🌶️🌶️🌶️
A Court of Thorns and Roses — Sarah J. Maas
Feyre and Tamlin start with a situation that feels more like coercion than choice — but the chemistry that grows within it has all the elements of the best fake-to-real love stories.
Scenario: Forced togetherness that leads to something real
Spice level: 🌶️🌶️
Fake dating combinations: the most popular trope mixes
Fake dating works best in combination with other tropes:
| Combination | Why it works | Best example |
|---|---|---|
| Fake dating + enemies to lovers | Hate and fake love in one | Rival Darlings |
| Fake dating + grumpy sunshine | Grumpy suddenly has to be sweet | The Love Hypothesis |
| Fake dating + forced proximity | They can't leave anyway | The Right Move |
| Fake dating + brother's best friend | Doubly forbidden | Fix Her Up |
| Fake dating + slow burn | The longest build-up to real | People We Meet on Vacation |
Which fake dating romance is right for you?
| Your preference | Best choice |
|---|---|
| Academia + grumpy sunshine | The Love Hypothesis — Ali Hazelwood |
| Humor + sports romance | Fix Her Up — Tessa Bailey |
| Enemies to lovers combo | Rival Darlings |
| Spicy + slow burn | The Right Move — Liz Tomforde |
| Vacation romance | People We Meet on Vacation — Emily Henry |
| Want to be surprised | Blind Date Book (Romance) |
Complete your fake dating reading set
💕 The perfect fake dating reading set:
✔ Romance bookmark — for the moment when fake finally becomes real
✔ Spicy bookmark — for the hotter fake dating variants
✔ Blind Date Book (Romance) — let yourself be surprised by a fake dating story
✔ Book Review Notepad — capture the exact moment you realized it was real
✔ Reading Log (€1.99) — keep track of which fake dating books you've read
✔ Glass Can — for the drink during the "it was never fake" scene
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Happy reading — and don't forget: fake doesn't exist in romance! 💕📚
Frequently asked questions about fake dating romance
What is fake dating in romance books?
Fake dating is a romance trope where two characters agree to pretend to be in a relationship for the outside world. In that artificial proximity, real feelings grow that they both try to deny — until they can no longer do so.
Which fake dating romance book is best to start with?
The Love Hypothesis by Ali Hazelwood is the most recommended entry point: accessible, funny, and a perfect slow burn. The film adaptation starring Lili Reinhart will be released on Prime Video on September 23, 2026 — extra reason to read it now.
Is fake dating the same as enemies to lovers?
Not necessarily, but the two often combine. Fake dating is about the fake relationship becoming real. Enemies to lovers is about the hostile dynamic turning into love. When the two combine — as in Rival Darlings — you get a double dose of excitement.
Which fake dating romance is the spiciest?
The Right Move by Liz Tomforde combines fake dating with forced proximity and scores high on the spice level. For the most intense variant, look for books that combine fake dating with dark romance elements.
Are there also fake dating scenarios in romantasy?
Yes. Arranged marriages in romantasy are a variant of fake dating where two characters are forced to live together as a couple while real feelings slowly grow. King of Wrath by Ana Huang is a popular romantasy variant.
Where can I buy romance accessories for a fake dating reading marathon?
At DopaminePrintsVibe you will find romance bookmarks, spicy bookmarks, and Blind Date Books — especially for the BookTok community.